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She could hear Derik beside her, whispering: “Careful,Morgan…”
She reached into her robe and before she could pull herbadge and ID, four of the members moved out of the circle. They quickly createda protective wall of bodies around their red-robed leader.
They remained that way when she showed her badge. “We’reAgents Cross and Greene, with the FBI. We need to ask you some questions regardingthe Seven Signs.”
The leader spoke up from behind the wall of four members.The others were scattered to the side, as if they had no idea what to do. “Pretendingto come in as members and faking an interest in what we do is no way to goabout that.”
“Well, we’ll go about it this way, then. We need to speakwith you.”
“I’m afraid not. You’re infringing on our religiousfreedoms. And we’re right in the middle of a ritual service.”
“Well, it’s just going to have to wait.”
“I think not. Be smart, Agent. Federal agentsinfiltrating a very small place of worship and making demands. Do you know howthe headlines will look?”
“I don’t care about that. I’ve got eleven dead people anda killer that’s been very patient in making sure we’re aware that he’s always onestep ahead.”
“Morgan…” Derik said again, giving a cautious warning.
“And if I say no, do you intend to arrest me? Is that howit’s going to go?”
“It just might.”
“Then fine. Let’s see you do it.”
Morgan didn’t even hesitate. She started forward, fueledby anger and frustration. But as she neared the leader, a man she thought couldbe Samson after all, given his arrogance, the wall of four members steppedforward to stop her.
“Excuse me,” she said, giving the first one—a man ofabout thirty or so—a small nudge.
When she nudged him, he shoved her arm away. And whenMorgan reacted to this, she knew she was overreacting but was helpless to stopherself. She had ten years pent up, ten years of frustration and anxiousnessthat was begging to come out.
She captured the man’s arm as he pushed at her. As he letout a cry of surprise, Morgan turned slightly to the right and brought his armover in a downward motion as she dipped at the waist. The result was aneffective hip toss that sent the man hurtling into the members of the wall nextto him.
As the other two came rushing at Morgan, Derik drew his Glock.Morgan saw this happen, but just barely. Because in that same moment, theremaining members scattered. Two went rushing for the back doors, one of whomwas screaming. Another ran for the back door, and the other two members of thelittle human wall stood in place. One even raised their hands slightly into theair.
During it all, one of the remaining members of what hadonce been a circle took the leader by the arm and also made their way for thedoor at the back.
“Nope!” Morgan called, reaching for her own Glock. “Holdit right there!”
“Morgan, for God’s sake…” Derik said. “Careful!”
She recalled how he’d told her Mueller expressed that heshould keep an eye on her. And in that moment, she knew he was right to be concerned.There was just so much anger coursing through her, so much aggravation.Grunting in frustration, she holstered her Glock and took off at a run. Behindher, Derik was following, his Glock still out. But he was running with theawkward control of a man who had just been released from the hospital with aconcussion.
As the leader and his escort reached the doorway, therewas a brief breath of a moment where they had to pause, the escort allowing theleader to go through first. And that was all the window Morgan needed.
She body-checked the escort into the doorframe. There wasthe cracking sound of wood splitting as the man’s body rebounded hard. Hetumbled and went to the ground as Morgan hurried through the doorway. The roombeyond was dark, lit by only a few candles. But she could see the shape of theleader (Samson, she told herself…there’s a very good chance that’s Samson) racingthrough the room.
He looked back to see where she was, and that was hismistake. It slowed him just enough for Morgan to close in. She reached out asthey ran, grabbing a handful of cloak. Morgan planted her feet, locked herknees, and yanked her arm back with the robe still clutched in her hand.
The leader made a choking sound as the robe rightenedaround his neck. As he stumbled backward, Morgan caught him, locking an armbehind his back as she instantly wheeled him back around to the door.
“Your fucking head will roll for this!” the leaderroared.
“We’ll see,” she said as she wrestled him back throughthe door.
Derik was slowly coming forward, removing his handcuffsfrom his belt, and coming with the assist. As she cuffed the leader, Morgannoticed that he wasn’t putting up a fight. He was standing perfectly still andnot resisting at all.
In a way, it seemed like he wanted this to happen. And asfar as Morgan was concerned, that was the scariest thing of all.
