Among The Lies

Some lies are worth killing for... some truths are worth dying for.

Dennis Shock

Copyright © 2024 Dennis Shock

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

1

Pike Place Market, Seattle was bustling with activity. Wendy made her way through the crowd to one of the flower tables. She smiled at the vast choices of floral arrangements covering the edges of the display area. Wendy pulled a huge bouquet chiefly filled with tulips and handed cash to the vendor. Tulips reminded her of the country home where she grew up. Her mother dug and spread tulips every year. They bordered the sides of the small house Wendy shared with her parents into her early twenties. Stopping briefly for cheesecake, Wendy carried her cheerful purchase to the pier where she knew it would be easy to hail a cab to Tacoma.

A quick call from Noah enhanced her joy during the ride. His promise of incredible cuisine, cheerful views, and romance led Wendy to agree to join him for the evening. A carefree day at the market would be capped off by an evening of bliss with an attentive man who seemed to adore her. She hadn’t known him long, but Wendy relished the attention she received from her affable new suitor. Maybe he was still in the phase of their relationship where he was constantly trying to impress her, but it was working, and she hoped it wouldn’t end. She could feel the dimples grow on her cheeks with the thought. The cab driver raised his brows as if to ask about her smirk. She wouldn’t answer his apparent wonder at why she was grinning in such a satisfied manner.

Without explaining her glee, Wendy generously tipped the driver and thanked him. She hurried to her upstairs apartment to trim the flowers and place them in water. She took in a deep breath of the sweet aroma. The fragrance carried her back to a small yard and a picket fence. She could see her father sleeping in his recliner with the soft lights of the television glowing on his face while her mother flittered about in the kitchen. She had found it all so boring and mundane at the time, but now she cherished the memories of these quiet moments. A bit of peace and the smell of tulips. The promise of an evening with a man who showered her with attention and demanded nothing.

Noah wasn’t the first man to make her feel special and dote on her in every way. Bruce Silver swept her off her feet halfway into her junior year of high school. He was sweet and caring. He answered yes to her every wish, within reason. He worked construction after graduation, spending everything he earned to please her. At the time, she didn’t appreciate the gallantry offered by the young man. Wendy wasn’t content with the idea of living in a small home in the middle of Tennessee, waiting for something exciting to happen. Today, she found herself wondering what her life would be like had she not broken the poor man’s heart. After listening to him pledge his undying love, Wendy asked him to leave. She pictured the single tear that rolled down his cheek as he turned to walk out of her life forever. Afraid of the simple life she didn’t think she could endure, she pushed him away in search of more. Now, she wondered what more she needed.

Had she escaped the chaos? Wendy couldn’t release the feeling that her respite wouldn’t last. There was no lasting escape.

The constant feeling she was being watched was sometimes overwhelming, but Noah helped her put that aside. An aura of positive energy surrounded him, as if he had nothing else to worry about at any moment. No troubles in the world. His every action suggested he was merely put in this universe to entertain Wendy. Maybe he was her second chance. Noah had wealth, but Wendy didn’t care about that. She wanted an uneventful routine. Another chance at a commonplace life. A chance to live her life unafraid.

2

Sunlight streamed in through the bedroom window, warming the bare skin on Wendy’s arms. Her legs were wrapped in bright white sheets causing her an ungraceful escape from the king-sized bed. She could hear the clanging of kitchenware and smell the savory delight of bacon. She imagined Noah slaving away in the kitchen over a hot stove, preparing a mouth-watering breakfast. Images of their evening out frolicked in her mind as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. They had dined at El Gauchos and walked the Chihuly Bridge of Glass before coming home to finish a bottle of wine in bed. There was no particular occasion to celebrate, but the evening was full of playful flirting.

The smile on her face broadened as she padded into the massive chef’s kitchen, watching him dance about as he stirred something in a large white porcelain bowl. Noah set the bowl on the island's edge and turned to flip bacon that sizzled in the skillet over the eight-burner gas stovetop. Wendy approached undetected and slipped her arm around his waist, pressing her short, pale pink nightgown firmly against his back as she gave him a loving squeeze.

“I was hoping to bring breakfast to you,” he said. “Breakfast in bed.”

“I can go back to bed if you like.”

“You’ve ruined the surprise,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll have a seat and watch you cook. I love to ogle you while you create a meal.”

“I’m about to start some eggs. I’ve made buttermilk pancakes with strawberries, but I know how you like bacon and eggs in the morning. You shall have both, my queen.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“I have also concocted some homemade chocolate whipped cream for your pancakes.”

“You spoil me.”

“My favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning.” He smiled brightly and poured a cup of coffee, adding peppermint mocha creamer as he let the dark brew stream into the thick mug. He slid the cup in front of Wendy and leaned across it to kiss her gently on the lips. “I’ll have this ready in no time.”

She lifted the cup to her nose as he returned to the range. She inhaled the aroma of toasted beans and peppermint as she brought the rim to her lips. She blew softly across the top of the mug, watching the steam push away from her face. The delight of watching Noah toil in the kitchen calmed her mind. When he cooked, it was to the delight of all parties involved. She peered across the mug, admiring his strong, tan legs below the checked boxers he wore. The overhead lights glared against his solid yellow t-shirt. He moved about the kitchen with a certain rhythm that was enchanting to Wendy. He turned to see her staring and smiling.

“Is there something wrong with the coffee?” he asked.

“No. I’m just waiting for it to cool a little.”

Noah soon had a plate full of food in front of Wendy, offering a refill on her coffee. “For you, my dear.”

“This looks terrific. You have outdone yourself.”

Noah filled a second plate and slipped onto the stool next to her. “It does look good, doesn’t it?” He stopped grinning long enough to stuff a forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

She followed his lead, nodding and smiling as she chewed.

Lively conversation and the savoring of the meal went on for almost an hour. Neither of them was in a hurry to move on with the day. Afterward, Wendy insisted that she clean up the kitchen while he finished off the pot of coffee. He watched as she organized the dishwasher and scrubbed the pans. Wendy was nearly six feet tall with curly, black hair and a slightly muscular build. Wendy didn’t think she was different from many other ladies in their mid-thirties, but Noah told her last night that he was mesmerized by her forever-smiling eyes and never-ending enthusiasm for life. He said she had a contagious zest that engendered him with a positive outlook.

“You make me a better person. Do you know that?” he stated.

She gave him a quizzical grin as she pushed the dishwasher shut with her hip. “You couldn’t be any better. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be back.” She sauntered off to the master suite, and he opened the morning newspaper. When she returned to the kitchen dressed in flowered shorts and a plain white tank top, he hadn't quite finished rifling through the news. She rubbed her hair with a towel as she approached him. “It’s all yours. I’ll do my hair and makeup later.”

He stood to embrace her for a moment before trailing off to the shower. Wendy heard the rain of the shower just before a pounding at the front door.

“Wendy! Wendy!” The loud, male voice penetrated the second-story luxury apartment. “Wendy! It’s your husband! Let me in.”

3

“What if I wasn’t around to bail you out?” Leo Keller asked his younger brother.

“I’d spend a ton of time in jail,” Sean laughed.

“Not funny,” Leo barked.

Sean used booze and humor to mask his daily struggle. Leo felt sorry for his brother. Sean’s wife and son were killed in a hit-and-run accident, but that was three years ago. Leo had no idea how that felt, but he knew his brother needed to get his life together and move forward. Sean was forty-five years old and would have decades in front of him if he weren’t drinking himself to death. He was the smart one in the family. He got his MBA in his twenties and became a successful stockbroker. He hadn’t fallen into his father's footsteps as Leo had. Their father was a cop. So was his father before him. Leo started out working a beat in downtown Atlanta but moved to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in West Virginia. He transferred to the Atlanta office after Sean lost his family.

“It was a little funny,” Sean said. His skin appeared pale and clammy. His breath smelled foul, expressing an aroma of liquor and vomit.

“I have to get to the office. I’ll drop you at home, so you can get some sleep and clean yourself up. Don’t you think this has gone on long enough? I understand that you are suffering, but this isn’t the answer. All the bourbon in the world won’t bring them back.”

“Don’t you think I know that? I haven’t accepted what happened. I don’t know if I’ll ever come to terms. I feel like I’m losing them, I mean, the memory of my wife and son. It's hard to see them as clearly in my mind as I used to. They’re slipping away from me. I know that sounds crazy, but the memories of them are all I have left.”

“I can’t imagine the pain you’ve gone through, the pain you’re going through, but I know that at some point you have to move forward. It’s time for some self-care.”

“I’m not in a place to think about myself right now.”

“Is that true, or are you feeling sorry for yourself? Please consider going to an AA meeting. We can go together. I hate to see you like this.”

“You hate to have people see you bail your brother out of jail,” Sean didn’t laugh or smile. There was little point in trying to make Leo think he was in a joking mood. He hadn’t been, for years. They both knew he found no true humor in anything these days. He’d likely spend the day alone drinking so that he didn’t need to wear the mask for anyone.

Leo paused next to his SUV without unlocking the doors to let Sean in. He looked directly at Sean even though his brother didn’t raise his head to make eye contact. “I’ll help you any way that I can. I’ll always be here for you. I’m trying to let you have space to deal with your emotions in your own time, but it’s painful for me.”

“The night in lock-up was miserable. The part I was conscience for. I think someone may have urinated on me while I was passed out. Or maybe I did it to myself. I’ll think about it. AA, I mean.”

Leo unlocked the car doors. Once Sean was inside Leo’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, he quietly leaned against the side window. Leo took it for granted that Sean was pretending to be asleep to escape a longer conversation about his drinking. Leo went along with the ruse. He didn’t feel like sharing any further discourse about being a responsible adult today either. He was also happy to have Sean’s breath turned away from his nasal passages. Between his vomit breath and the urine smell, Leo was anxious to get Sean out of his vehicle.

Leo nudged Sean when they pulled up in front of his brother’s long weedy lawn and watched the groggy man trudge his way toward his front door. Leo couldn’t help but reflect on how lively the house used to be. When Leo visited, they would have cookouts on the immaculately kept lawn, play kickball in the cul-de-sac, and sip beverages on the front porch. In an instant, Sean’s entire life had been turned upside down. Leo knew Sean deserved some patience, but he also knew what alcoholism could cost him.

Leo glanced at his cell to find that Special Agent Olivia Snow had called twice and left three text messages since he had spoken to her on his way to pick up Sean.

4

“Hey, Officer Gardner. The usual?” the barista asked as the uniformed policeman entered the coffee shop.

“You know it,” he replied. “Can I have two muffins today? I’m trying to turn one of my fellow officers on to your place. I thought a chocolate chip muffin might do the trick.”

“We appreciate that,” she said. “I’ll have your order ready in a jiffy.”

Before the young barista could turn away from Officer Gardner to pour his coffee, a loud blast filled the air. The windows of the small shop rattled, and there was a uniform gasp from the patrons seated in the cozy cafe.

Officer Rudy Gardner stepped out of the coffee shop where he had ordered his morning coffee. He looked in the direction of the blast to see people running and screaming. He called for ambulances, the bomb squad, and backup before rushing toward the building that emitted a fog of smoke.

Rudy stopped to check on injured bystanders as he continued to move closer to the apartment complex. He only encountered one man who seemed to be seriously injured, and a woman was holding pressure on his wounded arm. Rudy lifted her hand for a moment to assess the man’s injury. “I’ve called for paramedics. They should be here soon. Please continue to hold pressure. He’ll be alright.”

“The blast came out of nowhere,” she cried. “What kind of world do we live in?”

Rudy moved on, asking those who passed him if they were okay and assuring them that medical personnel would arrive soon. Rudy asked everyone to clear the area. He wanted everyone out of harm's way until the bomb squad checked the building to be sure there weren’t more explosives.

Rudy entered the building, calling to anyone in earshot to vacate immediately. He pounded on doors as he walked to the stairs. He stopped on the second floor since it looked like that area took the brunt of the blast. He entered the apartment that was surely the epicenter of the explosion through a gaping hole in the wall. The kitchen was in ruins. Rudy stepped carefully through the rubble to make sure there were no wounded survivors inside, though it appeared no one could have lived through such violent destruction. Carefully avoiding the gaps in the floor that allowed light from below, he found no recognizable signs of anyone in the apartment. He checked the rest of the building but found no one left inside.

Minutes later, sirens rang, and flashing lights filled the area. Rudy nodded to himself at seeing the first responders.

A man in a large protective suit approached. “Are you Officer Gardner?”

“Yes. Bomb squad?”

“Yes. I'm Officer Stillman. My team will be in charge of checking the building. Were you first on the scene?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know if there is anyone in the building?”

“I can’t be sure, but I don’t think there’s anyone inside. I knew it was prudent to check for more explosives. I insisted that everyone clear the area.”

“What about you, Officer? Did you go inside?”

“I did. I wanted to make sure everyone got out. It looks like the blast came from the second-floor apartment facing the main street. Other units had only minor damage. That apartment was blown to bits. If there was anyone inside, they didn’t make it. There’s no way.”

“We’ll check for explosives as quickly as possible and then Search and Rescue will go in. Thank you for what you’ve done here. Please move back while we check the area.”

Rudy continued to help other officers keep people away from the building. As he argued with a particularly persistent news crew about moving their van, he noticed a large black SUV with a rental sticker parked along the street adjacent to the damaged building. The shiny vehicle appeared to be running. Officer Garner approached the truck to caution the driver to move farther from the building. Before he could reach the window of the vehicle, it sped away.

5

Olivia met Leo at the main entrance as he darted into the FBI building on Flowers Road. “What took you so long?” she asked. “I told you we had a lead on Wendy Drake. I thought you’d fly in here.”

“I had something to take care of.”

They walked side by side through the main entrance and into the elevator. Olivia continued to talk as they made their way to the fourth floor. “We got a hit at an apartment in downtown Tacoma. The field agent who followed Sheldon Drake to the location saw Drake try to enter an apartment on the second floor. The doorman identified Wendy from a photo.”

“Do we have a team on-site? Does the field agent at the location have any backup? Can we move in?” Leo stepped into the conference room and looked at the monitors on the wall. Live footage of first responders near a building with the second-floor windows blown out and surrounded by debris caught his attention first. Then, he noticed a still frame zoomed in on the face of a woman he recognized, though her hair and makeup were not of her usual look. “What the hell happened? Where is she?”

“We dispatched a team, but before they could get to the building, there was an explosion. We think Sheldon Drake tried to kill her. We are certain the woman in the picture is Wendy.” Olivia pointed to the still frame of the woman Leo was already staring at.

“Where is she now? Are we on her?”

“We lost her. Cindy just found this video of her on the street three blocks from the building a few minutes ago. The footage was recorded seconds before the blast. She obviously wasn’t killed in the explosion, so she could be anywhere by now.”

“What about Drake? Do we have eyes on him?” Leo felt like he was pleading for some sort of positive answer from all of this. Sheldon Drake, known simply as “Drake” by every organized crime syndicate in the area, was a drug trafficker who worked out of Atlanta. Leo had spent the past three years trying to put a case together that the DA would accept as strong enough to prosecute the crime boss. Leo wasn’t interested in arresting Drake on measly drug charges. He wanted to put him behind bars for good. There was no doubt in Leo’s mind that Drake was responsible for more than four murders. Coming up with enough evidence to prove any of it beyond a reasonable doubt was the problem.

“Yes. We have a tail on him. He’s still in the Seattle area at this time, but if he is responsible for blowing up that building, he’ll likely come back to Atlanta soon.”

“Can we tie him to the blast in any way?”

“I’m afraid not. He was nearby when it happened. We can’t prove he wasn’t an innocent bystander.”

“That guy has never been an innocent bystander,” Leo huffed. “He’s the only person I know who likely deserved a spanking on the day he was born.”

6

The airport locker slammed shut after Wendy removed the tie-dyed duffle from it. She found a place to sit briefly to rifle through the bag. The bag contained ten thousand dollars in cash and a passport with the name Jane Olmstead. Wendy wore a tan, oversized, conservative dress with long puff sleeves. The puff sleeves were covered by a long brown cardigan. Rectangular black glasses rested on her tiny nose, though she didn’t need them for vision correction. Wendy thought the outfit and glasses made her blend in without attracting attention. She thought it was something a librarian or an accountant might wear. Someone who wouldn’t be noticed. While the wig she currently wore was a mousy brown color, the picture on the passport displayed Wendy with red hair, but it would have to do. Women change the color of their hair all the time, and she was convinced it wouldn’t cause a problem with airport security.

Wendy was heartbroken about Noah, but she didn’t let herself cry. She would never again give Sheldon the satisfaction of her crying over anything he was responsible for whether he was there to witness the tears or not. She was young when she met Sheldon Drake. She was the only person he allowed to call him Sheldon. She once playfully called him Shelly, and he told her she was taking it a bit too far. He insisted everyone else call him Drake. When they met, she was in awe of him in every way. He was strong and handsome with exceptional charm and charisma. She knew he was involved in organized crime, but she didn’t care… until she did. He romanced her with limo rides and fancy dinners. He bought her tickets to all of the best shows that came to town. They lived a luxurious life enjoying all that Atlanta had to offer. She even overlooked the cheating at first. She tried to pretend it didn’t bother her. She spent years attempting to distract him from other women by being more than any other woman could ever dream of. When they met, he was a soldier with a large Atlanta drug ring. Wendy felt he would hold a certain respect for her since she was trained in hand-to-hand combat and firearms and was enthralled by the rush of the hands-on instruction. He moved up the ladder in the syndicate, ultimately taking his own territory in the Atlanta drug trafficking business, as she continued to fine-tune her fighting skills. She once killed a cartel smuggler. Wendy had been instructed to entertain the man after he met with her husband. The smuggler’s idea of entertainment did not match Wendy’s understanding of the term. In her efforts to push the man off her body, he pulled a knife and continued to force himself on her. She felt she had no choice but to finish him. Drake took exception to her actions, and she started to take exception with him. Fourteen months ago, she began to stash money in several cities and bought the most authentic, high-end fake IDs money could buy. She left town while he was in Europe without her. She dyed her blonde hair black and went to western Washington to live a different life.

Wendy had become comfortable in the Seattle area. Her made-up name and altered appearance served her for a time. She stayed at an apartment in Tacoma but also kept a home in Seattle. She had met Noah at a yacht club outside the city a few months ago. She found him to be everything Sheldon wasn’t. He was gentle and kind with empathy for others. He gave his time and talents to those around him. He was neither arrogant nor selfish in any way. He was always considerate of her feelings and paid attention to her in every instance. He lavished her with his presence rather than with presents. Wendy viewed that in high regard.

She was irritated that Sheldon had found her in Washington, but she was furious that he came to her apartment and caused the turmoil she now found herself in. She expected him to discover her whereabouts at some point. She had hoped it wouldn’t be this soon. She never imagined he’d come for her in person. After all, he has plenty of henchmen to kill and kidnap people for him.

Wendy bought a ticket to Atlanta at the airport ticket counter under the name Jane Olmstead. Her initial reaction to what happened at her apartment was to get on the offensive as hastily as possible. She paid cash for the flight and made a beeline for one of the gift shops to pick up a burner phone. Wendy had purposely left her cell in the apartment. She also grabbed a novel on impulse at the gift shop counter. It promised vengeance and betrayal, which she thought might help her pass the time. After purchasing the book and a burner phone, Wendy took a seat in a corner booth at a restaurant near her gate. She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and a salad. She slumped into the padded seat and removed her glasses to read the paperback.

The pages of the book turned methodically in her hands as her eyes scanned the words, but she wasn’t grasping the story. Her mind raced with thoughts of how to get to Sheldon Drake. She had never killed anyone out of emotion before, but she intended to make an exception in his case. He was an evil man who deserved to die. The world would be a better place, she convinced herself. It didn’t take much convincing. It had been months since she was with him, but he was a creature of habit. He had routines he followed. She felt confident that she’d have no trouble finding him once he was back in Atlanta. Getting to him would be a different story. He traveled with quite an entourage of armed, capable men. She wasn’t willing to give up her life to end his. She had an advantage as long as he presumed she died in the apartment explosion.

Wendy thought about the people she had left behind when she escaped her life with Sheldon Drake. She had cut ties with everyone she knew. Her parents were dead, and the rest of her family had disowned her. Most of her friends were his friends and associates. As a rule, she never allowed herself to get close to anyone. There was only one person in Georgia she felt she could trust, Axel Wolf. Axel had been her driver while she was with the syndicate. He drove her to dinners with Sheldon, to hair appointments, to stores, and also to his place on occasion. He was a gangster who dressed in expensive black suits and chauffeured her wherever she wished with an added directive to keep an eye on her. Sheldon Drake held Axel responsible for her safety even though she was extremely capable of handling herself in any situation. Wendy found Axel to be a sweet man who cared for her tenderly. She didn’t love Axel, but she was afraid he was in love with her, even though he had never said the words. She left town without so much as a goodbye. A regret that felt warranted at the time. Now, she wondered if she had burned a bridge she now needed to cross.

Wendy wasn’t sure calling ahead was a great idea, but she planned to look for him at his old place once she landed. She’d need help getting weapons and access to her husband. If Axel didn’t resent her for leaving without a goodbye, she might be able to trust him. There was a chance that he might be more loyal to Sheldon than she thought, but that was a chance she had to take.

She dropped the novel in her bag and set some cash on the table. Before leaving her seat, she scanned the gate area. There were always people looking anxious and unsettled at the airport as patrons anticipated their flight boarding. It made it harder to distinguish anyone who might be staking out the area. Any number of people in view could be working for Sheldon or law enforcement. A man reading a magazine occasionally peered from side to side, checking his surroundings. A tall woman in a raincoat leaned against a pillar scanning the concourse. This bothered Wendy since it wasn’t raining outside, but she also considered that some western Washington residents always kept a raincoat with them due to the constant threat of rain, so perhaps it wasn’t any reason for concern. There were at least two other people near the gate who looked like they could be federal agents. Wendy was worried someone might have recognized her outside the building after the blast. If any of Sheldon’s people had spotted Wendy, they’d continue to pursue her. In her mind, it seemed much more likely that the Feds could have picked her up on camera somewhere. The authorities would put at least some effort into tracking her down once they linked her to the apartment explosion. She decided she should miss her flight. She had impulsively rushed to the decision to fly directly to Atlanta to find Sheldon. She wanted to put a swift end to all of this. To him. She took a few intentional deep breaths and tried to clear her mind. She needed to remove her emotion from the equation. She would be better served by taking some time to contemplate her actions instead of going off half-cocked.

Before Wendy left Atlanta, she was told that an FBI agent was asking about her. An agent named Leo Keller wanted to talk to her. Wendy was uncertain if it was merely regarding Sheldon or if it had to do with the man she killed. Either way, she wasn’t in any hurry to run into him.

She relaxed into the padded seat of the restaurant booth as she heard the overhead call for the final boarding of the flight to Atlanta. Wendy turned the pages back to the beginning of the book to start again. She was deep into Chapter Three when she felt her personal space invaded. She shifted her eyes slightly without moving her head or changing her posture.

7

“Should I book flights to Seattle?” Olivia asked Leo.

“No. If Drake thinks he killed his wife, he’ll be back in Atlanta in no time. She’ll either be out to get him or running as far and as fast as she can to get away from him. Either way, they’ll both be gone before we can get to Seattle.”

“If she’s smart, she’ll put as much distance between them as possible.”

“It seems she tried that when she went to Washington. Knowing what I do about Wendy, I bet she’s starting to think she’ll have to kill him if she ever wants to be rid of him. We have plenty of eyes on the airport, don’t we?”

“Cindy has tapped into camera feeds for all modes of transportation out of the area, but we have boots on the ground at SeaTac airport. I’ll double the efforts around the gates with flights to Atlanta in case you’re right.” Olivia picked up her phone to call the team lead at the airport.

“Once you can confirm his itinerary, get a team to Hartsfield to monitor Drake’s flight in. If Wendy is quick, maybe we can catch her in the act of trying to kill him at the Atlanta airport.” Leo knew he didn’t sound optimistic. “It’s a long shot, but Wendy could be the witness we need to finally have our day in court with Drake.”

“If we find her at the airport when he arrives, maybe we should let her kill him. It would save the taxpayers a ton of money.” Olivia grinned.

“We’ll do it the hard way,” Leo said as he folded his arms across his chest.

Leo was certain Wendy would go on the offensive. She was clever. He expected her to find a way to get to Atlanta undetected. No matter how many agents they had at the airport, the odds of spotting her were slim. She had surely changed her hair color, makeup, and style of dress to escape recognition by Drake’s men, even if she wasn’t worried about the authorities chasing her. Leo had Olivia searching through the FBI database of known aliases for Wendy as well as known associates for her and her husband. If they could figure out who Wendy trusted or where she would go to get weapons and information in Georgia, they could apprehend her before she got herself killed. Keeping an eye on Drake felt like the best possible way to find Wendy, but Leo hoped to find her before she got to him. Leo was convinced he could talk Wendy into helping him convict Drake.

“What kind of deal do you think we can offer Wendy if she agrees to testify against her husband? We know she’s a killer. Do you think the DA would be willing to grant her immunity?”

“We only know of one guy she killed, and we can’t prove she murdered him. He was a very unpleasant man. I think we can get Hersch to come around.”

“Revolting is what he was. One of the most despicable men in North America but Herschel Drowning is a successful DA gunning to be the next mayor. He might not like headlines that accuse him of making a deal with a murderer.”

“If we can hand Drake to him on a silver platter, that might make a headline that will trump anything the media prints about Wendy. Let’s find her first and then we’ll worry about persuading the good counselor.”

“Assistant Director Pernell called,” Oliva said. “She’s willing to give us some leeway given that Wendy has been spotted.”

“Good news. Pernell’s been up my ass to arrest Drake for something or give up the case. She says we’ve put too many man-hours on this one.”

“Do you want the bad news now?”

“No, but tell me anyway,” Leo said with a roll of his eyes.

“She’s assigning a bank robbery case to us.”

“Even with the new developments in the Drake case?”

“Yes. She was prepared to give us one last week on Drake’s case while we worked the robbery case, but since we have new leads, she’s allowing us more time to charge Drake. However, she still wants us to work the armed robbery case.”

“Ask Cindy to get everything together about the bank case, and we’ll review it when we exhaust the new info on Drake. Have her review the bank info with O’Neil. He can take point on that one.”

“He’s never run lead before. Do you think he’s ready?”

“Grant O’Neil is as capable as they come. Let’s team him up with Cindy McCarthy. What she lacks in field experience, she makes up for in ingenuity. I know Cindy is a fairly new agent to the team, but she has mad computer skills.”

“If you say so.”

8

A young man with smooth skin and sandy hair to his shoulders stared at Wendy, crouching enough to be sure she could see him from where her eyes fell.

The young man spoke through his gentle smile. “The tables are all full. This airport is a madhouse. Do you mind?” He leaned in the direction of the empty seat across the table from Wendy.

“Is this guy for real?” Wendy said in a mumble that couldn’t be heard over the airport noise. She stared at him for over a minute wondering who might have sent him. He looked too soft to be one of Sheldon’s men. He was too young to be a Fed. They could have pulled him out of Quantico she supposed. Wendy laughed, feeling a little silly, and motioned her hand to the empty seat.

He tossed his large hiking pack into the booth and flopped down next to it. He pushed his hair to one side with his right hand before extending it to Wendy. “Ethan Nicholas.”

Wendy grinned, remembering something her dad used to say. Never trust a man with two first names. She reached for his hand anyway. “I’m Jane. Jane Olmstead. Where are you headed?”

“I’m flying to Knoxville for a few days and then driving to Cartersville, Georgia. A friend offered to take me hiking. He’s loaning me a car to visit my sister.” His voice was lively, spoken through a wide smile.

“Your sister lives in Cartersville?” Wendy asked for clarification.

“Yes.”

“That’s just north of Atlanta, isn’t it?”

“About an hour north of downtown Atlanta. It’s a small town. Do you know it?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

“You are a lifesaver. With all the delays, people are camping out at their tables in every restaurant. Are you hungry? I’m happy to buy. I’m starving, and my flight doesn’t leave for two hours.”

“I already ate but go right ahead.”

“What about you? What’s your destination of choice?” he asked as he opened the menu that lay in the middle of the table.

“I was planning to fly into Hartsfield-Jackson, but I missed my flight. I’m sitting here putting off the decision of what to do next. I like to think I’m adventuresome and spontaneous, but really, I’m a procrastinator and a poor planner.” Wendy studied the young man as she tried to gauge his innocence. She needed to pause her travels for a few days to get into the right frame of mind. She always liked to find some kind of fun to get into before embarking on anything serious. Resolving that a flight to Atlanta may be a risky idea, she pondered renting a car. The idea of driving across the country exhausted her. She preferred to be a passenger. She hadn’t driven herself anywhere in years. Axel was dedicated to relieving her of that duty in Georgia, and in Washington, she relied on Ubers or taxis

“This trip is a bit spontaneous for me. I decided to check flights yesterday. My sister has been after me to visit, so when my buddy Dean called and said he was going hiking this weekend, I thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s only the Smoky Mountains, but it will still be fun. I moved to Western Washington from Knoxville. I had never seen real mountains before,” Ethan chuckled.

“Do you hike in Washington?”

“Green Mountain, the Cascades, and best of all, Mount Rainier. I love it. It’s a magnificent area of the country.”

“I can’t get a flight to Atlanta until morning. All the flights there seem to be overbooked. I thought I’d read a while and then decide if I wanted to get a hotel or tough it out here all night.” She smiled brightly while trying to look as innocent and helpless as possible. She was at least ten years older but hoped he’d be eager enough to invite her along on his travel plan. He may be the distraction she needed.

“I’m happy to drive you if you don’t mind a pit stop in Knoxville, Tennessee. I don’t think my flight is full. I upgraded my seat about an hour ago. I don’t mean to be forward, but you said you were adventuresome. If you’re in a hurry, I’ll drive you to Atlanta once we land and visit my sister before hiking with Dean. He won’t mind if I put him off for a week or so.”

“Are you sure about this? You wouldn’t mind?” she said in a coy manner.

“Are you kidding? I’d love the company.”

“You’re not a rapist or a serial killer, are you?” She smiled, wondering for a second if he might be something worse. Traveling with someone could be a good cover for her. If she had been spotted near her apartment at the time of the blast, anyone after her would be looking for a woman traveling alone. Besides, if this kid was up to no good, she was sure he was no match for her honed combat skills.

“Scout’s honor,” he said with a smile and a three-finger salute. “If you want to be spontaneous, here’s your chance.”

“I’ll check at ticketing,” she said as she left the table.

The waitress approached, and Wendy could hear Ethan ordering food as she walked out into the moving crowd of travelers. She came back to the table to find him with his teeth two inches deep in a double-decker cheeseburger. The smell of greasy beef and French fries wafted into her face as she resumed her place in the booth.

“I got a seat. Knoxville, here we come,” she said with glee.

“Great,” Ethan said with a full mouth as he bounced in delight with cheeks full of food. He chewed for almost a full minute before wiping his mouth with a paper napkin. He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. “I have a bit of a secret I need to share with you before we head for the gate together.”

9

“Before Wendy disappeared from Atlanta, she was often spotted with Michael Whitney. He’s a known weapons expert associated with Drake,” Olivia said as she placed several photos of Wendy in front of Leo. In each photo, Wendy was pictured near a short stocky man with cauliflower ears. Surveillance also shows her with Carol Bright on several occasions.”

“Let’s put eyes on Whitney and the Brights. Carol's husband, Max, has been with Drake since they were teenagers. Drake brought Max along as he advanced his career, but Wendy may trust his wife. I can’t imagine she would get in touch with Mike Whitney. Mike has been leading security around Drake for years. He’s possibly the person who found Wendy in Tacoma and reported her to Drake, but without better leads, I guess we have to start somewhere.” Leo bit his bottom lip as he studied the pictures of Wendy scattered across the table. “Yeah, let’s put tails on them both, but my money is on Carol. Maybe they forged a friendship that would supersede her loyalty to Max and Drake.”

“What about us? What are we going to do?” Olivia asked.

“We are going to sit on Drake. As soon as he’s back in town, we are going to be on him like red on a Falcons fan.”

“Just like old times,” Olivia said with a smirk. “I hope he still hooks up with that dancer over in Buckhead near the sushi place. I’m dying for some good California rolls. Johnson and Gentry are waiting for Drake at the airport. We can relieve them once Drake settles in somewhere.”

“Let’s take all recent information on Drake and Wendy. We can review files while we watch him.”

“I’ll try to whittle it down to a couple of boxes and have someone put them in your back seat. I’ll get the file on the armed robbery case, too. Quality time with the boss. Oh boy!” Olivia said with sarcastic glee.

“We are destined to spend the day together going through everything that might be a lead. We might as well keep an eye out for Wendy while we do it.”

“We might as well get a delicious meal.”

“That too. Whatever you like.”

“The something you had to do this morning. Did it have to do with Sean? He didn’t barf in your car again, did he? If he did, I’m driving.”

“I did help Sean out this morning, but he didn’t leave any surprises in my car. Besides, your car smells of fast food and perfume. I’d take the vomit odor over that.”

“It’s not perfume. It’s an air deodorizer. It’s an air freshener to mask the fast-food smell,” she cackled.

“It doesn’t work,” he grimaced.

“A couple days on a stakeout with me and your car is going to smell like food. I’m just saying,” Olivia said with a laugh. “I’m going to grab a few things, and I’ll meet you in the car.”

10

“What kind of secret?” Wendy asked the spirited young man.

“I picked your table because I wanted to meet you. You have an enticing beauty unblemished by makeup and flashy clothing. An attractive but earthy look,” Ethan smiled and raised his eyebrows as if he expected a positive response to his comment.

“Earthy. Did you just call me earthy?” Wendy scoffed.

“I meant it as a compliment. You appear down-to-earth. Someone who doesn’t feel the need to get dolled up and dressed up to impress anyone. I didn’t mean to offend you. I wanted to let you know that I find you attractive. I believe in putting all my cards on the table. I realize I’m quite a bit younger—”

“Now, you’re calling me old? Old and earthy. That doesn’t sound attractive. Are you sure you want to travel with me?”

“I’ll shut up now before I put my other foot in my mouth.”

“Oh, I think it’s too late for that. I believe they are both in there up to your ankles,” Wendy released the tension in her face and started to laugh. “I’m a married woman. I appreciate you offering to help me get to Atlanta, but friendly conversation is all I’m offering in return, besides gas money.”

“I understand completely. I wasn’t expecting anything else. I didn’t mean anything like that. I was just trying to be open and honest. I didn’t see a ring so… well… I thought you were single, but it makes no difference. I’m happy to have a travel companion.”

“I haven’t worn a ring in years. I lost it and never got it replaced.” This wasn’t true, but Wendy wanted to set some boundaries for the trip. She hoped to avoid fending off the young man’s advances. She was pretty sure she knew where her wedding ring was unless someone found it in the Puget Sound. Enjoying the views of the water and the Seattle skyline on her first day in Washington, Wendy had taken her ring from her finger and hurled it from the top of the Ferris wheel at Pier 57. It felt freeing and final. It was the mark of a new life or so she thought. As her mind wandered back to the moment she declared her freedom from Sheldon Drake, she began to realize there may be only one way to truly be free of him.

“I wanted to share my thoughts. Now, I have. Let’s agree that you are an attractive married woman, and we will leave it at that.”

“Old, earthy, attractive married woman,” she said, raising an eyebrow and the edges of her lips at him in a forgiving manner.

“We should head to our gate. I’m going to grab some nuts or chips. Do you want anything?”

“After that huge burger?” She gave him a look of amazement.

“I’ll need a snack mid-flight.”

“I’ll be okay without a snack. You go on ahead. I need to make a few calls. I’ll meet you at the gate.”

Wendy watched Ethan until he was out of sight. She stepped around a vending machine and pulled the burner from her bag. She stared at the phone for over a minute, wondering if making this call would be a mistake. She dialed and held the phone to her ear. “Axel. It’s me,” Wendy said with an uneasy quiver. “I’m going to be in town for a few days. Can we get together?” She didn’t know how Axel would react. She had left town without a word. She was sure he wasn’t happy with her for doing that, but she also believed he cared for her and would help her if he could. She hoped he would understand her reasons for leaving the way she did. Using her name seemed dangerous, but she was sure he’d know her by her voice. She waited for an answer.

11

Almost thirty seconds went by before Axel whispered, “Okay.”

“The fireman place?” Wendy requested. There was a bar and grill in Woodstock owned by an ex-firefighter. Wendy and Axel used to go there to feel normal. It was a quiet restaurant where no one knew them.

“Okay,” he whispered again.

“I’ll contact you when I know I can get there.” Wendy stayed on the line for a moment, but Axel offered nothing more. She ended the call and stood in the busy airport staring at the phone. She was alone in her thoughts as she wondered what Axel was thinking. Would he come? Could he have more loyalty to Sheldon than she expected? She shook it off with a bob of her head and concentrated on finding her gate. She believed in her heart that Axel Wolf had always been true to her before anyone else, including her husband.

