the media attention the Bandit’s stirring up, we don’t want any more negative press than we can help.”
“Yes, sir,” Lei answered, her stomach dropping at the thought of seeing Stevens again. Oh well. She’d just have to guts up and do it—and maybe she’d find a chance to ask about getting Keiki back
“Report in to me when you make contact with the Maui PD.” Waxman retracted his overhead screen.
At their cubicle, Ken handed her a vest. “We know the kid’s armed.”
“I hate these things.” Lei wriggled on the Kevlar and Velcroed herself in. “They give me claustrophobia.” Her heart rate had already picked up dramatically with the news.
“So, go call your boyfriend.” Ken packed his duffel with quick efficiency while Lei scrambled for her crime kit and anything else she could think to bring. “Hope you don’t mind—Marcella told me the basics.”
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore.”
“Your ex then. Get going—I’m getting the beanies, rifles, and the helicopter.” Ken moved off quickly. Beanies—tiny, hard rubber pellets filling beanbags and packed into shotgun shells—were nonlethal but still packed a wallop when a suspect wasn’t wearing body armor, and Lei fervently hoped there would be a bloodless takedown.
No time to overthink it. This phone call was going to be all business, Lei told herself. She walked to the employee lounge, shuffling through the contacts on her phone, her heart beating in slow, heavy thuds against the constricting vest. She poured some fresh coffee into a mug, chipped off some Coffee-mate with a spoon as the phone rang.
“Lieutenant Stevens.”
“Congrats on the promotion.” He’d been a sergeant when she left, and Lei was pleased at how steady her voice was.
“Lei. This must be your new number.” His voice sounded rough. It was still so early; her mind flashed to him in bed, Anchara beside him, all golden skin and reams of black hair. She stirred the coffee with a loud clatter to drown out unhelpful imaginings.
“Bureau phone. I’m liaising with you about the plane-stealing unsub.”
“You mean the Smiley Bandit? We’re at the station watching Wendy Watanabe’s latest installment. Apparently, she’s in contact with the Bandit and he’s promised her an exclusive when he’s apprehended.”
“My SAC, Waxman, is on that. My partner and I are getting our chopper in the air in a few minutes to come to Maui. What’s the status of finding the aircraft?”
“Nothing yet.” Stevens adjusted his tone to match her no-nonsense one. “We have five patrol units out combing the north shore and an island-wide high-priority BOLO out. Aircraft was spotted by a unit out by Haiku Station—it was heading north. The pilot might have tried to make it to Hana Airport, so we have a unit dispatched to watch there.”
“It’s an ultralight. All it needs to land is a hundred-foot strip of empty road or lawn. The Hummel has landed and taken off using a golf course, so don’t limit the surveillance to just established airports—in fact I think the unsub will avoid those.”
“Understood. Funny to hear you use Bureau jargon.” Stevens’s voice conveyed a degree of sarcasm. “Is it all you hoped for?”
“Is she all you hoped for?” Lei burst out, surprising herself as she felt rage blow a flush up her neck. “You don’t have the right to ask me anything.”
“Oh. So I guess you heard.” He wasn’t backing down either. “I told you how it was when you chose the job. I hope it keeps you warm at night.”
“Fuck you, Stevens. I want my dog back.”
“See you at the heliport. And keep it professional, Special Agent Texeira.” His voice was icy, and he clicked off before she could say anything more.
Lei bit her lip hard on the expletives that bubbled up and tossed her mug of coffee into the sink with a wet crash. She restrained herself from throwing the phone after it.
“Everything okay here?” Of course Ken had to choose that moment to
“Yes, sir,” Lei answered, her stomach dropping at the thought of seeing Stevens again. Oh well. She’d just have to guts up and do it—and maybe she’d find a chance to ask about getting Keiki back
“Report in to me when you make contact with the Maui PD.” Waxman retracted his overhead screen.
At their cubicle, Ken handed her a vest. “We know the kid’s armed.”
“I hate these things.” Lei wriggled on the Kevlar and Velcroed herself in. “They give me claustrophobia.” Her heart rate had already picked up dramatically with the news.
“So, go call your boyfriend.” Ken packed his duffel with quick efficiency while Lei scrambled for her crime kit and anything else she could think to bring. “Hope you don’t mind—Marcella told me the basics.”
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore.”
“Your ex then. Get going—I’m getting the beanies, rifles, and the helicopter.” Ken moved off quickly. Beanies—tiny, hard rubber pellets filling beanbags and packed into shotgun shells—were nonlethal but still packed a wallop when a suspect wasn’t wearing body armor, and Lei fervently hoped there would be a bloodless takedown.
No time to overthink it. This phone call was going to be all business, Lei told herself. She walked to the employee lounge, shuffling through the contacts on her phone, her heart beating in slow, heavy thuds against the constricting vest. She poured some fresh coffee into a mug, chipped off some Coffee-mate with a spoon as the phone rang.
“Lieutenant Stevens.”
“Congrats on the promotion.” He’d been a sergeant when she left, and Lei was pleased at how steady her voice was.
“Lei. This must be your new number.” His voice sounded rough. It was still so early; her mind flashed to him in bed, Anchara beside him, all golden skin and reams of black hair. She stirred the coffee with a loud clatter to drown out unhelpful imaginings.
“Bureau phone. I’m liaising with you about the plane-stealing unsub.”
“You mean the Smiley Bandit? We’re at the station watching Wendy Watanabe’s latest installment. Apparently, she’s in contact with the Bandit and he’s promised her an exclusive when he’s apprehended.”
“My SAC, Waxman, is on that. My partner and I are getting our chopper in the air in a few minutes to come to Maui. What’s the status of finding the aircraft?”
“Nothing yet.” Stevens adjusted his tone to match her no-nonsense one. “We have five patrol units out combing the north shore and an island-wide high-priority BOLO out. Aircraft was spotted by a unit out by Haiku Station—it was heading north. The pilot might have tried to make it to Hana Airport, so we have a unit dispatched to watch there.”
“It’s an ultralight. All it needs to land is a hundred-foot strip of empty road or lawn. The Hummel has landed and taken off using a golf course, so don’t limit the surveillance to just established airports—in fact I think the unsub will avoid those.”
“Understood. Funny to hear you use Bureau jargon.” Stevens’s voice conveyed a degree of sarcasm. “Is it all you hoped for?”
“Is she all you hoped for?” Lei burst out, surprising herself as she felt rage blow a flush up her neck. “You don’t have the right to ask me anything.”
“Oh. So I guess you heard.” He wasn’t backing down either. “I told you how it was when you chose the job. I hope it keeps you warm at night.”
“Fuck you, Stevens. I want my dog back.”
“See you at the heliport. And keep it professional, Special Agent Texeira.” His voice was icy, and he clicked off before she could say anything more.
Lei bit her lip hard on the expletives that bubbled up and tossed her mug of coffee into the sink with a wet crash. She restrained herself from throwing the phone after it.
“Everything okay here?” Of course Ken had to choose that moment to
Similar Books
