DeeJay nodded, studying the map.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to be blind on the north side of the house and barn, except for what we can see from the woods. Try not to go that way. If you go inside and something happens, we won’t know unless you signal us. Clear?”
DeeJay and Cade both nodded.
Micah went on. “I checked it out and cell phones work out there, which is good because it’d look weird to go out there with satellite phones. Give Seth here your cells. He’ll set them up to call us immediately with a one-number punch. Any number.”
DeeJay felt impressed. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Seth Hardin, a tall, good-looking man, smiled faintly. “A little modification to the auto dialer. You may need a new phone when I’m done, but regardless, you’ll still receive calls.”
“Go for it,” she said, handing over her phone.
Cade passed his over, as well.
“It all looks simple,” Micah said, “but these operations are usually straightforward once everyone is in place. So that’s what you need to know. If something happens, we’re going to need ten to fifteen minutes.” He paused. “That’s long enough to kill you. Don’t forget that.”
“Here’s something you need to know,” Cade said. “We just got another call from the FBI. This guy is using a paralytic on his victims. I checked it out. It works fast and it lasts for up to forty-five minutes. We’re not going to get close to him if we can avoid it, but if we do... Well, if we don’t come out of that house or barn in fifteen minutes, you come in. Because we’re supposed to be there to take pictures and I have no intention of staying inside for very long.”
“I’d prefer not to go inside at all,” DeeJay said. “But if we get the opportunity, I’m not going to turn it down. We might see something.”
Micah and Gage both nodded. They didn’t need to be reminded of the plain view doctrine. Once Cade or DeeJay was invited inside, anything in plain view became evidence.
A radio crackled from the table and Gage picked it up. “Bluebird,” he said.
“Red is in the nest,” came the response.
“Eyes on.”
“Copy.”
“Okay,” said Gage. “He’s home. Now we wait.”
Everyone sat around drinking coffee. Apparently they were all too keyed up to think about sleeping, but conversation was almost nonexistent. The plan was in place, the details hashed out as much as they could be. Everyone just wanted to get going.
Then, at around eleven-thirty, the radio crackled again. “Red left the nest. Going toward town.”
Gage looked at DeeJay and Cade. “You two better get home and make sure your car is in plain sight in case he’s checking you out.”
They took off fast. When they reached the house, they darted inside to sit in the darkness. For all the world a house asleep.
The minutes dragged by on leaden feet.
At three, the phone rang. It was Gage. “Deployment under way. But I gotta warn you, we don’t know where he went after he left last night. The man I had tailing him slid into a ditch and couldn’t get out. All we know for sure is that our guy got back home an hour later. Something’s going down. Nobody takes a midnight drive on these roads for pleasure. Watch yourselves.”