Zero Day by David Baldacci Read Free Book Online Page A

ready. Ordinarily he would not use two pistols at the same time, for the simple reason that his aim and accuracy could be diminished if he fired at two targets simultaneously. However, in a contained spacelike this, where accuracy was not so critical, he needed as much firepower as possible.
    Two of the main differences between MPs and CID special agents were that MPs carried their weapons without a round chambered. CID agents went through life with racked guns at all times. MPs turned in their weapons when their shift was done. CID agents didn’t draw a breath without their guns in easy reach.
    When Puller applied twelve pounds of pressure on the trigger and fired, the slide would push the hammer back and his weapon would become a single-action pull. Twenty-round mags, so forty shots total, though he normally only needed one. He had never been a spray-and-pray kind of guy. But he could empty both pistols in about ten seconds if need be and lay down a man-sized target at fifteen meters with no problem. Now he just needed to acquire a target, preferably before it acquired him.
    With his silhouette narrowed and lowered he began to proceed down the carpeted stairs. He squinted along the iron sights of the right-hand pistol. He did not like being in an enclosed space. The “fatal funnel,” the Army called it. He had decent firepower, but they might have more.
    Thump-whoosh-thump.
    Mechanical. But someone had to hit the start button.
    The file had mentioned a dog. Cole and her folks had to have confiscated the animal. They wouldn’t have been so stupid as to leave a dog alone to mosey through the crime scene, particularly with bloody dead bodies around. Dogs, though domesticated, were carnivores after all.
    Thump-whoosh-thump.
    He hit the bottom step and crab-walked over to a far corner and did a recon.
    Unfinished space.
    Poured concrete floor, both studded-out and concrete foundation walls, exposed ceiling. Wires snaking up the naked walls. Mildew hit his nostrils. It was far better than the smell upstairs.
    Against one wall he saw the marks. And on the floor in front.
    Blood. The killing had been done down here. At least for Mom and Dad.
    Thump-whoosh-thump.
    He scanned the area once more. The room doglegged at the other end. There was a space he couldn’t see because of a jutting concrete load-bearing wall.
    Thump-whoosh-thump.
    Of course the sound is coming from there
.
    Both guns aimed at this spot, Puller advanced, keeping low and his torso turned to the side.
    He reached the corner, backed away parallel to the wall. Corners were problematic. “Dynamic corners” were how the Army referred to them, because situations could change quickly once you stepped around one. He said, “Federal agent.”
    Nothing.
    “Federal agent.”
    He eyed the wall. Concrete. If it were wood or drywall he would have fired some shots through it, to get the attention of anyone on the other side waiting to ambush him. With concrete his rounds were more than likely going to ricochet right back at him.
    “Slide any weapon out, then follow it with hands on head, fingers interlaced. I count to five, noncompliance will get you a flash-bang right up your ass.”
    He counted off, wishing he had a flash-bang with him.
    Thump, whoosh, thump.
    He holstered one pistol, slipped off his backpack, aimed, and tossed it in front of the opening.
    Thump, whoosh, thump.
    Either there was no one there, or he was one cool customer. Puller crouched, tensed, and did a quick turkey peek. In that momentary flash he took in a lot. None of it was good.
    He edged around the corner. Following the sound, he looked down. The floor fan was on its side. The whoosh sound was the fan. The thump was the fan oscillating from side to side where the frame made contact with the concrete on each revolution.
    But something had turned it on. And now he knew what that was.
    Puller glanced up. The man was in uniform. He was hanging from the ceiling. The strap used to hold him there had