“No, but I know you. You were in the papers. You’re the neurosurgeon who saved Rick Wilson.”
The man got to his feet and John saw to his horror what had jabbed him in the side when they fell. The man held a Glock pistol. He raised his arm, pointing the gun at John’s chest. “You’re my ticket out of here.”
***
Jo drove through the convoluted streets of the University of Minnesota, while Frisco made all the necessary phone calls at her side. Since they would be arresting Mazlo on campus – which fell under the joint jurisdiction of the Minneapolis Police Department and the University Police - Jo asked Frisco to notify both departments as a courtesy. He sounded irritated by the time he completed the second call.
Frisco sighed. “Both forces will be there for back-up. This is turning into a multi-jurisdictional shit-show. Between us, and the other two forces, we’re going to have a crowd.”
Jo took her eyes off the road for an instant. “Put yourself in their place, Frisco. An arrest like this could go sideways, especially with so many students around. Given Mazlo’s family history with the law, we have to assume he’s not going quietly.”
“I hear you, but still…too many cooks, as the saying goes.”
Jo nodded. “We’ll make it work.” She wished she felt as confident as she sounded.
She double-parked at the student union building. As they climbed out of the SUV, a Minneapolis PD squad car pulled in behind them. Two officers stepped out and walked toward them. The tall one with a shaving nick on his cheek introduced himself as Officer Keck and the other as Officer Canton. He said, “Not often the feds are involved in campus matters.”
“We’re not sure what this guy has in mind. A criminal like Mazlo will be dangerous and unpredictable on a crowded campus. Thanks for joining us.” Jo threw Frisco a sidelong glance. When she walked past him a moment later, he murmured, “Playing nice with others, I see.”
They climbed the steps and walked between the massive columns. As they entered the main doors, a burly campus police officer lumbered toward them. His face was pale and his voice sounded strangled when he said, “We blocked the entrances to the Great Hall, just like you said. The suspect came out and when one of my guys tried to stop him, he shot him. Jesus…he just shot him in the face, in cold blood!”
Frisco clenched his fists. “Shit.”
Jo said, “Do you know where the suspect is now?”
The campus police officer nodded, his face grim. “He ran off toward the bookstore.” He looked away for a moment. “We screwed up. We cleared the lower levels, but didn’t shut down the elevators in time. Some guy got off on the ground floor and Mazlo grabbed him. He’s holding him hostage in the bookstore.”
Jo closed her eyes briefly, rubbing her temples to relieve the pressure that had taken up residence there. The arrest of Mazlo was rapidly spiraling downward and she needed to figure out a way to gain the upper hand. She opened her eyes again. “Has he made any demands yet?”
The officer said, “No, and he said he’ll only speak to you.”
“Is there another way downstairs?”
He pointed across the room. “There’s a staircase over there.”
Jo turned to Frisco’s partner. “Riley, take Officer Keck and Canton down the stairs and see if you can see anything.” She hesitated for a moment, and then added, “But for God’s sake, don’t let him see you.”
Riley nodded and dashed across the room, the two officers at her heels. Jo watched them disappear down the stairwell.
Next, she turned to the campus police officer. “You need to clear the rest of the building of all non-essential people.” The man nodded and reached for his shoulder-mounted radio, calling for additional help.
Frisco said, “What do you want me to do?”
“You and I are going down the escalator.” They swiftly moved through the deserted study lounge and stepped onto the down escalator, guns drawn.
She could feel her heart thump in her chest. Hostage situations were always unpredictable at best, with emotions running high. Mazlo would be desperate now, and feeling cornered. She had to figure out a way to defuse the situation and fast. The life of his hostage depended on it.
Crouching down at the base of the moving steps, Jo came to an abrupt halt in front of the college bookstore. Her head swam, trying to wrap itself around the vision in front of her.
Standing in front of a display of gold and maroon University of Minnesota clothing was Michael Mazlo, holding a gun to John’s head.
Chapter Forty-Three
Turner Bend
March
CHIP AND IVER SAT ON A BENCH in the police station, where they had been waiting for almost two hours. It was past four in the morning and all the adrenaline had oozed out of their endocrine systems. They were tired and cold and feeling like miscreants sitting outside of the principal’s office. Chief Fredrickson was on the phone in his office. Iver began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” asked Chip.
