“I just need a confession. However that happens is my plan.”
“Okay, buddy, sounds good to me, we’ll get something.” Kreed assured him with those final words, and Mitch knew this rested squarely on his shoulders.
With herculean effort, Mitch pushed Cody from his mind and stood there staring through the double-paned glass window at Agent Langley. He sat at a table in a small room, his hands linked together, staring back at the darkened window, completely alone. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Connors had the Austin surveillance camera footage printed as well as the voice audio extracted and burned to his computer, all in an effort to convince Agent Langley to talk. In Mitch’s mind, of course they had their guy. The video feed was perfect, the voice recording an exact match. Crazier things had happened to free fugitives, but they had done the best they could in pulling this case together so quickly.
Mitch could feel the tick in his jaw working the longer he stood there. This was going to be an hours-long process. The guy was trained to keep his mouth shut. He also knew the law. All he needed was time.
“Let me go in.” Mitch didn’t take his eyes off the man sitting in the small room.
“There are better trained interrogators. I’ve called in favors—” Connors started.
“I have a way of getting under people’s skin faster than anyone. It’s the only way he’ll talk,” Mitch cut Connors off.
“Knox, you have to be careful.”
“Just let me in there. I’ve got a plan. It’ll take a few times, but I’ll get him talking.” Mitch opened the door to the room, not waiting for permission. He checked his sidearm with the security guard at the door. He didn’t trust himself not to shoot the guy where he sat, which would be incredibly satisfying in the short term, but not so much if he sat in prison for the rest of his life.
He entered the interrogation room. Agent Langley’s eyes connected with his, and he held the stare until the agent turned away. There was no look of remorse in the guy’s gaze. Nothing that indicated he knew how much trouble he was actually in. Mitch glared at him, coming to stand directly in front of him. He crossed his arms over his chest, letting the bulk of his muscles be as imposing as intended.
“You were looking for me?” Mitch cocked his head to the side, studying the guy. “I’m here. I’m not sure I heard your message clearly. Care to repeat it?”
“I have a right to an attorney. I’m exercising that right.”
“We both know this is bigger than that. You can’t target a senator’s kid and keep all your rights. I’ll make a deal with you… You talk, confess what you’ve done, why you did it, and who else you’re working with, and you might get a nice plea deal.” The guy smirked at Mitch.
“I’m exercising my right to an attorney.”
“Ain’t gonna happen. You’re a big enough man to target unsuspecting men, but not big enough to have that conversation with me now? I fuck men, but you know that, don’t you? We have positive ID of you at the scene of the crime in Austin.” Mitch grinned as Langley gave the slightest narrowing of the eyes before forcing the passive features back in place. “Got anything to say now?”
“I want my attorney.”
“Ain’t gonna happen, we’ve got you now.” Mitch placed both hands on the table, leaning in. “What’d you do, follow me?”
“Attorney,” the agent said.
“Was this all a big show to gain my attention? Did I turn you down at one point? You aren’t my normal type. I tend to like my men younger and prettier than you.” Mitch leaned completely in, getting in the guy’s personal space.
Agent Langley didn’t like that at all. After a moment of chicken, the calm façade wore off, and the agent leaned back in the seat, creating distance. Hate and disgust were clear on his face, and he stayed silent. That spoke volumes. Mitch had his strategy.
He said nothing more, but turned to leave the room. As he shut the door behind him, he re-holstered his weapon, then grabbed his phone and set the alarm for one hour. He’d be back in there talking about the homosexual lifestyle, accuse the guy of being closeted, and let him tick like a time bomb. Langley would give. He’d talk before morning, for sure.
“Let me handle him, Connors. Don’t let anyone in there, and don’t fucking argue with me right now. I’ll be back in an hour.” Mitch headed to his office to call Cody.
Chapter 49
“Mr. Turner,” Cody heard in his haze of sleep. He tried to turn away from the voice. Anyone using words like mister wasn’t anyone he needed to talk to right now.