In her seat on the plane, the air wafting into Wendy’s face felt warm and smelled stale. She could hear bits of conversations from passengers as well as a movie playing loudly in the ear of the man beside her. Wendy was restless, and her attempts to stretch were restricted by the large men sitting to either side. She claimed the armrest to her right, but the man to her left leaned towards her. She turned her head to the aisle, wondering what Ethan was doing to pass the time on the flight.

Her new travel companion sat in the aisle seat near the man leaning her way. A bag of open chips rested in Ethan’s hands as he slouched in his seat with his eyes closed. Wendy was glad to see that one of them was comfortable on this miserable flight … on this horrible day. Unsurprised that Sheldon found her, Wendy had dreaded the inevitable day. Sheldon Drake was relentless. She was certain he would search for her until he dragged her back to Atlanta or watched her die. She hoped that he felt content with the thought that she had blown up in the apartment explosion, but she feared that he was sure to find out the truth at some point. Sheldon had connections inside law enforcement working for him. Eventually, there would be a report leaked to him concluding that she had not been killed in the explosion.

She pondered the innocence in the sleeping face of the young man she persuaded to drive her into the lion’s den. A blunt pain rested in her gut as she thought of what Sheldon may do to anyone he felt was helping her. She would need to find a way to distance herself from Ethan before making contact with Axel. She couldn’t risk his life to carry out her vendetta. Wendy had doubts about Axel’s continuing devotion to her after the way she had left him. There was a time when she knew his allegiance to her came first, even before his loyalty to his boss. That time may have come to pass.

Determined to take the chance that Axel would help her get close enough to Sheldon to kill him, she followed Ethan through the airport after their flight and joined him in a gold Nissan Altima outside the Knoxville airport.

“Dean. This is my friend Jane. Jane, this is my best friend in the whole world, Dean Stark,” Ethan said as he and Wendy tossed their bags into the small sedan. Ethan slid into the front passenger seat, and Wendy took the seat behind him.

Dean looked back at Wendy and said, “What’s a nice girl like you doing with a punk like Ethan?”

“I was lucky to meet Ethan at the airport. I’d be sleeping in the terminal tonight if it weren’t for him,” Wendy offered, feeling a little guilty about lying about who she was. She eased her conscience with the justification that it was for their safety. She couldn’t very well tell them she was running from a crime boss and the law. It was definitely more than they wanted to know.

“I don’t know how he does it, but this guy always makes girls feel lucky to know him,” Dean said with a chuckle.

“It’s a gift,” Ethan said with a smirk.

“I understand you want to get down to Atlanta ASAP, but you’ll be back in a couple of weeks to hike the Smokies, right?” Dean said.

“Sorry to shift the plan on you, but my sister is anxious to see me, and Jane needs to get to the big city,” Ethan replied.

“Thank you so much for letting us borrow your car. That’s very kind of you,” Wendy stated as she smiled at the small dark-haired man looking at her in the rearview mirror.

“No problem at all,” Dean said. “This baby will get you there. She’s got a few miles on her, but I take good care of her. No bells and whistles but a very reliable ride.”

“It’s a very nice car,” Wendy said.

“This is where I leave you,” Dean said as he pulled up alongside a modest two-story home on the east side of Knoxville.

“Thanks again. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks,” Ethan said as he moved to the driver's seat.

Before she pulled the passenger side door shut Wendy called to Dean, “Yes. Thank you!”

“I’ll have you in Atlanta in no time,” Ethan assured Wendy as he pulled onto the street.

“I’d like to make a stop here in town first if you don’t mind,” Wendy said.

12

File boxes sat open in the backseat of Leo’s Grand Cherokee. He peered back and forth from the front of a freshly painted upscale condo to a street cam photo of the man who witnesses saw going into Wendy’s apartment the night before the explosion. Olivia and Leo had followed Drake to the dancer’s place over an hour ago. Leo’s team hadn’t been able to find out anything about the neatly groomed man in the photo, but Cindy was still working on it. Leo wondered if he was a friend of Wendy’s from Atlanta, a business acquaintance of some kind, or perhaps a one-night stand. Maybe he was of no significance at all. Leo hoped to learn more about the man once forensics picked up DNA from the scorched apartment. He was hopeful that discovering this man’s identity would help them locate Wendy. Since her separation from Drake, Leo had become consumed with the idea that Wendy would consider turning state’s evidence against her estranged husband. In the past, Leo and Olivia had spent countless hours tailing Wendy and Sheldon Drake. Usually, that meant separate surveillance since Wendy and Drake spent little time together.

He wouldn’t admit it to Olivia, but Leo preferred following Wendy to Drake. She was a beautiful woman who moved with a smooth confidence that made her captivating. He was excited by the thought of having a conversation with her. He hoped to put an in-person voice with the mystery that oozed from her as she went about her day. Besides Wendy’s alluring qualities, Leo was convinced he could turn her into a witness against her husband. Connecting the dots to the murder Wendy had committed was the leverage Leo needed to start the conversation with her. Leo had no greater objective than putting Drake behind bars. Leo Keller didn’t have family other than his little brother. He had no social life. No hobbies. He lived for his job, and his job for the past three years had focused on building a case against Sheldon Drake. Leo knew Drake was the man in charge of an organization that killed young people with its drugs and killed those who got in the way of his business. Drake kept the dirty work at arm's length, making it impossible to link him directly to any of it. The agency was able to get a man inside Drake’s organization last year, but the undercover agent disappeared before he could bring any firm evidence against Drake to light.

The agent was John Kaplinsky. They had set his background as a convict from Northern Ohio who had been arrested several times for assault and battery along with multiple lesser charges. His cover name was Johnny Glue. He started a bar fight with one of Michael Whitney’s men. After putting up a good fight, he let the goon make a comeback and then turned that encounter into an entry-level job with Michael’s security team. Four months later, John asked to be pulled out. He had some evidence that would likely convict Michael Whitney and Max Bright of conspiracy to commit murder, but Leo wanted to wait until they could prove Drake’s involvement. John Kaplinsky didn’t make contact again. He missed his next two scheduled check-in appointments, and Leo never saw him again.

The memory of Kaplinsky’s strained voice begging to end his four-month excursion into the depth of Drake's darkness haunted Leo. He could see the fear in Kaplinsky’s eyes and hear the labor in his voice, but he was determined to put cuffs on Drake. It was all that mattered to him. Before his guilt could take him over completely, Olivia banged on the passenger side door, her hands full of plastic bags and foam cups. Leo reached across the SUV, pulled on the silver lever, and pushed hard on the door.

“They had a buy two get one half-price special, so I had to get three sushi rolls,” Olivia said as she handed one of the foam cups to Leo.

“My car is going to smell like ginger and soy sauce for a week,” Leo said with a raise of one eyebrow and a shake of his head. He hoped she wouldn’t see the stress on his face. He knew thinking about John Kaplinsky wore on his nerves. He pushed it out of his mind. Olivia had never met John. She joined the team while he was undercover, but she never met him.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a chortle. “I got that crab roll you like.”

“That makes it all worth it. Thanks.”

“Any movement while I was gone?”

“Not a bit. His guys waiting outside are always on point. They don’t sit down or move from their appointed spots. He has those two brutes trained. His driver hasn’t gotten out of the car. They have to be as bored as we are. I didn’t expect Drake to be in there with that dancer for so long.”

“She is a professional pole dancer,” Olivia lingered on the word “pole” with a sultry whisper as she smirked at Leo. She glanced out the window of the SUV, noting the two men in dark pants, white button-down shirts, and jackets standing at attention outside the building she and Leo had watched Drake enter hours earlier.

“I was hoping for something more than his usual habits. That being said, he doesn’t typically spend this much time ‘watching her dance’—”

“Around his pole,” Olivia interjected with a loud cackle. “Do you think Wendy is privy to this part of Drake’s routine?”

“Wendy’s no fool. I’d bet she knows about all the promiscuous women Drake has had—”

“Dance around his pole,” Oliva couldn’t let the joke go.

“That’s one way to put it. How many women have we seen him with? He’s been tomcatting around as long as we’ve been surveilling him.”

“Wendy does seem shrewd but not enough to keep him from finding her. He was seen in her building before it blew up,” Olivia said.

“I’m banking on the fact that she knows he was at her apartment. If she’s aware that Drake was there, she’ll surely assume he was responsible for the bombing.”

“Even if she didn’t see him there, she likely suspects he is the reason her home was destroyed. What other explanation could there be? If our information is accurate, she stole several million dollars from Drake before she left town. If the reports of her having a man in her apartment when it happened are true and he went up in the blaze, she may be out for vengeance. Going after Drake may be more than a defensive maneuver.”

“Either way, I think she’ll show up somewhere Drake is…” Leo paused to take his phone from his pocket and saw it was Agent Gentry, “…eventually.” He finished his thought and hit accept and the speaker button on his phone, “Gentry, I have you on speaker with Snow.”

“Forensics didn’t find any sign of human remains in the apartment. It’s fairly conclusive that no one was in the place when it went up.”

“We know Wendy got out, but what about the guy who was seen entering the apartment the night before?” Olivia chimed in.

“Nothing. No blood, flesh, or bones. It was quite a blast, but there would have been something splattered somewhere in the vicinity. They came up empty. A couple of people on the lower floors and the street were injured, but no signs that there was anyone in Wendy’s place,” Agent Gentry said.

“Keep this between us,” Leo said.

“Yes, Sir,” Agent Gentry replied.

“Gentry,” Leo said sternly.

“Yes?” came from the phone speaker.

“I mean it!” Leo said. “No one else knows. No one. Tell those forensic guys to put a lid on it, and don’t talk about this to anyone else. Not a word. Not even to your mother. The longer Drake thinks she’s dead, the better.”

“I got it, Boss,” Gentry responded. “There’s something else. It appears the explosion happened due to a loose gas pipe.”

“That doesn’t change anything. Drake’s men were ad-libbing. They couldn’t bring explosives with them, so they used what they had. I’m still banking on the fact that Drake is responsible.”

“Makes sense,” Gentry said.

“Surprising though,” Leo said. “That no one was killed in the explosion. Let me know if you learn anything new.”

“Will do, Boss.” Gentry disconnected the call.

“We should take a look at the bank robbery file while we wait,” Olivia suggested as she pulled a folder onto the dash and positioned her food to eat while reading.

“Okay. Give me the rundown.”

“Three armed assailants entered the Wells Fargo on Peachtree, downtown, in broad daylight. They wore N95 masks, sunglasses, and ball caps. They all had long-sleeved shirts and gloves on. Same MO on two other robberies in town.”

“Anything descriptive about the hats or their clothes?”

“One wears an Atlanta Braves hat with the A on the cap. One a Pittsburgh Pirates P and the other a Texas Rangers T. During the robbery, they call one another by the letters. The rest of their attire is nondescript. Plain black T-shirts, blue jeans, and white Converse. A and P march in quickly, threatening the staff and patrons to get on the floor or be shot in the head. T stays by the door to watch for anyone coming in. They empty each cash drawer and leave. In and out in less than three minutes.”

“They don’t go to the vault?”

“No. Three banks in the Atlanta area and they never went to the vault. They don’t bother with personal items from the victims. They empty the cash drawers and leave.”

“All Wells Fargo Banks?”

“No. All different.”

“Same MO in any other cities?” Leo asked.

“No. Three banks in three weeks here in the Atlanta area. All national banks. Armed men.”

“Armed serial robbers. So, FBI jurisdiction.”

“Exactly.”

“Did local police give us anything to go on?”

“Admittedly, they had nothing. They were more than happy to turn this one over to us.”

“Tell Cindy to scrub the footage to see if she can notice any identifying marks. Tattoos, scars, jewelry. Have her check street cams in the surrounding area around the bank to try to catch sight of them getting into or out of a vehicle near the bank. Call O’Neil and tell him to interview the bank staff personally.”

13

Ethan eased the small sedan into a parking spot in front of the Harley-Davidson shop on Clinton Highway northeast of Knoxville. “This is where you wanted me to take you? We drove out of our way to shop at a Harley place?” Ethan sounded confused.

“I told you I wanted to get a special gift for a friend of mine. She’s big on riding. Come on. It’ll be fun. Maybe you can get some chaps.” She smiled at him as she left the car to march into the store.

Wendy browsed the clothing racks while Ethan marveled at the motorcycles in the showroom. She quickly moved to a dressing room with an arm full of clothes. Moments later, she pushed the changing room curtain aside and stepped towards Ethan wearing a pair of tight-fitted blue jeans, a black Harley Davidson t-shirt that clung to her thin waist, and a leather vest.

“Wow,” Ethan said with a shake of his head as if he were trying to clear his mind to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. “That’s quite a transformation. I mean… you looked good before but… wow.”

“I decided the chaps may be a bit much for me, but I think I’ll get them for my friend,” she said with a wink. Wendy pondered the look in the mirror for a few minutes but felt that something was wrong. Her attention was drawn to a couple entering the bike shop.

A tall, thin woman with a worn complexion and long, tangled hair returned Wendy’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped close to Wendy. Wendy continued to study the woman, looking her up and down.

“Got some kind of problem?” the woman huffed.

Wendy cocked her head slightly and smiled. “I love that jacket. Would you be willing to part with it?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m pretty fond of this particular piece of leather.” The woman frowned with disinterest.

“How much will you give her?” Came from the sunburned man who had entered the building with the long-haired woman. “I gave that coat to her for her birthday. It has sentimental value,” he said as he joined the two women.

Wendy didn’t believe the coat had any special meaning to the woman, but she didn’t care. She’d play along. Pushing her glasses onto her nose, Wendy circled the woman, studying the coat as she moved. The jacket was worn with several tears in it. A purple do-rag hung from one of the pockets. “Six hundred. You can buy any leather coat in the place to replace it,” Wendy said as she squared off with the tall woman.

“Why don’t you buy another coat in here?” the woman asked with a shrug.

“Seven hundred,” Wendy spouted.

“Eight,” the man interjected.

“Seven fifty and I get the do-rag,” Wendy reached into her bag to pull out some cash.

“Deal!” the woman said as she took off the red leather shell and handed it to Wendy.

Ethan wasn’t sure what to make of the transaction as he watched from several feet away. Wendy replaced the vest with her newly acquired coat, paid the cashier for the jeans, chaps, and t-shirt, smirked at Ethan, swung her head toward the door, and walked out onto the paved lot.

“What was that all about?” Ethan asked as they entered the car. “You wanted to buy an old beat-up jacket? It smells a little, too,” he said as he put his hand to his nose.

“It’s perfect,” Wendy said with a smile.

“If you say so. Are you ready to head to Atlanta now?”

“There is one more place I’d like to stop, but it’s on the way. Don’t worry, you’re going to love it.”

14

Ice clinked lightly in the thick rocks glass as Axel moved the gold bourbon slowly in a circular motion before taking a sip. His large frame sunk comfortably into a soft leather armchair. He propped his heels on a brown ottoman that matched the large chair. Both excitement and confusion swirled in his head as he wondered why Wendy had contacted him. He had grown more than fond of Wendy during the years of being her driver and daily companion. He had grown to love her. He didn’t think most people got to know Wendy’s true self, but she was different when she was alone with him. They spoke candidly to one another and discussed their views and feelings. Drifting back in time, he remembered an evening they spent drinking martinis and playing Monopoly. She told him about her simple, carefree childhood. It was a story of a girl with little in the way of extras, but she had everything she needed. Her family ate beef butchered by the neighbor and vegetables from their garden. “We ate what was in season,” she said. “Sometimes corn and tomatoes were dinner in the summer.” Admitting he grew up in much the same way, they joked and laughed about the oddities of a modest life. Around two in the morning, she had all the Monopoly money. She had to give some back to him so they could continue playing. Luckily, Drake was out of town that week, and Wendy was able to sneak into her home without anyone realizing she had been out all night with Axel. He regretted never telling her he loved her, but he had always been afraid those words would jeopardize their friendship. Besides, he was certain she already knew.

He waited for some sign that she loved him in the same way, but it never appeared. He was heartbroken when she left without a word and had spent the past several months trying to forget her. He knew falling for her was a mistake even before she left town. It was like trying to give up a bad habit that needed to be kicked. He was forced to do it cold turkey when she disappeared from his life.

Drake blamed Axel at first. He tortured him in hopes that he would divulge some information about Wendy’s whereabouts. Remembering the hours he spent tied to a chair being beaten and cut, Axel ran his hand along the edge of his chin, feeling a deep scar that had become a continuous reminder of that day, but nothing Drake had done to him left a wound on Axel like the one he felt by Wendy’s leaving. In the end, Drake decided Axel was as surprised by Wendy’s disappearance as he was. Still, Drake demoted Axel to being a bagman and reassigned him to a pickup route. Axel now collected payments around town. It was easy work for Axel since most were afraid at the sight of the large muscular man. He felt he was merely going through the motions as he no longer had Wendy’s spirit to make him want to get up every morning.

His mind crept back to his youth. He grew up in rural Georgia with his father and stepmother. They lived in a two-bedroom shack on three acres. It was Axel’s job to mow the lawn with a steel-framed Craftsman push mower. He would drudge from one end of the yard to the other, pushing the heavy yard tool in front of him as he dripped with sweat. He remembered how he loathed the process. He would suffer his way to the edge of the yard, abhorring every step, only to make the pivot and continue the process. He wanted to stop at every turn but carried on with his task to suffer another round. Every day felt the same way to Axel ever since Wendy had vanished from his life. He continued to make the next turn and drudge on though he felt nothing but distaste for the events of his days.

Wendy had always been friendly and jovial with Axel. She confided in him and shared her true self with him— at least he thought that was the case. Now, he was unsure. Did he know her in the way he thought he did? They were always laughing and joking. At the time, he thought it was with complete sincerity.

He pulled his cell from his pocket to make sure the ringer was on and that he hadn’t missed a call or a text from Wendy. He hadn’t. He took a sizeable swig from his bourbon glass and then pulled a worn chrome Fender Blues Deluxe harmonica from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment, wondering if he should play something upbeat or if the blues were more appropriate.

15

Graciously, Dean had loaned his automobile to Ethan for an undetermined amount of time, but he had not included a full tank of gas. Wendy and Ethan stopped at an exit north of Chattanooga to fuel up. As Ethan jumped from his seat to pump the gas, Wendy halted his enthusiasm.

“I’ll pay. I’ll give the guy inside cash. Thirty should more than get us to Woodstock. That’s where I’d like to stop next if you don’t mind.”

“Okay,” Ethan said with a shrug of his narrow shoulders. He put his wallet back into his hip pocket and leaned against the car.

“I’m going to get a bottle of water. Would you like a drink or a snack?”

“I’d love a Mountain Dew. Purple Thunder if they have it. And some kind of corn chips.”

Wendy zipped her coat to her chin, gave him a thumbs-up, and went inside the convenience store. She searched the coolers but didn’t find Ethan’s drink of choice. She decided an original Mountain Dew would have to suffice. She grabbed a bottle of water and a medium-sized bag of Doritos and approached the counter. After paying cash for her purchases, she strolled through the parking lot to find Ethan standing next to a large man with a goatee and a bald head. The bald man smiled at Wendy, but Ethan looked as if he were about to hurl. Ethan stood at the trunk of the gold sedan while the hefty man gripped his shoulder.

“Who’s your new friend?” Wendy asked as she dropped the drinks and chips on the hood of the car.

“You can call me Joe,” the bald man said.

Wendy knew there was a problem brewing that would need to be handled. She hoped it could be de-escalated without drawing any attention to them. Wendy smiled sweetly, took her newly acquired leather jacket off, and placed it carefully on the hood of the car as if it were a piece of fragile China. She put a hand on her waist and moved slowly towards the two men. “What can we do for you, Joe?” she asked. Wendy recognized the man from the Harley shop. She had seen him saunter into the store while she was finishing her transaction with the couple who sold her the coat.

Joe made a point to show Wendy that he had a firm grip on Ethan with one hand and held an eight-inch switchblade in the other. “I’d like to see the bag you had with you at the bike shop. It looked to me like you were rifling through some serious cash back there.”

Wendy laughed. “You think I have a bag full of money. You must have me mistaken for someone else. Would we be driving around in this heap eating gas station snacks if we had a bag full of money?” she said as she stepped closer to the two men.

Ethan’s body started to tremble as the bald man stuck the tip of the knife into his side. The young man gasped but didn’t say anything coherent. Sweat dripped from the edge of his chin.

“Next time, I’ll stick it somewhere that counts!” Joe barked.

“Don’t do anything hasty,” Wendy said. “There’s no need for that. You can have the bag. It’s in the trunk.”

“Where are the keys?” Joe asked with a loud, steady voice, keeping a tight grip on Ethan.

“My pocket,” Ethan said trembling.

“Go ahead. Slowly,” Joe said.

Ethan pulled the keys from his jeans and held them up for Joe to see.

“Hand them to her,” Joe directed Ethan as he pulled him a step away from the rear of the car.

Wendy stepped forward and reached for Ethan's hand, locking eyes with their assailant. Ethan held the ring of keys in his fingertips, but Wendy moved her hand to his wrist, grabbed hold of him tightly, and pulled Ethan out of Joe’s grip with one quick motion. She spun her body towards the bald man, thrusting her weight and momentum to her right foot as it made contact with Joe’s shin. She could hear the bone snap as he fell to the oily pavement. Joe dropped the knife, reaching reflexively for his injured leg. After connecting her foot with Joe’s face, Wendy picked up the switchblade.

“You bitch!” Joe screamed. “You broke my fucking leg!” Blood ran from his lip as he continued to hold his leg, groaning.

“Ready to go?” she asked Ethan, who stood staring at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads and a tail.

“Ah… yeah. I’m definitely ready to go,” he responded, turning quickly to enter the car.

Wendy hurried to the front of the car and retrieved her coat and the snacks. She glanced back at the large man who continued to wallow in pain as she climbed into the car.

Ethan hit the gas and sped out of the parking lot. Once they were back on the highway, he turned to look at Wendy with curiosity.

“Sorry, they didn’t have Purple Thunder,” she said as she pulled the Mountain Dew and Doritos from a white plastic bag. “How do you feel about Doritos?”

“Doritos are good. Thank you.” Ethan tried to mock her calm attitude for a moment. Then, he displayed his true feelings. “Who the hell are you? That guy could have killed me. You broke his leg and possibly knocked out some of his teeth. Now, you’re casually talking to me about soft drinks and chips.”

“So, Doritos aren’t good?” she said, narrowing her brows.

“Do you have a bag full of money? How did you learn to take a guy down like that?”

“I have some cash in my bag. I wouldn’t call it a ‘bag full.’ I don’t like credit cards. I’m ex-military. I’ve seen more guys who underestimate women than you can imagine.” She didn’t like lying to her travel companion, but she couldn’t very well tell him she was trained in hand-to-hand combat by a professional hitman. She wanted to ease the young man’s mind rather than cause more trauma. She was worried he might decide he shouldn’t be trapped in a car with her for another hundred miles. She immediately started to consider her options if he were to expel her from the car. She could tell him the truth and hope that he would continue to help her. The safer action would be to overtake him and stuff him in the trunk. She kept smiling as she opened her water and took a sip from the plastic bottle.

Ethan’s shoulders relaxed, and he kept his eyes on the road. “That was pretty impressive. I’ve never seen a man buckle like that before. Very badass.” His strained expression turned to a soft grin. 

Wendy watched his demeanor become more comfortable, letting out a small sigh. She was glad he bought her story about being in the military. She took no pleasure in the thought that she might be forced to take the car from him. Besides, she didn’t want to have to drive.

“You mentioned Woodstock, Georgia. Why do you want to go there?”

“You’ll see.”

16

“This seems to be a big waste of our time, Boss,” Oliva said as she collected all the food wrappers and empty cups in the car and placed them in a bag. She tied the top of the bag in a knot and tossed it on the floor in the back seat.

“Don’t leave that shit in my car,” Leo said.

“I’ll get it when you drop me at the station. How long are we going to sit here? He might spend the night with his dancer friend, you know.”

“Wendy is going to show up at some point. Trust me. I have a feeling about this.”

“Did you have some sort of premonition?”

“Call it a hunch. A hypothesis. I’ve been doing this for a long time. She’s going to come after him. Maybe not today but soon.”

“I’m back to letting her. Would it be so bad if she killed him?”

“I’d rather arrest him,” Leo said with a cross look. “What if she fails? What if he catches her in the act and kills her?” Leo didn’t know Wendy personally, but he liked the thought of her. In his mind, she was an attractive young lady who got mixed up with the wrong man. After years of feeling trapped, she found a way out. He hoped that somehow, she could get out of this mess without being charged with murder or being killed during the takedown.

“Then, we get him on murder.”

“Not if we aren’t there to witness it,” he said.

“Okay, okay. We stay and watch him,” she said, putting her hands up in defeat. “Look. A Hummer is pulling up next to Drake's car. Who’s the guy getting out?”

Leo pulled a camera with a zoom lens from the dash of his SUV. “Maxwell Bright. He’s talking to Drake’s driver and bodyguards.”

“It looks like he’s going inside.”

Olivia and Leo watched as Maxwell Bright climbed the stairs to the apartment building they had watched Drake enter. Leo noticed a dark sedan pull to a stop at the curb a block past the Hummer.

“Johnson just joined the party. He’s been tailing Bright.” Leo called Johnson from his cell. “Stay where you are. Bright is inside with Drake. Where was Bright before coming here?”

“He was at home with his wife,” Johnson replied.

“Is Marshal still on the wife?” Leo asked.

Maxwell Bright exited the same door he had entered. He stopped next to Drake’s driver and lit a cigarette. The two men talked for less than a minute. Bright flipped his half-smoked cigarette on the sidewalk and gave it a harsh stomp. He hoisted his overweight body into the large SUV and sped off.

“Stay on him,” Leo said into the phone.

“Will do. Marshal texted me. He says Carol Bright is heading north out of the city,” Agent Johnson responded as Leo and Olivia watched him drive by their Cherokee, following the Hummer.

“Tell him to keep me posted on her whereabouts,” Leo said before ending the call. He glanced at Olivia. “Something’s happening. Here comes Drake.”

Drake hurried out of the apartment building, and he and the driver both jumped into his BMW X7. The driver made a three-point turn in front of the apartment and drove away from Leo and Olivia. The two bodyguards who had been stationed outside the dancer’s apartment followed Drake in a Cadillac SUV. Leo started his car and tailed them without getting too close.

“You’re going to lose them,” Oliva said.

“No. I’m not. I got them. Don’t worry.”

“Do you think Wendy contacted Carol Bright?”

“It’s possible.”

“Do you think Carol would rat Wendy out to Drake? She has to be worried he might kill her.”

“Maybe she doesn’t care, or she told her husband, believing she could trust him. It’s hard to say what these mafia types are thinking. What we know is that Maxwell Bright showed up at Drake’s girlfriend’s place out of the blue and now he, Drake, and Carol are all heading north. We’re going to follow this lead until it pans out or doesn’t. You stay primed. Something is about to go down.”

17

“That’s it!” Wendy shouted. “Make a U-turn. Napoli’s Pizzeria. Best Pizza in the world. Nothing like it in Washington State.”

Ethan pulled the car into the left U-turn lane at the next light. “I have to admit. I miss these U-turn lanes. You don’t get them out west. So, the big mystery place is a pizza joint?”

“Not just any pizza joint. The pizza joint,” Wendy announced with a booming voice as if she were broadcasting a commercial. “You’re going to love it. I’ll get a friend to pick me up here, and you can backtrack to Cartersville to see your sister.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind taking you downtown. I’m in no particular hurry.”

“I’ve imposed on you enough. Thank you for bringing me here. You are an excellent travel companion.”

“You are a badass travel companion, even if you don’t like to drive.”

Wendy offered to order for both of them, claiming to know the best pizza on the menu. They didn’t carry Mountain Dew, so Ethan ordered a pilsner. Wendy ordered a dark porter, and they sipped from their glasses as they talked. Wendy’s backpack sat at her feet beneath the table.

“I guess this will be the last I see of you,” Ethan said with a dejected look.

“That’s for the best. Believe me,” Wendy replied.

Ethan grabbed Wendy’s burner from the table and started to punch away at the buttons. “I’ll put my number in your phone in case you want to call me.” His sorrowful face turned to a grin, “I’ll be in the area for a couple of weeks before heading back to Knoxville and then on to Washington. If you need a ride somewhere, give me a call.”

“Okay,” Wendy said with a smirk and a shake of her head. She thought she had put him in enough danger by asking him to bring her this close to Atlanta. She had a little time to kill before meeting Axel at The Firehouse restaurant that was across the street from where she sat waiting on a pizza with this kind, innocent man. “You’ve been very nice to me. I bet your sister is excited to have you coming to visit. You can go on your way if you want. You don’t have to stay here with me. My friend will be here soon. I called her when we were at the gas station.”

“Are you trying to get the pizza all to yourself? You told me it was the best pizza in the world. How could I possibly leave before I get a chance to taste it?”

When the pizza arrived, Ethan was not disappointed. He assured Wendy that she had not oversold the deliciousness of the pie. Once they finished eating, it took Wendy several minutes to talk Ethan into leaving her there alone, but he couldn’t argue with the fact that she could take care of herself until her ride arrived, not after the display at the gas station near Chattanooga.

Wendy gave Ethan a smile and a wave as he drove off. Once he was out of sight, she took her wig off and placed it in her bag. Peeling the wig cap from her head allowed her curly black hair to fall to her shoulders. Wendy pulled the purple do-rag from her jacket pocket and covered her head, letting some of the curls stick out beneath it. She crossed the street to the adjacent parking lot in even strides. There were four cars and more than twenty motorcycles parked outside the brick-front restaurant called The Firehouse. Wendy zipped her coat and walked to the front door, swinging it open confidently and stepping inside. She had trouble seeing since the inside of the bar and restaurant was exceptionally dark. She paused for a moment at the host stand, waiting for her vision to improve. She turned her head from side to side, scanning the tables that surrounded the bar. She didn’t see anyone she recognized. The U-shaped bar in the middle of the dining room was full of men in bike gear. There were two tables with patrons dressed in jeans and t-shirts talking over beers and plates of sandwiches and fries.

Before the host could arrive to offer her a table, the door behind Wendy swung open, and the sunlight brightened around her. She could feel the presence of someone stepping close to her back.

“It hasn’t changed much,” came from a strong hushed tone over her left ear.

18

“Cindy, what are you working on?” Grant O’Neil asked. He walked up behind her desk to peer over her shoulder. She had five computer screens on her desk, and it looked like she was viewing street camera footage on all of them.

“I’m trying to figure out where the bank robbers go after the heists. We have camera footage of them in the banks, but we haven’t been able to get any useful information from the bank surveillance videos. The assailants are so covered up we can’t identify them. I’m hoping to find them on the street entering a vehicle. If they take their masks off on the sidewalk or if I can get a license plate on a getaway car, we’ll have something to go on.”

“Great idea. You couldn’t find anything useful from the bank cameras? I was hoping you’d have more to go on than what I’ve gotten from witnesses this far.”

“The perps look to be white males around six feet tall. Other than that, I don’t know anything about them,” Cindy kept her eyes on the screens in front of her and her fingers pattering on the keyboard.

“Eyewitnesses haven’t given me anything more than that. Low voices. They don’t talk much. They order everyone to the floor and threaten them. This is my first time taking the lead on a case. I’m feeling the pressure. We have nothing.”

“I put in for a promotion,” Cindy said. She turned to look at Grant to gauge his reaction as she exhaled a heavy breath.

Grant smiled and nodded. “Analyst to an agent?”

“Yes. Do you think I’m ready?”

“I think you’ll be a killer agent. Leo may have a hard time pulling you into the field. You have proven to be incredibly valuable at this wall of computer monitors you hide behind.”

“I love the research and analytics of the bureau, but I’m excited for the chance to branch out. I’m not sure I’m reaching my full potential here.” She raised her hands over her desk. “Much of what I learned at Quantico is going to waste.”

“Get back to it. We could both use a win here. If you can find a face or a getaway vehicle or if I can learn something new about one of our bank robbers from a witness, we can both show Leo we are as capable as he thinks we are.”

“I hope he’s right about us. I don’t want to let him down.”

Grant walked away, leaving Cindy to her work. The room was full of agents working at desks and talking on phones. She sat in the middle of a long line of cubicles, but for the moment, she only saw Agent Grant O’Neil. She watched him saunter away from her with his usual swagger and cheerful disposition. Leo wasn’t the only person Cindy hoped to impress while working on this case. She thought the world of Agent O'Neil and his respect was more important to her than anyone’s.

Cindy was a small-framed woman with short sandy blonde hair that drifted over her face. She didn’t think anyone paid much attention to her. Grant O’Neil was right. She tended to hide behind her computer screens, pounding away at her keyboard and looking for the piece of evidence that would gain her some brief recognition.

Thinking she was crazy when she went to Quantico for training, her friends laughed at her. She had been at the Atlanta office for nearly a year and still hadn’t made any friends in town. She worked longer hours than most analysts and spent the majority of her free time reading. Most nights she picked up take-out food on her way home, and she rarely left her apartment after she got home in the evening.

Determined to break out of her shell, she thought getting out from behind her desk at work would be the first step to a new life. A more outgoing life. A life where she spent her days viewing crime scenes and questioning people of interest, following leads wherever they may take her. Wherever they may take her and her partner, Agent O’Neil.

19

Wendy turned quickly and embraced the strong muscular body that stood against her. He wrapped his large arms around her, not wanting to let go. He had longed to hold her like this, but feared this was a temporary situation. Why is she back now after leaving without so much as a goodbye, he wondered to himself. “In due time,” he thought. Axel couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the moment. He would continue holding her in his arms for as long as she would permit.

“Would you like a table?” came from a young girl approaching the host stand.

Axel let go slowly as Wendy pushed away to turn towards the hostess. “Yes. Please. Can we have that table in the back?” Wendy requested with a smile.

“Sure,” the girl replied as she led them to an empty booth in the corner of the restaurant. She dropped two menus on the table and walked away.

Wendy sat down first, taking the seat facing the entrance. “Thank you,” she said just loud enough to be heard over the eighties big-haired band playing over the speakers.

“For what?” Axel was still mystified that she was here.

“For coming here. For meeting me. I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I had to leave. You understand, don’t you?”

“I would have come with you. All you had to do was ask.”

Wendy reached across the table and ran her finger across the scar on Axel’s chin. “Drake? Did Drake do this to you?”

“I’m a bag man now. I collect for him. I’m hired muscle. My job often brings pain and scars.”

“A bag man? You were one of his most trusted soldiers.”

“He trusted me with you. With your safety and…” he looked down at the table unsure if he should finish the sentence.

“He blamed you when I left, didn’t he?”

“He roughed me up a little. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“Why are you back? Why now? You know he’s likely to kill you if he finds you.”

“Not if I kill him first.”

“What? You came here to kill Drake?” His posture stiffened.

“I was in Seattle. He found me there somehow. I’ll never escape him. Killing him is the only answer. I need a car and a gun. Will you help me? I didn’t know who else I could trust.”

“I’m happy to be the one person you trust in the world, but you only came to me for what I can do to help you murder your husband. Do you know how that makes me feel? Wendy, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I think you’ve known that for a very long time. I never said it out loud before because… well… I was afraid you didn’t love me back, and I didn’t know where that would leave us. Driving you anywhere and everywhere every day was the happiest period of my life. Before Drake assigned me to you, I had no idea how exceptional my days could be. Every minute with you was bliss that no longer exists in my life. My days have no meaning without you. I wake with only one goal these days- to live to see another day. It’s the simple things I miss. You smiling at me with a mouth full of pizza. Beer running out of your mouth when you break out in laughter. Just being with you while you read or sleep. I miss watching you sleep.” He let out a long breath as he stared into her eyes. He looked at her intently hoping for some sort of affirmation.

“I love you, too, but not in the way you deserve to be loved. I’m poisoned by my past. I don’t deserve your love. The day Sheldon asked me to go away with him was one of those moments that could change a person’s life forever. I jumped at the opportunity to leave rural Tennessee and go on an adventure to the big city with an intriguing and wealthy man. I ruined my life when I leaped into the arms of a criminal, a mafia soldier who became a crime boss. At first, it was so exhilarating. I got swept up in the action and intrigue. I never knew anything like it before. Eventually, the sparkle of my life with Sheldon started to dim. The reality of what he did and how he treated me pulled me down like a heavy weight tied around my neck. I wanted to escape. I needed to escape. Then, my parents died, and I felt like I had nowhere else to go. I was compelled to get away as quickly as possible.”

“I’m sorry, Wendy.”

“I’ve missed being with you. We sure did have some good times together, didn’t we? Remember the Woodstock festival. Carnival games and bratwurst.”

“I think you ate three funnel cakes that day,” Axel said. The corners of his mouth curled.

“Micky Dolenz played a free concert in the park.”

“I remember. We danced in the grass. It was the first time I held you in my arms.”

Her eyes twinkled as dimples formed in her cheeks. “We had so much fun.”

“Great times. Even the bad days were good with you. Don’t do this. Don’t risk your life trying to get to Drake. Let’s run away. We can leave the country.”

“I’ll be looking over my shoulder forever if I don’t stop him permanently. It’s the only way.”

A dark-haired young man with a two-day beard approached the table. “Can I start you with some drinks,” he asked.

“Guinness. Draft,” Wendy responded.

