High Risk

by G. K. Parks

  I felt dizzy and gripped the vanity. My ribs on the left side were purple from where one of the bastards had kicked me. An unexpected sob escaped, and I clamped a hand over my mouth.

  Brad’s footsteps sounded outside the door. “Liv, are you okay?”

  “Uh-huh,” I managed, squeezing my eyes closed. I couldn’t lose it in front of him.

  “Are you sure? Do you need help? I promise not to look.”

  I almost laughed.

  “I can call Emma,” he said.

  “I’m okay.”

  “All right.”

  But I didn’t hear his footsteps retreat.

  I finished undressing and looked down at the bandages covering my arms and hands. Since I couldn’t get most of them wet, showering was out of the question. Instead, I filled the sink and grabbed a washcloth. When I was as clean as I could get, I put on some yoga pants and a button-up shirt. Opening the door, I found Brad waiting on the other side.

  “I’m heating soup. Do you want a salad or something else to go with it? I found a package of those wraps you like in the fridge.”

  “Just soup for me.”

  He looked like he wanted to argue. “Fine, but there are leftovers in the fridge in case you change your mind.”

  I sat down on the couch while Brad puttered around the kitchen. In the hospital, he promised he wouldn’t leave me, and aside from the few times he’d been forced away by the hospital staff or police investigators, he had kept his word. Emma practically had to turn a fire hose on him to get him to go home and shower and change yesterday afternoon.

  He finished in the kitchen and brought a tray out with my soup and a glass of water and placed it over my lap. Then he went back into the kitchen, grabbed a plate with several wraps, which he’d cut in half, and sat down beside me. When I finished the soup, he nudged one of the remaining wraps toward me.

  I picked it up, too tired to argue. I got half of it down before my stomach protested, and I pushed it away. He moved the tray out of my way, but I couldn’t get comfortable on the couch.

  “Do you want some pain meds?” Brad looked at the clock. “You’re about due.”

  “No, Emma’s weird about that. She lost one parent to cancer and the other to an overdose right after that. I don’t want to cause her any more anxiety. I’ll be okay without them. They make me fuzzy anyway. I’m sure the department isn’t happy I’ve never been able to give them a sober statement.”

  “First of all, you’re sober enough. I don’t care what anyone says. Second, Emma’s not here. And third, no one wants to see you in pain. So if you are, say something. You’ve been through enough. You don’t have to soldier through any more.”

  “I’m okay for now.”

  “I should have been there.”

  “I know. It was stupid.”

  “You’re damn right it was stupid. I don’t want to think about what could have happened if Roberts and Ainsley hadn’t arrived when they did. Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  “I’d been there before. I didn’t think they’d go back. We didn’t think 24/7 Spirits was a target. We thought it was a distraction, remember? I just wanted to follow up with the owner. I hoped after what happened in the subway station he’d be more forthcoming. I just… I didn’t think it’d be dangerous.”

  “But it was. These guys are psychotic. They want to kill. First it was guards, now it’s cops. We’re partners. Partners have each other’s back. Why didn’t you let me have your back? Huh?”

  “They had jammers. I couldn’t call out.”

  “Why didn’t you call me before that?”

  “I did, but you didn’t answer. I figured you were probably asleep or out drinking.”

  “I wasn’t.” He licked his lips. “I’m sorry. God, Liv, I’m so sorry. I should have answered. I should have stayed with you. You asked me to hang out that night. I should have. Then you wouldn’t have been alone. They wouldn’t have…we could have stopped them.”

  “That’s not—”

  “By the time anyone notified me, they’d already taken you into surgery. Roberts was waiting in the lobby. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much blood on a police uniform, and we’ve seen cops who’ve been killed in the line of duty. That was your blood.” He looked away. “I could have stopped it. I fucked up.”

  “No, you didn’t. And neither did I.” I scooted closer, afraid Brad would pull away. He had so many issues when it came to losing colleagues. That night might have broken him more than it broke me. “It’s not your fault.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m supposed to have your back.”

