Excerpt from The Hunted:
The wall of ventilation fans roared
loudly as Jonathan Waller pressed a button to the left of shooting booth
number 13 at the FBI Academy's indoor range. Harper Payne--now operating
under the cover of Special Agent Richard Thompson until the start of the
Scarponi trial--flicked the cartridge-release lever on his Glock, then
watched as the cardboard bottle target rolled toward them.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
They
walked outside and followed Hogan's Alley Street, a paved walkway that cut
through the densely wooded Academy grounds. Up the hill was a blue
phosphorescent posting that read, HOGAN'S ALLEY, RESTRICTED AREA. They continued
walking and passed another series of signs that were nailed into one of the
trees on the left side of the path. They read SUCK IT IN!, HURT, AGONY, PAIN,
LOVE-IT, ATTITUDE, INTEGRITY."
Excerpt from The Hunted:
"Hogan's Alley," Waller said
as they headed toward one of the buildings. "A
five-million-dollar mock-up town where new agents train in a role-playing type
environment. You never know what's going to happen when you get the call to
report here. Anything goes."
Ahead of them were buildings and facades that read DOGWOOD INN RESTAURANT, BANK
OF HOGAN, AND ALL-MED DRUGSTORE."
Excerpt from The Hunted:
The dining hall
was an upscale, high-ceilinged cafeteria-style eatery that was brimming with
movement. New agents milled about in their blue polo shirts and khaki pants,
leather belt holsters fastened to their sides holding mock rubber guns, and
laminated ID tags hanging from their necks. A cacophony of noise--voices,
silverware, dishes--echoed off the tile flooring and wood paneling and hung in
the air as a low roar, with no means of escape.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
The
El Dorado County Sheriff's Department had the distinction of being the oldest
such law enforcement organization in the State of California. Although it had
already wrapped up its well-publicized Sesquicentennial celebration, the
anniversary only served to underscore the fact that its current home was vastly
in need of renovation. Located in rural, picturesque Placerville, the
single-story mustard-colored building looked every bit as outdated as its
thirty-two years indicated."
Excerpt from The Hunted:
At
the moment, Payne was sitting in the bell tower of St. George's
Episcopal, a recently renovated structure originally constructed in 1849
of nondescript masonry. With its forward-set four-story steeple, it had
the look of what could be considered "classic" church architecture for
its time.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
Another
few seconds and Lauren arrived at the columned, four-story Princess Anne
Building, the location Michael had chosen for their meeting. She climbed the
eight steps and stood on the semicircular veranda in front of the main entrance
to the building, four white columns surrounding her like centurions standing
guard.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
In the
subway tube, the distant pinpoint of light told him a train was a couple hundred
feet away, approaching the station. The muted, greenish, recessed lighting
accentuated the cement honeycomb walls, which arched high above him.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
Payne was
seated in the back row of the small, sloping stadium-style classroom at the
Academy, stifling a yawn. Sleep had not been coming easy the past few days, and
it was now reaching the point where he considered asking the doctor if he could
get a prescription for some sleeping pills.
He blinked a few times and looked around the room, taking in the mix of new
agents around him. Many were in their late twenties, while a couple were in
their mid-thirties, barely getting in under the bureau's thirty-seven year-old
cap.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
Waller
nodded to the agent-in-charge, and they turned left on North Broad Street to
head back toward Jefferson Hall, the main Academy building that included a
portion of the dorms. After walking for a moment in silence, Waller turned to
him. "You okay with all this so far?"
Excerpt from The Hunted:
He walked into
his room, sat down on the edge of the twin bed, and looked out the large window
at the lush greenery that surrounded the building. It may not be home, but it
was certainly a pleasant environment.
Excerpt from The Hunted:
"Patience,"
Payne growled as he walked toward his dorm room. In contrast with the Academy's
glass-walled hallways that connected all of the separate buildings on the
campus, the West Dormitory's corridor was institutional modern: acoustic tile
ceilings, stark white walls, and industrial carpet.
