Page 162 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“Good news or bad news?” Patrick asked as Jackson answered.

“Go with the bad, putting you on speaker,” Jackson said andhit the icon.

“No identification whatsoever on the shooter from the woods.I went over every piece of his clothing. Both jeans and T-shirtwere from a national department store. Sneakers and socks the same.”

“Good news, Patrick. Please,” Angela said.

“Well, the good news is that Dr. Banyan, the doctor treatingour guy, seems to be top of the crop. Our shooter is still alive, but will bein a medically induced coma for a few days. Hopefully, Banyan will be able tobring him out of it in about forty-eight hours, but his firstpriority is to preserve life.”

“Of course. Ours, too,” Jackson said. “So, we’ll speak withhim as soon as we can. We’re going to need someone at that hospital—”

“Already covered. Will is here, and we’re getting a localpolice officer in, too. I have lots of faith in both teams, but double dutyseems to be the order of the day.”

“Good calls all, Patrick. Thank you.”

“You’re both still at the cemetery, right?” Patrick asked.

“Angela and I. And ColonelClayborn. I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet in person, but—”

“I will get to meet him before this is over, I imagine.Anyway... Angela, I believe you need to be especially careful.”

“Me? Why?”

“I don’t really know. It’s just something our unnamedshooter said when we were out there talking with him. He was surprised, maybeeven humbled or touched, that you wanted to help him.He said, ‘You. You of all people.’ And he was talking to you,Angela.”

“Okay, but...”

“I think someone sent him out there to target youspecifically,” Patrick said.

Chapter 7

Angela remained stoic, wishing Patrick wasn’t quiteas talented as he was. Why did he have to home in on that possibility?

She and Jackson had an amazing relationship. Naturally, theyloved each other. They adored their family.

And his respect for her and others was among the many assetshe possessed that had made her fall in love with him.

But now, he would worry.

She spoke calmly because she refused to be taken off thiscase.

“I hear what you’re saying, Patrick. But I also believethey’re after any and all of us who interfere withwhat’s going on. What we need to do is get to the bottom of this. Now,” shesaid.

Jackson looked intently at her as he spoke.

“We’ll take all that into consideration, Patrick. Right now,I’m afraid we might have found more victims. We need to get a crew out here todo some digging. We’ll be in after. Of greater importance, and I figure you’reon this while sitting around the hospital, how are we doing on tracking thevideo from the time of Officer Whittaker’s disappearance?”

“I’m going over the security footage from two neighbors’homes, but Jordan was headed out to the safe house when she decided to do somemore checking on Debbie Nolan’s neighbors. We both intended to take over asguards to protect Debbie, and she’s still headed that way eventually, but shefinally found an eyewitness who was at the grocery store earlier and gotsomething. The witness’s name is Betty Newfield, and she lives just two doorsdown. The woman saw a navy-blue SUV she’d never seen before out on the streetin front of the townhouses. And she said that someone was packing things intothe back—among them, a large bundle. I’m checking traffic cams on my phonenow.”

Jackson heard rustling over the line. “Ms. Newfield toldJordan more. She believes the man driving was about twenty-five and had shaggybrown hair. Said he looked like a kid.”

Angela looked at Jackson. “Patrick, that sounds like theshooter from the woods. The guy you’re watching over at the hospital.”

“It sure as hell does,” Patrick agreed. “If so, there’sprobably a navy SUV out in the woods somewhere.”

“All right, listen,” Jackson told Patrick, “I’m on it. Iwill send other agents to the hospital and to be with Debbie. I want you andJordan, Colleen, Mark, Ragnar, and the dogs—all three of them—out here in thewoods. Keep in mind that this killer seems to be working, sometimes cheerfully,out in the open. Other times, they’re hidden. Honestly, I believe they’reutilizing the woods as a hiding or staging area.”

Watching him speak, Angela nodded and wondered again what itwas about the Robertson tomb that puzzled her. Something about it hauntedher.