  I leaned against his shoulder and hugged him, hurt, exhausted, and enraged by everything that had happened. His hand trembled for a moment before he hugged me back.

  “Thank you for being here,” I whispered.

  He pressed his lips gently against my temple. “Don’t die on me, Liv.”

  “I won’t, but you have to make sure Emma doesn’t pull the plug.”

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “Nothing. It’s an inside joke.” My shoulder throbbed from the sudden shift in position. Once the sharp stabbing turned into a dull ache, I climbed off the couch. “I’m going to lie down for a while. Try to get some sleep, okay? You look like shit.”

  “You’re one to talk.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “And Ellie thinks you’re charming. Clearly, she doesn’t know you very well.”

  “I told you so.” He watched me disappear into the bedroom. Then he stacked the pillows on the other end of the couch and settled down, so he could keep one eye on me and the other on the front door. He put his gun on the coffee table and scooted it closer, so it’d be within reach. And that’s when I realized this wasn’t over yet.

  Twenty-eight

  By the time I woke up, it had gotten dark out. Frankly, I couldn’t be sure if it was morning or night. “Who turned my apartment into a flower shop?”

  When I went to nap, there hadn’t been any get well gifts in my house. The ones in my hospital room stayed in the hospital. Emma had them redistributed to those receiving long-term care. And now it looked like they’d come back to haunt me, and they’d brought their friends.

  “You didn’t hear the constant knocking at the door?” Brad asked. “They started around five and didn’t quit until seven. The unit outside has had their hands full checking IDs. At one point, I thought we’d have to call for a bomb sniffing dog.”

  “Speaking of, I have to go check on Gunnie,” Emma said. She and Brad had been in the midst of a conversation. Their voices woke me up, but I didn’t want to tell them that. “You shouldn’t be walking around, Liv. You’re supposed to be resting,” Emma said. “Were we too loud?”

  “No, I’m just thirsty.”

  “That’s because you need fluids.” She gave Brad an annoyed look. “I told you that.”

  He held up his palms and backed away. He knew better than to argue with Emma.

  “I can get my own water.” I tossed an apologetic look at my partner.

  “Drink this.” She opened a bottle of coconut water and poured it into a covered stainless steel tumbler with matching straw. “It has electrolytes. Don’t overdo it, but one a day might help. You can have water after you finish that.”

  “Why do I have to drink it out of a sippy cup?”

  “Because you are going back to bed. And I don’t want you to spill.”

  “I’m tired of being in bed.” I was also just plain old tired, but that wouldn’t help my argument.

  “Fine. Couch,” she pointed, “now.”

  “Do you talk to Gunnie like this? That would explain why he doesn’t want to play with you and won’t let you near his toys.”

  “No, I don’t talk to him like this because he doesn’t get himself hurt by doing stupid things.”

  My patience waned, but I bit my tongue. I already felt bad enough without having her pile more on me. So I took a seat on the couch, and Brad came over to stack some pil
lows up behind me so I could sit more comfortably. From the bags beneath his eyes, I knew he hadn’t gotten any sleep. “You must be exhausted.”

  “I’m fine. Emma and I were deciding what to make for dinner. What would you like? You’ve barely eaten anything in days.”

  “I’m not hungry. Whatever you guys want is fine.” I shifted on the couch, unable to get comfortable. “We could order in.”

  “I’ll see what Maria has in the fridge that I haven’t grabbed yet,” Emma said. “And you can talk while I’m gone.” She went to the door. “Let her decide, Bradley. Don’t force it. She needs her rest.”

  “What was that about?” I took another sip before reaching across to put the cup on the coffee table. Something snagged, and I winced. “Shit.” I felt the bandage on my neck and checked my fingers for blood. “Tell me I didn’t rip a stitch.”

  Brad brushed my hair to the side and carefully peeled the bandage away from my skin. “You’re not bleeding.”

