“I’d appreciate it if you’d let Captain Santos know I’m here. The name’s Wysocki and she’s expecting me.”
She smiled and waited, confident for the first time since waking to this nightmare that everything would be all right.
26
“You’re sure?” Jael smiled and barely resisted the urge to rub her hands together in expectation. Could it really be that easy?
“Yes, ma’am,” Private Jason Bryant said.
“Tell her the nurse is checking Captain Santos right now and ask if she would mind waiting a few minutes. Don’t tell her I’m back here. Let me know what she says.”
She shoved her phone into her hip pocket. When she turned, she saw Mac and Marie watching her, their expressions almost identical looks of anticipation. They seemed more than ready for what might be about to happen, but she wasn’t. Too much could go wrong, could cost Mac her life or worse.
“It seems you have a visitor, Mac.” Despite her misgivings, Jael couldn’t help smiling like a predator on the hunt.
“That didn’t take long,” Marie said.
“Wysocki must really want to talk to me.” Mac grinned and Jael saw her jaguar lurking behind her eyes. When Jael’s phone buzzed to signal an incoming text, Mac arched one brow in question.
“It seems the good rat squad captain will be glad to wait.”
“Let’s not keep her waiting too long,” Mac said.
“She can cool her heels for a few minutes while we get you ready.”
Mac’s eyes narrowed and she looked at Jael in suspicion. “What do you mean?”
Without explanation, Jael moved to the small closet across the room and looked inside. A Kevlar vest rested on the shelf above the clothes rod. She lifted it down and turned. When she did, Marie’s approval shone in her eyes even as Mac looked at her in question.
“I told you earlier that I’m taking no chances where you’re concerned, kid.”
Jael carried the vest to the bed. Then she pulled back Mac’s sheet and light blanket. Mac watched as she opened the vest and settled it over her, covering her from knees to just above her breasts. Then Jael adjusted the bed until Mac lay almost flat. Mac opened her mouth to protest and then snapped it shut when Jael glared down at her. Instead, she lay there, watching as Jael pulled the covers back in place, making sure the vest was well-hidden.
“Jael, I don’t want to be on my back when that bitch comes in.”
“And I don’t want her within five miles of you,” Jael countered. “But it seems neither of us is going to get our wish.”
“Jael.” Mac drawled out her name, her displeasure clear.
“Mac, think like a cop for a moment.”
Mac’s eyes flashed but Jael didn’t back down.
“You are our ace in the hole, kid. Everyone believes you are much more seriously hurt than you are. Even most of the PD thinks you may still possibly die from your injures. That means you need to act the role when that bitch sees you. It will keep her off-guard and will, hopefully, loosen her tongue.”
“And us?” Marie asked.
“I’ll hide in the closet. I don’t think Wysocki will check there.” At least she hoped not. “Marie, you’ll stay out here. If she asks you to leave, do so. I don’t want you caught in the middle if something should go down.”
For a moment, the woman looked more than a little mulish. Then she agreed. Relieved, Jael smiled her thanks before texting Private Bryant to send Wysocki back, letting her know when he did.
“At least give me a gun. I don’t want to be totally helpless.” Mac looked at her and, for the first time, Jael saw a hint of fear in her eyes.
Jael didn’t hesitate. She bent and pulled up her right pants leg. Her fingers closed around the butt of her clutch piece. When she handed it to Mac, she watched as the younger woman carefully weighed it in her hand. Then she guided Mac’s hand under the covers. The message was clear, the gun, like the Kevlar vest, needed to be kept out of sight. To her surprise, Mac nodded but moved the gun so it rested inside the immobilizer, hidden but close to hand.
“Show time,” Jael said softly as the sounds of someone walking down the corridor reached them. Without another word, she turned and hurried back to the closet.
It was a tight fit. Jael angled so she had a clear view of Mac’s bed through the small crack left when she pulled the door almost shut. By the time Wysocki reached the doorway, Jael had to smile. Mac looked like she was dozing. Marie sat next to the bed, a book in hand. No one seeing the two would think they expected a dirty cop to join them soon.
