She nodded, then turned her attention to Brandon Johnson. He knelt with the other men, his expression hostile, his eyes staring straight ahead.
Without his disguise, he looked younger, less threatening, even harmless, which she knew was just a mirage. The weapons he was trafficking could have led to countless deaths.
“I need to borrow your radio,” she told Nick, and he handed it to her. She adjusted the volume so her boss could hear her over the noise. “You can come on in, Victoria.”
“You got him?”
“We got him, all right. Brandon Johnson won’t be kidnapping anyone again.”
CHAPTER NINE
The team converged on The Pit late the next afternoon at Nick’s suggestion. They crowded around their boss, laughing and smiling as they gathered to celebrate the bust.
They’d nabbed Brandon Johnson. Although he’d lawyered up immediately, he’d finally confessed to Anna’s kidnapping in an attempt to mitigate the other charges he faced. And even though it had taken a tremendous amount of work to get it done—involving two federal agencies, two busts and numerous meetings and legwork—they now had both kidnappers in custody.
“This round’s on me,” Victoria told the bartender. She handed him her credit card. “Serve them whatever they want.”
Lara ordered a glass of whiskey, then beamed at the raucous group, her chest swelling with pride for her top-notch team. Not only had Nick saved her life the previous night, but they’d all demonstrated how thoroughly professional they were, earning even the ATF’s grudging respect.
Victoria waited until everyone had their drinks in hand. She took a sip of her gin and tonic, then waved her hand to get their attention. It took a moment for them to quiet down. “First off, I want to thank you all. When Anna was kidnapped...” She stopped, then inhaled, as if grappling for control.
“You were all great,” she continued. “I never could have made it through that horrible ordeal without you. Having a child in danger is a parent’s worst nightmare.” She smiled at Lara, prompting a rush of sympathy. She didn’t want to imagine the terror her boss had experienced with her daughter gone.
“But you all came through for me. Mei and Ty found that apartment. Lara braved those visits to Moretti and got Latanya on board. You executed that pharmacy takedown without a hitch, and then Nick got Rebecca to talk. And last night...well, that was just phenomenal. I’ve never been more proud. We even scored some points with the ATF. And now we’ve got them both—Rebecca Peterson and Brandon Johnson. They won’t be peddling weapons or kidnapping anyone again.”
Cheers broke out. Everyone clinked glasses and drank. Lara grinned at the happy faces, experiencing her own surge of satisfaction and pride. The arrests were a huge relief for the team. Not only had they gotten justice for Victoria and Anna, and proven that they could work effectively together, but they’d finally had a win, their first positive development in this complex case. And they’d desperately needed the boost to their morale after the disasters they’d all been through.
“Any word on the weapons?” Xander asked with his usual directness. He wasn’t the type to wallow in a display of emotion, even at a happy time like this.
Victoria took another swallow of her G&T, then set it on the bar. “I just got off the phone with the ATF a few minutes ago. They found all the stuff we expected—AKs and handguns, the missiles and RPGs. The serial numbers were scratched off, but the lab was able to raise some partials with the acid test. It looks like they were manufactured in Turkey and probably sold on the Russian black market. We’ll know more about that part in a few more days. But it was a good haul, all around.”
Lara sipped her whiskey, both tired and relieved. It had gone well. So much could go wrong during a bust like that, but they’d accomplished it without any serious complications. They deserved this bit of gaiety.
Of course, it wouldn’t last for long. Tomorrow they’d have to face reality again. The Ghost was still on the loose, and they needed to figure out how to end Moretti’s campaign of terror. But it felt so damned good to celebrate for once.
“Where’s Cass?” she asked, suddenly realizing their tech guru wasn’t in the bar.
“She went home a little while ago,” Mei said. “She said she wanted to pick up some groceries and then relax with a bubble bath.”
Lara nodded, but privately, she wondered if it wasn’t an excuse. Cass had been subdued over the past few weeks, almost looking depressed—which was understandable since her sister’s twenty-third birthday had just passed. She wouldn’t be in the mood to celebrate any joyous occasion, even a victory like this.
Victoria drained her glass, then stood. “Speaking of going home... I’m off.” She started to say something else, then apparently thought better of it and shook her head. “I want you all to sleep in tomorrow. You deserve a rest. I don’t want to see anyone in the office before...nine.” They all laughed.
With a wave she turned and headed toward the exit, followed a moment later by Ty and Mei.
“I’m out of here, too,” Xander announced. “I’ve got my daughter with me tonight.” He slugged back the rest of his beer, then set the empty mug on the bar and left. Lara noticed that he turned a few female heads as he strode away.
She slid on to his empty bar stool next to Nick. For a few minutes, neither spoke. Lara, still feeling mellow about their success, scanned the bustling bar. It was filled with other cops and feds.
“Victoria’s right. We did a good job last night,” Nick finally said.
