Stone - 25 - Collateral Damage

Holly.”
    “Good morning, Commissioner.”
    “An update: Stone’s idea about Middle Eastern restaurants that deliver is producing leads. We’ve had a dozen or more calls from people who believe they’ve seen something interesting on deliveries. Nothing that’s checked out yet, though.”
    “She seems to have gone all quiet,” Holly said. “Either Jasmine has moved on to another city, or she’s planning something new here.”
    “I’m inclined to think she’s still here,” the commissioner said, “and I’m proceeding on that basis.”
    “I think that’s wise. You and I can’t cover five other cities. We’ll have to leave that to the FBI.”
    “That seems to be their plan,” he said. “I spoke to Deputy Director Kerry Smith in D.C. yesterday, and they’re moving agents out of New York to the other cities as we speak. I’m glad to have them off my back here. I much prefer working with you.”
    “Thank you, Commissioner.”
    “I hope that, in light of your charter change, you’ll stay on in New York, Holly.”
    “I’d like that, but it’s not up to me. We’ll see what happens. I hope we can get a line on Jasmine without another bomb going off.”
    “We have a very large emergency response team set up in that event,” the commissioner said.
    “Good.”
    “I’ll speak to you tomorrow,” he said, and they both hung up.
    Holly thought that if her assignment was made permanent, she’d be seeing a lot more of the commissioner, perhaps as mayor. The papers had been full of rumors that he was thinking of running. She and Lance were not the only ones who would benefit from putting Jasmine out of business.
    Scotty buzzed that the people for her mid-morning staff meeting had arrived, and they filed in and took their seats at her conference table.
    “All right,” Holly said, “I’ve just spoken to the commissioner, and he tells me that they’re getting calls from Middle Eastern restaurants offering leads. What have we got here?”
    A young analyst raised his hand. “I have an opinion about something,” he said.
    “Let’s hear it.”
    “I’ve been looking for factors that might allow us to predict where a new attack in the city might occur.”
    “I’m all ears.”
    “The attacks in London were against MI-6, and the two here have been against us. It seems that Jasmine isn’t just interested in causing havoc—she hates intelligence services, too.”
    “So, you think she might try again here?” Holly asked.
    “Not this building,” the young man said. “And if she did, we’ve pretty much got that covered with our recent upgrade of security and surveillance.”
    “Where, then?”
    “Not where,” he said, “who. Excuse me, whom.”
    “All right, whom?”
    “You, Chief.”
    Holly stared at him. “I suppose that makes sense, since I’m in charge.”
    “It’s not just that,” he said. “You’re staying at a friend’s house, I believe.”
    “That’s correct.”
    “That makes you vulnerable.”
    “We’ve got security posted at the house.”
    “Security can’t stop a truck full of explosives from driving past the house.”
    Holly leaned back in her chair. “So what’s your recommendation?”
    “I think you should move back into our building,” he said, “and I don’t think you should leave the building again until Jasmine has been apprehended or killed.”
    “We could increase security around the house,” his supervisor said.
    “No, he’s right,” Holly said.
    “I don’t mean to offend,” the young man said.
    “You haven’t offended me by being right,” Holly replied. “I’ll move back in here today.”
    “I think we’d all feel better,” he said.
    Then Holly remembered that she and Stone had Dino and Viv coming for dinner that night, to celebrate their engagement. “I’ll move back in tonight,” she said. “I’ll need to go and pick up my things first.”
    —
    When the meeting was over she called Stone and explained that she had to move.
    “I’m sorry to hear it,” he said.
    “I’m sorry, too, but my own staff has pointed out to me that I’m a probable target, and they’re right. I’ll leave our security in place at your house, though.”
    “If you’re gone, then what’s the problem here?”
    “Jasmine may not know I’m gone.”
    “She may not know you were here in the first place.”
    “I can’t count on that. What time are Dino and Viv coming tonight?”
    “Not until nine—they both had something to do