Jack shifted his gaze from Agent Galeson to the map on the wall. Harrisburg was a fairly common city name in the U.S., with more than a dozen cities sharing it. The Harrisburg they were interested in was in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Scranton airfield where Aubrey and JJ intercepted the plane was over 100 kilometers to the northeast.
Captain Roland, looking energized and full of admiration for Jack, gave his update.
"Agent Tavola called it. They used cash to buy several sets of clothes and multiple colors of hair dye. I've already set up dual roadblocks on the highways leading to Scranton, with a focus on Rontree's missing silver Nissan SUV."
Jack sighed, scratching his head. "Set up roadblocks on the highways heading to New York and Philadelphia as well. They're unlikely to go toward Scranton anymore."
Alice played a news clip on her phone for Roland. His face darkened, and he cursed under his breath. "I told those bastards to keep it quiet."
"It may not be your people's fault," Jack said cryptically, exchanging a glance with Jubal. A sudden idea struck him, and he checked the time. It was already past 2 a.m.
"They haven't found the abandoned silver Nissan in any nearby parking lots, have they?" Jack asked.
Roland shook his head. "No. Our officers searched the area thoroughly."
Jack paced around the office before turning to Jubal. "They've been cautious—buying multiple sets of clothes and hair dye to disguise themselves. So why didn't they ditch their car sooner?"
"They're trying to stay under the radar. They don't have the skills to steal a car. Just buying clothes and dye was already risky. Going to a used car dealer would make them even more conspicuous," Jubal replied, still unsure of Jack's point.
"Then how did they get the first car?" Jack asked with a smile.
Jubal froze for a moment before standing abruptly. "You think Simic might keep targeting his former colleagues?"
"They need a safe place to rest, eat, and change clothes. Simic killed the guard who mocked him and even eliminated Rontree, someone close to him. What about Flynn Beckett?"
Jubal frowned and flipped through Beckett's file. His expression turned grim as he read further. "Beckett got divorced a year ago. His ex-wife lives alone with their 10-year-old daughter…"
He stopped mid-sentence, his hand trembling slightly. "Damn it! His ex-wife's house is near Harrisburg!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
As the FBI SWAT team stormed into the red-roofed house, Jack walked past a silver Nissan SUV parked in the driveway. The scene confirmed his worst fears—they had arrived too late.
"Sir, we found a body in the kitchen. It's Simic. There are two more bodies upstairs…" A SWAT officer hesitated, then grimaced. "Sir, you should see it for yourself. It's… something only an animal would do."
When Jack and his team saw Simic's corpse in the kitchen, every man present instinctively crossed his legs in discomfort.
Simic lay on the floor with wide, horrified eyes, his expression frozen in disbelief. His throat had been slit, and blood had pooled across the floor. His lower body was a mangled mess—brutally hacked into unrecognizable pulp.
"Let's check upstairs," Jack said to Clay, motioning for him to follow. The SWAT officers' reactions made Jack uneasy, and he had a sinking feeling about what they would find.
Downstairs, Aubrey examined the crime scene, photographing a blood-covered kitchen knife. It was likely the murder weapon.
"Looks like we were wrong about Maldonado's orientation," Aubrey joked. "He probably used Simic just to escape the prison."
His words barely left his mouth when Jack and Clay descended from the second floor, both looking as if they had seen a nightmare. Clay stormed outside, slamming the door behind him. Faint curses could be heard as he paced furiously in the front yard.
"What happened?" Hannah asked, curious. She and JJ started toward the stairs, but Jack blocked their way.
His face was pale with fury and disgust. "Just like Aubrey said. Maldonado wanted to prove his sexual preferences were perfectly normal. He raped and then killed Beckett's ex-wife and daughter."
"Oh my God… she was just a child…" JJ gasped, covering her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.
Hannah's hand clenched Jack's arm so tightly in shock that he winced in pain.
"You need to stay level-headed. It's the only way we can catch Maldonado and prevent more innocent people from suffering," Jack reminded his team firmly.
By the time they returned to the command center, dawn was breaking. Jubal ordered everyone to get some rest.
"What's the plan? Are we just going to catch him and throw him back in prison so he can plan another escape?" Aubrey muttered under his breath.
Alice, who had stayed behind with Jubal, kicked him lightly. "Don't stir things up. We're all pissed, but venting won't help."
As a father of two daughters, Jubal's restrained fury mirrored that of his team. Jack waved everyone off, reminding them they weren't machines. Unlike him, they couldn't function on just a few hours of sleep.
"Get some rest. There's no point in stressing yourselves out. No one—neither HQ nor the DEA—cares if Maldonado is brought in dead or alive. But understand this: killing a cartel boss comes with serious risks."
Clay, who had firsthand experience dealing with Mexican drug cartels alongside Jack, shrugged nonchalantly. "Not like this is the first time we've handled scum like him."
Jubal ignored the remark and focused on practical matters. "I'll issue a new BOLO for Beckett's ex-wife's car. It's a 2008 blue Honda Fit."
Jack snatched the file from Jubal's hands and gently pushed him toward the door. "Let me handle it. You need rest, too. We've got a long day ahead."
After clearing the room, Jack updated the system with details about the new getaway vehicle. He then called Captain Roland, instructing him to monitor highways leading to New York and Philadelphia. The hunt for Maldonado was far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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