by Mark Lemke
CHAPTER 38
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I moved through the brush until I found a tiny clearing where I could squat down and call Marti.? When she answered her phone, and without preamble, I said, "I assume you're in your office?"
"Yes!"? I could hear the strain in Marti's voice.? She'd been up a long time and probably wasn't used to it.? People make mistakes when they're tired so this wasn't an optimal situation for her.? It was almost midnight and she could be at ground zero of a nuclear disaster if this didn't work.? I found that to be an unsettling thought.? I was sure that as the senior resident on site, she felt some responsibility for the outcome of this situation.? But on another level I found myself hoping that wasn't the only reason she'd stayed. ??It was stupid, I knew.? I'd just met her.? She could be responsible from a safer distance.
"Good.? How're you doing?" I asked with genuine concern.
"I'm better now that I can hear your voice and talk to you," she said with candid enthusiasm. "It's getting creepy around here.? I don't know if it's because I'm tired or what."
"I assume you know the shift manager's wife and children have probably been kidnapped?"
"Prichard briefed me a little while ago.? That's horrible!? That's the kind of thing you read about in the newspaper but never think will happen to people you know."
"I know, but we're going to help them, okay?? To do that I need you to get all the intel you can on where they were and what the FBI has on them.? Can you get that?"
"I don't know.? The FBI doesn't share its information readily with others. ?I may have to get my boss in Washington D.C. to put some pressure on them.? I'll have to figure out how to do all this, but I'll find a way."
"Good girl!" I said encouragingly.? "Just don't take too long.? Write this number down," (I gave her Pete's number).? "A guy named Pete will answer the phone. ?Give him whatever information you can get.? He's on his way to Orange County as we speak."
"What's he going to be able to do?" Marti asked.? "If the FBI knows where they are, won't they just go get them?"
"That's not their style.? They'll likely try to negotiate first or roll this into a bigger plan.? We don't have that kind of time.? This is going to go down much sooner than they're planning for."
"Does Pete have a bunch of guys with him?"?
"Pete will be fine," I assured her.? "Just get him the information as soon as possible.? He'll be there in two hours and needs it before then."
Marti paused before responding with some hesitancy in her voice.? "I'll do my best."
I could tell she was stressing out.? I was asking a lot of her, but I had no other choice right now.? "I know you will," I said, trying to show her some compassion.? I wasn't usually this concerned about my team's feelings, but she wasn't on my team.? She was a bystander, an innocent who'd been caught up in things.
I signed off.? I had things I needed to do, as did she.? I had to work my way down to the water.? Time to get moving.
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