by LK Shaw
She closed the distance between us and laid her hand on my chest. It didn’t do anything to calm the rage inside me. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. Believe it or not, I know what I’m doing. And I’ve already promised that if I do any more questioning, Brickman and Crawford will be with me. They’ll make sure nothing happens to me.”
It didn’t do much to quell the worry, but there wasn’t much I could do. This was part of Landon’s job, whether I liked it or not. “Just be fucking careful.”
She nodded. “I will. I promise. I need to get home so I can shower and change. I have a lead I want to pursue, as well. One of the agency’s informants called in a couple days ago and said he found one of his buddies dead. Overdosed on Rapture. But he was able to give me a name. Eli. Ring any bells?”
I thought about all the names I’d gathered, but that one hadn’t come up. “No. The only other name I’ve been able to come up with is Silas in a conversation Brody had overhead when he was tracking King. They’d been in a discussion…fuck, why didn’t I think of this? Wait a minute.”
I ran back into my room and grabbed the file I’d thrown on my nightstand last night. Shuffling through page after page and picture after picture, I came across one Brody had snapped outside King’s delivery company two days ago.
“Were these the two guys with King yesterday?” I gave her the picture. “This is him and a couple of guys he’s been seen with in multiple meetings. The one in the center with the longer dirty blond hair is Silas, although I have no idea who exactly he is. The man on the right, with the crewcut, is unknown.”
Her eyes scanned the page. “Yes, that’s them.”
“Fuck. See if your informant tags him as this Eli guy. My guess is, it’s him.”
Landon nodded. “You’re probably right. If, on the off chance, my contact doesn’t know him, I’ll run the picture through facial recognition and see if I can get a hit.”
“Sounds good.” I looked at the clock. “Shit, it’s getting late. I need to get in the shower, too. Are you sure you don’t want to jump in with me and save water?”
Despite the seriousness of only moments ago, Landon burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll run home quick. Clean clothes and all, you know?”
“Hey, I’m just trying to do what I can to save the environment.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.
“I’m sure Mother Nature thanks you for your effort. Speaking of, thank you for breakfast. You take your shower and check in with me later. Tell Lucas I said hello, will you?”
I tugged her against me, and she circled her arms around my neck.
“Should I be jealous that you want me to tell another man you said hello?” I growled.
Landon giggled. “He is quite the cutie. You never know. Lucas just might come right in and sweep me off my feet if you’re not careful.”
“Then I better do everything I can to make you choose me.”
Her fingers brushed across my forehead and then down my cheek. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. No matter who it was, I’d choose you. Each and every time.”
Our eyes locked, but no words passed between us. Because no matter how far we’d come, Landon wasn’t quite ready to hear all the things that needed to be said between us. Not yet, anyway. Since those feelings couldn’t be spoken in words, then they had to be expressed through touch. I lowered my lips to hers and put all my emotions and words into my kiss.
With every brush of my tongue against hers there was hope. Joy. Faith. But most of all, there was love. The kiss was soft and gentle. Taking my time, I drew out each and every touch, teasing and tantalizing making sure she felt what I was trying to say. There was almost a desperation in her response as though she wanted me to understand she felt it all too.
Breathless, we separated. I rested my forehead against hers. “I’d choose you too.”
We stood there for another moment, and I soaked up this moment, because it seemed like a turning point. “Be careful and call me later.”
She nodded. “I will.”
I locked the door behind her and took a quick shower before heading down to the youth center. Lucas had me a little worried.
The door of the youth center squeaked. I made a mental note to talk to Director Hawkins about getting the spring oiled. The familiar scent of body odor, sweat, and floor polish permeated the air. Despite the aroma, this place was like a second home. I loved coming here. I loved the kids. Brody had been proud of the fact that I’d become a mentor.
It hadn’t been a conscious effort to make him proud, but knowing that he was gave me a sense of accomplishment. As though I hadn’t completely fucked up my life. It also got me thinking about my own future and whether or not I saw myself having kids. They were never really anything I’d thought of before. Not until recently. Not until Landon.
Lucas was usually in one of the study rooms, so I went in search of him. Three empty rooms later, and I still hadn’t been able to find him. The only other place he might possibly be was the basketball court.
“Hey, Mr. Preston,” a few of the kids greeted me as I passed, and I waved hello.
I tugged open the door to the gymnasium, but it too was empty. I heard a faint cry from the direction of the locker rooms. Just then the door burst open and Lucas came tumbling out with a yell. “Mr. Preston, come quick, it’s Owen.”
My shoes slapped across the shiny wood floor, and I skidded to a near stop to avoid colliding into him as he stood there with tears pouring down his face. I scooted past him, and he grabbed my arm, tugging me down the narrow passageway between lockers.
We turned a corner, and I spotted the body on the floor. “Fuck,” I cursed and dug out my phone, tossing it to Lucas. “Call 9-1-1, now. Tell them we need an ambulance.”
