Ron waited at the hospital's lobby, and waved his hand up as soon as Russell and Brock stalked in. They didn't waste time in handshakes, and Ron led them to the elevators as he said, "She's still in surgery."
"We're working this case ourselves," said Brock, his fear and desperation locked up inside his thickest professional armor.
"The PD claims it too, since we all agree it's related to Gomez, and apparently Reg was shot for being a cop," Ron replied, and anticipated them, "Cooper and Cook are working so they handle it over the easy way. But the King called the Commissioner and messed it all up."
King Gillian. Brock clenched his hands in fists. The old man would do better staying at the other end of the country and out of his way.
At the waiting room, Cooper and Banks had joined the team. Connor worked with Tanya and Kurt at the other end of the room. The Iron Lady paced with her head down, phone to her ear. She disconnected as Ron, Brock and Russell walked in.
"We got it," she said. "The Commissioner understood that the shooting of a federal agent makes it our jurisdiction." She turned to Banks. "Sergeant, you'll be our liaison." Her phone rang again and she turned her back on them to pick up.
"Are there any witnesses?" asked Brock.
Aldana grimaced. "About a hundred, but it was so fast that nobody realized what happened. Nobody even remembers hearing the shot."
"The sound of a twenty-two is hardly above the average noise level of a busy street," grunted Fred from his post by the door.
"Have you all watched the video?" asked Brock. All of them nodded. "Okay, what can we make of it?"
"The three of them were kids," said Aldana. "Not sure they're of age."
"They're dressed like gangbangers," said Hank.
"But they hide their faces. Gang members don't do that," said Russell.
"And there was nothing distinctive on their clothes to relate them to any gang," said Fred.
"We only have their voices and the name of the shooter—Kyle," said Ron.
That smooth dialogue helped Brock to stay in control. The part of him he thought he'd locked up whined about it being almost like brainstorming with Gillian. So he forced himself to keep going.
"We could be dealing with a pack," he said.
The hesitating looks around, asking what he talked about, cracked his armor. Lucky he, Russell came to the rescue.
"The one holding the camera. He looked like he was in charge," he said. "If this is a pack, he's the alpha."
Banks joined them with a paper cup of black coffee—not like her; she likes it with a little milk.
"There's something I don't get," Banks said. "Gomez was still in active service, but Reg quit the force a year ago. And these kids were starting high school when she and Fred worked with Gomez. How did they know she used to be a cop?"
"And where to find her," said Hank.
"Where was she when it happened?" asked Brock.
"Outside Macy's," Aldana replied.
"That's ten streets away from our field office," said Russell.
"Does she go there often?" asked Brock.
"No. Connor wanted to buy a present for a friend."
Brock breathed deep to keep his mind clear and turned to Tanya. The girl looked up at him before he could say a word.
"Nothing from the store feeds, sir. Only a lateral of the car to get the model. I'm accessing the traffic cameras and the security footage of the shops across the street."
Ron frowned. "Hank's right. How did they know she'd be there, today, at that time?"
"Connor, did you and Reg talk at a public place about meeting there?" asked Russell.
"No. Neither over the phone or online. We fixed it when she took me to school on Monday."
Brock noticed the boy's reddened eyes and his shaky voice. He was fighting harder than anyone else to hold it up.
"Then they had to follow her," said Fred.
"So they know she used to be a cop but she's a federal agent nowadays," said Banks. "And where she works."
"That's a lot of information for some random kids to have," said Hank.
"What if the boy with the phone is not the actual leader?" asked Ron. "What if there's a grown-up pulling the strings from the shadows? Someone with access to that kind of information."
"Who would know that Gillian quit the police and joined the Bureau?"
They looked at Brock, trying to keep in mind he wasn't thinking straight with Gillian on the operation table and a bullet in her chest.
"Half the city," replied Banks bitterly. "Reg was fifth generation in the PD. The whole force heard about her resignation after the hostage crisis. And cops talk."
A doctor walked in then, still wearing his surgeon's gear, his mask hanging from his neck and a trace of blood sprayed where the apron didn't cover his green coat.
"Regan Gillian?" he asked.