Poised to respond, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, her back to the wall.
Her pulse thumped the heavy drumbeat of adrenaline. She opened Nate’s door and peered into his crib. He was snoring lightly, his room quiet.
Back in the hall, she walked to the kitchen where the noise originated. At the end of the hall, she looked both ways and listened for the noise again. Swat.
She moved into the entryway, which had a coat closet on one side and a small window on the other. There, slapping against the small window was a small Japanese maple tree, swaying in the wind, smacking its branches against the pane.
Cameron was exhausted. She moved toward her bedroom when a hand clapped over her mouth. “Shh.”
The pounding of her heart filled her ears. She tried to dig her heel into the foot behind her.
“It’s me.” The arms released her and Cameron turned around, the gun tight in her hand.
Diego raised his arms.
“I could have shot you.”
“Sorry. I tried tapping on your window but you must’ve been sleeping hard.”
“How did you get past the alarm?”
“I deactivated it. The code is still Rosa’s anniversary with Ricardo.”
It was true. They hadn’t changed the code since they’d first moved in. Cameron released the magazine from her gun and checked the chamber for a round. Then, she set the gun down.
Diego closed the space between them. “I heard you got the location off the drive. Did you find them?”
She rubbed at the aches in her back. She couldn’t do this.
He grabbed her arm. “What happened? No one’s talking about it. What was on that boat?”
She struck her palms hard against his chest, knocking him back. “They were dead. They were all dead, Diego. Every single woman. Slashed and shot. Dead.”
He looked sunken. “Oh, Jesus. Jesus Christ. Somehow, they knew you got it. What else was on the drive?”
“A ledger of gambling debts and a list of women who are probably being sold for sex right now. If they’re not already dead.”
“Gambling debts?” Diego whispered.
She pounced. “Who knew? Who are you working for? What bastards are behind this? Because I swear to you, Diego, I’m not going to rest until the whole lot of them is under water. Do you hear me? I’m going to hang you out—all of you.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. I need you, Cameron. I want them to pay for this as much as you do.”
Those women were burned in her mind as she turned away from him. He took her arm and pulled her back. Every time his skin met hers, it was like an electric shock. “Was there anything else on the drive?” he pressed.
“Two other files, but they were heavily encrypted. We haven’t gotten into them yet.”
Diego crossed to the living room and perched on the arm of the couch. Arms crossed, he stared at the floor. The same way he always did when he was working through a problem. It was like nothing had changed. Nothing and everything.
“What’s going on, Diego? What did you do?”
“I didn’t kill those people, Cameron.”
He sounded so sincere, so upset, so needy. She focused on the door, trying to block him from invading her senses. And yet, she could already feel it happening. His smell, his voice. God forbid he touch her again. “What about the other ones? What about the woman at the strip club? The one from the dumpster?”
“I didn’t kill any girls.”
“You were there. They found your prints, Diego.”
“I took a girl out of that place. I brought her to safety. I even—”
“Why, Diego? How did you end up there? How did you find her?”
“I need you to trust me,” he said.
She didn’t meet his gaze. “How can I?”
“I’ve made mistakes, but I am trying to do the right thing.”
She tried to conjure an image of him that was someone different from the Diego she knew—a dirty cop who gave in to the lure of money, who had to resort to murder to protect himself from being caught. Watching him, listening to his voice, it didn’t seem possible. His voice was steady, but unsure. His eyes met hers, and he felt like the same Diego. Even the collar of his shirt was tucked under like always. She had to hold herself from reaching out to fix it. That’s when things would become too real. She couldn’t handle that. “The mistakes are so big, Diego. You can’t make them go away.”
“I can’t undo what I’ve done, but I need to find a way to make things right.”
She shook her head. “How can you make things right for the people who loved Ray Benjamin?”
“Ray Benjamin was a bastard, Cameron. He was the worst of them all. He was going to take that money and disappear. I had to stop him.”
“So you could have it? So you could give it to your son as some sort of attempt to buy affection from us?”
He clasped his chest as though she’d physically hurt him. “Is that what you think?”
“Go,” she pleaded, feeling weaker with every moment.
His face was close and she could hear the rasp of his breath, feel it against her cheek.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
But, he did. He pulled her close, and closed his mouth on hers. It was soft at first and sweet, like a fruit she’d never tasted before. And then, his tongue was there, pushing, begging for her to let go. She tried not to. She tried to push him away, but she couldn’t. His fingers wound through her hair, his body pressed to hers. And the tears streamed down her face as she kissed him back. Immediately, she was drawn back into their world from a year ago.
From the distance, Nate cried.
He pulled back almost as fast as she did, his ear cocked down the hall. He licked his lips as they stood awkwardly. “Is that—”
She wiped her mouth as though she’d just eaten something that may have dribbled down her face. His kiss burned her mouth.
“Can I see him?” Diego’s gaze on her with a longing she’d never seen, even for her.
She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t let him back in.
“Please,” he begged. He held his stomach. She knew that feeling. She couldn’t imagine being kept from her son, but she would do everything in her power to protect Nate.
