Ericka returned to the room with the other officers and sat at her desk. Hopefully, the other team members wouldn’t be upset that she’d researched them. She’d honestly be surprised if they hadn’t done the same to her.
“There you are. I would have you meet the team, but they’re on assignment.”
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll get some lunch and share it in the conference room.”
“Sure.”
She followed him. They entered a room with a kitchenette and several large appliances.
“We always have coffee if ever you want some.”
He poured a cup then led her to a table that was laden with food. He filled a plate then waited until she was done before leading the way to the conference room.
She figured other people would be in there eating, but most were sitting at their desks in the main room.
It was just the two of them.
“So, what do you think of the digs?”
“Well, the elevator trick was interesting.”
“I know, right? We decided we might want to be a little down low. Plus, this level has an exit to the main road. On the other floors we would be stuck.”
“How do you bring people in for interrogation? You can’t exactly bring them into your super-secret facility.”
“Truthfully, we’re so new that it hasn’t come up yet. But there is another office in this building that is law enforcement related so I think we’re going to use their rooms for interrogation.”
She looked at the frosted glass office.
“Is that where the boss is?”
He scratched his head. “Not exactly. I mean, I guess it will be in the future. For now, well, that’s my office.”
“Really?” She was impressed.
“Yeah. I agreed to start the unit but not continue to run it, so my name isn’t on the door or anything. Once they get a permanent director then I’ll be on the floor with you guys, which is where I’d rather be.”
“I thought you’d be tired of action.” She’d gotten tired of it when they were in Afghanistan. Which begged the question of why she’d agreed to come to New York.
Maybe she was regretting that decision.
“The action is different, much slower paced. We don’t get shot at, most of the time, because we’re investigating crimes that have already occurred. Or we’re trying to find someone.”
The way he said that last part seemed like he was trying to share something without coming outright and saying it.
Finished eating, he faced her. “I’ll have someone pick you up on Saturday because I want you to meet me up with me and the others at the airstrip. Of course, you’ll probably meet them before then, but I have something I want us to do together.”
“All right.”
Greg’s phone rang and he answered without checking the screen. “Kane.” He listened and a frown furrowed his brow.
He mouthed, “I have to take this.”
Ericka nodded, but he missed it as he disappeared back into his frosty glass palace.
Ericka wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. She had no assignments that she knew of. She finished the food, savoring every bite, then she went to her desk to sit and wait.
Greg didn’t come back to talk to her or give her directions; he remained behind the frosted glass.
She drummed her fingers on the desktop. Papers were scattered on her desk, and she straightened them. Then she organized the pens and pencils that were in the drawer.
Everyone was busy so they weren’t looking at her, but she was going crazy. She tried the computer, but it needed a password.
She was going to have to sit and wait until someone told her something.
She palmed her chin and looked at one of the television monitors. It showed people on the street. People in parking lots. People going into stores. Nothing that she currently considered of great importance.
That was a good thing, she guessed. Her boredom meant everyone was alive or safe.
Leaned back in the chair with her fingers secured together behind her head, stray thoughts started going through her mind. Airstrip? What in the world could they be doing at the airstrip on Saturday?
Whatever it was, she wasn’t looking forward to finding it out.
****
“Are you sure about this?” Ericka had to raise her voice over the wind rushing into the airplane and taking her breath away.
“It’s about team building, remember?”
“Do we have to jump from an airplane? Couldn’t we go to a silly company retreat and do trust falls or something?”
“I think it’s great. Even though I’ll probably break a leg.” Quinn turned around backwards and took a step out of the plane. A scream left his lips as he fell from sight.
Maggie stepped up next. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll see you two on the ground.” Then she was gone.
“They’ve done this before, right? Tell me they’ve done this before.”
“They’ve done this before.”
“Was it their idea?” Because if it was their idea, they would be going down. She wasn’t sure how, but they would pay for making her do this.
Greg held out his hand. “We’ll go together.”
She eyed his hand. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. With all the wild and crazy things that she’d done in the past this should be a piece of cake. But not so much.
She took hold, and they stepped out together. It was beautiful, gazing at the ground below. Everything looked like it was cut up into perfect squares.
Memories from two days ago flashed through her mind. She’d walked into one of the NYPD special offices…
Greg smiled. “Ericka!” He jogged over and held out his hand to direct her. “Sorry, I couldn’t come and get you this morning. But come, let me introduce you to the team. They just got back from assignment.”