Now to let it play out.
* * *
Mac lay in bed, her eyes closed, when a soft rap sounded on the doorframe. She reminded herself to breathe. Slow and steady. Jael had been right. They needed Wysocki to believe she was too badly injured to do much, if anything, for herself. When her jaguar protested, she sent the image of a weak kitten to her. She followed it quickly with an image of Cait dropping from a tree limb onto an unsuspecting deer. The message was clear. This was a hunt. Not one they were used to, but a hunt nonetheless.
Marie’s chair scraped against the tile of the floor when the woman stood. Mac listened, wishing she dared open her eyes, as Marie moved to the door. Even though they’d discussed what Marie was supposed to do, Mac worried. She’d learned one thing about Marie Duncan early into their acquaintance: she way loyal. That loyalty meant she wanted Wysocki to pay for all she’d done to Mac, to Pat and to every other good cop on DPD’s rolls.
Not that Mac blamed her. How could she when she wanted the same thing?
“How is she?” Wysocki asked as Marie opened the door.
“Resting.” A slight hint of censure colored Marie’s voice. “She really shouldn’t be disturbed, Captain. I’m going to be honest. I tried talking her out of seeing you. But she insisted.”
“I promise I won’t take long.” Wysocki sounded so sincere. But then she usually did, when she wasn’t threatening another cop. “And I promise you, I didn’t want to talk with her about what happened. Unfortunately, a case came across my desk, one involving a uniform assigned to her command, that I need to discuss with her.”
Mac wanted to roll her eyes. Better yet, she wanted to sit up and call the woman a liar. Instead, she focused on maintaining the illusion that she was seriously injured, possibly dying. Anything to help loosen the woman’s tongue. They needed her to do or say something to tip her hand.
“Meaning no disrespect, Captain, but if I find out you’re lying, I’ll report your actions to Chief Culver.” No implied threat for Marie. She went straight for the jugular and Mac didn’t know whether to cheer or throttle her.
“I understand.”
Mac shifted slightly, as if trying to find a more comfortable position without fully waking. The weight of the Kevlar vest was as reassuring as the feel of the gun in her right hand where it rested inside the immobilizer. She might be injured but she wasn’t helpless. Not by a long shot.
“What have the doctors said?” Wysocki asked as they neared the bed.
“It’s not good. They still aren’t sure if she’s going to make it.”
Mac didn’t need to see Marie’s expression to know she was putting on an award-winning show. There was a reason she didn’t play poker with the woman. Marie could bluff better than almost anyone else Mac knew. That’s the only reason she hadn’t objected to her being in the room when Wysocki first arrived. Now she wanted her out of there, before Wysocki decided to do something foolish.
“Captain, the doctor said you can’t stay more than a few minutes and you aren’t to upset Captain Santos. I assure you, I will report you, after having you removed from the hospital, if you do.”
“I understand.”
Mac opened her eyes the barest of cracks and looked out from beneath her lashes. How Marie seemed apparently unfazed when Wysocki placed a hand on her arm was beyond Mac. She didn’t doubt for a moment Marie would prefer breaking the hand off and feeding it to the IAB captain than
standing there acting as if nothing was wrong.
“Mrs. Duncan, would you mind leaving us alone for a moment?” Wysocki asked.
Marie bent and lightly touched Mac’s cheek. When she did, Mac shifted on the mattress and moaned in pain. Her eyes flickered open. As she looked around, Mac did her best impression of being dazed and confused. Then she licked her lips and asked if she could have a drink. Marie reached for her cup of water and carefully guided the straw between Mac’s lips.
“Captain Wysocki’s here, ma’am. You had me send for her. Do you remember?
Mac nodded.
“Do you feel up to talking with her?” she asked as she returned the cup to the bedside table.
“I-I guess.”
She most definitely felt up to talking with the woman, just not about what Wysocki expected.
“I’ll be across the hall if you need me.” Marie moved to the door. “Captain Wysocki, one second more than five minutes and I’ll have you escorted out,” she added before leaving the room.
