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“Leave us now!” Shaw yelled at a couple of the tech cops in the war room as they entered.

That seemed to impress his new friends, which was the intention.

“Okay, here’s the story, men,” Shaw said after the geek squad left. “What we have is an officer down situation. Four of my men—my whole team—were lost.”

“You have to be shitting me!” Minton cried in shock.

“Four FBI agents died in that explosion?” Anchorman Doug said. “The entire HRT team was killed! No! How?”

It really was crazy that they were all gone, wasn’t it? Shaw thought. He had hardly processed it himself, especially Azar and Shahu, who had been like sons to him in a way.

Without even wanting to, he suddenly thought of the raids they’d been in. Room-to-rooms where they had to shoot their way up stairwells so thick with gunsmoke you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

But that was war, wasn’t it? Brothers-in-arms were lost and in the thick of battle you had to bounce past it and reengage, get right back on the bicycle.

“Keep it down, gentlemen. This stays in this room. No one can know.”

“Right, of course,” Minton said.

“Sorry about your men,” Doug added.

“Me, too, brother, but this is a matter of the highest importance to the country. We can grieve later. Two women who worked in a local defense corporation stole highly classified national security information. When we came to do the arrest, they barricaded themselves in this restaurant, The Forge. In trying to defuse this deadly situation, we tried to do a breach, but we hit a gas line.”

“Shit,” Minton said.

“Gets worse,” Shaw continued. “Now the suspects have taken my men’s weapons and retreated with them.”

Shaw turned and brought up the photo of the antique place on the Smart Board.

“Into this building down the street here.”

Shaw tapped the Smart Board hard.

“What I now need from you and your men is help in getting me in there. We need to storm this son of a bitch and fast. What can you do for me, fellas? I need a way in.”

Minton took off his goggles and placed them up on his skateboard helmet. Furrow-like wrinkles appeared on his large brow as he pondered the layout. He seemed to be squinting at the roof of it. Doug beside him folded his arms.

Suddenly a flash of something appeared in Minton’s eyes: inspiration.

“Good news. I think I can get you in there. These bastards won’t know what hit them.”

The sudden exuberance and confidence the young man exuded was surprising. Perhaps Shaw had underestimated him.

“How?” Shaw said. “They’re armed now and we couldn’t breach those brick walls. It would take artillery.”

Minton shook his head.

“That’s not going to be a problem.”

“No?”

“No way,” Minton said, rubbing his big farmer’s palms together. “We just got in something brand-spanking-new that I think you’re really going to like.”