TWENTY-SEVEN

It took Noah another ten minutes to get to the office. When he entered the conference room, he expected to see Kaely already there, asking where he’d been. But the lights were off, and their files were still scattered on the table where they’d left them.

Noah waited until after nine o’clock to call her. Originally, they were supposed to meet at eight. When she answered the phone, she sounded surprised.

“Oh, Noah. I’m sorry. I got distracted. I’ll be there right away.”

She hung up before he could say anything. He’d already packed up everything they needed and had half a mind to go without her. Kaely Quinn was never late, and she never forgot an appointment. Obviously, being around Alex Cartwright made her turn into someone else. Someone far less reliable.

He went to get another cup of coffee, and then sat in the conference room, waiting and stewing. As he went over what he would say to her when she finally arrived, he realized that chewing her out would be a huge mistake. She would immediately wonder why he was so upset. Being late wasn’t worth the kind of tirade he’d created in his mind. Would she find out he’d followed her home Friday night? That he knew she’d been with Alex? Would she assume his reaction was out of jealousy? He gulped down his irritation and realized he was on the verge of doing something he’d never be able to take back. If Kaely felt he was crossing the same line Alex had, it would end their relationship. He sighed. How had he gone from wanting nothing to do with Kaely Quinn to being afraid of losing the chance to get to know her better?

When she walked into the conference room fifteen minutes later, he was relaxed and calm. When he saw her, he almost lost it again. For some reason she looked incredible this morning. Her face glowed, and her eyes sparkled. Her auburn hair was pulled up into its usual bun, but loose hair gently outlined her face in a way that made his breath catch in his throat.

“Noah, I’m so sorry. I’ve been going over the case and lost track of time. To be honest, I didn’t get much sleep.”

“Find anything new?” he asked, choking back the emotions that surged through him.

She frowned. “No, not really. I’ll be interested to see what CIRG comes up with. Maybe their behavioral analysts will see something I’ve missed.” She noticed the boxes on the conference table. “You’ve already boxed everything up. I’m so sorry. I should have helped you with that.”

It took every ounce of self-control he possessed to smile at her and say, “Not a problem. I didn’t have anything else to do anyway. Should we load this stuff up and get to the command post?”

She nodded. “I’ll get us a cart to put everything on.”

She hurried out of the room, leaving him to wonder if she would tell him about Alex. What if she didn’t? Did she feel safer with Alex than she did with him? He tried to ignore the sting of insecurity that tried to writhe into his mind. Why did it matter who she preferred? Why did he care?

A few minutes later, Kaely came back with a large metal cart. They loaded the boxes and headed out of the building. Once his car was packed, Noah drove to the CP. He knew the area of town where the closed print shop was located. St. Louis had at least a thousand abandoned buildings, but the city’s budget only allowed them to tear down about two hundred per year. That left many neighborhoods looking like they’d been bombed. The vandalism and graffiti certainly didn’t help. Thankfully, the closed print shop was in a decent area. Even though the small strip mall where it was located was empty, it hadn’t yet been struck by teens who thought destroying property was a form of entertainment.

The front windows were covered with paper so no one could see inside. Most of the cars were parked in back in an attempt to avoid unwanted attention. Although it was obvious something was going on, anyone who was curious would never suspect the building was being used by the FBI.

Noah pulled around to the back so they could unload. After Noah and Kaely showed their credentials to the agent at the door, a couple of guys came out and grabbed their boxes. Noah left Kaely at the door while he parked the car. When he jogged back to the entrance, he found her waiting for him, and they went in together.

His first look at the command post impressed him. Desks and computers had already been set up. There was a large table at the back of the room with chairs around it, obviously for meetings. Noah felt a little twinge of regret at the realization that he and Kaely wouldn’t be sharing the case alone anymore, but calling in CIRG was the right move. Their expertise and resources would give them every advantage they could hope for. This was now a group effort.

Noah nodded at Ron Wilson, the assistant special agent in charge from their office. Ron would help oversee the operation. Solomon might stop by from time to time, but he needed to be available for other cases. Ron looked more like a college professor than an FBI agent. Tall and skinny with large black glasses, he was actually a lot tougher than he looked. Ron was here to approve any major decisions Noah made in regard to the investigation. He could also request additional agents from other squads if they were needed. But one of his main roles would be to handle any conflicts between agencies.

Donald Reinhardt was talking to someone Noah didn’t know. He assumed it was one of the detectives assigned to the task force by either St. Louis or Illinois. He hoped Reinhardt wasn’t planning to fight him for control of the team. Noah was the agent in charge, and Reinhardt would simply have to accept that.

