Desperation in Death (In Death #55)(100)

Moving to the counter. Just sending off a package, one they’d scan—SOP.

Seconds later, she heard Callendar’s voice—not just through her earbud, but through the monitor’s audio.

“Gonna be a hot one.”

“Loud and clear,” Eve said as the clerk chatted back. “Counter bug activated.”

“Check it,” Callendar said cheerfully as her heat source moved back to the main door. “Cha.”

“Activate package ears.”

“Activating now. Two females at the counter, one male moving in and out the back.”

“Roarke.”

“Yes, it’s coming right along here. I should have the comms down in about two minutes, the front and rear cams as well. And McNab’s working on a bit of a bonus.”

“What bonus?”

“Getting a hack into their interior cam system—just the cams,” McNab told her. “I should be able to bounce it back to us. Can’t finish until the comms are shut or it’s gonna show. I’m pretty damn close.”

“Can you hit simultaneous?”

“Should.”

“Feeney, if this works, I want you and Jamie to feed us as much as you can—kids priority. Numbers, locations, proximity to suspects.”

“We’re on it.”

“I’m in,” Roarke told her. “When you’re ready.”

“Central Command and all teams, comms going down in five…” She pointed at Roarke, “four, three, two, one.”

“Done.”

“Hack complete. Take it, Cap.”

“We’re go, all teams, all locations. We’re go.”





21





She jumped out the back with Peabody, McNab, and the uniforms behind her. “Talk to me,” she demanded as they headed toward the front.

“Baxter’s team moving in the rear,” Roarke told her. “Water side of tunnels blocked. Jenkinson’s team moving into tunnels. No activity in the tunnels but yours at this time.”

Jamie added, “You’ve got twenty-two kids on the first level, Dallas. Two in that studio, in a bed. Three of the fuckers in there with them. The others sitting in some kind of classroom, two adults in there, two others in the hall.”

“Keep it coming. We’re going in.”

Pedestrians scattered when she drew her weapon, and ignoring them, she went through the door.

“Hands up. All hands in the air. NYPSD. I’ll drop you,” she warned the man who started to slide a hand in his pocket.

She heard the commotion in the back, and the pounding of cop feet as more uniforms rushed in.

“Restrain, remove, secure,” she ordered. “Moving up,” she added, and ran for the stairs.

“Roarke’s working on deactivating interior locks,” McNab called from behind her. “It’s not all one system, but—”

She took a quick look at the one on the stairway door, stepped back. “Take it down, Officer.”

Dubock stepped up with the battering ram. It took two solid hits, then she was through. “Peel off,” she ordered, then stunned the suited man whirling toward her with a weapon.

Cops scattered in assigned directions. Kitchen area, classrooms, to the next level. Through the shouts, the rush of feet, the whine of discharged weapons, reports from other locations sounded in her ear.

With Shelby, she pounded her way toward the studio. Screams ripped out behind her, and she heard something big and breakable crash in the kitchen area.

Then the hard snap of shock sticks, the low hum of stunners.

She took the studio door down, standard lock, with a flying kick.

She registered the two minors in a bed, two adult males, one adult female.

“Move, I put you down. Take the girls, Shelby.”

“We’re the police,” Shelby said as she moved toward the bed. “You’re okay now.”

“On your knees, now!” Eve snapped. “Hands behind your head.”

The woman with a shock stick in hand flicked it toward Eve, then jittered and fell when the stun hit her mid-body.

The videographer swung the camera and tripod at her while the other charged. To avoid the blow, she dropped into a crouch, fired up. As the camera flew across the room, and he toppled, she pushed up to deliver a kick to the next. He went down before she gained her feet.

She glanced back at Shelby and the weapon in her hand. “Thanks. Good reflexes. Rescue and containment, first-level studio,” she ordered. “Two minor females, three suspects. Suspects are down. Stay with the girls, Officer, until Rescue takes them.”

“Lieutenant—”

“Don’t leave them,” Eve ordered as the two girls clung to each other and wept. “We clear this floor, then move up.”

She ran out, sweeping her weapon, separating the voices in her ear—tunnels secured, main level secured, Willowby’s team in action on second level, Baxter’s team responding there—from the sounds in her ear.

Girl kid screams and wailing, cop shouts.

She found Peabody with two suspects down and restrained, and Officer Marshall trying to deal with the panicked girls. She saw the look of pain on Peabody’s face.

“Are you hit?”