by Robin Mahle
Perez approached Agent Duncan. “Ma’am?”
“Ready when you are,” she replied.
“Then please, follow me.” He led the way to the east where they were to begin their search. “I admire you and your people.”
“Thank you, but why is that?”
“Coming here to find your killer. Taking responsibility for your citizens and helping to protect mine from this madman,” he replied. “If only our government cared as much for our citizens and protecting them against the cartels.” They reached the block. “This is it. I’ll monitor this side. You take the right. Check the windows above, check the fire escapes. Any place you think he might take refuge.” He peered at her for a moment. “I apologize. It isn’t my place to issue orders.”
“No need for that. But just so you know, I do know what I’m doing.”
“There’s a lot of activity here. It’s too easy for Bishop to hide among these people,” Nick said. “If he makes an appearance, things could get messy.”
“We’ll have to take it as it comes, Scarborough. I just hope Reid’s on the right track. If not…”
“She’s not wrong.”
Gutierrez said something in Spanish and pointed ahead.
“I think he wants us to go this way,” Fisher added.
“Why don’t I take this street ahead and you and he can take this one,” Nick replied.
“You aren’t going alone. Not a chance in hell. That wasn’t part of the plan,” Fisher replied.
“Being here wasn’t part of the plan either. Look, we don’t have time to stroll around this neighborhood while Bishop could be out there finding his next victim. I can handle myself. You know that, and you know I’m right. I’ve got the radio if I need help.” He started in the opposite direction.
Fisher shook his head but didn’t object to the last-minute change in plans. He continued to trail the guard and surveyed the rest of the area.
Half a dozen aid workers were huddled atop a mound of debris, shouting in Spanish and pointing below their feet.
“Levi, look over there.” Kate glanced at the scene ahead. “They’re looking for people. This is where we want to be.”
“Let’s widen our perimeter and check out the surrounding areas. I see a few ambulance trucks, a first aid station....” He continued to assess the area. “National Guard stationed right over there.” He looked over his shoulder at Kate. “Bishop would be crazy to get this close.”
“We aren’t dealing with a sane man. He thinks he’s untouchable. We’re about to prove him wrong.” Kate started ahead, giving a wide berth around the rescue area. She needed to be right on this one. Money, resources, and international favors had all been granted. If it turned out she missed the mark, there would be consequences and probably consequences much greater than a Letter of Censure.
“Perdóneme.” (Excuse me.) Bishop tapped a man on the shoulder.
The rescue worker spun around and eyed him. “Agarra una pala,” (Grab a shovel). He wore a beige jumpsuit with a safety vest, a hard hat, and a mask.
Bishop had arrived late yesterday evening and gathered the gear he would need along with a badge he stole from a nearby worker. After spending the night on a park bench a few miles away, he made the trek on foot early this morning and was ready to get to work. Except the work he was looking for didn’t involve the use of a shovel. An ambulance had been left unattended long enough for him to slip inside and take whatever they had that would do the job. Although, he wasn’t overly concerned about disguising the end result. No one would bother going through the effort of performing an autopsy on victims around here. It would prove difficult enough to ID the bodies. Given the state of the surrounding area, most people had been crushed beyond recognition.
“Red Cross.” Bishop held up his badge to show the man. “Medicine.”
“Por ahí.” (Over there). The worker pointed to the nearby medical station.
“Gracias.” Bishop had no intention of being seen with other doctors or medical aid workers. He needed to find where the bodies were. But if they were buried, what chance would there be to find anyone alive?
Bishop combed the area, moving away from the huddle of workers who focused on one main area. Farther up the street, more buildings appeared in tatters with concrete fragments resting in the middle of the road. He walked inside what appeared to have been a TV repair shop. Merchandise lay on the floor, shattered. Shelves collapsed. He scoured the area but found no one inside.
Back out into the rising sun and heat. The smell of dust and death permeated the region. He returned his mask to his face and continued to traverse the devastated area, away from the people, away from anyone who might wonder what he was doing. The bag he carried over his shoulder looked like a medical bag and if anyone had questioned him, he had a prop to aid in his cover story.
Another building that remained standing, though just barely, appeared ahead. A cell phone store. Bishop walked inside. “Hello? Uh, Doctor en Medicina?” He walked inside and listened.
“Ayuda.”
Bishop leaned in as he’d heard something faint. “Medicina?”
“Ayuda.”
The voice cried again, and Bishop started in the direction of the sound. He stepped over displays and crushed iPhones under his feet until he made his way to the rear of the building. Bishop squatted and peered below what looked like a cashier desk.
A young woman, possibly still in her teens, peered at him. Her eyes were swollen from tears and the salty trails they left cut through the grime that had landed on her skin when the dust settled. Her left arm had been impaled by a piece of rebar protruding from the foundation. She was stuck and blood pooled around her. “Ayuda,” she cried.
Bishop stroked her long black hair. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now.”
27
Radio contact between the team had, so far, indicated a giant goose egg. No one had seen Bishop or had spoken to anyone who had seen him. Bishop was either not there and had never been there, or he was making one hell of a good ghost, slipping in and around people unseen.
