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I was already near the door when the lieutenant’s voice shouted above all the noise, quieting it for a moment: “And where the hell do you thinkyou’regoing?” he asked, hands on both hips.
I had no evidence, nothing more than a feeling in my gut, but as I stood there, the room quiet around us, staring at the man I disliked for valid reasons, I had a strong feeling that he was the one behind all of this. After all, he was the one with the info; he was the one who got the ball rolling on the investigation. Did the chief even know? Or was he as clueless as I was?
All eyes focused on me.
I shrugged, throwing all the acting talent I had into the performance. “I’m going home. Why?”
The lieutenant threw his hands up. “What part about no one in or out did I communicate in a foreign language to you?”
You douche. You just wait. This ain’t over yet.
“Well, those four cups of coffee gotta go somewhere, but I can use that little plastic plant right next to you, Lieutenant, if you’d prefer that.”
Laughter broke out among the agents. The lieutenant narrowed his eyes, a glint of hatred in them. He was about to say something, but the chief stepped forward. “Just go and stop making a scene about it.”
I grinned at the lieutenant, every muscle in his face taut and twitching. I threw him a curt nod and left.
The door to the hallway had barely closed behind me when the noise of the operations room jumped back to its obnoxious levels. Striding down the hallway with determined steps, I briefly ran my fingers over the gun I carried in a tuck holster on my pants to my left. I was a cop again and, as such, had my gun and badge on me at all times.
The stairs leading to the exit of the feds bureau were already in sight when I heard the door to the operations room slam shut again at my back. I froze without turning.
“I’m pretty sure the bathroom is the other way,” the chief’s voice hollered down the hall. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. He was by himself, slowly making his way closer to me.
“And I thought we were the good guys,” I said. The chief stopped, his gaze dropping to the floor as he placed his hands on his hips.
“I thought so too. I found out when the feds came on board, but by then, it was too late.”
I didn’t say anything, just kept looking at him.
“And he’s still a killer who moves above the law and thinks he can be judge and jury at the same time. There are still laws in this country, Noah.”
I nodded. I agreed with him. Except...
“Are we gonna arrest him when his door gets kicked in tonight or kill him?”
The chief’s face turned angry. He shook his head. “Kill him? If that’s what you think of me, then all these years we’ve worked together were for nothing. I’m not stupid. I signed up to be on the mission to make sure the FBI or the lieutenant aren’t out of line and follow the books.”
“Wait. You’re going with the tactical unit?”
The chief checked his watch, then nodded. “To make sure nobody forgets the law. In fact, I’m in just as much of a hurry as you are. I hope when you get to her, you’ll make the right choice regarding Andrei Kowitsch. The puppet master might have changed in this game, but the puppets are still the same, and the officers at my station deserve better gear than the shit we have. We need that funding. He’s still a murderer, and I’ll treat him as such. I can only hope you’ll do the same.”
He stared at me in silence for a moment, then smiled and forced out a little laugh. “I knew you were the right man for this job.” Then he turned and started walking.
“Chief!” I called out to him. He stopped and turned.
“Thank you,” I said in a grateful tone, my eyes soft and kind.
He threw me a curt nod, then sighed. “Will you get the hell out of here now or what? We’ll both be too late, thanks to your love for drama.”
I laughed, then turned and sprinted down the stairs like the devil was after me, which in some ways, he was. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t make it to Mila on time. It was reassuring to know that my chief would be with the team at the scene, but the thought of getting Mila out of there made me feel a lot calmer. At this point, it wasn’t about asking for her forgiveness. It was about her safety, about saving as much of this messed-up mission as I could to keep her safe and sound.
On my way, I barreled into some agent, who cussed after me as I stormed into the parking lot and shouted a quick sorry over my shoulder.
My undercover cop car was parked not far from the back entrance. I’d drive my SUV up to Portland like there was no tomorrow. Nobody or nothing could stop me...not when it was about her—the love of my life who would soon curse and doom me for all eternity.
