Pursued

by Lisa Harris

  The sound of the gun firing ripped through the air. It was too late. Finn staggered toward her, his face frozen in pain. Blood spread across his chest where he’d been shot. He grabbed her arm, trying to catch his balance. But instead, he crumbled to the floor, pulling her with him.

  “You didn’t have to shoot him!” she said, scooting away toward the wall. “Let me help him. He’s going to bleed to death if we don’t do something.”

  “He’s an idiot and the reason I’m in this mess. I never should have agreed to let him help me.”

  Nikki leaned against the wall, shaking. She was tired, her nerves were on edge, and she wasn’t in any mood to cooperate.

  “You killed him,” she said, staring at Finn’s lifeless body.

  “I had to. He lunged at me. And you’ll be next if you don’t shut up.”

  The phone rang again.

  Cipher hesitated, then picked up the phone as he pointed his weapon at her. “Tell them the gun went off by accident and everyone’s fine.”

  “And if they don’t believe me?” she asked.

  “Make them believe you,” Cipher said, taking the call and putting it on speaker.

  “Nikki … we heard a gunshot. Is everyone okay?”

  Nikki glanced up at Cipher. “We’re fine. The gun went off by accident.”

  “We’re working on getting what you asked, but we don’t want this situation to explode. Give us one more minute.”

  One more minute?

  She looked at Finn’s dead body, then to the door, trying to read between the lines. They knew the men had tried to kill at least three people. They knew shots had been fired in the room. And that both men had nothing to lose.

  They didn’t want the situation to explode.

  They needed another minute.

  What were they trying to tell her?

  That they weren’t going to wait any longer.

  Anticipating their next move, she closed her eyes and turned toward the wall. A second later, a sharp burst of light filled the room as men in boots swarmed into the room.

  13

  10:01 p.m.

  All Nikki could hear were garbled shouts around her. Someone brushed against her, but she couldn’t see anything beyond the bright lights of the flash grenade across her line of sight. They were shouting at Cipher to stand down and drop the gun. Shouting at him to put up his hands and not move.

  “Agent Boyd.” Someone’s hands were on her shoulders, then undoing her hands from behind. “I’m Lieutenant Long. The SWAT team has things neutralized. You’re safe now.”

  She nodded, shaking and disoriented. A wave of nausea swept through her. If only she could block out the flashes of light and the noise … She pressed her forehead against her knees. “All I can see is light and spots.”

  “Give it a few minutes and the spots will go away. Another fifteen or so and your ears will hopefully stop ringing.”

  Hopefully? He’d better be right.

  “You sound like you’ve done this before.” She touched her temples, wishing the ringing in her ears would stop. Her head was killing her. And the flashing wouldn’t stop.

  “A stupid dare at the academy,” the lieutenant said, stepping away from her. “Your partner’s here.”

  “Nikki, it’s Jack. Are you okay?”

  “I think so.” She could hear the snap of handcuffs as they secured Cipher and then the shuffle of boots as they led him out of the room.

  “There’s blood on your hands and face,” Jack said.

  The room began to slowly come into focus as the bright lights faded. She looked down at her hands. Jack was right. They were covered with blood. Finn was lying beside her. Still. Lifeless. There was a bullet hole in his chest, with blood pooling onto the ground. It could have been her lying there on the hard floor. Things could have ended so differently.

  A domino effect of wrong decisions had brought them both here to this moment. She started rubbing his blood off her hands, onto her shirt. She wanted it gone. Wanted all the reminders of what had happened today gone.

  “The paramedics are here, Nikki.” Jack’s fingers tightened around her arm. “They need to make sure you’re not injured. Is that okay?”

  She held up her hands. “It’s not my blood. He shot his partner.”

  God, all I wanted to do was help people. To make sure families didn’t suffer like ours did when they lost someone, but this …

  Dig deeper, Nikki.

  You’re stronger than you feel. Braver than you believe.

  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

  The words echoed in her mind. There had been so much loss. So much death. And they still hadn’t found Erika.

  “They started fighting about what to do. Finn tried to grab the gun,” she said, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. “The weapon went off.”

  “We’ll worry about what happened later. Do you think you can stand up?” Jack asked. “There’s a chair over here where you can sit while the paramedics check you over.”

  Her legs shook as he helped her up and led her to a chair, where a woman with short brown hair and a sympathetic smile cleaned up her hands and face. But the bloodstains on her shirt were still there. All she wanted to do was go home and change and forget today ever happened.

  “You were right,” Jack said, still hovering beside her as the paramedic finished up. “It’s not your blood.”

  “Do you hurt anywhere?” the woman asked.

  “Just my head. It’s pounding.”

  “That’s typical after a flash bang. We’ll give you some pain medicine. Anything else?”

  Besides feeling like she was in a brain fog? “I don’t think so. I just … I just want to get out of here.”

  The room was closing in on her. She was fighting to breathe against the panic. The coroner zipped up Finn’s body to her left. She didn’t know where they’d taken Cipher, but he was gone. Did he regret what he’d done at all, or had it been worth trying to escape?