Wysocki gave Marie time to move out earshot before saying anything. “I’m sorry, Captain.” She reached out and closed the door.
Mac’s brows drew together in a frown. Carefully, she shifted positions again, doing her best not to dislodge the vest on top of her. “I-I don’t understand. Sorry for what?”
“I know.” Wysocki’s voice was almost gentle as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves. Mac’s heart sped up as Wysocki pulled them on. Surely, she couldn’t actually going to try to harm her here, in the hospital. “I’ll be honest. I don’t understand it all myself. I want you to understand I don’t have any other choice. I have to do this.” She cast a look in the direction of the door and seemed reassured to see it was still closed.
“Do what?” Mac fought the urge to pull the gun Jael gave her. They needed Wysocki to keep talking and she’d clam up, or worse, if she knew they were onto her.
“You really didn’t recognize the man who shot you?” Wysocki looked at her, as if she wasn’t sure what to hope for.
Mac shook her head. It wasn’t a lie, not really. Until Jael showed her the old booking photo, she hadn’t recognized him.
“It’s still a chance I can’t afford to take.” The IAB captain once again reached into her pocket. This time, she pulled out a box not much larger than the palm of her hand. “I told him he needed to clean up his act. I’ve been telling him that almost every day for the last ten years. But, as usual, he didn’t listen me. This time, it got him into deeper trouble than usual. This time it got him in trouble with people who hate you even more than I do.” She opened the box and Mac forced herself not to react when Wysocki produced a syringe.
God, she hoped Jael could see what was happening.
“I-I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” Mac did her best to look helpless, shrinking into the mattress.
“I guess I owe you an explanation.” Wysocki set the syringe on the bedside table. Then she reached over and moved the call button out of Mac’s reach. Not that Mac had any intention of letting go of the gun to try for the call button. “My husband’s not a bad man, just weak and foolish. He also holds a grudge. When you busted him so long ago, it cost him a great deal, including a broken leg. Technically, I probably shouldn’t blame you for that, but the bust did make the supplier look closer at Roy’s activities. When he did, he realized Roy was ripping him off. So he decided to make sure Roy realized how foolish he’d been—and, at the same time, make sure none of his other dealers decided to try to follow Roy’s example.” She shook her head, a sad little smile on her lips.
“For a while after that, things were good. Roy cleaned up his act. Our son was born. Roy even found himself a job and seemed to like it. Then he was laid off and he fell back into old habits. I did my best to keep him out of trouble, making sure he wasn’t charged when he was unlucky enough to get arrested. I even threatened to leave him and take the kids with me. He promised to get out of the business as soon as he finished this one last job for his supplier. And that leads us to the other day. His employer discovered Roy was not only ripping him off, but also moving in on some of his territory. Unlike Boxer, this guy gave Roy a choice. He could either kill you or they’d kill him. Since Roy’s a coward at heart, and because he still blames you for busting him so long ago, it wasn’t a difficult decision for him. But, like most everything else he’s ever done, he managed to screw it up.”
“Y-your husband? He shot me?”
Wysocki nodded.
“You knew what he was going to do?”
Mac changed positions, as if trying to sit up. Wysocki acted quicker than Mac anticipated. Her gloved fist struck Mac’s injured shoulder. Mac fell back against the mattress, gasping in pain. Tears stung her eyes and her stomach pitched. The room darkened for a moment and she fought against the fog of unconsciousness. She couldn’t black out. Not yet. She still had questions she needed answered.
If she was lucky, Jael would let her play this out and then beat the hell out of this bitch.
“Of course, I did. I told you he’s a screw-up and a coward. He came to me and told me what happened. He wanted me to tell him how to do it. I tried convincing him to give me time to figure something else out. I know better than most what happens when you kill a cop, especially one like you. But his supplier had him spooked and he wouldn’t listen to me.” Wysocki gave a shrug. In that moment, Mac knew she was dead. At least she was if Wysocki had her way. “So I got him a gun that couldn’t be traced back to him. I told him how to get in and out of your neighborhood without too much trouble. But he screwed it up. Just like he’s screwed up everything else. Now I have to finish the job. If I don’t, his supplier won’t just kill Roy. He’ll kill my children as well. You’re not a mother, Santos, so you don’t understand the need to do everything possible to keep them safe. I know it’s no comfort, but know you’re dying so two innocents can live.”
