by Kate James
“I have our first solid lead,” Ariana began and handed him the sheet of paper she’d gotten from Marlene.
Deep lines formed between his brows and at the corners of his mouth as he read. When he finished, he handed the paper back and stared at her. “Where did you get this?”
“Calvin’s executive assistant brought it to me.” She told him the boyfriend’s name and that he was employed at the airport.
“So what does Gallagher do?”
“He’s a senior systems analyst for our IT department. I’ve been told he’s our very best. That means he knows our IT, including our security and access control systems.”
“That explains a lot. Anything else she told you that might be relevant?”
“No. That covers it. She was very distraught and I didn’t want her to inadvertently alert him. I suggested she go home and asked her not to communicate with Wayne, at least until I could inform you, and you could decide on a course of action.”
“Smart moves all around. You did well. I’ll have him run. See what we come up with, but I’m betting nothing will pop.”
“Do you want to speak to Marlene?”
“I will, but I want to speak with you first. What is your connection to Gallagher?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have one. Other than contacts I’ve had with him regarding IT-related matters, most recently to do with the duplication of my card and the investigation into how the false notification about the active shooter got sent with my passcode... He’s an IT expert. He might very well be responsible for those things, too. Am I right?”
“That’s what came to my mind.”
“But why? What did I do to him?” Her voice was high-pitched and not quite steady.
“Ariana, take a deep breath. Are you okay?”
When she didn’t answer, he pulled a chair up in front of her, so they were eye to eye, and took her hands in his. “You’re not responsible,” he repeated emphatically. “You can’t take it upon yourself.”
He held her gaze until she finally nodded her head. He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. “I’ll move on this quickly. Yes, I’ll need to speak to Marlene. Does anyone else know about this yet?”
“No.”
“Her boss?”
Ariana grimaced. “I told her not to tell Calvin, but she’s loyal to him. I’m hoping not.”
“Okay, let’s trust that’s the case, and let’s keep it that way for now.”
Logan rose and moved to her, holding a hand out.
Ariana appreciated the offer of comfort, but she shook her head. With the way things were between them, she had no right to lean on him or expect his sympathy, nor did he have a right to offer it. “No, please.”
She saw a flicker in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
After Logan left, Ariana took a while to evaluate this new development. She had no idea why Wayne Gallagher had done what he’d done or why he’d been targeting her. She wanted to do her own digging into Wayne’s background, but she’d turned the matter over to Logan and the police. It was inappropriate and potentially dangerous for her to pursue it. Even worse, she didn’t want to inadvertently alert Wayne that they were on to him, in case her digging sent up a flag somehow.
She’d leave it to Logan and trust him to do the right thing, but it was tough when she was this involved and connected.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ONE THING ARIANA could do was use the airport’s systems and keep an eye out for Wayne. When Logan, with backup, had gone to Wayne’s office they’d been told he wasn’t in. He hadn’t called. He simply didn’t show up that morning.
What they did know was that he was somewhere in the airport, because he’d used his access card to get into a secure area. Logan and the other officers were trying to locate him. Meanwhile, Ariana diligently reviewed video footage.
When Max called to say they had something—he thought they’d spotted Wayne Gallagher on camera—she contacted Logan and they both joined her in her office.
“Oh, my God,” Ariana murmured as she watched the security camera footage Max directed her to.
Logan glanced over at her. She was sure her face was pale from the look he gave her.
Her eyes met his briefly, before focusing on the monitor again. “That’s him. Wayne Gallagher. Even with the jacket and his hood up I recognize him.” She’d known what he looked like, but she also studied his security ID picture at length.
Max leaned in. “I think he has a gun. See the way he’s holding his hand on his right hand side?”
Logan agreed with him and typed up a short text, sending notice to his team to mobilize, then stared at the screen again. “It looks like he’s on to us. He must’ve figured out what Marlene did. Where do you think he’s going?”
Ariana frowned as she rewound the video clip then fast-forwarded it again. “He’s in Terminal 2. In a service area. Secure.” She watched silently for a few seconds. “My best guess is he’s heading for the international baggage handling area.” She glanced at Max.
“I think so, too.”
“Then I’d better get moving,” Logan said.
“You can’t go alone. You can’t get in there without security access, which I can provide. This is my airport,” she reminded him. “I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not,” Logan objected. “And don’t argue. The guy’s got it in for you for whatever reason. If he does suspect we’re on to him, he’ll be desperate. No way do I want you there, in harm’s way, especially if he has a gun.”
Ariana signaled for Max to leave them. She crossed her arms. This was her airport. It was her reputation. She bit back a sharp retort, as she knew that would only make Logan dig his heels in. Instead, she counted to five in her head—there wasn’t enough time for ten—and placed a hand on his forearm. “Logan, you can’t shield me from this. It’s my job. If it was anyone but me, you wouldn’t be doing this. You wouldn’t be standing in front of that person.” She put her fingertips on his mouth when he started to speak. The shock of the contact, when they’d been so formal with each other lately, caused them both to step back.