“Mr. Turner, I need to give you your medication.” Cody cracked an eyelid, saw the nurse, and gave in as he opened both eyes. The place was wrong, so was the nurse, and he tried to rise. A long string of curse words flew from his lips as he registered the pain in his body and carefully laid himself back.
“Settle down, sir. You’re okay. This will help with the pain,” she said swiftly and efficiently. Clearly this was not her first time with disorientated patients. Cody let her drop the tablets in his mouth and took a sip of the water she held. They did that three more times until everything on the tray was taken. She turned away and entered information into a portable rolling computer before she looked back to him.
“You slept through dinner, can I get you another tray?” He looked in the direction she pointed to see covered dishes sitting on the hospital bedside cart. The pain in his arm was a little too much to consider eating anything and he shook his head.
“His parents are bringing him some warm soup from the dining room,” someone said from the corner of the room.
“All right, Mr. Turner. Here’s the call button. Call the nurses station if you need anything. It’s almost time for your vitals. The aide will be around soon.” The nurse packed up her portable cart and left. Cody’s eyes landed on the man attached to the voice, but recognition took a second more to sink in.
“Dr. Knox?” Cody asked, still a little uncertain if he had dreamed the earlier exchange or if this was Mitch’s father in the room.
“Yes, you remember. Pretty impressive after everything you’ve gone through today,” Dr. Knox said, rising, walking toward him.
“Why are you here? Wait. Not that I’m not thankful…” Cody started, but stopped as a hand reached out to him.
“Mitch couldn’t be here. He needed someone watching over you. I volunteered.” Dr. Knox stood beside the bed, patting his leg. “Make sure you let them know when you’re in pain, especially these next twenty-four hours. No need to live with it right now.”
“Yes, sir,” Cody nodded, staring at the older man. He had a memory of thinking Mitch looked absolutely nothing like his father. Dr. Knox was a shorter man, balding, very excellent bedside manner. Then he remembered the smile and the dimples he’d caught glimpses of earlier.
“I’m sorry you came all this way.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Son, Mitch wants you to know they have the suspect in custody now. They still have security tight around you, but he’s working hard to alleviate the threats.”
“He blames himself, doesn’t he?” Cody asked.
“He’s always taken on others’ burdens, but I figured that’s what makes him so good at his job,” Dr. Knox answered.
“What are they saying about my arm?”
“You’ve had good care. If you do what they say and promise to do your physical therapy, you’ll be good as new. But they’ll keep you in here another day or two, for good measure. Your phone took the hit. I suspect Apple’s going to have a field day with that one,” Dr. Knox said, smiling warmly down at him.
“Mitch found the suspect pretty quick,” Cody said, relieved the agent had already been taken off the streets.
“Yes, he did, and I promised him I’d call once you woke. Are you up to talking to him now?” Dr. Knox asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Yes, thank you, sir. I hate that Mitch called you away from your job and family because of me,” Cody replied
, watching as Mitch’s father dialed the number.
“He’s never asked anything of his family since the minute he pushed himself out of the nest. I’m very happy to be here for him and you, Cody. It’s not an imposition,” Dr. Knox responded and lifted a finger to Cody, silencing him.
“Son, do you have a minute? Cody’s awake,” he heard Dr. Knox ask. “Here, Cody.”
“Hello,” Cody said, watching as Dr. Knox turned from the bed and walked toward the door. He ushered the guard out of the room before he stepped out too.
“How you feeling?” Mitch asked, his voice turning soft as he spoke.
“Okay, sore, tired,” Cody replied honestly. “What’s going on? Your dad said you have him in custody.”
“Yeah, we have him. We’re just trying to get him to talk.”
“Was he really CIA?” He tried to push himself up in bed and winced, but kept quiet. He didn’t want Mitch to know he was in any pain.
“No, he’s Secret Service, but he left too many clues this time,” Mitch trailed off.
“You still there?” Cody asked when Mitch became silent.
