Backlash

by Rachel Dylan

  “Thank you for having me.” Izzy took in Alicia’s stylish condo decorated in ivory and various blue hues.

  “Come into the living room. I made us some coffee and tea. Which would you prefer?”

  “Coffee would be amazing.”

  “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

  Izzy was already glad that she’d come to visit Alicia, if for nothing more than to see an old friend and colleague. But she silently hoped that Alicia might have some information for her. Even though she knew it was a long shot.

  After a few minutes, Alicia came back into the living room with coffee and some cookies.

  “Oh my. Those smell fresh out of the oven.” Izzy eyed the plate of chocolate chip cookies until her mouth started to water.

  Alicia laughed. “Go ahead and dive in while they’re still warm. I’ll be right back.” She returned armed with cream and sugar and a bowl of fresh fruit.

  “Alicia, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me.”

  Alicia shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m always fiddling around in the kitchen.” She took a sip of her coffee and then set down the lavender cup. “So, as much as I want to believe this is purely a social visit, catching up with a friend, I have a feeling there’s something else going on.”

  “Have you seen the news?” The details of the sergeant’s death had finally become public. While not everything was out there, it was enough that anyone who kept up with the news would have seen it.

  “I think you’re referring to the murder of Sergeant Tybee, right?”

  The sound of his name made Izzy feel sick, but she pushed down the emotions that were becoming far too prevalent these days. “Yes. That’s what I’m here about.” She readied herself for the conversation. “I want to be fully transparent with you. You were always a good friend to me.”

  Alicia’s eyes warmed. “I really appreciate that. Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it.”

  “Well, there’s actually a couple of issues. First is that the detectives with Arlington PD identified me as a potential suspect in the murder.”

  Alicia’s eyes widened, and she didn’t say anything for a moment. “You can’t be serious. How in the world would they come to that conclusion? How could you be a murder suspect?”

  Here was where the conversation would start to get tough, but Izzy knew no way around it. At this point, she figured the truth would get out anyway and spread further than she could imagine because of events she had no control over. “They think I’m a suspect because the sergeant assaulted me.”

  “Izzy, I had no idea.” Alicia took her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Izzy bit her bottom lip as she considered how much detail to provide. “I never reported it. I know I should have, but at the time, I was so freaked out, ashamed, and totally naïve.”

  Alicia shook her head. “No way. Don’t you dare put this on yourself. If he assaulted you, that’s completely on him. Where did this happen? When did this happen? Was I still at Arlington PD?”

  Izzy steeled herself as she recounted the story once again. It was becoming all too familiar. Memories that she’d boxed up and put away were now coming to the light of day. “That’s how it all played out. Now you understand why I had to leave Arlington PD. There was no way I could work there with him after that. Just the thought of him even now makes me ill. He violated me and took away my choice, my power. I’m trying my best not to be a victim. I have moved on with my life. But, of course, there’s no way I would have killed him, even if I would have liked to.”

  Alicia nodded. “You have every right to feel that way. What can I help you with now?”

  “Here’s the thing. Arlington PD zeroed in on me because evidently the sergeant had some type of shrine to me in his house.”

  Alicia raised an eyebrow. “That’s creepy. Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  “Yeah. The thinking right now is that he might have been killed in self-defense, but I’m not ruling anything out. I know you worked there for quite a few years. I’m hoping to see if you have any intel on potential enemies the sergeant might’ve had, or anything else you think might be helpful.” Izzy paused, reluctant to ask but figuring she needed to. “And I also want to know if you had any negative experiences with him. I want to see if I was a one-off or if there’s a pattern I can establish.”

  Alicia looked down and clasped her hands in her lap. “Nothing like what happened to you happened to me, but the sergeant was definitely highly inappropriate multiple times. Trying to ask me out or making comments about my body or what I was wearing. Sometimes I just blew it off as part of the world women have to face in male-dominated law enforcement. Like you, I never said anything about it to anyone. And now, hearing your story, I’m so sorry I kept quiet. Maybe if I had spoken up, he wouldn’t have been in his position by the time he attacked you.”

  Izzy’s mind felt jumbled as she put together this new information. “There’s no way you could have known. And look at me—I didn’t tell anyone either. I don’t hold it against you. But the fact that something did happen to you makes me believe we are only the tip of the iceberg.”

  “And that means there are probably other women he assaulted or harassed. Maybe one of them is the killer, right?”

  Izzy took a deep breath. “Yeah. I’m not looking to get any other woman in trouble, but I am trying to protect myself from prosecution. There are elements of this case that don’t look good for me, so I want to defend myself the best way I can. We can at least bring up alternative theories and put some doubt in the detectives’ minds. Even those questions and doubts would be helpful. Are you willing to talk to the detectives about what happened to you with the sergeant? I know it’s a lot to ask, and I hate to do it, but I’m kind of in a desperate situation.”

  “Of course I’ll help you. I stayed silent years ago when I shouldn’t have, but I can do better now. I will do better. I’m happy to help you in any way that I can.”

  Izzy’s heart warmed, and she looked into her friend’s eyes. She wondered why they hadn’t been closer while they were on the force, but they’d overlapped for such a short time period, and then Alicia had left. Which reminded Izzy of a lingering question. “Why did you leave Arlington PD?”