“Thanks to you.” She swiveled around to face him, knowing she owed him a debt she could never repay. “If you hadn’t taken out that guy in the warehouse...” They might be planning her funeral right now. At the very least she’d be injured, or nursing some major bruises, despite that bulletproof vest.
Nick’s smile warmed, creating attractive crinkles around his eyes. “You’d have done the same.”
No doubt. “Still, it doesn’t change the fact that you saved my life.”
He shrugged and drank some beer. “How’s your lip?”
“Not bad. A little puffy and sore, but I’ll survive.”
He looked at his beer again. Then his gaze snapped back to hers. “You want to grab some dinner?”
Her heart stumbled a beat. Did he mean just dinner, or dinner and something more? She tried to sound casual. “What did you have in mind?”
His eyes gleamed, and she felt that familiar sensual tug. “I’m flexible. We could go out or order in.”
Oh, boy. Her mind began spinning with conflicting thoughts. Sex would be great. She could definitely use the physical release after the past few days she’d had. And sex with Nick meant a straight flight into ecstasy.
But this was Nick, a man she worked with. She’d vowed to keep her distance from him. They’d finally gotten past the awkwardness of the last time, putting their relationship on an even keel again. Did she really want to risk screwing that up?
Just then her cell phone chimed. Wondering who could be calling, she tugged it from her jacket pocket and tapped the screen.
“Who is it?” Nick asked.
She frowned, a prickle of foreboding creeping through her nerves. “Victoria. She sent a text.”
“She just left. What does she have to say now?”
“I don’t know.” She scanned the screen. Then she went still, the horror of the message robbing her of breath. “It’s Cass.” Stricken, she met his eyes. “She’s been attacked.”
* * *
They made it to the emergency room in record time. They blasted their way through rush-hour traffic, miraculously not mowing down any pedestrians as they sped across midtown Manhattan to the hospital. Then they’d double-parked Nick’s car in the emergency entrance and charged inside, flashing their badges as they strode to the curtained-off area where the nurse indicated they’d find Cass.
Lara paused outside the curtain to compose herself. She drew in a breath, terrified at what they might find. But Nick placed his hand on her lower
back, steadying her frazzled nerves, and she sent him a grateful look.
“Cass?” she called.
“Come on in,” Victoria answered.
Lara tugged the curtain open and stepped inside. Her gaze flew directly to Cass lying on the gurney, her face ashen, a massive bruise causing the skin around her eye to swell. A knife jutted from her jean-clad leg.
“Oh, my God.” She clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Don’t move,” Victoria told Cass from her seat beside the gurney. She looked up at Lara and Nick, shooting them a warning glance. “They just took X-rays. They’re taking her into surgery in a second to remove the knife.”
Lara took in the gruesome sight. “Are you all right?”
“I think so,” Cass said, her voice weak, her good eye dark with pain.
“She was lucky,” Victoria said. “It missed her artery. She should recover fine. But they need to go in and clean it out, and make sure there isn’t any debris.”
Lara moved closer to Cass. She looked so beaten up, so incredibly fragile lying there against the bright white sheets, hooked up to an array of machines.
“What happened?” Nick asked.
“I stopped for groceries after work,” Cass said, so softly Lara had to strain to hear. “At the market down the street. He was waiting in the kitchen when I came home. I don’t know how he got inside. The door was locked...”
“The cops are checking that out,” Victoria said. “They’ll let us know as soon as they find out anything.”
Hoping to reassure her, Lara reached out and squeezed her hand. But her skin was clammy and chilled, her pulse barely perceptible. Lara stole a glance at the blinking monitors, praying she’d be all right. “When’s the doctor coming?”
“Any second now.”
“Good.” She smoothed a lock of hair away from Cass’s face, silently urging him to hurry up.
“Did you see who attacked you?” Nick asked Cass.
“No. He was wearing a mask. A ski mask. And goggles. I couldn’t see his eyes. It happened so fast... I didn’t even have time to go for my gun. He just stabbed me and ran off.”
Lara shuddered, her thoughts winging back to her mother, who’d died in a situation a lot like that. “So, it was a burglary?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t take my purse. He didn’t even say anything. He just jumped out and slugged me in the face. I fell down, and he stabbed my leg. And then he ran away.”
“He must have panicked. You probably interrupted him.” But his behavior still seemed bizarre. She cast her boss a quizzical look. “What do you think he wanted?”
“We can talk about that later,” Victoria said, giving her head a shake. Lara understood. She didn’t want them upsetting Cass.
Just then two nurses in flowered scrubs appeared. One drew the curtain aside while the other squeezed past Lara and grabbed the IV pole. “We’re taking Ms. McDonner into surgery now. You’ll have to go to the waiting room. There’s one for surgery on the second floor.”
“All right. You hang in there,” she told Cass, scraping up a wobbly smile. “We’ll be waiting when you’re done.” Cass nodded, and they wheeled her away.
