Pete was going through some of the security tapes form the exchange building, looking for a break, but so far he was finding squat. They had three nights and over fifty camera angles worth to look over and not a lot of time to do it. Toss in the cameras from the previous night at the building where Mrs. Blitzer was killed, and that meant Pete and Grozza were going to spend the better part of the next fifty hours watching their screens. Yet his viewing was short lived as the captain came storming out of his office and tapped Pete on the shoulder.

     "What's going on?" Pete asked as he paused his screen.

     "I've been summoned up to the Commish's office," McManus replied. "I'm not going to face that firing squad alone. Since this is your case you can give them some decent answers. That will make them less likely to rake me over the coals over, so you're coming with me."

     Pete didn't like the idea, but at the same time if he was in the man's shoes he wouldn't want to go up there alone either. With a deep breath, he got up out of his chair and turned to Grozza. "If Jones gets back before I do, put her to work watching videos till I get back."

     "Roger that," Grozza said, never taking his eyes off his own screen.

     Pete didn't want anything to do with the meeting they were about to attend, so Pete didn't get any resistance when he was ordered to go back to his constant viewing of security cams at high speed. He did not envy the men who were marching off toward what was likely going to be the verbal equivalent of a firing squad. As he and his captain rode up the elevator to the top floor of the building, he didn't think much of the meeting they were about to have. The exchange building was saved but it was at the expense of another CEO. The meeting ahead could literally go in either direction. From a pat on the back to a complete telling off with threats of unemployment, there was just no way to tell until they walked into the room to see the looks on their faces. The two men strolled out of the elevator and over to the desk where the Commish's secretary resided.

     "Kathy," McManus said as he took a peppermint from her candy dish. "How are you this fine day?"

     "I'm doing well, thank you." Kathy gestured to the door on her left. "They're waiting for you in the conference room."

     "They?" Pete repeated.

     "Come on, Kathy," McManus said as he leaned over. "Don't let me walk in there blind. Who's waiting in there for us?"

     McManus knew that if the meeting was in the conference room, it was because there were too many people and not enough chairs in the commissioner's office to handle the amount of people. That did not bode well for the men walking in, and Kathy knew it, too.

     "The mayor," Kathy whispered. "As well as the FBI, Homeland Security and a representative from the White House."

     McManus stood back up and straightened his tie. "Thanks, I owe you one."

     "You owe me two now," Kath corrected him.

     "No problem, two it is," McManus said as he walked up and opened the door to her left. As he strolled into the room, he did so without an ounce of emotion, prepared for the gauntlet he was about to run.

     "Captain," the commissioner started, "Thanks for coming."

     "Thank you for calling," McManus said as he looked around. "Standing room only, I see. I would have dressed up if I knew all these Washington boys were coming over."

     "How could you know we were here?" one of the suits asked.

     "Your plates," Pete stepped, covering for Kathy. "They're a dead giveaway because they're federal issued."

     "No need to show off, Detective." The commissioner stood up. "This is Special Agent Brown of the FBI. The man sitting across from him is Agent Avery from Homeland Security. They're here to assist us."

     "Are they here to take over the case?" McManus asked.

     "Not yet," the mayor answered. "That's what we're here to discuss."

     "Just a note," Pete said as he looked over at the suits. "If we know you're here, you can assume he also knows you're here, too."

     "Who does?" another suit asked.

     "Who do you think?" McManus snapped back. "I doubt you're here to talk about anything else except the deranged nut ball who tried to blow up the exchange building this morning. He's been ahead of us every step of the way, so I'm pretty sure the Prophet anticipated your arrival."

     "Well he is exactly why we're all here," the mayor said, his patience wearing thin. He wasn't in the mood to watch the cops at the table play games. "This man has been terrorizing our city for the past week, and we are no closer to getting him."

     "So you called in the feds?" Pete asked.

     "We don't need to be invited," Avery replied.

     "The exchange building is federal property," Agent Brown added. "That gives us the right to claim jurisdiction in the matter."

     "The fact that he used a bomb," Avery continued, "also makes this a Homeland case. We deal with acts of terror, foreign or domestic."

     "The bomb was a dud," McManus declared. This was not public knowledge and only he and the bomb squad knew it. "It was never going to go off."

