by Andrew Hess
“I’ll see you at the station.”
I slammed the door, silencing his pleas for me to listen. I was done listening to him and to everyone. The nightmare that started a year ago had infected every aspect of my life. I wanted it over and was willing to do anything to finish it.
I sped to the precinct and arrived before James or Rodney. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I had a few minutes of peace before walking into whatever hell the meeting had in store for us. Another car pulled up alongside mine. The man inside stepped out beaming an award winning smile at me.
“Detective Ryan, it’s so nice to see you again.”
I turned and saw the District Attorney staring at me. His smile seemed to turn my stomach as if this meeting was going to be nothing but bad news. He must have seen the look on my face as he changed the tone in his voice. “I feel horrible it has to be under these circumstances.”
“My condolences to your office and Ms. Reed’s family.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment, but right now we’re focused at bringing down this killer.”
“Do you and the Lieutenant have a plan?”
“We have an idea.” He placed his hand on the small of my back. “Let’s discuss this further inside.”
He brought me to the lieutenant’s office and closed the door. Esposito was sitting behind the desk. He looked up at us and let out a sigh.
“Where are the others?”
Mr. Garrett shrugged his shoulders while I just stared the lieutenant down. “You mind telling me what’s going on?”
“We are trying to figure out what to do with Dr. Cain since Ms. Reed’s death,” Garrett said. “She spent months preparing the case and had worked on a deal to transfer her to another prison.”
“It was supposed to happen today.” I looked between both men and saw their heads hanging low. “You’re still going to transfer her, right?”
“Ali, we think the killer has been using these deaths to further his agenda. Dr. Cain is the only one that can tie him to the murders. We believe this was all part of his plan to get her a transfer so he could find a way to execute her before she makes it to the other prison.”
“So our other option is to leave her there? He has inside help. They’ve gotten to her before, what’s to say they don’t try something while she’s asleep?”
“What do you suggest we do, Ali?” Esposito asked.
“Make the transfer happen. I’ll suit up and make sure she gets there in one piece.”
“And what makes you believe she will be safe? You said it yourself; he has inside help. What makes you think the other prison would be any different?”
“Then we put her under police protection.”
“I don’t like it,” Mr. Garrett replied. “He has connections to the officers inside the prison, being out in the open would make it easier.”
“So then we put a cop we know we can trust to watch her.”
I could see the Lieutenant shaking his head, but decided to watch the D.A. contemplate the offer. “Who do you have in mind?”
“I’ll do it. We can find a way to get her out of the prison and have her stay at my place.”
“I’m sorry, Detective, but these attacks have found its way into your home on more than one occasion. I can’t trust a prisoner in your care where the target would be even bigger.”
“And if you leave her in prison, she’s as good as dead. At least if she’s with someone we can trust, she stands a fighting chance and we could potentially catch the killer.”
Mr. Garrett nodded his head. “Okay, but we’ll set up a safe house for you and Dr. Cain. Neither of you will be permitted to leave the house under any circumstance.”
“Fine, set it up. Do whatever you need to do to make this happen.” I knew what it meant. The lieutenant refused to look at me, which meant this was their plan all along.
“Alright,” Mr. Garrett said. “I’ll get the paperwork going and arrange the transfer. I’ll call back in a bit, Lieutenant.”
After the D.A. left the office, Esposito stood up from his chair and took a seat on the edge of his desk. “Ali, you don’t have to do this. You can back out; it’s not too late.”
“You need me to do this. It’s the only way to protect Dr. Cain and draw out the killer.”
“You knew he wanted to use you as bait?”
“I had my suspicions.” I looked at the lieutenant with a tear dripping down my face. I knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t make it back alive, but it was our best chance. “I guess I should go home and pack.”
“I guess that makes two of us,” a voice said from the doorway. I turned and saw James standing there. His narrowed eyes focused on the lieutenant.
“I thought we had an agreement, Detective.”
“If you think I’m gonna let her do this alone, then you’re crazy.” James took my hand and knelt down beside me in the chair. “I should’ve told you this morning. They sprung this messed up plan on me late last night.”
“It’s okay. I got this.”
“No, we got this.”
The lieutenant shook his head as he threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, you’re both going. I’ll arrange everything with the D.A. and set up the transfer this afternoon.”
“Fine, but if we do this, we do it my way,” I replied.
The lieutenant let out a chuckle. “I thought you might say that.” He paused as he took his seat behind the desk. “Okay, let’s hear your plan.”
Chapter 39-Ali
The plan was supposed to be simple. James and I drove up to the prison accompanied by two other officers. Each of us took a squad car with tinted windows. It helped conceal the driver. As an added precaution, we had another officer hiding in the backseat of the three decoy cars. We wanted to make sure the killer wouldn’t notice which car Dr. Cain was in.
“You sure this is gonna work?” James asked.
