Changing the Rules (Richter Book 1)(88)

Like bugging the bushes outside of front doors? “Why is that?” Cooper asked.

“It means they have trouble at home, stuff they don’t want anyone else to know, or they’re at risk for older and smarter people taking advantage of them.”

Cooper waited for Leo to look at him. “You sure you’re a public school teacher?” he asked, point blank.

“I am today,” he said.

Interesting choice of words.

Ten minutes later, once Leo had drifted away from the shop, Cooper called headquarters. “Are we still tracking Eastman?”

“According to our monitors, he’s in his classroom. Why?” Neil asked.

Cooper explained the conversation and was told that should Eastman deviate from his normal routine, they would activate their team to follow him.

After Cooper disconnected the call, he once again glanced at the clock. It wouldn’t be long now.



Claire changed clothes in the girls’ locker room to get ready for track. Her eye stayed on her watch.

At 3:08 the first report came in, Lars’s voice in her ear.

“Vegas vice has Mykonos Sobol in custody,” Lars reported.

Claire jumped up and cheered. “That one’s for you, Marie.” She felt like crying.

“Two victim locations are being liberated.”

“You okay, Claire?” one of the students asked.

“I’m on fire,” she told her, stuffing the rest of her clothes in her backpack. “See you out there.”

Claire held her cell phone, ready to make a call to headquarters.

She stepped out of the gym and rounded the corner past the senior parking lot to head to the field.

Someone honked a horn.

She looked up and saw Elsie in the passenger seat of Kyle’s car. The girl was crying.

“Hey, are you okay?” Claire jogged over, and the driver leaned forward.

Tony stared back at her.

Claire’s world froze.

That’s when she saw the gun pointed at Elsie’s chest. “Get in.”

Her feet moved, and she reached for the car door.



“Ice is in custody,” Lars reported.

Cooper was chewing gum and smiling like a crazy man.

“You running with us today, Coach?” one of the kids asked.

He’d put on track pants and was stretching with the rest of them. “Nice day to do it,” he said.

“Strip mall is locked down! Brian and Gorge in custody.”

God, he wanted to celebrate.

Claire needed to hurry up so they could smile like fools together.

He watched the path she normally took from the main gym, saw the team trickling down.

She was probably up there dancing in one of the bathroom stalls. He could see that image vividly.

Cooper narrowed his eyes, saw Eastman walking down to the field.

That put a bit of rain on his sunshine. What are you doing here?

Eastman waved him over.

Cooper jumped to his feet and ran across the gritty track.

They shook hands. “Twice in one day?” Cooper asked.

“I wanted to catch you before you left.”

“Practice lasts a couple of hours.”

Eastman shook his head. “That’s not what I mean.” He looked around.

“Mind elaborating?”

Lars’s voice boomed in his ear. “Levine is deceased. I repeat, Levine is deceased. Single gunshot to the head in school classroom.”

Cooper put his hand to his ear, turned a half circle. “What the fuck!”

“Cooper, Claire, report in now.”



Tony tore out of the parking lot and away from the school.

“Claire?”

“Keep your hands where I can see them.” Tony pushed the gun into Elsie’s ribs.

“Calm down,” Claire told him, her voice even.

Tony’s eyes scanned his mirrors.

Claire pushed away the fear that was crashing in and focused.

Elsie whimpered and huddled next to the door as if doing so offered some protection.

The window on her right side went down. “Toss the backpack.”

Claire scanned the area. They were in a residential neighborhood, and no one was on the street.

“Do it!” Tony yelled.

Her backpack went flying out the door.

He kept driving. “Cell phone.”

She looked at her cell phone and hesitated a second too long.

Tony’s hand that wasn’t holding the gun came around and smashed against Elsie’s face.

“Jesus!”

Claire couldn’t toss the phone fast enough.

“Your watch.”

Claire damn near ripped it off her own wrist.

Elsie’s nose was bleeding, her body rocked with sobs.

“Hands where I can see them!”

Claire placed her hands on the seat behind Elsie. “Here they are. See.” Her heart was racing, mind scrambling to find a way out.

“Let her go,” Claire told him.

“You want me to let her go?”

He lifted the gun to Elsie’s head.

Elsie screamed and Claire put her hand in front of Elsie’s face. “Okay, stop. Please just calm down.”

“Shut up,” he yelled.