Eye for an Eye, an (Heroes of Quantico Book #2): A Novel Read Online Free Page B

we get a handle on this, I want one of you on him whenever he steps outside your door. It will be easier if you’re living under the same roof.”
    “You think this was a hit on Mark?”
    “It’s a possibility. The MO of this incident doesn’t fit a random shooter.”
    “Steve . . . sorry to interrupt, but the press is clamoring for info.”
    The three men turned to Ellen Levine, who handled media relations for the St. Louis office.
    “I want to get with Oakdale before we say anything, but I’d prefer to stick to the basics—a shooter in the park, one victim with injuries, no other details available yet. You okay with that?”
    Ellen asked.
    “Fine with me,” Steve replied.
    “Can we keep Emily’s name out of this?” Mark directed his query to Ellen. After pulling her into this mess, the least he could do was protect her privacy.
    “We can try. The press was all over the ambulance as they took her out. I don’t think they got a look at her, but they’ll figure out where she is.”
    “We have an agent with her,” Steve told Mark. “He won’t let anyone except medical personnel get close. Until we sort this out, I want security on both of you. Okay, let’s do a quick debrief with the team here.”
    Steve rounded up Clair Ellis, the ERT lead investigator, along with detective Captain Carl Owens from Oakdale and the agents from the St. Louis FBI office who had arrived on the scene. Once the group had gathered, Mark walked them through the events leading up to the shooting. Carl and Steve agreed that both FBI and Oakdale resources would be used in the investigation, and that the FBI’s ERT would handle evidence collection and analysis. Tasks were assigned, and Oakdale officers were paired with FBI agents to begin an immediate canvas of the residential area around the wooded area where Mark had pinpointed the shooter.
    As they wrapped up, Clair turned to Mark. “I could use some input in the park.”
    “Sure.” Mark followed her, with Nick and Steve close behind. A casual onlooker would be surprised by the apparent lack of activity inside the yellow police tape, Mark speculated. But he’d been impressed with the St. Louis ERT during his brief tenure. Already one crime scene investigator was sweeping a fifty-yard radius around the shooting site with a metal detector, searching for the two bullets. In the woods, he knew the hunt would be on for spent shell casings. Once the shooter’s position was identified, a technician would check for fingerprints, footprints, trace evidence. Another technician was beginning to videotape the area and would follow up with digital photos.
    No detail would be overlooked. If there was evidence to find, the ERT would discover it.
    Clair led them toward the overturned bench and took out a sketchpad. Mark tried to ignore the bloodstains on the concrete. “I need an exact placement for you and your companion.”
    She directed her comment to Mark. “Can you walk me through your positions?”
    “While you do that, I’m going to see what’s happening in the woods. Stay tight.” Steve looked at Nick.
    The agent acknowledged the order with a nod.
    Mark sent his friend a disgruntled look. “This is overkill. The place is crawling with police. The shooter is long gone.” Already he was feeling smothered.
    “He’s the boss.” Nick lifted one shoulder and stood his ground, folding his arms across his chest.
    Turning his back on Nick, Mark recounted the minutes leading up to the shooting and showed Clair where he and Emily had been standing as the first shot was fired. Another technician took measurements, and Clair incorporated those into her diagram.
    They ran through the same drill near the bench.
    As they finished, Steve rejoined them.
    “Did they find anything?” Mark asked.
    “Not yet.”
    “I’ve got something.”
    At the announcement, all heads turned toward the technician with the metal detector. Clair set aside her sketchpad to join him, followed by the