     The mayor still wasn't impressed with the morning's activities. "So what was the purpose of planting a fake bomb in the exchange building?"

     "It was a decoy, wasn't it?" Agent Brown asked.

     "Yes it was," Pete answered, as it was not his turn to go on the offensive. "And we all fell for the bait."

     The room went quiet when it seemed clear that declaration was pointed at the commissioner and the mayor.

     "Explain yourself, Detective," the commissioner replied. Despite the accusation, he was still cooler than a cucumber. That kind of demeanor under fire was why he was the top man in the force, a true leader.

     "Someone pulled some of our guard details to assist with securing the exchange building," Pete replied. "The Prophet was hoping you would value that building more, and he was waiting for the guards to vacate their posts before attacking again."

     "There's been another attack?" the mayor repeated. McManus was running a tight ship and the Blitzer homicide had yet to reach the press as it was only a few hours ago since discovering the body.

     "Yes," Pete answered. "Kyle Blitzer is missing."

     "We found his wife dead at their apartment," McManus said. "She was killed in the exact manner of the Prophet's first victim, so there is no doubt here."

     "Another CEO." The mayor sighed. "Blitzer Technologies isn't going to fare well without their captain at the wheel."

     "You said he's missing," Agent Brown repeated. "Does that mean he could still be alive?

     "For the time being," Pete concurred. "He might be."

     "What does that mean?" the mayor asked.

     "It means he might already be dead," McManus answered for Pete. "Or our suspect could be keeping him alive for another purpose."

     "He's changing his M.O. often to keep us in the dark about what he might do next," Pete continued. "It's making it difficult to predict his next move."

     "That's not acceptable," Agent Brown retorted. "We want results from your investigation, not excuses."

     "We're working hard to get those results," McManus countered. "Need I remind you we saved several potential victims not only during the attack on the highway but grounding planes before all the bombs onboard ignited. We've won a few battles here, and we'll keep fighting until that bastard is in custody and off the streets."

     "We admire your determination, Captain," the commissioner said. "But some of us are unsure you can get the job done. The feds are chomping at the bit to take over. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let them?"

     "To be honest," McManus replied. "If they want it, they can have it."

     "Really?" the mayor asked. "Just like that?"

     "Just like that," McManus repeated. "I've got a lot more cases that are being ignored because of this prick. You want to delegate, be my fucking guest."

     "There's no need for that kind of language," the mayor protested.

     "I don't know if that's the right idea, sir," Pete said.

     "Please explain, Detective," the commissioner ordered.

     "I feel like we're playing checkers while the Prophet is playing chess," Pete started. "Right now he's five moves ahead of us. There's no telling whether or not he's already anticipated a federal takeover, maybe even planned for it. We could be walking right into another trap."

     "What do you suggest we do then?" Agent Brown asked.

     "We give him the illusion that we're playing his game, doing everything by the damn book," Pete suggested. "Meanwhile, we'll keep digging on our side, continue doing our own thing. If either of us find something out, we share and go after him together and bring him down. So instead of passing the baton, we're expanding our force and working together."

     "That's not a bad idea," the commissioner said. "Gives everyone what they want. More manpower on the case and more chances to catch this psycho; what do you guys think?"

     "I like it," Agent Avery answered. "I agree with what the detective Gibbons just stated; if we follow the book, it might look to the killer like we're still playing his game. We might catch him off guard. That could be our best shot."

     Pete's phone started to ring. "It's the Prophet."

     "I heard he's been calling you," the mayor replied. "What should we do?"

     "I'll put him on speaker," Pete replied, "but everyone else needs to remain quiet. He might not talk if he knows there's someone else here."

     Everyone in the room nodded in agreement as Pete put the cell in the middle of the table and then opened the line on speaker.

     "Hello?"

     "Hello, Pete," the man on the other line replied. "Am I interrupting anything important?"

     "Your timing is impeccable actually," Pete replied. "Just left a meeting with the mayor and the commissioner."

     "Is that so?" the Prophet asked. "Were you all talking about little ol' me?"

     "Of course we were," Pete said as he played along.

     "And what, dare I ask," the killer replied, "What was the result of this powwow?"

     "I'm off the case," Pete answered. "You're no longer my problem."

