roads of Arkansas. Although scheduled to rotate out of the fleet at the end of the year and be exchanged for a new model, Moss doubted it would get replaced for another couple of years due to all the budget woes in Congress. Hepler pulled out of the parking area and headed toward the restaurant.
"Any new developments?" Moss asked.
"What's the last thing you heard?"
"Let me think." Moss ran his hand across his bald head. "Last thing I was briefed was that a motorcycle fitting the description of the getaway vehicle crossed The Big Dam on the Arkansas River Trail, pissed off some joggers and cyclists, and an airplane crashed at Emerald Park Quarry."
"Not an airplane. A helicopter."
"A helicopter? Was it LRPD?"
"Nope," Hepler said. "No one knows exactly who it belongs to and there was no rotorcraft activity at the airport all night. ATC said it popped up on radar, moved across the river, and then disappeared. Nothing at the scene to identify it either. No 'N' number. No serial numbers on the aircraft, the avionics, or the engine parts recovered so far. No one has reported a missing aircraft. Nothing. A total mystery ship."
"Could it have been one of those low-level, hush-hush military exercises?"
"I thought the same thing myself," Hepler said. "Called Little Rock Air Force Base and they said nothing was flying."
"Body count."
"Two. But they're pretty much toast. The M.E. said identification could take a while. He guessed weeks unless he got lucky or someone came forward."
"You think it was part of the hit? It might belong to whoever was out to get the witness?"
"Could be, I guess. I don't rightly know," Hepler said. "Too many loose ends at this point to tell who's who."
Moss thought about that statement for a second and then asked, "Anything on the motorcycle?"
"North Little Rock PD reported a motorcycle on Fort Roots Drive moments after the helicopter crash as did three emergency response vehicles. One NLRPD patrol car pursued but got locked up behind a traffic accident at MacArthur and Pershing and the bike got away. State Police pulled over a group of motorcycles on I-40 north of State Road 365. They indicated a bike fitting the description with two riders pulled in with them for a few miles and then disappeared. State Police thinks he probably took the 365 exit. Nothing after that."
"365, huh?" Moss ran through several possible escape routes in his head. "If that was him then he did one of three things. One, he joined State Road 100 and came back toward town."
"Why would he do that?" Hepler asked. "He had to know LRPD had already cast a net around the city."
"I agree. Too risky. Which also rules out east on 365. That would take him back to town as well. He had to take 365 west toward Mayflower. Keeps him on the back roads and away from high visibility areas."
"A possibility. He might even be trying to get to Conway by staying on the vehicle portion of the Arkansas River Trail," Hepler added. "He could follow it through Mayflower and come into Conway from the west."
"Then what?" Moss said. "He has to know by now there is a BOLO out to all the surrounding municipalities. He also has to figure there will be an eye in the sky soon looking for a motorcycle. It would stand out on the dark back roads. No, he took 365 for a reason and we need to figure out what it is."
"You're giving this guy an awful lot of credit."
Moss thought about that statement for a few seconds and then said, "Something tells me he's not your run of the mill getaway driver."
----
T he dark green Crown Vic turned onto Rebsamen Park Road and was stopped at a roadblock. Two officers manned the barricade, one asked for the two deputies' identification. Moss handed his creds to Hepler who passed them out the window.
"Marshals Service," the officer said. "They're expecting you."
"They?" Moss spoke past Hepler to the officer. "Who are they?"
"LRPD homicide, FBI," the officer passed the credentials back through the window. "And one of
"Any new developments?" Moss asked.
"What's the last thing you heard?"
"Let me think." Moss ran his hand across his bald head. "Last thing I was briefed was that a motorcycle fitting the description of the getaway vehicle crossed The Big Dam on the Arkansas River Trail, pissed off some joggers and cyclists, and an airplane crashed at Emerald Park Quarry."
"Not an airplane. A helicopter."
"A helicopter? Was it LRPD?"
"Nope," Hepler said. "No one knows exactly who it belongs to and there was no rotorcraft activity at the airport all night. ATC said it popped up on radar, moved across the river, and then disappeared. Nothing at the scene to identify it either. No 'N' number. No serial numbers on the aircraft, the avionics, or the engine parts recovered so far. No one has reported a missing aircraft. Nothing. A total mystery ship."
"Could it have been one of those low-level, hush-hush military exercises?"
"I thought the same thing myself," Hepler said. "Called Little Rock Air Force Base and they said nothing was flying."
"Body count."
"Two. But they're pretty much toast. The M.E. said identification could take a while. He guessed weeks unless he got lucky or someone came forward."
"You think it was part of the hit? It might belong to whoever was out to get the witness?"
"Could be, I guess. I don't rightly know," Hepler said. "Too many loose ends at this point to tell who's who."
Moss thought about that statement for a second and then asked, "Anything on the motorcycle?"
"North Little Rock PD reported a motorcycle on Fort Roots Drive moments after the helicopter crash as did three emergency response vehicles. One NLRPD patrol car pursued but got locked up behind a traffic accident at MacArthur and Pershing and the bike got away. State Police pulled over a group of motorcycles on I-40 north of State Road 365. They indicated a bike fitting the description with two riders pulled in with them for a few miles and then disappeared. State Police thinks he probably took the 365 exit. Nothing after that."
"365, huh?" Moss ran through several possible escape routes in his head. "If that was him then he did one of three things. One, he joined State Road 100 and came back toward town."
"Why would he do that?" Hepler asked. "He had to know LRPD had already cast a net around the city."
"I agree. Too risky. Which also rules out east on 365. That would take him back to town as well. He had to take 365 west toward Mayflower. Keeps him on the back roads and away from high visibility areas."
"A possibility. He might even be trying to get to Conway by staying on the vehicle portion of the Arkansas River Trail," Hepler added. "He could follow it through Mayflower and come into Conway from the west."
"Then what?" Moss said. "He has to know by now there is a BOLO out to all the surrounding municipalities. He also has to figure there will be an eye in the sky soon looking for a motorcycle. It would stand out on the dark back roads. No, he took 365 for a reason and we need to figure out what it is."
"You're giving this guy an awful lot of credit."
Moss thought about that statement for a few seconds and then said, "Something tells me he's not your run of the mill getaway driver."
----
T he dark green Crown Vic turned onto Rebsamen Park Road and was stopped at a roadblock. Two officers manned the barricade, one asked for the two deputies' identification. Moss handed his creds to Hepler who passed them out the window.
"Marshals Service," the officer said. "They're expecting you."
"They?" Moss spoke past Hepler to the officer. "Who are they?"
"LRPD homicide, FBI," the officer passed the credentials back through the window. "And one of
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