Sun Storm

by Marlow Kelly

  Sinclair punched the fire alarm, which was next to the front door. “I’m on it.”

  A deafening bell sounded. A few people ran down the stairs, the rest emerging from the darkened studio.

  Marie put her hands to her ears in an attempt to diminish the painfully loud ringing. “You need to go, too,” she screamed at David.

  A couple ran between them through the lobby. Marie was pushed against the reception desk.

  David stepped forward, pressing against her, blocking anyone else from coming between them “It’s not a question of if they resort to violence, it’s when. They’ve already killed. What’s to stop them from coming in here and shooting us?” he shouted in her ear.

  He had a point, but what were their options? To keep running. She didn’t see that as viable. This needed to end.

  “That’s all the more reason for you to leave.” Marie tried to step to the side, but he put an arm on either side of the counter to cage her. She’d had enough. It was time to set the record straight.

  Sinclair stood at the front door. “Everyone’s out.

  David turned to face his sister. “Already?”

  Marie used the distraction to ease away from the desk, but David grabbed her hand.

  Sinclair nodded to Cruz. “He said they only have a skeleton staff at this time of day. There’s just the three of you. Don’t wait too long.” she yelled as she stepped through the sliding glass doors.

  “We’re going around in circles. The sooner you send your message to the world, the better chance we have of surviving this thing.” The set of David’s jaw told her he wasn’t going to give in. She’d known it was a long shot the moment he appeared in the studio doorway.

  Cruz McDonald moved to stand in front of her, his tablet in the air.

  “What are you doing?” she shouted.

  “I’m streaming this live on social media.”

  “How long have you been doing that?” David asked.

  “Since your sister pulled the alarm.” Cruz moved to her side, presumably to get a better angle. “This is great.”

  “You can live stream the news?” She slapped her head. Of course, he could. Sex with David must’ve made her IQ drop fifty points. She sighed. “Don’t answer that. It was a stupid question. So we can transmit from the middle of the square with everyone watching?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Great, let’s go.” Marie headed for the entrance. The glass door fractured as a bullet lodged in the wall behind reception. David leaped, wrapping his arms around her as he flung her across the lobby. They hit the wall. He covered her with his body. She gasped for breath as David’s weight forced the air from her lungs. She tried to move but was pinned under him. He grabbed her around the waist and dove for the reception desk. They scrambled under the counter as bullets plowed into the floor. Cement and bits of carpet flew through the air. Cruz was already hunched under the desk. His knuckles were white as he gripped his tablet, filming. Marie couldn’t tell that he was recording anything except the noise of the alarm and the sound of gunfire.

  We need another way out,” David shouted to Cruz.

  Cruz shook his head. He was pale, sweating, and his eyes wide with fear.

  “Cruz?” She knew how he felt, but they couldn’t stay here.

  “Don’t worry, I see it.” David nodded to the stairwell, where EXIT was written above the door in large red letters. He grabbed Cruz’s arm and flung him toward the door. He clasped Marie’s hand and forced her ahead of him. She hit the door with her shoulder and tumbled down the stairs.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Finn Callaghan had managed to get home to shower and change. He’d also succeeded in getting a few hours’ sleep, which had helped clear his head. The corruption in the police department had to start with Chief Notley. That much was obvious. He was the one who had warned Finn off the kidnapping.

  “I should get us some coffees.” Kennedy perched on the uncomfortable, hard chair.

  “That can wait. We need to talk to Notley.” He walked to the door.

  “You think it’s him.”

  “It’s got to be. He warned me off the kidnapping. I don’t know why we didn’t question him yesterday.”

  “You’re off balance because you have a personal interest in the case.” She stood, her hand automatically touching her gun and badge. “You know we still have no evidence of anything. It’s Quinn’s word against Portman’s.”

  “Yes, but there’s also the fact that no one’s working the kidnapping. We should at least let them know we’re watching. I want to rattle the chief.”

