165 (25)

The black Crown Victoria shot past the welcome sign on US-281.  “Well, we’re here, now what?” Will asked in the middle of a yawn.

“Now we try to get to the local police before Garrett and Lewis.  I want those two and any information they might have about Mr. Dinkley.”

“Yeah…Dinkley.  So, where are we taking them to?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know…we find these two, then what?”

“Well, I can probably interrogate them here.  I’m sure Aberdeen has adequate facilities.”

“Then?”

Clayton started slowing down as he drove deeper into the city.  “Then?”

“Yeah,  you interrogate them here…then what?”

Clayton shook his head.  “What are you getting at?”

“I want to know when I get them for questioning about the murder of Jeff Stevens.”

“Stevens?  I thought they linked Laura Black’s gun to the scene.”

“The scene is still the apartment that Dinkley had been living in.  I want to talk to them.”

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

Clayton slowed to a stop at a red light.  “Fine.  I just want to ask them questions for the Dinkley case.  He’s long gone by now if he’s still alive.  After that, he’s all yours.  I’ll even give the three of you a ride back to Sioux Falls.”

“Wait…you think Dinkley is dead…or alive?”

“Honestly, I think he’s dead now.  Remember that patch I found on the back of the medical examiner?  Combine that with the exploding car at your police station, and I’m sure he’s gone now.  Some people deal in stolen identities, and if they don’t get exactly what they’re looking for, things can get a bit on the violent side.  He must have sold some bad papers to someone who needed them, and then the someones who fronted the money must have came looking for him.”  The light changed to green, and Clayton drove forward.  “At least, I hope.”

“You hope?”

“There’s one other possibility, but the less said the better.”

“Yeah” said Will, wondering if in fact that was the best advice.

***

The black Jetta shot past a town called Bath, and next would be Aberdeen.  She saw the blips on her phone’s display getting bigger, and the blips were also not only getting closer, they weren’t moving.  Suddenly, the blips disappeared, and the phone’s default ringtone sounded all around the car.  She didn’t even need to see the XXX-YYY-ZZZZ number to know who was calling.  She put the phone to her ear and pressed the green button.  “How did you get this number?”

“Laura, please…how long have you worked for me?”  The voice was familiar and distorted, but not angry.

“Maybe too long.”

“Listen, I’m sorry things went down the way they did.  It’s not like you’ve always been the one stuck in this fashion?  Remember New York?  Or Portland?  Or Salt Lake City?”

“None of those involved Mokoto.  I know you favor her and her work.”

“She has been mostly predictable and always accountable.  She has yet to fail me.”

“You also keep around J & J, and they’re not exactly precise.”

“Sometimes you need a heavier touch.”

“That heavy touch broke my cover!  I could have gotten a lot more intel!”

“Please, don’t talk like that over a cell phone.”

“No problem” Laura’s thumb pressed the end call button, and soon she had the blips back on her phone’s display.

160 (20)

“What town is that over there?” Clayton asked without even turning his head. “I might as well ask, since you’ve been staring out the window since whenever ago.”

“It’s Mellette. You just blew past the sign.”

“Do you know anything about the town?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“I always wonder about these small towns I zip past. Each one must have some kind of story. Are you from a small town?”

“Well, that depends. Do you call Brookings a small town?”

“When I was growing up, no. Now…maybe a small city? I mean, if I call Brookings a small town, what to I call Millford?”

“Mellette.”

“Whatever.”

Will rubbed his eyes. “Why are you bringing this up? You didn’t want to talk most of the last bunch of miles.”

“I’m getting a little sleepy, and I need to keep you awake.”

“Misery loves company.”

“Something like that.” Clayton was shaken a bit more awake by the sudden ringing of Will’s cell phone.

“That’s interesting.”

“What ring is that?”

“That’s my ring for numbers I don’t know. It’s a Sioux Falls number, no name.”

“You should let it go to your voice mail.”

Will looked at Clayton, then at his phone. “What if it’s Tina’s doctor?”

“It isn’t. Trust me.”

