Drained (Edgars Family #6) - Suzanne Ferrell Page 0,110

of humor in her voice.

“I mean it, Bri,” he looked in the rearview mirror at her in the backseat, wanting her to understand just how serious this was. “No matter what happens outside or in that house, you don’t leave this car. You’re not official and this guy might be crazy enough to fire a weapon. This car is bulletproof. Promise me you’ll stay here. Don’t make me regret letting you come along.”

The humor had gone from her eyes and she nodded. “I promise not to get out of this car unless you tell me to.”

He should have left her at the safehouse with Paula, Katie, and Kirk F. She’d be a damn sight safer there. But they’d started this journey together. Hell, she’d been the one to see a problem, although at that luncheon so many days ago, neither of them thought they’d end up searching for a serial killer. So, when she asked to come along with him and Carson, he’d agreed, but only if she stayed inside the SUV until they had Armbruster in handcuffs.

While they were hitting his home, Jaylon and Matt were going with the warrants squad to the blood bank Kirk F had finally established as Armbruster’s place of employment. That was going to be a mess no matter if they found the killer there or not. Someone was going to have to break the news to the administrators that they’d been using harvested blood.

Coroner Investigator Anita Ramos was tagging along with that group to do some preliminary DNA testing of the blood they had on hand. If they found a match to Art’s or Kyle’s blood, then they’d confiscate it as evidence. She’d explained to them that Mia’s blood had probably hit the system six months ago when she’d gone missing since blood—stored with the right coagulant and ideal temperatures of two to six degrees Celsius—could only last for forty-two days. The likelihood that they’d find Mia’s DNA in the blood currently in the system was impossible.

Headlights flashed in the rearview mirror as the SWAT van pulled onto the block, stopping just behind Aaron’s vehicle.

“They’re here,” he said, opening his door then he paused and looked over his shoulder at Brianna. “Keep your phone handy. Just in case.”

She held her hand up, the phone already in it to show they’d been thinking the same thing. “Be careful, you two,” she said as he and Carson exited. Aaron hit the door-lock button on his key fob. Not so much locking her in as locking out anyone trying to get to her.

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Matt stood just behind Jaylon as he filled the warrants team in on who they were looking for. Each member of the team was handed a copy of Armbruster’s drivers license so they could identify him immediately.

“It’s the evening shift, so there should be fewer staff in the building,” Jaylon said. “The warrant isn’t just to apprehend our suspect, Stephen Armbruster, but to search the entire facility, whether he’s inside or not. Investigator Ramos and her team will be taking samples from all the blood in stock to test for DNA against our victims.”

“Did you say the bagged blood may be from victims in the morgue?” one of the warrant officers asked.

“That is what we believe,” Jaylon said and paused, giving them all a chance to digest the information.

Matt liked how this young detective was handling the case and the instructions to an entire team of trained professionals. Precise and to the point. Kid was a good leader.

“Well, shit,” the warrant team’s sergeant and oldest member finally said, summing up what the others were obvious thinking. This assignment wasn’t just serving an arrest warrant, but something much bigger.

Jaylon nodded, folding his copy of the license, and putting it in his pocket. The others followed suit. “Right. So, no matter if we find our man or not, the forensic team will be scouring the files and testing the blood for a while, depending on how much blood is currently on site. Once we’ve either got our man in custody or cleared his presence in the facility, you’re good to go and my team will stay behind. Okay?”

“Okay. Let’s lock and load, people,” the team leader said, and all his people pocketed their copies of Armbruster’s likeness and checked their weapons.

Matt adjusted the bulletproof vest he’d borrowed from Jaylon and checked his own weapon. Knowing Katie was capable of seeing to Paula’s security back at the safehouse, he’d volunteered to go with Jaylon so there would