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.The paramedic switched offthe monitor and knuckled theglass behind the front cab.The ambulance driver killedthe siren and slowed for theremainder of the trip pastColumbus Circle to the ER.Nikki looked at the old spy sbody then out the window asthey pulled up to Emergencyat Roosevelt Hospital.If Wynnhad told her the truth, a terrorgroup was somewhere outthere right now busy makingother plans.ELEVENHeat stayed with the bodyuntil Lauren Parry arrived todo the preliminarypostmortem.The medicalexaminer had been at JerseyBoys when she saw the textalert after the show andresponded that she wouldhandle it herself, since shewas merely seven blocks fromRoosevelt Hospital.But thereal reason didn t need to bearticulated, the part aboutknowing the deep significanceto her friend, Nikki. Dr.Parry, now, youdouble check to make surehe s dead, said Rook as theME pulled a surgical gownover her evening dress. Use awooden stake if you have to.This one has a nasty habit ofcoming back from the grave.While the medical examinerwent to work, Heat closed thedoor to an empty exam roomand briefed Agents Callan andBell on what she had been toldon the ambulance ride.Bart Callan asked the samequestions they all had. Washe specific? Did he say whatkind of terror event? Did hesay when? Or where? Did hesay who was behind it? It s not like I m holdingback, said Heat. Wynnflatlined before he could giveit up.Rook chimed in, Soannoying.This guy alwaysdoes that.Gets you all suckedin and then dies before hefinishes the story.Callan began texting as hespoke. This just popped to anew level.I m getting NYPDCounterterror in on this rightnow. Is Tyler Wynn evencredible? asked Agent Bell. Imean, come on, look at thisguy s history. Really?! Heat whippedher head to Yardley.Maybe itwas the stress of it all.Or theraggedness of this ending andits denial of closure.Butsomething roared insideNikki. Are you really goingto stand here and pretend totell me tell me about thisguy s history?Instead of pushing back,Agent Bell gave her a passivestare.Then she broke it offand sauntered to the door,speaking coolly. AgentCallan, I ve got work to do.When she walked out,Callan said, Let s take abreath.It s been a crazy day.I m going to set up a taskforce debrief down on VarickStreet first thing in themorning.I want you therewith us. You re kidding, right? Come on, don t let somepetty friction keep yououtside. They both turnedand watched Yardley Bellthumbing her BlackBerryoutside Triage. Nikki, I coulduse you. And then, readingher reaction to the personaltone of his appeal, he added, Oh, and as far as that otherthing I mentioned? That s offthe table.This is a new game.Nikki said, Thanks,anyway.But I ll be in touch ifI learn anything.You do thesame.On their way to the exambay to check with LaurenParry on Wynn s prelim,Rook said, Nikki, a taskforce.We could be on anactual task force. When shedidn t acknowledge him, heasked, What was Callantalking about? What otherthing? Rook, do you really wantto help me? Name it. Blow that off, OK? Thenshe tugged a Velcro straploose from his body armor. And lose the stupid vest.Heat never went home.Shekissed a reluctant Rook goodnight, caught a radio caruptown to West 82nd, andnapped on the cracked leathercouch in the bull pen breakroom.After a brief but deepslumber, she made somecoffee and drank it sitting inher rolling desk chair in frontof the Murder Boards.Hergrogginess actually helped herthink.Before the snooze, herbrain had been a primatehouse at the zoo, chatteringwith details; rowdy thoughtsslinging on ropes and jumpingfrom high to low.The solitudeof the bull pen helped Nikkishoo the monkeys.By the timeRaley, Ochoa, Rook, and theothers gathered for their earlyroll call, she had some newideas to share with her crew.One of them felt big. Tyler Wynn is dead, shebegan, then had to pausewhen Detective Hinesburgthought it would be cute toapplaud.She did so alone,then stopped in the nakednessof silence and stares.Heatcontinued, This time, it sverified, but we are far fromresolved.In fact, a dyingdeclaration he made to me notonly leaves this case open, itkicks off a new phase that sgoing to require doubling ourefforts.While they stirred their firstcups and bit off bagels, theyalso made notes as Heatrecited the last words of thedead spy. As frustrating as itis to get left with morequestions than answers, atleast he gave us something.It s up to us to turn that intoenough
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