“Yeah, babe, I gotta go. I just thought of something. Can I call you back?” Mitch asked, distracted.
“Yeah, sure.” Cody hoped Mitch couldn’t hear the disappointment in his voice.
“I just thought of a new angle to get his confession. If it works, I can get back there with you a little faster. I love you, Cody. I’m not sure I could have handled losing you. I knew you were important to me, but you freaked my shit out. I don’t ever want a repeat.” Cody felt the exact same way. The emotion of that statement ran strong inside him. Too strong.
“They told me you got help to me fast,” Cody said, instead of what he really wanted to say. “Call me later. Go do what you need to do.”
“Say it back to me. I won’t ever put you in that position again, I promise.” Mitch had a way of pulling Cody out of his shell, making him face his feelings and uncertainties.
“You didn’t do this, Mitch. He’s a sick fuck; just like those guys that beat up Mr. Spencer. You can’t take this on, but you can find justice. Go get him. Not just for me, but for all those men,” Cody replied.
“Say it back to me, so I know you mean that.”
“I love you,” Cody said, and there was silence again.
“I can’t imagine ever getting sick of you saying those words to me,” Mitch said. “I gotta go. I’ll call you later. I love you.”
The phone went dead. Cody stared at the ceiling, and a smile formed on his face. Those new love feelings made him momentarily forget all the obstacles that lay between them.
“It hasn’t been an hour,” Connors informed Mitch when he came busting through the side office. He ignored the window, ignored everyone, including Connors as he checked his weapon and went back into the interrogation room. He barely schooled his features and started in on the agent the minute he entered.
“You left too many open ends on this murder attempt. Where did you see me with him?” Mitch demanded as he stalked across the room, coming to a stop right in front of the table separating the two of them. He was met with silence. A bored expression crossed the agent’s face.
“Attorney,” Langley said in the same uninterested tone as his facial expressions.
“Did you follow me to Austin?” That was a question that burned his ass—how did this guy even know about Cody?
“Attorney,” the Secret Service agent repeated.
“Or were you there already?” He placed his hands on the table and stared at the suspect.
“Attorney.” Agent Langley pretended to yawn.
“In what capacity were you there?” Mitch asked.
That got him silence.
“Yeah, I’m getting it now. When did you see me? It could have been here. He’s been here, but I’m not thinking that was it. You freaked on this one. Blew your identity. Something made you crazier than you already are… Did you see us here or in Austin?”
“Fuck you, I want my attorney.”
“It made you so crazy to see me, you fucked yourself over. You didn’t see the plan through, you reacted from the gut. Well, you know what? He lived, and he’s gonna keep on living. I’ll make damn sure of that,” Mitch spat, getting closer to the guy as he watched his eyes burn with hatred. He had hit his mark.
“You aren’t a card-carrying member of that church. I’ve checked that. So what is it? Are you in the closet? Or are you mad at the government?” Mitch asked, watching him closely. All he could see was sheer disgust on Langley’s face.
Mitch moved in for the kill.
“That’s fucking it, isn’t it? You’re gay and mad at the government. You spent time in the military, hiding yourself. Did you fall in love in there? Was it unrequited? Have you twisted it in that fucked up brain of yours to make it the government’s fault how you turned out?”
Mitch rounded the table, standing close enough to bend in, getting all in Langley’s personal space, and whispered the worst insult of all to a homophobe. “If you’re so lonely, I’d of let you suck my dick. All you had to do was ask.”
The agent leaped out of his chair, swinging both handcuffed hands toward Mitch’s face. “He should have died. I should have come after you,” the enraged agent bellowed. Mitch was standing too close. The fist came out of nowhere and caught his jaw, whipping his head back, sending him stumbling backward. He lifted a hand to the window, stopping the guards from rushing in. They didn’t have enough information yet, and he needed a confession that would come from the unguarded words of a fanatic’s rant.
Langley tackled him and Mitch let it happen. He’d hoped the motherfucker had a short fuse. One after another, double-fisted punches pummeled down on his face.
