Page 72 of Dead Fall (The Quantico Files 2)

“Or Kaely’s,” Bethany added.

No one said a word as realization set in. One of their agents had been shot. Might be dead.

“Whoever it was, she was protected by the vest,” Todd said. “That means they’re probably alive.”

“Right,” Logan replied. He couldn’t show his team how frightened he was. He pulled up all the courage and faith he had inside. He would find his agents, and they would be alive. Period. He couldn’t accept any other outcome.

“The guy in the back was shot,” Logan said, “but there’s hardly any blood. I think he was killed somewhere else and then moved here.” He pointed toward the front door. “Follow me, but stay behind me.”

Logan stepped outside and looked around. When he was certain it was safe, he motioned for Monty to join him. Once he did, Logan pointed the flashlight onto the street.

“What are you looking for?” Monty asked.

“The snow has covered most of what looks like a large vehicle’s tracks, but some are still here.” He stared at them for a moment before saying, “I think I know how they got them out of here.”

“How?”

“The guards at the gate here and at the Marine base told me everyone who left after Kaely and Alex disappeared. One was a laundry van driver who entered the academy grounds to pick up dirty laundry. I think he’s the dead man. That’s why his shirt is gone. It probably had the insignia of the company on it. He was killed, and someone took his place. Also stole his ID, not only in case a guard asked for it but also to throw us off when we found his body. A mail truck left here too, but it’s smaller, and the same mail carrier comes every day. The guards know him. But the laundry van driver? If he—probably Ben—looked okay and had identification, the guards would let him through.”

He sighed. “The UNSUB had to know we’d figure that out. By now they’ve either dumped the van or hidden it. We need help, Monty. We’ve got to find Alex and Kaely and bring them home.”

“We will,” Monty said. “They’re smart. If Alex found a way to tell us she was here, she’s got something else up her sleeve.”

“I hope so.”

“You taught me that when things look their worst, we have to put the situation in God’s hands. And we need to have faith. Didn’t He say if we call on Him, He’ll answer us? That He will deliver us? Then we need to pray and believe that God’s the One who’s a step ahead. We need to take Him at His word that He’ll deliver Alex and Kaely.”

Logan wanted to ask Monty how he could believe that after losing his grandmother the way he did, but he couldn’t.

“Look, Logan, I don’t understand why my grandmother died,” Monty said as if reading Logan’s mind, “but I do know she was a believer, and she was excited about seeing heaven. She wanted to go. And she wanted to protect me. I have a peace about that. It’s what’s getting me through this.”

“I didn’t know your grandmother was a Christian. I assumed she was Buddhist ... or something.”

“No. That’s why I finally gave in. With both of you talking about God, I never stood a chance.” Monty smiled.

“Well, I’m glad. And you’re right about putting Alex and Kaely in God’s hands. We need His direction. Even though I think I know how our UNSUB got them out of here, I don’t have a clue how to find them now.” He paused for a moment before saying, “Let’s go. The rest of us need to do what we do best. See if we can help the agents from the WFO find Alex and Kaely.”

He went back inside and told Bethany and Todd they were all going to wait in the SUV until agents arrived to secure the scene. Once they were in the car, Logan called Terry again and told him about the vest, the earrings, and his suspicions about the laundry van. “I don’t think they’ll find the van,” he said. “It’s probably hidden somewhere. But I think the UNSUB—or one of his accomplices—killed the driver. Alex and Kaely were probably carried out of here in laundry bags. Even if a guard at the gate had checked the back of the van, he would only have seen those bags.”

He took a deep breath, not really wanting to say the words that came next. “Our agents wouldn’t have stayed still and silent if the van was searched. The UNSUB couldn’t take a chance that they would call out for help, so I think he probably drugged them. My guess is he used the same stuff on the guard in the Jefferson dorm.”

The women could have been silenced another way, but he couldn’t say it out loud. Two things gave him hope that they were alive. One was that this UNSUB liked putting on a show. He’d want to kill them in some kind of dramatic way. The other was that if they were dead, why take a chance smuggling their bodies off the property? He would have just left them behind.

“That’s good investigative work,” Terry said.

“Spent a lot of time in the field before joining the BAU. I guess it never goes away.”

“Well, I think you’re being humble. It’s good information. I’ll find out who our dead guy is and put out a BOLO for the van. I know what you said, but we have to try. In this weather, maybe they haven’t gotten too far.”

“Any idea when Washington will be here?”

“As soon as they can. Their vehicles can handle the snow, but they have to take it slow and steady. It’s getting worse out there.” Terry’s deep sigh showed his frustration. “You all get together and see if you can send me an updated profile that could help us. It sounds as if you’re finally getting a handle on him.”

“Maybe, but if we’d had something better, sooner, maybe Alex and Kaely would still be here.”

“You’ve done the best job you could with what you’ve had. You know better than to internalize this.”

Logan appreciated Terry’s encouragement, especially after their previous conversation, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d all missed something important. Something that would have kept Alex and Kaely safe. “Terry, I think you might want to locate Donald Reinhardt. He fits the profile we have so far, and he walked out of here this morning when we found the dead guard. I shouldn’t have let him leave, but I had no legal way of holding him.”

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