Chapter 5: Nick Bracco
There
were flashing red and white lights in the distance charging toward the bus. In his peripheral vision Nick could detect
unmarked sedans maneuvering around slow-moving city traffic .
“What’s
going on?” Matt asked, gripping the steering wheel with clenched fists.
Nick
was immediately on his phone. “What’s
happening, Walt?”
“We
received an email bomb threat five minutes ago,” Walt Jackson said. “I can’t allow innocent people to get in the
way of our operation. Go get him now.”
Nick put the phone down and watched a cascade of
sedans with flashing lights converging on the bus. One sedan pinched the bus toward the curb
while five others surrounded the vehicle in a random display of power. Plainclothes FBI agents jumped out of their
cars with guns drawn, crouched low and ready
for the hostage situation to develop.
Nick
and Matt hopped out of the SUV and carefully approached the bus from the door
side of the transport vehicle. The bus
driver was a round figure behind the wheel sitting still with his head on a swivel searching
for the danger he knew was present.
Nick
was close enough now to see that the only visible passenger was an African
American male who stood with his arms in the air as if he were guilty and
didn’t want to be shot. He moved to the
doorway of the bus and shouted, “Please don’t shoot!”
Something
was wrong.
Nick
quickly ran to the kid’s side and put his arms around the frightened teen. “Relax,” Nick said, “no one’s going to harm
you. You’re safe.”
“Please,
I didn’t do nothing wrong,” the kid stammered.
“We
know,” Nick said, escorting the kid away from the bus. “You’re not in trouble.”
“You
promise?”
“I
promise,” Nick said, watching Matt lead the team onto the bus, his gun out and
ready. Once the kid was far enough away
from the action, Nick asked, “Who else is left on the bus?”
The
boy’s eyes were wide with anxiety, as if any wrong answer would cost him his
life. “Just me and the driver. That’s all.”
Something
was definitely wrong.
Nick
saw the bus driver waddle down the ramp while two agents helped him to the
curb. There were agents shouting to
pedestrians to move away from the scene as Matt made quick-twitch moves inside
the tight quarters of the bus, searching for the assassin.
Nick’s
temple pounded as he watched Matt duck down, then raise up, checking under each
of the seats. Nick handed over the
frightened teenager to another agent instructing him to protect the kid until
Nick returned.
That’s
when Matt scurried backward toward the front of the bus, shoving a team member
to move quicker as he kept glancing over
his shoulder.
When
Matt finally jumped out of the bus, he screamed, “Call the bomb squad!”
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