  “When I was offered the chance to be an instructor at Quantico, it was an amazing opportunity and far too good to pass up. It really had nothing to do with what was going on at the force. At least, I didn’t think it did, but now that you’re bringing all this up, it makes me wonder whether subconsciously the culture there was part of my decision-making process.” Alicia sighed and looked at her. “I’m really so, so sorry about what happened. I wonder if I had stuck around if there’d have been anything I could’ve done for you.”

  “Honestly, no one could’ve helped me at that point. I’ve had to go through a long process of counseling and grieving and trying to pull my life back together.”

  “How’s that going?”

  Izzy could answer this honestly, and it felt good to be able to say it. “I’m actually in a great place. I’m at NCIS, and I enjoy my work, although I’m still considering options for the future. In bigger personal news, I finally started to date again, and I’m completely head over heels. His name is Aiden. He works for Virginia State Patrol.”

  Alicia’s eyes sparkled. “I can see by how you talk about him how much he means to you.”

  “It took me a while to be able to trust anyone. Especially another man. And to make it worse, another man in law enforcement. But Aiden couldn’t be more different from the sergeant. He is loving, caring, and I trust him with my life.”

  “Sounds like he’s the real deal. I’m very happy for you. Whatever you need from me, just let me know.”

  “I’ll talk to the detectives and point them in your direction. I can’t guarantee they’ll want to talk to you, but I hope they will, especially since you’re a former cop.” Izzy considered her next question. “I’m pondering wha
t my next career move should be. How do you like being an instructor?”

  “It’s really good. I like teaching. It suits my personality. Hey, once you have a few more years under your belt, I’d love to put in a rec for you. I think you could excel in that field.”

  Izzy would need a lot more time working in law enforcement before that was possible. Alicia had at least a decade of experience. “That’s so generous of you. You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m actually batting around the idea of going to law school.”

  “That’s a great idea! You would make a wonderful attorney. You will be a fierce advocate. What type of law are you thinking about?”

  Izzy wasn’t sure how Alicia would react to her future career plans. “I want to be a prosecutor.”

  Alicia gave her a knowing look. “Now, that sounds like a plan. After all you’ve been through, it makes a lot of sense.”

  “A fresh start in my career could give me a new purpose. Putting scumbags like the sergeant behind bars would be fulfilling. Being able to seek justice in a different way. What I’m doing at NCIS is really important work, but I don’t know that it’s the long game for my career. Does that make sense?”

  “Absolutely. I can see it in your eyes. If there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”

  “You’ve already offered to do so much. And on that note, I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “You don’t have to run off. I’ve got more cookies.”

  Izzy looked down at the empty cookie plate and realized she’d eaten them all as they’d been talking. She laughed. “I might explode if I eat any more, but they were amazing. Just what I needed.”

  “You should stop by more often. It was so good to see you.”

  Izzy gave Alicia a tight hug, fighting back tears. She hoped this was the beginning of a massive break in the case. One that would ultimately get to the truth.

  Zane’s mind was reeling from the interrogation he’d gone through that morning, still trying to figure out how he’d become a suspect in the DEA investigation. Someone thought he would be a convenient target, and it was his priority to figure out who was gunning for him. The cartel had more power and influence than most people could imagine. Unfortunately, their tentacles stretched wide and right into the belly of the DEA. The thought sickened him.

  As a Marine, Zane could not imagine turning his back on his country and working for the cartel. And he was confident that once investigators looked closely at him and his background, they would realize that he could not be a traitor. He needed to figure out who could have the motive and the opportunity to set him up. But he also couldn’t allow himself to be totally focused on those issues, because his partner still needed him.

  He’d told Mason that Cass was solid, but he had his doubts. She had taken all of this very personally—which he understood, given that the attacks were highly personal. He sat beside her now on the sofa in the DEA safe house as she worked on her laptop. She had a serious look on her face, and a frown pulled down on her lips. He wondered what was going on in her head.

  He tried to give her space to work and act as normal as possible under the circumstances, but he knew there was a huge cloud hanging over her—one of stinging fear. And he hated seeing her like that. The woman he had worked with for the past few years had always been tougher than most of the guys he knew. That had all changed when she became a prime target of the Mejía cartel.

  “How’s it going?” He figured that was a safe enough question to ask.

  Cass stopped typing and looked at him. “Honestly, I’m just trying to finish some reports to keep my mind off the bigger issues. There’s nothing like bureaucratic paper work for that.” She gave him a slight smile. “What about you? You’re the one just sitting there, staring off into space. Is it about being questioned today?”

  He’d let Cass know what was going on because he needed someone he could trust on his side. “I have a lot on my mind. I know you do too. Today’s questioning felt like a fishing expedition. If they really had the goods on me, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now. It turned out those intercepts weren’t fully vetted, and there’s nothing concrete for them to bring against me. They weren’t able to point to any other evidence either, other than the fact that I’m the only team member who hasn’t been directly targeted by the cartel.”

