“I can’t.”
A single tear tracked down Wysocki’s cheek. Mac sneered, unmoved. That simple statement spoke volumes. Wysocki couldn’t—or more likely wouldn’t—tell her what she knew. That meant she at least had a pretty good idea who wanted Mac dead.
“If you want any consideration when charges are filed against you, you will.”
Wysocki shook her head, her mouth firmly closed.
“I changed my mind. Sgt. Lindsay, contact Lt. King and Detective Tanaka. Tell them we have a perp for them to take custody of. Then call Chief Culver and let him know. I’m sure someone along the line leak it to the media that an arrest has been made.” She waved Patek off when he started toward her. There would be time when this was over for him to take a look at her shoulder.
“No!” Wysocki struggled futilely against Jael’s firm hold. “They’ll kill my kids!”
“Then talk to me. Tell me what I need to know to protect them.”
“I’ll tell you everything after I know they’re safe.”
“It doesn’t work that way. You know that, just as you know this isn’t a negotiation.” Mac took a step back and leaned against the side of the bed. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her weaker than she dared admit. “You may not like me, Wysocki.” And wasn’t that an understatement after the events of the last few minutes? “But you know I keep my promises. In return for telling us everything you know about my shooting, we will keep the fact you are in custody a secret and we will do everything humanly possible to protect your children.”
“No.” She looked at the floor, shaking her head.
“Then you leave me no choice. I could use my Homeland connections to keep your name out of the investigation but not without reason. You’ve given me nothing.” Mac let a little bite into her voice. “Jael, make your call.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She motioned for Private Bryant to take control of Wysocki. Then she produced her cellphone and made a show of activating it.
“Wait!”
Mac looked at Wysocki and knew she’d won. But had she won the war or only a skirmish?
“I don’t know the name of Roy’s supplier.” She closed her eyes, her lashes damp with tears. “But I know my husband. He’ll have everything stored on his phone or laptop.” She spoke slowly, as if each word was being dragged out of her.
“Where are they?” Jael asked.
“At our house.” When she looked up, the fear once again shone in her eyes. “But you can’t go inside. He’ll know.”
“Who will?”
“Him. The one who ordered the hit.”
“Sgt. Lindsay is going to take your keys and you are going to give us written permission to enter your house.” One look was enough to stop Wysocki from protesting. “I’ll make sure the team kills the cameras before they enter. Anyone who might be watching from the outside will see maintenance men and nothing more.” She thought for a moment. “Sgt. Lindsey and Private Bryant, who is part of the special DHS unit I’ve been liaising with, are going to take you to a room down the corridor. You’ll be secured there until we decide the best way to get you out of here without being seen. Then you’ll be taken to a secure location where you will stay until we’ve moved your children somewhere they’ll be safe. Once we have, you’ll get to talk with them. Until then, you’re going to be held and you will not be allowed any outside contact. Object, look like you are going to object, and I’ll have you perp-walked into the station in front of the media.”
“Bitch,” Wysocki spat.
“You have no idea.” Mac chuckled menacingly. “Take it or leave it.”
“Keep my children safe or I’ll end you.”
“I do believe she just threatened you, Captain,” Jael mused.
“We’ll add it to the charges. Get her out of here.”
“Bryant, confine her three doors down.” Jael ordered the private. “I’ll be along in a few minutes with additional orders.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
Mac bit back a smile to see Jael wince slightly at the “ma’am”. Her mentor might be a cop now, but she was a Marine non-com at heart. The last thing she wanted was to be addressed as an officer.
“The cuffs stay on. Secure her ankles and prepare her for transport. Once you have, she can sit on the floor. I don’t give a damn if she’s comfortable or not,” Jael continued.
“Understood.” Bryant took a firm hold on Wysocki’s arm and turned her toward the door.
“Wait!” Wysocki’s heels skittered against the tile as she struggled against Bryant’s grip.
“We don’t have anything else to discuss unless you are ready to tell me what I want to know.” Mac’s voice turned hard, cold. When Wysocki shook her head, she gave a small shrug. “Take her on, Private. If she tries to make a scene, gag her.”
The private nodded and marched Wysocki out of the room. As he did, Patek hurried to Mac’s side. He shushed her when she tried to assure him she was all right. Instead, he did the one thing she didn’t expect. He lifted her legs onto the bed and gently helped her lie back. Then ordered everyone except the nurse out of the room.
“I need—”
“You need to lie back, Mac, and let me work,” he said firmly. “Then I’ll decide if you can see the others or if I’m going to sedate you so you get some rest.”
“I promise to do as you say in a minute.”
Patek looked like he might object. Then he sighed and nodded.
“Jael, get the location of her kids, safe words, anything that might help us there. Marie, call Pat and tell her she and Tanaka are needed here ASAP. Then contact Culver and update him. Tell him I’ll give him my report as soon as Dr. Patek here has finished checking me out.”
Patek’s eyes narrowed as he caught the double-meaning of her comment. “Mackenzie,” he drawled in disapproval.