“I swear I’ve done everything by the book, Cameron,” he told her. “I’ve never lied. They’ve been setting me up. Not just me, though. Someone else, too. It’s so deep, I don’t understand it yet. Use everything I’ve given you. Help me get to the bottom.”
She steeled herself. She wouldn’t get sucked in. This was not an emotional decision. “I don’t know, Diego.”
“Please, Cameron. You’re the only person in the world I can trust.”
Like they were partners again. How could she walk away? “I will do what I can, Diego. But, right now, you have to go.” She forced herself to step past him, to open the front door. Trembling, she motioned him out. “Please leave, Diego. Please.”
He moved slowly, almost staggering toward the door. She could feel his exhaustion, both of theirs, in her bones. He turned back. “You have to watch your back, Cameron. You can’t trust anyone. No one.”
She was suddenly cold at the thought of who might be involved. “I won’t.”
She closed the door on him before he could say anything more. She set the alarm and went into Nate’s room. He had fallen back asleep, so Cameron lay down on the daybed, trying to ignore the stream of tears that rushed down her face and the silent sobs that rattled her chest.
Chapter 39
Cameron had never seen the tension in Special Ops so high. None of them had seen something like on that boat. They’d done everything by the book. The fact that the women were dead, and the only live one had been shot and killed, hit them all hard. Especially Ambley. Lavick and Ahrens were in meetings at Bryant, so the team was left to the Internal Affairs vultures who were picking over the carcasses of that day.
As was protocol, everyone was interviewed ind
ividually by two IA officers. Cameron was interviewed last, because she’d had to pick up a rental car on the way to the naval grounds. Her Blazer was officially totaled. Once the first round was done, they were brought back in for a second round if necessary. Cameron had told the two men across from her exactly what she’d told Ballestrini. That she had received a phone call that there was a boat with hostages on the Bay. They immediately asked for her phone as she’d known they would, “It was broken last night during a car chase,” she lied. “I’m not sure if you heard about that. I was leaving last night when—”
“We heard,” said the talkative one.
They didn’t have any questions on the car chase. A different set of officers was working that one. They would get her phone records. It wasn’t hard to do, but the lie bought her a little time to talk to Ahrens first. Cameron had left Ahrens two voicemails, but she was gone from the department constantly now. The only communications from her had been a call instructing Kessler and Ballestrini to view the video and try to identify the car that had chased Cameron. Hailey and Jess had called to make sure she was okay. She had sent texts in response, assuring them she was okay. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone. There would be too many questions she couldn’t answer.
Meanwhile, Internal Affairs was still at them the next day. Compiling the information from the Special Ops team, they had created diagrams and reenactments of the boat. They must have been up all night. It would have been her day off, but the captain wanted them all in—again.
Cameron felt like she was spinning in a hurricane of dust. She had twice tried to approach Ahrens and been interrupted by something Ahrens felt was more pressing. She e-mailed Mei and checked in with Hailey on Ivana. No one had anything. It was nearly six when Ahrens showed up. She gathered the team in the bay. It meant they all had to stand.
“I’ll be brief,” she said, telling the team to be on the lookout for Diego Ramirez. He was thought to be armed and dangerous. “He is also our chief suspect for the attack on Officer Cruz two nights ago.”
Cameron felt the room shift to her.
“That’s all,” Ahrens said. “Ballestrini, I want to see that video clip you found.”
Cameron approached Brian Kessler. “There’s a video? Of what? Did you see it?”
Kessler stopped her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“I mean, really. It’s okay if you’re not.” She realized the men were staring at her. Was it because they knew Diego was Nate’s father or because she’d been attacked? “The video, Kessler. What’s on the video?”
When Kessler didn’t answer, she walked out of the bay.
Anxious to talk to Ahrens and get home, Cameron threw her sweaty clothes in her gym bag and headed for Ahrens’ office.
It was empty. She’d waited all day to talk to her and she’d left.
Cameron saw the light on in Lavick’s office. Stepping closer, she saw Captain Ahrens inside. The captain looked up like she’d been caught at something. “I was trying to find a file.”
Cameron glanced at the manila folder in Ahrens’ hand and caught the end of Benjamin’s name. She knew that file.
Ahrens looked around the sergeant’s office like it was a room she’d never seen before.
“I’d like to speak with you, if you have a few minutes,” said Cameron.
Ahrens straightened her shoulders. “Of course. Let’s go next door.” The two women walked to the captain’s office. As soon as the door was closed, Ahrens turned, still standing. “What’s going on?”
Ahrens’ eyebrows rose.
Cameron sucked in a breath. “I believe he’s somehow involved in the human trafficking.”
The captain sank into her chair at the mention of his name, her chin pointing toward the ceiling, her eyes closed. “Damn him.”
Right then, Cameron was confident she’d done the right thing talking to Ahrens. It had been too long since she’d felt that way.
“Where’s the video now?” Ahrens asked.
“I don’t have it.”
“Who does?”
“Diego Ramirez.”
Ahrens put her hands on the desk and leaned forward. “Tell me all of it, Cruz. Start from the night Benjamin was shot and go through everything—every detail.”
