Page 23 of So Lethal

“Got me with a flashlight,” Michael mumbled. “Ugh. Bastard.”

Faith moved his hands away from his head. There was an ugly bruise above his left temple. The Amtrak security officers staggered out of the last car, huffing and puffing with exhaustion. “Did you see what way he ran?” she asked Michael.

Michael pointed to his right. The opposite direction from where the police had gone. She sighed. “Of course. I’ll continue pursuit.” She turned to the security officers. “Take him back to the station and administer first aid.”

The security officers looked profoundly relieved that they didn’t have to chase anyone anymore. “We’ll take care of him.”

With Michael in good hands—well, in hands, anyway, Faith ran across the tracks and called Ferris over her radio. "Be advised, the suspect has fled on foot and is moving east. Repeat, he is moving east."

Ferris’s reply matched Faith’s own attitude. “Son of a bitch! He duped us!”

“Send units after me,” she said. “He injured my partner. He is to be considered dangerous and possibly armed.”

She jumped over the fence at the end of the train station and nearly landed on top of Dr. Crane. He was hiding in the ditch on the other side of the fence, covering himself with branches for concealment.

“Son of a bitch!” he cried out.

He leaped to his feet, but Faith drove a knee into his groin and dropped him right back to the ground. He lunged for her legs, and she kicked her way out of his grasp and drew her weapon. “Don’t give me a reason, asshole!”

Dr. Crane sighed and rolled his eyes. He put his hands up and said, “Fine. You got me. Goddamn it.”

“On your knees!”

Dr. Crane complied.

“Hands on top of your head!”

He moved his hands and didn’t resist further as Faith handcuffed him. She holstered her weapon and pulled him to a sitting position against the fence. “You’re in a lot of trouble.”

“You don’t say,” Dr. Crane said drily.

Faith pulled out her radio. “Suspect in custody. We’re just outside the east fence.”

“Hell yeah!” Ferris cheered. “Damned good job, agent!”

“Thank you, Detective. Can you do me a favor and send a cruiser to pick him up?”

“They’re already on their way.”

“Thanks.”

She put her radio back and hauled Dr. Crane to his feet. “All right, asshole. Let’s go have a nice little talk.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dr. Crane looked from Faith to Michael to Turk and back to Faith. He saw no sign of forgiveness on any of their faces. He swallowed and waited for one of them to speak.

Faith opened the interrogation. “Why’d you run, Doctor?”

He rolled his eyes. “Why do you think?”

“Honestly? I think you killed Monica Smith and James Porter, figured out that we’re onto you, and tried to flee rather than face justice. How close am I?”

“Not close at all. I didn’t kill them.”

“Then why did you run?”

“Because I knew that you thought I killed them. I knew that you’d find out about… I mean, I already knew that you knew about the complaint against me.”

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