“We’ll discuss it in private.” Her expression dared him to contradict her.
“We’ll see.”
Mac’s lips thinned but she didn’t argue. Now that the immediate danger was over, every ache and pain seemed to amplify. Damn Wysocki! If she caused Patek to tell Mac she had to remain in the hospital one minute longer than she wanted, she’d scream. If it caused those she cared for to be hurt, or worse, she’d kill the woman.
Easy, Mackenzie. She didn’t hurt us too much, Cait soothed. As she did, the jaguar sent the image of her rubbing her head against Mac’s cheek. We will leave soon. I promise.
Mac sent a mental caress to her jaguar and lay back. She might as well put the time Patek used examining her to good use. There were plans to be made. Hopefully, they’d be able to close the case down before the pride meeting. Maybe that would be enough to keep her husband and grandmother from skinning her alive because of the risk she’d just taken.
Not that she was willing to bet on it. But it was a start and it was certainly more than they had a few hours ago.
27
“Damn it to Hell and back again!”
Pat tossed her cellphone onto the desktop and watched as it slid all too close to the edge. She didn’t care. She didn’t care if the phone fell and shattered into a million pieces. She didn’t care if the other members of the squad heard her. She simply couldn’t believe it. When was this nightmare going to end?
She stood and crossed her office, slamming the door shut. A moment later, her fist slammed into the wall. Her lips peeled back, and she hissed in pain. The paint cracked and drywall dented. Beyond the door, all sound stopped in the bullpen. A moment later, a concerned whisper, not something she’d have heard if she was a normal, asked if they ought to check on her. Several others said no. Whatever was wrong, she’d fill them in if they needed to know.
Well, they needed to know, at least some of them. She simply didn’t know how to break it to them. But, hearing someone else wondering if something had happened to Mac, she hissed out a breath. She needed to reassure them even if she knew the world had just gone to hell in the proverbial handbasket.
Pat shook her hand and flexed her fingers, wincing slightly. At least nothing seemed to be broken. Still, she’d better have a good story ready for building maintenance to account for the near hole in the wall. At least it wouldn’t be the first time they’d had to repair that particular wall. She knew first-hand that Mac had tried putting her fist through it more than once.
Mac. Damn it, why did it seem trouble always seem to find her, even when she wasn’t looking for it?
She gave herself one more moment to gather her thoughts. Then she opened the door and stepped into the bullpen. The moment she did, all conversations stopped and all eyes turned to her. As the room stilled, it felt as if no one breathed. They waited, their expectation and worry plain to see.
Instead of moving to the front of the bullpen, Pat stopped just outside her office.
“Let me start by saying Mac is all right.” She paused and gave a little shrug and a half-smile. “Well, as all right as she can be after taking three bullets at close range.”
“There’s a very big but in there, LT,” Timmons said from his desk.
“There is.” She wished she’d taken a moment longer to figure out how best to continue. “Before we get to that, I want to cover a couple of other matters. The first is to let you know that the doctors have upgraded her condition from critical to serious. It looks like she’s going to be all right.”
She gave them a moment to express their relief. As they did, she wished she could tell them more. But she couldn’t, not yet. Not until they closed the case. All she hoped was she didn’t lose their faith in her as their CO when they found out how she had lied to them. Not that it would change anything she’d done. She’d have told them Mac died if it meant keeping the woman safe. Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that and she prayed it wouldn’t.
Still, all the lies and all the carefully planned security hadn’t kept it from almost blowing up in their faces.
“As for my temper tantrum that you obviously heard, put it down to frustration because things aren’t coming together quicker than they are. That’s no dig at any of you. I know how hard you are working and I’m proud of the job each of you is doing. I just don’t want this to drag on and give the Feds any reason to do more than offer to assist us.”
“Damn straight on that, LT,” Tanaka said.
“And, whether we like it or not, we have other cases besides the captain’s we need to be working. Give me an update.”
Ten minutes later, she studied the open case board and nodded. Despite all the extra time and effort being put in on the investigation into Mac’s shooting, her detectives still worked their other cases. She made suggestions and offered help where needed. Not that they needed much help. They were some of the best detectives, and uniforms, she’d had the pleasure of working with.
“Those of you not on Tanaka’s team or not currently on duty or pursuing something hot, go home and get some rest. Have a meal, hug your loved ones. But be back here by 0730. We’ll have a briefing for all members of the squad at that time. Who knows, we might even have good news to report for a change.”
God, she hoped so.
“Shelly, I want you and your people in the conference room ready to brief in five.”
Now to figure out what to tell them about everything that had been happening.
Exactly five minutes later, Pat entered the conference room. She nodded in satisfaction to see everyone present and ready to begin. No one needed to be told to take a seat. No one from the night shift groused about staying late. Not that she expected it. These men and women were as determined to capture the bastard responsible for trying to kill Mac as she was.