     "Really?" he replied, acting surprised.

     "I'm afraid so," Pete confirmed. "The feds have taken over. The FBI and Homeland are claiming jurisdiction, which is standard procedure for cases where incidents occur on federal property. So, if you want to blame someone for this roster change, I recommend consulting a mirror."

     "Well, I'm very sorry to hear that, Pete," Geronimo replied. "But your work isn't through just yet."

     "I just told you I'm out," Pete repeated.

     "You're out when I tell you!" the voice on the other side screamed.

     Pete looked across the table at the commissioner, who was waving a hand to indicate that he didn't want Pete to agitate the Prophet further.

     "Okay, screw the big wigs." Pete said, "What do you want me to do?"

     "Much better," the Prophet replied. "I want you and your partner to go to your favorite park for lunch. Mr. Blitzer and I are going to lend you a hand and if you choose to hand that help over to the feds, that's up to you."

     Before Pete could ask anything else, the line went dead. Pete looked around at the table to see their response.

     "If Mr. Blitzer is helping," the mayor said, "could that mean he's alive?"

     "Depends on his definition of lending a hand," Agent Brown replied.

     "There could be a human hand waiting for Detective Gibbons at the park," Agent Avery said in agreement. "What park is he referring to?"

     "The one down the street from here," Pete answered. "My partner and I always hit up the hot dog cart for a sausage every Wednesday."

     "Even though it's only Monday," Agent Avery said as he stood up, "I'm suddenly in the mood for something to eat. This must be an amazing cart if you're hitting it every week. Let's go get a sausage, Detective, my treat."

     "Sounds good to me," Pete said as he walked out behind the agent.

     As the two of them left the conference room, he could hear more chatter. He had no doubt the men left in the room were talking more about what they had just heard. Pete was pleased to see that Agent Avery was taking the Prophet's instructions literally and not hesitating to follow them. They walked back into the elevator, and after the doors closed, Avery turned to speak to Pete.

     "I'm not worried about credit," he admitted. "My goal is to bring the violence and loss of life to an end. The sole function of my department is to fight terror, and we take that function very seriously."

     "We'll get along fine," Pete replied, "I don't give a shit about credit either."

     As they emerged from the building, Pete pointed the way and the two men walked through large crowds of people on their way to the park that they believe the Prophet was talking about. As they were walking toward the park, there were already several squad cars present with lights on. Something had already happened, and they were actually late for the party. The two men started running toward the scene. Pete could see that the police tape was already around the cart where he got lunch on Wednesdays.

     "Gibbons, Homicide." Pete showed the kid his shield.

     "What about this guy?" the officer asked.

     "He's with me, he's a consultant." Pete replied. Avery was going to show his badge, but Pete stopped him. "Not here. I don't want the prophet to know you're working with me."

     "Alright," Avery said as he kept the badge in his pocket.

     As they walked past the tape, Pete was upset to see that there was a body lying down behind the cart. "That's Joseph, the vendor."

     "Not his M.O. again," Avery said with a shake of his head. "This is a hard-working man, which would suggest he's not the Prophet's preferred target. I mean unless he's killing him for charging too much for sausage dogs."

     "Could be as simple as trying to get to me," Pete answered. "Trying to take me off of my game so I'll make mistakes. He's been making this personal for some time, and I have no idea why."

     "Maybe he's trying to lower your cholesterol?" Avery asked.

     "Let's look inside the cart," Pete suggested.

     "Start with the ice bucket," Avery added. "Where the vendor keeps the soda."

     Pete thought that was a good idea and slowly slid the door to the cooler open. Once it was open, what they'd suspected had come true. Cut off a couple of inches above the wrist was a human hand. Pete slowly closed the cooler, since the ice would keep it preserved until the medical examiner could arrive for the body.

     "Human hand?" Avery asked.

     "Yup," Pete confirmed.

     "Aw, crap." Avery cursed.

     "You'll get no argument from me," Pete agreed.

     The two men stood there in silence and waited for the medical examiner to arrive. There was no telling if the hand was severed post mortem, which was a very important detail. They needed to know if Blitzer was still alive or was a corpse being mailed to them one piece at a time. Either way, the Prophet was making it clear it was going to be another long week for Pete and his team.