  “Good.”

  He pressed the tape back down. “Liv, there’s been another attack. Voletek called earlier. He wants to stop by to discuss it and that night, but Emma’s afraid it’ll retraumatize you.”

  Worst case scenarios played through my mind. “What happened? How many people did these bastards kill?”

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say. We’re off the case.” But I saw the lie in my partner’s eyes.

  “You’re still working this behind Winston’s back, aren’t you?”

  “I’ll assist Voletek and Lisco any way I can. Unfortunately, Jake didn’t get the chance to tell me what happened. He just said he needs to talk to you. To us. This was our case. Yours and mine. I’m not washing my hands of it until these bastards have been stopped. But you don’t have to be a part of this.” He stared into my eyes. “I’m not sure I want you to be a part of this. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Don’t pull that macho bullshit on me, Fennel. I’m not some damsel in distress, recent events notwithstanding. If I know something that can stop this from happening again, I want to help. I have to help. But not at the expense of tainting the case or sacrificing a conviction. When we catch them, I want these bastards to go away for life.”

  “I thought you might. I told Jake to drop by after shift. I hope that’s okay. He walks the line, but he won’t compromise the case. You can trust him to do the right thing. I’m just not sure IAD would see it like that, if they were to find out we’re working this off the books with him.”

  “It’s fine.” Jake Voletek was Teflon, and so was I. “But we’ll have to keep this from Emma.” And that also meant I needed to stay away from the pain meds, which I’d been reconsidering since the moment I woke up.

  I adjusted on the couch and closed my eyes. Brad turned on the TV, but the news didn’t mention anything about the killers’ latest attack. Brad’s phone buzzed, and I opened my eyes to watch him read the text.

  “Is that Jake?” I asked.

  “No, Winters.”

  “Crap, I forgot about court. What day is it?”

  “Tuesday.”

  “You were supposed to meet with him yesterday. Did you go?”

  “I was with you all day.” He typed out a reply and put his phone on the coffee table. “I’ll get together with him tomorrow. I have court Thursday. I can’t get out of it. Winters tried to delay the proceedings, but the defense wouldn’t budge. And since they’re willing to accept your affidavit into evidence and give up their right to cross, the judge didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t proceed.”

  “So I’m off the hook?”

  Brad chuckled. “I see you found a way to get out of going to court, but don’t do it again.”

  “Is Winters’ case solid without me?”

  “You’ll be there in spirit, metaphorically speaking. But I can handle this. We’ve done enough of these. It’s solid. So was the arrest. Actually, the defense was afraid your appearance,” he waved his hand at my face, “would bias the jury in the prosecution’s favor. I think he’s glad you won’t be there.”

  “But that offender didn’t do this to me.”

  “No, but you know juries.”

  The phone buzzed again, and Brad reached over to read the message. “Winters wants me to tell you he hopes you feel better, and he promises we’ll get these guys.” Brad looked around the living room and pointed to a giant basket in the corner. “He sent that over. His card said something about not wanting you to miss breakfast.”

  “Ugh.”

  “You spent the night with Logan Winters.” Brad crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me like he would a perp in interrogation. “That’s why you smelled like cologne the other morning.”

  “Nothing happened. I had a headache, and he let me crash at his place.”

  “Likely story,” Brad teased, growing concerned when I didn’t argue. “Maybe Jake should hold off tonight. You just got home, and I’m not sure the doctors were too keen on releasing you. Everyone seems to forget you went through major surgery.”

  “They stitched up a scratch. It was no big deal.”

  “That’s what you think.” Brad exhaled, but the blood drained from his face. He turned back to the TV and flipped channels. We didn’t speak again until Emma returned with dinner.