“Logan, look at me. Whatever else, I need you to trust me...and let me do my job. No one on our security team knows that space better than I do. I was involved in the design and layout of the scanning equipment. The installation is brand-new. The SDPD cops assigned to us don’t know it at all.”
He took more than a count to five, she was sure, but his posture, the softening of the lines of his face, told her he’d understood. She knew she was getting through to him and gave him a final nudge.
“You need me...”
She saw a tenderness in his eyes that had been absent, and it nearly broke her.
“Ariana, so help me, if you get hurt...”
“I won’t.” She wanted to touch him, but she had no right.
He raised a hand. Let it drop. “We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get going. You can fill me in on the risks we face in that area on the way, and what other critical areas he might be able to access from there.” Logan handed her a body armor vest. “I don’t plan to take you in. I’ll have other cops with me. But I also don’t want to take any chances, so put that on.”
Ariana did as he asked.
He instructed Boomer to heel, and they headed out of her office at a run. “How long will it take to get there, and where should I instruct the others to meet us?”
“Fifteen minutes. Maybe a little less. We’ll take a shuttle and once we’re in Terminal 2, a cart.” She told him to have the others meet them at the baggage sorting area.
“Tell me what we can expect,” Logan said as they moved at a quick jog, Boomer loping at his side.
“It’s a large area, but there’s not a lot of open space. It’s tightly filled wi
th the conveyor belts—nearly three miles of them—all the sorting and security scanning equipment. There’s a lot of metal,” she stated, knowing that could be dangerous if firearms became involved.
“Help me understand the risk to the public. Where’s the area situated? If he’s got explosives with him, which is likely, what would it mean if he was able to detonate an IED in there?”
Ariana tried to catch her breath. She was fit, but the near run and talking at the same time were taking a toll.
“It’s okay. Inhale deeply a few times before you answer. The weight of the vest is tough if you’re not used to it.”
As he’d been on many occasions before, Logan seemed to be entirely in tune with her. She hadn’t considered the twenty to thirty extra pounds she was carrying.
“Okay. Okay. The baggage sorting area is situated mostly under service space. It’s below grade for the most part. There’s a concrete slab above it. A structural slab. But it also extends to the check-in area in the terminal, where the bags originate, and to the loading area, where the bags get put on the trucks that take them to the flights.” Ariana stopped, placed a hand on her belly as she bent over to catch her breath. “Oh, my God! If he knows what he’s doing, he could put explosives in luggage bound for different international destinations.” She straightened, grabbing Logan’s arms. “He could ground all flights. If the planes took off, not just here but at the destination airports, too—if he wanted to kill people, he could detonate the explosives in flight.”
Logan glanced at her. “Can someone do that? Can they pick bags destined for different locations, pull them out of the system and tamper with them?”
“Yes, it’s possible if he knows what he’s doing. And Wayne does. The sorting and screening is automated for the most part. If he wants to target the larger, international flights... We handle a significant number of flights at any given time.” She didn’t want to think of it. “Even if he were to randomly select bags, he could wreak havoc.”
“We still have no idea what his plan is or why. Without motive, we have no idea if he’d do something like that, but let’s not take chances. Can the system be shut down? Paused?”
“Yes. Yes, it can.”
“Then do it. Are you okay to go? We need to move.”
“Yeah.” They picked up their pace again and Ariana pulled out her phone as she ran. “Max,” she said when he answered his phone. “Evacuate Terminal 2 and shut down the baggage handling system as soon as you can. Hold all flights that are currently preparing for departure from Terminal 2 and meet me at door A-173 to the baggage handling area.”
With Max’s confirmation that he’d take care of everything she’d asked, she put away her phone and picked up speed, as she knew Logan was moderating his pace to match hers.
They were the first to arrive at the entrance to the baggage handling area. Her phone rang as they reached the door. She listened to Max’s update. She turned to Logan after she disconnected.
“Okay, the bags won’t be loaded on flights, but for some reason they’ve been unable to shut down the system. They’re going to try the emergency override, but that’ll take time. The system will be operational when we go in. Meaning the conveyors will all be moving and the screening equipment will be functioning. That’ll make it more difficult for us...and for him.”
Logan nodded.
“What do we do know?” Ariana asked as she tried to keep her breathing deep and slow.
Logan glanced around and she followed suit. There were no police, no security personnel in place. Boomer was visibly agitated. He lunged at the door repeatedly with short, sharp barks. Ariana realized that with all the excitement, she’d almost forgotten entirely about Boomer being with them, but the aggressive behavior he was now displaying rattled her nerves.
“Boomer and I go in,” Logan stated.
Deep in her own thoughts, she’d forgotten about her question. “Sorry. What?”
“We’re going into the luggage sorting area. We don’t want to give him time to set explosives. We want to be on his tail if we can.”
“You need me because of the equipment,” she reminded him.
He stared at her for a few moments. “You agree to do exactly as I say?”
“Okay,” she said.