“We did it again, partner. Every federal agent in the country has been looking for Hal for months, and we ran him down. We should be bounty hunters or private detectives, don’t you think?”
Chip failed to see the humor in the situation. Strangely he felt depressed. “I almost wish we hadn’t found him. This is going to be hard on Jane and the kids. It’s going to be all over the press. There’ll be a trial; he’ll go to jail for a long time, maybe forever. It would be easier if he had just dropped off the face of the earth and we never heard from him again.”
“Guess I hadn’t thought about that, Chip. I was just caught up in the excitement of the chase. Sorry…you’re right.”
Chief Fredrickson came out of his office, shaking his head. “You two hot shots better come into my office. By the way, you look like hell.”
As they seated themselves in the inner office, the chief grabbed three mugs from beside the coffeemaker. He pulled a fancy bottle of bourbon tied with a red bow from his bottom desk drawer. It reminded Chip of a similar situation in Franco’s office last fall. The chief poured a generous portion in each mug and passed them around, taking a big swig out of his own mug.
“The booze was a Christmas present from a grateful citizen of Turners Bend,” he said by way of explanation. He cleared his throat. “Not for favors granted, in case that’s what you were thinking.” He replaced the bottle and shut the drawer.
“First of all, I’ve had calls from Mabel and Jane. I assured your wives you are both fine and will be home for breakfast. I’ll leave it up to you to give them the details.” The chief sighed deeply. “I suppose I should read you the riot act, but Agent Masterson is on her way, so I’ll let her berate you. She’ll do a much better job of it. I also got a call from Deputy Anderson at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines. Hal’s in surgery. By the time he’s out of the OR, a federal detail will be there to take over guarding him. Guess I’ll have to drive over later this morning and pick up my sidekick. This is huge for Jim, riding in a copter, guarding a felon. We’ll never hear the end of his storytelling about it. ”
“What about Mueller?” asked Iver.
“Rod is on his way to the Omaha office of the FBI with the SWAT team. I’ll let Masterson tell you all about it. He’ll be charged with harboring a fugitive, maybe abetting in a crime. Don’t know yet. I’ve known him all my life. He’s a kook, but I doubt he’s a terrorist.”
The three sat in silence sipping bourbon until Agent Masterson arrived. She took off her Kevlar vest and helmet and settled in the desk chair Fredrickson vacated for her. She drilled her gaze into Chip’s face and then switched to Iver’s downturned face. “Well, well, well. I don’t know if I should thank you two or box your ears. You want to start by telling me how you just happened to be out back of Mueller’s place last night?”
Iver told her the truth about what he had seen and heard and how he had figured out what was planned. “What I didn’t know, of course, was that Hal was there.”
“That doesn’t
tell me why you two were there.”
Iver looked at Chip for support, and Chip hesitated before jumping into the conversation. “We could say we were out for a joy ride and just happened to be there.”
“Yes, I suppose you could say that,” said Masterson. “But, I suspect that would be a half truth. I’ll just assume you were thrill-seeking and sticking your noses in something that was none of your darn business. I can’t charge you with anything, but the government doesn’t look kindly on citizens taking the law into their own hands. You should have called it in and waited for us to track down Hal. You know that, right?”
Both men nodded their heads, like contrite schoolboys, and muttered in unison, “Yes, Ma’am.”
Agent Masterson smiled, a rarity for her, and her eyes sparkled. She picked up the mug on the desk, smelled it and rolled her eyes.
“Now that’s over, here’s my off-the-record response. Thanks, guys. Nabbing Hal Swanson the way you did was pretty awesome. Did you know he was on the FBI Most Wanted list? By the way, Chip, your lead from the UPS driver was spot on, although it was Swanson not Mueller making bombs. Hal had been hiding out at Mueller’s for months. He’s the one who had been communicating with Hakim Dibaba, mainly through Dibaba’s How to Make a Bomb website. According to Mueller, the bomb was meant for you. Swanson planned to plant it in your car and detonate it with a cell phone. We believe he had a bomb with him and tossed it during the chase. As soon as it’s daylight, our bomb squad will go looking for it.”