  Maybe that didn’t matter. All that really should matter at this moment was that it was over and she was safe. But not everyone involved was okay.

  She glanced up at Jack as her mind started clicking through the events of the past hour. “What happened to Aiden? I was with him when he was stabbed.” Her heart pounded. If he hadn’t made it—

  “He’s at the hospital,” Jack said.

  “Is he going to be all right?” she asked.

  “From what I understand he’s been stabilized and will be okay.”

  Jack was still right next to her, holding her hand, trying to steady her, but she could feel her hands trembling and her heart racing as she struggled to convince herself it was over and she was safe now.

  “What about Justin? Is he the one they stabbed?”

  Jack nodded.

  “And …” Nikki pressed.

  “All we know at this point is that he’s been taken in for emergency surgery.”

  “It’s all connected,” she said, as she took the pain medicine and water offered by the paramedic. “They stabbed Justin. It had to be a hit, hired by Russell.”

  “You’re sure about that?” Jack asked.

  Nikki nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  Which meant they needed to question Cipher. Find out what he knew about Russell. Maybe lead them to Lily’s father.

  “Agent Boyd.” The lieutenant was back again, standing in front of her in his tactical gear. “I’d like to ask you a few questions while everything is fresh in your mind. Is that okay? We need to know what the inmates said while you were with them.”

  Her head pulsed as she tried to focus on his request. She wanted to help. Wanted to figure out as much as he did what had just happened. But all she really wanted to do was go home. To see her family. To see Tyler. Anything that was normal. How had this simple missing persons case turned into such a nightmare?

  “Nikki?” the lieutenant asked again. “Is that okay?”

  She
nodded, then let Jack walk with her down the hall to an office. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The air conditioner hummed in the corner. Her ears were still ringing. At least they’d turned off the sirens.

  She sat down in one of the chairs next to Jack.

  “Can I get you something to drink before we start? Maybe some coffee. I promise this won’t take long.”

  She was nodding again. Following orders. Still feeling numb. She waited another couple minutes while someone went to get her some coffee. It was dark outside now. Street lamps lit up the parking lot. She glanced around the room. She should feel safe. But she didn’t. She wanted to go home, not sit and talk about what had happened.

  The lieutenant came back into the room. “Sugar and cream?”

  “Thanks.”

  He set a large cup in front of her. “I promise not to take long. I just want to ask a few questions, then Jack will take you home.”

  She took a sip of the coffee. It was bitter and weak, but hopefully the combination of caffeine and painkillers would knock out her headache.

  The FBI wasn’t going to want her to discuss the details of the case, but at this point she didn’t care. They’d withheld information that might have impacted her case. She was through playing games. Especially when lives were at stake and people were willing to kill for what they wanted.

  “I’d like you to walk through what happened after the interview you had with inmate Peters,” the lieutenant said.

  She glanced at Jack, who nodded for her to go ahead. “Jack and I had just finished interviewing Justin Peters in connection with a case we’re working on. As we were leaving, I saw Deputy Commissioner Aiden Lambert in the hallway.”

  “Why did you talk to him?”

  “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s been one of my resources in a cold case I’ve been working on.” Nikki took another sip of the coffee. The lieutenant didn’t need to know that the cold case was her sister. “While we were talking, he received a call on his phone. He told me there had been an attack on one of the prisoners and that one of the guards had been hit. He said he needed to get me out of there.”

  Memories surfaced like colors shifting through a kaleidoscope. Fuzzy, then coming into clarity for brief moments, then fading away. The blade of the knife Finn had used to stab Aiden as it caught the light. The feeling of the air being knocked out of her lungs when she’d hit the wall. The blood pooling beneath Aiden.

  “Then two of the prisoners came up behind us. They seemed … almost panicked. Like whatever plan they’d had was falling apart and they didn’t know what to do.”

  “What happened next?” the lieutenant asked.

  “Aiden moved in front of me, but Finn reacted faster. He slammed Aiden into the wall … and then he stabbed him.”

  “So you don’t think that the attack on Aiden or the ensuing hostage situation you were involved in was premeditated?”

  “No—it started as a hit on Peters.”

  “Do you know what the attack on Peters was about?”

  Nikki glanced at Jack, wondering how much she should say. “You’ll have to talk to the FBI about that. It’s their case. But what can you tell me about Cipher?” she asked, ready for some answers herself.

  “He stays out of trouble for the most part. But he’s a part of a gang, and we know now—thanks to the gun he had—that he still has connections to the outside.”

  Like Brian Russell.

  Nikki set her coffee down, her brain finally clearing enough for her to begin putting the pieces together. They needed to talk with Cipher. If he could lead them to Russell …

  Lieutenant Long leaned across the table and handed her his card before standing up. “If you can think of anything else that might help us with our investigation, please let me know. And if we have any more questions for you, we’ll be in touch.” He nodded toward the door. “The guard will escort you to the exit.”

