by Nancy Mehl
The drive to Omaha took a little over five hours. She arrived in town around twelve and decided to grab a bite to eat before checking in. She found the Chinese takeout chain she loved and went inside. As she approached the counter, she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned to see Noah sitting at a table in the corner. Her mouth dropped open. She quickly ordered her food and then joined him.
“So ESP is now one of your specialties?” she asked with a grin as she sat down.
“It didn’t take extrasensory perception to know you’d come here for lunch. It’s close to the field office, and you’re addicted to this food.”
She reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Yes, I am. And I must be addicted to you. I’m so glad to see you.” As soon as she said the words, she realized he might take them the wrong way. When he didn’t seem to react to her statement, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
“When did your plane get in?” she asked.
“A couple hours ago. I rented a car and drove around for a bit. Then I came here to eat and wait for you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I would have called.”
“What do you think of Omaha so far?” she asked.
“It’s nice. I’ve never been here before.”
“I like it already since it has my very favorite restaurant.”
Noah laughed. “So we’re going to be on surveillance together. I’d say it’s one of the most boring duties we’ve been assigned to, but now I’m not so sure. Listening in on inane conversations for hours and hours at a time still ranks as the most mind-numbing thing I’ve ever done as an agent.”
“But you stopped a drug-trafficking scheme. That should compensate for the initial lack of excitement.”
Noah grunted. “You’re the one who deserves credit for that bust. I don’t know why I missed it at first. I know better. I’ve been . . . distracted.”
“Probably because I wasn’t there,” Kaely joked.
An odd look flashed across Noah’s face, but he shook his head. “As important as your presence is in my life is, I do have a life outside work, you know.”
Kaely laughed lightly. “No, you don’t.” She glanced at her watch. “I better eat now or I’ll be out of luck. Be right back.”
She hurried up to the counter and found her order ready to pick up. The woman behind the counter handed her the bowl and the drink she’d ordered. Her favorite meal. Green beans and chicken. Kaely went back to the table where Noah waited.
“We’re supposed to check into the field office at one,” Kaely said. “We better finish and get going.” She quickly ate most of her food, drained her glass of iced tea, and then reached for her purse. “Are you ready?” she asked Noah.
“I didn’t know you could eat that fast,” he said, grinning. “It usually takes you a while.”
Kaely laughed. “I like to take my time, but when it’s necessary, I can put it away faster than most men.”
“I learn something new about you all the time.” Noah stood up, picked up his empty bowl, and reached for hers.
Kaely smiled and handed him the remnants of her meal. Then she got to her feet and put her coat on. “Thanks. Since we’re both driving, I’ll meet you at the field office. Why don’t we meet up in the parking lot and go in together?”
Noah nodded. “Sounds good. See you there.” He paused for a moment, then smiled at her. “I’m really happy to be here.”
“Let’s see how pleased you’ll be after five hours of sitting in a van, waiting for someone who may never show up.”
“This may be the test of real friendship.” He winked at her.
“We’ll be okay. But be prepared to bring your best FBI stories. I’ll need to be entertained.”
“I think I can fill the bill,” Noah said. “Meet you in the parking lot.”
Kaely hurried out to her car. She really was delighted to see him. And frankly, it worried her.
sixteen
John Howard, the special agent in charge of the Omaha field office, waited in his office for the agents sent to him from St. Louis. He knew one of them by reputation. Kaely Quinn was a name that had floated around the FBI for quite a while. Some agents thought she was the real deal. Others, like him, were a little skeptical. Could any behavioral analyst be that good? It didn’t seem possible.
When someone knocked on his door, he sat up in his chair and found himself straightening his tie. He quickly put his hand down.
“Come in,” he barked.
The door opened and a woman walked in, a man following closely behind her. John was surprised by Kaely Quinn. She was a small woman. He’d expected someone bigger. Her red curly hair was pulled up in a loose bun. But her eyes were her most startling feature. They were almost black, with something in them that drew you in.
The man with her was tall with dark wavy hair, a little longer than John liked for a special agent with the FBI. If this guy was one of his, he’d be getting a haircut ASAP. But there was an intense quality about Noah Hunter. Solomon had told him that these two were his best agents.
John was really grateful for the help. He knew the pair was working behind the scenes on a series of fires in Darkwater, but he didn’t care. The Omaha office was dealing with a huge influx of heroin brought into the country through Mexico and distributed by members of MS-13. They’d flooded cities across the country. Now they had infiltrated Omaha, and his agents were working the case 24-7. Recently, a new branch of the gang had popped up in North Platte. Having agents like Hunter and Quinn help them out was a godsend. He had no plans to look a gift horse in the mouth.
He stood up and put his hand out. After shaking hands with both agents, he gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk. They sat down and looked at him expectantly.
“Glad you’re here, Special Agents Hunter and Quinn,” he said. “We appreciate the assistance.”
“We’re happy to be here, sir,” Noah said.
