Reckless Creed by Alex Kava Page A

look like suicide.”
    â€œI’m told he panicked. The woman had called the county sheriff.”
    Bishop sat up and gripped the phone. This was new information.
    â€œWhat did she tell him?”
    â€œSome fantastical story about being a part of a government experiment that was making her ill.”
    This was exactly what Bishop worried about. “Did he believe her?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. I sent one of my men to clean up the mess. From now on we use only recruits that I choose.”
    â€œI really can’t be bothered by those minor details,” Bishop said, hiding the wave of relief. “We’ll use yours for the next phase.”
    â€œAnd your watchers,” he said, “they need to report to my man.”
    Hess had sensed vulnerability like a shark in bloody water and was using it to seize even more control. It wasn’t out of concern for the project’s success as much as his own self-preservation.
    Bishop swallowed years of preparation along with pride and pretended this was no big deal, then simply said, “Fine.”

23
    CHICAGO
    A lmost midnight and O’Dell couldn’t sleep. Hotel management had overcompensated giving her a new room, this one with a view. She kept the television on, leaving it at one of the cable news stations though there was no news that interested her.
    She had left a message for Agent Anthony Alonzo back at Quantico. She’d sent him the photo Platt took of the young man who had followed her. Alonzo could download it into their face-recognition program. If they were lucky maybe they’d get a hit.
    She also e-mailed a list of information requests. Alonzo was a data wizard. These days almost everyone left an electronic footprint of some sort. If there was even a crumb, Alonzo would usually find it. Except for Dr. Clare Shaw. Nothing. They had come up empty, time after time.
    She told the agent what Platt had said would be necessary for Shaw to grow the virus and asked that he try one more time to find a research lab in the Southeast. Was it possible they had missed a facility in their earlier hunt? Perhaps somewhere near Pensacola.
    Alonzo also agreed to see if there was anything else he couldfind about Tony Briggs. Tracking his last days might lead them closer to Shaw. Past experience had taught O’Dell that sometimes you could learn vital information about a killer by examining his victims. That was when she realized there was someone who could tell her more about Briggs than Agent Alonzo.
    She was thinking about Jason Seaver when her phone rang. She recognized the area code. The call was from the Florida Panhandle. But it wouldn’t be Jason calling. She thought immediately of Ryder Creed, and she hated the annoying flutter of anticipation.
    â€œThis is Maggie O’Dell,” she answered.
    â€œMaggie, it’s Hannah. Hannah Washington.”
    Of course. Ryder wasn’t the only person she knew within that area code. But that his partner had called, and that her voice sounded anxious, turned O’Dell’s anticipation to worry.
    â€œHannah, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Ryder okay?”
    â€œMercy, I’m sorry to be bothering you at this hour. No one’s hurt. Not yet anyway. I’ve been racking my mind trying to think of someone who might be able to help us. I know Rye won’t ask. But I’m not too proud. I have my boys to think about.”
    â€œWhat is it, Hannah? Of course I’ll help. Tell me what’s going on.”
    â€œWe had quite a scare today.”
    Hannah went on to tell O’Dell about the men in black SUVs who had come to their training facility. Armed men.
    â€œSeveral of them wore hazmat suits. They were here to . . . dear God, I can’t even say it. They were going to put down our dogs. Every last one of them.”
    â€œI don’t understand. Who were they?”
    â€œThe man in charge is an FBI agent named Lawrence