“Basil Hayden. Rocks,” Axel added.

The waiter ambled away from the table without another word.

“I see you are trying to fit in,” Axel said with a grin. “It’s a good look for you.”

“You should have seen what I was wearing before this. I looked like someone out of Little House on the Prairie. I tried not to look like my old self, but jeans and leather seemed appropriate for the venue. I cut way back on the makeup.”

“You never needed any makeup. I will say that I preferred the blonde hair.”

“Neither is my natural color, you know.”

“I know. Maybe the black would work better without the do-rag.”

She pulled the purple cloth from her head and smiled at him. “Do you still play that old harmonica?”

“Never leave home without it.” He patted a lump in his pocket.

The waiter returned, placing their drinks on the table. “Are you ready to order?”

“Nothing for me,” Wendy said.

“I’m good as well. Thank you,” Axel said.

The waiter turned and wandered away.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit,” Wendy said.

“The crowd continues to be motorcycle enthusiasts for the most part. They are all harmless, but it makes some people nervous about coming in here. I’ve continued to come here while you’ve been gone. It reminds me… reminds me of better days. We’ve had some good times here.”

“We have. That’s why it was the first place I thought of when I called. Leaving everything and everyone else behind to sneak away to drink and dance. It was our escape from the reality of life with Drake.”

“We can escape. You don’t have to try to end Drake’s life for us to do so. You’ll only end up dead.”

Someone let the sunlight shine in from outside, and Wendy’s eyes were drawn to the entrance. The light didn’t allow a clear view of the person who had stepped into the dark ambiance, but Wendy was certain who it was.

20

“I told you we were going to lose them,” Olivia spouted at Leo.

“Get on the radio and find out where Carol and Max Bright are. I must admit, Drake’s driver is better than I thought.”

“I don’t have to,” Oliva said sharply, pointing to two sedans passing them in oncoming traffic.

“That’s Marshal and Johnson alright,” Leo grunted. “Hang on.” He yanked the wheel of his SUV hard causing the tires to squeal as he changed directions. He stayed with the other two agents as Carol confirmed they were still tailing the Brights. Johnson and Marshal pulled into a large parking lot in front of a busy Publix grocery. The grocery store was the largest building in a small retail strip. There were several shops adjacent to the Publix with two free-standing buildings and a gas station in front of the center. One of the street front buildings was a bank and the other a restaurant. By the time Leo stopped his vehicle in the spot between his two agents, Johnson had exited his car.

“Where are they?” Leo asked as he opened his car door.

“Mrs. Bright went in the restaurant over there.” He pointed to the far side of the lot. “Maxwell pulled around to the back of the building.”

“What about Drake? Did you see him?” Leo asked.

Agent Johnson looked at Leo with his eyes squinted and one eyebrow raised.

“I lost him. His guards made a yellow light stop to help him get a lead on me.” Leo said.

“I thought that kind of shit only happened to me,” Johnson said with a chuckle.

Olivia joined the conversation as she and Agent Marshal neared Leo and Johnson. “What do we do now? Should we go in there?”

“Let’s stand by for a while and see what happens. I don’t see any sign of Drake’s fancy rig out here. I’m betting he shows his ugly mug,” Leo said.

“You can call Sheldon Drake a lot of things but ugly is not one of them,” Oliva said with a smile. “The man has always been a looker, and he knows it.” She laughed.

Leo shook his head at her and opened the door to his Cherokee. “Get in. We should get out of sight. We don’t want to make Drake nervous if he rides by us when he pulls in.”

Agent Marshal stacked all the files from the back seat into the boxes and moved them to the trunk. Oliva got back in on the passenger side and turned to the two men who slid in behind her. “Hand me that bag of trash back there, will you?” she said putting a hand between the seats.

“Gladly,” Johnson said as he handed her the plastic to-go bag.

Olivia left the vehicle to dispose of the trash in a can near the grocery store entrance. By the time she returned to the Cherokee, Maxwel Bright’s vehicle was driving out of the strip center. Agent Marshal hurried to his car and took off behind him.

“Is Carol still in the restaurant?” Olivia asked as she reentered the Jeep Cherokee.

“We haven’t seen her come out. Could you tell if she was in the car with Max when it left the lot?” Leo asked.

“I wasn’t close enough to tell through his tinted windows. Should we go inside and see if she’s still in there?” she asked.

“Agent Marshal is tailing Maxwell Bright’s car. If she’s with him, he’ll let us know once they stop again. Johnson, go inside and see if she’s there. Don’t interact. Sit down and order a drink and let us know who you see,” Leo said.

21

The look on Wendy’s face caused Axel to stand and turn towards the door putting himself between Wendy and whoever had entered the restaurant. He shifted his eyes from the door back to Wendy. She smiled and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

“Hey, Jane,” The young man approaching them spouted with a grin.

“Ethan, what are you doing here? How did you know I was in here?”

“You left your glasses in my car. I figured you needed them, so I turned around. When I didn’t find you at the pizza place, I asked some of the staff if they saw you leave. One of the waiters saw you cross the street to come over here while he was outside for a smoke. It seems you left a bit of an impression on him. ‘Hot chick in the leather coat’ I think he called you.” Ethan handed the glasses to Wendy as he shifted his attention to Axel. “Hi. I’m Ethan.” He said to the brawny man, extending his right hand.

“This is my friend, Jim,” Wendy said with a smile.

“Nice to meet you. How do you and Jane know each other?” Axel asked.

“Ethan is the nice young man who gave me a ride. I told you about him. It was very kind of you to bring my glasses to me,” Wendy said.

“No problem,” Ethan said. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Jim. I should be on my way. Call me if you need anything.”

“Will do. Thanks again,” Wendy replied.

“Good to meet you, Ethan.” Axel stood watching Ethan until he left the building. “Who was that? He gave you a ride?”

“I was in the airport when I first contacted you. I was afraid to fly directly to Atlanta. I thought Drake might have people looking for me at the airport.”

“You said you were in Seattle and Drake found you. How did he find you, and what does this Ethan character have to do with any of it?”

“I’m not sure how Sheldon found me, but he came to my apartment. He banged on the door and demanded I let him in. I didn’t answer. After he left, I watched him cross the street to his car. I pulled the stove out and unscrewed the gas line. I lit a candle and snuck out through a service exit. I couldn’t be sure if any of his men saw me near the apartment after it exploded, but I hoped he would believe I was dead.”

Wendy decided not to tell Axel about Noah. She had rushed him out of the shower and out the back door. She kissed him goodbye knowing she would never be able to see him again. She told him not to come back no matter what happened. She assured him she would be okay and that she would explain later, but the truth was that she would never contact him again. She left almost everything she owned in the apartment. She watched it all blow into bits from blocks away. There was no going back. No getting her stuff back. No getting Noah back.

“If you were afraid they’d be looking for you at the airport, why did you go there?”

“My first instinct was to come here and seek revenge on Sheldon. I hate him for how he treated me when I was here, and I hate him more for ruining my life in Seattle; however, I was being hasty and impulsive. I needed to slow down and control my emotions.”

“No, not you,” Axel said with more than a hint of sarcasm.

“I know, right,” she said with a quick chuckle. “I ran into the kid, and he offered a ride from Knoxville. I thought I could use the time to calm down and think things through. I’m always a fan of some type of break before any shit hits the fan. I was also afraid the law may have spotted me at the scene. They could want to talk to me in connection with the explosion. The lease was in my name.”

“Jane’s name?” he asked.

“Yes, Jane’s name, but I had an entire identity in Seattle around that name linked to my face. Different hair and make-up but still my face. Eventually, they’ll discover the explosion was intentional and that there was no one in the apartment when it blew up.”

“With his connections, Drake will know shortly after the authorities do.”

“He may or may not know I’m alive, but I doubt he knows where I am. I need to end this once and for all. I want to get to him before he knows I’m coming for him.”

“If killing Drake is the only way forward, I’ll do it. I’ll take him out,” he said.

“I can’t let you do that,” Wendy said.

22

Agent Johnson walked from the restaurant to the Jeep Cherokee, shaking his head. He raised his arms in defeat as he stepped to Leo’s open window. “She’s not in there. None of them are in there.”

“Carol Bright must have left with her husband,” Leo said. “Any clue as to why they were here?”

“I described her to the bartender. She said Carol picked up a to-go order. The food is pretty good. Have you ever eaten in there?”

“I don’t believe I have. What’s it called?” Leo couldn’t see the sign from his vantage point.

“Garelli’s Pub,” Olivia interjected. “I’ve eaten there. The crab cakes are to die for.”

“Of course, you’ve eaten there. Is there anywhere in north Georgia you haven’t eaten?” Leo said.

Olivia shifted her eyes up and tapped her lip with her index finger as if she were contemplating an answer.

“What do you want me to do boss?” Agent Johnson asked.

“Was there anyone in there they might have been meeting? Did you notice anyone of interest?” Leo answered Johnson’s question with questions of his own.

“There were two couples in a booth. They looked innocent enough. Couldn’t have been more than twenty-five. Just out for a drink and a sandwich from what I could tell.” Johnson shrugged.

“Head over to Drake’s house and keep an eye out for him to come home. Let me know when he gets there,” Leo instructed.

“Will do,” Agent Johnson said before rushing to his car.

“Olivia, let’s check in with O’Neil on the bank case before Joyce questions us about it.” Leo started his car and headed for the office while Oliva called Agent O’Neil and put him on speakerphone.

“You’ve got me and Leo. Catch us up,” Olivia said.

“We haven’t been able to identify anyone from the video of the armed robbery. We have no footage of them without their masks and glasses on,” Agent O’Neil responded. “Cindy is still searching street cams. She tracked them to a silver four-door BMW 3 series after the last heist. We got a partial plate. I’m following up on two cars that fit the description. Sid Carter looks like the most promising suspect. He’s done time for possession and grand theft auto.”

“What about the other car?” Leo asked.

“Registered to a Dwayne Sugar,” O’Neil said. “Businessman. No priors. Married with three kids.”

“We are on our way to the office,” Oliva said. “We’ll see what Cindy found when we get in.”

“Hopefully, she found some better photos and can run them through facial recognition,” Leo said. “We need to make progress on this fast to keep the Assistant Director off our backs. Good work, so far, O’Neil. Sorry, you’ve been going this alone.”

“Drake takes precedence,” O’Neil said. “Always. Don’t worry. Cindy and I are on this. We won’t let you down, Boss.”

“How good do you feel about this Sid guy?” Leo asked.

“I like him for it. I’m willing to bet he’s the driver. Cindy and I watched the video of the robbers leaving the bank several times. They rush down the street to the BMW. When they pile in the car, no one enters the driver’s door. I think Sid Carter is the fourth man.”

“Give us the address,” Leo said. “We’ll meet you there. If this is our guy, you’ll need backup.”

23

Wendy showered and made her way to the living room of the house where Axel assured her that she’d be safe. Being alone in this large, unfamiliar home made Wendy anxious. Once he dismantled the security system, Axel seemed sure that no one would find her in this out-of-the-way estate.  He told her it belonged to one of Sheldon’s business associates who was currently out of the country. Wendy stayed idle, contemplating her options for getting to Sheldon. The more she thought about her past with him, the more inflamed she became.

Sheldon Drake seemed like the prince she had been waiting for when he swooped into her small hometown, showering her with compliments and promises. He made good on his words for a time. After a couple of years, he began to ignore her unless he was complaining about how she spent his money. Because of her skills as a fighter, he would sometimes take her on jobs as extra muscle. At first, she saw this as a way to get his attention and spend more time with him. She thought at least if he was spending time with her, he wasn’t spending it with other women. Sheldon insisted that she dress well and take pride in her looks at every event. He would often offer her as arm candy to those he did business with. She would smile and bite her tongue. On one occasion, a supplier took things a bit too far, and Wendy was forced to overpower him. He was embarrassed by her ability to pin him to the floor and as she released him, he pulled a knife and threatened to kill her. She had to defend herself. She was left with no choice but to kill the swine.

Sheldon Drake found her with the man’s blood on her hands and his knife in her purse. He held this over her for years, threatening to expose her crime to the police if she didn’t do everything he instructed. He held her captive in his world of illicit drug trafficking. She was on a short leash, but Sheldon trusted her with Axel. Wendy would spend as much time with Axel as she could. They would steal away to out-of-the-way places where they could be themselves, escaping from the activities of their world with Sheldon. Wendy considered Axel her most trusted friend. Perhaps, her only friend.

Once, she ran home to her parents, but some of her husband’s men came to her modest family home to drag her back. After her parents died, Wendy gave up on escaping for a time. Though she was excited to leave her small-town existence when she moved away with Sheldon, she was devastated when her mother and father died. She missed them more than she expected, and she missed the humdrum life she had left behind. Once she had wallowed in her grief long enough, she began planning her escape. She thought traveling across the country to the Pacific Northwest would be a new adventure. A new start for her. At the time, she hoped it would be more than temporary. Now, she was convinced there was only one way to make her escape from Sheldon permanent.

She heard footsteps outside the door. The handle jiggled. The Glock 19 Axel had left with her was resting on the coffee table several feet from Wendy’s grasp. She raced to get to it before the door could be unlocked. She turned her body as she felt the cold steel in her grip. Spinning to face the door, she saw Axel carrying a paper bag and two cups of coffee.

“Take it easy,” Axel said, raising the bag and coffee high in the air. “I’d hate to go out like that. Shot with my own gun. That would suck.”

“Sneaking up on a girl can be dangerous. You could have knocked or called ahead. You have the number to my burner.”

“Sorry. After the day you had traveling, I expected you to be asleep. It’s early, but I wanted to bring you breakfast before I started work.”

“Thank you. I can use that coffee for sure. I want to check on Sheldon’s whereabouts today. I need to see if he still follows the same schedule. Are Gideon and Hank still assigned to twenty-four-hour guard duty?”

“Constant companions. At least one of them at all times. Usually, both of them are within twenty yards of Drake at any given moment. Sometimes Whitney takes over for one of them or the other. I wouldn’t mess around with those guys. Mike Whitney handpicked them to guard Drake for a reason. Gideon is bigger than I am, and they both carry plenty of firepower. You need to keep your distance.”

“I’m just planning to do some surveillance today. I need to note his schedule and look for an opening. Can you drive me?”

“I have work to do. Drake might get suspicious if I don’t show up for my rounds. I never miss my rounds. I’ll be back when I’m done for the day. You sit tight. You should be safe here. There’s a big screen TV and a pool.”

“I didn’t bring my suit,” Wendy said in a dismissive tone.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be anyone around here for a couple of months. The owner took his daughter to Europe for the summer. You have the run of the place. All of the cameras are turned off. I told the owner I’d be working on the security system for the next few days. I brought you a couple of doughnuts for breakfast and a sandwich for later. I’ll be back before dinner. Amuse yourself. Don’t leave the property!”

“Yes, Sir,” Wendy said, nodding her head with eyebrows high in agreement. She wasn’t sure she’d do as he demanded, but she didn’t think it would do any good to argue with him about it.

Wendy watched Axel drive away from the house before opening the paper bag he had left sitting next to her coffee. She pulled a jelly doughnut from the bag, leaving the rest sitting on the coffee table. She carried the doughnut in one hand and her coffee in the other as she wandered through the main floor of the large home and found the den with a wall of sliding doors at the far end. Beyond the doors, she could see the pool glistening in the morning sunlight. The entire yard was fenced with eight-foot-high composite privacy fencing. Wendy settled into a large wicker sunbed with soft plush padding. She finished her doughnut and softly rubbed her hands together. The aroma of the coffee brought a smile to her face as she sipped from the cup. Peppermint mocha latte. He knew what she liked. Beads of sweat started to form on Wendy’s brow as she finished her warm drink. She sat the cup on a nearby stand and stood to bring herself closer to the pool. Balancing on one foot, she dipped a toe in the water. The refreshing feel of the pool begged her to get in. Wendy pulled the black t-shirt over her head and pushed her jeans down around her ankles. She stepped out of the jeans and looked around the yard. Even though her silk panties covered only a small area of her body, the thought of taking them off made her feel vulnerable. She reasoned that she could dry them after her swim. She dove into the cool water, releasing the tension from one end of her body to the other.

A smile grew on her face as she plunged to the bottom of the eight-foot-deep pool. Wendy bent her legs briefly, springing from the rough bottom to project her head to the water’s surface. She drew in a deep breath and allowed herself to be engulfed in the cool clear liquid around her. The morning sun hit her face and bare chest as she leaned into a floating position on her back. Her ears hovered below the water and muffled all sounds of the day, bringing a moment of still peace within Wendy’s unsettled mind. After several minutes of tranquility, she interrupted her repose to roll into a breaststroke. As she neared the pool stairs at the shallow end, she dropped her feet to walk out of the invigorating water. Wendy stepped onto the tile that lined the pool’s edge, shaking the water from her hair with closed eyes. When she opened her eyes, she was startled by the realization that she was no longer alone.

24

The driver’s door of the long, black Escalade swung open, and Jimmy jumped to the pavement. He was at the rear door in a heartbeat, pulling the lever to release his passenger, who stepped out into the thick air, turning his head side to side as Gideon and Hank posted up near him. Drake gave them a head nod, and the three men walked in unison towards the building while Jimmy remained at the side of the car. A black jacket covered a white shirt over dark slacks on each of the men, but Drake’s attire was noticeably more tailored to his broad shoulders and trim waist. His shoes were soft leather, and the cloth of his suit was firmly pressed with custom cuff links.

Gideon paused long enough to pull the door open, waiting for the other two men to enter the warehouse. Increasing his cadence, he quickly fell back in line next to Hank, trailing a half step behind Drake. Gideon opened another door inside the large building where the three men stepped into a cramped dark room with a window displaying the brightly lit space adjacent to them. Mike Whitney stood over a man bound to a metal chair, bruised and bleeding. Hank knocked once on the window and Mike turned to glance in that direction. An instant later, he struck the man with the brass knuckles he wore on his left hand.

“Please, Mike,” came from the bloody mouth of the man in the chair. Blood and sweat ran down his bare chest, dripping onto his faded jeans. His feet were bare and bleeding. “It’s not my fault. I don’t know what happened.”

“Your last two deliveries were short. You’re responsible for transport. You took this job, didn’t you?” Mike struck the man again.

The bloody man turned his head to spit blood away from where Mike stood. “Yes, but I delivered what I was given. I don’t know why they came up short.”

“You are responsible for checking the packages as they come to you. Your job is to deliver what you’ve verified. That’s the deal. You are responsible.” Mike pulled his arm back in preparation for another strike.

“Wait! It will never happen again,” sweat and blood splattered from the man’s lips as he begged.

On the other side of the window, Drake raised his hand, palm down, to make a slicing motion in front of his throat. Hank knocked twice on the thick glass.

“It will never happen again,” Mike mocked the struggling man as he pulled a gray and black grip Kimber Rapide handgun from his belt. “Very true.”

Drake and his two bodyguards turned to leave the dark room as the gunshot rang through the storehouse. “Let’s go, Jimmy,” Drake said to the driver as he slid back onto the leather seat of his long SUV. I need to stop by the house.” Gideon and Hank hurried to another dark SUV to follow.

“Okay, Mr. Drake. Will I need to lose the FBI tail again? They’ll surely pick us up at your house.”

“No. Don’t worry about them.”

They drove in silence until they reached Drake’s enormous estate. Drake leaped from his seat and hurried up the steps to the front door of the three-story stone front home. Hank and Gideon followed closely behind him, scanning the grounds as they kept up. Gideon followed Drake inside while Hank took his post at the front door facing the long drive. The large entry opened to a formal sitting room on the left and a library to the right. A wide marble staircase spread out across from the ten-foot-high double doors. Drake climbed the stairs two at a time, leaving Gideon at the base of the steps. Drake left Gideon’s sight as he disappeared past the open catwalk to enter the upstairs hallway. The first door to the right led Drake to his master suite.

On the left side of the room rested two large dressers facing a king-sized bed with satin sheets but no blankets. The ornate wooden headboard stretched to within inches of the twelve-foot ceiling. Side stands matching the dressers flanked the bed. Furnishings opposite the bed and dressers gave the feel of a living room more than a bedroom. A love seat and an armchair, separated by a square glass coffee table, faced a seventy-five-inch flatscreen. A sizeable side table between the small sofa and the leather chair shelved two bottles of scotch and a heavy, crystal glass.

Drake opened the bottom drawer of the side stand furthest from the door to expose a small cell phone. He tapped a few buttons and held the phone to his ear. “Have you seen Wendy?” He paused for a moment only to get a negative response. “You’d have more resources to find her if you weren’t wasting so much manpower following me around. Call me on this encrypted phone the minute you find her.” He hung up and slipped the small cell into his jacket pocket.

25

“Sid Carter! This is Agent O’Neil with the FBI. Open up. We’d like to ask you some questions.”

A door slammed, and Leo yelled, “We have a rabbit!”

Oliva sprinted to the rear of the house in time to see a hefty, bearded man swing himself over a four-foot fence in the backyard. She could hear the siren from Leo’s car on her right. She pushed her hands off the top of the white pickets and landed with one foot following with the other keeping stride. She could hear O’Neil’s footsteps behind her and heavy breathing and moaning ahead. She was gaining on the chunky man as he ran into the street.

Leo’s car screeched to a halt, narrowly missing the panting runner as he stumbled over the curb and down a gravel alley. Olivia rounded the Jeep Cherokee, catching up to Sid as he jumped onto a six-foot chain link fence at the end of the alley.

“Do you have anything left?” Olivia said. She watched the man start to slide down the fence.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said. His fingers slipped from the fence, and he fell to his feet, staggering backward toward Oliva.

“Easy. Big fella,” she said. “Sid Carter?” she asked as she pulled one hand behind his back, slipping her handcuffs on him.

“I’m Sid. But I didn’t do anything. Why were you chasing me?”

“Why were you running?” She asked.

“Because you were chasing me,” Sid replied.

“Look what I found,” Agent O’Neil said, waving a plastic bag full of white powder as he entered the alley.

“Oh Sid, we’re going to have to book you on possession,” Leo said after watching the exchange with Sid.

“You need a search warrant. Unlawful search,” Sid spouted.

“When you ran, you gave us probable cause. You’re going downtown. You can help yourself if you tell us about the guys, you’ve been robbing banks with.”

“Robbing banks?” Sid shook his head trying to clear a fog in his frontal lobe. “I don’t know anything about any banks. Read me my rights. I have nothing else to say to you.”

They took Sid to FBI headquarters and cuffed him to a table in an interrogation room. After several hours, Leo took another crack at him.

“Two dimes of coke. That’s what we found so far. Since you’re on parole, that will land you back inside. Once we link you to the armed robberies, you’ll be back in prison until you’re an old man,” Leo said.

“That stuff isn’t mine. I was holding it for a friend.” Sid’s face and beard were drenched in sweat.

“A friend you rob banks with?”

“I told you. I don’t know anything about any bank robberies.”

“We know you’re the getaway driver. Since you weren’t in the banks during the robberies, I think we can get the DA to help you out if you cooperate.”

“If I could give you something, I would. I’d do anything to stay out of prison. Do you know what it’s like inside for a guy like me?”

“We have video evidence of your car being used in a federal crime last Wednesday afternoon. Three armed men got in your BMW on Central and you fled the scene of a robbery with them.”

“Wednesday? Wednesday I was getting a root canal. You can check with my dentist.”

“I’m done playing games with you, Sid,” Leo huffed.

“I want a lawyer. I have nothing else to say.”

26

Wendy stepped from the salt water, the sunlight glistening off the droplets of water covering her near-naked body. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, looking at the smiling face mere feet in front of her.

Wendy opened her mouth but was interrupted by the short woman with a freckled face and ponytail standing before her. “I’m sorry to intrude. I live next door. Are you the new owner? I mean… I don’t remember seeing a for sale sign, but no one has been here for some time.”

“I’m a friend of the owners. He’s letting me stay here for a while,” Wendy said as she picked up her Harley shirt. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I didn’t mean to interrupt your privacy. Since no one has been here, I was intrigued by the sound of water splashing in the pool. Go ahead and get dressed if it makes you more comfortable, but believe me, you have nothing to be ashamed of. What I wouldn’t give for a body like yours.”

“I work out. It’s a bit of an obsession.” Wendy ducked into her shirt and then pulled her jeans over her wet legs, struggling a bit to slide them over the dripping panties. “You live over there?” Wendy pointed to the fence on one side of the backyard.

“Yes. Our house isn’t that far from your yard. I was planting flowers by the fence when I heard you splashing around. I hope you don’t mind my coming over. Sandra and I used to swim together all the time. By swim, I mean we used to float around in the pool and drink cocktails together,” the small brunette said with a giggle, causing her ponytail to bob behind her. “Where are my manners? My name is Bonnie. Bonnie Shoals.”

“Jane. No problem. I just wasn’t expecting to have company as you could probably tell. Truth is, I’m a friend of a friend of the owners. I didn’t know there would be a pool. I didn’t bring a suit. My boyfriend failed to mention it when I was packing.”

“Men. Right? The things that are important to them.” Dimples grew from Bonnie’s smile as she shook her head.

“Can't live with them. Can't kill them,” Wendy said, trying to force a grin. She doubted the second half of her statement was true.

“I’ll need to keep Bruce around. I don’t know that his life insurance will cover the price tag on the house. Lord knows the place isn’t paid for. Someone has to keep up the mortgage.” She continued to giggle. “I’d hate to have to get a job. What about you, Jane? Do you work?”

“I’m between things at the moment. I won’t be in town long. I’m here on vacation. I got in last night. I couldn’t resist the pool.”

“I have an Olympic-sized. You should come over. I don’t think anything I have will fit you, but you’re welcome to skinny dip in my pool if you're comfortable with that. Or you can wear your clothes in the pool. I have these comfy floating recliners. I’ll make some margaritas—”

“I should get unpacked and clean the place up. Since no one has been here for a while, it’s a bit dusty and grimy.”

“Would you like a hand with the dusting? I don’t mind. I’m dying for some girl talk. It’s been quiet around here without Sandra.”

“How about I get settled in and then I’ll come over once I’ve cleaned up? I’m not sure how long it will take.”

“Okay. I’ll leave you to it. Bruce is usually home by seven. Stop by anytime. Feel free to bring your boyfriend.”

Wendy walked inside after watching Bonnie let herself out of the backyard by the gate she had entered through. She reached into her backpack and pulled the reserved dress onto the floor. Inside, she found a teal blouse, a pair of black shorts, and dry undergarments. She dressed in her dry apparel and went back to the patio to hang her wet clothes over some lawn chairs in the sun.

Wendy busied herself for most of the day, nosing around the beautiful home. Remembering the sack of food Axel had left with her, she pulled a second jelly doughnut from the bag and took a bite as she walked to where she expected to find the garage. In a spacious mud room adjacent to the kitchen, she spotted a wooden plaque shaped like a model T with hooks covered in rings of keys. She plucked a key FOB with a Mercedes logo from the key display and hurried to look for an automobile.

She found a sleek sports car in the garage. She hit the button for the overhead door, and sunlight brightened the space. “Fancy finding you here,” she said to the bright red car. She ran her finger along the sharp line of the sloped body until she reached the handle. She took a deep breath and lowered herself into the soft leather seat. Wendy gripped the wheel tightly and bobbed her head in approval. She pushed the ignition button and looked around the dash for the switch that controlled the convertible top.

Wendy pulled slowly out of the garage. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. As she opened her eyes, she placed her foot firmly on the accelerator, and the car exploded out of the drive and onto the road.

27

Leo carried the boxes from his trunk into his two-bedroom apartment. He stacked them on one of the four chairs around his twenty-four-inch square, thin wooden kitchen table. He pulled file after file onto the table, spreading the pages and photos as he worked his way to the bottom of both boxes. He opened a drawer near the kitchen and retrieved a roll of duct tape. A photo of Wendy was first to be attached to the blank wall. Her hair was platinum blonde, and her skin was flawless. A neatly pressed collar outlined her smooth neck. Three feet to the right of her picture, Leo adhered a five by seven of Drake. Below Drake's likeness, he added photos of Michael Whitney, Gideon Nole, Hank Shimmer, and Jimmy Hudson.

He added several low-level criminals known to work with Drake's gang under the pictures of his security detail and driver. When he came to Carol Bright’s photo, he hung it near Wendy’s, but he placed Maxwell Bright in the center. As he read through the dossiers on Sheldon Drake’s crew, he came across a file on Johnny Glue. There was a picture of Kaplinsky in a dark suit standing next to Drake, passing him an envelope. Drake appeared to be focused on the envelope, but John Kaplinsky’s stare seemed to leap off the page, looking directly into Leo’s soul. Leo stared back at the glaring eyes for several minutes before he moved away from the table to study the photo of Wendy. She was dressed in a long skirt with a slit up one side. Her sweater clung tightly to her chest and flat stomach. Her complexion was flawless, trimmed in mascara and eyeliner that was as black as Drake’s heart. Her lips were blood red.

Leo focused on Wendy’s shoe choice. She was wearing dark red flats to match her lips. He pulled another photo from the box to study it. In this photo, Drake stood next to Gideon several feet from Wendy, who was wearing black heels. He wondered if Drake felt heels made Wendy too imposing when standing near him, or by comparison, made him look small. Leo laughed at the thought of the gangster having this dent in his ego. Turning back to the scattered paper on the table, Leo couldn’t escape the face of the man he had left to fend for himself in Drake’s world. The man Drake knew as Johnny Glue. Kaplinsky’s eyes popped from the pages, following Leo as he moved around the table. Leo pushed the photos of Kaplinsky into a box and dropped a handful of file folders on top of them. Leo squeezed his neck at his hairline as sweat ran down his back.

He pulled out the chair opposite the wall of photos and positioned himself at arm's length from the table. He rested his palm on the edge and drummed his fingers while he scanned the wall. He plucked a few more photos of Drake from the table and taped them to the wall near the one that was already there. He didn’t recognize all the men depicted doing business with Drake, but most of them had been identified at one time or another. In three of the images, Wendy hung on Drake's arm. The couple appeared to be about the same height. Wendy wore flats in all three. It seemed an odd choice for the elegant dresses.

Leo took the two shots of Mr. and Mrs. Drake from Drake’s side of the wall to examine them next to the full-length picture of Wendy. There was a close-up of Wendy’s face blown up from the full-length photo with the blood-red lipstick. Wendy was smiling. Every time Leo saw this photo, he thought to himself that she was posing for the picture. He wondered if somehow, she knew she was being watched. He repositioned himself behind the table, drumming his fingers and pretending that Wendy was smiling at him. As he shifted his attention to the other photos, he realized she wasn’t smiling in any of the other pictures.

He searched through the rest of the files to see if he could locate any more prints of Wendy. He found only one more. She was frozen in time, about to duck into a black automobile with shiny silver trim. Wendy was the only person caught in the pose. Her makeup was flawless, and her lips were painted cherry red to match her blouse. Leo smiled at the thought that Drake must not have been with her on this particular day because black, open-toed buckle strap pumps anchored her to the pavement. She wore a wide smile, showing off her perfect white teeth as if she had been laughing when the picture was snapped.

He wondered who else would have been with Wendy that day. He knew from tailing her that she never drove anywhere on her own. There was a driver assigned to her. Axel something or other. Leo pilfered through the pile of papers but couldn’t find any details on Wendy’s chauffeur. Maybe he was the reason she looked so happy. Leo sifted through every folder again, trying to get a bead on the man behind the wheel of Wendy’s automobile.

28

Just because she didn’t like to drive didn’t mean she couldn’t. When she saw the sports car in the garage, she knew it was time to get busy. Wendy found the power of the Mercedes GT 63 freeing. She was a bit anxious after a long spurt of being a constant passenger, but she was on a mission. The sun had started to set as she neared her destination. She drove with the traffic, listening to the engine rev at the stop lights as if it were being held back from its true pursuit. She turned the lights off and cut the engine a block and a half from Drake's place.

She stepped out onto the dark street, walking briskly towards the corner where Drake’s mansion sat. She crossed the street to get a wider view of the property while avoiding the security cameras outside the gate. Wendy kept her cadence constant as she passed the corner until she was beneath the trees about a half block away. She stopped in the added darkness of the weeping willow that arched over the walk, staring through the leaves at the house where she had once lived.

She peered at the house through the black iron fence. Several of the windows gleamed with light. She imagined Hank and Gideon inside at their appointed posts, waiting for their dismissal to their rooms on the lower level of the grand estate. Evening and overnight guards were responsible for the security of the property at night, but Drake's most dependable soldiers were on hand to leap into action in the event of a breach. One guard stood at attention in the front yard while another sentinel roamed the grounds, checking the security of the fence and entrances.

She didn’t recognize the two guards outside, but otherwise, everything looked as she remembered it. Sheldon would eat and mull over papers at his desk for a few hours before retreating to his room for the night. On Sundays, he would usually watch television for a few minutes and then go to bed. He liked to get plenty of sleep the night before the start of a new work week. Sheldon would have a full day of making deals and barking at employees planned for tomorrow. Then, he would eat an elegant meal prepared by a chef at his favorite restaurant and spend a few hours enjoying the company of one of his many girlfriends before he returned to the cave for slumber.

Wendy circled the block, approaching the Mercedes from behind. She made a swift entrance and backed the car into a nearby driveway. She turned to speed away, but her journey was halted by a man stepping into the road in front of her. She slammed her foot on the brake, causing the sleek car to slide to a stop mere inches from his legs.

Wendy screamed as Axel opened the passenger side door of the sporty car. “What the hell are you doing? I could have killed you!”

“You’re a better driver than you give yourself credit for,” Axel replied. “What are you doing here? I’m in less danger in front of your car than you are in front of that house.”

“He’s home early on Sunday to rest up for the week. He’s a creature of habit.”

“He kicked one habit I know of,” Axel said, glaring at Wendy.

“He only makes a woman a habit until he finds his next conquest. Is he still seeing that dancer in Buckhead?”

“Her and a couple of others from what I’ve heard. I was hoping he’d forgotten about you and moved on.”

“It’s not losing my love that keeps him on my tail. It’s his ego. He likes to be the one who calls it quits. He married me, so it’s different from discarding a booty call.”

“And there's the seven million dollars you took.”

“Yes. That too. I like to think of it as alimony.”

“I didn’t say you didn’t deserve it. I wonder, though, if he’d be less likely to exert so much effort dragging you back here if you hadn’t taken the money.”

“What’s done is done. I’m not giving it back.”

“I doubt that would help at this point anyway.”

“By the way. I met the neighbor lady today. A spunky little thing. She said she heard me swimming and came to see who was in the pool since no one had been living there.”

“Does she know who you are? I can find somewhere else for you to stay.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. She seems harmless. If you run into her, I’m Jane, and you're Jim. I shouldn’t need to stay there long. I have your Glock and a car. Do you think you can get me another gun? I won’t need it until Wednesday. If Sheldon continues to be a creature of habit, Wednesday will provide the best opportunity for me to make my move.”

“There has to be a better way. Do you have to kill him? Let’s talk about this. We’ll leave the country and go somewhere he’ll never find us. I know a great place where we can hide away in Brazil.”

29

Leo had seventeen boxes of information about Drake spread across his office. He rummaged through every box looking for photos of Wendy with her driver. He found a dossier on the tall broad-shouldered man. Axel Wolf wore a jacket in every photo, making it hard to ascertain his muscular build. He appeared intensely alert and professional.

The rap sheet on Axel Wolf showed arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct and assault in his twenties as well as one arrest for manslaughter that was not prosecuted. His records said he spent eighteen months in lockup ten years ago. He had held jobs as a truck driver and as a sparring partner for a boxing center. There was no record of employment for the last few years.

“What a mess,” Olivia said as she walked into Leo’s cluttered office space.

“I need some additional background on Wendy’s driver.”

“You had the most recent files in your SUV.”

“I know, but there wasn’t much on the chauffeur in there.”

“I guess he didn’t make the cut since he isn’t much of a person of interest in getting to Drake. There are plenty of scumbags who work more closely with Drake.”

“Understood but he may be our way to Wendy. She spent almost every day with this guy. She never drove anywhere. He could be the one person she trusts in Atlanta.”

“Did you find his arrest record?”

“Assault and one charge for manslaughter. It looks like he was a boxer when he was younger. He can likely take a punch.”

Oliva took the records from Leo and studied Axel’s rap sheet for several minutes. Leo continued to sift through the piles of information.

“Nothing special here. Common criminal stuff like the rest of Drake’s squad,” she said, tossing the file onto the heap on Leo’s desk.

“We need to get eyes on this guy in case Wendy reaches out to him. If she’s going to get to Drake, she’ll need help. He’s as likely as anyone to jump ship for her.”

Agent Johnson yelled from the hall, “Hey, you two. DEA wants us along for a bust. Agent Radcliff says Drake is going to be on site for a buy. Warehouse district in one hour.” Agent Johnson hurried off.

“Radcliff. Didn’t you work with him?” Leo asked.

“Sure did. One of the reasons I asked to be reassigned. The guy is a complete asshole. He was bird-dogging me every minute of the day. A real micro-manager. On top of that, he didn’t like sushi.”

“Do you believe Drake is going to show his face at a drug and money exchange in broad daylight?”