  Cass frowned. “I’m so sorry they’re putting you through this charade. They must be desperate if they have to point the finger at you.”

  “It’s really nagging at me that someone would choose me as the person to finger as the traitor. Maybe it’s because of my military history, but it hurts even worse because of that.”

  Cass nodded. “Zane, anyone who has ever dealt with you knows you operate with the highest level of integrity. You’re completely loyal, honest, and though sometimes it drives me crazy, you always play by the book. I have no doubt that your name will be cleared, and they will find out who the real mole is.” She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we still don’t know one hundred percent that Mason is clean.”

  “I don’t know, Cass. He seems about as unlikely a suspect as me. We have to dig deeper and assume there are darker forces at work here that don’t follow the rules.” Zane had found out the hard way that sometimes being a rule follower could get you in more trouble. But he also wanted to be able to sleep at night and know in his mind, in his heart, and in his soul that he’d done the right thing. That was the way he lived his life.

  Cass put her laptop aside and turned to face him as she moved in a little closer. “I’ve been totally consumed with my own issues. I’m sorry I haven’t been more in tune with what you’ve been facing.”

  “Don’t give it a second thought. We’re partners, right? That’s what we do. We look out for each other no matter what problem or danger we’re facing. I’m really glad you decided to come to the safe house. I sleep better at night knowing you’re here.”

  “Yeah, about that.” She paused. “I think I would sleep better if you were here. There’s tons of extra rooms. And not just for my safety, although I selfishly have to admit that is top of my mind. We still don’t know if the cartel has you in their sights. But if you stay here, we know you’ll be safe.”

  Zane didn’t know how to take Cass’s comments. She’d been acting a bit strange lately. As far as their relationship went, what was once completely platonic, with not a dash of romance, had started to become a bit of something else. And while Zane had to admit that he was attracted to her, he wasn’t sure that getting involved with his partner was the best idea. Especially given the dangerous circumstances they found themselves in.

  But the last thing he wanted to do was push her away, so he was trying to walk a fine line. And her idea did have some merit. He just had to make sure he kept strict boundaries in place. “Sure, if it makes you feel better. Like you said, this place has four bedrooms, so I’m sure we can stay out of each other’s way. I want to make sure you have your privacy.”

  Cass laughed. “Since when do you care about that? This coming from the man who made me change outfits in the back of an SUV in Costa Rica.”

  Zane had completely forgotten about that. “That was out of necessity. And you know I wasn’t watching.”

  “Of course you weren’t. That’s my Boy Scout.” She placed her hand on top of his. “All joking aside, you really have been there for me, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”

  He tried not to think about how it felt to have her hand touching his, and instead tried to focus on coloring within the lines. He gave her fingers a pat with his other hand and then broke away from her. “Like I said, Cass, we’re in this together.” Anxious to change the subject to something more work-related, he said, “We’ve done a second run on everything. Everyone on our team, even the support guys, has come up clean. No connection to the cartel or to any organized crime. All background checks are clear.”

  “You didn’t really think it was someone on
our team anyway, did you?” she asked.

  “No. But we had to check.”

  “We have to start looking at people working at headquarters. That’s why I mentioned Mason. But there are other higher-ups we could consider. They could be playing both sides. It pains me to say it, but you know it’s true. The more powerful these guys get, the more likely that they could be turned for a lot of reasons.”

  “Aren’t you the cynical one?”

  “I always am. It’s one of my best qualities, right?” She smiled.

  Zane wasn’t born yesterday. Cass was definitely flirting with him. But what did he do about it? He hated facing that topic right now and would rather just keep shifting the conversation. “Have you talked to Layla?”

  “Yeah. She’s at an Agency safe house, but we’ve decided to keep the locations from each other for extra security. So she doesn’t know where we are, and we don’t know where she is.”

  Zane nodded. “That’s a really good idea. I’m glad the Agency finally gave her some protection. Did she say anything about the IG?”

  Cass shifted a bit closer to him. “Yeah. It didn’t seem good at all. She didn’t want to get into details on the phone, but it sounds like someone is trying to insinuate that she’s working with Al-Nidal.”

  “That’s even crazier than thinking I’m involved with the cartel. She’s one of their brightest up-and-coming experts. Why would that make any sense?” He didn’t like this development. The web of danger just kept expanding all around them.

  “Beats me. But it shows that all of us are being targeted. Once the cartel has in its mind to screw up someone’s life or kill them, we know how that plays out. Which is why I’m still worried that, in the end, Mason is going to push to have me put in WITSEC.”

  Zane shook his head. “That’s extreme. Let’s not cross that bridge until we have to.” He wanted to ask her about something else too. “I know you had your first counseling session this morning, but you didn’t say how it went.”

  She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I don’t know how much talking to psychologists you’ve done, but it’s always the same questions. They wanted to make sure I’m not going to lose my mind or hurt myself or someone else, and that I am directly dealing with my feelings.” Her voice rose with each word that came out of her mouth. “I am dealing with my feelings. I’m not one to lock my emotions up in a box. Just the opposite. She encouraged me to find someone I trust and talk to them. Which I guess, considering the only person I trust is you, would have to be you. So that’s what you get for pushing me into it.”