  Twenty-nine

  “I don’t remember everything. Do you have a copy of the liquor store owner’s report? He told me the suspect had been inside 24/7 Spirits for almost an hour by the time I showed up. But before we could clear out the customers, another man entered. It must have been two men since there were three of them, but I never saw them until it was too late.” I reached for one of the files Voletek had brought. “One of them’s blond. The other two have dark hair. They all wore those plastic Halloween masks. The clear plastic with the brightly colored makeup around the eyes, cheeks, and lips.”

  “Like this?” Voletek tapped on his phone a few times and showed me a photo from a store’s website.

  “Just like that.”

  “Okay, I just wanted to make sure. We’ve been running recent purchases, but we haven’t had any luck. I don’t think we will. Too many places sell these, both local and online. And they could have stocked up last Halloween or several Halloweens ago.”

  “Did you check with robbery?” I asked.

  “No crew used this as their signature, but there are dozens of armed robberies and smash and grabs where the robbers wore these masks. We’re checking into them and reinterviewing the previous victims to make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

  “You think one of these crews has escalated to murder?”

  “We won’t know unless we check. But they’re attacking cops now, so we’re checking everything, no matter how miniscule,” Jake said.

  I reached for another file, hoping to find the liquor store owner’s statement. Perhaps his description of one of the killers would jog my memory.

  “You don’t need to see that one.” Brad snatched the file from me. “IAD would say you want to look at it just to keep your story straight. No reason to make them question you or what you remember. We’ve already had enough run-ins with them when we worked that last case for intelligence.”

  “Don’t remind me, but this is different.” All I knew was Brad didn’t want me to see that file.

  “IAD already verified her story. Liv acted above and beyond her duties. We have evidence, the calls to dispatch, and Officers Roberts’ and Ainsley’s reports. That’s not a concern.” Jake smiled at me. “Have I mentioned it’s good to see you up and around.”

  “Thanks.” I reached for one of the grain-free pastries he’d gotten from a Paleo bakery. “And thanks for not sending flowers.”

  “They can be overwhelming.”

  “Like this case,” Brad mumbled. “Liv’s supposed to be taking it easy. Maybe we should call it a night.” He put the folder down beside Jake.

  “What did Emma say to you before she left?” I asked. “Did she tell you to be a pain in my ass?”

&
nbsp; Brad didn’t even bother to acknowledge that I’d spoken. Instead, he stared at Jake, hoping to silently communicate something.

  Jake handed me a copy of the owner’s statement and took the file I had grabbed and tucked it beneath his elbow. “That’s what you’re looking for. He spoke to a sketch artist, but I don’t know if that’ll help.”

  “I never saw his face, just the back of him.” I skimmed what the store owner said and studied the line drawing. “I just wanted to see what one of these bastards looks like.”

  “Might look like,” Brad corrected. “If the security camera worked, we’d know for sure.”

  “If the security camera worked, the guy wouldn’t have gone inside the store.” And then a thought hit me. “Did the offenders do anything to the camera? Spray the lens or try to destroy it?”

  “Nothing,” Jake said.

  “So they knew it didn’t work.” I leaned back in the chair, resisting the urge to rub my sore shoulder. Touching it only made the bruises and cuts hurt worse. “The one with the gravelly voice knew how to disarm the system. Once the alarm sounded, he went to the counter and turned off the alarm and the flashing lights. Or maybe the lights went out first.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, which was also sore. “I can’t remember the order in which it happened.”

  “That’s understandable.” Jake got up from the table and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You said they were armed, but when you frisked one of them, he didn’t have a gun. Are you sure you cuffed him?”

  “Yeah.” But now I wondered if I failed to fasten the second bracelet.

  “We found your cuffs on the floor.” Jake swallowed and stared into his mug. “He’s the one you said hit you.”

  “He’s the one who wanted to kill me – the one with the gravelly voice. He was in charge. He told me he’d make it hurt, that I’d beg him to kill me before it was over.” I licked my lips, recalling the look in his eyes. “He meant it.”

  Brad pushed away from the table and circled the living room a few times, looking for something to hit. “I should have been there.”