“So Mueller’s spilling the beans?” asked Iver.
“Yes, I guess you missed out on the capture. When he saw the advancing SWAT team, he caved…actually waved a white dishtowel out the broken window. The minute he came out, he started to blab about Hal and his bomb-making, claiming his own innocence, while at the same time protesting our violation of his legal rights in the Republic of Iowa. I doubt very much we will be able to pin any terrorism charges on him.”
Chief Fredrickson chimed in. “Chip, I think we’ll find out Hal is the one who shot at you in the parking ramp and drove you off the road. Franco and I will be able to close those cases soon, and your paranoia can cease.”
“Nice to know I don’t have anyone gunning for me anymore. What’s going to happen to Hal?”
The agent answered. “The list of charges against him is a mile long. Federal agencies will have to line up to charge him. Of course his mental state is in question, but he’ll probably be incarcerated for a long time after prolonged trials. It’ll be pretty ugly.”
“What about Baba? Is he cleared now? He wasn’t involved in bomb-making or terrorism. The poor guy has been worried sick and terrified something awful was going to happen to him.”
“I’m sad to say he will remain on the watch list. His familial relationships and loyalty to his brother are still problematic. Sorry there’s nothing I can do about it. I know it’s not fair, but those are the rules.”
The agent stood, stretched her back and rotated her shoulders. “I believe the Bun opens at 5:30 a.m. It’s been a long night and I’m starving. Would you gentlemen care to join me?”
Iver and Chief Fredrickson consented, but Chip declined. The thought of telling Jane about the events of the night, especially about Hal, made him lose his appetite.
Chapter Forty-Four
Head Shot
Minneapolis, MN
Early November
BEHIND HER, JO HEARD FRISCO swear under his breath. His voice forced her brain to reengage and she looked into John’s eyes, willing herself to look away from the gun in Mazlo’s hand.
She kept picturing John with a bullet in his head. Stop…you can’t think that way!
When she re-directed her attention to Mazlo, she could practically see the wheels turning in the adjunct professor’s head. She fingered the trigger of the Glock in her hand, trying to decide what to do. Jo saw a trickle of sweat run off of John’s brow and down his cheek.
She pointed the gun at the adjunct professor’s head. “Put down your weapon, Mazlo. You’ve no place to go. All the exits are blocked. This will end badly for you. Let him go.”
“No, it won’t. The doctor is my way out. You will call whoever it is you need to call and get me a helicopter out of here.” Jo saw the grim determination in Mazlo’s face, and she knew she was looking into the eyes of a man who no longer had anything left to lose.
She took a deep breath to slow down her heart rate and lowered her gun a fraction. Indicating that Frisco should do the same, she forced her voice to be steady. “Mazlo, you know that will take some time.”
She tried not to look at John, tried not to give away how much his hostage meant to her. “Why don’t you let the doctor go and we can talk about this? No one has to get hurt.”
Mazlo’s laughter held a particularly nasty edge. “Why would I trust a fed like you? I’ve seen firsthand the extent of their lies, their tricks. I was there when they rounded up my old man’s friends and hauled them off to prison in Wisconsin. Men who just wanted to be left alone to live their lives. My brothers and I ran like scared rats, following our dad through the woods. We lived off the land for days, staying out of sight.”
“I didn’t know that. It must have been hard for you.”
“Damn straight. The feds are deceivers.”
Jo tilted her head. “If you think all feds are deceivers, why did you ask for my help in getting you out of here?”
Mazlo’s grin was broad. “I found a few of the doctor’s text messages to you on his phone. Looks like you have a special relationship. I’d call that extra motivation.”
The bile rose in the back of Jo’s throat as she realized Mazlo held all the cards.
Jo caught a barely perceptible movement behind Mazlo’s shoulder and saw Riley and the two Minneapolis police officers creep up behind Mazlo. She knew she had to keep the man’s focus on her, so she tried a new tactic. “Okay, Mr. Mazlo. You’re obviously in charge here.” She slowly crouched to the floor and put her gun at her feet, kicking it away from her reach.
