Boston Blues - BLACKBIRD book 2

5. vanished

**picture: Salem and Parmenter, North End - Boston  

"Anything?" asked Brock.

Connor, Kurt and Tanya worked on their computers at full steam, going through traffic and security feeds all over the North End in real time.

"Can't find'im!" grunted Tanya, frustrated.

Kurt snorted. "Me neither! Where the hell did he go?"

"Keep looking," said Brock, and spoke on his phone to Brandon. "Philips, grant them access to as many street cameras as you can."

At his apartment, Brandon arched his eyebrows at the request. "They already have it, sir." They're hacking them, sir.

"Then help them search."

"On it, sir."

Ron parked the SCU black van across the street from the car with the explosive device. He and Aldana geared up to remove the small bomb, while Hank watched from a safe distance. Russell strode past them, coming from Margin Street to the corner where the man had been hiding. There he met Gillian.

"The son of a bitch was right here," he grunted.

"Maybe he left something behind," she said, producing her flashlight.

He did too, and they searched the ground carefully.

"We had already swept this street," said Gillian. "Ten minutes ago."

"I know. But none of us got any reading, right?"

"No, nothing. Here, look, what's this?"

Russell crouched down by her, picking up a small remote control, like one to unlock a car or open a garage.

Gillian looked down Salem Street at the SCU van, getting the picture.

"Jeez, Russ, if you hadn't come this way..."

He just nodded, still upset.

"That bastard was just about to blow Reg up," snarled Russell, dropping the remote control on the meeting room table, where Brock was back to the files. "And he set the device while we were canvassing that very street."

Brock frowned, inspecting the remote. "Looks like he had a plan B," he said. "He programmed the email to skip any automatic alarm. But in case it didn't work, and somebody read it tonight, hours ago he pretended to place a bomb under that car at Sudbury, to lure away the van with the equipment to neutralize explosives."

Russell nodded, agreeing. "Then he sneaked in between our relays to plant the small device and waited for one of us to find it, hiding close enough to detonate it and kill whoever came close to it without the proper gear."

"But he didn't activate it, why?" muttered Brock. Russell was not as quick and sharp as Gillian to brainstorm, but he was good anyway.

Russell shrugged. "I think he just didn't have a chance. I was only two streets away when Reg called. I got there within seconds."

Brock glanced at the picture on the board. "This subject is not only extremely organized and patient. He also knows enough about the SCU to predict their movements."

"This night search is not standard procedure, it was Reg's idea."

They traded a look and Brock worded the obvious conclusion, "He knows her."

He stood up and grabbed a printed copy of the list they had narrowed down earlier. "We need her to take a look at this asap," he said.

"I'll tell'er to," replied Russell.

Brock wasn't about to explain to Russell why it wouldn't work, so he just said, "It's okay, I'll do it. You go get some rest. Tonight's threat was neutralized, so we can pick up afresh early tomorrow."