Chapter Twelve

Eagle

Of all the stupid things to do, that moment in the motel room had been one of them. And Link’s response only served to shove home Eagle’s regret.

Removing his vest, he placed it and his ammo belt in the back of Pegasus One. He’d stand out enough going inside the homeless shelter with regular clothes, much less tactical gear. He untucked his black t-shirt and slid his Glock in the back of his pants while Link did the same. They hadn’t talked about what had happened back at the motel, but Eagle could cut the tension between them with a knife. Link brushed his arm when he dropped his vest in the vehicle and Eagle did everything he could to stifle his groan. It didn’t work.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I hope we find them.” He coughed and stepped away and up to the curb. Link locked the vehicle and joined him. The rain increased and a small awning over the door shielded them from the onslaught.

“Notice this place is about four blocks from the bombing site?” he murmured.

“Yeah.” Link nodded and opened the door.

It was cold inside, with fluorescent lights hanging on chains from the high metal ceiling of the wide warehouse-type structure. Eagle combed a finger through his hair and shook the water collected on the strands, showering Link.

“Hey,” Link muttered, wiping water from his face.

Eagle grinned and Link squinted, then shook his head like a dog. Water splattered Eagle’s face and short beard. Link stopped and gave him a look that said he was proud of himself, and Eagle licked the water from his bottom lip. Link’s light blue eyes changed, darkened if that were possible, and the look in their depths heated Eagle’s soul.

“I’m sorry but we’re full,” a voice said, breaking his stare, and he turned to find a short, slender man with thinning hair and dark rimmed glasses. The guy looked to be in his mid to late thirties.

“Yeah, we’re not here for shelter. We’re looking for three people,” Link said, stepping forward. He showed the man his badge and then the photos of the Carson boys on his phone that Jordan had sent them all.

“That’s Tyler and that’s John. I don’t know the other kid,” the man said, looking at the first two, but not recognizing the oldest brother.

“Are they here?” Eagle said.

“Yeah, they’re right over there.” The man pointed toward a row of cots near the back wall and Eagle glanced over, searching the area. His eyes met Tyler’s and the boy launched from his cot and darted to what looked to be a back hallway, with John following.

“We got runners,” Eagle drawled and leaped over the nearest cots.

“I’ll cut them off,” Link shouted and went back out the front door.

Eagle leaped another row of cots and people scrambled out of the way.

“Hey!”

“Watch it!”

“Idiot!”

He hit the back archway where the boys had darted and found a hallway with an exit marked with bright red letters at the end of it. Running toward the door, he passed a kitchen area where they were fixing what smelled like soup and burgers.

Damn it, they were fast; the door was already shut. They ran like fucking terrified fawns. He hit the door and bounced back.

Fuck! They’d blocked it. He put his shoulder to the door and it opened a fraction of an inch, but wouldn’t budge further.

“Don’t break that!” The man who greeted them had run after him.

“What’s blocking it?” Eagle growled.

“I don’t know.” The man held his hands out and stared at him with wide eyes.

A scraping sound came from the other side of the door and Eagle pulled his Glock. Metal clanged and then the door was opened by Link. The man eyed him, the gun, and the attendant.

“You lose ’em?” Eagle scowled.

“You get locked in?” Link quipped right back.

Yeah, okay, he deserved that.

“What happened?” Eagle tucked his gun away and stepped out into the wet alley.

“They jumped a fence over there and disappeared.” Link sounded annoyed at his inability to follow kids younger and faster than him.

“They know this place, we don’t,” Eagle soothed.

Link smirked. “Or I’m getting old.”

Eagle huffed and started walking to the front of the building.

“What?” Link snickered.

“You’re not as old as me. So, what does that make me, yo daddy?”

Link gave a bark of laughter and Eagle grinned.

Somehow, the words Link spoke in the hotel room stung less… and it suddenly felt like old times again.

He only wished it would stay that way.

“Boss, you copy?” Jordan came over the radio.

“You two find that hate group?”

“Yeah, just waiting to get inside. They have business hours,” Jordan said. “But I’ve found another address on the Carsons. It seems the oldest brother, Cliff, was in the hospital, and the records list a different address. It’s about two miles from the blast site.”

“Okay, thanks, Jordan.”

“Wait!” Jordan said.

“What?”

“Cliff Carson was admitted for a gunshot wound. He checked himself out before being cleared by the doctor.” Jordan ended the call after that bit of information. Was that why Cliff hadn’t been with the other two boys? Eagle had more questions than answers.

Link flipped a U-turn, tires squealing, and Eagle hung on for dear life when the man punched in a number on the console.

Detective Wall picked up on the first ring. “Find something?”

“Yeah, we got another address for the Carsons. You might want to bring the bomb squad.” Link gave Jones the address.

“I’ll make the call,” Wall said and hung up the phone.

Pegasus One flew down the road and Link was punching in another number. Owen answered.

“Got anything?” Link said.

“Yeah, we found six places the manufacturer delivered to. Now we need to call each one to hand over the tapes. Then we need to comb through them.”

Link pulled a face. That could take manpower and hours.

“Come back to the motel and when Jordan gets back, I’ll have him help you with that.”

“Where are you headed?” Owen said.

“We’ve got another address to check.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you all at the motel.”

Link ended the call and then took a corner too fast.

Eagle braced a hand to the roof and his foot on the passenger floor like it was a brake.

“Why would the kids be at the homeless shelter if they have an address?” Eagle wondered out loud.

“Maybe this address is where the older brother stays,” Link said.

“Maybe.” Eagle nodded. It made sense to have a place where they could make bombs.