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Roth’s heart skipped a beat. “Where are you?”
“It’s the guy who pursued us in the Tahoe. He came to the hotel. I got the boys, and we ran down the back stairwell. We need backup!”
Monica hurried over to him, asking him something. He barely noticed her, his entire focus on his phone, but he had enough presence of mind to switch the phone to speaker.
“Where are you?” he shouted.
“We’re crossing the gardens at the Smithsonian Castle. We’re a couple of blocks from FBI headquarters.”
“Why didn’t you grab a car?” Roth demanded.
“No time to wait for one.”
Roth’s pulse was racing.
Monica put her hand on his shoulder, jolting him to attention. “I can send SUVs to pick them up. Is this guy following you?”
“I don’t see him,” Jordan said, not at all thrown off by her interjection. “But he could be anywhere.”
“He can probably smell them,” Roth muttered. “Animals track by scent.”
Monica nodded. “The National Museum of Natural History is just past the Castle.”
“I know it,” Jordan said. “There’s usually a lot of people there. Are crowds a good thing right now or a bad thing?”
Roth wasn’t sure. But he didn’t want his boys hurt. “Are you sure you’re not being followed?” he asked.
“I don’t know how they found our hotel, so I can’t be sure of anything. I can see the building.”
Monica looked at Roth. “Jordan, listen. Take the boys to the museum. It’ll be harder to find you in a crowd. If he can track you by scent, the more bodies, the better. We’re coming for you right now.”
“Roger. You worried about me?”
“Don’t do anything stupid. Keep us posted. We’re only two blocks away. We’re taking you all to Quantico.”
Within minutes of Jordan hanging up, Roth and Monica were under armed escort, taking the elevators down to the parking garage. Roth noticed some of them were carrying canisters of bear spray. He didn’t know if that would work any better than guns, but at least bear spray was less likely to kill anyone it rebounded on. Once they were situated inside the SUV, Roth noticed his hands were shaking with nervousness.
Monica gripped his arm. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get to them in time. You’ve been an enormous help, Jonathon. Thanks for sharing everything today.”
But he couldn’t help it. It felt like the other shoe was about to drop—again. Sarina and Suki were okay, Jane Louise was alive, so of course something was happening with the boys. But he couldn’t let himself think like that—that line of thinking would drive anyone crazy. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “I still can’t believe Jane Louise is alive. I could never bring myself to sell her home, so maybe part of me . . . hoped. It’s hers. Her grandparents can help her.”
“The McKintys will be overjoyed to learn their granddaughter’s okay,” Monica said. “The director wants all the legal ducks in a row first before we call, but—” She paused, pulling out her phone. Carter’s name was on the screen. She answered it on speaker. “Yes?”
“News from Mexico. I’m with Director Wright. Is Roth with you?”
Monica looked worriedly at Roth. “Yes. Can I put this call on speaker?”
“Yes, it’s important.”
Monica switched to speaker.
“Thanks,” Wright said on the other end, accepting the phone from Carter. “I’ll see you in Quantico, Mr. Roth, but I didn’t want to wait to mention this. Satellites are picking up activity throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. It started last night.”
“What sort of activity?” Roth asked.
“Other Maya ruins have started glowing,” Wright answered. “I’m going to butcher the pronunciation here, but Izamal, Dzibanche, Xpuhil, Uxmal. That’s just four. Tourists are also being kept out of Chichén Itzá and Tulum because they started glowing this morning. The others I mentioned are also normal tourist spots. Any idea why all the temples are glowing, Jonathon?”
Roth wasn’t sure. “No, but Calakmul owns resorts all over Mexico.”