“We’ll soon find out.” I took the spare set of S.W.A.T. gear the lieutenant and the D.A. borrowed for the transfer, and took it inside the room to help Claire get ready.
“What’s going on?” She asked as she got up from the table. “I have been sitting here for hours, denied my lawyer, and haven’t heard from anybody since.”
“Calm down, Dr. Cain.”
“Calm down? I was supposed to be transferred today. Instead, I’ve been sitting here handcuffed to a damn table.”
“Take a seat,” I snapped. Once Claire sat down, I placed the gear on the table and took a seat across from her. “There’s been a change of plans. We’re not transferring you to another prison. We’re taking you to a safe house and taking you into police protection until we catch the man responsible for this.”
“W-why the change? Where’s Ms. Reed?”
“She was attacked last night.”
“Is she all right?”
“No. We believe the man responsible for killing Rebecca and Sheila, also attacked Ms. Reed last night. We found her and two officers dead at the crime scene.”
“He killed two cops and the A.D.A.? What makes you think I’ll be okay sitting in a safe house under police protection?”
“Because I’ll be the one watching over you.”
“You and who else?”
“Just me. No one else other than the D.A. knows the location of the safe house. Once we’re there, you stay inside and don’t make any calls. Do you understand?” She nodded in agreement. “Good.” I unlocked the handcuffs and ordered her to stand up. “Hurry up and put these on; we don’t have a lot of time.”
Twenty minutes later, we met up with the rest of the team. I could see the wide-eyed look on Claire’s face as she saw the six men standing in front of her.
“I thought you said you were the only one?”
“It’s okay. These men are here as decoys just in case someone’s watching us.”
“Everything all right?” James asked.
Claire nodded giving me the go ahead. “We’re all set. Let’s load up and head out!�
�
The decoys got in their cars as I placed Claire in the back of mine. We left the prison following a line formation. It wasn’t until we drove back to Highland before the cars split into two lanes. Three of us drove over the Mid-Hudson Bridge while the fourth car stayed straight on Route 9W.
“Where’s that car going?” Claire asked.
“All of us are going to different locations to make sure no one follows us.” I kept looking at my mirrors to check for cars. None of them seemed to be following us as we crossed into Poughkeepsie.
The Route 44 split from Route 55 was our mid-way point. It was also where James split-off from our pack. I felt a weight in my chest as I watched him make the turn to continue on Route 55. I wanted him to ride along with me until the last drop point before heading to the safe house.
The more I drove the more uneasy I felt about the plan. My primary responsibility was to protect the prisoner, but that objective would change if the killer found us.
Then I heard a crackle from the radio. “I’ve been hit,” James shouted.” My heart jumped into my throat. Every urge within my body wanted to turn around and go back, but I knew that was a mistake and a direct violation of my orders.
“James, what happened?”
“Some asshole t-boned me. I’m pinned against the guardrail.”
“Okay, sending back-up your way.” I called the driver of the other car and told them towards Detective Thornton’s location. At the next stoplight, I sent a quick text to the lieutenant stating I was almost at the safe house and that James was in a car accident.
I looked up to see the green left turn signal lit up. I turned onto a street and took the inclined road until I reached the next turn. I didn’t know how the D.A. found the safe house, but it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.
“Where are we?” Claire asked.
“No idea; just followed the G.P.S. on my phone.” I knew we were at least four or five miles from Route 44, but my mind was too focused on ensuring we weren’t followed rather than pay attention to street signs. “Wait here till I get back.”
“Wait, you’re gonna leave me here alone?”
“I need to check out the house and make sure everything is clear.” I exited the driver’s side and walked up to the house with my gun drawn. Opening the front door, I swept from side to side, ensuring I was alone. I walked through every inch of the house, checking every room and hiding place I could find before returning to the car.
Unlocking the rear passenger side door, Claire stepped out still in full riot gear. “When can I take this off?” she asked.
“I’ll help you out of it once we’re inside.” I popped the trunk and pulled out two large duffle bags. “We took the liberty of packing some clothes and food for you.” I handed her the bag and ordered her into the house.
I entered the house finding Claire’s bag on the floor next to the stairs. She was already kicking off the boots and pulling on the riot gear, trying to get out of it.
“A little help here.”
She was already starting to get on my nerves. I removed my helmet and assisted Claire with her gear. Once she was free, she walked around the house and sprawled out on the couch. I dragged my bag and the riot gear into the bedroom on the first floor. The double glass doors were shielded by dark blue curtains. Inside was a bit spacious with a queen sized bed in the middle of the room. I was beginning to think this wasn’t a safe house, but rather someone’s house that the D.A. rented. I needed to know whose house we were staying at, and decided to call the lieutenant.
“Ryan, what part of stay off the phone did you not understand?” Before we left, it was one of his explicit instructions. He wanted to make sure there was no trace on me.
“What’s the deal with this safe house?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This isn’t a safe house. Someone lived here. Who did you or the D.A. pay-off to get this place?”