  They marched through the large central room of the station, heading to Notley’s office in the front corner.

  Ramirez stood as Finn and Kennedy passed his desk. “I want in on this.”

  Finn glanced at Kennedy, who gave a faint nod, agreeing to have the detective present for the interview.

  Notley straightened in his chair, sucking in his stomach, as the three of them strode into his office. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

  Finn got to the point. “Who’s working the Wilson kidnapping?”

  Ramirez stood next to Finn as Kennedy strolled to the back of the room. She stopped behind the chief’s desk and inspected the photos and awards that hung on the wall.

  “I told you this is a police matter.” Notley rubbed his bald spot. “The FBI has no jurisdiction.”

  “I have information that might be helpful, and I’d like to pass it to the detective who’s working the case,” Finn insisted.

  “You can leave it with me. I’ll see that it gets to the right place.” Notley gave a small squint that revealed a negative response.

  “I have information, too.” Ramirez said, “but I haven’t been able to find a file on it. Who’s working the case?”

  “Ramirez, you’re going to be in deep shit if you keep this up. We’re police officers. We hold the line. We do not question each other.” Notley pursed his lips, obviously considering his next strategy.

  Ramirez pounded his fist on the table. “I’m working the home invasion, and evidence has come to light linking it to the kidnapping. I want to share this evidence. Who’s working the case?”

  “Are these photos yours?” Kennedy interrupted as she pulled one of the personal pictures off the wall.

  “Yes,” Notley snapped and then turned his attention back to Ramirez. “I want your badge and weapon.”

  “I’d hold off on that if I were you.” Finn moved so he stood between the two policemen.

  Kennedy handed the small photo to Finn. It was the same picture they’d seen in Portman’s office. Finn cleared his throat. “You should know we’re investigating a charge of public corruption that has been levied against the Granite City-Elkhead County Police.”

  “I-I-I have never taken a bribe in my life. You can check my financial records.” Notley held himself stock-still, as though scared that one false move could give him away.

  “Here’s what I think.” Finn held up the photo. “You’re one of the kids pictured here. Portman rescued you from a life on the streets. I don’t know if you feel obligated, or if he has something on you. Whatever the reason, you’re burying the Wilson kidnapping.”

  The chief’s mouth fell open, and then he averted his gaze. “I’m not burying it. I’m the investigating officer.”

  “And what role is Public Domain Energy playing?” Finn said through clenched teeth.

  Notley hunched his shoulders. “They’re helping me with my enquiries.” The man telegraphed shame.

  “How?” Finn persisted.

  “They’re looking for this Quinn guy. Portman feels responsible because Quinn went to Marshall House.”

  “Do you really believe that?”

  “Of course.” Notley’s answer was direct. He didn’t flinch or look away.

  “We think they’re hunting Dr. Wilson.”

  Notley frowned, but kept silent.

  “When they burst into her house, they w
ere trying to destroy her solar panel. She told us that herself,” Ramirez added.

  “What solar panel?” Notley demanded.

  Kennedy tilted her head. “You really don’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  Ramirez thumped the desk again. “How could you let a civilian run a case?” He threw his arms wide. “Every cop in this department is tainted by your actions.”

  Finn’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID—Sinclair. He hesitated. They were at an important stage in the interview, and he didn’t want interruptions. But Sinclair wouldn’t call unless it was important. “Callaghan.”

  “Finn, I need your help.”

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “Big Sky News. They’re under attack. The power’s out. David and the others were following us out when this guy arrived and started shooting up the place. You have to save them.”

  “Stay on the—”

  She hung up.

  Finn stepped into the bullpen. Normally it pulsated with activity; police questioning suspects, conducting interviews, and making phone calls, but all was quiet as everyone seemed mesmerized by the big screen TV.