“I can’t take that chance Clayton. You’re due to be wrong one of these days.”

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Hmph.” Will flipped open his phone and put it to his ear. “Hello?”

“HETFIELD! So NICE of you to ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE!” Captain Hale’s voice was so loud that Clayton heard it loud and clear. He smirked and shook his head, while Will switched the phone from one ear to the other.

“Sorry sir…I’ve been resting and, you know…relaxing.”

“Don’t make me have Felix trace his cell phone back to you. I’ll triangulate your ass. You’re with that F.B.I. agent on some damn fool trip to Aberdeen.”

“Let me talk to him” said Clayton. Will passed the phone to Clayton. “Captain, this is Agent Iron-Horse. I accept f-”

“Excuse me, but I was talking to William Hetfield. Are you William Hetfield?”

“No, but I-”

“Put him back on.”

“I talked him i-”

“PUT him back on.”

“This was a-”

“ARE YOU DEAF? PUT HETFIELD BACK ON THE DAMN PHONE!”

Clayton slowly handed the phone back to Will. “I think you’d better take this.” Will gritted his teeth and lowered the volume on his phone.

“Sir I w-”

“Just shut it for a second. Is the volume on your phone turned low?”

“Yes.”

“Is the earpiece as far away from him as possible?”

Will switched ears and bent towards the passenger window. “Yes” he said, in a voice that fit a man being scolded better than a man following orders.

“I just got off the phone with the Aberdeen police. They won’t tell me what the feds are going to do with Anderton and Fulton. If you find them, you bring them back here by any means necessary. I will not have anyone who can help with the Stevens case hauled away to some governmental lock up. Do you get me? Any means necessary.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Now hang up the phone and keep acting like Mr. Fed’s best friend.”

“Yes sir” Will said, but Hale had hung up before he’d finished.

154 (14)

The town name didn’t even register with Clayton. He had his mind on the road ahead, and had little time for whatever town he left behind. Will hadn’t said much since he’d woken up at their last stop. Clayton had told Will to get some sleep before Aberdeen, but Will just kept staring out into the night. “So, how did you wind up in the F.B.I.?” was the sudden question that came from Will’s side of the car. He didn’t turn to look at Clayton when he asked, and the question bounced off the window found the way back to Clayton’s ears. Clayton didn’t answer, and just kept looking forward. “Hey” Will said, now turning towards him. “Did you hear me?”

“I heard” Clayton dryly replied.

“So, you’re not going to answer?”

“That’s the idea.”

Will adjusted his seat back a bit, and put his hands behind his head. “Okay, I’ll just have to fill in the blanks myself.”

“Excuse me?” Clayton said, almost taking his eyes off US-281.

“You…your story. You won’t tell me, so I’ll just make it up.”

“Whatever works for you.”

Will moved his hands back in front of his body, and clasped his hands together. “So, you said before you were from Wisconsin. I’ll guess you went to public school, joined the army, then moved to the F.B.I. after your second tour of duty.”

“Maybe” Clayton said.

“Or…or you went to school for criminal justice, then smoothly dazzled the folks at the F.B.I. academy.”

“Maybe.”

“You’re not giving me much to work with Mr. Iron-Horse.”

“I would guess you aren’t.”

“I could call up Felix and have him do a background check.”

“He probably already has, and I’m sure he has a lot of facts and details. I have the context, and I’m not telling, so you can just quit asking.”

“Yeah but you’re…” Will’s attempt at an argument was interrupted by his cell phone’s chirping. “Crap. It’s Captain Hale. Should I answer?”

Clayton looked over at Will, then back to the road. “What will he think if you don’t answer?”

“Either I’m passed out at home or I’m off on some some damn fool crusade.”

“Will he believe you if you answer and then lie to him?”

“Maybe. I don’t lie to him often so I don’t know how good his B.S. meter is.”

“Don’t answer it. Let him think you’re passed out, like you should be.”

“Right, right” Will tucked the phone back in his pants pocket. “I’m not done with you Clayton. I’ll figure you out yet.”

