“Yes, sir.”
“Do we have access to the cameras at the airport?” I pointed to the computer; my patience had been worn thin.
“Not from here.” She shook her head.
“Call the agents out there and tell them to get with airport operations or the police or whoever controls the damn cameras out there. I want to know where he is going.” I was not going to let him get away.
“Maybe he is traveling with someone who is purchasing the tickets,” Stephanie suggested.
“Possible.” I entertained the idea. “Or maybe the airport is a decoy and he just dropped his car and picked up a rental. It’s hard to trace a rental.” I stepped away from her desk and started pacing.
“We have no way of knowing if he called ahead or not but check any outgoing cars from the airport shortly after Bannister’s car entered.”
“On it.” Jared said as he spoke to the agents out at the airport.
“What would be his reason for staying?” I asked out loud, not expecting an answer.
“Well, he couldn’t have done all of this alone. He had to have help. Maybe he is doubling back to meet up with his partner in crime.” Stephanie suggested.
“That’s possible.” I was deep in thought wondering who could he have been working with to kidnap Kay? Was he coming back to finish the job? A thought slowly started to take form in my mind.
“Jared? Who is at the safe house right now?” I asked.
“A couple of Mac’s agents.”
“Where’s Mac?”
“Dunno,” he replied.
I turned around expecting to see him sitting at a desk in the corner or something. He wasn’t. I pulled out my cell phone and punched Logan’s number.
“Logan.” His gruff voice barked into the phone.
“It’s Ethan, listen we’ve lost Bannister. Keep an eye on Kay because he might be coming back for her.”
“You got it.” Logan said as he clicked off.
“We’ve got camera access!” Jared called out from his desk as he snapped his fingers at Stephanie to get her attention and point to the computer.
Stephanie began typing and clicking something on the screen. Jared was still talking to on the phone.
“Got something!” Stephanie called out. “He did get into another car.”
I returned to stand behind her looking at the black and white images on the screen.
“Can you track him? Can you get me a location?” I demanded.
“Working on it.” Stephanie said without taking her eyes off the screen.
“I didn’t see anyone else with him, did you?” I asked.
“No.” Was all that she said. She was concentrating on the images on the screen.
“Maybe he is using an alias?” Jared offered.
“There are too many maybes.” I began pacing again. We were missing something. I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“He has to have someone helping him. We know he didn’t put her on the barge himself. What do we have on the people who were with him at docks?”
The clicking of keyboards was fast and furious in the office. The phones started to ring.
“Agent Craddock!” I barked into a desk phone.
“Agent Craddock, this is Agent Mercer at the safe house we’re taking some fire. I’ve called the local PD for back-up.” Mercer shouted into the phone.
“How many?” I could hear gunfire in the background.
“At least three that I can see,” he reported.
I started snapping my fingers to get Jared and Stephanie’s attention. They both looked up.
“We’re on our way!” I slammed the phone down.
“The safe house is under fire!” I ran for the door trusting Stephanie and Jared would follow.
When we got there the Gates Point police were there. It looked like the shooting had stopped. We all approached the scene cautiously.
“Who’s in charge and where are the agents?” I called out.
“You Craddock?” A police sergeant asked.
“Yeah.”
“This way.” He motioned for me to follow him.
I could hear more sirens in the distance. I found the two NCIS agents on the floor and one was unconscious. I checked his pulse. He had been shot but he was alive. A Gates Point officer was administering first aid. I knew the sirens must be the EMT’s. The second agent was propped up against the wall and conscious.
“What happened?”
“It was Nichols. He was part of it.”
“Michael Nichols, the man you were protecting did this?” I was stunned.
The agent nodded.
“Jared!” I yelled standing up and looking around.
“I’m on it.”
I saw Jared step outside and start talking into his phone. “What else can you tell me?”
“They opened fire through the windows. Nichols ran to the back of the house and opened the back door.”
The agent coughed. The EMTs pushed their way in.
“He let them in?” I was having a hard time believing all of this.
“Yes, then he just opened fire on us. We returned fire and I think we got at least one of them. It all happened so fast.”
“I understand, it’s okay.” I tried to reassure him. “Did you hear them say anything about where they might be going?”
“No, they didn’t say anything once inside the house.”
The EMT’s stepped between us and started assessing the agent.
“I’ll call Mac and have him meet you at the hospital.”
I don’t know if the agent heard me. It looked as if he had slipped into unconsciousness.
My mind was full of thoughts of Kay. I pulled out my phone and called Logan. No answer.
“Dammit.” I ran out the door. “Jared, I’m headed to the hospital.”
“I’m coming with you!” He and Stephanie jumped in the SUV.
“If these guys are headed there, they might be meeting Bannister and you’ll need back-up.” Jared explained.
I nodded and started the engine. I redialed Logan but still no answer. I tried Mac, nothing.
“I have a feeling we might be too late already.” I said out loud without realizing it.
“You try Logan?” Jared asked.
“Twice, no answer. Same with Mac.”
Stephanie frowned. “I’ll keep trying.” She offered.
I drove like a bat out of hell to the hospital. We skidded to a stop. There were no obvious signs that Bannister or anyone
