Alone in the Dark

‘We’ve got air support with night IR goggles, plus search-and-rescue dogs on standby,’ Scarlett continued levelly. ‘We’ve got an FBI SWAT team gathering on the ground, ready to back us up. Marcus will wear full body armor rather than the Kevlar that Stone was wearing this afternoon.’

Because bullets fired from an assault rifle went through Kevlar like a knife through hot butter. Stone was lucky to be alive. The fifteen bullets hadn’t hit anything major. At least that was what they’d been told by the surgeon when he’d come out to speak with them mid-way through the surgery. He’d been “hopeful” that Stone would make it.

Marcus still couldn’t let himself relax. Not until he saw Stone and heard his voice.

‘What would you recommend instead?’ Scarlett asked again.

Zimmerman shook his head. ‘Nothing at the moment.’

‘I don’t know,’ Isenberg admitted. ‘This feels wrong.’

Scarlett’s smile was tight. She was scared too. Marcus could see it in her expression, could feel it in the way she gripped his hand under the table, so hard that his tendons crackled.

‘Of course it feels wrong, Lieutenant,’ she said. ‘It is wrong. Sweeney’s picked the venue and the time. This could be – and probably is – a trap. If I can find out where he’s holding Gayle in the next thirty minutes, we’ll punt to our “storm the castle” plan and stage a rescue. Otherwise, Marcus pretends to do a switch, just until we have Gayle in our hands. Then Adam and Kate incapacitate Sweeney and we go in for the arrest. Unless you can think of anything better, this is the plan.’

Isenberg turned on Jonas Bishop, her equal in the CPD hierarchy. ‘Did you talk to her?’

Jonas nodded. ‘I did. She’s prepared to turn in her badge if you press her. So, please, think carefully before you press her.’

Isenberg visibly flinched. ‘What?’

Marcus’s eyes widened as he turned to Scarlett with a combination of shock and dismay. ‘You’re what?’ he demanded. ‘No. You are not turning in your badge. Not because of me.’

Scarlett shrugged. ‘It’s my badge. I can do what I want.’

Marcus met Isenberg’s eyes. ‘I feel a little sorry for you, Lieutenant.’

Isenberg stared at him for a moment, then shocked him by chuckling. ‘Good. You should.’ She turned to Scarlett. ‘All right, Detective. I can approve your plan without liking it.’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Scarlett said mildly.

‘And do not think about turning in your badge. It would never have come to that. I would have transferred you first.’

‘That’s good to know,’ Scarlett murmured. ‘I believed you were worried for my own good. It’s nice to know that for sure.’ She checked her phone. ‘We should be leaving soon. I don’t want to text Deacon again about Diesel and the safe.’

‘They’ll text us every thirty minutes with progress,’ Marcus said. ‘Deacon’s been good about that.’ Deacon was testy because Scarlett kept bugging him between updates.

‘I know. I just thought cracking a safe would be faster,’ she grumbled. ‘It is on TV.’

‘I wish he’d done it in five minutes,’ Jonas said, ‘but I’m actually a little relieved that he isn’t so good at it. I might actually have arrested him.’ He said it with almost a straight face, but his eyes twinkled at the last minute, defusing some of the tension. ‘Except that I wasn’t prepared to tangle with you, Scarlett.’

‘I called in one of the CPD safe experts,’ Isenberg said. ‘They were on a call across town, so it may be a little while, but—’

There was a knock on the door of the small conference room and Faith stuck her head in. ‘Excuse me, please. Marcus? There’s someone here to see you.’ She held the door open, and Marcus blinked in surprise at the tiny woman who stood there.

‘Delores?’

Scarlett rose to grip the woman’s hands. ‘Delores, is everything okay?’

‘I don’t know.’ Delores was pale and had been crying. ‘That’s why I’m here.’

‘Delores runs the dog shelter where I got Zat,’ Scarlett told her father as she led Delores into the room. ‘What brings you here?’

‘The hospital wouldn’t tell me anything. Where is Stone? Is he all right?’

Surprised, Marcus glanced at Scarlett from the corner of his eye and saw that she was equally perplexed at Delores’s sudden arrival and obvious tears. ‘He’s still in surgery,’ he said, ‘but the first news was good. He’ll make it, but there was a lot of damage.’

Delores sagged. ‘But he’ll be okay? Oh, thank God.’ She sank into the chair Scarlett pulled out and dropped her face into her hands. ‘I’ve been so worried. I finally got in my car and drove out here as soon as I saw the story on the news.’ Her china-blue eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m so sorry, Marcus.’

‘Thank you. Me too.’ Marcus proceeded carefully, remembering Stone’s reaction when he’d thought Delores might be in danger. There was something going on that they’d missed. ‘You only met Stone a few times.’

‘More than a few,’ she admitted. ‘He brings me things for the shelter at least once a week. Stacks heavy bags, helps me clean out cages. He made me promise not to say anything. I think he was worried everyone would think he was a mushy sap. But last night he showed up right at sunset. Told me that you two had been followed yesterday, that a killer could know my name. He stood guard in front of my house last night. All night.’

‘Stone?’ Marcus said, shocked. ‘My brother?’

‘My cousin?’ Faith asked from the doorway, equally dumbfounded. ‘Really?’

Delores’s mouth curved. ‘Really. He’s very sweet. He never came in, just sat out on my porch working on his computer all night, even though the mosquitoes ate him up. He said he’d come back tonight, but he didn’t, and I got worried. He wasn’t answering his cell phone. Then I turned on the news.’

‘It got shot up,’ Scarlett said. ‘We didn’t know you were worried or we would have called you. Unfortunately Marcus and I are headed out. We’ll be back, but Faith’s staying.’

Faith put her arm around Delores’s shoulders. ‘Come and meet everyone.’

‘Oh no, that’s all right. I’m not here to intrude. I was just so worried.’

‘So is everyone here,’ Faith said. ‘And you’re not intruding.’ She gave Scarlett a look that was both hopeful and scared. ‘Be careful.’

‘Always.’ She turned to Marcus. ‘You ready?’

Jaw set, he nodded, even though his gut was an absolute mess. ‘As I’ll ever be.’

Isenberg stood up, her expression severe. ‘This is not a suicide mission, Mr O’Ba

Marcus said nothing. He wasn’t about to give her a reason for ca

Isenberg rolled her eyes. ‘For God’s sake.’ She stuck her head out the door, looking into the hallway. ‘Officer? I’ll take it now.’ An officer came into view holding a backpack, which Isenberg took, then shoved into Marcus’s hands.

It was heavier than he’d expected. He unzipped it with a frown, his chest growing tight as he realized what the lieutenant had done. ‘Thermal blanket, first aid kit, water, protein bars, and bolt cutters.’ He looked at Scarlett. ‘Collapsible, so they’re easier to carry.’

Scarlett gave her boss a grateful smile. ‘To free Gayle. Thank you, Lynda.’

‘Just don’t be stupid, Scarlett,’ she snapped, but there was no heat behind her words. Only concern. ‘One more thing. Agent Coppola is lead on this op. You report to her.’

Scarlett’s grateful smile faded. ‘Why?’

‘Because you are emotionally invested,’ Isenberg said. ‘I want you both back alive. If Coppola says fall back, you’d sure as hell better say “yes, ma’am”. Am I understood?’

Scarlett’s nod was curt. ‘Yes, ma’am.’ She leaned up on her toes and pecked her father’s cheek. ‘See ya.’

Jonas tilted her chin, locking gazes. ‘Your LT made the right call. You are invested.’

‘I know,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t have to like it.’ She rocked back on her heels. ‘Let’s move out.’