“It doesn’t seem likely, but just because I don’t like Radcliff doesn’t mean he doesn’t usually have very reliable information.”

“He’ll never make a drug charge stick. We need to get him on murder.”

“With any luck, he’ll shoot you during the bust. Shall we go?” she cackled.

“Let’s suit up,” Leo said with a shake of his head.

An hour later, Leo and his team were stationed behind a row of black SUVs while a dozen men in tactical gear and masks moved towards a warehouse in the downtown district. Each man moved forward at the same pace, keeping a slight crouching position while holding their firearms at shoulder level. Leo, Olivia, Johnson, Gentry, and Marshal stayed behind the barricade of cars with their sidearms drawn. Special Agent Radcliff was among the men moving towards the building. He used silent hand signals to command his DEA team as they approached the warehouse. Men scattered to various entry points. There was a ten-foot-high fence around the property with razor wire at the top. Leo’s team would be watching the only way out in case anyone tried to escape the DEA officers.

There was no sign of Drake or his two constant companions as Leo’s team watched from their perch. Radcliff may be making a drug bust, but Leo would be surprised if Drake was anywhere near it.

Leo could hear banging and shouting as the DEA tactical team entered the building. His FBI agents remained silent, listening as they stood ready with their weapons behind their vehicles. Minutes passed and sweat began to run down the sides of Leo’s face. He was hopeful that the bust would go down without incident. The five backup agents kept their eyes glued to the building, watching and waiting. It was taking longer than they expected. Leo thought maybe they should move in, but Radcliff was adamant that they hold their position “no matter what.”

Leo’s throat was dry. He swallowed hard after trying to collect a bit of saliva in his mouth. He cleared his throat. “Steady,” he said without turning his head from the building.

Shots rang out. There was a continuous barrage of gunfire. Leo stiffened his posture, resting his elbow on the hood of his SUV. He readied himself for anything that came at them. As the sound of gunfire continued, streams of sweat ran down Leo's face. He reached to wipe the salty water from his eyes. There was a loud bang over the gunfire. A green Hummer came barreling through a wall of the warehouse. It headed straight for the barricade of SUVs Leo and his agents were using for cover. Bullets streamed from the Hummer, hitting the line of SUVs. The five agents returned fire. Leo brought his aim low to impact the tires of the green vehicle as it picked up speed. Olivia and the other three agents on the FBI team backed away from the line the Hummer was taking. Leo stood fast, continuing to shoot at the vehicle’s tires.

“Leo!” Olivia screamed as she resumed shooting, focusing on the side window of the Hummer. “Get the hell out of there!”

Leo dove to the side as the Hummer hit one of the FBI vehicles, breaking through the barricade. The assailant’s vehicle tipped to one side and began to roll. It made one-and-a-quarter rolls before landing on the driver’s side door and skidding to a stop. Marshal, Johnson, and Gentry hurried to the crashed vehicle with their handguns focused on the doors. They spread out around the mangled mess. Once Leo made it to his feet, he and Olivia worked their way in behind their partners. Two men lay in the crashed SUV with their eyes closed. A third transgressor rolled through the broken windshield and dragged himself across the pavement. He turned towards the FBI agents, gripping his automatic rifle. He lifted it towards the agents as blood dripped from his head. Leo and Olivia hurried to his side. Leo stood between the wounded criminal and his team, pointing his gun into the assailant’s face. “I wouldn’t” was the only warning he offered. The rifle dropped to the ground in surrender. Agent Snow kicked the gun away and cuffed the man.

Leo didn’t recognize any of the attackers. Johnson reached inside the Hummer while Gentry and Marshal kept their guns pointed at the unconscious men.

“Dead. Both of them,” Johnson said as he backed away from the bloody men.

“Everyone okay?” Leo asked as he looked at each of his teammates.

One by one, they all nodded. The gunfire had ceased, and Radcliff’s men were walking out of the warehouse, leading men in cuffs to the line of vehicles.

Leo walked towards the building until he saw Agent Radcliff. “Drake?”

Radcliff shook his head and lowered his eyes.

30

“It looks like this guy’s picking up cash or making drops. Maybe both. I don’t see how following him around is helping us find Wendy,” Oliva said.

“He was probably with her this morning while we were wasting our time with the DEA,” Leo responded.

“Maybe Radcliff will be able to flip one of those dealers. Just because Drake wasn’t there, doesn’t mean it was a waste of time.”

“Special Agent Radcliff arrested some of Drake’s men. His lawyers will have them out by dinner time. The smugglers they were buying from all ended up dead except the one you cuffed.”

“Two of those deaths are on us,” Olivia said.

“We had to return fire. At least they didn’t get away.”

“And there are eight kilos of heroine that won’t be hitting the street.”

“There is that. We’ve never known Drake to show his face at a drug transaction. He’s too smart for that. We need to find someone who has witnessed him committing a murder or ordering a hit. Conspiracy can be hard to prove, but it might be our only chance.”

“Hey, there he goes,” Olivia said as they watched Axel speed away from the house he had been in.

“I got him.”

“He seems to be in quite a hurry. I guess he’s not paid by the hour. We should give up for the day and go for some burgers.”

“I thought your husband was expecting you for dinner.”

“I’ll let him know I'll be late.”

“Why don’t you have him pick you up? I’m going to stay on Wolf for a while.”

“Okay, but let me know if he leads you anywhere.”

“Will do.”

“You’re obsessed. You need to spend some time with people.”

“I spend every day with you.”

“I mean real people. People who don’t camp out in cars spying on drug dealers. People who don’t carry guns.”

“I don’t think I’m acquainted with any such people,” Leo said with a smirk.

“I’ll text Barry if you promise to call it quits when Axel goes home. I’ll share our location with Barry, so he can find us.”

“When Axel goes to bed, I’ll go to bed.” Leo had no idea when he’d decide to give up on his new lead. Since he didn’t have anyone to go home to, he thought he might as well continue following up on his hunch.

Two stops later, Olivia left the Grand Cherokee to ride off with her husband for the evening.

Leo followed Axel to a pizza place and then to a high-end home on several acres. He was expecting Axel to go back to the address they checked this morning, which was listed as his last known place of residence. Who was waiting inside to share that large pizza with Axel? Nothing came from focusing his camera’s zoom lens on the windows facing the street. Leo decided to try to make his way to the backyard to see if he would have better luck there.

He stepped quietly from the SUV, hanging his camera around his neck. As he approached the edge of the property in question, he heard the loud squawk of a woman.

“Can I help you with something?” A fast-moving brunette said as she approached Leo.

“Do you know if this house is for sale? A realtor friend told me it was.” Leo said as he motioned towards the estate he saw Axel drive up to.

“I don’t believe it is,” she said with a smile. “Sorry.”

“My wife is going to be very disappointed. She sent me over here to have a look. She was very excited to hear about the listing.”

“I’m Bonnie. I live next door. I spoke to one of the current occupants earlier today. She didn’t mention putting the house up for sale.”

“Can you tell me who the ‘current occupants’ are? Maybe I can talk them into selling.”

“The people staying in the house aren’t the owners. They are guests of the owners.”

“Maybe they can help me. Can you tell me their names?”

“I’m not sure that would be appropriate,” Bonnie said.

Leo’s phone rang. He excused himself and stepped away to take the call from his brother, who was asking for help once again. When Sean told him it was a dire emergency, Leo agreed to come to his aid. After ending the call, he approached Bonnie, “Thank you for the information, Bonnie. I’m afraid I have to go.”

31

The thick crystal held two fingers of smooth bourbon. Sean swirled the glass, watching the golden fluid shift. He swallowed hard and set the drink on the bar. He placed his hands on the edge of the bar, but he couldn’t push himself away.

“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Leo said as he approached his brother.

“Making me salivate.”

“You called me when you knew you needed help. Your sponsor would be a good person to reach out to in times like this.”

“You’re the first person I thought of. I know you can relate. I’m not going to make it, Leo.”

“You are. You called me before you were arrested in a drunken stupor. That’s progress. Did you drink any?”

“No. We’ve just been sitting here staring at each other.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to get out of here.” Leo pulled up a stool and sat next to Sean. He waved the bartender off before he got close enough to offer him a drink.

“I tried to clear out little Jimmy’s room today. I couldn’t. I closed the door and walked until I was here. I ordered this drink and called you. Does this happen to you? Does it all come closing down on you, and you pour a drink?”

“Not for a few years, but it’s happened.”

“What did it for you?”

“The last time was a tough day at work. There was an undercover agent who was in deep. I was his handler. He begged me to pull him out. He had evidence on members of the gang he had infiltrated.”

“You didn’t get him out?”

“No. I wanted to hold out for the big fish. The grand pupa. The boss. I insisted he hold on for a little while longer.” Leo’s head slumped. A vision of John Kaplinsky’s face and the name Johnny Glue tortured his mind.

“I guess things went bad.”

“We had two check-in meets scheduled over the next week. He didn’t show up for either of them. His car was found at the bottom of Lake Allatoona a week later.”

“Did he have a wife and kids?”

“No. A mother. A mother who loved him dearly. I had to tell her we lost him. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I went from her house to the liquor store.”

“But you didn’t open the bottle?”

“I opened it. Somehow my mind went into autopilot and drove me to my sponsor’s house. We opened it together and poured it out on his lawn. I keep the empty bottle in my kitchen cupboard. It reminds me of John. Not that I could forget him.”

“Maybe I need to pick something of Jimmy’s. Something symbolic. Maybe knowing I have that one thing of his will help me clear out the rest. It’s hard.”

“There’s no hurry to take care of that. You should wait until you’re ready. If you need me to help, just ask. There’s a meeting at the civic center tonight,” Leo said.

“Will you stay with me until then?”

“We can sit here together until it’s time to go to the meeting if you like.”

“No. I think I’m ready to leave.” Sean pushed the glass back and stood.

“My place?” Leo suggested as he laid a twenty on the bar. He nodded at the bartender and stepped away from his stool.

“That sounds good.”

32

The black yoga pants felt buttery-soft and light as air on her legs. The cropped short-sleeved shirt in blinding white contrasted the dark pants. A pair of violet running shoes anchored the athletic look. Wendy was going more for maneuverability over style, but she thought the look was okay. For a quick shopping trip, her Monday at the mall had paid off. She was comfortable and had a great range of motion in these clothes.

After topping her Monday off with a pizza and a surprisingly light conversation with Axel, she was excited to get her Tuesday started. Axel had told her he worked his ass off yesterday to be able to spend some time helping with her plight today. The sun crested over the neighboring trees, giving the sky a peach glow. Wendy stretched briefly on the front lawn and then started her run in the direction of the vibrant sun. She didn’t want to be looking into the blinding light on her return trip.

She didn’t plan to run far. Considering Axel would be inches away from her in the car an hour later, she didn’t want to work up a sweat. She had showered before deciding she had time for a quick run. She didn’t have time for a quick run and another shower. Ten minutes along the road in front of the vast front yards of her temporary neighborhood was far enough. She decided to turn around to sprint as fast as she could manage back to the large estate Axel had set her up in.

Once her destination was in sight, she poured on the speed. Her feet seemed to move quicker and quicker as if she couldn’t control them. She was moving at such a clip that she felt a little off balance but kept moving forward anyway. Once she was in the front yard, she decelerated her stride to heavy clomps that slowed her motion to a stop. She leaned down, putting a palm on each knee and gasping for air.

“Got a little soft out west I see,” came a man’s voice on the stairs of the home’s front stoop.

She hadn’t noticed him when she had reentered the yard. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t think you do,” he responded.

“What makes you think I’ve been west? Who says I wasn’t always this soft?” Wendy said as she started to catch her breath.

“I know quite a bit about you, Wendy.”

“I think you have me confused with someone else. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” she said as she waved him away from the door.

The man stepped to the side and let Wendy climb the front stairs. “I’m Agent Keller, FBI,” he said as he held his badge in front of him. “Shall we go inside and talk?”

“Do I have to talk to you? Do you have a warrant or something?”

“I’m here to help you. I think we have the same goal.”

“I’d like you to leave,” Wendy said as she looked towards the road, hoping Axel would show up early.

“I need your help, and I think you’ll be glad to take me up on my offer. I want to put Sheldon Drake away for good. Together, we can put him behind bars for a long time. We can put him where he can’t get to you. You can be free of him. Forever.”

“Put that badge away before someone sees it. Okay, bring your two-day stubble inside and enlighten me.” Wendy held the door open, looking back and forth and wondering if anyone had noticed the conversation on the lawn.

“You’re ready for battle in that outfit, aren’t you?” Leo raised his hands as if defending himself from would-be blows.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Happy to be talking with you. That’s all.”

“Are you with the DEA?”

“No. I wouldn’t be caught dead in that unit. I’m FBI. I lead a unit with the sole purpose of putting your husband out of business. The DEA has tried to catch him in the act. He’s a shrewd man. He’s a drug trafficker, a money launderer, a thief, an extortionist, and a murderer, among other forms of racketeering, but also a clever businessman. He keeps his nose clean. He has a posse of lawyers.”

“All of that said,” Wendy stopped Leo’s dissertation. “What makes you think I can help you?”

“No one has been closer to him than you have. No one has gotten away from him like you have. No one we know of is still alive after turning on him.”

“Do you think this is a Tom Cruise movie? Do you want me to help you prove Sheldon is guilty of mail fraud?”

“I want him on murder. I need someone who has witnessed him ordering a kill or pulling the trigger.”

“I don’t think I’m your girl.” Wendy swung the door open again.

“Wendy, I have the knife, the murder weapon. It has your fingerprints on it.”

Wendy wished this were true. She’d rather the FBI have that knife to hold over her head. She was sure Agent Keller was bluffing. Sheldon had the knife, and he had reminded her of that fact often.

Axel came bursting through the entrance with a wide smile that turned sour once Leo came into view. “Who’s your friend, Jane?” He said as he placed a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter.

“Leo Keller. Nice to meet you, Axel. I was just leaving. I’ll be in touch,” he said as he eyed Wendy on his way out.

33

“Find out who leaked that meet to the DEA!” Drake barked at Michael Whitney.

“I’m working on it. The Colombians are responsible. It didn’t come from our men. We have a loyal bunch.” Mike spoke in a clear concise manner.

“The Colombians don’t agree. They say all their guys who knew the time and location are dead or near dead. No one else on their side had the specifics.”

“One of them could have told someone. Or maybe the narc is dead but didn’t intend for it to go that way.”

“You said his guys were the ones that started shooting when the cops showed up,” Drake said.

“They were. They went crazy, gunning down everyone in sight. Two of my best guys died in that incident. I don’t think the DEA was responsible. Most of those guys couldn’t hit walls from inside the building.”

“Six of their guys died and a DEA agent. If the bullet from one of our guns killed that agent, your men are looking at jail time. My lawyers are good, but it’s hard to barter or buy our way out of murdering a cop,” Drake said.

“Don’t worry. I’m telling you. They are loyal to their death. They can handle jail time. Most of them have been in prison before. I’ve got things wired inside. I’ll take care of them. They’ll be fine.”

“What if we determine one of them was dealing with the DEA?”

“I can take care of that, too. Like I said, I have the prison on speed dial. I can get to anyone.”

“Anything new on Wendy?” Drake asked.

“We know she’s alive and so do the cops. There were no bodies found in her apartment in Washington. Authorities have reason to believe she’s in the Atlanta area. That’s why the Feds are back on us. Keller thinks he can flip her if he finds her.”

“He might be right. We need to find her before they do. I want her alive. Do you understand?”

“I got it, Boss. I’ve given orders that she’s not to be harmed.”

“First, I want to get my money back. Then, I’ll make an example of her. I don’t care how you do it but find her and bring her to me. Be careful with her. She’s more than some of your guys can handle.”

“I taught her everything she knows.”

“Your mistake,” Drake said shaking his head. “Our mistake,” he said softly as he remembered how much fun he had training with Wendy, in the beginning. He was excited when Wendy had asked to train with Mike. The three of them would sometimes work out together. Eventually, Mike let her spar with some of his men. Wendy soaked up the nuances of street fighting like a sponge. She practiced for countless hours a day. At the time, she had little else going on. Drake was rising in the syndicate, and she was left to spend her days at her own discretion.

Before she disappeared, Drake watched Wendy beat two of Mike’s toughest men in a two-against-one scenario. Mike had to step in to keep Wendy from doing permanent damage to one of his best enforcers. Mike and Drake had seen her marksmanship with a gun as well. Training her to that level was a mistake. A mistake they may pay for when they find her.

“Don’t worry, Drake. If the Feds find her, I’ll know straight away. Our informant will give us a heads-up. I have every confidence that we’ll find her first though.”

34

“We need to find a new place for you to lay low,” Axel said.

“If he wanted to arrest me, he would have done that. I think I’m safe here for the time being.” Wendy dropped into an overstuffed chair in the extravagant living room.

“He must have followed me here.” Axel’s head drooped.

“He may have spotted me on a traffic camera or something. It’s hard to say. The technology the Feds have now is incredible.”

“Incredibly unfair,” Axel huffed.

“As long as I’ve known Sheldon, he’s been eating at Benedict’s on Cumberland Road every Wednesday. I think that’s the best time to get to him. I had planned to watch him for a week or so and hit him a couple of Wednesdays from now, but with Agent Keller involved, I don’t know if I have that kind of time.”

“Let’s leave town. Hell, let’s leave the country. Brazil, Italy, Belize. You name it. I’ll take you there.”

“I appreciate that, Axel.” Wendy stood and walked to where Axel was pacing. She stopped his movement by taking his hands in both of hers. “Once this is over, I’ll get the money, and we can go to one of those places together. I don’t care where we go, but I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”

“Give him his money, and let’s get out now. You don’t have to kill him.”

“I do. Unless there’s a way.”

“A way for what?”

“What if I can help Agent Keller put Sheldon in prison for good?”

“You’d have to testify. Drake would send Mike after you. He’d be given orders to kill you on sight. You can’t be serious.”

“You’re right. I have to kill him,” she said with a steady and confident voice. “Tomorrow. Today, let’s have some fun. I bought a bikini for myself and a suit for you. Let’s break into the liquor cabinet and do some day drinking by the pool.”

“Remember my daily goal? To wake up to see another day? I wish that for you, too. Don’t put that at risk tomorrow.”

The doorbell rang. At first, Wendy was unsure how to react. “Keller. I bet he’s back. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of him. You start mixing the margaritas.”

Bonnie bounced into the room when Wendy opened the door. “What are you doing today? I was thinking about getting an early start poolside,” Bonnie said. She wore sunglasses, a bright yellow two-piece with a white lace coverup, and a flashy pair of sandals.

“We were thinking the same thing,” Wendy said with a bright smile directed at Axel. “Bonnie, this is Jim. He was about to start some cocktails. Why don’t you go on out to the pool and we’ll meet you once we get changed.”

“Nice to meet you,” Bonnie said as she raised her Ray-Bans to look Axel up and down.

“Nice to meet you, too. Jane has told me all about you. Margarita?” Axel asked with reluctance, glaring at Wendy.

“Absolutely!” Bonnie said.

“I’ll bring it to you on the patio,” Axel said.

Wendy gave Axel a smirk as she left the room to change. Axel rolled his eyes and started to work on drinks at the bar.

Minutes later as Axel finished making the refreshing cocktails, Wendy returned to the bar, raising her arms and spinning slowly to present her new suit to Axel. This brought a smile to his face. He no longer looked perturbed with her for forcing him into a day at the pool.

“I can’t stay mad at you,” he said. “We aren’t done with our conversation.” He softened his deep voice to a whisper.

“We are for now,” Wendy said. She headed out the door and called to Bonnie, “What have you been up to?”

Axel made several rounds of drinks while offering very little to the conversation as the two women chatted away. Bonnie did most of the talking. Wendy worked hard at keeping Bonnie going by laughing at almost everything she said, but she was chiefly laughing at Axel’s inability to talk her out of killing Sheldon Drake as long as Bonnie was with them.

As the morning turned to afternoon, Bonnie staggered to the door and admitted she had had one too many. She commented that she needed to take a nap and sober up before her husband got home.

Axel let out a heavy sigh. “Exhausting.”

“She’s a riot. Come on, that was fun.”

“Watching you laugh and smile was enjoyable.”

“I caught you snickering a few times. You have to admit, it was nice to spend a few hours without talking about Sheldon Drake and how my life is a mess because of him. I grew up poor in a small town. I’d never been more than fifty miles from where I was born until Sheldon came into the roadhouse where I worked. He made a point to come to that nowhere town to see me again and again until I agreed to leave with him. He was my ticket out of there. He treated me like a queen for a while, but I guess he grew tired of me. Then, I began to understand how objectionable his work was and how unethical his actions were. Okay, those are euphemisms. The man is repulsive, but I hate to admit that I loved someone like that.”

“Is that how you see me? Do you find me disgusting? Is what I do for a living offensive?”

Wendy moved close to Axel until she was inches from his face. She looked into his eyes and reached for his strong shoulders. “You are a criminal, but you have certain ethics to your actions. A sense of right and wrong guides you. Think of the people you collected from yesterday. Were they good honest men?”

“You know I collect from dealers and junkies.”

“You wouldn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. I doubt you’ve raised a hand to anyone in quite some time.”

“I’m not a good person, but you make me want to be.”

“I’m not what you’d call a good person either. I’m here to kill my husband.”

Axel knew she was hoping for a smile, but he couldn’t muster one. “Don’t do it. Don’t try to get to Drake. We can be better people… together… somewhere else.”

Wendy pulled Axel to her lips and kissed him. It felt right. Every muscle in her body relaxed. Her eyes closed. She exhaled softly as their lips parted.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked as he stared at her, waiting for her eyes to open. She smiled and pushed her lips to his again before leading him to the master suite.

35

Wendy woke to a growl in her stomach and a mild headache. As her eyes opened, she heard a low snoring in her ear. Axel’s strong, rough face rested at the end of her nose. He seemed to be smiling in his sleep. This nestled a peace within her. She watched him sleep for several minutes before getting out of bed. She considered his offer. Maybe they could hide away in some remote area of the world and wake up together like this every day. Money was no issue. Could they hide away somewhere? Somewhere Sheldon would never find them? Wendy pulled the stretchy pants and tank top she had worn during her morning run onto her naked body. It seemed fair to let him sleep as she made her way to the kitchen. After all, he had slaved away at the bar for them.

She unpacked the food Axel had carried in earlier and found eggs and wheat bread. She remembered seeing him put away a bottle of champagne and some orange juice and thought a couple of virgin mimosas would be a good idea after the earlier rounds of margaritas.

Delighted to see bacon in the refrigerator near the juice, she rifled through the cupboards to find a frying pan. The bacon had started to sizzle when she heard movement from the back of the house. “I thought the smell of bacon might wake you!” she shouted across the island. As she turned to check on her skillet of delight, Wendy heard another noise. This one came from the front entrance. She pulled a large chef’s knife from the block next to the stove. Two men in black ski masks rushed toward her. In an instant, the knife was out of her hand and slicing into the throat of one of the assailants. He gurgled as he backed into a nearby wall, sliding to a seated position. The second masked intruder fired a shot, missing Wendy by less than an inch as she dropped to the floor behind the island.

Wendy remained still for a moment, concentrating on the sound of the man moving from her right. She reached for the skillet and flipped the hot bacon and grease into his face. Screaming and pulling at his mask, he revealed a scalded face Wendy recognized. It was one of Mike Whitney’s men. Drake had found her. She couldn’t contemplate the full meaning of that at the moment. She needed to defend herself.

Wendy twirled the toaster through the air, swinging it by the chord. The impact of the kitchen appliance caused Mike’s man to stammer for only a second before he raised the gun to Wendy’s head.

“Stop!” Mike yelled from the other side of the room. The scalded man with the gun took a step away from Wendy but kept his gun aimed at her head.

Axel stood naked with his hands behind his back. She assumed they had been tied. Two men in masks held him while Mike stood behind him with the muzzle of his gun pointed at Axel’s head.

“Don’t kill her!” Mike barked at the man with the gun to Wendy’s head. “Take it easy, Wendy. If you continue to put up a fight, I’ll be compelled to put a bullet in your friend here.”

Axel shook his head. “Get out if you can, Wendy! Don’t worry about me. Mike isn’t going to shoot me.”

“Don’t be so sure. We can start here.” Mike pressed the business end of his handgun firmly against Axel’s kneecap.

“No! Don’t! I’ll go with you. Leave Axel alone,” Wendy said.

“Oh, you’re both going to come with me. Hands behind your back. Tie her and get some pants on this fucker. I’m tired of looking at his junk.”

Wendy soon found herself lying sideway in the back of a Cadillac Escalade with Axel unconscious next to her. She had watched Mike strike him with the back of his Kimber as he pushed him into the vehicle.

36

“Wendy Drake!” Olivia called out as she banged her knuckles on the large wooden door at the front of the home where Leo had talked to Wendy earlier in the day. “Are you sure this is the place? Pretty nice digs for a girl who just hit town.”

“This is it,” Leo said as he joined Olivia on the porch after directing Agents Marshal and Gentry to the backyard. “I gave her some options to consider. Since Axel Wolf showed up while I was here, I thought I’d give them some time to talk. I was hoping Axel would convince her to seek our protection.”

Olivia knocked again. While she and Leo waited for a response, Gentry came on the radio. “We have signs of forced entry back here.”

“Reasonable cause,” Leo said into the walkie. He reached for the front doorknob. It turned in his hand, and he pushed the door open. With his gun drawn, he stepped cautiously inside with Olivia trailing him.

Leo heard Gentry yell, “Clear!” from the back of the house. Leo and Olivia stepped into the kitchen and saw a smear of blood trailing from the kitchen to the garage. A dented toaster lay on the floor. Olivia slipped on bacon and grease, catching herself on the corner of the island as Leo yelled, “Clear!”

Gentry and Marshal called clear three more times before joining Leo and Olivia in the kitchen.

“Signs of a struggle in the master, too,” Marshal said. “Towels and drink glasses on the patio.”

“Odds are this is the work of Drake’s men,” Leo said. “But how’d they know she was here?”

“You found them, didn’t you?” Olivia said.

“I suppose they could have followed Axel here like I did,” Leo said.

“They might have seen you here earlier,” Marshal said. “You're lucky you weren’t around when this went down. Whatever this is.”

“This is a crime scene,” Leo said. “Let’s get forensics in here. I want to know who the blood belongs to.”

Marshal pointed towards the patio. “There are margarita glasses by the pool. It looks like there were three people out there, getting along at one point. Maybe we can get a hit off the glassware. Fingerprints or DNA if they’re in the system.”

“Who do we have on Drake?” Leo asked.

“Agent Johnson is posted in front of his house,” Olivia responded.

“Check in to see if Drake is still there and give Johnson a download on what we found here. He needs to be on the lookout for someone meeting up with Drake with possible hostages. They also have someone wounded or worse.”

“What makes you think there’s a hostage situation?” Marshal asked as Oliva exited the kitchen on her phone.

“Three drinks and one blood smear. Either the people having the fiesta were interrupted or two of them injured the other,” Leo said.

“Two of them might have killed one of them and left to bury him,” Gentry suggested.

“Or her,” Leo sighed. “That could be Wendy’s blood.”

“Come out here,” Olivia said from the patio.

Leo joined her by the pool. “What have you got?”

“Look at this glass.” She held a stemmed glass in her gloved hand.

“Lipstick,” Leo said. “When I spoke to Wendy, she wasn’t wearing any.”

“Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be. If she was, it wasn’t anything that bright. I’d guess there was another woman here. The lab will tell us. Let’s get a uniform on site to lock this place down. We should meet up with Johnson at Drake’s place.”

37

Wendy sat quietly bound to a heavy, metal chair. She had been in this room before but never confined to a chair. It smelled of bleach. She had seen men questioned and beaten in this place. She assumed some had been killed here, though she had never witnessed it. Mike Whitney and two of his goons towered over Wendy as she scanned the room, weighing her options. There was one door and a large window, which she knew to be a two-way. Axel slumped in the chair next to her. He had yet to regain consciousness. The sound of his breath in her ear let her know he was still alive.

Hearing a knock on the glass, Wendy’s attention was turned to where she knew Drake was posted. Watching. Commanding. She had watched him decide how badly men were hurt from the other side of that glass. She wondered if she was the first woman to be strapped to a chair in the blood-stained room.

Mike waved something under Axel’s nose that Wendy presumed to be some sort of smelling salts. Axel’s eyelids flittered to an open position. She watched him scan the room, resting his eyes on her with a look of shame and pity.

“Now, we can get started,” Mike said. “I want you to see the fear in his eyes and hear the pain in his groans. Mike lifted his heavy left hand to strike Axel hard with brass knuckles. Axel avoided eye contact with Wendy and made no sound, but Wendy gasped.

Mike landed another blow and a tear rolled down Wendy’s cheek as she watched the blood run from Axel’s mouth. “You can stop,” she stated clearly. “I get the point.” She tried to sound undisturbed. She didn’t bother to direct her statement at Mike. She stared at the glass with disdain.

Wendy heard a solitary knock followed quickly by another violent strike to Axel’s face and then another. Axel’s eyes strained as he stared up at Mike. He gathered a mouth full of blood and spat it at the large man.

“We want the money, Wendy,” Mike said as he struck Axel again, ignoring the blood spit on his shirt.

“I’ll get it for you but only after you let him go. Axel had nothing to do with my leaving with your money,” Wendy said to the glass window.

“That’s not how this is going to work,” Mike said as he pulled his elbow back in preparation for another blow.

“Then, you can kill us both, but you’ll never see your money again!” Wendy’s scream caused Mike to turn to the glass.

He received a reply of three quick knocks. Mike left the room, closing Wendy and Axel in the small space with the two armed thugs.

“Sheldon, please stop this,” Wendy begged. “I’ll get the money, and you can do whatever you want to me, just leave Axel out of this. He helped me with a place to stay when I came back to town. That’s all. He wasn’t part of what happened before. He didn’t know I was going to steal from you and leave you. Come in here and talk to me. Face me like a man. Look in my eyes and kill me yourself if that’s what you’re going to do.”

She turned her head to the door as if she were waiting for his reply. Her face was expressionless, and her breathing low and steady. She calmed herself, trying to relax every muscle in her body. She thought about the swim she had taken two days ago. She wanted to keep her emotions in check. She needed to treat this like a business transaction and nothing more.

“Wendy,” Axel whispered. “Do what you need to do. Don’t worry about me. I can handle whatever Mike has for me. If tomorrow is the day I don’t achieve my goal of waking up alive, I’m okay with that.”

38

Olivia tapping on her phone from the passenger seat drew Leo’s attention. “What have you got? Is it Johnson?”

“He followed Drake to a warehouse downtown. There are three other vehicles there, but he hasn’t seen Wendy Drake or Axel Wolf. He’ll let us know if Drake comes out.”

“Get the address. Mike Whitney could’ve taken Wendy and or Axel Wolf there before Drake and Johnson arrived.”

“Johnson said they played the yellow light trick again, but he was able to reengage. He assumes the driver thought he lost him.”

“Drake thinking he lost our tail is good news. We know he’s aware that we’ve been watching him.”

Olivia’s phone rang.

“Is that Johnson?” Leo asked. “Put him on speaker.”

“Johnson, I have you on speaker with Leo,” Olivia announced.

“Drake left the scene before I could get to the building. He left moments before a bunch of DEA agents showed up,” Agent Johnson said. “You need to get over here. Radcliff is here. He and his men are about to breach the building.”

“DEA?” Leo’s eyebrows strained as he gave the phone a quick look. “How did they know where to go? What’s going on?”

“I have no idea how they ended up here, but they seem to have cause to storm the building even though Drake and his men took off before they got here. Seconds before they got here. I hate to say it, but it’s as if they tipped him off.” Johnson replied.

“We’ll be there in ten,” Leo assured Johnson. He put a flashing blue light on his dash and hit the siren. “Olivia, call Gentry and Marshal. Tell them to go to Drake’s to keep watch for him to show up at home. Until we know where Wendy is, we need to keep tabs on him.”

Olivia ended the call with Agent Johnson and hit a number on her speed dial. She talked with Agent Gentry and directed him as Leo asked but Leo wasn’t listening to the conversation. His mind was on DEA Special Agent Phil Radcliff. He couldn’t figure out how Radcliff got ahead of them on where to look for Wendy if that’s why they were there. Maybe the DEA was at the warehouse based on a tip unrelated to what went down in the blood-smeared house. More importantly, how did Drake manage to leave the scene moments before the DEA showed up to raid the building?

By the time Olivia had finished filling in Gentry and Marshal on what was happening, Leo screeched to a halt amidst the DEA vehicles outside the warehouse.

Leo rushed into the building as some of the DEA agents were exiting. “Two victims. Both alive. No perps,” one of them said.

Leo followed the voices that echoed through the building, leading him to Special Agent Radcliff and a couple of his men who were freeing Wendy and Axel from the room they were being held in.

“You have to pull me out and put Wendy in protective custody,” Axel directed his comment to Phil Radcliff.

“What do you mean ‘pull you out?’” Wendy asked. She squinted her eyes a bit as if trying to make sure she heard him right.

“Holy shit,” Leo said. “You’re DEA. All this time.”

“Agent Gibbs has been providing information on Sheldon Drake for years. We’ve never had anyone in this deep. We were hoping to get the national supplier by flipping Drake, but we were never able to get him on anything that would stick. Even when we heard he would be on site for a drop, he wouldn’t show up.”

“Agent Gibbs? Who the hell are you?” Wendy said as she stared into her ex-driver’s bloody face.

“My name is Brian Gibbs. I’m an undercover DEA agent. Axel Wolf is an alias built on a history of lies. I’ve never been to prison. I was never arrested for manslaughter, but everything I said about how I feel about you is the truth. Every word. The most important thing in my world is your safety. You have to let us protect you.”

“My deal is still on the table,” Leo interrupted. “If you can provide a first-hand account of Drake being present during or complicit in a murder, I can put you into federal protective custody and get you immunity.”

Agent Gibbs looked at Special Agent Radcliff, hoping he had a better alternative.

“Unless you can put us in a deal with Drake’s national supplier, I don’t think I have any grounds for putting you in WITSEC,” Agent Radcliff said to Wendy.

Olivia had been standing idle to this point, but now, she jumped into the conversation. “Can you give us reliable first-hand evidence to put Drake away for murder?”

“I’ve never seen him kill anyone,” Wendy said. “I’ve never witnessed any of his men murder a soul. I have reason to believe it happened, but I’ve never even heard Sheldon say the words. I appreciate you getting here in time to save us, but I’m afraid I have nothing to trade for immunity or protection.”

“How did you get here in time to rescue them?” Leo asked, looking directly at Agent Radcliff.

“Agent Gibbs turned on his tracker,” Radcliff responded. “We have a GPS tracker on him on occasion.”

“I was able to turn it on when they let me get dressed. They didn’t think to check me after walking me around naked at the house.” He pulled a small device from the watch pocket in his Levi’s.

“What about Drake and his men leaving seconds before your arrival,” Olivia asked in an accusing manner.

“We had no idea they were here until Agent Johnson told us. We saw his vehicle in the parking lot and stopped him. We didn’t see anyone else when we arrived,” Agent Radcliff explained.

“Not only did Drake know to leave before you arrived but you also kept my agent from following him,” Leo said.

“Can we get Drake on kidnapping?” Olivia asked with an optimistic smile.

“Never saw him,” Brian Gibbs said.

“We know he was in the other room while Mike was beating the shit out of you,” Wendy said.

“Knowing it and proving it are two different things,” Brian responded.

“Who did you see?” Olivia asked.

“Mike and two of his flunkies. Small potatoes,” Gibbs responded.

“One of our agents followed Drake here,” Olivia gasped. “We can put him at the scene.”

“If the victims can’t put him in the room, his lawyers will have him out in no time. We’ll be lucky to hold Mike,” Leo said.

“Mike Whitney is a key player,” Radcliff said. “If we can take him off the table, it might help us get to Drake in the long run.”

“Kidnapping is federal jurisdiction, not DEA. We’ll make the call on that,” Leo said.

“First on the scene,” Radcliff argued.

“No drugs, Agent Drug Enforcement,” Leo countered.

“If I’m not under arrest for anything, I’d like to go home now,” Wendy said.

“Home? You can’t go home!” Gibbs yelled.

“I won’t be going anywhere with you, Agent Gibbs,” she said to the man she had known as Axel Wolf for the last several years.

39

“Nice office, Mr. Sugar,” Agent Grant O’Neil said.

“Thank you,” Dwayne replied. “My assistant said you were with the FBI. What is this about?”

“We have reason to believe your BMW was used in a federal crime.” Cindy studied the man in the neatly pressed suit. She wondered if this clean-cut professional could be part of a bank heist gang. She didn’t get a look at the driver of the getaway vehicle from the street cameras. It could be anyone. The car was what they had to go on, and since Sid had an iron-clad alibi, it seemed this guy was the driver.

“That’s ridiculous. I drive that car here every day. We don’t commit crimes here. We sell cereal. Some of our marketing tactics are a bit suspect but not illegal,” Dwayne said.

He was either very good at pretending to be surprised and amused or he was innocent. “We have video evidence that your car was present during a bank robbery downtown last Wednesday,” Cindy said. “This isn’t a joke.”

