Fire and Ash (Benny Imura 4)

Nix nodded. “And the ‘Rel. Wit.’? What’s that? ‘Reliable witness’?”

“Sounds right.”

“Then what’s DVNP?” asked Riot. “And FTF?”

“FTF sounds familiar,” said Benny. “I’m pretty sure I saw that in the Teambook I gave to Joe. Wait, it’s right on the tip of my brain. . . .” He snapped his fingers a couple of times, then brightened. “Got it. There was a note. Something about Field Team Five.”

“Field Team?” murmured Nix. “If they were going to investigate something like R3 activity, then a ‘field team’ would sound about right.”

“It listed the names, but all I can remember was Dr. McReady. She was at the top of the list.”

They looked at one another for a long time without saying anything, though their eyes said it all.

“Well, skin me and hang me out to dry,” breathed Riot at last. “Doc McReady was never on that plane. At least not when it crashed. Either of you think any different?”

Nix shook her head.

Benny said, “I’ve been thinking that all along. Ever since Joe told me that the D-series notes were missing.”

“If it was a field investigation,” began Nix, “why would she take her research? Why not just send it on to Sanctuary?”

“I don’t know.”

Riot tapped the note that Nix still held. “What’s this part here? ‘DVNP’? Y’all have any clue what that is?”

“I don’t know,” said Benny. “More military initials, maybe? Department of something-something-something.”

“Useful,” said Nix. “No, I think it’s a place. R3 reported in the vicinity of . . .”

“Vicinity of where?” complained Riot. “They flew from Washington State to Nevada. That’s a lot of gol-durn places to be in the vicinity of.”

Benny took the note and held it firmly between thumb and forefinger. He wanted to shout at it, to make it speak in a human voice and unlock its mysteries.

And then it spoke to him.

Not in words, but in implication.

His head snapped up and whipped around toward the fallen body of Sergeant Ortega.

“No,” he said as he leaped to his feet and ran. “No. No freaking way.”

Nix and Riot stared at each other for a split second, and then they were running after him.

The loose papers were in the satchel. Benny whipped back the flap and began furiously digging through the pages.

“No freaking way,” he said again. “No.” Then he snatched up a small, folded piece of paper, opened it, and yelled, “Yes!”

“What is it?” demanded the girls.

“Joe said that Sergeant Ortega was a real detail-oriented person,” said Benny. “He kept track of everything. Every detail. Even the minor stuff.”

“So what?” asked Riot.

“Well, someone who takes the time to keep track of minor stuff is definitely going to keep track of the important stuff. Like where Dr. McReady and Field Team Fiv

e went while investigating mutant zombies. No way that bit of information wasn’t going into his report.”

“Sure. DVNP,” said Nix. “So what? We don’t know what it is or where it is.”