One of the firemen shouted in Wood’s direction and then signaled for him to come over.
“What’s that about?” Blunt asked.
“I told them to get me when they determined it was safe to go inside,” Wood said. “They got the fire out rather quickly, but we needed to make a sweep of the building for any more explosives. I’m assuming it’s clear now.”
Wood led Blunt over toward the fire captain managing the crews inside the charred remains of the president’s living quarters.
“You sure you wanna see this?” the captain asked.
Wood nodded and looked at Blunt, who also gave an affirming answer.
“Well, follow me. I just hope neither one of you have eaten lately.”
The captain took the men into the White House and helped them navigate the smoldering ashes and toppled beams. Blunt whistled as he stopped and gawked at the hole about six feet in diameter that ripped through three walls.
“What kind of explosives were they using to do this?” Blunt asked.
“I’m not sure, sir,” the fireman said. “But I believe someone on the FBI bomb squad said his unit was already analyzing everything.”
They continued picking their way through the debris until they reached a body covered with a white sheet.
Wood put his hands on his hips. “Let’s see it.”
The captain revealed the body and immediately looked in the opposite direction. “Think that’s the first lady?”
“I don’t know who that is, but she must’ve been standing on top of the bomb,” Wood said.
“Got any gloves?” Blunt asked.
Wood forked over a pair from his pocket, and Blunt slid them on. Then he knelt next to the body and gently lifted the left arm. Moving slowly to be extra careful, he slid the ring off her finger and examined the inside.
“We sure as hell can’t identify her from her face,” Blunt said. “We’ll need a dental exam to get a positive ID, but this is her wedding ring.”
Wood shook his head. “I don’t know who’s responsible for this, but if they thought they could win over the American public with some protest stunt like this, they couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Agreed,” Blunt said. “But it might be terrorists who don’t give a damn about trying to change hearts and minds. They might just be satisfied to scare us all to death every day when we’re driving to school or work. Simply seeding the idea that another attack might happen at any moment could be enough for them.”
“Whoever did this is going to feel the brunt of an interagency hunting expedition,” Wood said. “And Lord help anyone who gets in the way of that investigation.”
“Ain’t that the truth. We just might yet get a dozen more units like mine,” Blunt said. “When President Young recovers, he’s going to go ballistic and then unleash us on these pukes.”
“We just need to pray that he survives.”
Blunt checked his watch. “I need to pass this information along to my team. It might be useful for them soon.”
Blunt dialed Hawk’s number. “It’s the first lady, all right.”
“You’re sure she’s dead?” Black asked after Hawk put the call on speaker.
“I’m holding her wedding ring,” Blunt said. “It’s about the only thing I can identify on her at this moment.”
“That bad, huh?” Hawk said.
“One of the worst I’ve ever seen,” Blunt said. “And that includes me seeing a guy get both legs blown off just above the knee during the war.”
“Glad it was you that had to verify that stuff and not me,” Black said.
“I wouldn’t wish this viewing on anyone,” Blunt said. “And I just hope the president never sees her body like this. It’ll be an image seared into his brain—and one he’ll likely want to soon forget. Now hurry up and find Joseph. We need answers and fast.”
CHAPTER 29
HAWK CALLED ALEX to see if she was making any headway on finding out where the missing ambulance might have gone. He and Black drove to Georgetown to learn that the president was there and in stable condition. And as evidenced by the swarm of Secret Service agents, he was also well protected. But there wasn’t the faintest sign of where Joseph might have been taken.
“You found him yet?” Alex asked as she answered the phone.
“Everything has been a dead end so far,” Hawk said. “We managed to identify where all the other ambulances went, and we can confirm Joseph went elsewhere based off all the information we have. So where did he go?”
“I just started compiling all the closed-circuit footage I could find,” Alex said. “And I found an ambulance that disappeared around First and M streets.”
“That’s just north of the beltway,” Hawk said. “If they jumped on that, by the time we figure out which way they went, they’ll be long gone.”
“That’s the thing,” Alex said. “They didn’t get on the highway. They were very particular about avoiding it for some reason.”
“So, they just vanished in that part of the city?”
“They’re still there,” Alex said. “I have to find them somehow. It’s like a needle in a haystack.”
“Now we need to burn some hay to find them.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Look at all the warehouses in a five-block radius of where you last saw them,” Hawk said. “Then cross-reference that with the name of people and shell corporations that rent or own those facilities, likely some transaction initiated in the past couple of years.”
“I’m on it,” she said. “I’ll call you when I find something.”
Hawk hung up and looked at Black. “Let’s go to First and M.”
“You think this is gonna work?” Black asked.
“You got any better ideas?”
“Not off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
“In the meantime, while that sawdust in burning, drive.”
Black shook his head and cast a sideways glance at Hawk. “You know we’ve got to come back with something.”
“We will,” Hawk said. “Obsidian has proven to be one step ahead of us,
