“I maintain there’s no evidence that the Class Ls pose any kind of threat,” Mace said.
“You can maintain whatever position you like, but be aware that certain statements could be perceived as disloyal to our nation’s interests. Are you also maintaining that Gomez killed those drug dealers in the wrecking yard and the four in that nightclub today? Because evidence suggests otherwise.” Hollander glanced at his watch. “Your investigation into the Brotherhood of Torquemada is officially closed at midnight. Go back to your offices, file your final reports, and send your people home. Tomorrow Special Agents Norton and Grant will take custody of your files and computers. You and your lieutenant will assist them in that transfer, and then your detectives will be debriefed here and reassigned to regular duty. You’ll stay on as a consultant, but your field days are over. Your profile in the media has become far too visible.”
“Through no choice of my own,” Mace said.
Hollander rose. “Be that as it may, any additional investigations into murders committed by Class Ls will be initiated by NYPD and then handed over to this office.”
“What about Jim Mint?” Mace said.
“He’s set to announce his resignation. I understand he’ll be pursuing a career in the private sector. In any case, you and your people are to be commended for your handling of the Brotherhood of Torquemada. I understand the president plans to honor you all with medals at a ceremony in two weeks. Congratulations.”
Hollander exited the office, leaving Mace and Norton alone.
Mace waited until he and Norton had left the building to speak. “Jim dragged me into this, and now he’s throwing himself on his sword,” he said as they walked back to his SUV.
“Or he was pushed,” Norton said. “He was out of his depth. Either way, this is how things are done. Just be glad you can go back to living a normal life. Isn’t that what you want? Willy and Shelly are gone, but the rest of your people came out of this with their careers intact. The only one you need to worry about is Williams. If she disappears, it’s going to raise serious questions about what you and I know.”
“Medals,” Mace said. “They won’t let me do my job because I’ve become too famous, so their solution is to make me more famous.”
“That’s the way of the world.”
“It sounds like you’ll be staying in New York.”
“I can’t complain,” Norton said.
“Do you ever?”
“I learned a long time ago that you don’t get very far in law enforcement by rocking the boat.”
“What do you think my responsibilities as a consultant will entail?”
“Oh, they’ll probably give you an office here or at One PP, where you’ll read reports and make notes on them. You’ll work nine to five like most other professionals, and you’ll get home in time to have dinner with your wife and daughter.”
“It sounds like retirement before retirement,” Mace said.
“Don’t knock it. When you do retire, you can get that house in the woods, or you can move into the private sector with the bureau’s recommendation.”
“Just like Jim Mint.”
“That’s—”
“The way the world works.”
Karol saw her SUV had not been touched and moved it to the opposite side of the street. She didn’t expect to spend much more time in it, because fleeing the country in a police vehicle seemed like a bad idea.
In the lobby of her building she collected her mail. She would pay her bills before she disappeared. No need to add utilities companies to the list of entities that would be hunting her. She took the elevator upstairs, looked from side to side, and unlocked her door. She didn’t own a landline, and without her phone she felt cut off and wondered how alarmed Mace had become.
As soon as she entered the apartment, she saw Rhonda’s bedroom door was open. She closed and locked the front door, and Rhonda appeared in the bedroom doorway, a startled look on her face. Karol had never been so happy to see anyone in her life.
“Where the hell have you been?” she said, moving forward.
“You don’t need to know that,” Rhonda said.
“I know you’re one of the Wolves who killed those drug dealers the other night.”
“They were hit men. Assassins, just like the Brotherhood of Torquemada, except they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. It was self-defense all the way.”
Karol stopped six feet away from Rhonda. “What were you doing out there in the first place? Who were the other Wolves?”
“Friends from my class.”
Karol knew she had to control her temper. “I respect that you’ve been through a lot, but you broke our laws. Even if it was self-defense, you have to take the needs of the pack into consideration. You and your friends should have hidden those bodies, not just left them out like calling cards.”
Rhonda grunted. “The Greater Pack is finished. Me and my friends will form our own pack.”
“I’m sure their parents will be delighted. As delighted as they’ll be when they find out their offspring are berserkers.”
“Everyone thinks Gomez killed those guys.”
“Not for long. Forensics will prove otherwise.”
“You and Mace will keep that from the public.”
“I won’t be doing anything with Mace. I’m going to Canada, and you’re coming with me.”
Rhonda laughed. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m striking out on my own. I only came home to get my things.”
Karol drew her Glock. “You are going to Canada, girl. It’s just a matter of time before the brass orders Mace to bring you in, and then you’ll disappear for good. You’ll wake up in some black prison outside the country where CIA and Homeland Security can do whatever they want to you. Gabriel says—”
“I don’t care what Gabriel says. I don’t care what you say. No one is making me go anywhere I don’t want to go. If you’re going to shoot me, then shoot me, because I’ll never be anyone’s prisoner again.”