“If you knew me, you’d get how funny this is,” Dwayne said. “My wife will bust a gut when I tell her. I don’t cheat on my taxes; I always cross the street at a crosswalk, and I never park in a loading zone. My wife ribs me for being a rule follower. When she hears that the FBI thinks I’m a bank robber, she’ll pee herself.”

“Mr. Sugar,” Grant said. “This is not a joke. We have three related bank robberies on the books. You may have seen something about them on the news.”

“I did see a story about that on TV. Three guys in baseball hats. In and out quickly. As I remember, the broadcaster said officials have no solid leads.”

“Your car is a solid lead. We have it on camera.” Cindy stared into the businessman’s eyes with pursed lips.

“You’re serious,” Dwayne said. His demeanor changed as he searched the two agents for friendly expressions. Grant lifted one eyebrow in anticipation of some form of an answer to their accusations. “Wait. On Wednesday, my car was in the shop. I dropped it off before work. It was there all day. What were the dates for the other robberies? On weekdays, I’m always here. You can check the lobby cameras. Ask my assistant. My boss. I spend every evening and weekend with my wife and kids. I’m your basic, boring family man. Honest.”

“What shop did you take your car to?” Grant asked.

“Binders Automotive. It’s a couple of blocks from here. I dropped it off around seven-thirty and walked to work. I picked it up around six.” Dwayne started riffling through his desk drawers. “I’m sorry. You two are making me nervous. I have a printout of the bill here somewhere.”

“We’ll need to talk to your assistant and your boss,” Cindy said. “Can you tell us who you talked to at the garage when you dropped off your car?”

“Here it is,” Dwayne said as he offered a sheet of white paper to Cindy. “My car wasn’t here in the parking garage; it was there at Binders. They had it all day on Wednesday. A tall man with long hair and a two-day stubble took my information in the morning. A lady with red hair and glasses checked me out in the evening. I don’t know their names.”

Cindy studied the receipt from Binder’s Auto Shop and nodded at Grant. He let out a heavy breath. “We’ll be going to Binder’s after we talk with people here. We may need to circle back to you. I trust you’ll be here all day.”

“Yes, sir,” Dwayne said. “I’m here seven thirty to six every day.”

“Let us know if you think of anything that could be helpful,” Cindy said, giving Dwayne a card.

“And let us know before you leave town for any reason. We’ll be in touch.” Grant shook the man’s sweaty hand.

“I thought this was going to be the big lead that broke the case,” Cindy said as she and Grant walked the two blocks to Binder’s Garage.

“It may be. If Mr. Sugar didn’t have his car the day of the getaway footage, someone had to have taken it from the auto shop. There’s going to be a lot more people to follow up on. Anyone who had access to the keys at the garage could be the driver.”

“I've scoured the footage of the bank robberies several times,” Cindy said. “Based on the counter height and doorframes, these guys are all six one to six two. They move quickly and take total control from the second they walk in. They each play the same part every time. T stays near the door. A and P get to the tellers fast and fill bags with money. They all run into the street. Not a single shot was fired. No one was hurt. They are out the door in under three minutes each time. There’s not much to go on.”

“That all corresponds with the eyewitness accounts. I questioned every witness again. No one noticed anything we could use to identify the assailants. No tattoos, jewelry, or scars. They couldn’t even see their eyes due to the sunglasses they wore. They all agree the men are Caucasian. Otherwise, nothing useful.”

“Thankfully, everyone was scared enough to do as they were told. That’s likely why no one has been hurt.”

“So far. These guys are not done. They have gotten away easily. All media reports are that we have no leads. They won’t stop. Eventually, someone will get shot. Some hero will give them a reason.”

“Not if we can figure out who these baseball fans are before their next hit.”

40

“I’m sorry to pull you away from your sister, Ethan,” Wendy said. “I didn’t know who else to call.”

“I don’t mind. That’s why I gave you my number,” Ethan said with a grin. “What happened to your friend, Jim?”

“He wasn’t the man I thought he was.” Wendy watched the scenery race past the passenger-side window.

“And your husband? Where is he?”

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I lied to you. I tell men I’m married to keep them from hitting on me. It’s just easier. Technically, I am married, but we have been separated for some time.”

“I understand. I had a feeling that was the case when you told me. I think you’ll like Cartersville,” Ethan said. “It’s a small town, but it has some nice restaurants, and my sister is probably the sweetest person I know. She said you could stay with us if you like. For as long as you want.”

“Sounds peaceful,” Wendy said. She searched her mind trying to remember if she had told Axel- Agent Gibbs- that Ethan was visiting his sister in Cartersville. She didn’t remember saying Ethan’s last name or where he was headed. She was fairly sure Ethan didn’t offer that information either. Their encounter at the restaurant was brief. She was confident that no one would look for her at Ethan’s sister’s place. She needed to lay low and reevaluate her strategy for getting to Sheldon.

“You’re going to love Hanna. She’s incredible. I told her all about you. Well, what I know from our travels together.”

“I imagine you told her about the leg-breaking incident at the gas station,” Wendy said as she winced.

“You bet I did. Best story of the week,” he declared with a chuckle and his usual bounce. “My sister is a strong, independent woman in her own right. She applauded your tenacity. Her husband is overseas. He’s a military man. She’s very proud of him and determined to handle herself in any situation in his absence. I don’t know if she could leave a man immobilized in a puddle of gas and grease the way you did, but she’s scrappy.”

“I’m looking forward to the peaceful setting of Cartersville, Georgia with no need for anyone to be ‘scrappy.’”

“I didn’t mean to imply there would be any reason for… I mean it is calm and quiet there.” He stuttered a bit. “We can sit in the backyard and sip tea or something stronger if you have a mind to.”

“I could use a drink. Does your sister drink?”

“She’s been known to throw back a few pilsners. Nothing too strong.”

“That sounds great. Let’s make a quick beer stop on our way. We can get something to make for dinner. Have you eaten?”

“I had a little something earlier, but I can always eat. There’s a gas station just off the highway at our exit with great tacos.” Ethan’s energy level rose.

“Gas station tacos? Really?”

“Oh yes. Don’t you know, gas stations always have the best tacos. We can pick up some beer there as well.”

“If you say so. Gas station tacos and beer it is.” Wendy was more than a little skeptical.

41

A feeling of warmth and comfort came over Wendy immediately upon meeting Hanna. Ethan’s sister spoke softly with a sincere, welcoming smile. “I’m so glad you came. Ethan has been talking about you nonstop since he got here.”

“Hanna,” Ethan said in a cautionary tone as he looked to the ceiling, shaking his head.

“Well, you have,” she continued. “You are every bit as beautiful as he described. You have a friendly smile.”

“Thank you,” Wendy replied, unsure how to react.

“Do I smell tacos?” Hanna asked, taking the bag from Wendy’s hand.

“You know it,” Ethan said.

“He talked you into the gas station tacos,” Hanna said.

“Was that a mistake?” Wendy asked.

“Not at all,” Hanna said. “They are incredible. Every time he visits, we have them three or four times. He tells everyone about them. It’s as if they don’t have tacos out west.”

“It’s different in Washington,” Wendy said. “There are Mexican restaurants, but the flavors are different. Even the cheese dip is unlike what you get in the southeast. It’s hard to explain.”

Hanna pulled three plates from the cupboard and placed two tacos on each. “These are the best tacos around.”

Ethan popped the tops on three beers and placed the rest of the twelve-pack in the fridge. “Toss me that lime,” he said.

Hanna plucked a large lime from her fruit basket and tossed it to her brother. “I heard you had quite an adventure traveling from Knoxville with Ethan.”

“We had a great trip. He’s very easy to talk to,” Wendy said.

“He’s a talker alright. This kid has been talking my ear off for decades. Let’s take our food out to the patio,” Hanna said as she led the way out the sliding screen door at the back of her small, one-story home.

They relaxed in red plastic Adirondack chairs, resting their plates and beers on the arms. The sun warmed their faces as their beers began to sweat in the slight humidity. This was the respite Wendy needed. She would focus on her complex issues tomorrow.

“Is Georgia home for you, Jane? I think Ethan told me you were from up North somewhere.”

“I grew up in a small town in Tennessee,” Wendy said.

“Poor but proud?” Hanna said with a smile.

“Poor, yes,” Wendy said. “My dad couldn’t keep a job, and my mom never had the ambition to get one. I loved them dearly, but they didn’t offer a pile of opportunities.” Wendy’s mind wandered to the modest home she grew up in and the day she met Sheldon Drake. The day she realized he could introduce her to a world she had never dared to imagine. Sitting there now in Hanna’s backyard, Wendy wondered where she’d be if she had never met Sheldon.

“It doesn’t look like you’ll be needing that leather jacket much more this season,” Ethan smirked, holding his cold bottle to his forehead. “Not that you don’t look cool in it.”

“I didn’t even bring it along. You know how you sometimes have to have something, no matter how unessential it is?” Wendy said.

“Like turquoise pants,” Hanna said with a laugh, staring in Ethan's direction.

“I looked great in those green pants!” he insisted.

“The cute retail person at the department store told him he looked great in them,” Hanna said. “Not the first or the last time a pretty girl has helped him spend his money on something he didn’t need.” Hanna shifted her smiling eyes to Wendy.

“We are going to need another round of beers,” Ethan said. “I’ll be right back.”

“He’s the sweetest. Really,” Hanna whispered, “but he falls hard sometimes.”

“He said the same about you,” Wendy said. “Not about falling hard but that you are the nicest person he’s ever known. He speaks highly of you.”

“I love him with all my heart,” Hanna said. “You seem like a straightforward soul, but you give off a troubled aura of sorts. Are you okay, Jane? Is there anything we can do to help you?”

“This. This is helpful,” she said as she raised her beer and looked around the peaceful yard. “Being here with the two of you is helpful.” Wendy took in a deep breath and released it slowly, smiling at Hanna.

“My husband, Danny, is always giving me grief for wanting to help people, but I think we should all help others any time we can. You have a bright smile, but your eyes are sad. If there’s more I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“That’s very kind of you, Hanna. You have some incredible intuition. I made a mistake years ago, and it continues to haunt me.”

“My instinct tells me this mistake involves a man,” Hanna said.

“You guessed it. I chose the wrong man. The worst man possible. There was a guy in my hometown. A boy really. He was head over heels in love with me. We had been together for years. He was my first. If he’d been my last, I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now. I was afraid of him.”

“Was he abusive?”

“No. Nothing like that. I was afraid of what he represented. What being with him would mean for me. He was safe. He was responsible. He was steadfast. I was afraid that if I stayed with him, it would be the end of my dreams of getting out of that small town and spreading my wings. If I’d stayed with him, I’d probably have a nice, quiet backyard to drink beer in like you have. A family and a future. I threw it all away because I thought I was meant for something bigger and better. What a crock.”

“We all make mistakes. Everyone should get a second chance at getting it right. Danny wasn’t my first. He was supposed to be my rebound guy.”

“Really?”

“I dated Chad Dunning all the way through high school. He was handsome and athletic. I was foolishly proud to hang on his arm at every event in town.”

“Foolishly?” Wendy asked.

“Yes. After three years of dating him, I walked into a bar to find another woman hanging all over him. I threw a beer in the slut’s face and hit Chad with a cue ball.”

“No kidding?” Wendy said as she choked on her beer. She laughed so hard she could feel it starting to come out of her nose.

“I cried for days and then decided I had to move on. I walked into the same bar a week later, dressed to kill, and picked out the sexiest man in the place.”

“Danny?”

“Yes. He was new to town and didn’t know anything about me or Chad. He bought me a few drinks and took me home. I had every intention of sleeping with him. Somehow, I thought it would make me feel better. Like I would be hurting Chad in some way. Danny was a perfect gentleman. He walked me to my door and kissed me good night.”

“You didn’t have sex with him?”

“Not that night,” Hanna said with a smirk. “The point is that Chad was a mistake. But I got a second chance.”

“I wish I could overcome my mistake with a beer and a cue ball. I’m afraid it’s more complicated than that. You are sweet for offering to help, but I don’t think there’s anything you can do for me.”

“If we are going to continue talking about the mistakes of my youth, we’ll need a few more rounds,” Ethan said as he reentered the backyard, approaching Wendy and setting another cold bottle at her side.

“Better chug that one and get another,” Hanna said. “I’m about to tell Wendy about the red cowboy boots and the pony.”

42

Wendy woke in a pair of silk shorts and a loose-fitting top Hanna had loaned her the night before. Hanna and Ethan were a welcome distraction from Wendy’s troubles. It reminded her of the peace she felt in Washington. She wondered for a moment if she should just run. Run as far and as fast as she could but she knew Sheldon would never stop looking for her.

Being careful not to wake anyone, Wendy walked into the hall bathroom of the cozy home. She used the toothbrush Hanna had set out for her the night before and then splashed some cold water on her face. She found her clothes folded neatly on the edge of the sink, smelling of rose petals. Wendy grinned, remembering how delightful Hanna had been last night and her offer to wash Wendy’s clothes. Wendy changed into her fresh-smelling yoga pants and top, folded the borrowed pajamas neatly, and placed them where she had found her clothes.

Walking quietly to the family room, Wendy found Ethan sound asleep on the sofa. She felt a twinge of guilt for taking his bed, but it subsided since he seemed to be sleeping soundly where he was. She laced her tennis shoes and stepped into the thick morning air. She stretched for several minutes in the yard, wishing she’d had fewer beers last night. She squinted and rubbed her temple, hoping to clear her murky mind. “Nothing a long jog won’t cure,” she thought.

As she trotted through the quiet neighborhood, she heard birds starting to stir and the chirp of security cameras as she crossed driveways. Her head started to clear, introducing the uncanny feeling that she was being watched. Followed. She took a right down the next street and hurried to the corner. She took another right turn and sprinted again. Ducking behind the house at the next available turn, Wendy stopped to spy past the edge of a small tool shed. She watched as a dark sedan crept towards her. She circled the small shed, listening to the sound of the crunching tires on the road, making sure to stay out of sight of the vehicle's occupants.

Wendy stayed hidden until she could no longer hear the car over her heavy breath. She peeked around the side of the outbuilding to see the bumper of the car in the distance. Did someone find her here? The FBI? DEA? Sheldon Drake’s men? How would anyone know where she had gone? Wendy thought she had been careful to ensure no one followed her to where she met Ethan. For a moment she considered that maybe she shouldn’t have trusted Ethan, but he and Hanna had been so sweet to her. They had talked and laughed all night. Such young, wholesome individuals. They made her feel, for a time, that she hadn’t a care in the world.

She couldn’t believe they would ever be involved in anything nefarious, but she now worried that she may have put them in harm's way. If it were the authorities who had found her, she wouldn’t have any reason to worry, but Sheldon’s men might try to force information from Ethan and Hanna. Wendy needed to circle back to the house to put her mind at ease. She needed to cautiously check to be sure her two new friends weren’t in any danger because of her.

Wendy raced to Hanna’s yard watching carefully for the sedan that had seemingly been following her. She stopped two houses away, crouching behind a neighboring porch. She peered through the railing while her breath steadied. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity without seeing any signs of outsiders approaching the house, Wendy decided to sneak inside to get the keys to the Altima. She would leave a note for Ethan and Hanna and get out of their lives.

Wendy crept through the rear entrance of Hanna’s house to find herself in the neatly kept kitchen. Finding the Nissan keys on the counter, she was on her way out again before Ethan woke. She came face to face with Hanna at the back door. Hanna looked at the keys in Wendy’s hand and then into her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I’ve put you and your brother in danger. I need to leave. Now. I’ll send money for the car. I promise but I have to go.”

“I don’t know what kind of trouble you're in but know that we are willing to help you. If there’s anything we can do. Anything at all.” She smiled and nodded with approval. Wendy clenched her teeth and continued to leave. She made a mad dash for the gold sedan, putting the key in the ignition as she pulled the door towards her. The engine hummed, but the door didn’t close. Wendy looked up to find a DEA agent holding the corner of the door.

43

“Are you fucking kidding me? We don’t know where Mike Whitney is. We can’t pin anything on Drake, and Wendy has disappeared into thin air.” Leo’s face was red. He could feel his pulse beating in his temples.

“We had nothing to hold Wendy on,” Oliva said. “Agent Gibbs has no first-hand knowledge we can use to arrest Drake. He can testify against Mike Whitney and his goons on the kidnapping charge but making that stick with the endless line of lawyers Drake will hire to defend them may be another story. Before we worry about that, we have to find them and arrest them.”

“Okay. Okay. What about evidence at the house? Do we have an initial forensic report? Wendy went back there for something. She asked to be allowed to collect her things, but according to the officer holding the scene, she only had a couple of changes of clothes and a bikini there.”

“The forensics team is in the house now, but they haven’t been there long. They had two active cases. The evidence should be logged this afternoon.”

“I want to know the second they get back here. Do we have any idea whose blood was in the house?”

“Agent Gibbs said it was one of Whitney’s guys. He saw an injured man with a knife wound. He maintains that he couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead when he was carried out of the house. He doesn’t know who stabbed him. Wendy claimed to be clueless as well.”

“It’s unlikely Whitney’s men stabbed one of their own. Either Wendy or the DEA agent put up a fight. The lab guys might tell us a more complete story. I want the results from the glasses we saw at the pool. I want to know if they found weapons of any kind and what was on that burner phone we saw by the pool.”

“I’ll check with them now.” Olivia pulled her phone out and started to leave Leo’s office.

Leo followed her. “Do it on the way. I want to go to Agent Gibbs’s house to take another run at him. I have a feeling he’s not telling us everything he knows.”

“We agree on that. Did you see the way he looked at Wendy?”

“What do you mean?”

“He has real feelings for her. From where I was standing, I’d say he let Axel Wolf fall for Drake's wife. Dangerous for Agent Brian Gibbs.”

“We’ll ask him about that when we find him. I have a feeling they both have more information than they’re sharing. This is as close as we’ve been to pinning a serious crime on Drake. I’m not about to let this go.”

Olivia raised her phone and pointed at the elevator as Leo got inside. He nodded to let her know he understood she’d lose her call if she joined him. He was hoping to get a minute to check on Sean anyway. Leo dialed his cell as soon as he reached street level. It caused some added anxiety when his brother didn’t answer. He walked to his car and centered himself behind the wheel. He drummed his fingers on the dash until his phone rang. It was Sean.

“Did you find a meeting to go to today?” Leo asked instead of opening with a salutation.

“I did. I wish you’d come with me again.”

“I’m tied up now but get to the meeting, and let me know how you’re feeling afterward.”

“I feel like hell at the moment.”

“It will be like that for a while. You need the meetings to fight the urge. Sean, I’m proud of you. This is a big step.”

“Can you be my sponsor?”

“No. It’s best if you find someone in one of your AA groups. Someone who is not a friend or relative. A fellow alcoholic who has made progress and who has gone through what you’re going through without any current emotional connection with you. You don’t have to pick someone to ask at your third meeting but sooner is better than later. I‘ll help you any way I can, but a sponsor will be an instrumental part of your ongoing recovery.”

“You’ve made progress. You have been clean for nine years.”

“Nine years, four months, and three days,” Leo said.

44

“What are you doing here? How did you find me? Shit. I can’t even remember your name.” Wendy was dumbfounded.

“Brian. My name is Brian.” He opened the car door and squatted next to Wendy. “Is this your plan? You’re going to hide out at your new friend’s sister’s house?”

“No. I planned to steal my new friend’s buddy’s car and get out of here before the person watching me jog showed up. Black sedan?”

“That’s me. I saw you on the sidewalk when I pulled up. I followed you until you started sprinting through yards, and then, I headed back here to watch for you. I guess you snuck in the back.”

“You are quite the detective. I should have put that together a long time ago.”

“I’d been undercover for months before Drake assigned me to drive for you. I fell for you the day we met. None of the rest of this mattered to me anymore. As long as I fed tips to my boss at the DEA, I could stay under. I kept it going as long as I could to stay near you. Then, you left. My world was turned upside down. I was just going through the motions after that.”

“Do you expect me to believe any of that crap? You’ve been lying to me since the day I met you. All that shit about promising yourself you’d get up again tomorrow… I felt sorry for you.”

“I don’t want you to pity me. I want you to run away with me. I was one hundred percent on the level when I asked you to run away with me. That’s why I’m here. No one else knows I found you.”

“How did you find me?”

“I copied that kid's number down from your burner. I heard him say you could call him, so I checked your phone while you were out of the room. It took me longer to find you than it should have, but when I discovered he had a sister living in Cartersville, I was reasonably sure I’d find you here, taking a moment to forget the crazy in your life. It’s your MO. Just like when you decided you should drink margaritas with the neighbor and pretend you weren’t about to kill your husband.”

“I did come here for a break. I memorized Ethan’s number. You never know when you might need a friend. That was my mistake. Coming here. If you found me, Drake likely can. I’m afraid I’ve put these nice people in danger. I decided you were right. I need to run as far away from here as I can and leave Sheldon Drake in my rearview. I was planning to drive this old Nissan out west. Maybe to Mexico.”

“I’ll come with you. Wherever you want to go.”

“I’m sorry, Axel. I can’t trust you. I’ll never trust you again.”

“Give me a chance to regain your trust. Try to understand. What about Ethan? I guess he shouldn’t trust you. You lied to him about your name and why you were here. Or did you tell him you needed a ride to Atlanta to kill your husband?”

“You’re right.”

“So, you’ll give me a chance?”

“No.”

“But you agreed with me.”

“I agreed that Ethan shouldn’t trust me.”

“Let me drive you across the country. I have a car that won’t be reported stolen. If we get to the border and you still don’t trust me, I’ll leave you alone.”

“No deal. Get out of my way before Ethan comes out here.”

Agent Gibbs backed away from the car and closed the door. He watched Wendy back into the street as he walked to his sedan. Before he could open his door, a black Chevy Suburban barreled into the side of the gold sedan. Not having secured her seatbelt, Wendy was thrown to the passenger side of the car, cracking her head on the window.

45

Agent Gibbs pulled his Smith and Wesson 9mm from his belt. The rising sun glimmered against the side of the stainless slide. The Suburban’s driver fired before Gibbs could pull the trigger. Brian’s body turned with a jolt when the bullet pierced his left shoulder. The large, muscular DEA agent returned fire, walking directly at the SUV’s driver’s side window. Gibbs was certain the driver was dead, but the passenger continued to fire, causing Gibbs to drop to the pavement. Shooting continued, but it was no longer directed at the agent.

Agent Gibbs lifted his head to see the side of the Nissan Altima riddled with bullet holes. The passenger now stood shooting at the Altima. The car started to move, but he couldn’t see Wendy through the windshield. Picking up speed as it roared down the street, the Altima weaved back and forth, eventually veering off the road and into a tree a quarter mile from where the gunman stood.

Firing at the gunman, Gibbs moved forward and closed the distance between them, forcing the criminal to turn away from Wendy. He managed two shots in Gibbs’s direction, hitting him with one before he went to the ground. Gibbs clenched the wound on his leg, causing strain on his bloody shoulder. Limping toward the man on the ground, he was astonished to see the downed man clenching his pistol and lifting it from the ground. Gibbs put another bullet in the relentless man’s head. He continued to stagger toward him and lifted the gun from his limp grip.

Gibbs hurried toward the Altima, limping and dragging his wounded leg. He fell to the ground short of the wrecked automobile. A thin brunette in striped pajamas ran past him. She seemed to be attempting to open the car door. Ethan joined the young lady as Gibbs watched them struggle to get to Wendy. Moments later, the young lady crouched next to Agent Gibbs.

“You’re a mess,” she said as she inspected his wounds. “Ethan, give me your belt.”

Ethan helped Wendy to Gibbs’s side and pulled the leather belt from his waist.

“Wendy,” Gibbs struggled to finish his words. “Are… you … okay?”

“I’ll be fine, thanks to you,” Wendy replied, wincing and holding her head where it had collided with the window.

“My name is Hanna. I’m going to tighten this belt around your leg. Ethan, give me your shirt. We need to get some pressure on his shoulder, or he might bleed to death before the ambulance can get here.”

“Ethan pulled his shirt over his head and handed it to his sister as she finished tightening the belt around Agent Gibbs’s thigh. She wadded the shirt and pushed it painfully into the wounded shoulder.

His face tensed, and his eyes squeezed closed, but Gibbs didn’t make a sound.

“We should keep this guy where he is until the ambulance gets here, but maybe Jane should get her wound cleaned up. We need to make sure her bleeding has stopped as well.” Hanna directed her words to Ethan as if Wendy wasn’t there.

“It’s Wendy,” Wendy said in a soft voice.

“What?” Ethan asked.

“Wendy. My name is Wendy.”

Hanna looked at Wendy as she had at the back door when Wendy was leaving with the keys. Her knowing eyes looked into Wendy’s as she nodded.

“I’m mixed up with some horrible people. My husband is a criminal. A kingpin in a drug ring. I didn’t mean to put you two in danger. I’m afraid I’ve involved you in the frightful mess that is my life. I’m sorry.” Wendy’s eyes were filled with sorrow and pain.

Brian stared at Wendy. He squinted his eyes for seconds at a time because Hanna continued to press on his throbbing shoulder. Forcing his eyes to follow her, he continued to hold his attention on Wendy while Ethan helped her make her way back to the waiting house. Their silhouettes blurred to nothing when they reached the open front door. Gibbs gave up his fight to stay coherent as his conscience mind drifted away.

46

Dampened by the perspiring can of Purple Thunder, Ethan dried his hand on his faded jeans and reached for another handful of Fritos. Hanna sat between Ethan and Wendy, holding Wendy’s hand. Wendy’s other hand pressed her bandaged head with a tender touch. Her head throbbed, but she wasn’t thinking about herself. She was desperate for someone to tell them that the man who had saved her life was okay. He had gone to the operating room hours ago.

Leo Keller and Olivia Snow sat across the waiting room, waiting for the chance to talk to Agent Brian Gibbs, also known as Axel Wolf. They had taken statements from Wendy, Hanna, and Ethan, but there were questions about the shootings that remained unanswered. Wendy hoped that she would get the chance to talk with Axel first. She needed to see he was okay.

“He’s awake,” a nurse said from behind the receptionist. “He asked for Wendy.”

Leo had started walking toward the desk but stopped when the nurse finished. He nodded at Wendy, and she stepped past him to follow the nurse.

“Here she is,” the nurse announced as she led Wendy into the ICU.

“Axel,” Wendy said. “I mean, Agent Gibbs. Are you going to be alright?” She took his hand but looked to the nurse for an answer.

“He’s going to be fine,” the nurse said. She looked at his monitor momentarily and exited, leaving Agent Gibbs and Wendy alone.

His eyes opened slowly. It took him a few seconds to focus on Wendy. Once his eyes looked into hers, he smiled. “Are you okay?” he asked in a whisper.

“Me? I’m fine, thanks to you. You’re the one who was shot twice. I just got a bump on the head. No signs of a concussion.”

“They tell me I’ll be able to play the harmonica again in no time.” He started to laugh, but his attempt was interrupted by a wincing pain.

“You need to stop coming for me. I got myself into this mess. You don’t owe me anything. I don’t want to see you like this again.”

“Maybe you do love me.”

“Maybe,” she said as she leaned over him to softly kiss his forehead.

“I came to try to convince you to run away with me. I know I’m not who I claimed to be, but I never lied about how I feel about you. The friendship we’ve shared. The fun we’ve had. None of that was a lie. I’ve lost track of where Brian and Axel start and end, but there’s one truth among the lies. I know they both love you, and nothing else matters.”

“You need to go on with your life. Without me. You can free yourself of all of this.”

“There’s no going on without you.”

“The DEA is posting a guard here to keep you safe. Agent Keller has a plan for me. I need to think. I’m going to go with him for now, but I’ll figure this out. Don’t worry about me. You get better, and I’ll be back.” She looked into his eyes for several seconds.

Neither of them said a word. She watched the tension in his face fall away the longer she smiled at him. He knew that she would find peace and enjoyment in something, for a time. She always liked to relax between the storms.

47

Agents Keller, Snow, and O’Neil gathered in a small conference room in the FBI building. Leo had asked for a quick update. He felt guilty for not having participated more in the armed bank robbery case.

“Sid Carter’s alibi has been confirmed. He was at the dentist. There’s a camera in the waiting room, and the dentist and the dental assistant both verified he was there during the third robbery. “

“What about the other car? The businessman with kids?” Olivia asked.

“Car was at the shop. He dropped it off Wednesday morning and didn’t pick it up until after six that night,” O’Neil said. “We are running down everyone who works at the garage. All the mechanics. Anyone with access to the shop and the car keys. We have a shoe print from one of the counters at the bank. The one they call A jumped up on the counter during the robbery. His shoe is a size ten, and we were able to pull some soil samples where his shoe scuffed the edge of the work surface.”

“The garage is our best lead. Stay on that,” Leo said.

Cindy burst into the room. “Another robbery by the baseball robbers. Atlanta PD just called it in. I’ll start checking street cameras for the BMW, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Try to track the perps to the car again. If they used a car borrowed from the mechanic’s shop the last time, they are likely using a different car now,” Leo instructed.

“Got it,” Cindy said as the three agents hurried out of the building.

With sirens blaring and lights flashing, it didn’t take long for the agents to get to the bank.

Leo talked with the officers first on the scene while Agents Snow and O’Neil interviewed witnesses.

“Nothing to go on,” O’Neil said. “No one noticed anything distinguishing about their appearance or their speech. Every witness described them as average-height white men wearing hospital masks, sunglasses, and ball caps. Low voices. They didn’t talk much. Yelled for them to hit the floor or get shot.”

“Get the video to Cindy,” Leo said. “Maybe she can see something they didn’t.”

O’Neil’s phone rang. “Speak of the devil,” he said as he put the phone on speaker. “Cindy, I have Leo and Olivia with me.”

“I got one of them,” Cindy said in a chipper voice. P took his mask off as he got in the car. The front window of the Audi RS7 wasn’t tinted. Facial rec matches a guy named Marvin Shook. He did time for robbing a liquor store. Released six years ago. I’m checking into known accomplices and cellmates.”

“Last known address?” Olivia asked.

“220 Jackson Avenue in Vine City,” Cindy replied. “It’s his mom’s place. That’s all we have.”

“We’ll check it out,” Leo said. “Get an APB out on Mr. Shook. Good work, Cindy. Did you get a plate number from the Audi?”

“Not yet. I’m checking cameras in the area and trying to pick them up,” Cindy said.

“Get an all-points out on the car. In all likelihood, they stole the car and will ditch it soon. If we’re lucky, you’ll catch them making the switch.”

“If they’re in view of street cameras, I’ll find them.”

“Get Atlanta PD to help us set a perimeter,” Leo said. “Let’s make this their last robbery.”

48

“This lake house belongs to a friend,” Sean said as Wendy walked into the two-story, four-bedroom colonial nestled in the woods on Lake Lanier. “He’s letting me stay here.”

“Your friend likes to rough it, I see,” Wendy scoffed.

“Folks around Lake Lanier don’t mess around. Big houses and fancy boat ramps,” Leo said. “There’s no reason anyone should look for you here. You’ll be safe. Relax and enjoy the place.”

“I stocked us up,” Sean said. “We have plenty of food for the week. There’s a nice boat at the dock.”

“There will be two agents on guard at all times,” Olivia Snow said.

“You met Marshal and Gentry. They’ll introduce you to Johnson when he comes. One of us will be back in the morning. No one else knows you’re here. Keep it that way.” Leo stared into Wendy’s eyes and then gave Sean a stern look.

“No problem,” Sean said. “Who would I call?”

“The three of us and the three agents on guard.” Leo raised his index finger. “No one else gets in here. If you hear or see anything that seems suspicious, yell for help.”

“You said it,” Sean said. “No one has any reason to look here. Wendy and I will pick out a nice cop series to watch and settle down in front of the TV.”

“Sounds good,” Agent Snow said. “Call if you need us.”

“How about a drink?” Wendy asked. “Where’s the booze in this place?” She looked around the modern kitchen.

“No booze,” Leo said, glancing at his brother.

Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “How do you feel about a root beer float?”

“Popcorn?” Wendy asked.

“That we have. You check out the TV selections, and I’ll start the popcorn,” Sean said.

“I’ll check in on Sheldon Drake personally. My guys are outside, and the DEA has people on Agent Gibbs,” Leo said. “Everything is buttoned up for the night. Thanks, Sean.”

Sean nodded and then went to the kitchen pantry to look for the microwave popcorn.

Leo and Oliva went outside. Leo gave final instructions to Marshal and Gentry before he and Agent Snow drove away.

“Your brother can be a bit intense,” Wendy said as Sean handed her a plastic bowl full of popcorn. The house was an open concept with the kitchen mere steps from the sofa Wendy slouched into.

“You think?” Sean grinned and stepped back to the island to pour the soda into tall glasses.

“No ice cream for me,” Wendy said. “I’ll take mine straight up.”

“Hardcore. I like a gal who can hold her root beer.”

“What about your wife?” Wendy asked as she flipped through the streaming selections. “Where’s she? I noticed your wedding ring.”

“She died. Along with my son. Car accident.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay. You had no way of knowing. I’m learning to deal with it. Not well, but I’m trying.”

“Is that why there’s no alcohol in the house?”

“I’m in the program. Just started. My buddy cleared it all out before I came up here.”

“It sounds like he’s a good friend,” Wendy said, continuing to look at the television screen.

“He’s about the only friend I have left. I haven’t been very pleasant to be around these past few years.”

“Mean drunk?”

“Hell, no. I’m a happy drunk. Life of the party. When you never stop drinking, people around you can only handle you for so long. I’ve pushed everyone away. Little by little.”

“What about Leo?”

“Leo understands. He’s trying very hard to be helpful. He’s been more than patient, I guess. I just wasn’t ready before.”

“I’m a big believer in second chances. The first person that needs to agree to give you that chance is in the mirror.”

“Most days I can’t face that guy, but I know my wife wouldn’t want me to spend the rest of my life wallowing in self-pity. That’s what it is. I feel sorry for them, but I also feel sorry for myself. Then, I feel guilty for feeling sorry for myself.”

“Being honest with yourself is the best way forward. Own your emotions and ask yourself what you can do to make things better. One simple thing at a time. One small thing might bring you some joy.”

“A quiet evening of popcorn and root beer sounds delightful,” Sean said.

“I’m partial to slasher movies and martial arts films. Did you have your heart set on a cop show?”

“I said that for Leo’s benefit. He’s a cop inside and out by genetics.”

“He’s your brother.”

“Yes, I’m a stockbroker. I think I am the benefactor of more of our mom’s genes. Our dad and his dad were cops. Leo never wanted to be anything else.”

“So, slasher or martial arts?”

“I’m a big fan of eighties thrillers and the remakes.”

“Slasher movie it is,” Wendy’s eyes opened wide as she started a movie.

Sean turned out the lights to set the mood for the dark cinematic adventure. He sat the root beers down on the coffee table and pulled a stool up to one of the straight-back chairs near the couch. Wendy leaned back on the sofa with the bowl of popcorn under her chin, munching heartily.

Two hours later, seven people had been stabbed and the masked madman in the film was still on the loose. The mood in the room intensified with the sound of eerie music playing over a shadow shuffling through a dark room on the seventy-inch screen. Wendy’s eyes were glued to the TV. The music built to a crescendo, leaving her with the expectation of sudden action. Before the film reached its climax, Wendy and Sean heard a noise outside.

49

“Going to be a long night,” Gentry said. “Do you want to listen to a podcast? I’ve been into this true crime thing lately.”

“Don’t you get enough true crime on the job?” Marshal asked.

“I like to think of it as research.”

“It’s a nice quiet evening. We are nestled amid some incredibly peaceful nature, and you want to interrupt the sound of the leaves rustling and the owls hooting to listen to stories about criminals? Come on. We rarely get out of the city. Isn’t it nice not hearing traffic rushing by, people screaming, and dogs barking?”

“I guess, but we don’t want to get bored and fall asleep. Leo will kick our asses if he shows up in the morning, and we’re both sawing logs.”

“How about we have a conversation?” Marshal asked. “You know. About our lives. Not work stuff. Tell me about that new lady friend of yours.”

“Stella? She turned out to be more than I could handle.”

“You don’t say.” Marshal’s lips parted slightly as he smiled. He dipped his head and widened his eyes.

“Not in the romance department. That’s not what I’m saying. Don’t worry, I can handle that. She’s on fire all the time.”

“Are you sure we aren’t talking about the bedroom,” Marshal cackled.

“Out to dinner one night, a concert the next. She invites people over constantly. There’s never a minute's rest.”

“I bet you wish you could spend a nice quiet evening at the lake,” Marshal laughed harder.

“Okay, I get it. No podcast. What about you? What’s going on with your home life? How does Gretchen like retirement?”

“Loves it. She doesn’t miss work at all.”

“What on Earth does she do all day?”

“She reads and cleans, but she chiefly spends her time with the grandkids.”

“How old are your grandchildren now?”

“Shush,” Marshal whispered. He turned back and forth, looking into the darkness.

Gentry mirrored Marshal’s actions. Both agents reached for their shoulder holsters, but it was too late.