“I’m not going to keep you long,” she began as she moved to stand in front of the smart boards. “As I noted earlier, the Feds—specifically the section of Homeland Mac is liaison with—have offered to do all it can to assist us in our investigation. What I didn’t tell the others is that they have been chasing down a lead on another case and, in the process, came upon some information that may tie into our investigation. They have updated Chief Culver and have promised to share all information with us as they confirm it.” She lifted a hand to prevent any interruptions. “I don’t like it either but if it gets us closer to finding the perp, I’ll take it. Besides, Jael is now acting as liaison. She will continue in that role until the captain is back to duty. You know as well as I do that her first loyalty lies with DPD, then with Mac and then, well down the list, the Feds.”
Heads nodded.
“So we will take their help but we will keep the investigation in-house. But, the longer it takes us to clear the case, the more likely it is we’ll be asked to either bring them actively into it or to hand it over. So let’s close this down and fast.”
“Have they given us anything solid?” Tanaka asked.
“Only the offer to do anything they can to assist us.” She leaned against the wall, suddenly tired. No, exhausted. The day wasn’t close to being over and yet it felt like she hadn’t seen her bed in a month. “Shelly, I’ll leave you to hand out assignments. Make sure I have all reports, no matter how preliminary, on my desk by noon.”
“You heard the LT.” Tanaka looked around the room. “Any questions?”
“Anything new on the bastard who rented the van?”
This was the tricky part. How much to tell them?
“As with everything concerning this case, what you’re about to hear doesn’t leave this room.” She waited until everyone agreed. “What I didn’t tell the others, and haven’t told you yet, is that connection the Feds think they discovered between their case and this one is the perp who rented the van.”
“What the fuck?” Buttkowski looked at her in disbelief. “How the hell does their investigation tie in with ours, LT?”
“Right now, other than the guy who rented the van, it doesn’t. At least not that they’ve said. What they told Culver is they’ve had the perp under surveillance for more than a month in conjunction with a joint drug smuggling operation they are taking point on. No, I don’t have the specifics but, if they are point and DEA isn’t, my guess is they also suspect a terrorist connection. But that’s just a guess.
“As for the perp, he’s a low-level thug, for lack of a better word. Runs errands, makes deliveries, that sort of thing. He also works for anyone who will pay him. So there’s no loyalty. When and if they manage to scoop him up, they said they will give us first chance to talk with him, as long as we don’t do anything to put their case in jeopardy.”
“Do you trust them to do as they said?” Sears asked.
“To a point, Jenny. But, as long as they give us a crack at the bastard, I’m willing to play along.”
There were a few mutterings, but they quickly died down. With a nod, Pat turned the briefing over to Tanaka.
“Care to fill me in on what you didn’t tell the rest of the team, LT?” Tanaka asked twenty minutes later as they pulled out of the parking structure.
Pat chuckled softly. She’d had a feeling Tanaka suspected more was going on than she’d said.
“Right now, this is a need-to-know and only you, me and Culver need to know.”
Tanaka looked at her, eyes narrowed. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither did I, but you’ll understand. I do suggest, however, that you not try to beat up a wall or the SUV. You’ll lose.” She shook her still sore hand.
“No promises, LT.”
“Something happened an hour ago at the hospital that may wind up breaking the case wide open for us.”
“I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“Depends on how you happen to feel about the head of IAB, Shelly.” She glanced over at her companion. It didn’t surprise her to see Tanaka watching her in concern. “Earlier this morning, the captain’s family left the hospital to get some clean up and get some rest. Jael and Mrs. Duncan stayed with her. It was the only way her family agreed to leave.”
“And?”
“Not long after, the guard on
duty let Jael know that Captain Wysocki was there and asking permission to see Mac.”
“What?” Tanaka drew the word out, suspicion roughening her voice.
“Exactly.” At least she didn’t have to lay it out for the woman. “It seems our captain was feeling better and decided to try something without telling us. She had Mrs. Duncan send for Wysocki.”
“Is she out of her mind?”
Pat chuckled. “Trust me, I’ve asked myself the same thing. Then I remembered this is Mac we’re talking about. If I’ve learned anything about her the last couple of years, it’s that she hates not being able to do something for herself. So she apparently took matters into her own hands. With Marie in the room and Jael hiding in the closet, they waited for Wysocki to show.”
Quickly, she briefed Tanaka on what happened next. When the detective cursed long and hard, Pat said nothing. Instead, she pulled into a parking garage across from the hospital. What she didn’t expect was for Tanaka to draw her gun and check it.
“Where is that bitch? Please don’t tell me the Feds are taking her.”
“Before we get to that, you need to know one more thing and this has to stay between the two of us right now.”
Tanaka put away her gun and rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m really not going to like any of this, am I?”
“Actually, I hope it’s just the opposite.” She found a parking space and backed in. “Mac was shot three times. Four if you count the bullet her vest stopped. Her injuries are serious and it’s going to take time for her to heal and return to duty. However, she isn’t as badly injured as Culver and the powers-that-be have led us to believe.”
For a moment, Tanaka said nothing. She simply sat there, looking at Pat in a mixture of disbelief and relief. Then she shook her head, a slight smile touching her lips.
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