Karol’s jaw tightened. Rhonda had called her bluff. She lowered her weapon, resigned that she could not save the girl. “Where will you go?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.” Rhonda went into the bedroom and came out with her coat on and a large bag slung over one shoulder. “Thanks for letting me crash here and for putting up with my drama. Good luck in Canada.”
Karol holstered her gun. “Wait.” She reached into her pocket and removed a bundle of cash. “This is from Gabriel. Forty thousand dollars. It’s yours.”
Rhonda took the money and stared at it.
“I know that seems like a lot, but it isn’t, so spend it wisely. Find yourself a nice, illegal basement apartment somewhere, with owners who don’t claim their rent as income.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Rhonda said. “And thank Gabriel for the cash.”
Then she left.
Thirty-Four
When Mace and Norton entered the task force base on Mott Street, the desk sat empty. Inside the squad room, two clerks packed their things. Grant sat at his desk keying in a report, and Candice and Landry did the same in their office. Landry saw Mace and Norton and came out, followed by Candice.
“The clerks were told to go home,” Landry said.
“They’re shutting us down,” Mace said. “Everybody, finish up your paperwork and go home.”
“What about our case?” Candice said.
“It’s not yours anymore.”
“Hallelujah.” Candice collected pages of a report from a tray in the printer. “I’m finished now.”
“Report to FBI tomorrow morning for debriefing,” Mace said. “You’ll get your new assignment then.”
“I hope it’s good and boring,” Candice said. “I don’t want any more werewolf details.”
“What about me?” Landry said.
“Show up here at 0800 tomorrow, and help me turn everything over to Norton and Grant. Plan on spending the rest of the week at FBI, and then yo
u’ll get your new assignment.”
“Karol still hasn’t called back. I’m really worried.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. I told her to take the day off if she needed it.”
Candice stapled her paperwork, signed it, and handed it to Landry. “My final report, sir.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll see you at the ranch tomorrow.” She turned to Mace. “I can’t say it’s been a pleasure, but it’s been unforgettable.” She extended her hand. “If anything ever comes up in the future, don’t even think of requesting my service.”
Smiling, Mace shook her hand. “Good luck.”
Candice clapped Grant on the shoulder. “See you around.”
Mace took the report out of Landry’s hands. “I can handle that. Get out of here before they change their minds. You too, Grant.”
“I’ll just get my things,” Landry said.
Mace went into his office and dropped the report on his desk. Then he sat and called Cheryl. “I’ll be home in a few hours, and then it’s all over. They’re shutting us down and reassigning us. I’m told I’m being put out to pasture; I’ll be spending my last two years reviewing reports at FBI.”
“Thank God,” Cheryl said. “What about Gomez?”
“You and Patty will continue to have protection until he’s stopped.”
Landry entered, carrying a box filled with his belongings.
“Come home soon,” Cheryl said.
“I will.” He hung up and stood.
“Any idea where they’re sending me?” Landry said.
“None, but I’m sure you’ll do well.” He held out his hand.
Landry shook it. “Thanks, Tony. I’m glad we all get to go home this time.” He turned and left.
Mace walked back into the squad room. “Hurry up, Grant.”
“I’m just finishing up.” Grant shook hands with Mace. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Right.”
“Good night, Kathy.”
“Don’t do the secret handshake in front of Tony,” Norton said.
Grant smiled and left.
“It looks like it’s just you and me,” Mace said.
“And only four murders to write reports on,” Norton said.
Gabriel sat at the window of his hotel room on Mott Street. Despite the thick layer of grime on the glass, he had a clear view of the building where Mace’s task force had set up operation. Only their fourth-floor windows glowed in the dusk.
Most of the people exiting the building were Chinese women, and he guessed a factory of some kind occupied the floors below the police base. Then three people who weren’t Chinese exited within minutes of each other: a black female, a black male, and a white male. Every one of them looked like the law. Gabriel wondered if anyone else was in there besides Mace and the FBI woman.
The telephone beside the bed rang.
Gabriel froze and stared at the device, which continued to ring.
Someone knocked on the door.
Rising from his chair, Gabriel tiptoed past the ringing phone to the door. He leaned close to the metal door, listening. A peephole would have been convenient. The phone stopped ringing.
“It’s Karol.”
Exhaling, Gabriel unlocked and opened the door, and Karol entered the room.
Gabriel closed the door and locked it. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be looking for Rhonda.”
Karol crossed the room. “I found her.”
Gabriel joined her. “Then you should both be on your way to Canada.”
“She’s not going, and I can’t go.”
“Why not?”
Karol pointed at the window. “Because those are my people too. I already lost Willy, and I’m not going to let anything happen to Mace or Norton. They’ve had my back. I have theirs.”
“We don’t even know if Raphael’s really going to try something.”
“I’m a cop, and my cop gut tells me it’s a marvelous night for a moon dance.” She looked at the bed. “Speaking of which, that’s disgusting. I can’t even count how many different body odors I smell coming from that mattress.”
