Missing (26 page)

Then there was Jack, who only wanted a kickback.

“
So, tell me about your boss. He didn’t seem to have a very high opinion of you when I saw him in an interview today,” Maggie said, closing the one screen and clicking on the one for the nuclear plant.

“
The man is a jerk.”

Maggie looked over at him. “Really? You have said that a couple of times. Why’s that?”

“
Because I do all the work and he takes the credit.”

“
So you are going to jeopardize the lives of people just to, what, get rid of him? Take over his job? What?”

Fitzpatrick was quiet a moment. “Nothing is going to happen to the people. And, yes, I plan on putting him in his place.”

“
Putting him in his place? I think he got the position because of his experience.”

Fitzpatrick nodded. “Yes, but it was more political that anything else. He walks over everyone and claims the ideas as his.”

“
Yes, I see. So, you are going to make sure you get the credit this time. Your boss’s name is Glen Harper, isn’t it? Was that why you gave the hacker his e-mail address? So, Harper would get all the blame for this?”

Fitzpatrick stiffened. “How did you know that?”

“
I heard most of the conversation and figured the rest out.”

She shook her head, and then looked down at the laptop again. The graphic on the nuclear plant showed it was in central Illinois. There were nearby towns and she could not imagine the panic that would take place when the plant went down. Maybe the nuclear plant wouldn’t fail, but just the thought of it was going to put pure panic in the area. She clicked off and watched as the seconds clicked down. Maggie knew she had to get out of here. She had to tell someone. Now. But, who could she tell? With Jack here, she knew she couldn’t trust the local police department. She wasn’t even sure she could trust the County Sheriff’s office either. And, she had no idea when the FBI was ever going to show up. It had now been almost three hours since she had last talked to Agent Palmer. She looked over at Fitzpatrick.

“
So, Mr. Fitzpatrick, looks like you got this all planned out, don’t you?” She reached down and moved the arrow to minimize the screen. Then she minimized a second time. On the screen were three files. She had seen the one with the six screens. She wanted to see what the other two were.

Fitzpatrick nodded. “Yes, I did. As you have seen on the computer, everything is going to run very well. Power grids will fail, millions of people with no electricity, minimal flooding, businesses can’t open, hospitals in distress, and a minor panic with nuclear plant going down. There will be media coverage and human interest stories.”

“
You thought this up all by yourself?”

“
Mostly. But, it helps to have people working with you. Walter here is my right hand man. He helped me get in touch with Michael Whitcomb and the rest worked itself out.”

“
And you’ll come out smelling like a rose. No one will even know you are behind it.”

Fitzpatrick nodded. “That’s the best part. I’ll get a lot of praise in the process and Harper won’t be able to interfere.”

“
But, can you believe a hacker? You think they are going to tell you the truth. How can you be sure he’s done what he said he’d do?”

“
That’s why I got the codes. I have a contact that can check and make sure everything is as he said it would be.”

“
And if you find it’s not?”

He shook his head. “Then I’ve got people who can fix the problem.”

“
Really? Before two o’clock in the morning?”

He paused a moment, a panic coming over his face. Maggie knew there was no way he could get someone to fix anything the hacker had done by then. He would never make it back to Washington in time. Since he didn’t answer, she continued.

“
So, there are other people in your department who are as crooked as you are?” She clicked on the second link. Three pages of computer lingo came up. She didn’t understand them either. One question crossed her mind. Were the codes even right? She minimized the screen and clicked on the third link.

Fitzpatrick frowned. “I’m not crooked.”

“
No, just desperate. Desperate to get the credit you deserve. Desperate to get back at a boss who takes credit from you. In the process, you don’t care who you hurt.”

“
They’ll get over it.”

“
Oh yes, of course. You have all the resources you need at your disposal to help the people. To show them compassion for the trouble they will be going through. Then, after they are taken care of, they will never know you were the one who put them in the compromised position to begin with.”

“
So, what is your point? Face it, no one will ever know.” Fitzpatrick was getting angry.

“
We’ll see about that.” Maggie looked down at the screen. All that showed was a box. What is this about, she wondered.

Fitzpatrick glared at her. “You think you are going to tell someone? I don’t think so.”

Maggie looked up at him.

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound outside. All three men stiffened, and then looked at her. She shrugged. She had no idea what it was either. Fitzpatrick quickly came around the desk and shoved her out of the way. He had a surprised look on his face when he saw the box on the screen. Quickly gathering his thoughts, he pulled a paper out of his pocket, looked at it and then typed a set of numbers in the command box, then clicked to enter it. Then he shut the computer off, closed it and unplugged it. He picked up the computer and the cord, and then moved around the desk. He stopped next to Jack.

“
Take care of her, and then get out of here as soon as you can.”

Jack nodded. “I will. I can cover myself.”

“
And don’t forget what to do in the morning.”

Jack nodded again, but said nothing. Maggie nodded. Now she knew who was going to feed the flight crew and set them free.

Fitzpatrick was moving towards the door of the room with Walter right behind him. Maggie moved to her left, stepping away from the desk. She focused on Jack, who was now staring at her. Fitzpatrick stopped just outside the door and placed the laptop inside his briefcase, then looked back in the room.

“
Hurry, Jack.”

Jack kept looking at Maggie, and then nodded. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“
We’ll be in touch.”

Jack nodded again, continuing to look at Maggie. Fitzpatrick and Walter moved into the living room and out of view.

Maggie knew she didn’t have much time. Jack was glaring at her.

“
You should never have come back here, Maggie. You should have stayed out of this.”