  Dr. Wilson appeared on the screen. The picture didn’t have the professional quality of a newscast. It jumped about, going in and out of focus. They appeared to be in a small cement room. Marie sat on the floor with a gold sheet and black box laid out in front of her.

  “My name is Marie Wilson. We are hiding in the underground parking area of the Big Sky News building. We need help. There is a gunman shooting at us. I would like to state, for the record, that at no time did David Quinn kidnap me. I chose to go with him because a man employed by Public Domain Energy was chasing us. His name is Harper. He’s the same man who’s shooting at us now.”

  Finn flinched as shots echoed in the background.

  “Cruz McDonald is streaming this live using his tablet. Power to the building has been cut. This whole thing has been about my solar panel and inverter.” She pointed to a gold sheet and a small black box. “I’ve used it to power this Wi-Fi modem so we can send—”

  “Hush,” The camera swung to David who was peeking out through a gap in the door. He’d changed his appearance in the last two days. “Stay quiet. I’ll lead him away.”

  “No, stay here. You’re unarmed,” Marie whispered.

  Then everything went dark.

  The bullpen was silent. Everyone seemed to be stunned.

  Officer Calder ran into the office. “Chief, one of the staff at Big Sky News is here. They’ve been evacuated. A guy wearing a PDE security vest is in the building taking pot shots.”

  Finn swore under his breath. “We need to get over there—now.”

  Members of Granite City-Elkhead County PD all jumped into action at once.

  Ramirez grabbed the phone. “I’ll get SWAT.”

  “Kennedy and I are both SWAT certified. We’ll follow your guys in.”

  “No problem.” Ramirez nodded.

  “I’ll get our tactical gear ready.” Kennedy strode to the stairs.

  Finn pointed to Officer Calder. “Can you cordon off an area around the building?”

  “On it.” The young policeman ran toward the lobby.

  Finn started for his office and then stopped. “Detective Ramirez.”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded his head to the chief. “Don’t let your suspect get away.”

  Ramirez smiled. “Don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Marie flinched at the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire. David was out there unarmed. She crept to the door and peeked out. The only light came from the ramp, which opened to the street. Handsome knelt on the ground with his back to her, firing at cars parked along the back wall. Bullets tore chunks out of the vehicles. She couldn’t see David, but it stood to reason that the vehicles hid him from view.

  Silently, she shut the door, but why she was so careful about the sound was beyond her. The noise from the weapon was deafening. Someone could creep… Now, there was an idea. She looked around the room, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. Shelving stood along the back wall. She pulled a sledgehammer from the bottom shelf, but dismissed it because it was too heavy to swing. A regular hammer would be a great choice, but she couldn’t see one. Finally, she discovered an iron bar lying on the ground. She picked it up, judging its weight, and then swung it a couple of time to assess its maneuverability.

  Cruz blocked her way. The light on his tablet told her the camera was still on. “Whatever you’re planning, it’s not a good idea.”

  “He is out there, and he’s unarmed. I cannot let him die.” She headed for the door.

  She stopped before turning the handle and faced Cruz. “Portman has killed people over that solar panel. I suggest you use this opportunity to escape. Take the prototype with you and hand it over to the authorities.”

  Marie inched through the door, the bar raised above her head. She crept behind an old station wagon. Then everything went quiet.

  She’d heard that silence could be deafening but hadn’t realized what that phrase meant until this moment. She had adjusted to the noise of the gunfire and used it to cover her actions. Now that there was silence, she felt exposed. She couldn’t help David if the gunman turned on her the minute she moved. Then it occurred to her that she was waiting for Handsome to shoot at David. She forced herself to crawl to the next car.

  The gunfire started again. She stood, gripped the iron bar tighter, and edged closer to the shooter.

  ****

  Finn marched into the square, wearing his full tactical gear. He carried his H&K MP-5 submachine gun with his Glock holstered at his side. Kennedy tugged her helmet onto her head.

  Detective Ramirez greeted them as they approached the news station. “SWAT will be here any minute.”

