“Stop. All of you. If you want to see Agent Mikus alive again, you’ll all stay exactly where you are. I know that you can hear me, so please don’t be so foolish as to assume I’m unaware of that fact.”
Halting in his steps, Manny glanced to his left then quickly to his right. Sophie had stopped on a dime and Josh had followed suit. The agents and LVPD officers that he could see had also followed suit.
The command by the killer wasn’t the only reason Manny had put on the breaks. He’d recognized the deep resonance filtering through Dean’s mouthpiece.
How could he not? He’d heard it a million times in his head.
Argyle’s voice was unmistakable. It had been from the first time he’d heard him. But how could it be him? Manny had already determined that this killer couldn’t be Fredrick Argyle, yet the sound of him speaking said he was wrong.
He turned toward Sophie again and saw she was staring at him. Even at forty feet, he could see her own unanswered questions on her face. That seemed to be going around.
Argyle’s voice wasn’t her only concern. Dean’s obvious capture was taking precedent in Sophie’s world, and he understood. Only too well. But they had to keep their heads and go with what they knew. Dean’s life, and maybe theirs, depended on it.
He raised his hand in a gesture designed to help her calm down. She waited to respond, then finally took a deep breath and nodded toward him.
The killer spoke again. “That’s better. It’s good to see that law enforcement can understand a simple command.”
The full game was on. He could tell by the killer’s voice that he was excited, almost geeked. That meant he was ready for the climax of his charade. Whatever the hell that was boiling down to mean.
Gathering his wits, he concentrated on the coming conversation.
“What do you want, you warped prick?” asked Manny softly.
“Come, come, Agent Williams, is that any way to talk to an old friend? As for what I want, we’ll get to that.”
“We’re not friends. You’re a twisted murderer, and people like me are here to end you.”
“Ahh. The classic good-versus-evil. Is that right, Agent?”
Manny put his hand to his earpiece. It was delicate, almost unperceivable, but he’d heard something different in the would-be Argyle’s voice.
“You finally get it,” answered Manny.
“Oh, I get it. The trick is in the perspective, Agent. I’ve learned this is always the case.”
There it was again. He frowned.
“I’m sure you’re not here to debate morality and what that means, so I’ll ask again. What do you want?”
“Stop!”
Manny jumped, then realized what had happened. He scanned the room. One of the agents had begun to move toward the stairs leading to the upper level. The killer had somehow seen it.
How? Where was he?
“I’m not one prone to give a second warning. If any of you move before I tell you to, the next message you receive will tell you where to find Agent Mikus’s head. Are we clear?”
“We get it,” said Manny.
“Good. I’d hate to spoil the upcoming party.”
Before Manny could respond, Sophie did.
“Listen, you son of a bitch, if you harm him, hell won’t be safe for you. Do you get me?”
Her tone was controlled but intense.
“Agent Lee. I see the rumors are true. You have a special place for Agent Mikus in your heart, yes?”
“That’s none of your damned business, you freak,” she answered.
“I think perhaps it is. But we can discuss that in, let’s say, two hours. That’s all the time you’ll have.”
“What does that mean?” asked Manny.
A moment later, his phone beeped with a text message from Dean’s phone. He looked down and saw an address in North Las Vegas scroll across his screen.
“No more talking. No more questions here. The address you’ve received is where you and the rest of the BAU will join me. Only the four of you are invited and you will come alone, unarmed, no phones or any other GPS devices. Oh, and no companions from the LVPD or the FBI are allowed. This party is by special invitation only. If I sense anyone other than your sad team . . . well, you can guess what Agent Mikus might look like when you finally recover all of his parts. Are we clear?”
“Perfectly. We’ll be there,” said Manny.
“Oh. I know you will, Agent Williams. I know you will. I want to thank you for finding a way for us to meet. I so enjoyed the opportunity you afforded with this ridiculous attempt to, how do you say it, draw me out? Oh, and one more thing. If anyone leaves their current positions in the next five minutes, I’ll know and be forced to end Agent Mikus’s life. So, please stay put.”
“We will.”
The next sound he heard was a grinding crunch as the killer crushed Dean’s microphone.
As he stood his ground, helplessly, Manny looked at the address again, the killer’s voice echoing in his head.
Manny had been wrong. Dean was now in the killer’s grasp, and they’d played right into his hands. Manny’s plan hadn’t worked and now they were all in danger of never seeing home again.
As guilt and frustration simmered during the last seconds of the killer’s instructed imprisonment, Manny wondered how he could have been so wrong.