I didn’t wait for him to follow my command. Rolling the body over, I cursed again. This was the same kid from Stan’s Diner the other day. His lips were blue, and his face was ashen. On the floor next to him was a fucking baggie with those goddamn purple angel wings.
He wasn’t breathing. “Come on, Owen.”
I curled my hand over the other and immediately started driving them into his chest. The crunch of his ribs under my palms made me nauseous, but I didn’t stop pushing.
Push.
Push.
Push.
Keeping a steady rhythm, sweat dripped off my forehead, but I didn’t stop. I heard the buzzing of voices behind me, but I couldn’t decipher what was being said.
“Breathe, Owen. You can do it. Please. Just breathe.” Goddamnit, Owen, breathe.
I felt someone tugging on my arm, but I kept pressing down on his chest over and over.
“Sir.”
“Sir.”
The word penetrated my brain, and I looked up, my body still moving. A paramedic filled my vision. “Sir, let us take over.”
Clumsily, I rose to my feet and took a few steps back, my hands hanging at my sides, giving the paramedics room to continue working on Owen. My chin dropped to my chest as I tried to catch my breath. One of the men glanced up at me. “You saved him.”
You saved him.
You saved him.
A small hand clasped mine, and I looked down to see Lucas standing next to me. I slid my hand from his and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, tugging him into my side. We moved further away from the scene and sat on the nearest bench. He huddled even closer to me, softly crying and wiping his nose on his sleeve.
“It’s alright. He’s going to be okay.” I said quietly. “What happened?”
He sniffed. “I was out in the gymnasium shooting some free throws waiting for you, and I had to go to the bathroom. Owen was already in here. I told him not to do it, but he wouldn’t listen. It happened so fast. One second he was standing there, the next, he was on the floor. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You did the right thing, Lucas,” I assured him. “Don’t worry, he’s going to be okay.”
Within several minutes,
the director, several firefighters, and two police officers spilled into the locker room. The paramedics loaded Owen onto a stretcher.
“Mr. Hawkins is going to call your mom. He’ll stay with you until she gets here. I’ll talk to the police, but they may want to ask you a couple questions. Tell them exactly what you told me, okay?” I knelt down in front of Lucas and pulled him into a hug. “I’m going to find out who did this, and I promise I’ll make them pay.”
He swiped his palms across his tear-stained face, and I stood to meet Hawkins’ eyes. “Take care of him.”
“I will.”
I pivoted and escaped the confines of the locker room, my rage growing with every step I took. No more surveillance. No more waiting and seeing. Whoever was behind this shit needed to be stopped. It was time to move this timetable up.
Chapter 23
I weaved my way around the homeless encampment, trying to ignore the bitter cold, while I searched for Bernie. He'd been an agency informant for the last couple years. He had his ear to the ground, and if anyone could get me some more intel on some of these guys, it would be him.
People huddled around metal barrels of fire trying to stay warm, while others had layers upon layers of blankets and other materials draped over their tents in order to keep the blistering cold wind from penetrating the thin fabric. More than once, local LEOs had attempted to make everyone disband. They'd end up relocated somewhere new before moving back here.
I stepped over piles of refuse and dodged nearly getting run over by a man chasing another. Finally, I spotted my contact standing near a fire, his hands hovering over the flames.
"Agents Roberts, good to see you."
"You too, Bernie. I hope you're staying warm."
He shrugged. "Doing the best I can. I found me a room over at this gal's place. She lets me stay there once in a while."
"That's good. Take her up on it as often as you can, will ya?"
"Yes, ma'am. You know I will." He nodded. "Now, what can I do for you?"
“First off, I’m sorry about your friend.”
He shrugged. “It’s just one more death in a long string of them out here on the streets.”
“Still, I’m sorry. I was hoping I could ask you a couple questions about it.”
"Sure thing. I don't know if I have an answer, but I'll do my best."
I reached inside my coat and pulled out the picture Preston had handed me this morning. "Do you recognize any of these men?"
He took the pic from me and unfolded it. His eyes scanned each face, and I held my breath, hoping that this would give us the lead we needed. Bernie handed the picture back to me.
"I've seen a couple of them around."
“Is one of them this Eli you mentioned?"
He glanced around. Only a few stragglers were in our immediate area. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Yeah, the crewcut is Eli. I think the other one’s name is Silas. I don't know the fancy man in the suit."
He straightened and stared into the fire, rubbing his hands together and then hovering them over the flame again.
"Do you know what they might be involved in? I'm looking for those who are part of this new drug called Rapture."
"I can't say for a hundred percent, but I know there are a couple new dealers. Felipe is one of them."
I nodded. "Yes, we know about him already, but I'm trying to figure out where he's getting his supply. And who that person is working for."
"Sorry, Agent. I don't know much more than that."
It was disappointing, but at least I'd gotten confirmation on the man named Eli. It was something.
"No, thank you, Bernie. You've been extremely helpful."
"Anytime."
"Be careful out here and try to stay warm, alright?"
He smiled crookedly. "Yes, ma'am."
I made my way back to where I'd left my car parked. Halfway there, my phone rang. It was Preston.
"Hey. You okay?"