50

Wendy was jolted by the sound of a window breaking and glass crashing onto the kitchen floor. Before she could react, the deadbolt clicked, and the door to the lake house flew open. Sean jumped out of his seat only to be knocked to the floor seconds later. One of Sheldon’s goons hit Sean hard between the eyes with the butt of a 22mm pistol. Two more armed men followed with sound suppressors extending the end of their handguns. The three men in dark clothes checking the room were all tall with broad shoulders. One was clean-shaven, one had a full beard, and the third had a bushy mustache that reminded Wendy of Adolf Hitler. Mike Whitney was the fourth man to enter the dark room.

Wendy kneeled over Sean, checking the bump on his head. “What the hell, Mike!” she screamed.

“Check them both for weapons,” Mike said.

Wendy stood with her arms out as the bearded assailant ran his hands along her body. “Be sure to feel him up like that, too,” she said.

Pulling a switchblade from Wendy’s boot and handing it to Mike, the bearded man shook his head at Wendy. Then, he moved around her to check Sean for weapons. “They’re clean aside from the knife.”

“Come on, Mike. A sweet Tennessee boy gave that to me. It has sentimental value.” Wendy grinned at Mike. “I bet Sheldon told you not to hurt me.” She smiled playfully.

Mike’s face showed no emotion. He stood like a boulder in front of Wendy while Hitler-stache helped the bearded man carry Sean out the door.

“You might as well leave him here. He’s no one to me. I just met the guy. He’s the innkeeper. That’s all.”

“I was given strict instructions to bring anyone I didn’t kill. Would you prefer I shoot him in the head?”

“The more the merrier,” Wendy said as she took a slow step back from where Mike stood. She lifted her leg and swung it quickly, striking Mike Whitney’s jaw. He stumbled enough to leave a clear path to the clean-shaven intruder. Wendy rushed him, pushing his gun hand toward the ceiling. She swept his feet and followed his motion to the ground without letting go of the silencer.  She twisted his wrist back and smashed her elbow into the back of his hand. She pulled the gun from his grip and rolled away from the two men. She came to a stop facing Mike with both hands on the pistol. Mike was coming towards her but stopped his motion. He stood about three feet from where she lay in the kitchen. Now he smiled.

“Let’s not do anything rash,” Mike said.

“Call your boys in here, and tell them to drop their weapons!” Wendy shouted. She motioned the gun to direct the clean-shaven man towards Mike. He moved to Mike’s side with his hands raised.

“Zane! Tommy! Get in here!” Mike yelled towards the doorway.

“Tell them to drop ‘em,” she repeated as the two men rushed in, leading with their firearms. “I’ll put one right between your eyes.” She could feel the sweat dripping from her forehead as she kept her position, aiming directly at Mike’s face.

“Tommy, if she shoots me, put a bullet in her head.” Mike stared at Wendy as he spoke poker-faced. “Zane, go out there and finish that guy off.”

The bearded man backed slowly out of the room.

“Freeze, Zane. I’m not fucking around, Mike. I’ll drop you.”

“These guys don’t fuck around either. They follow orders. Your new friend dies, and then, you do. Maybe you get me first. If I go back to Drake and tell him you got away from us, I’m as good as dead anyway. You have a choice. You can both come along with us to talk to your husband, or you can both die here, and I’ll tell him we had no choice in the matter.”

“He wants the money. If you kill me, he’ll never get his money back.”

“Finding you is the directive. Alive is better but dead will do. We’ll worry about finding the money later.”

Wendy studied the solidly built man’s face. She felt the sweat on her cheek. Mike wasn’t sweating. He showed no signs of worry or irritation. He stood silently waiting for a response. Minutes passed without a movement from anyone. Wendy could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She became aware that her breathing was getting louder. Indistinct voices from the television played under her heavy breath. Wendy swallowed though her throat was dry. She opened her clenched teeth, staring into Mike’s eyes. “How did you find me?”

“It was easier than you might think. We’ll always find you. You might as well stop running. Zane, get on with it.”

Zane had stopped at the edge of Wendy’s view on the porch. He and Tommy both had their guns aimed at Wendy.

Before Mike could continue, Wendy pushed herself from the floor with one hand, keeping her aim on Mike. “Leave him, and I’ll go with you.”

“I have my orders,” Mike said. “Go on. Get on with it, Zane.”

The man on the porch backed away until he was out of Wendy’s view.

“Stop!” she shouted. Wendy lowered her gun and placed the firearm on the floor. “Don’t kill him. I won’t give you any more trouble.”

51

“He’s dead,” Leo said as he removed his hand from Gentry’s throat.

“So is Marshal,” Olivia said from the other side of the dew-covered sedan.

Leo rushed to the open front door, pausing with caution before entering. He looked left and right inside the door. He felt the quick tap of Olivia’s hand on his shoulder. He moved inside, swinging his handgun in front of him. The family room floor was littered with popcorn. Some of the furniture seemed out of place. The television played in view of two warm glasses of soda.

“I’ll go upstairs. You check the dock,” Leo said.

Leo searched the rest of the house. As he cleared the last room, he called out his brother’s name. He called for Wendy as well, but no response came.

Olivia returned through the back door of the lake house. “Any sign of them?”

“No.”

“Where do you think they are? What the hell happened here?”

“It had to be Drake. Somehow, he found out she was here. I never should have gotten my brother involved in this.” Leo’s breath was heavy, and he could feel his heart beating in his temple.

“How? How could they have known about this place?”

“Call Johnson. Tell him to get to the warehouse where we found Wendy and Agent Briggs.”

“You don’t think they’d take her back there, do you?”

“Doubtful, but we have to check. Do we have anyone on Drake?”

“Not at the moment. We pulled everyone to set up shifts for Wendy and Sean. Everyone else is working the bank robbery.”

“We are going to Drake’s place. We have to check every property he owns. We might as well start with the last two places we know he was seen. Go on. Call Johnson.”

Leo called the office to get a list of properties Drake owned. He then called the Atlanta City Police Chief to ask for help checking every location on the list. He also made a call to his superior to plead for her to call in any favors she might have with one of her judge friends. He wanted to have warrants ready to search for Wendy and Sean. She offered to try, but she couldn’t promise anything.

“Where’s Johnson?” Leo asked as Olivia ended her call.

“He was on his way here, but he’s rerouting to the warehouse.”

“You don’t think he leaked the location?”

“No way,” Olivia said with a quick head shake. “I bet Wendy told that DEA agent where she would be. Agent Gibbs. I don’t trust that guy. He’s been under too long. The lines start to blur for a lot of undercover cops.”

Leo and Olivia walked past the two dead agents on their way back to Leo’s Grand Cherokee. Olivia slowed near the car as tears welled in her eyes. Leo gave her a moment and then insisted she get in the SUV, and they sped away from the lake house.

“Drake did bug out just before the DEA arrived at the warehouse,” Leo said.

“I don’t consider that a coincidence. Someone at the DEA is on the take. We need to be careful who we talk to about this case.”

“Drake’s men shot Agent Gibbs full of holes. If his lines were blurred, I’m sure he sees them clearly now.”

“I suppose it could be someone else on their team. Maybe Wendy told him and he passed the information on thinking he could trust his team. I never did like Radcliff,” Olivia said.

“I‘m not too fond of him either, but that doesn’t mean he’s a mole.”

“Well, it wasn’t any of our guys. I’ve known Johnson for years and Marshal and Gentry are dead. I suppose there could have been a double cross. One of them tipped Drake off and Drake had him killed anyway.”

“Why would Drake give up his mole by killing him if he hadn’t been found out? No, if he has a mole in the FBI or the DEA, he won’t surrender them unless he knows they’ve been compromised. Too valuable.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“He’s always a step ahead of us. I don’t like it.”

“You and me both, Boss.”

52

Wendy couldn’t see anything, but her arm was pulled along by one of Mike’s men. After taking more than twenty steps into an echoing hallway, Wendy was turned abruptly and pushed forward. She squinted as the blindfold over her eyes was removed. At the far end of the room, Drake sat behind a small desk with his heels crossed on the corner. Mike pulled a chair to Wendy and motioned for her to take it. She sat, and Mike and his men left Wendy alone in the bright room with Sheldon Drake.

Sheldon smiled at Wendy as if he had caught her with her hand in the cookie jar. She looked around the room, wondering where she was. The walls were pale gray. The furniture was worn and faded. There was a thick glass window on one side of the room like the one where she had been held days before, but somehow it didn’t feel like the same room. It was smaller, and there were no stains on the floor. She couldn’t be sure since she hadn’t been taking in the details of the room while they were beating Agent Gibbs.

“It’s good to have you back, Wendy.” Sheldon stood and walked across the room. He continued to smile as he brushed the back of his hand along her cheek. “Lovely as ever.”

Wendy jerked her head a few inches away from his touch. “What are you going to do with me?”

“First, I’m going to get my money back. Then, I’ll decide your fate. I’d like to keep you around, but that could be dangerous. I assume you’re responsible for Mike’s shiner.”

Wendy couldn’t hold back a prideful smirk. “Round kick. Moved him enough to get by him to hit one of his thugs.”

“I’m sure he’s sorry he trained you so well.”

“Do you want to have a go at me? I win and you let us go. If you win, you get your money.”

“I have a better idea.” Drake moved to the light switch and flicked it off. He tapped on the thick glass next to Wendy and the room on the other side of the large window came to life. A bright light beckoned Wendy to look into the adjacent room. Zane and Tommy pulled a man through the doorway. His toes dragged across the cement as he faced the floor.

“Is that Sean? He’s a cop’s brother. He doesn’t have anything to do with this, so you might as well let him go. I barely know him and don’t care what happens to him.”

“Oh, you care. You’re going to do whatever I tell you to do.”

Wendy turned to look into Sheldon’s eyes, questioning his thinking. She didn’t understand why he thought she’d do anything for this man she had met only hours ago. “The offer to kick your ass stands,” she said with raised eyebrows.

“Look at him,” Drake whispered.

Wendy turned back towards the window to witness the two thugs chaining their prey to a chair facing Wendy.

Wendy’s heart raced, and her complexion paled as she focused on the man on the other side of the glass. Her eyes widened as a tear slipped down her cheek.

53

“We have a hit on some activity in College Park. There's an office building on the list with three black SUVs parked in the back. A guy fitting Drake’s driver’s description is in the parking lot behind the building.” Olivia rushed out of the office as she spoke.

“I’ll ask the boss for the warrants. I’m not sure this particular building was on the list,” Leo said as he followed Olivia out of the office. “If Drake’s driver is there, he’s there. If we find Drake, we are likely to find Wendy and Sean.”

“I hope we’re not too late,” Olivia said. “SWAT is on the way.”

Lights flashing and sirens blaring, Leo drove through the city. He used the berm to enter the highway and headed south at over ninety miles per hour.  He weaved through traffic in the left two lanes as cars tried to escape his path.

“Let’s get there in one piece,” Olivia said. She kept one hand on the dash and the other gripping the strap above her window.

Leo was thinking of his brother and how he had endangered his life. He had no right to put Sean in this position. He had moved to Atlanta to help Sean, but he may have led him to his death since Drake had no reason to keep him alive. Drake had a point to make with Wendy. He needed to show those who cast judgment in his world that no one could flee him without his approval and absolutely no one could steal from him. More than proving this to others, Drake’s ego forced him to prove it to himself. Sean had nothing to do with any of this, but in Drake’s eyes, Sean was helping Wendy. That was likely enough to sentence him to an early death.

“Which way?” Leo asked as he exited the highway.

“Left,” Oliva said. “It’s around the corner. SWAT is ten minutes out.”

The Jeep Grand Cherokee surged through an intersection under a red light. Breaks screeched and two cars collided with a harsh crash. Olivia looked back, relieved that no one looked to be hurt. Leo’s eyes stayed on the road ahead. The SUV slid around the corner as he turned the wheel hard, almost missing the turn to the parking lot. He circled the building, coming up behind a long sedan. He jammed the brakes hard, and Olivia braced herself against the dash.

Before Olivia could compose herself, Leo was out of the Cherokee, standing before the unmarked police car. A uniformed officer exited the car as Leo approached.

“What have you seen? Where are they?” Leo asked as he moved to the back of his SUV.

The officer followed. “I saw those two Black Escalades from the main road. I stopped here when I witnessed a man fitting Sheldon Drake’s driver’s description leaning against the lead vehicle. He looked to be smoking a cigarette. It was hard to tell for sure from here, but I didn’t want to get too close. I thought I should stay back until backup arrived. He went inside a few minutes ago.”

Leo pulled his body armor over his shoulders and tightened the straps. He hauled a shotgun from the back of the truck and checked his handgun.

“That’s what we should do,” Olivia said as she joined the two men behind the Jeep. “Wait for backup. SWAT will be here in seven minutes.”

“Sean may not have seven minutes,” Leo said. “You two are my backup. Get in!”

Olivia grabbed her vest from the back, hurrying to join Leo and the officer inside the vehicle. Leo took off while she was closing her door. Leo’s foot pushed to the floor, rounding the two Cadillac SUVs, until they were feet from the entrance. He slammed the brake down hard, and the Cherokee slid to a halt as it kissed the brick wall. Leo leaped from his seat and stepped to the steel door at the back of the building. He tried the handle to find that the door was locked, as he expected. He stepped back to aim the shotgun at the edge of the door.

“We don’t know if we have a warrant.” Olivia stood behind Leo with her sidearm pulled.

“I hear screaming,” Leo said as he fired a round into the door lock.

Sirens from an armored vehicle roared behind them as Leo burst into the warehouse. Olivia and the officer followed, scanning the inside of the vast building. The open storage area they stepped into smelled of fresh wood. They were flanked by stacks of lumber in large metal bins.

“Spread out to either side,” Leo directed. “I’ll stay center.” He moved forward as he watched his backup splitting off in his peripheral vision. “Call out if you have something.” Leo knew there was no point in being quiet since he had just used the shotgun to open the door.

Leo heard footsteps coming towards him as he continued through the dim building. He was unsure where Olivia and the city police officer were at the moment. Pausing, he pulled the butt of the shotgun to his shoulder. He widened his stance and waited for the hurried steps to reach him. Three men walking briskly toward Leo came to an abrupt stop as they rounded a stack of two-by-fours to face Leo’s readied stance.

One man was young and thin. He held his hands up in surrender as he started to back up slowly. He backed into a short, solid, cross-looking man holding a white hard hat. The third man wore a smart-looking business suit and held a Glock 43X.

“Put the gun down, and raise your hands!” Leo bellowed.

“What the Sam hell is going on here?” asked the suited man with the gun. He seemed to feel the tension in Leo’s face and tone as he slowly moved his gun hand to the ground, dropping the Glock on the cement floor. He kept his hands in front of him as he returned to a standing position.

Olivia came up behind the three men. “FBI Agent Olivia Snow. Who are you men, and what are you doing here?”

The uniformed officer came from Leo’s right and cautiously moved to the gun on the floor, retrieving it while keeping his sidearm trained on the stocky man with the hard hat.

“Sean Keller and Wendy Drake. Where are they?” Leo asked.

“Who? I’m Phil Markson. I own this building. We were reviewing building plans in the back office when we heard a gunshot. I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing illegal going on here. I have a permit for the gun.”

The sound of shuffling footsteps surrounded them as a dozen men in tactical gear filled the warehouse. Several of them moved passed Leo and the man in the suit to inspect the area from which Phil had emerged. They circled back to where Leo was standing.

The SWAT leader lowered his weapon and pulled his helmet from his head. He looked squarely at Leo and shook his head slowly. “There’s no one else here, Agent Keller.”

54

Wendy couldn’t break her gaze from the man being held captive on the other side of the glass. She spoke to Sheldon without facing him. “How did you find him? Have you been holding him all of this time? Have you had him since Tacoma?”

“I see you have a soft spot for Noah. I was willing to work Sean over, too, if this guy didn’t seem to pull at your heartstrings. I guess we can do away with the guy from the lake house.”

“You don’t have to hurt Noah. I’ll get your money for you. I’ll stay with you, wherever you want. Just let him go. He has nothing to do with this. Neither does the guy from the lake house. Sean offered to let me stay in the house. Nothing more.”

“Do you know who owned the house with the pool? The one Axel put you up in? DEA. They confiscated it in a drug bust a few months ago.”

“I had no idea that Axel was DEA. I didn’t find that out until after you had me kidnapped the last time.”

“Be careful what you accuse me of. Did you see me when you were kidnapped? Was I there?”

“I didn’t see you, but we both know you were there. I see you this time.”

“Some shmuck from Rome, Georgia owns the lake house. I’m not sure why Sean Keller was there. Sean is Agent Leo Keller’s brother. Keller has been gunning for me for quite a while. I may be inclined to punish him by offing his brother.”

“You can’t.”

“I can, and I’ll get to Axel Wolf, or whatever his name is, once he gets out of the hospital.” Sheldon moved back to the chair behind the desk.

“That man in there,” Wendy swallowed hard, trying to hold back her tears. “He’s a guy I dated in Washington. No one special.”

“Noah here was sleeping with my wife. I can’t let that go unpunished now, can I? You’ve made such a mess of things. You leave me little choice but to clean all of this up.”

“Agent Keller tried to get me to testify against you. I didn’t tell him anything. I told him I couldn’t help him. He’s got nothing. Not unless you kill Sean or Noah. If you do that, I guess you’ll have to kill me, too.”

“I’ll consider leaving all of you alive if you get what’s mine and return it to me. You’re the only one who can place me here. They can’t make you testify against me, and if you do, I’ll drop the boom on old Noah here. I’ll have someone keeping tabs on him for the rest of his life and remember that I still have the knife you used to stab the supplier. It could still find its way to the police.”

Sheldon crossed the room and knocked once on the window. Mike pulled his brass knuckles from his pocket. He grinned broadly as Wendy stood and turned to Sheldon Drake. “Stop him. Stop him now, or you’ll never see your money again. You can kill me. I don’t care.” Tears ran from her face as she stepped towards her husband.

“Don’t tempt me,” he said as he lifted his Springfield short barrel pistol towards her chest.

Wendy stopped her forward motion and turned back to the window as Mike struck Noah hard across the jaw. Blood flew to a splatter on the pale gray wall.

Before Mike could strike Noah again, Sheldon rapped several times on the window. Mike relaxed his stance and stood facing the window with an expressionless face. He almost looked bored. Wendy ground her teeth together as her hands tensed into fists. She looked from Noah's bloody face to Mike’s careless demeanor. His apathy fueled her emotions. “I’ll get the money. I can transfer most of it from an international account to wherever.”

“What about the rest of it?”

“I spent part of it, of course, but there’s over a million in cash.”

“Tell me where it is. I’ll send Hank and Gideon to get it.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

55

“Thank you for allowing us to take a look around, Mrs. Shook,” Cindy said.

“Are you sure no one else is here?” Grant O’Neil asked. “We thought your son may be here with you.”

“I haven’t seen Marvin for a couple of days,” the small, grey-haired lady replied. “He’s very busy. He’s a businessman. He didn’t want to spend his life working in a factory the way his father did. God rest his soul. The man worked in a toilet factory for over forty years. That place killed him, you know.” Mrs. Shook took the thick round glasses from her nose and began polishing the lenses with her shirttail.

“When did you last see Marvin?” Cindy asked. “Do you remember?”

“Certainly, I remember. He was here the night before last. He and his friends played poker in the garage.”

“This is a beautiful split-level home. Are all the bedrooms on this upper floor?”

“Two bedrooms are up here,” Mrs. Shook said. “One is downstairs next to the laundry room. Marvin stays downstairs. He has a fridge in the garage down there.”

“Do you mind if Agent O’Neil takes a look downstairs?” Cindy asked. “It might be helpful to our investigation.”

“Whatever you like,” the old lady said, placing her glasses back on her face. “I’m not sure how Marvin and I can help with your bank robbery investigation, but I am happy to aid you in any way I can. Do you think one of Marvin’s friends may be involved?”

“Something like that, ma’am,” Grant said before going to the lower level.

Cindy opened a small calendar with the dates of the Atlanta area bank robberies circled. “Do you remember if Marvin was here with you on any of these days?’

“Those are weekdays, honey. He would have been at work. He works very hard. He rarely takes a day off.”

“Marvin goes to his office every day?”

“Of course he does. He’s a very successful businessman.”

“What kind of business?”

“I don’t know exactly. He wears a shirt and tie. He sometimes brings me dinner after work. He never makes it here until after five. I like pizza.”

“Does he have his own place, or does he live with you full-time?”

“He has a house in Buckhead, but he stays here sometimes. He says someone needs to check up on me.”

“Of course he does. That’s very sweet of him. Is your son a baseball fan?”

“Not particularly. He goes to a game now and then.”

“Braves?”

“He prefers football, but he goes to a Braves game once in a while to be social.”

“He wouldn’t happen to be a Pirates fan, would he?”

“Why on Earth would he be a Pirates fan?”

“Agent McCarthy, would you mind coming down here for a minute?” O’Neil called from the stairs.

“Be right there. If you’ll excuse me, Mrs. Shook.”

The elderly woman smiled and nodded.

“Do you have something?” Cindy asked as she found Grant standing in the garage.

Agent O’Neil stepped aside to expose a large wooden unit with a dart board on the door that was hanging open. Inside the cabinet hung three handguns with three additional hooks that were empty.

“Where do you think the other three guns are?” Cindy said with a roll of her eyes.

“Take a look at this.” Grant tapped the inside of the cupboard door with his knuckles.

“A map of the greater Atlanta area. Can you tell what these locations are that are marked?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I’m willing to bet there are banks in each area.”

“Eight marks. They have more banks to rob. We can’t sit on all of these banks just waiting for them to hit one.” Cindy snapped a few pictures of the map and wandered around the garage hoping to find something that would lead them to Marvin and his pals.

“Someone is a smoker,” Grant said as he pulled a glove from his pocket and used it to place a cigarette butt into an evidence bag. “Maybe we can get lucky with the DNA.”

“She’s being very cooperative. Do you think she has any idea?”

“No. She is sure her son would never rob a bank but feels obligated to help the FBI. I wonder if she knows about the guns?”

“I’ll ask. I think she’ll tell us if she does.”

“You know she’s going to tell her son we were here?”

“Yes, we have to station someone here to watch for him to come back. I’ll go upstairs and ask her about the guns. You take another look around.”

“Everything okay down there?” Mrs. Shook strained her voice to be heard from the upper level.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cindy said as she climbed the stairs. “Your son has quite the gun collection. Do you know if he has permits for those handguns?”

“Guns? In my house? Never. My Marvin would never bring guns into this house.”

“There are three handguns in the garage.”

“They must belong to one of his friends. We have never had guns in this family.” The friendly woman’s face puckered, and her brows lowered. She started to blink rapidly. “I’ll have words with him about that when he comes by.”

“Do you know when that might be? Do you expect him any time soon?”

“I never know when he’ll have time to stop by.”

“Can you give me his address in Buckhead? I’d like to ask him a few questions about our case. He may be helpful to our investigation.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know the address. I don’t get around very well, so he always makes the trip to see me. I’m a bit of a shut-in.”

“I understand. Do you have a phone number where we could reach him? Does he have a landline at his home? A cell number or an office number?”

“I can call him for you.”

“That won’t be necessary. We wouldn’t want to bother him during work hours. I’ll try him this evening.”

The agreeable lady gave Cindy her phone. “He’s under speed dial number one,” she said.

“Thank you. This is very helpful.”

56

The concern washed from Phil Radcliff’s face as he walked the hospital hallway. The sound of harmonica music brought a relaxed smile to his stubbled brow. A nurse grinned, rolling her eyes as Phil passed her to enter Brian Gibbs’s room.

“They let you play that thing in here?” DEA Agent Radcliff asked Brian.

“I’m hoping they’ll get sick of listening to it and discharge me,” Brian said, pulling the harmonica from his lips. “What brings you here? You’re not worried about me are you, Boss?”

“I was. Now, I’m worried about the other patients on this floor who have to listen to that racket.” Radcliff avoided Brian’s eyes, looking out the window. After a deep breath, he went on, “Brian, I have some bad news. Wendy has been taken.”

“Drake. You know it’s Drake. We both do.”

“Yes, but we can’t prove it, and we can’t find her.”

Brian got up from his bed and went to the cubby near the restroom. He dug a pair of jeans out of a plastic bag and pulled one leg into them under his hospital gown.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to find Wendy.”

“You need to stay here until the doctor clears you.”

“I can’t. I have to find Wendy before Drake kills her. He’ll likely keep her alive long enough to get his money from her. Then, he’ll want to make an example of her.” Brian struggled to pull his jeans on over his bandaged leg. He winced as he pulled a navy button-down over his arm. “I'm getting out of here. You can argue with me while I leave, or you can give me a ride. Either way, I’m going after Wendy.”

Phil watched as Brian put on a pair of white socks and started to lace his boots. Phil rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Well, shit. I was afraid you’d react this way. I couldn’t keep it from you, but I was afraid you’d go off half-cocked.”

“Oh, I’m all the way cocked and ready to fire. I’m acquainted with most of Drake’s haunts and hideouts. Let’s go.” Gibbs stretched his torso, trying to alleviate some of the agony he felt in his shoulder. He tried not to let his boss see the pain in his face. It didn’t work.

“Let me help you.”

“I got it. I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

“I’ll give you a ride to wherever Agent Keller is.”

“I don’t need his help.”

“The FBI has already searched quite a few of Drake’s properties. Talking with him first will save us some time.”

“Okay. I’ll agree to meet with Keller, but then, I’m on my own.” Brian limped into the hall.

“I’m with you. If you think you can find Wendy, I’ll back you up. Let’s be smart about it. If we can get the Feds to help, all the better. I can call some of our guys in, too. You don’t have to go solo on this. We all want Wendy to be found safe and sound and Drake… well, let’s say we don’t care how we find Drake as long as we find him.”

“When Wendy left Drake, she managed to leave with seven million dollars of what he considers his hard-earned cash. Drake will keep Wendy alive until he gets his money back. She doesn’t scare easily, but he’ll find something to hold over her head, something to threaten her with.”

“Does she have any family he can threaten? Anyone she cares about?”

“Her parents died several years ago. She doesn’t have any siblings. She never seemed particularly close to anyone.”

“What about you? You two spent countless hours together before she skipped town. You’re the first person she came to when she came back.”

“I was a means to an end. She came to me for information and weapons. She was planning to kill Drake so that she didn’t have to run from him anymore.”

“Chick’s got balls.”

“She’s something else.” Brian immediately regretted letting those words tumble out. Phil’s reaction told him that his feelings for Wendy were plain to see.

“You have some affection for Drake’s wife?”

“I’ve never told anyone but Wendy… but… I love her. I love her with a vastness my heart has never known.”

“That could complicate things. I know you were under for more time than you should have been, but I always thought you were handling it with devoted restraint. Never quite crossing the line.”

“There’s something else you should know about Wendy. Something that could give Drake leverage over her.”

57

“I trust these accommodations are to your liking,” Sheldon said from the doorway of a more than stylish bedroom.

“Where am I? Where is Noah?”

“We’re in an apartment that can’t be traced back to me. I thought you’d be more comfortable here. I expected some appreciation for my efforts.”

“You intimidate me. You drag me to an interrogation room where you threaten and beat my last boyfriend. You put a bag over my head and lock me in a room. You expect me to show you gratitude for that?”

“It’s a very nice room. I‘ll give you the run of the apartment. Just stay away from the windows and don’t give my men any reason to hurt you.”

“I suppose you’ll be leaving Gideon and Hank with me to keep me confined here until Monday.”

“Zane and Tommy. You know Gideon and Hank are always with me. Besides, Zane and Tommy don’t like you. They are less likely to let their guard down. Mike will be checking in, and he’s extremely aware of what you’re capable of. You can rest assured that they’ll all be armed. They know to keep you at a distance to allow time to defend themselves if you try to blitz them with your combat skills.”

“I told you I’d get the rest of your money for you once the bank opens on Monday. I wired you the money as I promised, didn’t I?”

“Your compliance has earned you some trust. That’s why you’re here instead of sitting in a cement room for the weekend.”

“Sheldon, I never meant for any of this to happen. I loved you. You were the answer to my prayers when we met. I was in awe of you. I didn’t see who you truly were until years later. Everything you do is for your own self-gratification.”

“I treated you like a queen!” he yelled, stepping close to her. He leered into her eyes as if trying to burn her soul with his stare.

“You treated me like a prostitute. I only killed that man because you expected me to have sex with him.” Wendy stood her ground, unblinking, snarling.

“You chose to kill him over fucking him.”

“That’s not how it went down. I tried to force him off me. He came at me with a knife. That asshole couldn’t let his ego be dented by a woman, especially a woman he thought he could violate. A woman he thought of as a slut that he had rights to. He was determined to plant that knife in my heart. You put me in that situation.”

He grinned at her before taking a step back. “Poor girl from the small town needed someone to take her away. You’re pathetic. I’ll see you Monday morning.” He walked away from her fury as if it were a comment from a child.

Wendy didn’t see any use in further vocalizing her anger. She was glad he was leaving. She followed him as far as the bedroom doorway to assess her situation. Zane and Tommy assembled at the kitchen table. Sheldon nodded at them and left the apartment without turning to look at Wendy.

“Are you two going to sit there and stare at me all day?” Wendy asked as she entered the open area that contained the kitchen, dining, and living area all in one space. The sofa and TV were nearest the bedroom while the table sat feet from the exit. A small kitchen island anchored one edge of the room between the two. Wendy strolled to the sofa and settled back against the cushions, putting her heels on the coffee table.

“That’s the plan,” Zane said without opening his mouth enough to show his lips separate through his beard.

“We’ve had worse assignments,” Tommy said. “We thought we’d pass the time playing cards. Feel free to watch television or make yourself something to eat. Keep to yourself, and we won’t have to hurt you.”

Wendy stood and pushed the curtains aside. By her estimation, they appeared to be on the seventh or eighth floor. Escaping through the window was not an option.

“Get away from the window!” Zane barked.

She studied the edges of the room while making her way to the refrigerator at one end of the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of Chardonnay from the door. “Nothing but the best for Drake’s wife,” she said as she placed the bottle on the island and started rifling through the drawers.

Wendy was hoping to find a chef’s knife or meat tenderizer, something she could use as a weapon. She didn’t encounter anything so violent in the drawers but did find a small wine opener. She opened the bottle and pulled the cork from the screw. She searched the upper cabinets until she found one containing wine glasses. She slid the folded wine opener into the waist of her yoga pants and turned away from the two men, carrying the bottle and the glass.

“Where are you going?” Zane asked.

“Back to the bedroom where I don’t have to feel you two staring at me. There's a TV in there, too. You enjoy your card game, and I’ll let you know if I need anything.” She smiled warmly as if she were sincere in her comments.

She dropped the glass on the bed and sat the open bottle of white wine on the bedside stand. She clicked the power button on the TV and turned the volume up a few notches. Neither the bedroom nor the bathroom contained any windows or exit doors. She assumed they rested against an inside wall of the complex, but Wendy was sure she’d devise a plan to escape or alert someone of her captivity.

58

“I can give you the names of some of Drake’s business associates,” Agent Brian Gibbs said. “I’d bet he has Wendy somewhere that can’t be directly connected to him. A place there would be no paper trail back to him. He’s careful. The dirt never lands on Drake. It’s not because he’s lucky.”

“It’s because he’s hyper-careful, I know,” Leo Keller finished Agent Gibbs’s thought. “We’ve checked every property he owns and every restaurant, bar, and club he frequents.

“Hell, we even checked the barbershop where he gets his hair cut,” Agent Snow said. “We’ve turned up nothing. No sign of Wendy anywhere.”

“Anything you can offer in the way of leads is appreciated,” Agent Keller said.

“Tell them.” Agent Phil Radcliff raised an eyebrow at Agent Gibbs. “Tell them about the murder.”

“Murder? What murder?” Agent Snow asked.

“It was a couple of years ago,” Gibbs started. “Drake passed Wendy off to one of his suppliers and told her to make him happy. She danced with him and made small talk. She was her usual dazzling self all evening. After the formal affair ended, he asked her to join him for a nightcap. Drake insisted she go. He told me to wait for her in the hotel lobby. I was her driver at the time.”

“Two years ago? Manny Vensura?” Leo asked.

“You know?” Agent Radcliff asked.

“We have circumstantial evidence. We have proof she was with him and that she left the hotel around the time of death. We didn’t have enough to prove she did it but we… I was hoping to use that to persuade her to turn state’s evidence against her husband.” Leo admitted.

“It was self-defense. He tried to rape her.” Agent Gibbs said.

“I’ve seen her fight. She could have taken that guy without a knife,” Snow said. “She stabbed him.”

“He pulled the knife. She didn’t want to kill him. He gave her no choice.” Gibbs raised his voice and narrowed his eyes at Snow.

“So, you witnessed the whole thing?” Snow barked back at him. “You know for a fact that she had no choice?”

“Let’s all take a step back,” Leo said. “We aren’t with the prosecutor's office. We don’t need to try her case. Besides, I don’t understand how this gets us closer to finding Wendy and Sean.”

“Drake knows and he has the knife she stabbed the guy with,” Agent Radcliff said.

“He’s been holding it over her,” Gibbs said. “He’s probably using your brother and the knife as leverage to get his money back. Once he does, he’s likely to kill them both. That’s how he operates.”

“If you know that, Wendy knows,” Leo said.

“She’ll play along with him as long as she thinks it will keep Sean and her alive,” Gibbs said.

“Okay,” Leo said. “Let’s work with that. How will she stay alive? At least for the time being.”

“She’d have to convince him that she was getting his money while delaying delivery as long as possible.”

“Where’s the money?” Snow directed her question at Brian Gibbs.

“Offshore account. I don’t know the details,” Gibbs said.

“She could wire it to another account at any time,” Radcliff said.

“Maybe she lied to him.” Leo cocked his head to the side, looking at the floor and drumming his fingers on the table. “He picked her up on Friday night.”

“Banks are closed after noon on Saturday,” Gibbs said.

“Exactly,” Leo said. “If she held him off until the banks were closed and then told Drake the money was deposited, she has until Monday morning to come up with the money.”

“Maybe she didn’t have to lie,” Gibbs said with a slight smirk. “She told me she could get a pile of cash for travel expenses. She has some of the money in a safe deposit box.”

“Where?” Agent Snow asked.

“I don’t know, but it must be somewhere local. She said she could get the money, and we could get out of here. We could run,” Gibbs said.

“But you didn’t run,” Leo said.

“That was the day Drake kidnapped us,” Gibbs said. “The day she found out I was lying to her. She was almost convinced she could get away from him and then that happened. Now this. She’s right. He’s never going to leave her alone. He’ll get his money, and then, he’ll kill her. This will never end for her unless we stop him.”

“We can stop him if we find them and arrest Drake,” Leo said.

“You’ll never make any of it stick,” Agent Gibbs said at an almost inaudible level. “Nothing ever sticks to that guy.”

“The clock’s ticking,” Leo said. “We have until tomorrow morning to figure out where they are. If your theory is sound, Sean and Wendy will be dead soon after the banks open in the morning.”

59

A banging, which Wendy had been expecting, came on the door of her bedroom. Her jail cell. Wendy stared at the digital clock that read eight fourteen. She had been eyeballing the clock for most of the past two hours. She had contemplated ways of escaping this place but came up empty. She had twice approached the two men on guard in the next room but was unsuccessful in creating an opportunity to attack or flee. Her conscience wouldn’t be clear if she fled anyway. What would become of Sean and Noah? She knew her time was limited now that Drake was on the other side of the door. He’d reinforce his threat against Noah and take her to get the money. If she refused, he’d likely kill Sean to make his point and then Noah. But even if she gave him what he wanted, he was the type who would still kill them. All of them.

She heard pounding on the door again. “Wendy!” Sheldon yelled. “I’m coming in.”

The door sprung open, displaying Sheldon Drake standing in the doorway with a smile on his face and a garment bag in his outstretched hand. “Shower and put these on.” He flung the bag of clothes on the bed and closed the door most of the way.

Wendy decided showering would help her relax. It would also buy her some time. She stepped out of the shower and pulled a pair of silk panties from the bottom of the bag Sheldon had tossed into the room. Once the bag was removed from the hanger, Wendy recognized a blue pantsuit with a white blouse she once wore on a regular basis. She was surprised he had kept this. As she stepped into the navy slacks, she heard the door open. She could feel Sheldon’s eyes on her as she shimmied her way into the pants. She gave him a confident but unfriendly look as she picked up the silk shirt. She pulled it over her head without moving from his sight. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her look upset by his ogling. She turned to the mirror and started to brush her hair.

“Dry your hair and put on the blazer,” he commanded. “We’re leaving here in ten minutes.”

Sheldon stepped away from the door, but Wendy could see him talking with the two men he had left there overnight.

Wendy dried her hair and brushed it out of her face. She looked around for a hair tie or rubber band but that was something Sheldon hadn’t thought to supply. She walked into the small family room, shrugging off a jarring smile from Tommy meant to let her know he watched her while she dressed. Wendy walked to the sofa and crouched to pick up the tennis shoes she had kicked off the night before.

“You won’t need those,” Sheldon said. “I brought some heels for you to wear. I left them in the truck. Come on. Jimmy is double-parked.”

