Beth was about to suggest a restaurant when she noticed a man in a tan raincoat standing in the shadows of a doorway across the street. This was the second time she’d seen him. Coincidence? She debated whether to mention it now and alarm the others. The fact was the Sandman did scare her. He seemed to be a step ahead of them at every turn. Dwayne Stafford solved her dilemma when he asked what she was looking at.
“That man across the street was here earlier. I think he’s been watching the entrance. I didn’t make anything of it the first time.”
“What do you mean?”
She explained.
Stafford’s face grew hard. “I think I should go over and have a talk with him.”
“Maybe I should,” Price said. “You’re out of your jurisdiction.”
Beth agreed. The agent was nearly at the front door when the hospital’s fire alarm went off. She and Stafford immediately stepped in front of Rachel and drew their weapons. Slightly slower to react, Price did the same.
“We need to get Rachel out of here,” Beth said. “Now.”
“You think Courtney will make a run at her in here?” Price asked.
“I’m not willing to take the risk. In Atlanta, he used drones for a diversion and then hit our safehouse. This could be another ploy.”
“My SAC briefed me on that. He has to be working with someone. He couldn’t pull the fire alarm if he’s a hundred feet away.”
They turned back to the man across the street only to find he was gone. People were exiting the building in droves. In the lobby, the alarms were so loud it made thinking difficult. All three of them were scanning the immediate vicinity for threats.
They had a problem. A big one. There was no way they could take Rachel into the street. Single assassin or multiple, being outside was far too risky. On the other hand, if the building really was on fire, staying inside wasn’t an option. The firemen would be arriving soon and there’d be no choice but to leave. They needed to move.
“Price, did you bring a car?”
“Sure did.”
“Drive it around to the doctors’ entrance. Every hospital has one. Dwayne will bring Rachel down in five minutes. As soon as she’s in, head to the Plaza Hotel. No stops. I’ll meet you.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“If that is the Sandman, I’ll try to stop him or draw him off. If he finds out where Rachel’s staying, we’ll just have a repeat of this.”
“Not smart, Detective. You need to wait for backup.”
“We don’t have the time.”
“But—”
“Look, he basically walked through us in Atlanta. Maybe you’ll have better luck. But I can’t take that chance. If I corner him, I’ll call and you can send in the cavalry. Get going.”
“I really think I should be the one to brace him,” Dwayne said.
“That’s an order.”
Price shook his head and headed for the stairs as the alarm continued to blare. People were still streaming out into the street. Senses alert, Beth holstered her weapon and followed them.