She followed him to a corner. The four corners had around four cops/detectives. On four different walls were huge television screens flashing different information.
“This is Quinn, our tech guy.”
Quinn saluted. He was just like his file had described him. Uncharacteristic of his role.
Before Ericka could analyze further, Greg grabbed her arm and pulled her to another desk. “And this is Maggie, one of our finest detectives.”
Maggie’s cheeks turned red. “You’re only saying that because I’m on your team.”
“No, you’re on my team because that’s the truth.”
Maggie seemed embarrassed by her role, an interesting trait for a detective.
“And this is Ericka Stone. Ex-military medic. She served with me in Afghanistan.”
“Thank you.” Ericka settled her stuff on the desk and turned back to her team members.
Quinn motioned Greg over. They talked in hushed tones, but she could hear what was going on, Quinn didn’t believe they needed an FBI agent on the team.
“Trust me, it’ll be helpful for many cases.”
“Well, I don’t like it.”
Quinn returned to his seat and flashed her a fake smile.
She’d sat in the corner the rest of the day regretting her decision to leave her home and wondering how she was going to get through a day of activities at the airstrip with people who didn’t want her there.
Greg tapped her arm and began motioning for her to pull the rip cord. She tugged and shot up into the air. She hovered there then started her descent. Because Greg was trying to make her fit in, here she was descending from a high altitude about to plummet to her death, or so it felt.
The FBI had listed on her file that she could do anything, become anybody. Not the finest trait to have that she was such a good liar. But sometimes her life depended on it as well as the lives of others.
Now these three people were her new team. They would depend on her to get the job done. When they realized that she wasn’t superhuman or perfect and that she really couldn’t do anything and everything, they would be disappointed. Who wouldn’t be? But at least for now this part of the adventure was over.
All four of them came down in an empty field safely.
Ericka gathered her breath. “I can’t believe you did that in the dark with people shooting at you.” She gathered her parachute under her arm.
Greg shrugged. He didn’t seem to like speaking about his army days. She understood. She didn’t like speaking about hers either. It had seemed logical to join. At eighteen she was released from foster care with a $300 check. No family, no home. So, the army became that for her. But Greg’s situation had been different. He was there because of family.
A vehicle was about a quarter mile away. They waited for it to arrive then they climbed inside. Immediately, Greg was handed a ringing phone.
“Greg Kane.” His eyes narrowed, his brows were drawn downward.
“Yes, sir.” He hung up the phone. He looked at the driver. “Take us to the warehouse.”
Everyone remained silent as they bumped over the rough terrain. Once they hit the open road Ericka leaned up to Greg in the front seat.
“What’s up?”
“We have a case.”
“Oh.”
She wasn’t meshing that well with the team yet. It didn’t seem like the best time to start a case, but they came when they came not when she wanted them to.
How many times had she almost walked away from this job? Too many to count. But there were certain people she just couldn’t leave. At least that’s what she told herself.
The SUV traveled for about twenty minutes before pulling over at a nondescript warehouse. Greg patted the driver on the shoulder. “Wait for us here.”
“Sure.”
“Quinn, Maggie, Ericka, let’s go.”
They climbed from the black SUV and entered the dusty, metal warehouse. It was hot and stuffy. If it had ever had air conditioning, it didn’t have it now.
About a hundred feet in front of them was a metal table and four chairs. On the opposite side sat one man.
“Sit.”
They each took a seat. A folder was scooted across in front of them.
“This is your mark, Big Tony Demarco, current leader of the Demarco crime family. Rumor has it that Big Tony wants to leave the crime business. If he does this, it will leave a gap, which we fear the Rosa Cartel will fill. We need Demarco to stay in place for the time being. We need your people to infiltrate the family and encourage them to stay put.”
“You want us to keep a mob family in place?” Did this guy hear the disdain in her voice?
His gaze landed on her. “Those in a higher pay grade than you ever hope to be in, have deemed this is the best way to protect everyone involved, so we will do it.”
Of course they would do it. They would blindly walk into the family of a crime lord and demand that he do something like stay where he was.
Sounded like a great plan.
She barely listened to the directions that were given. Greg could give her her marching orders later.
Maybe it was time to take a long vacation and consider a different kind of work.
Keep a crime lord in place, indeed.