"This is what my son does when the satellite goes out during SpongeBob," said Morris. "He just stares at the TV like he can make it come back on."

"It'll come back," said Velasquez.

Hood dialed Buenavista police chief Gabe Reyes and asked for an unmarked unit to drive by the Agate Street safe house, and Reyes said the shift was changing right now but consider it done. Ten long minutes, thought Hood, ringing off.

"Cops are changing shifts," he said. "Ten minutes."

"We can't lose all six feeds," said Velasquez. "Even in a power outage, even if someone cuts the line. Those cameras have two hours of battery backup. You have to shut them down from here, or in the control panel on the side of the safe house. But I built that control panel, and I disguised it as a breaker box, and it's got a lock, and the only people who have keys are us. So what the-"

"I saw something on screen six," said Hood. "Just before it went out."

"I was watching Angel make his breakfast," said Bly.

"I was seeing if Johnnie's gravity hammer can kill brutes," said Morris.

"I saw something, too," said Velasquez. "Then it was gone."

"The Den is only three miles away," said Hood.

"Wait," said Bly, the senior agent.

Velasquez pushed various control buttons but nothing happened. "It's gotta be at our end. I'm going outside to check the cable."

"I'm with you," said Hood.

They emerged through the back door into the young light of morning, Hood first, his hand on the sidearm holstered on his hip. They walked quickly, looking up at the black coaxial cable fastened along the fascia board above the eaves. It entered the field station through a hole low on the eastern wall, and Hood could see the cable and the hole and the nest of gray steel wool crammed in to keep the rats and snakes out. Velasquez knelt down and tugged at the cable, then shrugged and stood.