  Nikki drew in a deep breath and nodded, but didn’t get up. The pain medicine had finally managed to alleviate her headache, but she still felt unsteady. Today had come far too close to pushing her over the edge. Which was why there were times when it wasn’t possible to simply look at a case from the outside and not feel personally involved. But no matter what today had thrown at her, she still wasn’t ready to walk away. She was even more determined to find Erika and Lily before Russell did.

  “What are you thinking?” Jack asked, tossing her empty coffee cup into the trash can.

  “That I’m not ready to walk away from this case,” she said, standing up. “I need you to help me convince Carter to let me keep working.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Jack stopped in front of her. “He’ll never go for that. Not after all you’ve been through today.”

  “Which is why I want you to speak to him.” She shook her head and stood up. “I need a good night’s sleep and a few pain relievers, but I wasn’t hurt. Just a couple of bruises. Erika’s out there, and I want to see this through.”

  “Nikki—”

  “I want to talk to Justin again,” she said, not waiting for him to shoot down her idea. “I think he knows way more than he told us, and Cipher … he can lead us to Russell—”

  “Can I give you some advice?” Jack asked, his hand resting on the doorknob. “Because you’re not thinking clearly. Let me drive you home. Get a good night’s sleep, and don’t make any decisions until tomorrow.”

  “Fine, but just take me to the station, and I can pick up my car.”

  “Forget it,” Jack said, heading out the door. “I’m driving you home. You can pick it up tomorrow.”

  It was dark outside by the time they stepped into the humid night air. The moon hung in the sky, just like it did every single night. It was the only thing that seemed familiar in a world that had spiraled out of control.

  “Why don’t I take you to your parents’ house,” Jack said, unlocking his car. “I’m not sure I should just drop you off at home alone—”

  “I’m fine, Jack.” She breathed in a lungful of air before getting into his vehicle, thankful to be out of the confinement of the prison. Thankful she was free and alive. “Trust me.”

  She stared out the window as Jack drove out of the parking lot and onto the main road. She appreciated his concern but knew that what would help her the most emotionally was making sure they found Erika and Lily safe. Cars flew by, their lights searing through her and reminding her of the flash grenade. She couldn’t go see her parents. Not tonight. She knew they worried about her. And while they had supported her decision to change careers from teaching to law enforcement, she knew her mom in particular worried about that decision every day. They didn’t need to know what had happened tonight.

  Because children weren’t supposed to die before their parents. But sometimes they did. Or sometimes, you didn’t know what happened to those you loved, which was even worse.

  Her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. It was her mom. She let it ring. If they found out what had happened, they were only going to worry more.

  “I spoke with your parents tonight,” Jack said. “They were trying to get ahold of you. They’re still worried about you after the plane crash and want to see you.”

  A sliver of guilt shot through her. “What did you tell them?”

  “I told them you were okay and that you might be working late tonight. And if you did, you’d call them tomorrow.”

  “Thanks,” she said, leaning back against the headrest. “As long as they know I’m okay, I’ll talk to them tomorrow.”

  “You should talk to them. Sooner rather than later.”

  She winced at his comment, knowing he was right. She hated leaving them hanging, but she needed time to process things, and they were going to bombard her with dozens of questions. She just wasn’t ready for that.

  “You sure you don’t want to go to your parents’?” he asked, stopping at a red light. “Last chance.”

  “I’ll be fine at home, Jack. I promise.” It was t
ime to pick a new topic. “Tell me about Holly. Things seem to be getting pretty serious between the two of you.”

  “You’re changing the subject,” he said.

  “Aren’t you the smart detective.”

  Jack laughed.

  She listened to him talk about his allergist turned girlfriend, thankful for the distraction. She needed the reminder that sometimes life had happy endings. That somewhere in the midst of everything that had happened she could still find a slice of normal.

  14

  11:30 p.m.

  Outside Nikki’s condo

  Fifteen minutes later, Jack pulled in against the curb outside her condo.

  “Thanks for the ride,” she said, grabbing her bag off the floorboard, then opening the passenger door.

  “Nikki, wait.” Jack laid his hand on her arm. “You successfully avoided talking about tonight. If you need to talk, or vent—”

  “I’m too tired, Jack.” Was it just this morning she’d been flying home, looking forward to a day with nothing more to do than reconnect with Tyler? Tomorrow she was going to have to deal with her own statement and paperwork, and at some point she’d have to talk with a shrink to make sure she was okay. But she was okay. Or at least she would be okay. She just needed time to sort everything out in her head.

  “Look,” Jack continued. “I just want you to know that I’m here. Gwen’s here. We understand what you’re going through. What it’s like to get caught up way too close on a case. Like when I got shot, for example.”

  She turned back toward him and saw the scar on his neck, barely visible in the streetlight. Four months ago, he took a gunshot to the neck and almost died. Sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder if what they did was worth the risks. But in those deep moments of soul-searching she knew it was. It was worth it for Sarah and for anyone out there needing a second chance.

  “You are right about one thing,” she said. “Today did get to me. Physically … emotionally … I just need to regroup and find some perspective.”

  Jack shifted toward her in the driver’s seat. “Which is why you need to take some time off. No one would think anything about you walking away from this one.”