Chapter 55

fifty-five

ALEX

I wrapped the survival blanket tightly around Anthony’s body. With trembling hands, I took off my own ski cap and gently pulled it over his head. “Hang in there, buddy. It will be okay.” Anthony mumbled something, and I leaned forward. “What did you say?”

“Call Lou.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I’ll call her now.” Louise was Anthony’s wife. They’d been through so much over the last few years that it was hard to imagine how he must have been feeling. I pulled out my satellite phone, hoping I still had Anthony’s number in my contacts list.

The whop-whop of helicopter blades sounded overhead. I looked into the sky. The rescue team must have been in the area to be here so quickly. But it wasn’t the Search and Rescue Team. It was the FBI.

“Put your hands in the air and move away from the body.”

The voice echoing from the helicopter’s loudspeaker filled me with dread. I did as I was told. If they knew I was here, then they probably knew what I’d done .

Dylan ran out of the ranger’s house. When he saw the helicopter, he stopped. Instead of rushing forward to give me the trauma kit, he pulled out his satellite phone. While he was speaking, the helicopter landed beside the house.

Within seconds, the chopper doors opened and six FBI special agents ran toward me. As soon as I saw their body armor and assault weapons, I knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere except into an interrogation room.

I looked at Dylan. The terrorists would escape if someone didn’t get to a computer soon. “I added a tracking code into the EMP program,” I yelled. “There’s a safe in my office. The code to open it is my satellite phone number. A red book contains all the information you’ll need to log into my account.”

Dylan dropped the trauma kit onto the ground. “You gave the program to the terrorists?”

“It was the only way I could get them to leave everyone alone. But it’s not what you think. There’s a?—”

Six FBI special agents pointed their guns at me.

“Stop talking,” one of the men yelled. “You’re coming with us.”

Dylan moved quickly. “Call Special Agent Liam Nelson,” he told the agents. “Alex Quinn isn’t the person you should be arresting.”

I looked at Anthony, then back at the special agents. “My friend needs a doctor.”

“Drop the phone and get on your knees,” yelled one of the agents. “We’re taking you into Boulder for questioning.”

“Don’t worry about Anthony,” Dylan assured me. “I’ll make sure he’s taken to the hospital.”

I looked into his eyes. “You need to activate the tracking code before it’s too late. ”

Dylan nodded and backed away.

Two agents walked toward me. I was in deep trouble.

As I boarded the helicopter, the last thing I saw was an agent kneeling beside Anthony and Dylan leaving on his snowmobile.

Activating the code wasn’t enough. Someone had to use the data to find the terrorists. Otherwise, the FBI might never see them again.