Page 121 of Hidden Ascent

Finally, Baker emerged. He didn’t look happy until he noticed her standing there and smiled.

“Well, hello there, Isla,” he said smugly. “You’re pretty brave to be standing here like this. Did you forget there is a warrant out for your arrest? Whitlock may have pulled some strings, but he couldn’t erase that.”

“What’s the warrant for exactly?”

“It’s a long list that keeps getting longer. The latest is for assaulting a federal officer.”

“You mean you? If I recall, you had me in custody when that happened. I would have to be very agile to pull off something like that.”

“Turns out you are a very clever girl. At least you didn’t have the chance to kill me. Not like Fogarty. You’re going away for a long time.” He looked around the sidewalk and waved at a nearby police officer who was talking to a woman carrying a baby. “I don’t have any cuffs on me at the moment, so I’ll have to borrow his, but don’t expect the same treatment from the police as last time.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t.”

“Why are you here, anyway?” He glanced down at her hip. “You carrying?”

“Nope.”

“Because if you try to take me out in public like this, that would be very foolish.”

“I told you, I don’t have a weapon.”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Good for you.”

He looked at the officer, who was slowly approaching. “Was there anything you wanted to say before I take you into custody?”

“Yes. I wanted to congratulate you.”

“For what?”

“An outstanding performance. I’m no good at pretending to be someone I’m not, but you? You’re magnificent. I could learn a lot from a guy like you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Listen, Isla, I don’t know the real purpose of your presence here right now, but it’s a waste of your time and mine. It won’t keep you out of prison.”

“You mean it won’t keepyouout of prison.”

Isla looked behind Baker, and he turned to see two more police officers approaching. He checked for the cop he’d called over. All three of them had their eye on him.

“What is this?” he said.

“You didn’t bring cuffs, and unfortunately, neither did I.”

“Agent Taylor,” one of the officers said. “Is this Harris Baker?”

“It certainly is. Would you mind cuffing him? But be careful, he’s armed. Harris Baker, you’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit a crime, for the murder of at least seven federal agents, the attempted murder of a federal agent…and a whole host of other things that you can hear about when you speak to your lawyer.”

The officer cuffed him.

“You have no evidence. They won’t be able to hold me,” Baker said. “You can’t do this to me.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but Iamdoing it to you. And not that I need to tell you this, but anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. If you’d like to confess, that would simplify the process.”

“You’ve got nothing.”

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