CHAPTER 14 Cross
Cross
ALEX CROSS MOVES FORWARD across the living room. “Hands! Get those hands up in the air!” Bree hangs back in the doorway in a shooting stance.
The intruder stops in his tracks and raises his arms. “Wait! Dr. Cross, Chief Stone. Hold on! Everything’s fine here.”
Alex tightens the grip on his gun. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Drake Cannon from the FBI field office in Charlotte. Ned Mahoney told me to connect with you and provide any assistance I can, official or not.”
That sounds like Mahoney, all right, Alex thinks. He’d called his friend before hearing about the events in DC. But even with a bombing in his own backyard, Mahoney’s the kind of friend who will reach out to help them find Damon.
But Alex needs to be sure. “Mr. Cannon, are you right-handed or left-handed?”
“Right,” he says.
“Don’t be insulted, but the older I get, the more suspicious I am. I need you to take out your identification with your left hand and drop it on the floor. Don’t toss it, just take it out and let it drop.”
Cannon reaches into his coat, removes a leather wallet, and drops it to the floor.
“Now,” says Alex, “put your hands up again and step back about six feet.” He glances at Bree. She lowers her pistol and picks up the wallet. She flips it open, revealing a photo ID and a gold badge. She holds the open wallet up so Alex can see it.
Alex matches the photo with the agent in front of him and nods. Cannon lowers his hands. Bree tosses him his wallet.
“Thanks, Mr. Cannon,” says Alex, sliding his pistol back into its holster. “Sorry it had to start like this.”
Bree tucks her pistol into her waistband, and the tension in the air dissolves.
“How did you know we’d be here?” asks Alex.
“If my son were missing,” says Cannon, “I’d for sure search his apartment. In fact, I’d do that first.”
“You’re right,” says Alex. “The visit with campus security was a waste of time.”
“How much did Ned tell you?” asks Bree.
“Not much,” says Cannon. “Just that he wanted to make sure the Charlotte office would be at your service. That includes me personally. Whatever you need. He also said that Damon is a very special kid.”
Alex looks over at Bree. “Yes,” he says, voice cracking. “He definitely is.”