“Mmm-hmm” Clayton said.

***

Captain Hale slammed down the phone receiver as Felix walked in. “Dammit, Hetfield isn’t answering. Send someone to his apartment. I need to know he’s still in town.”

“Sure thing sir, but you’ll want to know this. I just got off the phone with the Aberdeen police. They’re gone.”

“Gone?”

“Agent Lewis told them to go in because they’re giving aid to someone. They went in to the hotel room and found some clothes and Kmart receipts but no sign of them.”

“Are they still on the line?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll talk to them. Tell someone to check Hetfield’s apartment, and get me some photo’s of Laura Black’s apartment. I’ll be damned if that woman is getting away that easily.”

144 (4)

“How did I figure it out? Let me tell you all about it.”

“Please.”

“First off, I figured out that this Dinkley fellow was not only still alive, but was smuggling drugs with his landlord Geoff Pryb-whatever. So, from there, I figured out that these to jokers, Phil and Bob, were working with him, but badly.”

“How so?”

“The feds were in on it too. Phil and Bob were told to make a pick up, and they shot Stevens and decided to call in the frame job to teach their other pushers a lesson. Dinkley faked his death earlier that day, and Geoff brings him back in the same apartment in a few months, with a new name and probably a hair color.”

“How did you know which of the feds was in on it?”

“Simple. One of them knew about my brother. That was a plant to get my dander up and to throw me off the case, by clouding my judgement. That told me Garrett was stringing along Lewis. Thank goodness you came to town, otherwise this might have taken me longer.”

“Really? I helped?”

“Of course Clayton. I kept you away from them, and when you got into a gunfight with their heavies that allowed me to go off on my own to stop a courier from catching a plane. Then, I tracked them to Aberdeen and with the help of the force, we nailed them all!”

“Maybe I could get you in at the F.B.I. You’d be perfect!”

“Oh Clayton, I’m happy with keeping the peace in Sioux Falls. Thanks for the kind words.”

“Well, if nothing else, you should answer your phone.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said ANSWER YOU DAMN PHONE!” Clayton was almost yelling in his ear. Will snapped forward and looked around. The car wasn’t moving, and Will was looking around with a very confused look on his face.

“Where…”

“Huron”

“How?”

“My car.”

“Why?”

“To beat Garrett and Lewis to Aberdeen. Now answer your damn phone.”

Will pulled out his phone and flipped it open. “Hello?”

“Detective Hetfield, this is Doctor Henriquez. You asked me to call if there was any change with Officer Vig?”

Will sunk as deeply as he could into the Crown Victoria’s passenger seat. “Yes…what’s the latest?”

“We need to perform some surgery. She should make it, but her condition makes it very dangerous. I just thought you should know.”

“Thank…thank you doctor. Good luck.”

“I have a good feeling she’ll make it. I don’t want to lose one of you. You probably don’t hear this often enough detective, but I appreciate all the Sioux Falls Police do for our community.”

“Thank you doctor. I’m confident I’ll be appreciating your work soon as well.”

“Good night Detective Hetfield.”

“Good night.” Will closed the phone and took a deep breath. He heard the door open and shut. Clayton tucked a credit card receipt under his sun visor and started the car. Soon they were speeding northward on US-281.

“Who was that?”

“The hospital. Tina needs more surgery.”

“She’ll be fine. Did you talk to her?”

“I…was…right before the car exploded.”

“You should get back to sleep. It’s going to be a long night.”

138 (26)

Will yawned for a moment, then looked around.  The stars were starting to come out in full force, and the night air was helping him get his mind in better focus.  He yawned again, then rubbed his eyes and started to walk around the car again.  He heard the jingling of the kind of door bell that only rang when a door was being opened.  He opened the car door and plopped down as Clayton ran towards the driver’s side of the Crown Victoria.  Soon, the car was roaring away from the convenience store and was heading North on US-281.  Will took a sip of his water and glanced at Clayton.  “I wanted a soda.”

