The Burning Wire (Lincoln Rhyme 9)

"Really?" Sachs asked.

"Yep . . . I mean, yes. And there's active paper on him."

"He's wanted," Rhyme mused.

"Warrants for what?" Sellitto asked.

"Assault, receiving stolen, burglary."

The rumpled cop barked a laugh. "You backed into a collar. Like, literally." He laughed again and looked at Rhyme, who didn't join in the fun.

The criminalist said, "So that's why you're so chipper?"

"I'm not happy I hurt him. It was still a screwup."

"But if you had to run over somebody, it's better him than a father of four."

"Well, yeah," Pulaski said.

Rhyme had more to say on the subject, but this wasn't the time or place. "The important thing is you're not distracted anymore, right?"

"No."

"Good. Now, if we've got the soap opera out of the way, maybe we can all get back to work." He looked at the digital clock: 3 p.m. Rhyme felt the time pressure humming like, well, electricity in a high-tension wire. They had the perp's identity and his address. But they had no solid leads to his whereabouts.

It was then that the doorbell rang.

Thom appeared a moment later with Tucker McDaniel, minus his underling. Rhyme knew immediately what he was going to say. Everybody in the room probably did.

"Another demand?" Rhyme asked.

"Yes. And he's really upped the ante this time."

Chapter 68

"WHAT'S THE DEADLINE?" Sellitto asked.

"Six-thirty tonight."

"Gives us a little over three hours. What's he want?"

"This demand's even crazier than the first two. Can I use a computer?"

Rhyme nodded toward it.

The ASAC typed and in a moment the letter appeared on the screen. Rhyme's vision was blurred. He blinked into clarity and leaned toward the monitor.

To Algonquin Consolidated Power and Light and CEO Andi Jessen: At about 6 p.m. yesterday, a remote control switch routed current from a spot network distribution system at an office building at 235 W. 54th Street totaling 13,800 volts to the floor of the elevator which had a return line connected through the control panel in the car. When the car stopped before it got to the ground floor a passenger touched the panel to hit the alarm button, the circuit was closed and individuals inside died.

Twice I've asked you to show good faith by reducing output of supply. And twice you have refused. If you'd done what I reasonably requested you would never have brought such suffering into the lives of the people you call your customers. You wantonly disregarded my requests and somebody else paid the price for that.

In 1931 when Thomas A. Edison died, his coworkers respectfully requested that all the power in the city be shut off for sixty seconds to mark the passing of the man who had created the grid and brought light to millions. The city declined.

I am now making the same request--not out of respect for the man who CREATED the grid but for the people who are being DESTROYED because of it--those who are made sick from the power lines and from the pollution from burning coal and from radiation, those who lose their houses from the earthquakes caused by geothermal drilling and damming our natural rivers, those cheated by companies like Enron, the list is endless.

Only unlike 1931 I am insisting you shut down the entire Northeastern Interconnection for one day. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. today.

If you do this people will see that they do not need to use as much power as they do. They will see that it is their greed and gluttony that motivates them, which you are happy to play into. Why? For PROFITS of course.