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"Okay, so here's the plan," Lucien said. "We'll spread out, but stay in earpiece contact. Keep your eyes open."
"I'll be watching the camera feeds," Sierra said. "I'll let you know if I see him. I've got his face mapped out. He won't escape my AI."
"And he won't escape my normal human eyes," Wyatt said, nodding to the others before turning and marching off to his assigned street.
Juliette did the same. It was a block's walk to her street, which was a wide - by Parisian standards - avenue that was filled with activity, with hundreds of people walking to and fro. Some, dressed in dark coats and carrying bags or briefcases, were clearly heading home.
Many others, wearing brighter clothing and carrying cameras, were walking more slowly, out for a stroll or shopping, or perhaps to have dinner at one of the many restaurants. The aromas wafting toward her were divine. She smelled perfectly cooked steak, fragrant bread, and she could imagine the menu options awaiting hungry diners. Escargots drowned in garlic sauce, crusty bread, and sumptuous Brie cheese, and of course the colorful flotillas of sweet macarons, with their delicious filling and crispy meringue shells, tempting passersby to the windows.
There was no shortage of places for her to look as she carried out her surveillance, knowing that he might be using these innocent throngs of tourists as his camouflage.
The street was crowded, and he could be lurking in the shadows, hiding away inside a shop, or even sitting in a restaurant. But Juliette reasoned that he would want to be somewhere he could see people and follow them easily. If he was on the hunt, he'd want to be able to move fast. She kept walking, casting her gaze left and right, scrutinizing every face.
There was someone that made her take note. A man, stocky and broad, striding down the sidewalk. She looked at him carefully, comparing him to the mental images that she had committed to memory and also stored on her phone.
No, she was wrong. This wasn't the same man. His face shape was different, and his hair was receding. Close, but not a match.
She heard snippets of conversation from the other three as she walked on.
"I'm not seeing him. He's not here." Wyatt's voice sounded disappointed. "I'm moving further on."
"I've got a hunch. I'm going to check out this side street." That was Lucien and her ears pricked up.
"Nothing on the footage, so far," Sierra said.
"He's nowhere in sight on this road. It's busy, and I'm looking carefully." She added her own findings to the general chat.
The minutes ticked past, and Juliette began to feel a sense of hopelessness as the sun started to sink lower in the sky. He could be anywhere in Paris. Or even outside the city. They might not find him until it was too late. She'd been up and down her street, and the side streets, in the Eiffel Tower area, three times now. She started wondering if she’d turned back too soon, and that perhaps he’d gone further away from the tourist epicenter, because she’d combed the area as thoroughly as she could. And there was no sign of him.
The tower itself was now brightly lit up, a gold, glowing beacon of light in the Paris night. The air was now fragrant with the smell of braised steak. Every time she passed one of the restaurants, a rush of warm air laced with garlic and a hint of wine, filtered out. The work commuters were gone, and everyone now on the street was there to enjoy themselves, to eat food and drink wine and celebrate life, and vacation time, in Paris.
And then, Sierra's voice came through her earpiece, loud and excited.
"Guys, I've found him! No doubt at all. Exact match. My AI has picked him up."
Her eyes flew wider and she felt her heart speed up. She added her question, "Where?" to the excited queries of the other two.
"He's heading east, away from the tower, along the road parallel to where you are, Juliette. I think he's looking for tourists. He's about two blocks away from you, Juliette. I'm sending the GPS coordinates now."
Juliette felt a thrill of anticipation. She was going to get a chance to confront the killer at last.
"He's not far from me," Lucien said. "I'm going to move in. We need to keep him in sight and chase him down."
Juliette started to move, too, marching along the sidewalk, dodging tourists and locals alike, heading away from the tower and crossing the street to get to the parallel road.
She heard Wyatt's voice, his breathing audible over the radio, as he ran to catch up, too.
And then, Sierra's voice came through again. "He's stopped. I can see him. He's looking around. He's spotted something. He's moving again. He's heading south now, away from you guys!"
Juliette broke into a jog, her heart pounding. She was almost there. Almost within reach. But now, he was moving away, and she'd need to be alert enough to spot him from any angle. She could see his face in her mind's eye, his distinctive features, the look and shape of his head.
The sun was fully set now, and the air was growing chillier. But Juliette didn't feel cold. She was filled with adrenaline. This was the moment they'd all been waiting for.
She ran faster, her feet pounding on the pavement, her eyes locked on the entrance to the Place de la Bastille. And then, there he was. The American. Standing on the corner, looking around, perhaps searching for his next victim. He was watching a group of tourists closely who were about to pose in front of the Eiffel Tower, which could be clearly seen from here on the horizon.
Juliette broke into a sprint, her heart pounding. She was almost there. Almost within reach. She could see his face now, his distinctive features, the same ones she'd seen in the photos. He was exactly as described.
She could see Lucien approaching, his face intent and predatory looking as he, too, spotted their suspect.