But as Lara trailed her coworkers back into the waiting room, a deep feeling of apprehension took hold of her nerves. This couldn’t be a coincidence, not with everything else they had going on. And what kind of robber punched his victim, then stabbed her in the leg? He obviously hadn’t intended to kill her, given that he’d stabbed her thigh. So, what was the point of the attack?
“I need to go park my car,” Nick said.
“We’ll wait for you here,” Victoria told him, and he strode off. Lara watched him go, grateful beyond measure that he’d been with her when she got the text. Just the sight of his broad shoulders was more comforting than she could say.
As soon as he turned the corner, Victoria pulled her aside. “Come over here.” She motioned her into a hallway, out of sight of the people in the waiting room.
“What is it?”
Victoria reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of disposable gloves. “Put these on. There was a message attached to the knife, wrapped around the handle with a rubber band. I’m taking it into evidence, but I wanted you to see it first.”
Lara’s throat went dry. She tugged on the gloves, then took the proffered baggie from her boss. She extracted a bloodstained piece of paper, her dread growing as she skimmed the note: L-I know what you did. On the bottom was the MM stamp.
“Oh, God,” she whispered, feeling dazed. She stared at her boss, the ghastliness of it sinking in. “Moretti’s stamp. And this note, the L... This message was meant for me.”
“I agree. That’s why I wanted you to see it first.”
“But who...who could have done this? You don’t think it was The Ghost?”
Victoria’s mouth tightened. “I doubt it. It’s not his usual MO. And thank heavens for that.”
She was right. If The Ghost had gotten to Cass, she’d now be dead.
Shaken, Lara handed the evidence back to her boss. Then she stripped off the gloves and tossed them in a nearby biohazard can, the triumph she’d felt over the kidnappers’ arrests obliterated by this attack.
Moretti had obviously orchestrated this. His MM stamp proved that.
And no matter what else happened, she’d make sure that he would pay. No one brutalized her teammate and got away with it. He’d gone too far this time.
But was this what he’d meant by home, she suddenly wondered? That he’d hurt someone on her team?
Unless... I know what you did. Those ominous words spiraled through her head. Could this be about that child?
Suddenly panicked, she pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled for a number she told herself she’d never use, that she’d never have to use. She dialed the number to the safe house, praying they’d be all right.
The phone rang on the other end. Her fear mounted as it rang again. And then that high-pitched tone screeched in her eardrum, along with a recorded voice.
“The number you’ve dialed is out of service.”
Lara’s knees weakened, a scream forming in her head.
Had they gotten to the baby?
* * * * *
Justice is worth every sacrifice.
A brand-new 8-part reading experience starting January 12, 2016!
FBI agent Lara Grant has finally put her life as an undercover operative behind her and started a new assignment in New York City. But her past and present collide and become ever more twisted as a spate of murders sends a message that is cruelly, chillingly personal...
Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of 8) by New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy
Tough Justice: Watched (Part 2 of 8) by Tyler Anne Snell
Tough Justice: Burned (Part 3 of 8) by Carol Ericson
Tough Justice: Trapped (Part 4 of 8) by Gail Barrett
Tough Justice: Twisted (Part 5 of 8) by Gail Barrett
Tough Justice: Ambushed (Part 6 of 8) by Carol Ericson
Tough Justice: Betrayed (Part 7 of 8) by Tyler Anne Snell
Tough Justice: Hunted (Part 8 of 8) by New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy
Available January 12, 2016
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Collect all 8!
Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of 8) by New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy
Tough Justice: Watched (Part 2 of 8) by Tyler Anne Snell
Tough Justice: Burned (Part 3 of 8) by Carol Ericson
Tough Justice: Trapped (Part 4 of 8) by Gail Barrett
Tough Justice: Twisted (Part 5 of 8) by Gail Barrett
Tough Justice: Ambushed (Part 6 of 8) by Carol Ericson
Tough Justice: Betra
yed (Part 7 of 8) by Tyler Anne Snell
Tough Justice: Hunted (Part 8 of 8) by New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy
ISBN-13: 9781460393659
Tough Justice: Trapped (Part 4 of 8)
Copyright © 2016 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Gail Barrett for her contribution to the Tough Justice series.
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A mission that will turn this case on its head...
With a sting set for a downtown bar, Special Agent Lara Grant and her team are on high alert to snare the most dangerous man in Manhattan. No one tears their team apart and gets away with it! Their aim: to get the perp’s DNA from his shot glass...
Mission accomplished, but each step forward in the case takes them two steps back into Lara’s past—this time, to the years before her undercover assignment, and a family torn apart by a brutal murder. But Lara knows she can focus only on the present. Because when the DNA results come through, they shock the team and rock the very foundations of the case...
Tough Justice Series Box Set, Parts 1-8 Page 37