Buried Prey
Chapter 24
by Sandford, JohnIn Chapter 24, Lucas secures a warrant and coordinates with his team to locate Darrell Hanson in Waconia. Del researches the area, identifying two motels—AmericInn and Wadell’s Inn—while Lucas instructs the entry team to wait until 2 p.m. to serve the warrant, emphasizing caution due to Hanson’s violent history. Lucas worries about leaks to the media, which could alert Hanson and allow him to flee. The team, including Del, Shrake, and Jenkins, departs in two cars, heading to Waconia under hot, still weather, with Lucas preoccupied by thoughts of Marcy Sherrill’s death.
Upon arriving at the AmericInn, the team spots a white van but confirms it’s not Hanson’s. They decide to check the motel for any sign of him, but before entering, Shrake, Jenkins, and Del confront Lucas about their concerns. They fear Lucas plans to execute Hanson rather than arrest him, given his emotional state after Marcy’s death. The trio pressures Lucas to promise a lawful approach, threatening to interfere if he doesn’t comply. Lucas initially resists, feeling betrayed, but eventually agrees to proceed “straight up,” acknowledging their sincerity as friends.
The tension among the team highlights the moral and emotional stakes of the operation. Lucas’s internal struggle reflects his grief and desire for vengeance, while his friends insist on upholding professional standards. Their confrontation underscores the chapter’s themes of loyalty, justice, and the ethical boundaries of law enforcement. The team’s unity is tested, but they ultimately align on a lawful approach to apprehend Hanson.
The chapter concludes with the team entering the motel lobby, where Lucas questions the clerk about Hanson’s possible stay. The clerk, surprised by their badges, checks her records as the scene builds toward the next phase of their search. The unresolved tension and impending confrontation with Hanson leave the reader anticipating the next developments, maintaining the chapter’s suspenseful tone.
FAQs
1. What tactical considerations does Lucas emphasize when preparing the warrant service, and why are these precautions important?
Answer:
Lucas stresses two key tactical considerations: timing and operational secrecy. He instructs the entry team not to serve the warrant until 2:00 PM to coordinate the operation precisely and warns them that Hanson is dangerous, having already shot a cop and having “nothing to lose” (Chapter 24). Additionally, he urges the team leader to delay notifying St. Paul authorities to prevent leaks, fearing media exposure might tip off Hanson and allow him to flee. These precautions highlight the balance between officer safety and operational security—critical in high-risk arrests where suspects may resort to violence or evasion.2. Analyze the confrontation between Lucas and his team (Del, Shrake, and Jenkins). What does this reveal about Lucas’s state of mind and the team’s dynamics?
Answer:
The confrontation exposes Lucas’s emotional turmoil and his colleagues’ ethical concerns. The trio confronts Lucas about his suspected intent to execute Hanson, citing his erratic behavior since Marcy Sherrill’s death. Del admits they’ve discussed their worries “for days,” emphasizing their loyalty but also their refusal to enable extrajudicial violence (Chapter 24). Lucas’s anger (“You motherfuckers”) and eventual reluctant agreement (“Straight up”) reveal his internal conflict between vengeance and professionalism. This scene underscores the team’s tight-knit yet accountability-driven dynamic, where friendship doesn’t override moral boundaries.3. How does the chapter use setting and atmosphere to foreshadow tension during the operation?
Answer:
The chapter employs weather and environmental details to create unease. The “hot and still” day with a “warm vibration” hinting at thunderstorms (though none are forecasted) mirrors the simmering tension in the team (Chapter 24). Del’s ironic remark—”Great day to make a bust”—contrasts with Lucas’s preoccupation with Marcy’s death, suggesting impending turmoil. The suburban sprawl of Waconia, with its mix of chain motels and rural edges, further isolates the action, emphasizing the high stakes of their search in an unfamiliar, potentially hostile environment.4. What strategic choices does the team make in locating Hanson, and what limitations do they face?
Answer:
The team adopts a methodical approach: Del researches Waconia’s motels and prints satellite maps, while Lucas verifies the van’s license plate at the AmericInn (Chapter 24). Their strategy balances efficiency (prioritizing chain motels) and caution (avoiding premature alerts to local law enforcement). However, they face significant limitations: Hanson’s van isn’t at the first location, and the clerk recognizes no one matching his description. The team’s reliance on incomplete data—like Darrell Hanson’s uncertain familial ties to Waconia—highlights the challenges of manhunts, where leads are often tenuous and suspects mobile.5. Evaluate the ethical dilemma posed by Shrake, Jenkins, and Del. How does their intervention reflect broader themes in law enforcement?
Answer:
The trio’s intervention underscores the tension between justice and vengeance in policing. They demand Lucas pledge not to orchestrate Hanson’s death, framing it as a choice between professionalism (“straight up” arrests) and personal vendettas (Chapter 24). Their threat to involve Carver County Sheriff’s Office illustrates institutional checks on individual authority. This mirrors real-world debates about police accountability and the rule of law—even in emotionally charged cases. By prioritizing ethical conduct over loyalty, the team models how peer oversight can mitigate misconduct, a critical theme in maintaining public trust in law enforcement.
Quotes
1. “If he’s home, be careful. He’s shot one cop, and has nothing to lose by shooting another one.”
This quote from Lucas to the entry team underscores the dangerous stakes of their mission—Hanson is a desperate fugitive with no qualms about killing law enforcement. It sets the tense tone for the operation and foreshadows the moral dilemma Lucas faces later.
2. “We’ll believe whatever you say. You give us your word that we’re not going to an execution, we’ll take it.”
Del’s quiet plea captures the central conflict of the chapter: Lucas’s friends confronting him about his potentially reckless pursuit of vengeance. This moment forces Lucas to choose between his grief-driven anger and his professional ethics.
3. “You’re not an executioner. And we don’t want to witness an execution.”
Jenkins and Shrake’s blunt statement crystallizes their intervention—they refuse to let Lucas cross a moral line. This represents a key turning point where Lucas must reckon with the consequences of his actions beyond personal revenge.
4. “He was breathing hard, as torn as he’d ever been in his life: the three men were among his half-dozen best friends. What they were doing felt like betrayal, but the little man at the back of his head told him that they were sincere enough.”
This internal monologue reveals Lucas’s profound conflict between loyalty to his murdered colleague and loyalty to his living friends. The “little man” metaphor suggests his subconscious recognition of their justified concerns.