hospital room, for some reason. Fred seemed to wait for her to explain that oddity, but she declined, making a fast getaway when she saw the second patrol car pull up at the other end of the street.
She said a hasty good-bye to Fred and walked through the gauntlet of federal employees to the other end of the block. Xavier and his army brothers were nowhere in sight. They were most likely already in the building. And the guys from the vans were busy setting up lighting rigs, then transporting the self-contained lighting arrays into the building. Sarah thought it would be lit up like a ball field in no time, judging by the hardware these guys had brought with them.
She repeated the greetings with the other officer, Pete Simmons. She had a good opinion of him, having worked with him a time or two on parade duty and other special events. He was still a rookie, but seasoned enough to be on friendly terms with most of the other officers.
She also helped him with his saw horses and flares, then made her way back to the building. The van guys were mostly inside now. She could see the glow from within as she neared the dilapidated door.
As she entered, she realized everyone was standing silent, listening to someone speak. It was Xavier, commanding their attention. Funny, she hadn’t seen him in commander mode yet. Despite herself, she was impressed. He definitely had a way about him. It wasn’t obnoxious or flamboyant. It was more a steady presence that made people want to listen to him and do what he asked. No wonder he was in charge. He had the gift of a born leader.
“I want this place searched from top to bottom, piece by piece. Tear it apart and put it back together again if you have to.” Xavier eyed everyone in the room. Even Sarah felt the deadly seriousness of his words. “This is a crime scene as well as a national security–threat site. We need to find any additional evidence that may be hiding in here. We also have to decontaminate anything that could be hazardous. Reno”—he pointed to one of the Green Berets who stood with a group of the guys from the vans—“I want you to coordinate the teams. One of our guys with each decontamination team. Decon first, then go in and search, room by room.” Xavier spied Sarah in the doorway and motioned her forward. “Sam, Lewis, I’ll want you to come with Officer Petit and me to go over the trail. Everyone else, set up your gear. Reno, clear the north wall first and use it as a staging area. Got it?”
A chorus of affirmatives answered him as Sarah walked through the clustered groups of men. She reached his side as activity resumed, one team of van guys heading over to work on the north side of the building. She saw them donning protective gear that included eye and respiratory protection. Then she watched as they hefted big cylinders that looked like they held compressed gas of some kind with hoses coming out of one end. She assumed the cylinders held whatever substance they were using for decontamination. She quickened her step.
“Is that stuff safe?” she asked Xavier in a low voice as she stepped close to his side.
He looked up, following her gaze to the decon team. “We’re far enough away here. Besides, it’s not harmful to humans unless you’re exposed to massive amounts over a long period of time. The masks and goggles are just a precaution because these guys have been using the stuff for a while now.”
“Good to know.” She turned back to find two other men had joined their small group. One was a giant blond who must’ve had Viking roots, and the other had a wiry build with brown hair, brown eyes, and a gorgeous tan.
“Officer Petit, this is Lieutenant Sam Archer, my second-in-command for this mission,” he said, motioning to the blond, “and Private Lewis Kauffman, the unit’s bloodhound.” Xavier’s slow grin invited her to join in their little joke.
“Bloodhound, huh? I didn’t know there was a rank for that in the army.” She reached forward to shake hands with both men.
“I’m a good tracker, ma’am,” Lewis said as he shook her hand. “Learned the skill first from my grandfather, then Uncle Sam helped me add to my skills.”
“There isn’t a thing in the woods Lew can’t find,” Xavier added. “This urban jungle might prove