Chapter 39
Monday, October 17
4:59 p.m.
“Honestly, Alex, I just wanted to come by and check on you. I don’t know what you’ve been working on, but I know you’re under a lot of stress, what with Kellan getting shot and everything. I am here if you need to talk. If you need guidance. I know you can’t talk about the specifics of the case, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check on you, Son.”
“I really appreciate that,” Alex said. At first, he hid his nervousness, but decided to let it show, if only to feed into Highland’s conversation. Was he fishing? Was he checking to see how close we were? Was he biding his time? Planning his escape?
Janet had left quickly and without introduction, but the jig was up, at least in part. They’d have to adapt the plans now. Alex knew it and he was kicking himself. Highland had already seen their High Card.
This is why you’re not a leader, Alex thought. Adaptation is not your strong suit.
Don’t show your hand, Alex kept telling himself. Don’t spook this guy!
“I just wish we had better leads,” he said. “We can’t absolve Mrs. Greyson’s husband yet.”
“Well, you just trust your instincts, Alex. They’ll lead you right.”
“I’m afraid they’ll lead me down a pretty dark road,” he admitted, almost kicking himself in the process.
“Therein lies the reason we exist, my boy.”
Pastor Highland’s Irish accent lilted powerful in his jovial observation. When Alex didn’t comment, Pastor Highland let a smile creep onto his lips.
“We exist to bring light into the darkness. You capture the bad guys. And I turn the light back on when you’ve had to venture too far into the darkness to do your job.”
Giving a half smile, Alex nodded.
“I guess you’re right.”
“Don’t guess. I’m right.”
When the phone rang, Alex raised a hand.
“Hold that thought. I need to get this.”
As he picked up the phone, Pastor Highland stood.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” he whispered. “I’ll be praying for you.”
His hand! The sudden thought slammed his mind so hard, he almost blurted it out.
“Mendez.” He said, answering the phone. As Pastor Highland walked out, Alex cast a glance his way.
“Alex, it’s Janet. Is Highland still there?”
“Uh, hi Lisa. I was just going to call you,” he replied, hoping she’d get the idea.
Scanning Highland, he thought he saw a scratch on his hand. Nothing major. No bandages. Not even a Band-Aid. But most definitely a scratch. A straight – or seemingly straight – line snaking its way between the thumb, around to the knuckle of the index finger. Another tiny scratch looked to be on the meaty side of his left hand, in between the little finger and the wrist.
Without any further interruption, Highland walked out.
“I guess so,” Janet confirmed.
“Sorry, Janet,” Alex whispered. “He was here. He’s gone now.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked. “He’s seen me now. I can’t just walk into that sting anymore. He’ll make me in a heartbeat.”
“I know. I’m working on it,” he lied. “He has scratches on his hand. Doesn’t appear to be bite marks, but didn’t Greyson say she bit her attacker?”
“What about Tara Franks? She’s young. Good looking. Slightly innocent. You could pass her off as a newbie.”
“She is a newbie, Janet. A newbie cop. I can’t do that to her. I can’t do that to Carl.”
“Alex, it’s your decision. I understand that. But what choice do we really have?”
He could feel the blood rushing to his face. His ears flushed very hot. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t really fear. It wasn’t embarrassment. It was, quite simply, the weight of the situation. The loneliness of knowing that, in fact, the decisions were all his. And he did not feel comfortable making them.
“I don’t want to be here,” he whispered, a little too loud.
“None of us do, Captain. But we’re counting on you to lead us.”
“Why me?” Alex sighed.
“Alex, would you please save the pity party for later? We have a killer on the loose. You don’t really have time to fall apart now.”
“Janet.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing. You’re right.”
He let go a deep, heavy sigh.
“We’ll get this guy, Alex. Somehow, we’ll get this guy.”
“You know you’re going to have to stay here, right? As bad as I hate to do it, I’m going to have to take Kellan into the field. He can’t do much. But he can help run the show while you and Cade hold the fort down here.”
