Ethan Warner. He’s here illegally from Israel and could be a suspect in one of our investigations.”
“Where the hell are they?”
“They took off, not more than ten minutes ago,” Powell said. “Most likely they’ll head for the District, probably the New Covenant Church.”
Cain looked at the crate again. “What’s in that?”
“I’ve no idea,” Powell snapped. “Cut me loose.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said the bearded, barrel-chested man near the cockpit.
“Who the hell are you?” Cain muttered.
“My name’s Aaron Luckov, and there’s something on that crate you should see.”
Cain ignored him and reached for a Swiss army knife he carried. He was about to cut Powell’s bonds when one of the FBI agents called over.
“Sir, this guy’s right. I think you should see this right now.”
Cain got up, and the agent gestured to a piece of paper that had been hastily scribbled upon and tacked to the big crate.
Powell killed Tyrell. Treat the blood on his sleeves as evidence of homicide and use ballistics to match it to the crime scene in Anacostia. Doug Jarvis at the DIA will confirm the origin of the remains in the crate in the aircraft, as will the commander-in-chief of the Israeli Defense Force, General Benjamin Aydan. Hurry, there isn’t much time.
NL
Cain moved back to Powell and looked at the captain’s sleeves. The whites of his cuffs were speckled with dark bloodstains, and a thin rim of black spots lined the edges of the fabric. Cain slowly put his knife away before producing a set of steel handcuffs.
“What the hell are you doing?” Powell stammered.
Cain smiled coldly. “Hedging my bets.”
Cain cuffed Powell, and then looked at the FBI agents standing around him.
“Send everything we’ve got to the New Covenant Church in DC. I want Detective Nicola Lopez in custody within the hour, understood?”
NEW COVENANT CHURCH
WASHINGTON DC
The church glowed in the light from powerful lamps set into the lawns that cast their beams across the facade as Lopez drove Ethan into the parking lot.
“It’s huge,” Ethan said as they pulled up and Lopez killed the engine.
“Biggest in the District,” Lopez agreed, climbing out. “Patterson’s property portfolio is worth millions of dollars alone.”
Ethan fought down a surge of fury at the opulence of the church as he envisioned Joanna, a genuine messenger of truth, either dead or abducted and held beneath ground in a hot, dusty chamber in some obscure derelict building in Gaza City.
“Looks like there’s a few people inside,” he said.
“Which bothers me,” Lopez said. “Patterson was endorsing Senator Black’s presidential campaign. Thought he’d be at the rally by now.”
Ethan peered into the foyer and saw a pair of heavily built men in suits standing with their hands clasped before them, talking to another smaller man.
“That’s him,” Lopez said urgently, pointing at the small man, who turned and walked out of sight down a corridor away from the foyer.
“You ever heard of a church needing door security?” Ethan asked.
“No,” Lopez said. “Maybe we should find another way in. Patterson may know we’re coming.”
“They’ll have locked every other entrance if they’re expecting visitors,” Ethan said, the fury still coursing through his veins. “You look to see where Patterson’s gone. Leave the guards to me.”
Lopez threw Ethan a mock salute as she followed him.
Ethan made his way to the two huge glass double doors and eased his way inside. One of the two guards lumbered over to intercept him in the foyer.
“Have I come at a bad time?” Ethan muttered.
“The church is closed,” the guard said, reaching out and grabbing Ethan’s arm.
As the guard yanked him back toward the doors, Ethan turned and pushed him off balance before slamming the palm of his right hand under the guard’s jaw. The heavily built man staggered backward and crashed down across a table that snapped in half beneath his weight with a crackle of splintered wood.
Ethan turned as the second security guard rushed him and a meaty shoulder ploughed into his belly. Ethan felt himself hurled onto his back on the thick carpet, the security guard pinning him down before reaching out to grab his wrists. Ethan waited until the guard got hold of them and pushed them toward the ground, before he arched his back and butted his head forward. His skull impacted the guard’s nose, shattering the nasal bridge with a crunch. Ethan thumped his knee into the man’s groin, and the guard rolled off him with a strangled groan.
Ethan leaped to his feet to see the other guard draw a pistol and aim