“That stuff is bad for you.”

“Driving 120 miles per hour on US-281 isn’t exactly good for me either.  This isn’t exactly a road built for this sort of thing.”

“Relax.  We’ll be fine.  So, what else can you tell me about Sioux Falls?”

“Look, I appreciate you trying to learn more about the state, my city and my time in school, but how come you keep asking all those questions?”

“Just making conversation.  And, to be totally honest, I’m trying to see how with it you are after your concussion.”

Will fought back a small laugh.  “How am I doing?”

Clayton bobbed his head to the right, and then straightened it out.  “Well, you’re don’t strike me as a recent concussion victim.”

“Thanks.  I’ll take it.”  Will took a long drink from his water, then screwed the cap back on.  “Now, what about you?  How did you end up in the F.B.I. and then out here?”

“Oh no, we’re not talking about me.”

“Why not?”

Clayton turned his head and stared Will right in the eyes.  Will looked away, and Clayton looked forward.  “Because” Clayton said, as he reached to flip on the radio.

***

Phil slowly folded the letter back up, and placed in back in the envelope.  Bob still had his head in his hands, and he had not looked up since he had started looking down.  Phil took a deep breath and asked “Why?  Why would you do that?”  Bob didn’t answer.  “Dammit Bob, answer me!”  Phil grabbed his shoulder and started shaking Bob, but Bob wouldn’t look at him, nor would he answer.  Phil threw the letter to the floor of the car and reached for Bob’s throat.  Bob’s neck was slowly compressing in Phil’s hands, and Bob was fighting back, albeit with halfhearted punches at Phil’s forearms.  He weakly punched Phil’s fists as Phil shouted “WHY?” over and over.  Michelle was hesitating to stop Phil, but she was still trying to pull Phil away from Bob before Bob died.  Phil’s grip only tightened.  Another voice was just at the edge of Phil’s mind.

“Turn right, then park behind this building.”

Phil kept squeezing as Bob’s weak punches stopped coming.  Bob was becoming a rag doll in Phil’s grip, but he couldn’t stop squeezing.

“We’re here.  Phil.  Phil?  PHIL!”

Phil snapped his head up and snapped back to reality.  He looked down and saw his fists clenched so tightly a few fingernails had actually dug into his hands.  Bob was looking around, and Michelle was sitting behind the wheel, her face a mask of concern, anger, and confusion.

“Where’s here?” Bob asked.

130 (18)

The black Crown Victoria rocketed across the lane.  Will watched the semi-truck fly by like it was going the other way.  He glanced over to the speedometer, but it was pegged at 125 MPH.  He swallowed for a moment, then cleared his throat.  He was about to speak, when Clayton’s phone went off.  Clayton picked it up and looked at the display.  He quickly frowned and pushed a button on the side.  Soon the car was dark again, save the light from the stars and the headlights of oncoming cars.  “Does this car have airbags?”

“Probably, but I doubt they’d help at this point.”

“I don’t know if they have deer in the Twin Cities, but we have a fair amount of them here.”

“I’m aware of the deer.  We’ll just have to hope to get lucky.”

“Is there a reason you’re trying to break the sound barrier?”

“I want to get to Aberdeen before Garrett and Lewis.”

Will turned more towards Clayton.  “So, I take it not all the governmental agencies are playing nice like they’re supposed to?”

“Something weird is going on.  The N.G.A. and N.R.O. don’t go throwing their weight around like this, or like ever.  I know both of those agents have C.I.A. ties.  Yet they don’ t want me pursuing a lead on two men who might be the key to my investigation into Gerrard Dinkley.”

“Who also might be the key to our murdered officer.”

“You haven’t heard then, ballistics came back with the shell casings found at the scene.”

“So, they know who’s gun?”

“The bullet casings matched a gun owned by one Officer Laura Black.”

“Say what?”

“Exactly.  Isn’t that tidy?  The rogue officer who was impersonating a dead officer is also on the hook for a murder?  An officer who happened to be off the day it happened, and is now missing?”