“
You should have too. What were you thinking getting involved in something like this? It is illegal. I thought you were better than that.”

“
I know what it is,” he yelled. “It is just a simple plan. Fitzpatrick will get the publicity and this area will get the aid.”

“
Do you think it’s that simple? Fitzpatrick is desperate. He wants the attention he hasn’t been getting. The Administrator job is what he wants. He is desperate enough to do whatever it takes to get that position. Even if it compromises thousands of Americans. And, he has drug you down too. You are just as bad as he is.”

“
I am not!” he yelled again. He brought his gun up, aiming at her. “I have a job.”

“
As the police chief?”

“
I’m not on duty.”

“
Oh, yes you are. As police chief, you are always on duty. You know that.” Maggie put her right arm behind her back. “Besides, you just betrayed the town. They will never forgive you for this.”

“
They will never know. And, at this moment, I am not the police chief.”

She sighed. “Well, that’s good. I am glad you made that choice. Now, I don’t feel so bad.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”

“
You blew it Jack, that’s what I’m talking about. And now you are going to pay for your part in all this.”

Maggie quickly pulled the Glock out from the back of her jeans and fired twice. The first shot hit Jack’s gun, sending it flying. He shook his hand as the jolt stung him. Then she shot him in fleshy part of his upper thigh. The shot went all the way through, hitting the floor behind him. He fell, grabbing his leg and moaning in pain. Blood began staining his jeans.

“
Guess I am a better shot than you are,” Maggie said, coming around the desk. “Be thankful I didn’t shoot you where we are supposed to shoot a perp at.” She kicked Jack’s gun away from his reach, took her gun from the front of his jeans, and then headed towards the kitchen at a run.

Just as she got to the back door, she saw Fitzpatrick and Walter in the Lexus. Walter was driving. The car was backing up and was now at an angle to her. There was only one thing Maggie could do. Taking careful aim, she shot out the two passenger side tires. Walter slammed on the brakes. She ran to the front of the car and shot out the front tire. Then, she aimed both guns at the two men still sitting in the car.

Fitzpatrick was furious as he got out of the car.

“
Stay right where you are, Mr. Fitzpatrick,” Maggie yelled at him.

Just then, Walter got out of the car. He pulled a gun from his jacket, laying his gun hand on the roof of the car for balance. His shot went wide; hers went through the front window, blowing it out. Walter went to the ground. She didn’t know if she had hit him. She was more interested in restraining Fitzpatrick first. Of the two of them, Fitzpatrick was more important. She walked closer to him, with her two hands holding her gun out, aiming at him.

“
Down on the ground, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”

He laughed. “You don’t have the authority.”

He was right. She was out of her jurisdiction. Then she thought of something else. “As a citizen of the United States, I have every right to arrest you if I see you doing something you aren’t supposed to be doing.”

“
I am a governmental appointed employee, you don’t have the right.”

She moved left, going around the door. “Oh, yes I do. As a private citizen, I have every right no matter who you are. You are not immune to a citizen’s arrest. But, if you won’t accept that, how about if I just shoot you now and save everyone the trouble later? When this all comes out, you are going to wish someone had shot you. Your job with FEMA is over.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who are you?”

She pulled up the cord she had tucked inside her sweatshirt and showed him. “I am a detective, and Mr. Fitzpatrick, you are under arrest.” She took another step towards him. “Now, down on the ground.”

Fitzpatrick stood for a moment, realized he wasn’t getting away from her, and then knelt down.

“
All the way down,” she yelled, pointing the gun at his head. He got down on the ground.

Suddenly, Walter came around the back of the car. Maggie caught a glimpse of him and moved behind the door just before he shot again. She blew out a sigh. It was now obvious she wasn’t going to get Fitzpatrick under control until she got Walter out of the picture. Or, got his gun. She was sure she could outrun Walter if she had to.

Walter had disappeared. She knew he was close to the car though. Bending down, she looked underneath the car. She smiled to herself and knew exactly what she had to do. Slowly she backed away from the door. Quickly and quietly, she went around the front of the car. As she got to the side, she took a shot at the last remaining tire. Walter was crouching right next to it. The tire blew out. He jumped back and she headed forward. As she got to the back of the car, Walter was sitting down facing the back of the car. She pointed the gun at him.

“
Care to try that again, Walter?” she said. Walter looked up at her, his gun still in his hand. “Throw your gun to the right.” He did as she requested. “Now, put your hands behind your back.”

Because of his size, it took three flex cuffs attached together to get him secured. Then she stood him up and moved him to the side of the car, sitting him on the ground.

Then she realized Fitzpatrick was gone.

Looking past the car, she saw Fitzpatrick was just rounding the corner of the house. Maggie holstered her gun and took off running after him. As she rounded the side of the house, he was a hundred feet ahead of her. He glanced back and saw her chasing him. While he wasn’t a fast runner, he was trying. He had gone down the driveway and was now on the road leading to the airport. As she ran after him, she wondered where he thought he was going. He had no way out of here. Another stupid decision on his part.

It didn’t take her long to catch up to him. Maggie grabbed the back of his suit coat and pulled him to a stop.

“
Going somewhere, Mr. Fitzpatrick?”

He swung around, his fist just missing Maggie’s head.

“
That will get you nowhere,” she said, as she righted herself in front of him.

“
I am not going anywhere with you,” he yelled back at her.

Well, this is going well, she thought. And, it has to end. She was not about to let him go, so there was only one thing to do. Grabbing Fitzpatrick’s arm, she quickly twisted him around, pinning his arm high on his back.

“
Want to make a bet on that?” She reached for a flex cuff on her service belt.