“We need to get you up to speed quickly. You’re scheduled from eight at night until four in the morning. Surveillance will be from eleven until four. You can go over case articles and pictures in the office from eight o’clock until it’s time to leave. Make sure logs are up-to-date. If any suspicious vehicles show up during your surveillance, you’ll need to request vehicle registrations so we know who’s hanging around our target. I know most agents think this early morning shift is the quietest, but MS-13 doesn’t keep regular office hours. They’re normally very active after midnight.” He stared at them for a moment. “I’m sure you’re familiar with these procedures. Any questions?”
Kaely and Noah both said “no, sir” at the same time.
John stood up. “We’ll arrange vehicles while you’re working for us.”
“If you don’t mind, sir, I’d like to use my own car,” Kaely said. “And after tonight Noah will be riding with me from Darkwater to North Platte.”
“All right. Turn in your mileage. And you, Special Agent Hunter?”
“I have a rental car, sir.”
“All right. Be sure to turn in your receipts. Now I’m going to take you to my SSA. He’ll brief you on your assignment. Once again, I want you to know we’re glad for the help. You both have excellent reputations, and you’re not known in North Platte. Makes it easier to send you out since you won’t be recognized by the locals. We’ve got to shut these guys down. The gangs are being controlled by someone else. First we need to arrest the leaders and put them away. Then we’ll go after the gangs.”
“We’ll do the best we can for you,” Kaely said.
“Follow me and I’ll introduce you to Supervisory Special Agent Leo Moreland. He’ll bring you up to speed on the case.”
John walked around the desk, then headed down the hall to Leo’s office. After the introductions, he left Kaely and Noah with Leo. As he walked back to his own office, he felt a sense of relief that these two great agents were here. Of course he hoped they’d bring the arsonist in Darkwater to justice, but right now he had to focus on the car
tel and the gangs. This arrangement seemed to be just the solution they all needed.
After being briefed by the SSA, Kaely and Noah decided to drive to Darkwater rather than stay overnight in Omaha. Although Kaely tried to get Noah to book a room at the B&B where she’d originally planned to stay, he balked, claiming he wasn’t a B&B kind of guy. Instead, he decided to check in to the same motel where Jason had been staying.
Noah followed Kaely to Darkwater. She waited outside while he checked in to the motel. After carrying in his luggage, he went out to find something for them to eat. He brought back cheeseburgers and fries from a nearby place called Bucky’s Burgers. The burgers were surprisingly good. Charbroiled on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. Grilled onions, mustard, and pickles topped them off. And the fries were crispy and delicious. With a cup of hot coffee, it was a perfect meal after a long day. Kaely hadn’t realized how hungry she was.
“So what do you think?” she asked Noah after taking another bite of her cheeseburger.
He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “About what? This drug case? Or the cheeseburger?”
She grinned. “The drug case.”
He popped a French fry into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Then he washed it down with a big gulp of his soda. He set the cup down on the table, where he’d spread out his food. He was lucky to get a room with a small table and two chairs. Kaely had traveled a lot. Many of her meals had been consumed while sitting on the edge of a bed.
“I think we need to give it our best effort, just like you told Howard we would. We have to make sure we don’t get distracted by the arson case and mess this thing up.”
“We won’t. We’re too good for that.”
Noah raised an eyebrow as he gazed at her. “You’re pretty confident.”
She laughed. “It’s not that. I’m a pragmatist. I evaluate things based on facts. What I know. And I know we make a great team.”
He nodded and smiled. “We do, don’t we?” He took another bite of his burger.
Kaely could tell he had something on his mind. She kept quiet and waited.
“We’ve been through a lot in a short time, haven’t we?” he said suddenly.
As soon as his question ended, a blast of wind from outside rattled the windows. Darkwater was under a winter storm warning. It wasn’t supposed to hit until tomorrow. Hopefully, they’d be in North Platte before the bad weather arrived. Darkwater and Valentine were in the bull’s-eye, but North Platte was on the edge. For some reason, the gust of wind felt like a warning. Where was Noah going with this?
“Yeah, we have,” Kaely said. She munched on her French fries, waiting for him to continue. He didn’t. “What makes you mention it?” she asked finally.
Noah stared past her. She could see hesitation in his expression. “Noah, is something bothering you? If it is, spit it out. There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
He shook his head slowly. “That’s kinda what I wanted to say. I mean, the same thing. You . . . you can tell me anything too, Kaely. I mean, if something is bothering you . . .”
She frowned at him. “You’re talking about my mom, I assume?” Kaely took a deep breath and blew it out quickly. “We’ve stored up years of personal baggage. I think we’re trying to ignore it, you know? Marcie keeps saying hurtful things, which is her way of trying to deal, I guess. Sometimes I wish she’d just unload on me. Get it out. It would be more honest. I want to confront her, but I can’t. I don’t want to do anything to make her life . . . unpleasant. Right now the most important thing is that she gets well.”
“Why would she unload on you? What have you done to make her angry?”
“Ignored her. She thinks I should have tried harder to see her, to connect with her. Even though I tried time after time.” She pointed a French fry at Noah. “I found out my brother was upset with me too. Felt like I’d deserted him when I left home. I tried to explain, but I’m not sure he understood.” She snorted. “I get the feeling our pictures are in the dictionary under dysfunctional.”
Noah chuckled. “So how is your mom? Do you think she’s getting better?”