Wendy followed as Sheldon Drake led the way out the door. Gideon and Hank joined them in the hallway. The five men surrounded Wendy in the elevator. She wished there was more room to maneuver. She didn’t see any way to use her combat skills to come out victorious in this small space. Once they reached street level, the four bodyguards kept their hands on their sidearms, ready to pull them if necessary. She entered the back seat of the long, dark SUV. Sheldon followed, causing her to move across the bench seat. Tommy climbed into the passenger seat, and Jimmy was behind the wheel as usual. The other men followed in a similar vehicle.

“Where are Noah and Sean?” Wendy asked over the hum of the engine as they pulled away from the curb. She gently tugged her door handle to see if she was locked in. She was.

“Don’t worry about them.” Drake’s face parted to a sinister smile. “They’ll be fine as long as you don’t cause any trouble. You play nice at the bank, and they’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure they are having a grand time with Rudy,” Tommy said with a chuckle.

“Who asked you?” Sheldon’s smile tensed.

“I’ll need my ID,” Wendy said as if it had just occurred to her. “They’ll want verification.”

“Got it,” Sheldon said.

“My license or passport with the name Jane Olmstead,” Wendy said. “It was in my purse.”

“Got it,” Sheldon repeated. “Tommy will go inside with you. Keep him at your side at all times. Tommy, give her the shoes and the bag.”

Tommy handed Wendy a pair of blue, satin, pointed-toe heels and a matching purse without uttering a word.

“Oh, nice,” Wendy said, forcing a smile over the crystal crown brooches on the navy shoes. “The money is never going to fit in this fancy satchel.”

“Don’t worry. Tommy has a proper bag for money transport,” Sheldon assured her.

Wendy pulled on the elegant shoes as Jimmy parked the car in front of the bank. She searched her mind for a way to stall the process but couldn’t come up with an excuse to stay in the vehicle any longer. Quickly rounding the car, Tommy opened Wendy’s door. He took her by the arm and escorted her to the sidewalk in front of the enormous bank building. Sheldon's window lowered.

“Tommy won’t be able to hold a gun on you in there, but Rudy will use Noah and Sean for target practice if you cause any problems,” Sheldon said. “Remember that. Get the money, and put it in the bag. Get back in the car, and we’ll all go see your boyfriends.”

60

Olivia and Leo had an analyst attempting to turn Sean’s phone on remotely to see if they could utilize the GPS tracking feature on his smartphone. Another analyst sifted through area bank records, trying to find somewhere Wendy Drake might be holding a pile of cash. Leo and Olivia sat at a whiteboard covered with photos and notes about Wendy, Drake, and their known associates.

“The banks are open. Time is running out,” Leo said.

“Maybe Gibbs and Radcliff have come up with something,” Olivia shared in a hopeful tone. “They’ve been checking locations on their list all night.”

“They would have called.”

“Would they? Those DEA guys are renegades. They may be trying to handle things on their own.”

“True. We don’t know who we can trust. There seems to be a leak in one of our departments.”

A lady in her mid-twenties quickly approached Leo, waving a piece of copy paper. “I have something,” she said. “There’s a safe deposit box registered to Jane Olmstead at the Ameris Bank, downtown.”

“Good job,” Leo said as he ripped the paper from the young lady’s hand. He headed out the door with Olivia close behind. “Call SWAT and Radcliff. We need to know if they found Sean. He’s likely not with them, but I’ll bet my salary that Wendy shows up at that bank today.”

Olivia punched some buttons on her phone while they rode the elevator to the parking lot. She called SWAT with the bank address and then turned her attention back to her cell’s screen.

“Well, anything?” Leo asked as he sped down Flowers Road.

“They haven’t found anything. They’ll meet us at the bank.”

“You told them about the bank? What if one of them is Drake’s mole?”

“Sorry, Boss. I thought you trusted them. I thought we could use the help. They are nearby and will likely be able to be onsite before SWAT can get there. If Drake is forcing Wendy to withdraw the money, we are going to need help at the bank.”

“I can’t argue with that. With any luck, Drake won’t be at the bank yet, and we can stand down and wait for him to arrive with Wendy. But if I know Drake, he was there when the doors opened.”

Leo’s Cherokee screeched to a halt in front of the bank. He and Olivia ran to the door and stopped inside to scan the room. They didn’t see Wendy or Drake.

Leo approached a man in a suit sitting behind a desk. “I’m Special Agent Keller.” Leo moved his jacket to display his shield. “We are looking for a lady by the name of Jane Olmstead. She may have come in to make a withdrawal.”

The man looked puzzled until Leo held his phone out, displaying a photo of Wendy. He swiped his phone several times to show pictures of Wendy with a variety of hairstyles and colors.

The man in the suit stood and pointed to the back of the bank. “She’s in the safe deposit center.”

“Did she come in alone?” Olivia asked.

“No,” the banker replied. “There’s a man with her.”

“I need you to quietly clear the lobby. Get everyone away from that room. SWAT is on the way. Direct them inside when they arrive.”

Agents Gibbs and Radcliff burst through the door. Leo turned to them, pushing his palms down to quiet them. As they approached, Olivia gave them the rundown.

“They are with us,” Leo said to the man behind the desk. The DEA agents flashed their badges.

Leo and Olivia posted up at the far side of the safe deposit box room entrance. The two DEA agents stayed to the near side, waiting for the bank employees to vacate the building.

Leo kept his eyes on the doorway, ready to surprise Wendy and whoever was with her.

Before Leo could see either of them, a voice came from inside the room. “We are coming out. Don’t try to stop us or Wendy is dead. Do you understand?”

“Don’t be stupid. Come out with your hands up, and no one will get hurt,” Leo said.

Wendy’s face rounded the corner into Leo’s view. She was held firmly by the throat with a pistol pointed at her head. She edged awkwardly toward Leo.

“I’m not fucking around here!” Tommy yelled. “I’ll kill her. Back the fuck up.”

Leo and Olivia each took a step back. Agent Gibbs stood at the edge of the doorway with his Smith and Wesson 9mm at the edge of the doorframe aimed at head level.

“Take it easy,” Leo said as he lowered his weapon. He nodded at Olivia to do the same. “No one needs to get hurt.”

“Step back and place your guns on the floor,” Tommy said. He continued to push Wendy closer in small increments.

“Drake was parked out front,” Wendy said. “Did you get him?”

“There was no sign of him,” Olivia said as she lay her gun on the floor.

“Sean and Noah are at Rudy’s pool hall,” Wendy said.

“Shut the fuck up!” Tommy yelled, tightening his hold around Wendy’s throat.

As Wendy’s face edged through the doorway, she saw Brian Gibbs staring over his gun barrel. She stiffened to slow Tommy’s progress.

Tommy pulled his forearm hard against her neck, pushing her chin upward.

“Take it easy,” Wendy said. “There’s nowhere to go. Drake left you hanging.”

“She’s right,” Leo said. “Drake left you to take the fall here. Let her go and surrender your weapon, and you won’t get hurt. SWAT is on the way. You’ll never get out of here.”

“If I’m going down, I’m taking her with me,” Tommy said as he pushed Wendy through the doorway, shielding his body with hers. “Say goodbye, Wendy,” he said as he watched armed men in tactical gear stream into the bank.

Leo heard a shot, and blood splattered against the wall in front of him. Tommy and Wendy fell to the floor.

Agent Gibbs rushed to Wendy. She coughed, gasping for air. “It’s about time. I thought you were never going to shoot him. He almost killed me.” Gibbs tried to embrace Wendy, but she pushed him away to look into his eyes. “We have to get to the pool hall. Drake will have Noah and Sean killed.”

“Get the closest units to Rudy’s pool hall.” Leo was already on his phone.

“They’ll be holding them in the basement,” Agent Gibbs said.

“Hostages are likely being held in the basement,” Leo repeated into his phone. He was out the door before he ended the call.

61

The ticking clock on the cinder block wall unnerved Sean. He felt as if he had been in this damp space for weeks, but he had been watching the clock and knew it had only been a couple of days. By his estimation, it was Monday morning. He couldn’t be sure since he had dozed off a couple of times. His body was stiff and numb at the same time. He had been bound to a chair for most of his time here. Releasing his arms and legs twice a day, his captor allowed him to eat, drink, and use the restroom. Greasy burgers and fries were served in the late morning and late afternoon. He was given a glass of water with the early meal and a glass of tea with the afternoon meal.

A large grizzly man visited him twice daily to bring the meals. The man wore a plastic mask, but his beard protruded around it. Sean attempted to converse with the man each time, but his captor did not reciprocate. Sean had spent most of his time in this damp room remembering his wife and son. Sitting idle in this room only made him miss them more. Sean tried to devote his mind to how he might escape this place, diverting his thoughts from his loss. The room held a variety of dusty furniture and other items that had long been cast aside. There was one small window above Sean’s head that was covered with a milky plastic. He couldn’t see the staircase from where he was sitting but had seen it on the short journeys to the restroom near his resting place.

Sean heard the door above him open, but the sound of footsteps was somehow different this time. The banging on the stairs was louder than it had been and more rapid. It sounded as if several men were coming for him. Was his end near? What was about to happen? Sean’s mind raced through several scenarios in the split second it took the footsteps to stop at the bottom of the stairs.

“Sean Keller?” a voice asked as a uniformed police officer came into Sean’s view.

“Yes, thank heavens,” Sean replied.

A second officer smiled at Sean and started to untie his restraints. “I’m Officer Munoz, and this is Officer Little.”

Officer Little searched the dank room with his sidearm pulled. “Is there anyone here with you?”

“No. I’ve been sitting here alone for more than two days. Did you get the guy who’s been watching me?”

“I’m afraid we haven’t found anyone here except you. We were told there may be two men being held captive here. Did you see anyone else during your time here?”

“I’m afraid not,” Sean said as he slowly raised himself from his chair. He looked at the clock on the wall. “Someone will likely be here in the next hour. A large, bearded man in a mask has come here twice daily to feed me.”

“Let’s get you out of here,” Officer Little said. “We have backup upstairs. We’ll keep an eye on the place and grab whoever comes.”

“I’ll call it in,” Officer Munoz said. “We need to let the FBI know we found Agent Keller’s brother but no one else. They must be holding the other victim in a separate location.”

As he helped Sean up the stairs, Officer Little asked, “Do you know anything at all about Noah Ramsey?”

“Never heard of him,” Sean said.

An ambulance waited on the street outside Rudy’s Billiard Hall to take Sean to the hospital.

62

“Sean, I’m sorry I got you into this,” Leo said.

“I’ll forgive you,” Sean said. “Somehow it seems better to be picked up at the hospital rather than the police station.”

“I’m not so sure about that. I’m happy you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you?”

“Just a few bruises. Nothing that won’t heal.”

“I hope all of this doesn’t cause a setback for your recovery. Should we go to a meeting? There’s one a few blocks from here this afternoon. We can get some lunch and wait.”

“No need. I’m cool. I’ll go to my regular meeting. Remember the guy who told the story about his wife the last time we went together.”

“Yes. Tragic how his wife died in that fire. It was good to hear how he righted himself and got his life back on track.”

“I’m going to ask him to be my sponsor.”

“I think that’s a terrific idea. He seems to be a helpful and non-judgmental type. He’s been in the program for years.”

“I thought he would understand my struggles. It will be good to talk to someone who was able to overcome the kind of trauma I’ve been through.”

“Not including this kidnapping.”

“True. The accident sent me over the edge. That’s what triggered my addiction. In time, I’ll stand up and tell my story. I’ve never heard yours. I know you are an alcoholic and have been in recovery for years, but I don’t know what led you down the drunken path to begin with. Was there something in particular that triggered your problem?”

“It’s something I’ve never shared outside of my AA group. It’s a story I don’t care to relive, but I do for the good of others. Let’s save that conversation for another time. Are you sure you never saw Drake the entire time you were being held?”

“No one even mentioned his name. I can ID the guys who picked me up and maybe the giant pool player who held us at the billiards hall, but other than that, I can’t pin the crime on anyone. I’d prefer to forget the whole thing and move on. No offense but I’d prefer not to see Wendy again either.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand.” Leo burst out laughing as he and his brother climbed into his Jeep Cherokee.

Leo's cell chimed. He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear.

“Assistant Director Pernell. How can I help you?”

“About that internal audit request. You’re approved,” Joyce Pernell said.

“I appreciate it. Thank you,” Leo responded.

“That aside, it’s time to close this special unit investigation down, Leo,” Joyce Pernell said into Leo’s ear.

“If we quit now, we’re going to lose him. I’m not sure the prosecutor will even take the case to court. I need a little more time.”

“Connect the dots on the kidnapping case. Arrest Drake and anyone else who can be identified. Get APBs out on the lot of them, and let’s wrap this thing up. The Associate Deputy Director is on my ass to get your unit reassigned before anyone else gets killed.”

“I’ll need time to pick these guys up. Let me take Drake down last. Give me time to build a better case against him before we bring him in. For God’s sake, he had two of our men murdered.”

“Deal. Maybe you can get someone to flip on him before you charge him. End of the week. I want charges brought by the end of the week. We go with what we have.”

“Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

Leo ended the call and tossed the phone over his shoulder into the back seat.

“What was that about?” Sean asked.

“Years of work down the toilet. That’s what. I need to drop you at home. Are you going to be all right?”

“I’m good. I know you have work to do. I’ll thank you for leaving me out of your cases from now on. Thank you very much.”

“We can agree on that.”

63

“No one knows about this place?” Wendy asked Agent Gibbs.

“I don’t see any way for anyone to link either of us to this crappy apartment. No one has lived here for months, and I haven’t told anyone we’d be here.”

“No one in the FBI or DEA knows we’re here?”

“No. Agent Keller’s idea. For some reason, he trusts me with your safety now. He asked me to stash you somewhere safe and not to tell anyone. No one at the DEA and no one in the FBI- not even him. He’s sure there’s a rat in one of the departments, reporting to Drake. He said not to even speak the location out loud. I took every precaution on the way here to be sure we weren’t followed.”

“I’ve never done so much doubling back,” Wendy said. “A borrowed car. New burner phones. Cash only for spending. I think you’ve covered all the bases. Based on the past, I guess we shouldn’t trust anyone. We haven’t done too well with this hide-and-seek game lately. No matter how out of the way I think I am, Sheldon always finds me.”

“You can trust me, Wendy. I know that’s hard to believe when I’ve spent our entire time together pretending to be someone I’m not, but everything I’ve said to you about how I feel about us is genuine. There were so many times I wanted to tell you who I was. The truth. The whole truth. I was afraid.”

“Afraid I’d tell Sheldon? Afraid I’d get you killed?”

“No. That wasn’t it. I was afraid I’d lose you. We shared some great times. I consider you my best friend. The best friend I’ve ever had. I couldn’t bear the thought of ruining that. I knew the day would come, but I wish it wouldn’t have. I want us to be what we were together and more. Admittedly, I believe you deserve so much more than I can offer, but selfishly, I want to be with you forever. I love you, Wendy.”

“My head is spinning. The night we… you know… I was ready to run away with you. I was convinced we could get away from all of this. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, too. I’ve had trouble trusting people and being with Sheldon Drake didn’t help that any. Finding out you’re not who you pretended to be brings on new trust issues. I’m not sure what to believe or who to believe. I can feel myself falling in love with you, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

“I was already living the lie when I met you. I was Axel Wolf. That’s who I had to be at the time. It was easy for me at first. I’ve always been a loner. No family. No close friends. Going undercover gave me purpose. I became Axel. Axel was real. Axel is a part of Brian. Whether you call me Brian or Axel it doesn’t change how I feel. How I feel about you. We both fell for you. Every inch of you. Every cell. Every detail. Haven’t you ever told someone a lie for their safety and yours? What about when you were in Washington?”

“I didn’t tell Noah who I was. I didn’t mean for our relationship to get as serious as it did. I guess I have some understanding of how you got tangled up in the lie. How hard it would have been to tell me the truth. Even though I never told Noah who I was, I still put him in danger. As far as we know, Drake still has him. He could be dead.” Tears welled in Wendy’s eyes.

“We don’t know that he’s dead. Don’t give up hope. Sean was found alive. Since you saw Noah being held while you were with Drake, he may not want to risk killing him. If you do testify against him, he can be placed at the scene where Noah was held. If Noah turns up dead, your testimony could put Drake behind bars for a long time. Not that I want anything to happen to your friend.”

“I never meant for anything bad to happen to Noah. I met him a few months ago, and we hit it off. We had fun together. For his safety, I shouldn’t have let him into my life. Contacting you was a mistake, too. I put both of you in danger.”

“I’m in your life by choice, and I will be for as long as you let me. We are safe here for now. I’ll do everything I can to protect you. Can you let yourself trust me?”

“I trusted you enough to come here with you. You saved my life at the bank. That means something. I suspect that’s why Keller thinks you’re the only one who can be trusted with my whereabouts. Brian, I can’t testify against Sheldon. Even if I had firsthand knowledge of something that would put him away for life, I’d always wonder if someone was coming after me. I know that’s Agent Keller’s end game, but I may not be able to be a part of it.”

“I’m going to figure out a way to get you out of this mess. There has to be some way of ensuring Drake can’t get to you. Permanently.”

64

Leo and Olivia entered Assistant Director Joyce Pernell’s office. Agents Grant O’Neil and Cindy McCarthy were already seated across from Joyce.

“We need to close these cases. The director is coming down hard on me. I know we lost two good men chasing Drake. The director is granting us some leeway on his case because of the agents who were killed. Can we tie Drake to the murders?”

“No direct evidence, but we are close. I can feel it,” Leo said.

“We have to arrest him on something soon. What about the bank robberies?” Joyce asked.

“Cindy has ID’d one of the perps. We have an APB out on him. We had no luck picking him up at his last known address.” Agent O’Neil shifted nervously in his seat. “We did get a cell number that we are trying to track. It’s been turned off. We picked up some DNA, but we were unable to get any hits in the system.”

“There’s something else,” Cindy said.

Leo tried not to look surprised, but Olivia and Grant both narrowed their brows as their jaws dropped slightly.

“Go on,” Joyce said.

“I’ve been reviewing footage from the last robbery, the street camera that picked up the assailants getting in the car—”

“That’s where you got the Pirates hat guy’s face, right?” Joyce said.

“Yes,” Cindy continued. “I was so excited about getting his face without the mask that I hadn’t looked at the rest of the street camera footage. Once the three perpetrators were in the car, the tires burned for a few seconds.”

“He was doing a burnout?” Leo asked.

“Yes, but in reverse. Then, he drove at a high speed in reverse for a block before spinning the car around to go forward.”

“How does that help us?” Oliva asked.

“I play video games.”

“You do what?” Olivia asked.

“Let her finish,” Leo said.

“Not just any video game. I play Grand Turismo at a professional level. I’ve never won any big races, but I compete.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not following how this is related to our bank robbery case,” Joyce said.

“There’s a player. He’s very good. He makes that move in the game. He starts a street race with a reverse burnout and then drives backward for twenty or thirty yards before turning his car forward. It’s kind of his signature move. I’ve tried to do it, but I can’t. It’s an incredibly difficult move.”

“Is this for real?” Joyce said, shaking her head with puckered lips. She glared at Leo.

“Why not? Have you heard of Jann Mardenborough?” Leo asked. “He’s a racecar driver who got his start by winning a simulator competition. A getaway driver who plays competitive video games isn’t too far-fetched.”

“He goes by Kenickie,” Cindy said.

“Like Danny Zuko’s friend in Grease?” Olivia asked.

“Yes,” Cindy answered.

“Kenickie didn’t race the car in Grease,” Joyce said. “Danny did.”

“Can you run this gamer down by his handle?” Leo asked.

“I’m working on it. I’ve started a trace on his IP address, but he seems to move around. I think he’s pinging his IP around to keep people from figuring out who he is.”

“Solid lead. Stay on it. Arresting the armed robbers will loosen the noose around our necks on the Drake case.” Joyce knocked lightly on her desk as she spoke.

“I get it,” Leo said.

“Well, get out of here and catch some bad guys,” Joyce said.

65

“Dinner on me at the Japanese place near your house that you love,” Leo said to Olivia. “Come on, before I change my mind. You can call Barry on the way and see if he wants to meet us there.”

“I’m right behind you. You know the way to my heart,” Olivia chuckled as she followed Leo out of the FBI office.

Moments later, they were in Leo’s car headed in the opposite direction of the Japanese restaurant Leo had suggested.

“Where are we going?” Olivia asked.

“We are going to meet Wendy Drake and Agent Gibbs. They’re holed up in a little apartment on Southerland Drive. She can put Drake in the room next to that guy named Noah Ramsey, who was being held against his will at the same time she was. Wendy stood right beside Drake while the man was assaulted in front of them. If we can rescue Noah, then Wendy and Noah can testify that Drake was involved in the kidnapping and the assault. We’re finally going to get this bastard.”

“And she agreed to testify? I thought she wasn’t willing to go on the stand against Drake?”

“She’ll do it to save Noah. That’s the deal. We get Noah out, and she testifies. We are about to meet her with a signed deal from the DA giving her immunity from the stabbing.” Leo patted the vest pocket of his jacket, making a rustling sound.

“How are you going to find the guy who’s being held? How do you know he’s still alive?”

“Wendy says Drake is using him as leverage over her. She doesn’t think he’ll kill him. She seems sure she knows where to find him.”

“What’s the idea of getting me all excited about sushi and fried rice?”

“I didn’t want anyone else in the department to know where we were going. We’ll meet with Wendy and get her to sign off on the agreement. She’ll give us Noah’s location, and we’ll call for a warrant and get SWAT to help us with the rescue.”

“Sounds like we might actually get this guy. I never thought I’d see the day,” Olivia smiled at Leo.

“Yep, this is it. I’ve been waiting years for this day.”

“What apartment building on Southerland are we going to?”

“Woodland Estates.”

“Oh, shit. I forgot about Barry. I texted him on our way out. He’s probably at the Japanese place already,” she said as she looked at her phone screen.

“Tell him I'm sorry. It was the obvious way to get you out of the office. You never turn down food. Free or not,” Leo chuckled. “I didn’t want to take any chances with the info on Wendy while we were in the building.”

“I’ll tell him we had an emergency call, and he can take me out for dinner later,” she said as she punched the keyboard on her phone.

As they pulled in, they could see Agent Gibbs in the parking lot of the apartment complex. He stood between two bushes, rocking from one foot to the other. Before Leo could turn off the engine, Agent Gibbs limped towards the vehicle. Leo opened his door and stepped out to meet Brian Gibbs at the front of the Grand Cherokee. Gibbs narrowed his brow and stared at Olivia as she rounded the SUV to join them. His mouth drawn to a taut line, he shook his head.

“He’d rather you didn’t come in. Someone should keep an eye on the door anyway,” Leo said. He looked towards Olivia with his eyebrows raised, hoping for approval.

Olivia nodded and resumed her position on the passenger side of the Jeep, surveying the parking lot from behind the windshield. Leo followed Brian up the exterior stairway of the run-down building. The two men entered the door to an apartment on the second floor, facing Olivia.

“How’s Wendy?” Leo asked.

“She’s Wendy. She’s not easily frazzled. She’s worried about Noah, but she still doesn’t want to testify against Drake. She knows we can’t force her into it.”

“Did you tell her about this plan?” Leo asked as the two men entered the family room, immediately inside the entrance.

“Yes. She’s locked in tight, listening to a rock station and drinking a beer.”

“A beer,” Leo smirked.

“I left her with a six-pack. I expect they’ll all be gone by the time I get back. She likes to relax when she’s anticipating some kind of action.”

Both men took a seat along the back wall of the apartment facing the door. Brian Gibbs pulled his black-handled, silver barrel Smith and Wesson from his holster. Leo Keller sat next to Brian with his Glock in hand, resting it on his lap.

“Flashy gun for undercover work,” Leo said.

“Criminals respect a cool-looking 9mm. I like the two-tone aspect. I keep the stainless slide clean and shiny. It’s got great balance. Do you want to have a look?” Brian clicked the safety on and turned the gun to offer it to Agent Keller.

“Not right now. Let’s stay frosty. They could show up at any minute.”

They heard the rhythmic patter of several sets of feet coming up the stairs. The tap of shoes on the stairs was quick and quiet, but there was no doubt that several people were coming towards them. The door handle rattled softly as it was turned from the outside. Five armed men wearing flak jackets entered the family room from the apartment’s hallway. Each held an automatic weapon pointed towards the rattling doorknob. Agents Gibbs and Keller stood and directed their handguns to the entrance as well.

The door barreled open, and Maxwell Bright burst through the door with his gun hand extended. He fanned right and stopped his motion when he saw the armed men in the room.  Zane and another man in black entered behind him with eyes wide, breathing heavily. Leo could see Michael Whitney outside the door as the sound of more footsteps pounded up the stairs.

“Put the guns down, and raise your hands,” Leo said as he and Brian held their positions.

The three men who had come through the door last dropped their weapons and held their hands up at shoulder level. Four men in tactical gear moved forward and told the assailants to drop to their knees. As they did, Leo was surprised to see that Whitney had disappeared. Leo raced to the door and saw three SWAT members running across the second-floor catwalk. Leo assumed they were pursuing Mike Whitney and hurried after them at a dead sprint.

Two of the pursuers turned left to follow Mike Whitney down a hallway on the outside of the large building. The third officer kept running straight in an attempt to head Mike off. Leo heard the sound of a window breaking as he made the left turn into the hall. Shots rang out as one of the men in tactical gear stepped through an already broken window. Screams came from inside the building. Leo and the SWAT leader nodded to one another before leaning through the window in question.  Two women huddled against the far wall of the glass-covered room and the second man through the window lay wincing on the floor, holding his bloody neck. “I’m okay,” he grunted. He went to the back,” the wounded man said, pointing to the apartment’s hallway. Leo stepped through the window and hurried over the crunching glass. He turned down the hallway with a swing of his handgun. He stepped lightly trying to hear where Mike had gone. He turned into the first room in the hall to find himself in a small bathroom. “Right behind you,” the SWAT leader said from the hall as Leo made his way to the shower. He held his Glock ready to fire and pulled the shower curtain back in one swift motion.

No one was there. Seeing no exit in the bathroom, Leo stepped back into the hallway behind the SWAT leader. The corridor ended with rooms to either side of the back wall. The SWAT leader raised two fingers and motioned Agent Keller to the right as he turned to his left, leading himself through the doorway with his KH MP5 submachine gun. Leo pushed the door to the right open hard, making sure no one was behind it. He fanned his gun left and right, seeing no one in the room. He walked softly to the closet and pushed the door aside to rifle through the hanging wardrobe. Nothing. He heard the sound of pinging metal as he peered under the bed. Leo abruptly stood and raced to the window. He threw back the curtains to an open window, noting a fire escape leading to the alley behind the building. Leo leaped to the black metal stairs and jumped over the rail to the last few steps. He looked up but didn’t see any movement above him. Leo stepped into the alley to see a SWAT team member approaching from his right. He turned left and sprinted to the edge of the building in time to hear a car door slam before witnessing a black SUV accelerating away from his position.

Leo pulled the radio from his belt and held the button firmly. “Suspect heading south on Fifth in a black Escalade, license Bravo, Echo, Tango, seven, seven, three. Consider armed and dangerous.” Leo clipped his radio to his waist and leaned forward, pressing his palms to the top of his knees. He huffed heavy breaths as two SWAT members trotted up to him.

“Shit,” one of the men in tactical gear said.

“You got that right,” Leo said. “We’re likely too late, but give me a ten-mile perimeter as quick as you can. Did someone arrest Agent Olivia Snow?”

“Yes, she’s been taken into custody,” the SWAT leader said. “Nothing I hate more than a dirty cop turning on her team to make a buck.”

“It was hard for me to believe, but the evidence was clear,” Leo said.

66

“Why, Olivia? Money? How could you do it?” Leo sat across from Olivia Snow with wide eyes and open hands.

Olivia sat at a four-foot table cuffed to a bar that ran across the center. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. She didn’t say anything.

“Come on. You know you’re looking at jail time. You have this one chance to give the judge a reason to go easy on you. Help us get to Drake. Give me something.” Leo stared into Olivia’s eyes, wondering how he could have trusted her. He didn’t want to believe she was dirty. She was the last person he expected to be the leak to Drake. Phone records showed that she had texted a burner minutes before they arrived at the warehouse where Agent Gibbs and Wendy had been held. She texted the same number on the way to the meet early this evening that Leo had told no one else about. He fed the lie to Olivia and Drake’s men showed up to get Wendy as suspected. “We have the data from your phone. You’re the only person that knew where we were going tonight.”

“Bullshit. Over a dozen SWAT team members knew. I want my lawyer,” she said with a blank stare.

“They were given no specifics on why they were there. They weren’t told Wendy would be there. You are the only one who was given that information. You are the only one who sent a text to a burner phone each time Drake left the crime scene within minutes of authorities arriving. People died because of you. Marshal and Gentry are dead because of you! How the hell could you do that? You’ll be charged with conspiracy. Second-degree murder. You’re going away for years.”

“I didn’t know they were going to die.” Olivia started to cry. “I don’t have anything to give you. All I have is a phone number. Whitney set the whole thing up. I don’t have anything on Drake. After what happened tonight, the burner phone has surely been destroyed. Mike Whitney is in the wind. He won’t pop his head up where you can find him. He’s smarter than that.”

“You must know a way to help us get to Drake. To help us prove he was involved in kidnapping and murder. What about another case not involving Wendy? Do you have any knowledge of him killing anyone else? Ordering a hit on anyone?”

“I don’t. I made a deal with Mike Whitney to tip them off anytime an investigation got too close. They were pissed anytime the DEA stopped a shipment. I wasn’t in the know about Agent Gibbs. Once that surfaced, I had to double down on my info for my safety.”

“How did Drake find out Wendy was in Cartersville? Was that you too?”

“I pulled the phone from the poolside stand. It never made it to evidence. There was only one number on the phone.”

“How could you do such a thing?” Leo stood and paced the room, shaking his head at Olivia at every turn.

“Twice my salary. That’s how.”

“You won’t be able to spend any of it from prison.”

“I might be able to help you find Whitney.”

“How do you know where he is?”

“I had one of the tech guys watching Wendy’s burner. I found the boxes from her and Agent Gibbs’s burners. I had one of our guys track them by the serial numbers in the packaging. Wendy’s phone pinged near Chattanooga. I sent the location to Whitney right before he climbed the steps at the apartment. He’s on his way to kill Wendy.”

67

Cindy McCarthy and Grant O’Neil rushed to Grant’s FBI-issued SUV. Cindy managed to track Kenickie’s IP address and match it with a phone number. Currently, the phone was pinging off a tower near the National Federal Bank in Midtown. The SWAT team, along with several other FBI agents, was racing to the bank’s location.

Cindy called Leo after entering the long black vehicle with Grant. “Special Agent Keller. I think we have them. Kenickie, AKA Otto Fleckman, seems to be near the National Federal in Midtown right now. We have several units in route. They could be robbing the bank as we speak!” Her speech grew louder and more rapid as she talked.

“These guys are heavily armed,” Leo said. “Let’s let them leave the bank before we try to apprehend them. It will be safer for everyone inside the bank. I’m on my way.”

Cindy’s heart was pounding in her chest. She leaned forward in her seat, swaying as the car shifted left and right dodging traffic. She was an FBI agent trained at Quantico just like Agent O’Neil, but she had never been in the field. Her expertise was data investigation. She had spent the past nine months sitting behind a computer, but she wanted to be in the field when they arrested these guys. 

“You came through on this one big time, Cindy. We have a chance to catch these guys red-handed.”

“I hope we get there in time. They don’t spend more than three minutes inside. They could be gone before we get to the bank.”

Grant turned the wheel hard, skidding around the corner to 14th Street. The bank was two blocks ahead of them. Cindy could hear the sirens behind them. Three men appeared on the street a block ahead. They wore dark shirts, masks, and ball caps.

“There they are!” Grant yelled. “They’re about to get in that gray sports car.”

“Turn right!” Cindy hollered in a shrill voice.

“What?” Grant responded.

“Trust me! Turn right!”

Grant did as he was told and almost missed the road as he skidded into the curb. He punched the gas.

“Turn left!” Cindy shrieked.

The car slid around the next corner as she said, “Another left!”

As they headed back towards 14th Street, the gray sedan full of armed men backed around the corner towards them. With his foot on the floor, Grant started to laugh.

“I knew it. I knew he’d burn his tires in reverse and back around the corner behind him,” Cindy said.

The sedan stopped for only a second before starting to move away from the two FBI agents barreling up behind it. Grant kept his accelerator floored and caught the back corner of the sports car as it moved away from them. As the SWAT vehicle roared into the intersection, the car spun under the stop light. The black Humvee hammered the side of the car, sending it into a roll. The assailant’s vehicle rolled completely over and back to its wheels before tipping once more to come to rest on its side.

Cindy jumped from her seat when Grant stopped their SUV. She shielded herself with the passenger side door as she pulled her sidearm to aim at the smashed vehicle. She kept her eyes on the car, but she could hear the agents around her pulling their weapons and bracing behind their vehicles. More patrol cars stopped on the other side of the bank robbers.

“We’ve got them pinned in,” Grant said. “There’s nowhere for them to go. You got this.”

Unmistakable glee filled Cindy’s face as she opened her mouth to yell, “FBI! Don’t move!”

68

Wendy knelt in the damp grass. Her bottom lip quivered, and tears welled in her eyes. The small stone before her read Norma and Merle Harper. Axel had accompanied her to her parents’ funeral, but she hadn’t returned since. She feared this may be her last opportunity to pay her respects. She knew Axel wanted her to stay in the out-of-the-way apartment. He thought she’d be safe there. She had to break away. She needed this time to herself. To reflect. To find some peace within. She left impulsively, driving north to visit her home. The home she knew before her life with Drake. Her childhood and teen years were marked by simpler times in her mind. Wendy and her parents lived in a humble home outside Jasper, Tennessee. An occasional soft-serve ice cream at the local parlor was a luxury. Listening to a rock station out of Chattanooga on an old radio was her greatest pastime. Looking back, Wendy now understood the value of the simple life she had shared with her parents. The modest beginning she had no appreciation for. She had dreamed of living in a big city. She had yearned to experience luxuries her mother had never dared to think about. She had never fathomed the cost of such indulgences.

Wendy left the small cemetery and drove to the quarter-acre plot she still considered home. Weeds lined the gravel drive, swaying in the wind as Wendy sped towards the house. The sight of the chipped white paint and moss-covered walkway saddened her. The film over the glass made it difficult to see through the windows. Wendy climbed the loose brick stairs with caution and stepped across the porch as the wood creaked below her.

Finding the door unlocked, she stepped inside. The sitting room at the front of the home seemed smaller than she had remembered. She grinned at the old radio on one of the side stands as she ran her index finger through the dust that rested on its top. Wendy rubbed her hands together as she stepped to the next small room that was the only other room on the lower level. She pulled a worn wooden chair back from the table and sat, looking at the metal range and laminate counter. She pictured her mother in her favorite yellow apron stirring something on the stove. Wendy’s eyes filled with tears.

As sunlight left the room, Wendy decided she should close the door on this chapter of her life and get back to her new reality. She had tried to call Brian on her way to let him know where she was headed, and she would try again on her way back to Atlanta. She hoped they had arrested Drake on a charge that would keep him in prison indefinitely, but she doubted that was happening. After hearing the facts about what happened tonight, she would decide what her next move would be. She once again considered the distinct possibility that she needed to kill Drake to be free of him.

Headlights brightened the tiny family room as Wendy stepped to the window. The car door opened, and a large shadow moved between Wendy and the bright lights. As it climbed the brick steps, Wendy could see that it was Mike Whitney who had come for her. It looked as if he was alone.

“Wendy, I know you’re in there,” Mike said.

“I’m unarmed.”

“Fair is fair,” he said as he tossed his handgun off the porch.

Wendy opened the door, smirking at Mike. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“So have I. It’s about time you got a proper beating. I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. What a fitting place for it. I haven’t been to these parts since I killed your parents.”

Wendy backed into the darkness of the house. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes glazed over. “You piece of shit!” She had never considered that Drake had her parents murdered. As Mike stepped forward, she lunged at him, striking him hard across the jaw with her heel. “Did you enjoy that?” she asked as she stepped back to regain her balance.

Mike wiped the blood from his lip and stepped to his left, tormenting Wendy with his words. “Your dad was already passed out drunk when I got here. Your mom bawled and slobbered while I dragged her to the car. I finally had to knock her out, so I didn’t have to hear her pathetic begging.”

The thought of her parents dying at the hands of this asshole enraged her. She felt the guilt boil into anger as tears and sweat ran down her flushed face. Wendy forced her fist into Mike’s face, but it glanced off without connecting fully. She retreated a few steps to give herself room to use her legs. Mike rushed her before she could get a foot off the ground, driving her backward across the kitchen table. She held him tightly, bringing him to the floor with her. Scrambling to create distance between them, she grabbed a piece of wood from a broken chair. She swung it with every bit of strength she could muster, but he took the hit on his shoulder with little movement. She threw the wood at his face and stepped into a round kick to strike the side of his head. He staggered to one side, and Wendy backed into the family room. As he darted towards her, she lunged at a leg and sent him rolling. She heard him gasp in pain, but he was back on his feet in seconds, coming for her. She tried to catch him off-balance again, but he maneuvered away from her strike and slammed his fist hard on her nose. Blood gushed and Wendy staggered into the front window.