The grim reality had set in. Kate’s neck was on the line and she had yet to find the murderer. “We’ve been at this for an hour. What if I was wrong?” Her eyes pleaded.
“Give it time,” Walsh replied. “Did you think he would just turn up with his hands in the air for us? This isn’t over yet.”
“What are we missing? Where else could he have gone?” She gazed around the street they had already searched twice. “The team has been inside every building. Spoken to everyone they’ve come across and shown them Bishop’s picture.”
“I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet,” Walsh began. “Let’s keep going and trust in the process. We’ll reassess with the team in an hour.”
“If you say so.”
Nick was on his own. There had been no sign of Bishop and he’d scoured his designated area twice. The entire team had done the same and still no sign of the killer. Concern that Kate had been wrong was paramount in his mind. The extent of an operation like this could spell the end of her career if they struck out again. Although he was pretty sure Fisher would defend her until the end. It wouldn’t matter, though, because she would fall on the sword, regardless.
He maintained certainty that she was not wrong; that Bishop was here; it was simply a matter of finding him. He would be somewhere away from others and that was where Nick needed to look. He pressed the button on his radio. “Still no luck here. I’m expanding my search.”
“Scarborough, where are you going?” Fisher asked.
“I’ll head north and take the next few blocks ahead of Walsh and Reid.” Nick turned back and walked along the main thoroughfare that had grown busier with rescue workers and medical aid stations. The rainy season was over, and the temperature soared into the high 80s. Now the air was dry and dust from the transfer of people and vehicles kicked up into the air.
He pushed through the growing chaos as National Guard Humvees
arrived in greater numbers. Concern that if one of them encountered Bishop, the surrounding Guardsmen might not know what was happening, drew to the front of Nick’s mind. It could make a bad situation even worse.
Nick pressed again on the radio button. “Walsh, Reid, you copy?”
“Copy, Scarborough. Walsh here. You near us yet?”
“Approaching roughly 300 yards behind the start of your quadrant. There are a lot more Guardsmen here now.”
“Roger that.”
“Duncan here. Gutierrez left to find whoever’s in charge and get them up to speed so we don’t run into any problems.”
“You’re on your own?” Fisher interrupted.
“He’s in my sights. Just waiting on him to return,” she replied.
“Copy,” Fisher said.
Nick pressed on. His intention wasn’t to join Kate and Walsh’s efforts, but to move the search ahead and enter into a new area where he might still find Bishop. He held the radio up again. “I’m walking past Walsh and Reid now.”
The market where the bulk of the damage had occurred was behind him. He moved ahead into a less populated area where there was still damage but no obvious collapse of any of the structures.
Nick walked into the TV repair shop and called out, “Anyone here? Hola?” No reply. He moved through the building but saw no evidence anyone had been inside when the quake struck. “Damn it.” He walked out again and carried on north until he reached a café. “Hola?”
Tables were overturned, pictures were on the ground, their glass frames shattered, but there appeared to be no sign of anyone inside.
“Hola?” He tried again. Still there was no answer. Nick walked out and picked up the radio. “I’m checking north of the marketplace. Still no sign.”
Ahead was another small building, which looked like a cell phone store. Nick walked inside. “Hola?” He moved in and noticed slightly more damage, but no one answered. “Hola? Policia.” Nick spotted blood near what looked like a register desk. He carefully stepped toward it. “Anyone here?” He peered around the desk before leaning over the top and that was when he spotted her. “Oh my God.” He pressed on the button. “I need help in here. There’s a woman. She’s injured.” He hurried around the desk and squatted below. “Miss? Miss?” He placed his fingers on her wrist and felt a faint pulse. “She’s still alive.”
“Scarborough, where are you?” Fisher yelled through the radio.
Nick looked around for the name of the business. “It’s a cell phone store. Just n…” He cringed and dropped the radio to reach for the back of his neck. With his hand clamped down, he turned to see a man running through a rear exit. Nick immediately felt light-headed. His vision blurred as he tried to reach for the radio again.
“Scarborough?” Fisher asked.
“Reid and I are headed north to the cell phone store. Someone get help now!” Walsh was out of breath and sounded like he was running.
Hurried steps and quick breaths sounded when Fisher got on the line again. “Perez is getting help. Everyone needs to get to Scarborough’s location.”
Kate ran through the streets, nearly stumbling twice on the rubble. “Oh, God. Oh, God. Please.” She huffed and coughed and pumped her legs as fast as she could.
“Reid! Hang on.” Walsh did his best to catch up, but he was slower and heavier than Kate. “Be careful! Jesus!”
“I’m coming. I’m coming, Nick. Hang on.” Kate pushed harder and faster. “I see the building!” She glanced over her shoulder at Walsh. “It’s just ahead. Hurry!” Kate slowed and glanced up. “This is the place.” She rushed inside. “Nick? Nick, where are you?” Her eyes scanned the damage. “Where are you?” Her heart raced and her eyes reddened.
“Nick!” With no response, she searched for him, lifting everything in her path and calling out for him. It wasn’t until she saw the blood, that her own blood turned cold.