“No one was paid off.”
“Bullshit. You need to stop playing games and level with me.”
“Fine, you want me to level with you? The D.A. contacted a friend that had a house that he stays in only when he comes up for the winter. Garrett assured me his friend wouldn’t be coming back for another month or two.”
“That’s not good enough. I need a name. I need to make sure we don’t have any unexpected visitors.”
“I’ll get the info and text it to your phone. Until then, stay off the damn phone.” He hung up before I could find out how James was doing. I would have to wait until someone reached out to me before I could get an update.
I entered the living room and found Claire lounging on the couch watching T.V. She seemed to make herself at home pretty fast. I walked to the nearest chair and sat down in it.
“So what are we doing for dinner?” she asked.
“Don’t look at me; I don’t cook.”
“Can we order in?”
“Nope, no calls out.”
“Can we go pick up the food?”
“We’re not allowed to leave the house. If we do, it can blow our cover which will completely screw us and possibly get us killed.”
“A simple no would suffice.”
“I’ll go check the cabinets; maybe they left us something.” I walked over to the kitchen, and noticed Claire was still in the living room. Pulling open the fridge, I noticed there was deli meats and cheeses sitting in a drawer. “We can make sandwiches,” I shouted.
“Okay,” Claire replied. Her voice trailed off as she appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. She pulled the cabinets open and found a loaf of bread. “How long do you think we will be here?”
“Why; are you missing prison already?”
“I just want to end this nightmare.”
I knew what she meant. Although she chose to be part of it, I was thrown in because the psycho had it in for me. The reason for targeting me was still unknown to us, but he’s mad it a point to declare war on my life.
“I’m betting this will be over sooner than we think.” I was just praying neither of us ended up in a body bag.
Chapter 40-Ali
A few hours went by since Claire and I made our sandwiches. I was intrigued by her infatuation with the T.V. Her eyes seemed glued to it as if she were being hypnotized by it.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” She kept watching the T.V. for another minute before turning it off. “I heard what happened the night you arrested me.” I snapped my head towards Claire wondering what she was referring to. “I’m sorry for what happened to your boyfriend.”
Matthew’s death was still a sore subject for me, and something I only discussed with my therapist. “Thanks, but that’s not something I really want to talk about right now.” I took a deep breath. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what happened to your friends.”
“I guess we both have things we don’t want to talk about.” To be honest, I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to talk. A part of her must feel like it was her fault. She received the death threats while in prison, promising to make good on his threats if she talked to the police. She decided to cooperate to gain police protection and her friends paid the price.
“Understandable.” I checked the clock and saw it was only eight-thirty. “So what do you want to talk about?”
I could see the wheels turning inside her head. “What made you decide to become a cop?”
I was used to that question. Most people I met ask me that question and my answer was always the same. “I grew up watching police shows and reading detective novels. I always pictured myself as a cop chasing down the bad guys while protecting the innocent.”
“Did you ever shoot anyone?”
This was another question I heard way too often. “I’ve only fired my weapon on two occasions. The first time, I had been on the force for a few years. I was part of a task force to hunt down a team of bank robbers. I threw myself into the case and focused on it day and nigh
t. Finally, I got a lead from a friend at a pawn shop and decided to check it out on my own.”
“So what happened?”
I took another deep breath as I recounted the story. “I pulled up in my squad car. The suspect was hanging out in front of his house with a few friends. He took one look at me and ran. I took off after him and called for backup. A few blocks down, he took a turn and was cornered. I pulled my gun and announced I was a cop. He reached for something in his jacket and I reacted out of fear. I heard two rounds pop off. I believe the first hit him in the shoulder, but the other ricocheted and hit a young girl. I ran to the suspect first. He was the only one that could tell us the names of the bank robbers. So I started working on his wound, and called for an ambulance.”
“What about the girl”
“I didn’t see her or know she was hit until a woman screamed for help. I turned my head and found a ten-year-old girl laying on the concrete a little further down from where I stood. I ran to her and did my best to save her.”
“What happened to her? Did she make it?”
“She died on the way to the hospital.”
“And the suspect?”
“He lived and gave up everyone in his group.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret what happened to that little girl.”
“When was the other time?”
I looked up at her, confused by her question. It took a minute to register what she was asking. “The second shooting took place earlier this year. I can’t really discuss what happened.”
“Why? Didn’t it happen a while ago?”
“It was a closed case until some new information was discovered. Until it’s resolved, I am not allowed to speak on the matter.”
There was a look of disappointment on her face. It was as if she enjoyed hearing the stories, and was upset she couldn’t hear the details.
“Did it have anything to do with those campus murders?”
She was pushing for information, so I figured Claire deserved a taste of her own medicine. “Maybe you can help me figure something out that’s been bothering me.” I saw her eyebrows furrow. Before she could reply, I launched into what I wanted to say. “Given your past, I understand the reaction you had with Ambrose, but why go after the others?”