Jack

The ticker says it all: GUNMAN AT LARGE IN NAGLER SHOOTING.

Magnus. This is Magnus—but why? Nagler’s neutralized. Hasn’t been a threat in years.

“This is from an hour ago.” Starkey lowers his voice so only I can hear. “There’s still time. If you have a contingency.”

I nod tightly. I don’t have a plan, not for this, but I’m not going to take it lying down.

Stella’s fixated on the screen, staring without seeing. Got a death-grip on my arm. So she knows who he is—who he was. I’m not surprised.

I recognize Nagler’s building, and some of the rubberneckers gathered outside. A pasty-faced reporter steps in front of the camera, washed out by the floodlights. “Excuse the delay—sorry. We’ve got the police here, still very much engaged in crowd control. They’ve cordoned this whole area to the east, here, where the shooting took place, and.... We have, uh—sir? Sir? Could you step forward?”

A tall, twitchy man enters the shot. The camera zooms out to accommodate his height.

“So you witnessed—you saw the actual—”

The man butts in, overeager. “Man, I was here, right on that bench! There was a flash from up there—” He points, and the camera cuts to the roof of a nearby building. “—and then everyone was screaming, diving for cover—it was nuts. I was under that bench for a second; then I thought, wait, it’s wood; bullets totally go through—”

“And when did you realize what was happening?”

“I didn’t! Not till it was over! I just... Everyone hit the deck, and, uh...pack instinct, man! Didn’t know anyone got hit till that lady came out.”

“That would be Felix Nagler’s wife, Cynthia Nagler—and the police, ah, they’ve escorted her inside, maybe five minutes ago. It doesn’t appear she’s a suspect at this stage.” The reporter holds out his microphone. “So you think—you’re thinking a sniper? That’s what you saw?”

“Dude, I don’t know, man—it was a flash, and there was sort of a sound, but it wasn’t like movie gunfire, and—”

Starkey stops the video. “It goes on for a while—more of the same. Nothing new yet.”

Stella drops to her knees, eyes wide as saucers. I crouch down next to her. “Hey. Come on—got to stay calm. This might not be what it looks like.”

She’s still staring at the screen. Not sure I’m getting through.

“Starkey! Get her to the airport. First flight out—you get on it. Then keep going. As far as you can.”

Stella scrambles to her feet, away from Starkey. “No! No—I can’t!”

Goddammit! Knew I should’ve replaced him—fucking Starkey! I dig deep for that seed of patience. Scaring her worse won’t help. “Listen, Starkey won’t hurt you. He can sit in coach, if you want. Nowhere near you. You’ll be—”

“It’s not that.” Her words come out broken, barely a croak. “This was me. I did this.” She keeps backing away. “I wrote it all down, and my purse—all my notes—”

I take her by the shoulders, steadying her before she can trip herself up. “You didn’t.”

“You don’t—”

“No—listen.” I give her a little shake. Time’s running out. No room for panic. “It’s Magnus. He’s figured out I’m coming for him, and he’s tying up loose ends. Whatever you know, whatever you wrote, this was not you. Understood?”

Her gaze flickers between me, Starkey, and the screen. She shakes her head.

“I’ll explain it all soon. You’ll see for yourself. But for now, you have to run. Starkey?”

“I’ll get the car.”

Stella clings to me, nails digging into my forearms. “You’re not coming?”

“There’s something else I have to do. After that....” It hurts to lie. But she needs to hear it. “I’ll be right behind you. Stay calm, listen to Starkey, and everything’ll be fine.”

“Everything’ll be fine....”

I shake her again. “Hey! Get a grip. You can freak out later, okay?”

She blinks, recognition dawning, like she’s waking up from a dream. “Right. Right, I’m... Got it.”

Starkey reappears in the doorway, jacket over his arm. “Sorry—car’s ready. I’m driving.”

I squeeze Stella’s shoulders one last time. “Go.”

She can’t seem to let go. Starkey pulls her away as gently as possible, but one of her nails nicks my wrist. I catch myself hoping it’ll scar. Something to remember her by.