He rushed at her like a charging bull. They crashed through the single pain window, landing abruptly on the wooden porch. Wendy twisted her body to get behind Mike. She gripped his thick neck, struggling to cut off his airway. She clenched the muscles in both arms, pulling and screaming as he wriggled in her grip. He managed to roll free and landed a fist in her gut as he rose to his feet.

Mike grabbed Wendy by the neck and hurled her off the porch. She landed with a thud against the grill of his car. She gasped. Fighting for air, she looked up to see him barreling toward her. He smashed her midsection between his weight and the hard steel of the car. Wendy’s limp body fell to the gravel. His large fist came from the side, blasting her skull at the edge of her right eye. Peering through slits of swelled eyelids, Wendy thrust both arms with fingers joined to strike Mike as he straddled her. He flinched slightly before reaching for something in his boot.

“Remember this? I think you said a nice boy from Tennessee gave it to you,” Mike clicked the trigger on the switchblade and held it high over Wendy’s chest.

She didn’t have the strength to move him off her. She had exerted every ounce of energy she had left in her beaten body, but it wasn’t enough.

As Mike Whitney started the downward motion with the long blade shimmering in the headlights, a shot rang out. Mike fell to one side. The sharp blade nicked Wendy’s chin. She opened her eyes as wide as she could to the sight of a silhouette stepping into the reach of the beams of light.

69

Wendy pushed the weight of Mike’s massive body to the side. Her chest heaved. Her pulse raced. As she strained her neck in the direction of the shot, she saw the figure of a man rush to her side. She recognized Brian Gibbs kneeling beside her. She attempted a smile but fell short.

“Wendy, are you okay?”

“I think I am,” she whispered, not sure she could talk louder. She winced, struggling to pacify the pounding in her head. She breathed through her mouth and nose simultaneously as she caught her breath.

“I can take you to a hospital.”

“No.”

“Maybe I should call an ambulance.” He brushed her dampened hair from the side of her face, searching for the source of the blood. Her head was cracked open near her eye.

Wendy held her gut where Mike had struck her. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

“Did he stab you? Let me see.” Brian lifted her arm to check her abdomen for cuts.

“He didn’t. Thanks to you. He was about to plant that sticker in my chest. He punched or kicked me everywhere.” She managed a smile. “I’m going to need an ice bath. That fucker was tougher than I gave him credit for. I thought I could take the bastard.”

“From the looks of him, you gave as good as you got. If he hadn’t had the knife—”

“He would have bludgeoned me to death. We started in there,” she said as she pointed at the smashed window at the front of the house. “He tackled me through the glass and onto the deck. When he threw me against the grill of the car, I knew I was done. I didn’t hear you pull up. All my attention was focused on not dying.”

“Luckily, all his attention was focused on killing you. I don’t think he saw me aiming at him.”

“By the way, nice shot. One to the temple. That’s all it took. How’d you find me? Hell, how’d he find me?”

“Snow had someone tracing the burner. That was my fault. I opened the burner phones right in front of her. I didn’t suspect she was Drake’s mole and once Leo did, I had forgotten all about the phones.”

“I had the phone on in Chattanooga. I tried to call you and then waited for you to call back.”

“I tried to call.”

“I left it in the car when I went to see my parent’s graves. I wanted to be alone with them at the cemetery. I went there to talk to them, but I thought I’d feel closer to them here.”

“I understand.”

“Mike said he killed my parents. It wasn’t an accident. He told me he did it. That means Drake had them killed. He took my parents away from me to keep me with him. Did you know? Tell me the truth. Did you know Drake sent Mike to kill my parents?”

“Wendy, no, I had no idea. I was with you when you heard they were dead. I didn’t know anything about their passing until you told me.”

“My parents were murdered… by my husband. If I had never run away with him, they’d still be alive. It’s all my fault. It’s my fault they’re dead.” Wendy started to weep at the thought.

“It’s not on you. None of this is on you. This is all Drake’s doing. He dragged you into his world and claimed possession like you were an exotic animal. He destroyed everything around you in an attempt to keep you caged.”

“I’ll never escape,” she said.

Brian sat next to her, entwining his fingers in hers. They both leaned against the car as their breathing evened and the quiet night calmed them.

70

Leo stood before seven FBI agents, five DEA agents, and twelve members of the Atlanta SWAT Operations Unit. All donned their appropriate tactical gear. “We have a warrant for Sheldon Drake’s arrest. We’ll be searching his home and office. We have search and seizure warrants to go with the arrest warrant. Once we secure all weapons and drugs from both locations and arrest Drake, forensics will take over the properties.”

“Do we have something that will stick on him, Boss?” Special Agent Johnson asked.

“Nothing with teeth but Assistant Director Pernell is putting an end to our task force. It’s now or never. We are going to try to press the DA for conspiracy to kidnap and commit murder, but we may only get him on some racketeering charges. We do this by the book. If he pulls a weapon, shoot him.” Leo stopped talking and looked each of the men in the eye to be sure he was understood.

“Do you think he’ll open himself to that opportunity?” Agent Radcliff asked.

“Not likely. He’s smarter than that, but we can wish,” Leo said. “Let’s head out.”

The drive to Drake’s house felt like an eternity to Leo. He watched the SWAT team form lines around the perimeter of the house in military fashion while he waited at the front door.

“Think he’s at home?” Agent Radcliff asked with a smile.

“He was seen entering the building a few hours ago. We’ve been watching the house, and we haven’t seen him leave. If you’ll give me the pleasure, I’ll knock.”

Agent Radcliff nodded at Leo as the two men exchanged a subtle grin. Leo knocked hard on the door. He looked up at a camera that stared down at him from the porch ceiling. He held a stack of papers in front of the camera and spoke. “Sheldon Drake. This is Special Agent Keller of the FBI. We have a warrant for your arrest!”

Agent Johnson pointed to a SWAT member holding a battering ram. The officer stepped forward and punched the door open with one motion. Leo, Radcliff, Johnson, and several other officers in full tactical gear stepped into the immense house in a rhythmic order. SWAT and DEA members fanned out to every room. Leo walked purposefully to Drake’s home office with Johnson on his heels. Leo raised an eyebrow at the double doors, and Johnson swung them open. He stepped side to side, clearing the room. They found nothing.

“Where is he?” Leo bellowed. “Where is Drake? He walked to the vast entry of the house, looking to each of the intruders for an answer. As the tension released, they all returned to the entry shaking their heads in Leo’s direction.

“He’s not here,” the SWAT leader said.

“What about his office building?” Leo asked.

“It doesn’t look like he’s there either, sir,” the SWAT leader said.

“Agent Gibbs was at the office takedown,” Radcliff said. “There were a few armed men, as usual, but no one put up a fuss. Gibbs was sure he wouldn’t find Drake on the premises. He claims Drake’s men would have put up a fight to keep Drake from being arrested if he were present. He said he had an idea.”

“An idea?” Leo asked. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“I’m not sure. He said he’d get back to me when he knew more.” Radcliff responded with a shrug.

71

“We didn’t find any money in the car,” Agent O’Neil said.

“You saw them on the street on their way from the bank. Dozens of officers were on the scene. How could they not have the money?” Assistant Director Pernell shouted.

“I don’t know.”

“Any way officers were involved?”

“Are you asking if someone from the Atlanta Police Department or FBI could have taken the money?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking,” she said.

“Two dozen officers converged on the getaway car at the same time. There’s no way anyone could have taken anything from the wreck without everyone noticing. With all due respect, no one in law enforcement is responsible for the money’s disappearance.”

“I had to ask,” she said, taking a few deep breaths. “They must have dumped it during the chase.”

“Officers are searching, but they haven’t seen it. They had bags of cash. It’s not as if they could have tucked it between their cheeks.”

“I assume they’ve been searched.”

“They have. Cindy is reviewing the bank’s surveillance videos and searching street cameras. If anyone can figure out where they stashed the money, she can.”

“Speak of the devil,” Pernell said as Cindy joined the conversation.

“I don’t know how I didn’t see it before,” Cindy said. “I’m such an idiot. I was so busy trying to find the car or the face that would break the case that I let it slip by me.”

“You let what slip by you? What are you talking about?” asked O’Neil.

“I checked all of the video footage I’ve been staring at for days. All four robberies from before and now the fifth one. They walk out of the bank with three bags stuffed full of money. When they get in the car, there are no bags. I can’t get so much as a glimpse of the bags from any of the street cam videos. In each case, there is a gap of footage somewhere between the bank and the car where there are no street cameras. Somewhere between the bank and the car, they drop the bags. There must be a drop spot or someone they hand the bags off to. They flee the scene without the cash.”

“Play them one against the other. Get them to tell you who else is involved. Find out where that money is!” Joyce Pernell banged on the table between them, her face red.

Cindy and Grant rushed out of the room. Minutes later, Grant was set to start his interrogations.

“Dale Kane,” Grant said. “Braves fan?”

“Sure. Isn’t everyone?” Dale said from a chair in an FBI interrogation room.

“It says here that you grew up in the area. Spent a little time at the U.S. Penitentiary, too.”

“Is that why you brought me in here? To talk about baseball and my childhood?”

“No. I brought you in here to give you a chance to get a little leniency from the DA before your boys beat you to it. Five counts of armed robbery will not land you back in the cushy place downtown. You are headed for maximum security this go round.”

“We were taking a ride in Kenickie’s new car. You’ve got nothing on me.”

“Stolen car. Weapons and masks in the car. Sunglasses.”

“I have a permit for the gun I was carrying. We were going to a gun show. If the car was stolen, that’s on Kenickie. I bummed a ride. I’m also a bit of a germaphobe. And is it illegal to wear sunglasses?”

“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you? How about telling me where the money is?”

“Money? What Money?”

“Come on. We have video evidence of you and your friends robbing the bank less than a mile from where we picked you up.”

“I don’t think that’s possible. I’d like to see my lawyer now.”

Grant left the interrogation room to join Cindy in the observation area. “Smug bastard!” He said as he flipped the dossier on Dale to the table.

“More than I got out of Shook,” Cindy said. “He lawyered up before I finished asking him if he was a Pirates fan. Do you want to take Mucklow or the driver?”

“You’re dying to talk race games with Otto Fleckman, aren’t you?”

“I plan to address him as Kenickie, but yes.” She pulled a folder from the table and grinned at her partner.

He laughed and nodded. She hurried to an adjacent room while Grant watched through a two-way mirror from the observation room.

“Kenickie, I’ve seen you race,” she said, closing the door to the small, pale room.

Otto Fleckman sat at a three-foot table with his wrists bound to the center where handcuffs wrapped around a steel bar. “Lucky girl.”

Cindy sat across from Otto. She scooted her chair close to the table and leaned towards him, resting her forearms on the edge. “I’m a Grand Turismo racer.”

“Street races?” He leaned forward, eyeing the petite lady.

“It’s such a rush. I watch you run, man. You’re good. Hell, you’re way better than good.”

“Ever race me?” Otto cocked his head to the side as if judging her words.

“I wish. I’ve never made it that far. I’m getting better. I beat Street Seat last week.”

“He’s a punk.”

“How did these guys find you?”

“What guys?”

“The three baseball fans in the stolen vehicle with you when you were arrested.”

“Hitchhikers. And I borrowed that car. I didn’t steal it. Sweet ride, don’t you think? I just wanted to take it for a spin. I was taking it back when you and those cops ran me off the road. That’s on you.”

“The hitchhikers are bank robbers. You know it, and I know it. There will be no game time in federal prison. Let me help you out. Give me something I can take to the DA, and I’ll see if I can keep you out of jail.”

“Listen. They pay me to pick them up at a given location. I don’t get the location until thirty minutes before the job. I drop them a block from the bank and wait. When they get in the car, the guy in the Braves hat tells me where to drop them. It’s a different location every time. They get out. I drive away. That’s all I know.”

“How do you get paid?”

“Courier. A courier comes to my place a few hours after the drop and gives me an envelope full of cash. I’m certain the courier is a legitimate delivery service. Curb Service. That’s it. The delivery guys have hats that say Curb Service.”

“I’m going to need something better than that. You have to know something that will help us find the money.”

“The only money I ever see is in the envelope delivered to my door.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but I don’t think the DA is going to buy this. I can’t help you if you can’t tell me anything. Street Seat will be happy to see you go,” Cindy said with a chuckle.

She stepped into the hall, but before she could close the door, Otto yelled, “Johnny!”

Cindy turned and stared at Otto. “Johnny who?”

“I don’t know who he is, but after the first job, I remember Texas asking Atlanta if he was sure they could trust Johnny. Atlanta was in the front seat. He turned around to look at the two in the back. He may have whispered something or mouthed something to them, but I didn’t hear anything else, and it never came up again. That might be something.”

Cindy huffed and went back to the door.

“Tell the DA I cooperated. I was paid to drive from point A to point B. I didn’t rob any banks.”

Cindy walked away without another word. She entered the viewing room where Grant had been.

“We can try to run down the courier lead. Maybe we can find out who sends the money,” Cindy said.

“I bet it’s one of the guys we are already holding. What about Johnny? Any idea who that is?” Grant asked.

“Odds are, he’s the guy that picks up the money at the drop between the bank and the car. Fred Mucklow wasn’t sure if he could trust him.”

“Maybe I can use that. Wish me luck.”

72

When Brian Gibbs left Wendy this morning, he told her they would end this. They would take care of Drake forever. She wouldn’t have to worry about him ever again. The sound of her unsteady breath and her subtle grunting remained in his ears. Her swollen narrow brows and bruised face plagued his mind. He was relieved they didn’t find Drake in his home or office. He was sure there was little chance of committing Drake to prison or having an opportunity to kill him while serving the warrants.

Brian Gibbs stood on a seemingly uneventful street, peering through the windows of an empty brick two-story building. Brian knew this building was one of Drake’s strongholds. It had few windows and only two exits. Agent Gibbs had once helped guard Drake at this location during a turf war. Once he spotted Gideon Nole standing guard near the front entrance, he was sure Drake was inside. He guessed Hank Shimmer would be waiting inside on the main floor. Drake likely had at least two more cutthroats watching the back.

He checked his Smith and Wesson and held it inside the pocket of his oversized hoodie. He pulled the hood up around his face and picked up a brown bag containing an empty liquor bottle from the edge of the building. He staggered along the sidewalk, nearing the building while uttering curse words under his breath. He kept his head down, swinging the bottle as he made his way towards Gideon.

“Get lost!” Gideon ordered as Brian neared him. When Brian stumbled against the building mere feet from Gideon a handgun appeared in Gideon’s hand. “I’m not warning you again. Get out of here.”

Brian pretended to turn away from Gideon but then lunged for the Glock Gideon pointed at him. Brian held the gun with both hands, forcing the business end towards the sky. He pushed the sentinel against the brick wall, bringing a knee to Gideon’s groin. Neither of them gave up their hold on the gun as they fell to the ground and rolled into the street. The gun went off, and Gideon stood. He looked at his midsection as if he were amazed that he could be shot. Blood soaked his white button-down as he staggered backward, tripping over the curb. Agent Gibbs stood abruptly and fired a shot into the bleeding man’s chest.

The element of surprise was gone. There would likely be someone coming from the back of the building, and Hank was surely about to burst through the front door to check on Gideon.

Brian pressed himself against the warm exterior of the building, listening intently to discern where his next attacker would come from. He drew his Smith and Wesson as he heard the heavy metal of the front door scrape against the steel threshold. The sun reflected off the stainless slide of his pistol as he swung it towards the door. Hearing footsteps from the side of the building, Brian knew there would be only moments to overtake the man at the door before he would be flanked by another of Drake’s men. A black Glock held in one hand came into view and Brian struck it violently with the butt of his 9mm. He stepped around the corner to face the man who had been relieved of his sidearm and struck him abruptly in the forehead with the butt of his gun. Hank’s body fell limp to the pavement. Jimmy Hudson raced towards Gideon from the side of the building.

Brian turned his aim towards the lanky, young man. “Put your gun down, Jimmy. I don’t want to shoot you.”

Jimmy turned toward Brian with his pistol at waist level. He shifted his eyes from Gideon to Hank. His gun hand started to shake as he raised his arm. He didn’t say a word.

“Is there anyone else here? Besides Drake?”

Jimmy shook his head. He looked at Brian with wide eyes. His nostrils flared. His chest heaved.

“I’m going to lay my gun down,” Brian said as he stooped. “Put yours down, and no one will get hurt.

Jimmy nodded slowly and mirrored Brian’s actions. As both firearms dropped to the ground, Brian let out his breath. “Where’s Drake?” he asked.

An engine roared and tires squealed from the rear of the building. Jimmy turned to look at the black SUV coming towards him from the alley behind the building. “Drake!” he yelled as he dodged out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. The SUV’s tires squealed as it turned onto the street and sped away. Agent Gibbs ran the best he could with his wounded leg to his car to pursue Drake.

73

Cindy watched and listened as Grant interviewed one of the bank robbers.

“Hi, Fred. I’m Special Agent O’Neil. We spoke to your friends, but I’d like to hear your version of the story.

“I’ve got nothing to say,” Fred said. He sat back in his chair as far as the cuffs would let him.

“You, Marvin, and Dale mask up and get out of the car a block from the bank. You watch the door and anyone near the entrance. Marvin and Dale wave their guns around and scare everyone, forcing them to get face-down on the floor. They grab the cash and put it in large duffle bags. You each carry a bag full of money outside, and Johnny takes it from there.”

Fred Mucklow’s eyes grew wide with the mention of Johnny’s name. “Who?”

“We know about Johnny. He gets the lion’s share, and you four take the heat. You’ll all go down for armed robbery while he spends your money.”

Fred’s knees started to shake side to side like he had to pee, but he didn’t offer a word.

“How am I doing so far?”

“You think you’re smart.”

“We have it all figured out. It’s not rocket science. You four aren’t too bright if you ask me. You stuff piles of money in bags and hand it to someone you barely know without even knowing how much the take is. There is honor among thieves and then there is plain stupidity.”

The motion of Fred’s legs increased, and his neck reddened. He clenched his teeth.

“You three idiots give away your hard-earned money, hoping you’ll get a fair cut later. You jump into a car with a guy who learned to drive in front of his TV, and you switch to a different car a few miles down the road.

“That boy can drive,” Fred said.

“I caught him,” Grant said with a shrug.

Cindy chuckled at that. She was into a full-gut laugh when Assistant Director Pernell joined her in the observation room.

“Something funny, McCarthy?”

“No ma’am. It’s just… well, I think Agent O’Neil is on to something.”

The two women faced the glass and listened.

“Anything to add other than ‘that boy can drive’?” Grant mocked.

“We ain’t stupid. I figured out how much we dump out of each drawer, and we all get our fair share, except for that driver fella. He gets a flat rate because he doesn’t get his hands dirty. We do all the heavy lifting.”

“Johnny doesn’t go in the banks. He’s not risking his ass. We can’t charge him with armed robbery. He’ll get accessory after the fact. A slap on the wrist.”

“He planned it all. He’s holding our money until we get out of here.”

“Do you trust him? Is he looking out for you? Who says you can trust him?”

“Dale. That’s who. I trust Dale. Dale says Johnny G is a stand-up guy, and that’s good enough for me.”

“We’ll see about that. When we pick him up, I bet he’ll be happy to turn over the money to stay out of jail.”

“Without the money, you’ve got nothing on him. You barely have anything on us. I’d like to see my lawyer now.”

“Damn. I thought he was going to get Johnny’s last name,” Cindy said. “I'm going to check all known associates, cellmates, and relatives of these guys for a John G.”

“Good work Agent McCarthy. Stay on it,” the Assistant Director said.

74

“Still not answering but we have to assume he still has his phone on him,” Radcliff said from the passenger seat of Leo’s Grand Cherokee.

“We’ll keep following the tracker relay your guy is sending for Brian’s phone. What do you think he’s up to? You don’t think he’d try to go after Drake on his own?” Leo kept his eyes on the road as he raced through a red light with his siren blaring. He swerved, barely missing a station wagon that had entered the intersection.”

“Take it easy. If we don’t get there, we won’t be of any help.” Radcliff braced himself, pressing his hands against the dash. “You saw Wendy. She’s beat to hell. That may have sent him over the edge. I think he loves her.”

“Drake didn’t beat her.”

“As good as doing it himself. We all know he’s responsible. He sent Mike after her. I’m sure Brian blames him for everything and rightly so.”

“As much as I’d like to see Drake dead, I don’t think one man going after him alone is a smart idea. Part of me thinks dying is too good for Drake. He should suffer in prison for thirty or forty years before dying,” Leo said.

“I’m guessing Brian is thinking of Wendy’s safety more than Drake’s punishment.”

“She’s probably been right all along. She won’t be safe until he’s dead.”

“Or serving life in prison. But Brian isn’t stupid. He knows Drake can beat a racketeering charge,” Radcliff said.

“If I had more time, I’d get him on something solid.”

“You’ve had years.”

The two men’s bodies jolted against their seat belts as the SUV hit the curb and climbed onto the sidewalk avoiding slow traffic. Leo held the horn down, blaring it in a constant tone under the siren’s wail.

“It seems Agent Gibbs has been on him even longer,” Leo said.

“That’s different. We were waiting to nail his superiors… and we’ve made several busts within Drake’s syndicate over the years. Let’s not make this a pissing contest. I want to keep Brian from doing anything stupid. Like dying. You’re welcome to the bust if we get the chance to snatch Drake up.”

“You like the kid, don’t you?” Leo raised one eyebrow.

“Let’s just say I’ve grown fond of him. No point in losing a good agent. Take a right at the light. We aren’t far away from him.”

Leo directed the Jeep Cherokee over the curb and around the corner as he skidded across the center line, getting back to his lane in time to miss oncoming traffic.

75

Brian pushed the front fender of his Challenger into the rear bumper of Drake’s SUV. The large black Cadillac swerved back and forth as if it was headed for an uncontrolled tailspin, but Drake managed to straighten it out. Brian kept his foot on the gas, edging up alongside Drake. Drake turned his wheel abruptly towards Brian, banging the large SUV into the muscle car. It forced the car off the edge of the road and into the ditch.

Brian was able to hold the car on the slope of the ditch and slowly make his way back over to the berm. The rural area they entered had little traffic, but a semi barreled toward them in a three-car game of chicken. Smoke rose from the road ahead as the truck screamed with the slam of the air brakes. The large rig stuttered towards the Escalade and the Dodge as it slid to a stop. Brian broke right, entering the ditch once more to avoid the semi. As he brought his vehicle back to the road, he saw Drake doing the same. The cars slammed into one another at the front doors. Brian turned his wheel hard into the Cadillac, holding it as far to the left as he could and sending the two vehicles into a spin. The back end of the Challenger hit an electric pole, bouncing hard into the SUV. The front end of the Escalade pushed head-on into a tree, and the airbag deployed.

Drake pushed his way around the bag as it started to deflate. He opened the door and stepped away from the wreck. Brian banged his shoulder against the Charger’s driver’s side door but could not make it budge. He lifted his sore body through the broken window, falling to the warm pavement. He stood slowly, shielding his eyes from the sun. Drake positioned himself in the middle of the road, smiling while a siren roared in the distance.

“Sheldon Drake, you’re under arrest,” Agent Gibbs said as he staggered back against his mangled car.

“Okay. You got me,” Drake said. “Come on over here and slap the cuffs on me. I’ll be out before you can get home and fuck my wife.” The smile didn’t leave his face. He held his hands in front of his chest as if waiting to be cuffed.

“Then what? Then what will you do?”

“I’m going to get the rest of my money, and then, I’m going to kill you and that crazy bitch.”

“I can’t let that happen.”

“What are you going to do about it? You’re a cop. You have to arrest me. You have to give me my day in court.”

The sirens grew louder. Brian knew he was running out of time. He recognized the Jeep Grand Cherokee closing in on them. If he didn’t act now, he’d lose his chance. “I don’t think so. I’ve decided I don’t like being a cop. I quit.” The edges of his lips arched up. Sweat ran from his hairline. He reached into his pocket, staring Drake down. He gave Drake a slow wink. The sun glimmered against the stainless steel in his hand as it moved away from his body. Drake squatted, pulling a small pistol from a holder at his ankle. He fired twice before Leo could bring the Grand Cherokee to a stop near Drake.

Two patrol cars swerved up behind Brian Gibbs, and officers jumped from their cars with their firearms drawn. “Freeze!” one of them yelled.

Drake dropped his gun and turned to face Special Agent Leo Keller with his hands raised above his head.

“Sheldon Drake, you’re under arrest,” Leo said, pulling his cuffs.

“Someone tried that already today,” Drake said with a grin. “What’s the charge?”

“Murder of a DEA agent,” Leo said.

“That was self-defense,” Drake said. “He was going to shoot me in cold blood.”

Leo cuffed Drake and walked him to where Agent Gibbs lay in the street.

“He’s gone,” said an officer who was leaning over the body.

“He was about to shoot me,” Drake spouted. “I had given myself up. He drew on me. You saw it.”

“There’s no gun,” one of the uniformed officers said. We’ll canvas the scene again, but there doesn’t seem to be a firearm anywhere.”

“He pulled a gun. It’s here. I saw the glimmer from his fancy 9MM when he drew on me. One of you found it. I’m being railroaded!” Drake began to scream.

Leo raised his eyebrows looking the officer dead in the eye. The officer shook his head.

“No one leaves until Internal Affairs gets here. I want everyone searched. I want IA to verify that no one left this scene with a gun that didn’t belong to them.”

76

“Where he’s going, Drake will never be able to hurt you again,” Leo said to Wendy.

“I don’t know if it can hurt more than it already does.”

“I’m sorry about Agent Gibbs. He shouldn’t have gone after Drake alone. We were going to arrest him.”

“You never would have held him for long. We all know that’s true. Are you sure the murder charge will stick?”

“He shot an unarmed man. An unarmed officer of the law. He’ll never see the light of day. He may get the death penalty.”

“I hope he gets beaten and raped every day of his incarceration,” she said.

“The important thing is you will be safe. He will have much more important things to worry about than you. Besides, most of his key henchmen are dead. The rest have been arrested.”

“He loved me, you know? Axel Wolf. Agent Brian Gibbs. I think I loved him, too. I guess he kept his promise. He told me you’d get Sheldon today. All he wanted was for me to be safe without me having to kill Sheldon. He called me after the raid on Sheldon’s home and office. He told me he may not be able to keep his promise.”

“But he did.”

“I’m not sure that’s the promise he was talking about.” Her head drooped, and she closed her eyes as tears slipped under her eyelids.

Leo put his hand on Wendy’s shoulder. He wanted to step closer and hold her in his arms, but he knew that would be inappropriate. “What promise then?” he asked.

“One he made to himself every morning. It’s not important. How’s your brother, Agent Keller? Is Sean okay?”

“I think he will be.”

“And Noah Ramsey? Did you find Noah during the raid?’

“I’m afraid we did. He was snorting coke off a large-breasted young lady in the west wing of Drake’s house. He was never a prisoner. He worked for Drake. He’s the one who was sent to find you when you fled. He found you in Washington State and befriended you. He claims to have considered not turning you over to Drake. He stayed with you as long as he thought he could get away with it. He said you were a lot of fun. I’m sorry, Wendy.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised. It seems no one I know is who they claim to be. Everyone lies about who they are—even me. I lied to Noah and Ethan. I lied to Dean, Bonnie, and Hanna. Worst of all, I lied to myself. Maybe you’re the only honest person I know, Agent Leo Keller.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Leo said with a blank stare. “Hanna and Ethan are here to pick you up.”

“You called them?”

“Yes. I thought you needed to be with some people you could trust. They haven’t been dishonest with you, not as far as I can see.”

“No, but I lied to them. I got them involved in something that had nothing to do with them. I brought a great deal of danger to their door.”

“You didn’t mean to do that, and they understand. They understand why you had to lie. They seem to want to help you anyway. They like you. Hell, I like you, Wendy.”

“About that supplier who was stabbed a few years ago…”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Leo grinned.

“The knife. Was it found during the search of Sheldon’s house?”

“Like I said, I don’t know anything about that.”

“Thank you, Agent Keller,” Wendy said as she leaned towards him. She hugged him for a moment and then backed away.

Leo swallowed hard and cleared his throat as Assistant Director Joyce Pernell escorted Ethan and Hanna into the room. “Leo. Call me Leo.”

“Leo, Internal Affairs and District Attorney Downing have a few questions for you,” Joyce said. She nodded politely to Wendy and turned away as Leo left the room with her.

77

“I’ve decided to stay in Cartersville indefinitely,” Ethan said. “I’m buying that hooptie of a car from Dean. You’re welcome to borrow it any time you like. I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.”

“What my dear brother is trying to say is would you like to stay with us for a while?” Hanna asked. “As long as you like.”

“You want me to live with you?” Wendy’s eyes opened wide, and her words came slowly.

“Yes. We’d like that, very much.” Hanna said.

“I know you are a big city girl, but Cartersville is only an hour from downtown Atlanta,” Ethan said.

“I could go for some time in a small town,” Wendy said, “I’d love to stay with you both. It’s so gracious of you to invite me into your home.”

“Everyone needs some family,” Hanna said with a grin and a nod.

“Wendy stepped close to Hanna and hugged her gently, closing her eyes. She wondered if this could be her new life. Her second chance. Was Drake really going to jail? Could she live in peace with her newfound friends?

“Hey, what about me?” Ethan said with outstretched arms.

“Bring it in,” Hanna said as the two women created space for Ethan to join the hug.

“Don’t worry; I won’t stay long,” Wendy said.

“Oh, please stay with us for a long while,” Ethan said as they ended the embrace.

“I think putting roots down in Cartersville is a great idea, but I don’t want to impose,” Wendy said. “Not for long anyway. I noticed a house for sale on your street. Maybe I could get my own backyard where you could join me for beer and tacos.”

“Excellent,” Ethan said.

“Don’t feel like you have to rush into anything. I already spoke to Danny. We are happy to have you and Ethan stay with us for as long as you like.” 

“But wait. You don’t even have a job. How will you get a loan for a house?” Ethan studied Wendy’s smile.

“I think I know where I can get my hands on some cash,” Wendy said.

78

“Agent Keller, I’m Agent Wexler. Internal Affairs.”

“Good to meet you,” Leo said. “I already gave my statement to someone in IA.” He shook hands with the stout woman in business attire.

“I know. I just want to make sure we have every base covered and re-covered. We don’t want to give Drake’s attorneys any latitude. Do you know District Attorney Downing?”

“I do. Herschel.” Leo nodded at the tall, slender man in the three-piece suit.

“I want to make sure we nail this bastard,” Heschel Downing said. “You saw Drake fire on Agent Gibbs?”

“Yes. He pulled his weapon as Agent Radcliff and I entered the scene in my vehicle. He fired twice.”

“You didn’t see a gun in Agent Gibbs’s hand?”

“No. Two patrol cars came in from the other direction. What did those officers say?”

“Same as you,” Agent Wexler said, tapping the table covered in documents and photos. “Drake fired two shots killing Agent Gibbs in cold blood.”

“Any unaccounted-for weapons found at the scene?” Leo asked.

“No. Good move on your part getting our team on site before anyone left the vicinity,” Agent Wexler said. “We searched every inch of a half-mile radius around the shooting and everyone on site. No weapons not registered to the officers at the scene, and only Drake’s weapon had been fired.”

“I know you’ve been trying to put a case together against this guy for a while now. Is there anything you’re not telling us? Anything that could come back to bite us in the ass?” the DA said.

“No. It’s all in the report,” Leo insisted. “It happened exactly the way I reported it. Agent Gibbs was unarmed. I understand his weapon was found at another crime scene miles away.”

“Yes,” Agent Wexler said, pointing to a photo of Gideon Nole on the table. “As far as we can tell, someone shot this man before Agent Gibbs was seen chasing Drake in his car. Agent Gibbs’s Dodge was spotted in the vicinity of both crimes. The details are sketchy. We found Gideon Nole dead and Hank Shimmer unconscious. Shimmer has been arrested with connection to the drug syndicate.”

“But we need to make the murder charge stick to Drake,” DA Downing insisted. “He killed a DEA agent in cold blood.” He pointed to a series of photos on the table that caught different angles of Brian’s body lying dead in the street.

Leo picked up one of the pictures of Brian to get a closer look. “Terrible shame that this man had to die in order for us to put a known criminal behind bars. It shouldn’t have come to this.” Leo turned the photo around, placing it in front of the DA’s face.

“Don’t put this on me, Keller!” the DA barked. “If you’d done your job, we would have had Drake in prison a long time ago.”

“Now you have him on first-degree murder!” Leo barked back. “Don’t fuck it up!”

“One more thing, Agent Keller,” the professional woman from Internal Affairs said. “Agents McCarthy and O’Neil.”

“They weren’t on this case. They have been working a serial armed robbery. Caught the SOBs too.”

“Caught most of them. It seems there was a mastermind behind the robberies who hasn’t been found. We believe he has the stolen money. Someone gave up his name. It’s an alias. The guy was on Drake’s payroll and yours. They call him Johnny Glue. Your agent? Kaplinsky? Wasn’t he presumed dead?”

All Leo could offer Wexler was a laugh.

79

“Good afternoon. I’m Leo, and I’m an alcoholic.”

“Hello, Leo,” the group before him said.

“Twelve years ago, I was on patrol when my partner and I got a call that a nearby liquor store was being robbed. We raced to the location and entered the store cautiously with our guns leading the way. Shots were fired from inside the store. I heard a bullet whiz past my head. My partner and I both ducked as we watched the perpetrator flee through the back door.

The store owner assured us there was only one armed assailant, so we darted out the back of the store in pursuit of the culprit. My partner split off to one side in an effort to head the guy off. I went after the robber and followed his bright red hoodie for blocks. I didn’t think I could match his cadence much longer when he turned into an alley. He started to fire at me as he ducked around an old brick building.

I paused until he stopped shooting and then followed him into the alley. My partner came over a wall at the back of the alley, landing on a garbage dumpster. He aimed down at the man telling him to put his gun down. As I approached, my partner jumped from the dumpster to the ground, landing with one foot on an empty vodka bottle. The bottle threw him off balance, and he tumbled to the ground, dropping his sidearm.

I yelled for the man in the hood to drop his weapon. He turned to my partner and aimed his gun to fire. I got off a round first, hitting the hooded man in the side of the head. I approached and kicked the gun out of his hand. As the offender fell, his hood dropped from his head. He wasn’t a man at all but rather a pale, pimply-skinned teenager. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The armed robber was no more than fifteen years old.

My partner assured me that if I had not taken the shot, the boy would have surely killed him, but that didn’t change the fact that I had killed a boy. A young boy with his entire life before him. Internal Affairs ruled it a ‘good shoot.’” Leo said, making air quotes with his fingers.

“That didn’t help me sleep at night. I became an ill-tempered insomniac. I rarely ate and soon found solace in the form of vodka and bourbon. I was assigned to a department psychologist for treatment and given a desk job. I would have a coffee cup of vodka on my desk every morning. I ended every evening at a bar near my apartment.”

Leo looked at his brother, who was sitting in the second row of onlookers as he told his story. Tears filled his eyes. “One evening, I stumbled home from the bar, making it to the elevator in my building but not much further. I fell out of the elevator and onto the floor. I woke up outside my apartment the next afternoon in a mad panic to call my supervisor at the precinct until I realized it was Saturday. I sat down at my kitchen table and poured myself a drink.

Late that evening, I sobered up enough to notice the answering machine blinking on my landline. I hit the button to listen to a message that was left on Friday afternoon. It was my brother calling to tell me our mom was sick and that I needed to come home right away.

I took a cab to the airport and then to the hospital where I found my brother near the intensive care unit. I was too late. My mother had passed. I left the hospital and walked to the closest AA meeting I could find. I haven’t had a drink since.”

After the meeting, Sean smiled at his brother with a bit of sadness. He wrapped his arms around Leo and hugged him for several minutes. “Thank you for sharing,” he said as he released him. “There’s a new coffee house down the street. The cheesecake is supposed to be incredible.”

“That sounds great,” Leo said.

As the two brothers engaged in casual conversation while they walked towards the promised dessert, Leo’s phone rang. He answered, “Agent Keller.”

“Special Agent Keller, this is Roger with the sixth precinct. I looked into the evidence in the photo you asked me about.”

“Did you find out what the shiny object was near Agent Gibbs’s body in photo nine next to evidence marker forty-seven?”

“It turns out, the evidence marker was for the tread mark on the berm. I found the officer who placed the marker. Bill. Bill Swanson. New guy. He said he was marking tread to match the movement of the two vehicles involved. He didn’t bag the object you saw. He said there was a ton of debris along the road but nothing that seemed intricate to the case.”

“Okay. I was hoping to identify the object in the photo,” Leo said. “Not important.”

“He didn’t bag it, but when I showed him the photo in evidence, he said he remembered seeing an old harmonica on the ground near the tread mark. He was quite sure that’s what you saw in the picture.”

Go to dshock.net for more books by this author.

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