Robbie Mantooth, a local prosecutor, was setting himself up at a desk. He’d be sworn in by a local judge as a Special U.S. Attorney so he could prepare federal subpoenas, affidavits for search warrants, or anything else they might need when they were ready to make a move. Robbie would be replaced by someone else before it was all said and done. They could end up with several attorneys throughout the process, but they needed at least one on site at all times.

Noah wasn’t sure who the other people were, but there had to be at least one logistics unit member on all shifts to make sure equipment was working and to help everyone access the ORION case management system. Among the other agents in the room there would also be a ViCAP analyst and a couple of information specialists.

Standing against the wall, watching the team set up, were two BAU agents from Quantico. Noah recognized them. Lela White and Beau Lagoski. He waved at them. They raised their hands and smiled in response. He and Beau had been friends. He didn’t know Lela well, but she had a reputation as an outstanding agent. He wanted to talk to them, but first he and Kaely needed to get set up.

Noah was scouting out desk space when he noticed Reinhardt headed their way, a phony smile pasted on his face.

“Here we go,” Noah said softly to Kaely.

“You’re the case agent, Noah. You need to establish your authority from the start. Reinhardt is a master of manipulation. Watch yourself.”

Noah stuck his hand out as Reinhardt approached. “Good to see you again, sir,” he said.

Reinhardt shook his hand and then turned his attention to Kaely. “Special Agent Quinn. SAC Slattery has nothing but good things to say about you. Seems you’re doing some outstanding work.”

“I’m pleased to hear my SAC is satisfied with my work, sir,” Kaely said.

Noah was amazed at how genuine her reaction seemed, especially after everything Reinhardt had done to her.

Reinhardt tossed Kaely a brief nod and then turned his attention back to Noah. “I understand you’re the agent in charge, Noah. Although we’re still setting things up, I think we’re prepared to have you bring us up to date on the case. Are you ready to meet with us?”

Kaely’s words about establishing his authority drifted into his mind. “Actually, I’m not,” he said quickly. “Kaely and I will find a place to work, and when we’re settled in I’ll let everyone know.”

Reinhardt didn’t seem offended. “Sure. Sounds good. We’ll be waiting for you.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked over to a younger agent who was working diligently on his computer.

“That’s his way of telling you everyone is prepared—except you,” Kaely whispered. “Don’t pay any attention. Let’s find some desks and get set up.”

“Okay.” He stared down at Kaely. “I want you to speak up in the meeting, okay? I need your expertise and your opinions. We all have to put down our egos for a while so we can catch our UNSUB.” He waited for a reply, but she didn’t say anything. “You won’t let me down, will you?”

“No.”

Noah could tell she was distracted. Was it because of Reinhardt?

“Kaely, is something wrong?” he asked.

She looked away. “I know Lela and Beau. It’s just . . .”

Noah sighed. “Why didn’t I realize? I’m sorry.”

She tossed her head back as if she wasn’t bothered by their presence, but he knew she was.

“Lela and Beau weren’t involved directly in what happened at Quantico. It’s not fair of me to hold anything against them.”

“But they didn’t speak up for you, did they?”

“No, but I understand why. They were intimidated by Reinhardt—and by the Bureau.” She raised her eyes to meet his. “I’ll be fine. I promise. And I’ll give my input. Just be prepared that Reinhardt won’t like it.”

“Tough,” Noah said gently. “Like you said, he’s not in charge here.”

Kaely flashed a quick smile. “Good for you. I hope you can keep up that stance. It might not be that easy.”

“I know, but I don’t like the idea of someone pushing us around when we’re dealing with such a dangerous threat. Reinhardt needs to drop his attitude. This isn’t about him.”

“I agree,” Kaely said. “But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

Noah grabbed the handle of the cart and pulled it close to him. “Let’s unload and jump into this thing.”

As they proceeded through the room, looking for a couple of desks together, Noah reminded himself that he would have to draw on all the experience, confidence, and strength within him as he led this task force. Lives depended on him.

divider

He hated drug dealers. Sniveling little rats, looking to make money from the desperation and hopelessness of their fellow human beings. But from time to time you had to dance with a small devil before you could confront a major demon.

He pulled the vial out of his pocket and smiled. Buying LSD had been easier than he thought. He had it all planned. Kaely Quinn would be forced to confront her nightmares before he finally put an end to her.

It was time to send another message. This time, he’d hit her where it would really hurt.