Chain Reaction. Don Pendleton

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      Info panned out. Have located Hegre base. North of town of Treebone. Am about to check it out. GPS location attached to this message. Talbot.

      * * *

      “Ray sent a location. He was going to check it out.”

      “Just him and Bermann?” Brewster snapped. “Damn stupid move. He should have—”

      “Christ, Joe, if you mention procedure again I’ll scream. Ray is dead. Jake is missing. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the rule book right now.”

      “I—”

      “Just drive, Joe. No talking. Just goddamn well drive.”

      She threw her cell phone onto the dash in frustration, then tapped the GPS coordinates into the vehicle’s navigation system.

      Her emotions were a mess. The Hegre investigation, missing agents and now Ray Talbot’s death. She knew her FBI training had taught her to maintain objectivity, but how could she not be affected by such things? The day she became that hardened she would hand in her badge and gun and walk away.

      She stared out through the windshield, the road curving away in front of the speeding car. Tall trees edged the route on both sides and in the far distance the were hazy outlines of mountains under the blue sky. Mitchell felt the sting of tears, angry at her emotions, but just as sad at the loss of a young life.

      They reached Treebone an hour later, Brewster driving through the isolated community.

      “We’ll bring the locals in after we check out this location,” Mitchell stated. “See if we can locate Jake without sirens screaming and lights flashing.”

      Twelve miles on the northern side of the town, the GPS informed them they were a half mile from their destination. The display on the screen indicated a right turn ahead.

      “Keep going,” Mitchell said. They drove by the dirt road. After a quarter mile Mitchell told Brewster to pull off the road.

      He pulled the Crown Victoria onto a fire road and nosed it into the timber, undergrowth rattling against the side of the car until Mitchell told him to stop.

      She pulled out her Glock pistol, checked it and kept it in her hand as she opened her door.

      “Sarah...don’t...”

      Mitchell glanced across at her partner. He was staring at her, face taut with anger.

      “What the hell, Joe?”

      “You know we can’t do this. Not without proper sanction. It’s too risky.”

      “Not your damned procedures again. Agent Brewster, I am up to here with you and your rules. Ray is dead. Jake is still missing. He could be dead too by now. Ray left us a message directing us here, offering us a chance to catch up with this Hegre group. And you want to play the protocol rule. Well, the hell with your uptight games. I can’t wait.”

      Brewster stiffened. “I can’t stop you, Sarah. You’re my senior agent. But I won’t follow until I have clearance. This is wrong. We need to call it in. Get Duncan’s authority. Call in backup. Too risky otherwise.”

      Mitchell stepped out of the car, turning to look back at her partner.

      “Those people could be moving out. They may have already. I can’t let that go unchecked.”

      “Not until we have Duncan’s say-so.”

      “Duncan said it was my call.”

      “He didn’t mean this action.”

      “Then stay put. I’m not sitting around here.”

      Mitchell moved away from the car, into the thick foliage, feeling the close-ranked trees crowd around her.

      She knew it was her impulsive nature making her go ahead. But there was the loyalty she had to Ray Talbot. That hot-blooded combination made her push through the forest, back toward the location Talbot had sent before he died.