Wysocki reached for the syringe. This was it. Heart pounding, Mac rolled to her right. Or she tried to. Wysocki grabbed her and shoved her back. She followed up with a second punch to Mac’s injured shoulder. Pain exploded and she cried out. Blood roared in her ears and she felt consciousness retreating. Panting, fighting the dizziness and nausea, she did her best to focus on Wysocki. Then she felt strength flowing into her as her jaguar pushed into her consciousness. They wouldn’t let the bitch win.
We are stronger, better, Cait told her. Fight back. Don’t let her win.
Mac swallowed hard and nodded. Cait was right. She had to stop the woman before she injected whatever drug she’d brought with her into the IV port. But how?
“Stop!” Jael yelled as she burst from the closet. “Drop it or I’ll drop you.”
Wysocki didn’t turn. She didn’t hesitate. She slid the needle into the injection port.
Mac forgot the gun. Time slowed as she struggled to move her uninjured arm to her left hand where it rested in the immobilizer. She needed to pull out her IV. She had to before the drug found its way into her system. God, she hadn’t gone through all this to let this bitch kill her now!
“I told you I wouldn’t let you upset her, you bitch!”
Marie’s voice was that of an avenging angel. Surprised, Mac turned her head on the pillow. Her admin stood in the doorway. Her expression cold, fire in her eyes, the woman lifted her right hand and pointed a Taser at the IAB captain. Even as Wysocki’s thumb depressed the syringe’s plunger, the sweetest sound Mac had ever heard filled the room. The Taser barbs struck Wysocki in the back and her muscles spasmed as the current raced through her.
Five seconds. Five short seconds that seemed to last an eternity as Jael raced across the room. She pulled the IV from Mac’s hand. Five seconds that probably seemed even longer to Wysocki. Five seconds that turned to ten when Marie lifted a second Taser before once again lighting up Wysocki. Before its effects waned, Jael had the IAB captain face down on the floor, her hands cuffed behind her.
“Get Patek in here n
ow!” Marie ordered someone from the doorway.
Mac leaned back and closed her eyes. Her stomach roiled from a mixture of pain and reaction. That had been close, too close. And it wasn’t over. Not yet. Not until she knew everything Wysocki did.
Damn it, she wanted answers and she was going to get them.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Mac carefully sat up. Anger flared when she looked down and saw the blood at her injured shoulder. The bitch not only hit her—twice!—but she’d reopened the wound. Patek would have more than a little to say about that, especially if the blows had further damaged the joint, but he’d have to wait. There was something she needed to do first.
Without a word, Mac shoved the Kevlar vest to the side. Then she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Marie seemed to almost magically appear at her side. She slid an arm around Mac’s waist and took on most of her weight when she stood.
“Get her on her feet,” Mac rasped.
Without a word, Jael bent and hauled Wysocki up. As she did, the door swung open. Private Bryant entered just ahead of Patek and one of the nurses. Before any of them could say anything, Mac took an unsteady step closer to the woman who moments before tried to kill her.
“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” Mac said and then read Wysocki her rights. “But don’t think we’re handing you over to DPD right away. Homeland wants to have a little conversation with you. Bryant, take her.”
“No!” Wysocki struggled futilely against Jael’s grip. “They’ll kill my children.”
“Who?” Mac demanded.
“I can’t tell you! I don’t know who they are.” She looked at Mac, tears in her eyes. “I swear, I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe you.” Mac fought the urge to force the woman to talk. “I know you and your tactics all too well. You don’t leave anything to chance, remember? That’s why you got your husband a gun that couldn’t be traced back to him. And that’s why you would have done everything possible to find out who was threatening him and your children. You’d want to know if there was any way you could force them to back off.”
Nocturnal Revelations Page 28