Cameron explained how she’d come to see the Pesce King, the bankbook in her home, the break-in, Diego’s appearance and his pleas for her help. She told the captain about Ivana, careful to leave out Hailey, and about the jump drive without mentioning Mei’s computer genius. She planned to leave out the bullet he’d left her. It felt like such an intimate gift, but then she thought better of it and told Ahrens that, too. Cameron didn’t say who Diego had been to her. She hoped they could leave that understood and unspoken. She offered every detail she could remember. When it was over, she felt incredible relief.
Ahrens seemed to have taken on her weight. Cameron felt glad to transfer some of it. It had taken almost an hour to go through all that had happened. When they were done, Ahrens thanked her. Cops didn’t often thank each other, which made Cameron appreciate it all the more. It had been the hardest period of her life.
Ahrens was quiet at the end of their meeting. After several minutes of their silence, Cameron said good night.
Heading toward her car, she wanted to cuddle on the couch with Nate. Maybe she could get Rosa to fix her enchiladas. She could use some comfort food.
She unlocked her rental car and sat in the driver’s seat. She texted Rosa to tell her she was on her way home. Next, she texted Ricky.
I told Ahrens all of it. I believe D is innocent. Hope we can prove it. C
Finally, she texted Hailey to tell her that she’d told Ahrens everything.
Left you and Mei out of it. Will keep it that way. See you at RC.
She had to believe that by the next Rookie Club dinner this mess would be over. As Cameron put her key in the ignition, the loudspeaker clicked on. The empty air filled with Ahrens’ voice. They’d located another boat on the Bay. All officers were to report to the office for dispatch.
Another boat. Cameron’s belly filled with dread. She didn’t want to go back out. She wanted to go home. Her cell phone rang, and there was no getting away. “Cruz,” she answered.
“It’s Lau. Are you on your way home?”
“I heard the message. I’m coming back in.”
She heard him tell someone she was still there as he signed off. Leaving her gym bag and keys, she slammed the door and headed for the bus that would transport them out again.
Chapter 40
The ride to the Bay was quiet and tense. After two days of the intensity of IA interviews interrupted by short, grueling drills that were no subtle form of punishment, it was hard to adjust to the stony silence of the bus.
Usually, the ride to a scene was filled with high energy—directions, talk, even jokes and laughing as they all worked off the rush of adrenaline. Today, they could have been a busload of strangers on their way to an execution. Maybe they were. It was partially the absences. Daley and Ballestrini were at Bryant on something for Ahrens, and Ambley was out for the shooting. To fill out the team, they’d borrowed a couple of Special Ops officers from the South San Francisco team and would run the op one guy short. The first was a guy named Minard, who was mouthy and a little too raunchy for Cameron’s taste. The second was a guy named Henry Coppolillo, who was even bigger than Kessler. Aside from Special Ops, he was in charge of the canines for the South San Francisco department. From his demeanor, it wasn’t hard to imagine that he could keep them in line.
The awkwardness in the group might also have been a result of Ahrens’ presence. The captain didn’t normally join them for calls. It was unclear whether Ahrens had joined today because Lavick was out, or if there were other reasons. No one asked.
The marina where they stopped was north of San Francisco beyond Tiburon, a wealthy town right on the Bay. The streets were filled with businessmen and women, getting into BMWs and Mercedes a
fter a treacherous day of stocks or law. Cameron watched them, feeling more distant from the average person than ever. As the men around her pulled on protective suits and gear, she spotted a woman pushing a baby about Nate’s age in a stroller. She hated that she wouldn’t see him before he went to bed tonight.
After that came a fleeting fear that she might never see him again. She shook the thought from her mind as she strapped her vest on. Finally, she checked and rechecked her weapon, before following the others off the bus.
She only made it a few steps from the bus when she realized she’d forgotten her extra magazine. At the top of the bus stairs, she felt it in her vest pocket. When she rejoined the team, Ahrens whispered, “Please, God.”
The water was calm with a slight breeze to relieve the heat trapped beneath their dark clothes and heavy equipment. The thick glass of the boat’s windows magnified the setting sun, making her feel like meat on a grill.
As they approached the suspect’s boat, they all listened for sounds of life. Cameron felt a sense of foreboding. She wondered if the others felt it too, but as they got closer, Ahrens gave few directions. Her voice seemed to break the ice. The familiar teasing started back up again. Slowly, the cold tension boiled into the adrenaline they all thrived on. They could do this. She could do it.
“You ready, Lucy Liu?” Paules joked.
“She’s definitely Diaz,” Kessler said. “Even have the same first name. Our Cameron’s just a better shot.”
“The other one’s got a better ass, though,” Minard said.
“You’ve got the best ass, though, Minard.”
Minard wagged his butt for the group. “You know it.”
“Good thing you like it, Paules,” Lau teased. “Your nuts are going to be kissing it in about three minutes.”
They all laughed, but to Cameron’s ears, it felt hollow.
No people were visible on the boat. Everyone was wondering if this was going to be a repeat of the last one. As they closed in, muscles tightened around her. Guns raised, metal scraped metal as officers released safeties. Velcro slashed as final adjustments were made to vests and holsters.
The Rookie Club Thriller series Box Set Page 78