Chapter 58
THE LOBBY WAS still half full when Leopold emerged from the basement and headed for the main entrance. The sidewalk was packed full of people, and the police were trying their best to keep them contained while IDs were checked. Several police cruisers, ambulances, and fire trucks parked nearby, lights flashing silently, casting a blue and red hue throughout the building.
While Jerome raced upstairs ahead of the bomb squad and paramedics, Leopold set his sights on the Yakuza prisoner. Harper had him cuffed and was walking him toward the doors, pushing through the rabble with her badge held high. The crowd parted slowly, worried expressions on the people’s faces. A few called out as she pushed past, but Harper didn’t slow her pace. Outside, two plainclothes agents approached, holding up their IDs. Both male, a little over six feet tall. Dark hair, regulation haircuts, they were the spitting image of every agent Leopold had met so far. He followed through the doors, taking a deep breath as he hit the sidewalk, grateful for the chance to taste fresh air again.
The suspect spat on the ground as the other agents drew close.
“Getting anything from him?” one of the agents asked. His ID badge read “Jameson.”
Harper shook her head. “Let’s get away from this mess,” she said, pointing down the street. “The Seattle PD have enough on their plate. Get a car to come pick us up.”
The agent nodded and pulled out his cell phone. Harper set off away from the hotel and Leopold followed, the others taking up the rear.
“Does your department have someone that speaks Japanese to work on him?” Leopold said. “In my experience, some suspects conveniently forget how to speak English once they’re holed up in an interrogation room.”
“We’ll find someone,” she said. “With the President and Melendez wrapped up in all this, we should be able to keep jurisdiction. Not that the FBI and CIA won’t want answers. But they can wait until I’m finished with this son of a bitch.”
Harper reached a deserted street and shoved the suspect up against the wall. They were far enough away from the commotion to ensure a little privacy.
“What happened in there?” Jameson asked.
Harper looked up at him. “What’s the status on the convention center?”
“The evac routes were a little more thought out,” he replied. “We got most people out just before the hotel alarms sounded. Thankfully, with the President and Melendez out of the picture already, the majority of attendees had skipped out already.”
“Yeah, I figured,” said Harper. “Most of them were hanging out in the hotel bar when the panic started. We couldn’t get everyone out the doors.”
“Wait,” said Leopold. “You said most people. Who got left behind?”
Jameson shrugged. “One of the security guards hung around, making sure the building was cleared. She hasn’t checked in yet. She’s probably double checking the upper floors.”
“Which guard?”
“I don’t know.”
Leopold felt his stomach clench. “Was one of them a woman? Dark hair?”
“Yeah. But I don’t know her name. You’ll have to check with the building manager.”
“What’s the issue?” Harper said. “The threat’s been neutralized. We issued the all clear already. So what if anyone’s still inside.”
Leopold glanced down at the suspect, who was leaning against the wall casually, a glimmer of a smile on his face.
“Why would someone hang around after the threat was over?” Leopold said. He looked at the others. “They wouldn’t. Any normal person would want out of there as soon as humanly possible.”
“Maybe she was just doing her job,” Jameson said. “Making sure everyone was safe.”
“Everyone was safe,” Leopold said. “You already got them out. We called the all clear nearly ten minutes ago. Hanging around wouldn’t achieve anything.”
“What is it?” Harper repeated.
Leopold launched himself at the Japanese man, grabbing hold of his leather jacket by the lapels, slamming him up against the brick wall.
“Blake!”
Leopold shook the suspect hard, knocking the breath out of him. “Is there another detonator?” he said, leaning in close. “Tell me!”
The suspect laughed. “Kuta-bare.”
Leopold swore and threw the man to the ground. He turned to Harper, her hand hovering over her gun holster.
“Blake, what the hell is going on?” she said.
“There’s another detonator inside the convention center. One of the guards, Johnson, knows where it is. I should have seen it sooner.” Leopold shook his head. “We need to get over there, now.”