  Finn understood. Being on a SWAT team was essentially a second job. Members of the highly-trained unit were stationed throughout the county, working their regular shifts as police officers until they were required.

  “I think it would be best if they split into two teams. One goes in the front and the other should go through the parking garage at the side of the building.” Ramirez pointed to the right side of Big Sky News.

  Finn agreed. “Kennedy and I will go through the parking garage. How many people are in there?” Splintered glass hung in the door, bullet holes clearly visible. He resisted the urge to dash in and save David. His FBI training told him to stay calm and wait for the rest of the team.

  “Four. They only had a skeleton staff when Wilson arrived. The only people in there are the gunman, Quinn, Dr. Wilson, and Cruz McDonald.”

  “She was the first one there?”

  “Yes, Quinn arrived later with a woman.”

  “Finn.” Sinclair waved from behind the barricade.

  He walked toward her, and a policeman allowed her to slip under the ribbon. “Give me details.” He dispensed with the pleasantries. There was no time and, besides, she wasn’t the type to care about idle banter.

  She thrust her phone into his hand. “You need to see this.”

  Emails from Michael with video attachments appeared on the screen. Each one had a title, Quinn saving woman, David at airport, and there where documents, lots of them.

  “I think we have our evidence,” Finn stuffed the phone into the pouch attached to his vest. “I’ll keep your phone until we can process it.”

  A beige armored truck honked its horn as it drove through the square. SWAT had arrived.

  Finn nodded and marched back to where Kennedy stood with Ramirez. Finn checked his primary weapon and then waited for Kennedy to do the same. She nodded.

  Two officers exited the rear of the truck carrying large, black ballistic shields. The other men fell into formation as they split into two groups and filed toward the building. Finn and Kennedy joined the one headed for the parking garage.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Marshall wal
ked into the elevator. He was heading for his car parked in front of the building. It was time to escape.

  He’d watched from his fifth-floor window as a crowd formed in the city center. Police cordoned off the entrance to Big Sky News. There was still a chance Harper would escape through the parking garage that exited into the alley on the far side of the building, but it didn’t look promising.

  As an ex-street kid, David’s first instinct should’ve been to keep running, and as Special Forces he would’ve been trained in discretion. Returning to Granite City and talking to the media must have been Wilson’s idea. Her unpredictability was one of the traits that made her so dangerous to the Syndicate.

  He tapped his breast pocket, assuring himself, once again, that his fake ID was still there. Calming classical music played as he rode the elevator down to the ground floor. Sinclair Quinn was in the square. Her tall statuesque figure stood out even from his office. With her natural beauty and gift for languages, she could have had a job with any of the top firms in the country, but instead she’d followed her brother into the service.

  The door dinged open as he reached the ground floor. Leaving the building, not twenty feet in front of him, was Spider. The hacker was probably absconding before the authorities descended. There was something different about him. He still had the same short, cropped, black hair, the same sweatshirt, but his posture was different. He strode with confidence. There was a military bearing that hadn’t been there before. As he marched through the exit, he waved to someone in the Square, and Sinclair waved back. Fuck. Spider was working with Sinclair—David’s sister.

  Marshall ran to his car, which was parked in its reserved spot next to the front door. A red mist clouded his vision. The bastard had been given access to everything: videos, emails, orders, and most importantly, money transfers. Blood pounded through his ears as his pulse quickened. He’d never escape. One lousy hacker would track him down, and it would all be over. He probably wouldn’t even make it out of the country before the police apprehended him. He’d have to kill the asshole. He rammed his Mercedes into reverse and then maneuvered on to the street that ran in front of the PDE building. Spider crossed the road twenty feet in front of him. Marshall stepped on the gas and swerved, aiming for Spider as his foot touched the sidewalk. He didn’t flinch as the hacker’s body hit the front bumper, bounced onto the hood of the car, and then slammed into the pavement.