“Hard to tell, but Jason seems to feel she’s got a good chance. I’m praying for her recovery.”
“Just remember that I’m here. Don’t keep things to yourself, okay?”
Kaely was grateful for Noah’s concern and willingness to be a sounding board, but there were some things she had no intention of sharing. Not because she didn’t trust him. She did. To a point. She confided in him more than anyone else. But events over the past couple of months had changed her. Made her more careful. She couldn’t make herself vulnerable again. Giving away too much to people had backfired badly. She wouldn’t allow it to happen again.
“I’m fine, Noah. Thanks. Sure, it bothers me that my mom’s sick, but there’s nothing I can do except pray. Hopefully we can improve our relationship.” She smiled at him. “You’ve been good to listen to me when I needed someone. I don’t think you could do more than you have. It means a lot to know you’re there for me.”
“Good,” Noah said. “I’m glad. Just remember that I have big shoulders, and I’m always willing to listen without offering advice.”
“A man who doesn’t want to tell you what you should do to solve your problems? Impossible. Aren’t you guys hardwired for that?”
He laughed. “We are, but we do it because we care. I guess we want to fix things. After doing the wrong thing many, many times, I finally learned to just listen. Tracy taught me that.”
“I really appreciate it, Noah,” she said softly. “If I need to talk about what’s going on, I’ll come to you. You have my word.”
“Good.” He yawned. “I’m tired. Why don’t you go home and let me get some shut-eye?”
Kaely popped the last bite of her cheeseburger into her mouth. Then she gathered up the paper that the cheeseburger was wrapped in and the cardboard sleeve that had held the French fries. She threw everything in the trash and grabbed her coat. Another blast of winter wind shrieked outside.
“What time do you want to head to North Platte tomorrow?” she asked Noah.
He was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, “Why don’t we take off around four? The storm is supposed to get here sometime around five tomorrow evening. I realize we’ll get to North Platte early, but we can get supper before we check in. I want to make sure we beat the weather.”
Even though she didn’t want to spend two or three hours filling time before they started their assignment, she knew he was right. “Okay,” she said. “Why don’t I drive? I think my SUV will make it through any snow we might encounter on the way back.”
“Are you saying my rental compact car isn’t as tough as your SUV?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Okay,” Noah said. “We’ll take your car. Do you want me to drive to your house or do you want to pick me up here?”
“I’ll pick you up. The motel is close to the highway. But when we get back, I want you to come over for lunch or something. I’d like to introduce you to my mom. I mean, if you want to meet her.” She smiled. “The safe bet would be to say no. She can be a handful.”
She saw surprise in his eyes, but he quickly recovered. “I’d like that very much, Kaely. Thank you.”
She nodded, grabbed her purse, and opened the door. “Bye,” she said before pulling the door shut. She hurried to her car. When she got inside, she worried that she’d made a mistake. She’d been trying valiantly to keep her friendship with Noah at a place where she felt comfortable. The invitation to meet Marcie had slipped out before she had a chance to rein it in. She sighed. Noah and Marcie. That should be interesting.
Kaely started her car and headed back to her mother’s house.
seventeen
Kaely pulled into the motel parking lot a little before four. The promised winter storm was bearing down on Darkwater a little early. She and Noah would just barely miss it. Jason had left the motel and was staying at th
e house. He was still unhappy with her. He wasn’t saying anything directly, but she could tell he felt Kaely had let him down.
In an effort to smooth things over, Kaely had taken her mother to her doctor’s appointment that morning. She’d sat in the waiting room while Marcie saw the doctor, but when she was done he came out with her. He was an older man who exhibited a persona of self-confidence. Yet, when he spoke she could tell he had a gentle spirit.
Dr. Branford had put his hand on Marcie’s shoulder. “Your mother is doing very well. I couldn’t be happier with her progress. I suspect that having her children near her has helped her outlook. That can make a big difference in the results of her treatment.”
Kaely had nodded dumbly at his comment. So far her mother hadn’t shown any sign that she was happy Kaely was here. She found it hard to believe her presence was having any positive impact on Marcie’s attitude.
After her father went to prison, Kaely knew she’d been hard to deal with. Recurring nightmares caused her to scream out in the middle of the night. At first her mother had come to her room and tried to comfort her. But then one night, when Kaely was sixteen, she didn’t come. She never came again.
When Kaely was eighteen and announced she was moving out, her mother’s obvious relief had been like a gut punch. It was then that Kaely decided she’d never let anyone get too close again. She’d learned she had to protect herself, since even those closest to her couldn’t be trusted to have her best interests at heart.
Many years later, she’d found God. Although He was leading her to trust more, recent events had made Kaely more cautious. She was trying to gain back the ground she’d lost, but she was self-aware enough to realize it wasn’t going to happen overnight.
Kaely glanced at her watch. This wasn’t the time to rehash her relationship with her mother. She and Noah had a job to do. She started to get out of the car so she could knock on his door, but before she could, Noah came out and jogged toward the car. They’d both dressed down for the operation, wearing jeans, T-shirts, and beat-up jackets to hide their weapons. The idea was to match the neighborhood.