“Not the best idea, Alex. You know it.”
“I know. But I trust him. He can’t move quickly, but I trust him.”
“Well, if bullets start flying, you’re going to need someone quick on their feet. Someone agile and able to cover your six. Alex, no offense, but that’s me, not Kellan. Not this time. You know I trust him. He’s been there when I needed help in the early days. But do you really feel safe going out there with a rookie, a civilian and a cripple? He’s a wounded duck. In the field, he’d be more of a liability than an asset.”
“Same could be said for you, Janet. You’ve been seen.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have to go in with Reggie. I can be there for back up. And unlike Forrest Gimp, I can cover your six if stuff gets real.”
“Janet, I—“
“Don’t make me go to Steelman,” Janet protested.
“Oh good grief!” Alex shouted. “Now you’re going to run to Daddy Tom? We’re grownups, Janet. And, as you’ve already pointed out, I’m captain. This is my decision. And it is your obligation to do what you’re told.”
When he was met with silence, he resisted the urge to placate her obviously bruised ego.
“I’ll talk to you later.” Janet said.
“I’ll call you when we’re ready for our meeting.”
Without acknowledging, Janet hung up.
Grumbling, he placed the phone on cradle.
“I’m too old for this mess.”
Leaning back in his chair, he lurched forward when it seemed that it was leaning back too far. Comforted that the chair was in decent working order, he leaned back, clasped his hands behind his head, yawned and stretched.
Staring at the ceiling, he fought to let go over the heavy burden weighing down upon him.
“If you could see fit to bring Danny back, that’d be great,” he whispered. Less a prayer than a request. One he was reasonably sure would go unanswered.
Chapter 40
Monday, October 17
6:43 p.m.
Alyson walked in to the meeting a little late. She was obviously embarrassed and Alex felt no need to dress her down like a trainee.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, out of breath. “I wound up making dates with three of the suspected people. Well, I made two. Jase made the other one. First one is for 9:00 tonight. The other two are for tomorrow night. 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. One of these will be our man.”
“Photos?” Alex asked, flipping through his notes for the meeting.
“Got photos for the two for tomorrow. The one for tonight was kind of mysterious. Said that we’d be the only ones in the room so we wouldn’t need pictures. Honestly, he was pretty creepy.”
Alex nodded.
“Did he give you a name?”
“Yeah, he said I could call him James.”
“James,” Alex whispered to himself.
“You thinking what I’m thinking, Cap?” Reggie asked.
Looking at Reggie Brooks, Alex said, “I doubt it, Reg.”
“Highland’s first name is Jim. James. Jim is short for James. Jim, Jimmy, Jamie. James.”
“I stand corrected. Good catch, Rookie.”
“I learned from the best.”
A slight blush colored Alex�
�s cheeks. A chorus of chuckles, chortles and snorts washed across the room.
Raising his hand, Alex hushed the room.
“As I was saying, Escalante, I’m pulling you from surveillance. I need you backing us up at the hotel. But do you have anyone you can trust? Someone who can watch Highland’s house and tell us when, or if, he leaves his house?”
“Billy Underwood is good. He’s training a rookie right now himself. Might be a good experience for the kid.”
“Okay, I’m trusting you to get him on it. We’re talking watching, no tailing. He knows the drill, so make sure he is not seen. But make sure he knows how to reach me.”
“Will do, Alex.”
Walking away from the wooden podium, Alex abandoned his notes. The team had spread out among four of the six conference room tables. Janet and Josh on Alex’s left. Cade and Kellan on Alex’s right. Escalante and Reggie behind them. Chief Steelman, Agent Remington behind Janet and Josh. Alyson took up a standing position next to Josh.
“Alex,” Steelman interrupted. “I’d like to address one matter. Your plan is great and all, but taking Kellan into the field is not a smart move.” When Kellan shot him a disappointed look, Steelman cocked a half smile his way. “Son, it’s no offense, but you got a wounded limb there. If stuff goes down, you’re going to need to move quickly. You can’t move quickly enough. We both know that. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to leave you here. I’ll be going in your place.”
