Midnight Sun (109 page)

A
large
utility
truck
marked
SERT
in
big
white
letters
on
the
side
was
parked
among
them.
One
of
the
Special
Emergency
Reaction
Team
members
stood
at
the
rear
door
of
the
van.
Lonnie
quickly recognized
the unmistakable body shape of
Trooper
Corporal
Harland
,
who
had
recently
been
transferred
from
her detachment in
Fairbanks
to
the headquarters detachment in
Anchorage.

At
five
feet
,
four
inches
tall
,
the fifteen
-
year veteran
weighed
over
two
hundred
and
ten
pounds,
but
was
by
no
means
fat.
Harland
had been a competitive power lifter in college and
was
built
like
a
battleship
.
U
nlike
the
modern
sleek
and
fast
models
who
were
mostly
untested
in
combat
h
e
was
more
like
one
of
the
old
-
school
iron
ships,
the
kind
that
were
built
thick
and
scary
and
could
take
a
dozen
hits
and
still
make
it
back
to
port
to
get
resupplied
and
back
out
to
the
fight.
Harland
also
had
a
troll
-
like
face
that
could
frighten
a
Rottweiler.
In spite of his intimidating appearance
,
Lonnie knew him as a really nice guy with a wife and twin teenaged daughters.

“Hey
,
Harland,” Lonnie said
.
“How's big
-
city life treating you?”

“Fine
,
L
ieutenant
.
”
He gave
her a slight nod and glanc
ed
over at Marcus with a similar greeting. His heavy voice sounded like he ate gravel for breakfast every morning. “To be honest
,
though
,
I'd rather be back in Fairbanks, ma'am,” he said. “Being around this big city just ain't my cup of tea. Lots more SERT action down here with all the meth labs and pot grows out toward the valley so duty time is okay, but I think I'm becoming more of a homebody as I get older. My daughters didn't take this move so well
—sucks
to be thirteen and have to move to a new school.”

“I imagine so,” she said.

“You'll be learning that kind of stuff a bit more yourself in a few years now,” he replied
,
gesturing at her belly. “Unless
,
of course
,
you retire when you hit your twenty. Then the kid might be spared a lot of it.”

“I'm not as close as you are
,
but that's the plan,” Lonnie said as she and Marcus moved toward the house.
An APD officer
stopped
Marcus
and
Lonnie
and
checked
credentials
before
allowing
them
to
enter the yard which was cordoned off with police tape and several officers guarding the
approach
es
.
As they drew near s
everal
of
the
SERT
team
came
out
of
the
house,
faces
obscured
by
black
masks,
helmets
,
and
goggles
. They wore
MP-5
sub-machine
guns
slung
over
their
shoulders
in a tactical posture
.
Marcus
thought
they
looked
more
like
commandos
than
cops,
and
wasn't
sure
if
he
liked
the
idea
of
that
role
for
police
officers.
 
Mike
crossed
the
lawn
toward
them,
his
face
twisted
with
a
pensive
look.

“
They
’
re
gone,
”
he
said.
“
Packed
up
and
split
.
”

“
Anything
left
behind?
”
Lonnie
asked.

“
It
’
s
pretty
clean
so
far.
”

Hilde
poked
her
head
out
from
the
front door of the
house
and
signaled
for
them
to
come
in.
The
trio
stepped
onto
the
porch,
Marcus
helping
Lonnie
as
she
struggled
up
the
steps.
They
entered
the
house
and found
Caufield
and
several
other
agents
standing
in
the
large
formal
dining
room
looking
at
a
piece
of
paper
on
the
table.
The
SAC
glanced
up
as
they
came
in.

“
Any
of
you
read
Arabic?
”

“
I
do,
”
Marcus
replied
.
“
I
was
a
linguist
in
the
Marines.
”