Walsh slowed as he made his way inside. “Kate.” His weapon was drawn, and he made his way toward her on the right of the building. “Scarborough?”
“Levi, over here.” She looked down at the blood and walked around the desk where she finally spotted him. “He’s here! Nick? Nick are you okay?”
He was slumped against the side of the desk while the young woman, rebar still protruding from her arm lay next to him.
“Oh God. Come on, baby.” Kate tapped on his cheek. “Nick? Wake up. Come on now. Wake up.” She tapped his cheek again when she spotted his eyes flutter.
Levi hurried around the desk. “Buddy, are you okay?” He noticed the girl. “Jesus. Where’s the help? We need some goddam help in here!” He screamed.
Fisher and Perez pulled up in one of the guard’s Humvees and rushed inside.
“Reid? Walsh? Where are you?” Fisher scanned the store.
“Over here.” Walsh appeared from behind the desk. “He’s over here. He’s alive and there’s a girl here too. Where’s the medic?”
“Right behind us.” Perez leaned out of the doorway. “Aqui. Aqui.” (In here.) “La prisa!” (Hurry).
Two medics rushed inside.
Walsh pointed down behind the desk. “Here. Come quick.” He looked at Kate who held Nick in her arms. “Come on, Kate. Let them help.” He tried to help her up, but she wasn’t budging. “Kate, let them do their jobs. You have to move.”
She carefully pulled out her arm from under Nick’s head and took Walsh’s hand. “Okay. It was him. Bishop. He was here and he did this. I know he did.”
Walsh nodded. “Let’s worry about Nick and this girl here first, okay.”
“No. He’ll get away. Levi, we have to find him. If we don’t go now, he’ll vanish. I won’t let that happen.”
Walsh turned to Fisher with pleading eyes.
Fisher nodded. “Go. Find the son of a bitch.”
“I’ll go with them,” Perez said.
“I need you here. Please. I need someone to translate.” Fisher picked up the radio. “Duncan, what’s your location?”
“We’re passing the marketplace now. Did you find him?”
“We did. He’s hurt. Just get here as fast as you can.” Fisher turned back to Walsh, but he and Kate were already out the door.
Kate angrily wiped away her tears as she hurried north. “He has to be going this direction. If he turned back, he’d run into too many people. He’s going this way.”
“Kate, just take it easy, okay? I know you’re pissed. So am I, but we need to have cool heads. We need to be smart and understand Bishop’s endgame.”
“His endgame is to kill as many people as he can before we catch him. That’s his endgame. Now he knows we’re here and that we’re coming for him.”
“Then let’s try to think logically about this. Where would he go? Much farther and we’ll be out of the worst of the quake zone. He won’t find anyone who needs help.”
Kate began to think of Agent Surrey and how he approached situations. Walsh was right in that she needed to think clearly. Bishop was running out of options. He could opt for self-preservation and hitch a ride and they would never find him again. Or, he would do as she believed, and try to prove he was smarter than they were. He always believed he was smarter than everyone else because he was allowed to get away with anything, including murder.
She considered Surrey. He would be methodical and study every angle. There wasn’t time for that approach, but maybe she could use his process to a degree. “Patterns.” Just as she so often found, there were patterns to every killer’s operation.
“What do you mean?” Walsh asked.
“The one thing I always try to find is patterns. Surrey did the same thing in Denver, but he was better; more precise.”
“What are you saying, Kate? What do you want to do here?”
“Bishop has had help since the beginning.”
“We know that,” Walsh replied.
“Right, but what if he was on his own? Like he is right now. His mommy won’t be able to get him out of this one. He’s loo
ked to her to bail him out of every problem he’s had. What will he do without her help?”
“Run for the hills? I mean, I’m not sure where you’re going with this and we’re running out of time.”
“I know. I just—I’m just trying to figure this out in my head,” Kate replied. “Bishop doesn’t know anything else besides acting on his impulses. And I think his impulses are telling him he might as well do what he can because there’s no turning back. His pattern of behavior suggests finding victims who are hurt or dying and need his help.”
“Gotcha so far. Go on,” Walsh replied.
Her eyes sparked with an idea. “The homeless. I saw several encampments on our way here. That’s where he’ll go. It’s the only place left where he’ll find desperate and defenseless people. Those are the ones he thrives on. That is his pattern of behavior.”
Walsh smiled and picked up his radio. “Fisher, tell me Scarborough’s been taken to a hospital?”
“He’s on his way now. He was alert enough to tell us where Bishop injected him. We don’t know what he was given, but they have managed to stabilize him and on arrival, they’ll run tests for every substance they can.”
“Tell them to look for something Bishop could’ve stolen from one of the medical stations,” Kate said to Walsh.
“Hey, have them check what the med stations have. Reid is certain Bishop would’ve lifted something from there.”
“Got it. What’s the plan? Where are you two?”
“We need a car. We feel confident Bishop will take refuge inside a homeless encampment. He’ll have plenty of victims to choose from and no one will give a damn.”
“I’d say she’s on the money. We’ll head your way,” Fisher replied.
Walsh looked around. “We’re standing in front of a small grocer’s market.”
“Be there as fast as we can.”
