Stone - 25 - Collateral Damage

few hours ago. She could have entered the country before that happened.”
    “I think you should take greater than usual personal precautions,” Holly said. “Helicopter to and from work. Remember the British foreign minister.”
    “I have new security arrangements in hand,” Kate replied, “and so does the secretary of state. I want you to stay in New York and make sure everything in the building is running normally and that additional security arrangements have been made before you come back here.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Holly replied.
    “You’ll be staying at Stone’s house?”
    “I’ll be reachable on my cell.”
    “Don’t be coy. I want you protected.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I’ll be staying at Stone’s.” She raised her eyebrows questioningly, and he nodded.
    “We’ll speak after you’ve assessed the situation on the East Side,” Kate said.
    Holly hung up. “Jasmine’s here,” she said to Stone.
    “In the city?”
    Holly nodded. “There was a bombing at our New York station. We’ll drop you, then I’ll go directly there. Thank you for continuing to put me up.”
    “I’m glad to have you.”
    “Expect security outside your house.”
    “I’m glad to have that, too.”
    Holly sat back in her seat and sighed. “I think I’m glad Jasmine is here,” she said.
    “Why?”
    “Because I couldn’t do anything about catching her in London. Here, it’s going to be different.”
    —
    The garage door was operating when her car arrived at the station, but an armed guard looked into the car before the door was opened. Inside, a new security barrier was being installed, and the garage was nearly empty of cars.
    —
    Upstairs, Holly took her usual office, then called the station chief. “I want a meeting with the FBI AIC and the police commissioner as soon as possible,” she said.
    “Where?”
    “Let them decide. How are we fixed for armored vehicles?”
    “There were two in the garage—one burned, the other is being repaired. Should be back within the hour.”
    “I’ll use that to go to the meeting,” she said. “Have them pick me up here.” She gave him Stone’s address. “And I want security outside that address, starting now. I’m staying there. How’s everybody holding up here?”
    “They’re all being very cool about it,” he replied.
    “Good. Let’s keep it as normal as possible.”
    “Will do.”
    “How did the bomber car get into the garage?”
    “The driver told us that Director Lee was in the car,” he said. “Almost as soon as the door was opened, shots were fired, so the guards knew immediately that the car was a threat. Then the bomb went off. We think the driver was already dead when it blew.”
    “Anything on the driver?”
    “He’s hamburger. The feds took the pieces for examination. The bomb was in the trunk, so much of the force of the blast went into the street. The rest just hit cars.”
    “Traffic was normal when I arrived.”
    “It took the police a couple of hours to clear the block, then they reopened it.”
    “What’s happening with the media?”
    “We’ve referred all inquiries to the police commissioner’s office, and they’re stating that we’re just federal office workers. That story seems to be holding, for the moment.”
    “Good.”
    —
    Two hours later Holly sat in the police commissioner’s office with the commissioner and the agent in charge of the FBI’s New York office.
    “The car and the body of the driver have yielded little,” the AIC said, “except that he is of Middle Eastern descent. His prints weren’t on file.”
    Holly nodded.
    “We’ve got everybody on this,” the commissioner said.
    “It’s Jasmine Shazaz,” Holly said.
    “How do you know that?” the AIC asked.
    “I can’t prove it, but I know it.”
    “That’s not how we work.”
    “You got the photograph yesterday,” Holly said. “When did personnel at entry points have it?”
    The AIC looked at his fingernails. “It takes time,” he said. “It’s there now.”
    “She probably entered the country during the past twenty-four hours,” Holly said.
    “How could she plan a thing so quickly?” the commissioner asked.
    “I should think it was already planned by a team here. She probably selected it from a menu of targets. They’ve already wreaked havoc in London. Be prepared for it to happen here.”
    “We’re doing everything we can,” the commissioner said.
    “I hope it’s enough,” Holly replied.

Jasmine had another nap,