The adjunct professor followed her movements with his eyes. He didn’t seem to be aware of what was going on behind him. She said, “I just need to pull my phone out to call for the helicopter.”
As she was about to pull her phone out, she saw the gun belt of MPD officer Canton brush up against a mannequin and it wobbled. He caught it quickly before it toppled to the floor, but it clattered before he could set it upright. Mazlo whipped around at the sound of the noise and shot his gun in Canton’s direction. The bullet struck the officer in the stomach and he fell to the floor, writhing in pain.
Pushing down her panic, Jo quickly took advantage of the distraction by reaching out for John’s arm and pulling him toward her, but Mazlo was quicker. He yanked John back and pointed the gun at his head once more.
He growled, “Stop right there.” He waved to Riley and Officer Keck to move in front of him. Once they were in his line of vision, he said to Jo, “Call the helicopter now or I’ll start shooting bits and pieces off of the doctor until there is nothing left of him.”
Jo cursed. She could hear Canton moaning on the ground and knew Mazlo was capable of carrying out his threat. She glanced at John and saw he had turned pale. Frisco had been right; this had turned into a shit-show of epic proportions.
Her eyes re-focused on Mazlo. “You win.” She dialed her boss at the FBI headquarters. After explaining the circumstances, she requested the helicopter.
She disconnected the call. “The helicopter will be here in five minutes. They will wait for you on the mall across the street from Coffman.”
Mazlo nodded. “I’ll be taking Doctor Goodman with me, just in case the pilot or anyone else decides to be a hero. Just remember that.”
Jo turned to face Frisco and the others. “Please step aside and put your weapons down. Let him by; there is no need for anyone else to get hurt here.”
MPD Officer Keck said, “Special Agent, with all due respect….”
Jo interru
pted him. “At the moment, Mr. Mazlo is in charge.”
Keck shook his head, and she could see a muscle jump in his jaw, but he crouched down to set his weapon on the floor. She was grateful he complied.
The group parted as Mazlo backed out of the store. One hand gripped John’s arm, dragging him along, the other holding the gun to his head.
Jo watched helplessly as John’s eyes pleaded with her. He said, “I’ll be fine.” He briefly cut his eyes at Jo’s stomach. “Just remember who’s at stake here.” She nodded and felt hot tears prickle in her eyes.
She watched Mazlo feel his way to the escalator and back up onto the step, pulling John with him. When John stumbled, Mazlo yanked him to his feet, jerking him backwards up the moving staircase. The muzzle of the gun was pointed at the back of John’s head.
With a last quick look at Jo, John threw his elbow back into Mazlo’s stomach, causing the man to double-over. Jo heard Frisco shout behind her as she dashed up the escalator, taking two steps at a time. John wrestled with Mazlo on the moving stairs, trying to pry the gun out of his hand.
Jo could hear the labored breathing of someone running up the down escalator adjacent to her. She had almost caught up with Mazlo and John by the time they reached the top. As Jo reached for Mazlo’s gun, Mazlo’s eyes locked onto hers and he gave John a vicious shove.
John landed on top of Jo and they tumbled downward together. Jo felt the metal steps digging into her back and thighs. John landed on top of her, his knee driving into Jo’s stomach. Jo felt a sharp pain in her midsection.
Her head bounced off the metal stair and briefly she thought of the baby. Just before her vision faded, she heard John’s voice calling her name. Jo struggled to stave off the encroaching darkness, to call out to John, but suddenly there was nothing but black.
***
John rolled off Jo, flipped open the plastic cover on the emergency stop and pressed the button. He crouched down over Jo’s unresponsive body and reached out to check her pulse. When he detected the steady beat of her heart, he shoved aside his fears, and his years of training kicked in. He didn’t dare move Jo in case of a neck injury, but gingerly felt for the knot at the back of Jo’s head. He cursed under his breath and felt a burning desire to strangle the man who had held the gun to his head a few short moments ago.
Rausch & Donlon - Can Be Murder 03 - Writing Can Be Murder Page 23