Read Online Running Blind by Cindy Gerard - Free Book Online

Those same class rosters and military records should take care of ninety-nine percent of the possibles, including mercs, private contractors, and known assassins.”
    With no witnesses and no rifle, it made her search criteria pretty broad, as was her profile.
    â€œWhile I’m not totally ruling out a woman, until I get more detailed intel, I’m playing the odds and looking for males thirty-five or younger, single, no kids, known loners, into weapons, with formal military training and experience. Specifically, military with urban combat and sniping experience or qualifying as expert with a rifle. It’s the best I can do right now.”
    When Mike nodded his approval, she let out a relieved breath.
    â€œIn the meantime, while my systems continue to search, I ‘borrowed’ backdoor access to DCIS and FBI data banks. Local PD, too.”
    She half-expected a reprimand—hacking between government agencies was a big no-no—but a whisper of a smile tipped up a corner of Mike’s mouth.
    She continued, “They’ve compiled a list of all the patrons and employees who were in the restaurant this morning. So far, nothing suspicious has surfaced. No connections to organized crime, no arrest records, nothing that raised any red flags—but it’s early yet.
    â€œOh,” she said, remembering something else, “and I also reviewed DCIS’s recorded interviews of everyone who was on site. If there was a gambler in deep with his bookie, a lover scorned, a gang feud that spilled over into suburbia, anything that might suggest someone other than Eva or the team was the target, nothing’s popped up yet.”
    â€œGood work,” Mike said. “Keep at it.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    Mike turned to Cooper. “Did you find the hide?”
    Cooper shook his head, and Rhonda bit her lower lip as she listened to him lie. “Not yet, but we figure it was far enough away and high enough that both the sound of the shot and the muzzle flash would be negligible on the streets.”
    â€œBallistics should give us a lead on the rifle. What’s happening there?” Mike looked grim. Worry and exhaustion had carved lines in his face that Rhonda had never seen before.
    Cooper was a bit slow to field this one. “The bullets they dug out of the wall and floor at the restaurant are at the lab.”
    â€œWhose lab?” Mike asked sharply, picking up on Cooper’s hesitance.
    Cooper breathed deep and braced. “The state’s.” That part was actually true.
    Mike swore under his breath.
    â€œIt’s been handled,” Cooper assured him. “One of the cops on the scene dug the slugs out of the walls, bagged ’em, and, overzealous at working his first crime scene, labeled and sent them in to the state police lab. That was before DCIS took over.
    â€œAs long as they’ve got them, we’re letting them have a crack at ’em.” Cooper shoved his hands into his pockets. “Maybe they’ll get lucky and find some rifling marks. Help us ID the type of gun.”
    â€œWhen are we getting them back? We need those bullets. A federal employee was targeted and shot.”
    Cooper glanced at Rhonda before shrugging. “We won’t know for certain until we find the hide and ballistics gets a read on trajectory and angle, wind conditions—­you know the drill.”
    â€œThere were a lot of Black Ops people in the restaurant this morning,” Mike said with a thoughtful nod. “Any one of us could have been the target. And that means someone knew where we were going to be and when we were going to be there.”
    Again, Cooper remained evasive. “So it would seem.”
    Jaw clenched, Mike looked away from Cooper and back into Eva’s room. “I should be leading the investigation.”
    Cooper shook his head. “No way in hell would DOD let that happen. You know the protocol when a family member is