Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(56)

“I—he’s calling at the start of the show. We’ve got to—”

“Monica will talk to him,” Kenton said.

Harvey’s jaw dropped. “No, that’s not the deal, it’s—”

“Record the conversation. Every second. When this is all over…” He gave a shrug. “You can run it, after the FBI clears the tape.”

Harvey’s hand swiped over his eyes. “Only Channel Five?” Half a deal was better than none, and Kenton figured Harvey had been in the game long enough to realize that fact. “And we get a full-on exclusive when he’s caught?” Harvey pressed.

“Thirty seconds…” Travis was starting to shake.

Kenton nodded.

“All right—shit! Okay, let’s do this!” Harvey clapped his hands. “Places, people! Move, move!”

The staff scrambled.

Monica eased away from the door, just as it opened from the inside. Two more cops stood there. “You got the tracer set up?”

The first guy gave a slow nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

“What?” Harvey’s head jerked toward her. “You put something on our lines?”

Her smile was wide. “Of course I did. You didn’t think we’d let the call come through without a tracer?”

Not just any tracer. A special tracer designed by the techs at the Bureau.

“Ten seconds.”

Harvey shot into the control room.

“Kenton, you sure you want to do this?” Lora asked, her brows low. “This guy, it seems like you’re just playing into his hands.”

“We have to take the call.” They couldn’t throw away the chance to get in direct contact with the perp. Monica knew her monsters. She’d get him to talk. To make one mistake…

Just one. That’s all they’d need.

“Two people died after the last broadcast.” Her eyes were glinting with anger. “What’s gonna happen this time?”

“Maybe we get the sonofabitch,” Jon said.

“Or maybe not.” Lora’s gaze seemed very deep.

What did she expect him to do? This was his job, and they had to take the call.

Behind him, he heard the anchor take his cue and welcome viewers to another night of Channel Five Action News.

Monica hurried into the control booth, and Kenton followed right behind her. By the time everybody was through that narrow doorway, they were crammed in as tight as sardines.

One of the uniforms sat by the phone line, almost on top of the thing.

“We routed all the calls here,” Monica said. She’d been busy. “If he calls again, we’ll get him.”

The phone rang. Line one lit up.

Monica gave a quick nod, and the cop pressed a button. The speakerphone was on now, and the recording would start immediately.

The uniform answered the call. “Channel Five Action News.” His voice didn’t crack, but the guy’s hands sure shook.

“Get me Pile. Put the bastard on the line.”

Pile’s eyes filled his face.

But Monica shook her head and said, “I’m afraid Pile’s not available right now, but this is Special Agent Monica Davenport. Maybe I can help you.”

Silence.

Then laughter. “You move fast, bitch.” The voice was male, but distorted. Static crackled, and a train whistle blew in the distance.

“Do I?”

“Put me on the air. That was the deal. I call, I get on the air.” Rage was evident, shaking the words.

“Why? If you’ve got something to say, say it to me.” No rage, no tension, just that cool ice.

Lora shifted beside Kenton, rocking forward on the balls of her feet.

“I want to tell them who I am. They need to fear me. Fucking fear me.”

“Is that why you’re starting the fires? So people will be afraid of you?”

Silence.

“What is it that you want?” Monica pressed. “I mean, do you want your fifteen minutes of fame? Is that why you’re calling the station? Well, you’ve already had those fifteen. Your fires were splashed over every paper in the state today. You know that.”

More laughter and static rustled over the line. “You shouldn’t have f*cked with me. You shouldn’t have gone on TV and told lies about me.” A brief pause. “You’re there, aren’t you, Agent Lake?”

Kenton tensed.

“And I bet you’ve got the pretty fire whore with you. You can’t seem to go any damn place without her at your side, can you? Hello, Lora. I loved watching you last night.”

“Asshole!” she yelled.

“Do you like the fire, Lora? Do you like the way it burns? When it touches you, does it feel like a lover?”

“No, you sick prick, it—”

Kenton caught her hand, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close. “Don’t,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t give him anything.” Rage had tightened every muscle in Kenton’s body. How the hell had he known Lora was there?

Sonofabitch. Not just the fires, he was watching them.

“She’s a wild one, isn’t she, Lake? Too much for you.”

His hold on Lora tightened.

“The fire touched you before, Lora. I know. Licked your skin and made you scream.”