Read Online Hotshot by Catherine Mann - Free Book Online

still in the hospital, correct?”
    Scanlon topped off his coffee with an overly controlled precision. “He’s actually right up the road in Maryland at Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base. Being here in D.C. gives me a chance to check in on him.”
    Tanaka had a long road ahead of him. No doubt he would spend some time on a shrink’s couch. Don’s hand dropped to his BlackBerry.
    Why couldn’t Jayne understand it was guys like Tanaka who suffered from PTSD, not him? So he’d flown combat missions. The stress had been intense at times, but he dealt with it fine on his own. He still was, damn it. She was just looking for ways to blame him for the past rather than owning up to her part.
    Paulina returned, cutting his thought short as she es corted in Congresswoman Raintree, Congressman Mooney, and two representatives from the NSA. Don settled into his seat along with everyone else, careful to keep his eyes on Paulina’s face and nothing else.
    “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. And welcome to our air force contingent in Cleveland. For those of you I haven’t met yet, I’m Special Agent Paulina Wilson. Thank you, Colonel Scanlon, for sharing some of your people with us for this operation. We realize how undermanned units are these days and appreciate your help in getting to the root of this terrorist threat.”
    The T word always sucked the air right out of a room.
    The commander wrapped his hands around the handheld device linked to the main computer with Vince’s PowerPoint presentation. “We go where we’re needed.”
    She nodded.
    Was that a hot pink bra peeking from her navy blue jacket when she adjusted her notes on the podium?
    Don forced his attention back to her face—okay, her eyes rather than her Angelina Jolie pouty lips.
    “I understand you’ve all read the briefings on our situation in Cleveland and understand the time crunch we’re facing in making sure this hearing runs without incident. We’ve taken every precaution to guard the congressional aides already in Cleveland, but we hope you understand they don’t have the clearance to be brought into the loop yet.”
    Paulina took a step back. “Now I’ll turn over the floor to Major Vince Deluca, so he can outline his plans.”
    Even on the small screen, Vince dwarfed the podium. “Thank you, Agent Wilson. My plan is threefold. We’ll start with surveillance prior to the hearing in hopes that we can nip this in the bud, then follow-up observation and protection at Case Western the day of the hearing.”
    Everyone shifted their attention to the handheld devices in front of them as Vince clicked the first slide, an image of the restored old brick factory where Shay worked. “This smaller community center in Cleveland, Ohio, reaches out to area gang members. Given evidence collected from a murdered teen’s apartment, we have reason to believe gang members from this area have connections to international terrorists. And that terrorists outside of the country are using these teens to carry out a plot to set off some kind of explosion during the upcoming congressional hearing.”
    Don studied the two Congress members heading the hearing. Both appeared stalwart, committed. Congresswoman Raintree had prior service in the army, working with young recruits. Congressman Mooney had a well-known history of incorporating reformed troubled teens into his staff. Kids who’d grown into adults like Vince—who was continuing his brief.
    “That evidence shows the teen had a connection to Shay Bassett, the nurse on staff. Monitoring her is a logical place to start. We need better surveillance in and around the clinic, something my unit is able to provide. We’re focusing on the youth group meetings held by the center’s activities director and nurse. There’s one scheduled for tonight.”
    The next slide appeared of Shay and Eli, overseeing an immunization line in a cinderblock room. He was proud of his daughter, even if they’d