“So, why aren’t we on I-29?”

“That’s the road Garrett and Lewis are taking.  We need to get there without them knowing we’re going.  We’ll have to hope that we don’t hit any deer once we exit I-90 and go up US-281.”

***

“Sit?  Give me one good reason I should sit right now!”

“Just…please Michelle.  You need to hear this.”  Bob took one last bite of his burger, which he had eaten rather quickly, considering he’d almost choked on it a few minutes ago.  Michelle sat down, but she looked out to the parking lot.  Her arms were folded, and she wasn’t looking at either of them.  Phil’s eyes were bloodshot and on the verge of watering up.  Bob looked over at him, swallowed the rest of his burger, and sighed heavily.  “Phil, you’ve been a friend for almost ten years, right?”

“More or less.”

“Michelle, you and Phil had a good thing once.  Do you know how much it hurt him when you left?”  Michelle didn’t answer.  “I’m sure you thought you had a good reason.”

“I had my reasons.”

Bob had a few options to him, but he decided to take a blind leap.  “Reasons you’ve since rethought, right?”

Michelle looked at Bob, with a mix of confusion and anger.  Phil just looked confused for the moment.

125 (13)

Will walked slowly through the hospital corridors.  Tina had fallen asleep, and Doctor Henriquez had advised him to go home and get some rest.  He wasn’t sure who to call for a ride.  The doctor told him not to drive for a few days, and Hale had left him a voice mail telling him he was off the Stevens case and that he had at least a week of paid leave to recover from the explosion.  Tina was his only close friend on the force, and she was in much worse shape.  He walked out of the doors into the night air.  A light breeze blew past him, and he stood outside, holding his phone, unsure of what to do.  His mind was still fuzzy from the explosion, and his few coherent thoughts were still with Tina.  His cell phone rang loudly and suddenly.  Without even looking at the number, he lifted the phone to his hear and flipped it open.  “Hetfield?” he said, unsure if he should be answering and unsure of himself.

“Will?”

“Clayton?”

“Where are you?”

“I just walked out of the hospital.”

“Don’t go far, I’m almost there.  I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.  I could use a ride.”

“I could use a road trip friend.  Have you ever been to Aberdeen?”

“Once or twice?” Will was again unsure of both how much he’d been to Aberdeen, and of how much he wanted to go.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes, and I’ll fill you in.”

***

Bob’s face contorted in pain and fear.  He was desperate to draw a breath, but no air was reaching his lungs.  He was making a horrible sound with what air he could move around his throat.  Phil lunged up and grabbed his arm.  Bob thought about fighting for a moment, but let Phil pull him out of the booth.  Phil wrapped his arms around Bob’s torso and his hands clenched just below Bob’s sternum.  He pulled up and back hard on Bob’s chest, and Bob felt his fee leave the ground.  “C’mon, don’t you choke to death on me now.”  Phil tugged again, but Bob was still choking.  Everyone around the restaurant was starting to turn towards Phil and his efforts.  “Dammit Bob, dammit dammit dammit!”  Phil gave one big heave and Bob felt his feet lift off the floor once more.  He felt the chewed up burger dislodge from his esophagus and launch onto the table.  Bob drew a long breath.  He saw pops of light dancing about wherever he looked.  His legs were like jelly and his heart was racing, partly because of almost choking and partly because everyone in the Millstone was now looking at them.  Phil was doing his best to hold him up, but Bob wasn’t helping at all. 

“Phil?”

Bob heard her voice, and closed his eyes.  For the faintest of moments, Bob gave death a second thought.  He could hope his luck would save him from the explaining that would test their friendship, but that seemed like a false hope.  He wasn’t going to ask for a sign for guidance, but he soon had one anyway.

“Michelle?” Phil said, dropping his jaw and Bob at the same time.

121 (9)

“Will…what…happened?”  Tina’s words were slow in coming, and they were barely audible over the sounds of monitors in the room.

“There was an explosion” Will said, in a voice that was soft and soothing, yet loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the machines hooked up to Tina’s body.