Panning the room, Alex couldn’t help but notice the smirk Janet was trying to hide. He allowed himself a few milliseconds to pass her a glare that seemed, instantly, to get her attention.
“Sir, I thought I would have operational command this evening.” Alex said, unable to hide his obvious disappointment.
“You will, Alex.” Steelman said. “I’m not even going in unless stuff goes down, but I figure I got a few good moves left in this old legs.”
“Reggie, have you had range time today like I asked?” Alex asked, turning his attention back to the meeting.
“Yes and Rance can verify my target hits.”
“He did very well,” Remington confirmed. “I don’t know about his guts, but his gun is as ready as it’s going to be.”
“Well, good against paper targets is one thing. It’s another thing entirely to have that steely nerve that allows you to maintain your aim while returning fire in the field.”
Alex could tell Reggie wanted to respond, but he remained silent.
“One thing that concerns me, Alex.” Escalante asked.
“What’s that?”
“Well, you’re putting a lot of people in that room. Highland is expecting one girl, alone. You’re sort of stacking the deck on him. He’s expecting one person and you’re filling the whole pew for the reverend. Won’t he be alarmed?”
“By the time he realizes who all is in the room, it’ll be too late. We’ll have Alyson open the door for him. Tara will be in the room with her. We’ll have Reggie hiding in the bathroom. He’ll come out the moment the door is closed. Go into full on pimp mode, appearing to give the good Pastor a choice in company for the evening. Highland will be lured into the room by the mere choice between two young, innocent women.”
“And if he bolts? He could see two women and decide they’re too much for him to manage. He could go away.”
“He won’t.”
“You know this how?” Steelman interjected.
“I know, Chief. He’s a man on a mission. He thinks, a mission from God. He’ll see it as a gift. Two for the price of one.
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Well then, I guess we need to—“
Alex froze. Was he dreaming? Unable to form a word, he pinched his own hand to make sure reality was staring him in the face.
“Bella,” Alex said, trying desperately not to sound like a five year old who’d caught sight of Santa Claus across the otherwise busy shopping mall. “What are you doing here?”
At a jog, he met her coming up the aisle. Her face was pale. She was noticeably shaking. Her makeup had been smeared by tears. She sniffled a couple of times, warning Alex that the floodgates could reopen at any time. When she hugged him, he instinctively hugged back, disoriented by the odd moment. As she clung to him, not unlike a frightened daughter seeking safety in Daddy’s grasp, Alex felt the truest sympathy he’d felt in a long time.
When she let go, her chest spasmed, fighting back tears she would no doubt find time to shed later.
“We have a killer to catch don’t we? If Harm—uh, Marisol could do it, so could I. She died protecting me. That was my date she went on. I was tired. This life has never really been for me and she knew it. She took care of me in life. Now it’s my turn. I owe it to her to catch the guy that did this.” She paused, passed a look to Alyson. Alex turned just enough to catch Alyson’s reassuring smile and subtle thumbs up. “Oh and Captain Mendez? Please call me Shelley.”
Chapter 41
Monday, October 17
8:23 p.m.
“I’m really not a fan of sending two rookie cops and two untrained civilian females in to catch this guy. I know none of us are.” Alex said.
“We don’t have a choice, Alex.” Steelman said. “If we’re right, Mr. Highland has already met every other police officer on the force. If he’s half as good remembering names and faces as he appeared, any of the rest of us will be made in seconds. Reggie and Tara are the only police officers on the entire force that haven’t met Pastor Highland.”
A banging noise drew the group’s attention. When Cade shouted, they realized he’d bumped his head on the desk. As he crawled out from under the table, he rubbed his head.
“Equipment check is fine. We have enough juice to run what we need.”
“Good deal, Cade.” Steelman said. “One less thing to worry about.”
“We’ll be okay, Cap,” Reggie declared, his voice a shaky whisper. Clearing his throat, he continued. “I got this!”
