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Not sure how the conversation with Mueller was going togo, she took the elevator down to the lobby and stepped out onto the sidewalk.She took a seat on a little bench near some flowers on the western side of the propertyand made the call.
She’d called once the ambulance had picked Derik up and lefta vague message with Mueller’s assistant asking him to call her. He hadn’t calledback yet.
Since it was clear Derik was going to be okay, Morgandoubted the conversation would be as quick and polite. She’d nearly forgottenabout Mueller’s temper. He was usually kind and level-headed but he had neverbeen able to receive bad news without losing his cool.
She placed the call, perfectly ready to trade barbs withhim if it came down to it. After all, the way she saw it, she was doing them afavor by even being on this damned case so soon after her release from prison.
The phone rang in her ear twice before Mueller picked up.There was no hello or pleasantries. He got straight to the point, which Morganactually appreciated.
“Agent Cross, what is it?” Mueller’s voice was brusque.
“I thought you should know that Derik is in the hospital.He got whacked on the head, but he’s going to be okay. A few stitches and someswelling, likely a concussion.”
“What? What the hell happened?”
She told him, starting with the lie she and Derik haddiscussed—about how she’d bullied him into allowing her to come along.Everything from that point on, she kept truthful.
When she was done, she could practically feel the furycoming from Mueller’s end of the phone. “I don’t know which of you to be madderat.”
“I’ll take it. But this is sort of on you…just like yousaid when we brought in Black. You should have known not to dangle this carrotin front of me. To expect me not to bite…what were you thinking?”
“Watch your tone, Cross.”
She let out a deep breath, not sure how she felt aboutthe indifference coursing through her. She really didn’t give a damn what Muellerwas thinking at this point.
“Derik is stable and resting now,” she said.”Twentyor so stitches and a swollen head. Most likely a concussion as well. But I justspoke to him, and he seems coherent.”
There was a brief moment of silence on the other end ofthe line before Mueller spoke again, his tone slightly softer. Perhaps he haddecided to roll with the punches, to see what might come of this. “I see. That’sgood news, at least. And what about Samson?”
“No idea. And honestly, there’s no way to know forcertain it was him, but I have a feeling that—”
“So Agent Greene was attacked because of a feeling youhad?”
She ignored this jab and said, “But if you can send ateam down there and check the place over, I think—”
“Absolutely not. I know you think you have the bestinterests of everyone at heart, Agent Cross, but I’m not sending a team ofagents into an abandoned mine on a hunch. At most, the way I see it, we have avagrant on the loose that was living down in those mines and attacked whensomeone surprised him.”
“Where’s your proof?” Morgan asked.
“Where’syours?” Mueller roared into the phone. Hecleared his throat and Morgan was certain that when he spoke again, it would beto end this entire thing. Instead, he surprised her when he asked: “Let’s say thiswasSamson. You said you chased him for a good amount of time. Do you haveany idea where he might have been headed?”
“No, sir. He was somewhere further back in the caves. Hemoved through them like he knew them well. There was no way I—”
“Agent Cross, I have another call on the line. Hold onesecond.”
While she was placed on hold, she breathed a sigh ofrelief. His reaction hadn’t been nearly as bad as she’d expected. Not that shecared, really. Yes, she had always thought she’d eventually want her job back,but not to the point of cowering at Mueller’s occasional rants. She againreminded herself that she was doing them a favor here. The way she saw it, shehad them under her thumb.
Mueller came back on the line. His voice was fast andirritated, as if the twenty-second conversation he’d just had had upset himgreatly.
“Agent Cross…a body was just found…over on Dutton Road.It’s very fresh and we’re almost certain it’s Samson’s seventh sign.”
“You…what?”
Shock reached through her and grabbed her heart. Shesuddenly found it very hard to breathe, let alone move.
“Samson’s seventh sign…and eleventh victim overall. Therewas a note. Brief and to the point. It was—”
“Who’s there now?”