Logan radioed his team and Ariana took the opportunity to call Max again. She instructed him to wait and let the other police officers in when they arrived. Propping the door open was not an option, as they couldn’t risk passengers wandering in.
“Stay low. Stay silent,” Logan instructed her. “Boomer is an explosives dog, not search and rescue, but he’ll follow Gallagher if he’s got explosives on him, whether dust or actual IEDs.” He grabbed her arms firmly, placed his mouth roughly over hers. “Sorry, I needed that,” he said, but he didn’t appear apologetic in the least. “And for God’s sake, stay behind me, please.”
Breathless from the kiss as much as the running, Ariana nodded mutely. She used her card to open the access door, and they went in as Logan drew his weapon.
“Stay low. Stay behind me,” he repeated in a whisper, then he instructed Boomer. The dog lurched forward, but Logan kept him on his leash and at a moderate pace. With all the conveyors and equipment, if he let Boomer loose, he’d disappear and they’d have no idea where he was. They both stopped as they heard rattling ahead and to their left. Ariana’s phone vibrated, and she had a whispered conversation. Holstering it again, she tapped Logan on the shoulder. “They can’t get in,” she told him.
Logan turned probing eyes on her. “What do you mean they can’t get in? We’re trapped in here? I need the other officers with me.”
“Max is there. So is your team. They can’t open the door.”
“Max doesn’t have security access?”
She nodded furiously. “Of course he does.” They both remained motionless again as they heard more clattering. Ariana thought it sounded as if Wayne had tripped over something. “Same as me,” she said. “But his card’s not working.”
“Can they break the door down?”
“I don’t know. It’s metal. Heavy gauge. This area is high security.”
He exhaled. “Can we open it from this side?”
“I think so.”
“I don’t want to separate from you, but I need to go after him. Go back. Open the door, if you can, but then stay outside with Max. Don’t stay in here or try to catch up with me. Please don’t argue with me on this.”
Ariana realized there was no point disagreeing, and it would cost them time they didn’t have to spare. She gave him a quick overview of the configuration of the space. “Okay. Stay safe,” she begged. Despite how much he’d hurt her, she still loved him and didn’t want him injured.
“I will.”
Ariana watched for a second as he ran off, Boomer on his leash, Logan’s weapon was in his hand. She sprinted back to the door, only fifty yards or so behind her.
She scrambled to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, throwing all her weight into it, with no success. She pulled out her phone, called Max. “I can’t open it from this side either. It must be in lockdown. I don’t have anything to force it. You need to do it from your side. If the cops can’t get it, I have to see if I can help Logan.” She disconnected before Max could object, and with Logan’s admonition ignored, headed off at a run again.
When she heard a gunshot, she ducked instinctively even though it sounded far away. The sound of the bullet ricocheting chilled her right down to her bones. The soft thud that followed terrified her. She wanted to cry out to Logan, but he couldn’t respond for risk of giving his location away and it would only serve to draw attention to her. If she was to be of any help to him, she’d have to stay silent and hidden.
Fresh gunfire, whether it was Logan or Wayne shooting, meant that Logan was alive. She continued to
run, crouched low to the ground, trying to shelter herself behind the equipment.
Gunshots continued to echo around Ariana, causing her to take cover. Although Logan was armed, Ariana was not, and the many metal surfaces in the confined space could cause bullets to ricochet in erratic ways, making gunfire highly unpredictable and dangerous. She supposed Wayne was either unaware or uncaring of this, as the shots kept ringing out.
She could now hear the sound of booted feet on cement and metal. Two sets at a rapid pace. When she heard a short bark, she glanced up. Boomer was on a conveyor belt above her head. In the wake of the gunfire, Logan must have released the leash. If they’d been right that Wayne was planting explosives in bags, Boomer would have tracked one that Wayne had already tampered with.
But the dog was caught. His leash was wedged in the conveyor propulsion mechanism, pulling Boomer along. The dog was straining against it, but was being dragged relentlessly toward the scanning machine. After clearing the scanner, Ariana knew the conveyor picked up speed as the bags were sorted for their flights. Depending on the flight, the conveyer also made some sharp turns. Bags with unreadable checked luggage codes were tossed into a holding area for manual sorting. If Boomer made it through the scanner unharmed, he’d be treated like a bag with an invalid tag and sent down a steep incline with a drop at the end.
If Boomer made it that far, and his leash hadn’t dislodged...well, beyond that point, the conveyer was not designed to carry bags. It had a near-vertical return. She didn’t want to think about it.
Without giving it much thought, she stripped off the body armor vest and then her jacket, tossing both on the floor. Releasing her ponytail, she used the elastic to secure her hair into a tight knot at the nape of her neck. If either her jacket or her hair got caught, she’d be no better off than Boomer and of no use to him.
Ruthlessly blocking her own fear, she rose and climbed up on the conveyor that Boomer was on. Moving as fast as she could while keeping low to avoid overhead obstructions, she ran to the dog.
The dog knew he was stuck and in trouble, and it showed in his agitation. Ariana was well aware that fear could make dogs unpredictable.