“Reggie,” Alex said, “I am not sure you understand the seriousness of this. You’ll have a loaded weapon with you for the first time in the field. And if either you, Alyson, Tara or Shelley is in danger, you will have to make a very tough call as to whether or not to use deadly force. Opt to use it on an unarmed person or shoot an innocent bystander and you could be done. Do you understand that, should you opt to use deadly force, there’ll be an investigation? And do you also grasp the ramifications of hesitation if you worry about the investigation and neglect to stop this person from killing you, Shelley, Tara or Alyson?”
“Cap, I promise you.” Reggie answered, his face resolute. “There is nothing left for me to do but to get out there in the fight. I’ve been through all the tests. I’ve seen how an investigation works. I’ve studied the reports so much I can just about recite them all. I know this guy inside and out. Nobody knows this guy better than me, Cap. Not even you. At some point, I’ve got to get out there and show there’s more to me than schlepping for the brass and filing reports.”
“Son, don’t get an attitude,” Chief Steelman interjected. “All that schlepping you’ve been doing is for you. We’ve all schlepped. And we all learned why it was important. Because every detail has to be watched out for. You learn what to do by doing, and by watching. You’ve watched us investigate, but you can’t train for a shoot out by watching Diehard or playing Doom. When the bullets start flying, I’ve seen many a cop wet himself like he was in the middle of taking Omaha Beach.”
“Yes sir,” Reggie said, properly chastised. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Chief. Captain, you’ve been a great teacher, Amazing even. I just know I’m up for this. I don’t know if the word ‘ready’ fits, but I’m as ready as any rookie ever is their first time in the heat of battle. More so. I’ve done my homework. I’ve put in my range time. I just want to prove myself now. To prove I can be trusted. I will do this.”
“There are a million details to take in.” Alex interrupted. “Most of them aren’t in the academy books.
And none of them are in those files you memorized. You have to take in your complete surroundings in less time than it takes you to blink, Reg. We’ll be watching and listening, but you’re there. At the end of the day, it’s up to you.”
When Josh snickered, Alex cast him a chastising glare.
“Sorry,” he said, pointing at Reggie Brooks. “It’s the outfit. I can’t help but hear that guy Lenny from Good Times.”
Pursing his lips, Alex looked back at Reggie. He did look like a cross between The Easter Bunny, Grimace from the McDonald land characters and maybe a touch of Gambit thrown in for good measure. Biting his lip, Alex fought against his own fit of laughter. He coughed, so as to mask the laugh that wanted to escape.
“As I was saying, Reggie, there’s ten thousand things for you to take in all at once. You have to take in mirrors that can distort your view. You have to take in anything that can be used as a weapon in case you lose yours in a struggle. You have to ascertain their body language to see if they’re in a threatening posture or not. Everything. And it’s intensely personal for me, as I am sending in someone with absolutely zero police training. A civilian. But not just any civilian. My family. I am entrusting her to you, so not only do you have to make sure you get back to your girlfriend. You have to make sure Alyson and Shelley get back alive. There are going to be two guns in that room that we can account for. Yours and Tara’s. And you both have to cover the two that will not be armed.”
“Alex,” Josh interrupted. “I’m not even going in there and you’re already making me nervous. Look, Reggie, everything they said is true. It’s a lot on your shoulders. And don’t let the fact that I trained to be a Navy SEAL put any more pressure on you to bring my girlfriend back alive, ya hear?”
When Josh winked, Reggie chuckled.
“All you have to do,” Josh continued, “is not get lost in your role. You’re pretending to pimp these girls, but you’re a cop first, last and only. Alyson will be wired. Tara’s cell phone looks like a normal cell, but it’s actually a recording device. They’ll never detect it. If they were to scan it, all they’ll get is a normal cell phone. And all of you will be fitted with listening devices so we can talk to you. He’s not a dummy. He’s a chaplain, but he’s trained in police policy and procedure. He may look for a wire, but he’ll have a hard time trying to find this one.”
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