Chapter 51 Summary
Tony had just reached his rental car when Jennifer called with startling news: the same cryptic warning found in Steven’s apartment had also been delivered, word for word, to the FBI office in St. Louis. The agent she’d spoken with believed the threat might be tied to a larger, possibly multi-state or international group, not a lone assailant. Jennifer urged Tony to stay vigilant and informed him that the FBI would now be formally joining the investigation into Steven’s attack. Concerned about how Steven might react to questioning, Tony agreed that he should alert Steven’s doctor before any agents arrived.
Back at the hospital, Tony found Officer Kate Williams visiting Steven socially. Pulling her aside, he relayed the news about FBI involvement and the duplicate message. Kate immediately recognized the implications; this was no longer a simple local assault. She predicted that Steven would soon receive a full protective detail and that federal agents would want to interview him. Understanding how fragile Steven’s state still was, she promised to speak with the agent assigned to the case to soften the impact. Before leaving for the precinct, she asked Tony to reassure Steven. When Tony returned to the room, he noticed Steven’s spirits fell upon hearing that Kate had suddenly left, a quiet sign that Steven was growing emotionally attached to her.
Meanwhile, Bravo continued preparing for his confrontation with Remington. Arriving at the Granite City warehouse he intended to use as the meeting site, he scouted the surrounding industrial area, noting escape routes, cover options, and tactical advantages, including a concealed canal, nearby lumberyard, and isolated streets. Inside the warehouse, after improvising an entry through a loose window, he examined the sparse interior: stacked pallets, open-sided crates, a small office, and a large roll-up door. While not ideal, the space offered enough privacy and potential coverage for the deadly encounter he was orchestrating. Bravo mentally marked areas he would need to modify and hoped Remington wouldn’t locate him before he was fully prepared.
