“And now they know we found it.” At that exact moment, the black SUV outside screeched away from the curb.
“All units!” Mark shouted. “Suspects are fleeing!” Rex barked, his eyes burning with focus. The team knew the drill: the chase was on.
The SUV tore away, tires smoking. Outside the glass walls, blue and red lights erupted as patrol cars gave chase. Mark gripped his radio: “Dispatch! This is Sullivan. Suspect vehicle heading for the East exit. Block the perimeter!”
Rex was straining at his leash, ready to run. The other dogs were coiled like springs. “Davis, stay with the mother and child,” Mark ordered. “I’m heading to the secondary exit.”
Mark ran toward the observation deck with two other officers. Through the glass, he saw the SUV weaving through airport maintenance traffic, trying to reach a service gate. “Cut them off!” he barked. Two police cruisers swerved around a corner, boxing the SUV in.
The SUV tried to ram its way through, but a third cruiser clipped its rear fender, sending it spinning into a concrete barrier. Mark watched as officers surrounded the vehicle with weapons drawn. “Suspects in custody!” the radio chirped. “Vehicle secure.”
Mark let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He looked at Rex. “Good job, partner.” They headed back inside. The terminal was still under lockdown, the air smelling of ozone and floor wax. “Dispatch, give me an update on the interior suspect.” “Male, blue jacket, spotted near the baggage claim.”
Mark took a right, Rex gliding beside him. They heard a crash—a luggage cart being overturned. Rex lunged forward. “Police! Don’t move!” Mark yelled.
A man scrambled to get away, but Rex was faster. The dog didn’t bite; he simply blocked the man’s path, barking with such ferocity that the suspect tripped and fell. Mark was on him in seconds, clicking the handcuffs into place.
The man was pale and sweating. “Who are you working for? Why the girl?” Mark demanded. “You’re out of your league,” the man spat. “It’s already done.” “What’s done? Talk!”
The man just looked toward the window. Outside, the SUV was being towed. “Dispatch, suspects are neutralized,” Mark reported. Rex let out a final, triumphant bark. But then Davis’s voice came over the radio, sounding urgent: “Mark! We have another problem! A bag was left in the lounge—it’s pinging for hazardous materials!”
Mark’s heart sank. “Evacuate the wing! Now!” He handed the suspect to another officer and ran toward the lounge, Rex leading the way. They passed confused travelers being ushered toward the exits.
Davis was standing near a leather briefcase, an EOD tech already working on it. The scanner was flashing red. “How much time?”
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