“You can speak up” Tina said, while trying to nod.  “My ears still work.”

Will allowed himself to smile ever so slightly.  “The car we were checking out exploded.  Forensics are still trying to figure out why.  It shattered most of the windows on that side of the station.  You and I were hit with shrapnel…”

Tina noticed Bob’s smile vanish entirely.  “What…what’s wrong?”

“Tina…” Will stopped for a moment, and took a deep breath.  “I…I spun you around to ask…the explosion…your back was to it…”

“Will…there’s no way you could have known…”

“It should have been me Tina…I’m so sorry…” Will’s words trailed off as tears started flowing down his weary face.  He looked down and started taking deep breaths.  His shoulders rose slowly and fell quickly, like a heavy weight kept pressing them down.

“Will…don’t blame yourself…how…many…cars explode…in this town?”  Tina waited for a moment while she watched Will’s shoulders gradually cease their piston like regularity.  “Will…look at me…”  Will’s head slowly rose, as did his eyes.  They were bloodshot and squinted.  He never once raised his hands to wipe away tears.  “You can’t…blame yourself.  It could have been you…or…anybody out there.”  Will’s eyes closed and he was visibly biting his lip.  Tina smiled and closed her left hand slightly.  Will’s eyes shot open as he felt Tina’s hand tighten.

“I…I shouldn’t have…”

“Shhhh…It’s okay…it’s…nice.  You can hold it until they kick you out.”

Will smiled and gripped a bit tighter.

***

Phil sat down his empty water glass.  “That’s the one thing I don’t like about Aberdeen…the nasty water.”  Bob was engrossed in the menu, and only looked up after a few seconds.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong man?”  Phil bent forward and spoke more quietly.  “Your moods are a bit all over the place today.  Granted, we are in an unusual situation, but you seem to go between super happy and super zone-out all the time.”

“Unusual?”  Bob took a long drink from his water glass, and sat it back down.  “Twenty-four hours ago I found out one of my best friends died.  I thought seeing his old place would give me some closure for the day, and all I’ve done is get my other best friend almost killed and on the run.  Half the time I can’t help but think we’re in some Ben Affleck-Matt Damon vehicle and I choose to go with it.  The other half of the time I think about the fact that Jer is dead and I won’t even make it to his funeral because we decided to skip out of town when the going got rough.”  Bob grabbed his glass and chugged the rest of his water.  Phil watched the glass hit the table, and Bob stared at the glass as well.  They both looked up and saw Abbie coming towards them with a pitcher of water.

“You guys look thirsty.  Do you want me to leave the pitcher?”

“Yes please” they said in unison.

117 (5)

Bob made a break for it.

He had evaluated his options, looked for alternatives, and considered the risks, and in in that order. His overwhelming sense of need commanded him to take action. Phil was left behind, but Bob knew he’d be fine, and would catch up. There were moments where he wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, but he went for it anyway. Now, he was taking a moment to see what Phil did, and wondering what to do next.

“DUDE! WHY DO YOU DO THAT?”

Bob shrugged his shoulders while Phil waited on the other side of 6th Avenue in Aberdeen. Phil kept to his side of the busy four-lane street, while Bob was already safely across and eying their destination. Bob walked up to a light post and leaned for a moment. While not a perfect metaphor for the two of them, it was mostly accurate. Bob took risks, and Phil didn’t. Bob knew what he wanted and how to get it, but Phil played it safe and got by with what he had. Now, Bob was ready for supper, while Phil was waiting to cross a busy street. A few minutes later, Phil was safely across. “What took you so long?”

“Hey, I know how South Dakotans drive. I wasn’t about to cross until I was good and ready. I can’t believe you darted across when you did.”

“Hey, if I’d known you would take so long I would have waited. So, what are you gonna have?” Bob looked back as he asked. The setting sun was shining bright, and Phil was squinting while he responded.

“I’m thinking pancakes.”

“Pancakes?”

“Sure, why not. Maybe they have a steak and eggs kind of meal.”