Gabriel sat in his chair. “I don’t intend to sleep on it.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Karol pushed the dresser away from the wall, and a rat scurried away. “Ugh.”
The rat disappeared under the bed, and she pushed the dresser close to the window and sat on it.
“Here comes the night,” she said.
Norton knocked on Mace’s door. Darkness had settled outside. “How’s it going?” she said.
“One down, one to go.”
“I’m about to make you a very happy police captain.”
“Oh?”
“Get out of here. I’ve got one left too, so I’ll finish yours.”
Mace raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“It’s not like I have anywhere to go. Suzie and Hector are still working. I know you and Cheryl will both feel better if you’re home.”
“Thanks.” Rising, he looked around the office. “I’ll pack this stuff tomorrow.” He put on his coat, and Norton moved out of his way, and he exited his office. “You’re all right.”
“You too.”
“See you tomorrow.” As he crossed the squad room, it occurred to him that Norton reminded him of Patty Lane.
The telephone rang, and Cheryl seized it.
“I’m on my way home,” Mace said.
Cheryl exhaled. “Really?”
“That’s what I said. It’s still rush hour, so don’t expect me too soon.”
“That’s okay. I’m just glad you’ll be here.”
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too.” Cheryl hung up and moved to the high chair where Anna had taken over feeding Patty. “Guess what? Daddy’s coming home!”
Patty grinned.
“You can go home early tonight, Anna.”
“I don’t mind staying.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m so grateful for all the time you’ve spent here keeping me company this week. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me.”
“I was happy to do it. I’ll leave as soon as Captain Mace comes home.”
Cheryl put her hand over Anna’s. “No, I want you to go now. You’ve been so helpful, but you need some time to yourself.”
“Mrs. Mace—”
“Anna, go home. Study. Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Anna looked displeased as she stood. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I promise, but I’ll be fine.”
Anna opened the door and stepped into the hallway, then closed the door.
Cheryl turned the locks, lifted Patty out of the high chair, and twirled her around. “Daddy’s coming home!”Patty laughed.
“There goes Mace,” Gabriel said.
Karol leaned closer to the window and saw Mace walking away from the building. “That just leaves Norton.”
“It’s only six thirty. There’s no way they’re all leaving for the day with everything that’s going on.”
“I can’t believe Tony’s leaving early,” she said. “I wonder if anything’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed,” Gabriel said.
Gomez circled the block wearing baggy clothes, glasses with thick rims, and a Rasta hat. Two police cars idled outside Mace’s house on Eighty-fourth Street, just as they had all day. At the corner, another squad car patrolled the congested traffic on Fifth Avenue. He passed a pizzeria, an electronics store, and a hair salon. Rap music blasted from a passing car. Tough-looking teens loitered outside, smoking cigarettes, and weary-looking adults walked home from work. Christmas lights in store windows blinked on and off, and carols played over speakers mounted outside businesses.
At the corner of Eighty-third, he turned left at another pizzeria and cruised down the dark residential street. At the far end of the block, people appeared in droves on Fourth Avenue, discharged from the nearby subway stations. Gom
ez counted the houses on his left, and when he had passed six of them, he veered into a driveway and followed it to a narrow garage. Behind the garage, he encountered a six-foot fence separating the property from the Maces’.
Setting his hands on top of the fence, he vaulted high into the air and landed on all fours on the other side. Lights glowed on each floor of the house, and bars covered the windows in the rear just as they did in the front. Curtains masked each window, preventing him from seeing inside but also preventing anyone inside from seeing him.
Discarding the colorful Rasta hat, Gomez ran to the house and crouched at the nearest basement window. It had no bars because it was made of glass blocks. Extending the fingers on one hand into claws, he pulled out the narrow hatch in the window with ease and set it on the grass, then started yanking out the glass blocks one by one. Only the cracking of the mortar that held the blocks in place made any noise, and he timed his actions to avoid any rhythm.
It took him only two minutes to create a space large enough to squeeze through, and he slid his feet through the opening and backed into the darkness. Once his hips had cleared the window, he lowered himself to the floor and turned. A washing machine and dryer, a slop sink, and shelves covered with paint cans and accessories crowded the basement. He walked its length to the stairway and stared at the wooden door above.
Norton finished her last report. She saved it, backed it up, and transmitted it. Then she printed a copy and went to the copy machine, where she waited for the full document to unfurl.
She would miss working in the task force with her colleagues, but she knew it was best for all of them, especially Mace, to move on. She had no idea what the future held for her or for the Wolves, but she sensed the world as she knew it changing. She doubted she would be in a position to continue helping the strange creatures without Mace at her side, but she hoped she would always be able to follow her conscience. As the pages of the report slid into the tray, she contemplated if she and Suzie had a future together.
The Frenzy Wolves Page 24