TWO OFFICERS ESCORTED Pops to the tactical truck, rifles up. He was led into the red-lit interior, where Woods was sitting at a foldout table surrounded by maps and laptop screens, a group of men around him. He didn’t even look up when Pops entered. The crew inside the mobile unit appeared to be watching footage fed from a drone fitted with a heat-seeking camera.
“Deputy Commissioner Woods,” Pops said, drawing the uncomfortable attention of all of the men before him except the man he addressed. “I’m here to officially request that this operation be aborted for the safety of my officer, Detective Inspector Harriet Blue.”
Woods said nothing, still refused to look up from the screen that was casting a green light on his face. The officers behind him glanced at one another. Nigel Spader was standing in the corner, a headset clamped to his ears, looking at a sheet of numbers. When he spotted Pops, he raked the headset off.
“Chief Morris,” Nigel said as he advanced toward him, “I can help you with any inquiries you have. Let me escort you to the roadblock.”
When Nigel grabbed his arm, Pops shoved the junior officer in his narrow chest.
“Back off, you brownnosing, coattail-riding worm,” Pops sneered. “You’re only here because I clued you in to Banks’s plan.”
Woods was ignoring the entire exchange unfolding at the edge of his table, as though it wasn’t happening at all.
“Jeez, the picture quality isn’t great,” he said to one of the officers nearby, pointing at the screen before him. “What’s that? Is that a person or an animal?”
“The drone camera is brand-new tech,” a young officer said, clearing his throat. “The one on the chopper’s better, obviously, but we don’t want to spook the targets by doing flyovers.”
“The targets,” Pops said, putting his hands on the table. “Woods, have you briefed these men about the possible appearance of my officer? Is she considered a target? Because if she is, I’d like to know on what authority you—”
Woods glanced up at Pops and sighed. “Chief Morris, you’re a suspended officer interfering in an active police operation at this very minute. Can you say whatever it is that you need to say and then leave?”
“Have you authorized the men out there for use of necessary force against Blue?” Pops asked.
“I have.”
“You can’t do that without an arrest warrant!”
“Just watch me.” Woods smiled.
Pops looked around the room. “You all heard that, didn’t you? Harriet Blue has not been formally charged with a crime. Even if you did try to get a warrant now, all you’d have is resisting arrest at best, which doesn’t justify force. Harry’s wounded. Did he tell you that?”
The men shifted, looked away.
“This man is endangering her life by setting up a sting for an innocent officer of the law.”
“Harriet Blue is a dangerous individual.” Woods stood, his barrel chest expanding. “While we have not set up this sting to catch her specifically, I anticipate that she’ll come wandering in, making a hysterical show of herself, just the way you have, Morris. And I intend on taking her into custody for her own safety and the safety of the man she’s come here to kill. We can apply any relevant charges later. For now, Blue is a danger to herself and a danger to others.”
“This is bullshit.” Pops rubbed at his chest, where a familiar ache was beginning. “If she does turn up, and she gets killed because of your mistrust of her—”
“Keep your voice down. You’re—”
“I’ll be right there at the inquiry, Joe,” Pops snarled, pointing a finger in the bigger man’s face. “I’ll be right there to tell everyone how you handled this.”
“It’s a date,” Woods said.
Pops felt a spike of pain run up his ribs. He tried to catch his breath, but the air moved through his lips in short, strangled gasps.
“Give me time to go out there,” Pops said. “I’ll find her. I’ll call her in.”
Woods looked at one of the men over Pops’s shoulder and jutted his chin, a signal. Pops tried to turn but found his arm seized and twisted behind his back.
“You can’t—” he gasped.
“You’re a suspended officer,” Woods repeated. He waved at the men behind Pops. “Put him somewhere he can’t cause any trouble.”
Pops didn’t struggle as they dragged him away. He was too focused on the straight, tight band of pain spreading across his upper chest.