"No. Can you come to the office?"
I heard something uneasy in his voice. "Of course. Give me about thirty minutes."
He didn't even say goodbye. I rushed the rest of the way to my car, my boots clomping on the sidewalk. I slid on a patch of ice before I reached it, but recovered my balance before falling on my ass. I hadn't liked the short response from Preston. Something was wrong.
Trying to maintain the speed limit, I navigated the roads, changing lanes, and impatiently tapping my fingers on the dashboard at red light, before finally reaching the office.
By the time I got to their door, my chest was tight with anxiety. I didn't knock. Instead, I barged in, my eyes moving straight to Preston's desk. His gaze met mine and a fiery rage burned in his hazel depths. On top of his desk, he clenched and unclenched his fists. Brody, who'd been on the phone, disconnected the call.
"What's going on?" I glanced between the two of them.
"We've had a change of plan," Brody said. "We're waiting on Victor and Pablo to get here. They're on their way."
I moved to sit. "What's this change of plan?"
"We're scheduling another deal, and, this time, we're making an arrest," Preston bit out.
"What happened?"
"I went to the youth center to talk to Lucas. Found a fucking kid overdosing on this shit in the bathroom."
My hand went to my mouth. "Oh my god. Is he okay?"
"We think so," Brody interjected. "Paramedics took him to the hospital, but we haven't been able to get any confirmation on his status."
I collapsed back into my chair as though all the air had been let out of me. Jesus. "So, we arrest these guys, and then what? Try to get them to give us their supplier's name?"
Brody nodded. "That's the plan."
"What if they don't? Give up their supplier, I mean?"
"A kid almost fucking died today. There's a big difference between a drug charge and attempted murder."
"We don't have any proof that this kid bought the stuff from Felipe."
"Once Owen gets better, he is a key witness. He can lead us to who sold it to him. Plus, we know for a fact that Felipe and Cruz are involved. We only have to follow the trail."
Preston wasn't going to let this go. Not that I blamed him. His rage was evident. "So we set up the new deal like the last time?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'm in."
He gave a single nod.
"How are you going to make contact? You don't have his number, do you?"
“I have the number he called me from. I’m going to try that.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“Then I’m going to Club Delight.”
“If you do, I’m going with you,” I told him.
Preston snapped out a denial. "No way."
I crossed my arms. "Yes. You're not in the right frame of mind to handle this rationally. You're too close. If you want to bring these guys down, we can't let anything derail this investigation. And, right now, you're not handling your rage."
"She's right," Brody interrupted. "Look at you. You're barely suppressing your anger. How are you going to keep your shit together once you're actually face to face with this asshole? Landon will be there to help keep you calm. You need her."
After a quick nod of thanks, I turned back to Preston. "We're in this together, remember? You and me."
I could see his jaw tightening and his lips pressing together. “Fine, but that’s a last resort.”
“You better hope that number works then. Are you going to be okay to place the call?”
“I will be by the time Victor and Pablo get here. I’m going to take a short walk.”
Preston rose from his chair and I followed, but he held up a hand. “I need to be alone for a minute. Please.”
I settled back in my chair, giving him the space he asked for. He walked out of the office leaving me alone with Brody.
“You and my brother seem to have figured things out.”
“We’re trying. Well, I am. I don’t thin
k Preston’s ever had any doubts about how things are supposed to be between us.”
He laughed a little at that. "I think you're right about that. I was surprised, to say the least."
"I don't think anyone was more shocked than me to discover he was your brother."
"He's different now. With you, I mean. There's this new sense of maturity." He shook his head. "No, that's not really it. Maybe more grounded. Serious."
"I don't think you give your brother enough credit."
"Yeah, maybe you're right." Brody stared, studying me. "Does he know?"
I didn’t have to ask what meant. “No.”
His lips turned down. "Are you going to tell him?"
"Eventually. When I'm ready."
"You're both a lot alike, you know?"
"I know. He told me about your mom. I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard that was...for both of you. I understand now why the two of you were always butting heads. I'm really glad you've been able to reconcile. Preston looks up to you."
"We've definitely come a long way over the last year. The things I did while undercover made me realize that we all make mistakes. It's how we respond to them that matters. He's worked harder than anyone I know to atone for his sins."
"I think he's finally learning to forgive himself."
Brody's expression shifted and was almost full of pity. "What about you? Have you learned to forgive yourself?"
I looked away from his penetrating gaze. Had I?
Chapter 24
The number worked.
We'd set up another deal for tonight. Felipe said he would be there to personally handle it. Which made things a whole lot easier. The deal had been set for inside the park again. There were distinct disadvantages to that for us, but we'd decided to bring in Landon's co-workers Brickman and Crawford. That way we had all possible exits from the park covered.
"We need to set you up with a wire this time," Victor announced. “The recording will be used as part of the evidence. We need the verbal confirmation of who you're talking to and what they're selling."
It didn't set well with me, but he was right. Everything about this had to be by the books. We had to have proof. Which meant wearing a wire, no matter how much I was against it.