103
At the mobile command center, Latent looked over his shoulder.
“Hey, is that the satphone I hear ringing?” he said to the sheriff. “Hey, Deputy? Can you grab that call for me? Probably another one of the teams checking in. Should be on the front seat. Yeah, just hit the red button.” Then Latent continued his conversation with the sheriff.
The deputy answered the phone but yanked it away from his ear, wincing in pain against the volume. He ran to Latent.
“Sir! Call for you.” He clutched the phone tightly as if he was holding his mother’s antique china and was terrified he’d drop it.
“Tell them I’ll be there in just a sec,” Latent said to the deputy.
“Sir,” implored the deputy. “He, he says it’s urgent! Something about a bright boy? He says his name is Uncle Bill.”
Latent’s eyes r