“Hey, whatever. I just want a burger. Remember, we can’t burn through all our cash just yet.”

Phil kept pace, but Bob’s pace was quickening. He was hungry, and he knew what he wanted. Phil usually didn’t know what he wanted until he saw a menu, which had Bob wondering about where Phil’s head was.

***

Black was the only color visible, but slowly it gave way to an dark, pale gray. Slowly and deliberately, the gray became lighter and lighter until it was white. The white became more defined with a bit of squinting. It was a fluorescent light, and some very ordinary ceiling tile. Tina’s ears started listening for sounds. She heard a beeping, then another kind of beeping, and then some other noises she couldn’t quite make out. She tried to move, but her body was numb almost all over. Her head could barely move, but she saw a fuzzy figure sitting next to her bed, which she was now sure was a hospital bed. She tried to speak, but her voice didn’t sound like her own, and her words didn’t make sense to her. The seated figure moved closer, and Tina squinted harder. “Will?” she croaked out at a barely audible tone.  The figure scooted even closer, and she was able to make out Will Hetfield’s face with no problem. The sight of his face was a relief, but the look of concern it was showing troubled her.

114 (2)

Will Hetfield’s mind was a mess. It was a jumble of images and sounds, and none of them were helping him relax. He kept flashing back to the black Cadillac, in a moment there, and the next moment gone. He remembered getting up and grabbing his head, and seeing his hands bloody as he looked around. There was broken glass everywhere, and Tina’s body was limp and partially on top of his. He remembered hearing sirens in every direction, and stumbling into the station, only to be hauled out to an ambulance. Now, he was sitting in a waiting room with an ice pack on his head, squinting to see the closed captioning on the KELO newscast.

“Mr. Hetfield?”

Will looked up and to his left. He vaguely recognized the doctor who had worked on him earlier. He was a middle-aged Hispanic man, and his face looked alert and serious. “Yes…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“I am Doctor Henriquez. I treated you and several others who came in today. Thankfully, there were very few severe injuries.”

“What…what happened to me?”

“You have a mild concussion, and a piece of debris nicked your head. We had to do a few stitches, but you’re free to go.”

“How, how is officer Tina Vig?”

Doctor Henriquez took a deep breath. Will had seen that before, whenever a doctor was telling a family bad news. “She isn’t good. We had to dig several pieces of shrapnel out of her back. She has a concussion, and she lost a lot of blood. She’s still unconscious and in intensive care.”

Will lowered the ice pack from his head and stood up. He teetered for a moment and the doctor quickly caught him. “Can I…whoa…”

“Easy Mr. Hetfield. You do have a slight concussion, and you’ve had a long day. I think you seriously need to get some rest.”

“I’ll rest later. I need to see her.”

***

“Hale, who’s all there?” The police chief’s voice boomed through the speaker phone. Captain Hale leaned forward.

“I’m here sir, along with N.R.O. agent Garrett, N.G.A. agent Lewis, and F.B.I. agent Iron-Horse.”

“What the hell are we going to tell the press? Who do we pin the blame of this cluster on?” The chief’s voice was angry, and the speaker crackled in spots.

“I have a story ready to go about a training exercise with explosives that we can pin back on the explosives manufacturer.” Garrett closed his laptop as he bent towards the phone. The four of them were all bent slightly forward around Hale’s desk.

“Who on Earth is going to buy that malarkey?”

“It’s textbook, but it seems to work most of the time.”

“I want options dammit! The mayor is on my ass to ease the public’s mind about this!”

“Say the matter is under investigation but have the boys in the lab cook up a reason that it was mechanical failure, causing the gas tank to blow.”

“Not bad Hale.”

“Actually, bad. Anyone who’s watched Mythbusters knows that gas tanks don’t explode at the level that car blew.” Clayton finished his statement and felt all eyes shift to him, and few of them looked happy.

“Is that the F.B.I. guy? Well, what’s your bright idea?” The chief’s question echoed for a moment, and Clayton carefully considered his response.