“You lying faggot! I killed him, and you’re next. I’m coming after you next, you filthy cocksucker.” Mitch felt the belligerent agent being wrestled off him. The force and impact of the agent’s blows zoned him out, but he didn’t need to hear any more. Connors and the video feed would pick up the rest.
Mitch sat up, and after the stars faded, he saw it took three guys to subdue the enraged agent. The man was a badass and very well-trained; he could have overpowered the Greyson kid all on his own.
Mitch got to his feet with some of the most vile accusations about his sexual orientation still being flung his direction. He made his way out of the room, rubbing his sore jaw. Langley’s outburst was sure to leave a mark.
“You okay?” Kreed asked, handing him a wet paper towel and ice pack as he entered the office.
“Yeah. You get all that?” Mitch asked Connors.
“Yeah, he’s still raging. You made him crazy. He just implicated himself to the Greyson case and the justice’s bombing. We got enough.” Connors looked satisfied, still staring into the room.
“So let’s book him and go after the owner of the coffee shop.” Mitch wiped the blood from his nose, not peering back through the window. Langley was everything wrong with this world. Mitch didn’t need to look his way again.
“Kreed’s already brought him in.” Connors grinned at him.
“Really?” Mitch asked Kreed, giving him a fist bump.
“Yeah, he’s in holding room two. He’s doing that same bullshit Langley did, saying attorney over and over. But he’s scared. He’ll break soon enough,” Kreed offered.
“So they worked together to get Elliott Greyson out of the coffee shop.” Mitch said the obvious out loud. “Just like you thought.”
“We have enough to book Agent Langley. It’ll take some creative talking, but I’ll book the shop owner too. We’ll get it out of him,” Connors stated, sitting back in his chair. “Brown just sent a message. They have Langley’s computers. They’ve just started the sweep of his house. Based on what they’re saying, we have our men.”
Chapter 50
Cody sat on the side of the bed, wincing as his older sister, Sheila, tugged a T-shirt down over his head and pulled the material over his arm. “Stop being su
ch a baby.”
“I was fucking shot yesterday. Can’t you be a little gentler?” he winced.
“It’s your own fucking fault. You’re too damn big. Who needs all this muscle? No one. It’s a stupid double extra-large shirt,” she chided, not paying him any mind.
“Mitch likes it,” Cody tossed out, then immediately began to blush.
“I bet he does. You didn’t tell me things got so far along. He was a wreck waiting to hear from the doctor. He cried in the waiting room. It was kind of sweet.”
“It sort of all just came together this weekend.” Cody smiled, sliding his feet into the flip-flops she’d placed for him on the floor.
“He sure is a good-looking thing. I can see why you’d be so into him. So what happens now? Are y’all going to keep living so far apart?” she asked, going to the other side of the bed.
“I don’t really know. He said he could move here.” Cody blushed, eyeing her as she slipped a hand between the mattress and the rail. “What are you doing?”
“Dad left this for you. I didn’t think you’d remember. You’re really good at looking people in the eye and coming off like you listen.” She pulled a pistol out.
“Hey! Be careful with that.” Cody took the gun, checked the safety, and kept the Glock pointed away from both of them. With the gun still in Cody’s hand, Dr. Knox entered the room, then his mom and dad. Mitch trailed behind them. Everything faded away as their eyes connected. Mitch looked exhausted, and bruised yet when he smiled at Cody, his body stirred, even under the influence of all the pain medicine.
“You shouldn’t be leaving today,” Mitch said, bypassing everyone as he came closer to Cody.
“What happened?” Cody gasped when he saw Mitch’s busted lip and the bruises on his handsome face.
“Let’s just say I pissed off the bad guy.” A sheepish grin spread across Mitch’s face before he winked at him. He still had a hold of the gun as Mitch stalked closer, not stopping until he lifted Cody’s chin with his thumb and kissed his lips.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 67