The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,156
your vehicles!’ boomed an amplified voice. ‘Stop or we open fire!’
The driver looked at Baxter in alarm. ‘What do I do?’
There was not enough room to get past without ramming the cars aside – injuring or killing the cops behind them. ‘Stop,’ Baxter reluctantly ordered, the cold thrill of the pursuit replaced by anger. The driver braked hard, the Suburban halting ten yards short of the roadblock. The other two SUVs pulled up behind it. ‘I’m gonna rip someone a new one for this . . .’
Morgan blinked in surprise as he watched the aerial view of unfolding events. The cops advanced on the stationary Suburbans, weapons drawn. ‘What the— What are they doing? Why are they stopping Baxter’s team? Get me the Metro commander, now!’ he barked at Holly Jo’s replacement. ‘And keep track of Adam!’
Kyle zoomed out, catching the Hyundai just before it made a turn and was lost to view behind buildings. ‘Get him back in sight!’ Kiddrick demanded.
‘Let me just switch to X-ray mode,’ Kyle said sarcastically. ‘Patience, brah. Another thirty seconds and the drone’ll catch up.’
Morgan was connected to the police commander. ‘What the hell’s going on? Your guys just stopped my pursuit team!’
‘The hell are you talkin’ about?’ was the truculent response. ‘We’re doin’ what you told us to do!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I got your APB right here! “Highest national security priority, stop and detain armed and dangerous suspects in three stolen black US government Suburbans.” That’s what you asked for, and that’s what we’re doin’, right now!’
‘That’s not what we told you!’ Morgan said, bewildered. On the screen, the cops were making the SUVs’ occupants get out at gunpoint. ‘Our suspects are in a Hyundai station wagon – you’re arresting the agents who were chasing them!’
‘Look, I’m just goin’ by what you gave us,’ the commander complained. ‘First you told us it was the Hyundai, then you sent an update about the Suburbans.’
‘We didn’t send—’ Morgan broke off, casting an accusing glare over the Bullpen’s occupants. ‘All right. I guess Holly Jo isn’t the only person trying to help Adam. So who else has a good reason to feel loyal to him?’ His gaze fell upon Kyle. ‘Someone he saved from being shot down by a Russian jet, maybe?’
‘I’m just flying the UAV!’ the young man protested. ‘I don’t even have access to that kind of stuff.’
Kiddrick moved to Morgan’s side, sour-faced. ‘But I can think of someone who does.’
‘So can I,’ said Morgan. ‘Levon? Did you change the APB?’
Levon looked up at him with a guilty expression. ‘If I say yes, do I get some leniency?’
Exasperated, Morgan waved to another pair of guards. ‘Put him in with Voss.’ Levon held up his hands in surrender and stood as they approached.
‘We’re gonna need more security guys in here,’ said Kyle as the two men took Levon away.
‘We’d better not,’ Morgan rumbled. He turned back to the screens. ‘Where’s Adam now?’
‘I’m on him,’ Kyle assured him. ‘Okay, got a fix with the auto-tracking.’ A blue outline was overlaid on one particular vehicle as it reached an intersection. ‘He’s going west – no, wait, he’s turning again.’
The Hyundai pulled on to an access road running behind a large office building of dull red brick. It headed down a ramp beneath the structure. ‘We’ve got him,’ said Kiddrick. ‘If he tries to hide, the police can just sweep the place floor by floor until they find him.’
‘That’s not why he’s gone in there,’ said Tony. As if in response, the green square began to jitter, before vanishing entirely. ‘He’s blocking the tracker!’
‘Will this work?’ asked Bianca as Adam brought the car into the underground garage.
‘Hopefully. They’ll know we’re in here, but they won’t be able to pinpoint exactly where,’ he replied.
‘Our car’s fairly easy to spot, though.’ With its mangled back end and bullet-pocked nose and windscreen, the Elantra was no longer anonymous.
‘That’s why we’re not staying with it.’
‘Oh, so we’re going to steal some other poor sod’s car?’
‘I’ll pick something that looks like the owner can afford theft insurance.’ He drove along the garage until he spotted a space and slewed the steaming vehicle into it. ‘Follow me.’
‘Like I have much of a choice,’ she said as she got out, fumbling with her baggage.
Adam pulled the other case from the back seat, then hurried along the row of cars until he reached the end wall. ‘This’ll have to do,’ he said, crouching behind the last parked vehicle. ‘Give me the bag.’