The familiar scent made her heart jump. Katie.
Eyes closed, AJ tried to inch closer to the warm skin against her, but pain shot through her head and across her shoulder. Her eyes popped open. Katie was asleep, her head resting on AJ’s hip, a hand firmly on her arm. What the hell was beeping and why was their bedroom all white?
She looked up. An IV ran down into her arm.
Suddenly, Grace was leaning over her, whispering. “Quiet. It’s the first time she’s slept since she got up here.”
The pain was horrible, and AJ closed her eyes again. “My head.”
“You got shot. Twice. Head and shoulder.”
“No crutches this time,” AJ managed. Her throat hurt.
“You’ve had surgery, so don’t move. Lie still while I get the nurse.”
“Katie?” AJ breathed out.
“Maddie flew her up here yesterday with the neurologist. She wouldn’t sleep. That’s a pile of exhaustion lying on you.”
“Everyone else?”
“Fine,” Grace said, and spoke to someone.
A tall, dark-haired woman in scrubs stepped inside and adjusted the IV, checking the beeping machines. “How are you doing?” She bent over her.
“Been better,” AJ said. “How long?”
“Two days. How’s the pain?”
“Terrible.”
“Okay, let me give you something for that.” She turned away as Grace moved to the other side of the bed. AJ tried to remember but couldn’t get past the pain.
“Catch me up,” AJ whispered.
“It was crazy.” Grace leaned closer. “The DHS arrived and went into the plant. Then the ambulance and cops were everywhere. Tag and I went inside after they got you into the bus and on your way here. The cops took the two men from the motel.”
Grace stopped talking as the nurse fed something into the IV. She looked at Grace. “She’s going under again, so talk fast.”
“They got Frog and the girls to Milwaukee. Everyone’s safe, but you’re not going to believe what they found at that plant.”
“Damn,” AJ mumbled and her mind fell away.
* * *
Tag sat at the table in the suite across from Lawrence Kelly. They’d gone over the time up here for what seemed like hours and her brain felt mushy. Her phone beeped with a text from Grace.
“AJ was awake briefly, but they put her back under,” she said and kept the rest of it to herself. Grace had added that Katie was still asleep.
Kelly gave her a tired smile and shuffled papers, dropping them into his briefcase. “That’s enough, Tag. You need to sleep. We all do.” His phone rang and he answered, listening to the message. “My plane’s in Green Bay, so I have to go. The helicopter’s waiting to take me to the airport.” He knotted his tie. His expensive steel gray suit matched his hair and fit his tall frame impeccably. “All of you did a good job. I’ll send the plane back to Green Bay for Maddie. Tell her to let me know.”
“Sir. One more question. Where’s Clint Weeks?” Tag said.
“Milwaukee. Maddie’s FBI bureau chief is working with Peter Adams on the charges. I waited in Milwaukee until the DHS brought him down from up here. Jay Yardly was with him.” Kelly’s voice shook. “Jesus Christ. I’ve known that guy over twenty years and he had me fooled. Do you know what he said…God, I couldn’t believe it. He said he had to get back because of the money. The money. I couldn’t believe he’d said that, and Jay looked like he’d just been hit. Clint admitted to working with John Owens’s family right away. And then he knew the two men, the ones from the motel here, had shot at AJ, twice, and burned the house and the cars. What a mess.” He took his wire-rimmed glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “It’s this damned election. It’s messed everybody up and sideways. I know you’re on standby for testimony on that other issue. You’ll make a difference.”
“You know what I can’t figure out? Why Weeks brought that information to Pete at the Milwaukee DOJ in the first place.”
“Because, damn it, he’s crazy. And the money. I was with his wife at their home, trying to help them with a memorial for their daughter when he disappeared. One of their kids came running in and said he’d driven away. I thought he’d figured out that it was his fault she was dead…that he’d bankrolled the Owens men who killed her and then…” Kelly stopped talking and cleared his throat. “I think he suspected it when he saw those kids up here, in Niagara…I don’t know. Anyway, he flew back here to the plant because he knew where those kids were.” He pulled in a deep breath. “As we now know—and Clint now knows—that man with the tattoos and his buddy were part of the men who killed X-Girl, his daughter. What we don’t know is why Clint killed those two kids at the plant. We’ll get some of the answer from the rescued victims at Hannah’s House, but I want to hear it from Clint.”
“I agree with everything you just said, but it still goes back to why he brought the information to Peter Adams.” Tag shifted in her chair.
“What more is there, other than that?” Kelly rolled his shoulders and stared out the window. “I mean…”
Tag watched him. He was getting there. She’d done a lot of debriefing with commanders and saw him begin to sift past all the excuses.
“Ah, shit.” He leaned on his elbows. “I see it. He wanted to be on the inside. Keep up with what we knew, didn’t he? He knew X-Girl had punched everyone hard and we weren’t going to let it go. But he didn’t know that girl was his. Yet.” He nodded to himself. “Allison Jacob is one on my best agents and fought me all the way on this one, and now…” He took a breath. “This is on me.” His hands shook and he jammed his glasses back onto his face and moved toward the door. “Somebody call me when they bring Allison back to Milwaukee. I’ll stay in town until she’s there.” He picked up his briefcase and left without another word.
The silence in the room was unnerving. Tag cleaned the table and the coffee cups to fill the space. She straightened the desk next. None of them had slept last night, and she’d helped Grace with Crow this morning. Maddie had shown up, and all of them had gone over the vacant motel. That had been a moment.
Grace had sent Jeff and Greg to Milwaukee, then left for the hospital to check on AJ and Katie. Tag had stayed at the suite to begin to take down their equipment. Lawrence Kelly had unexpectedly shown up at the hospital, spoken to Grace, and called Tag from there. She’d asked if he could meet her here and he’d agreed.
Her final report to Lawrence Kelly was much like the military. She’d done a ton of them. She stared at the dark computers. It was done. She took the packing boxes out of the closet, but stopped and headed for her shower instead. She’d get some rest first and then start to get ready to leave.
Standing under the water, Tag felt a moment’s pity for Lawrence Kelly. The truth was often damned uncomfortable.
She thought of AJ on the pavement and all that blood. I should have seen the shooters. She blocked her mind, dried off, and crawled into the bed. She’d get to the hospital after she woke up and finished the packing.
* * *
That night they all gathered in AJ’s hospital room. Maddie leaned into Sam against the wall. Grace and Tag sat on one side of the bed, Katie on the other. AJ’s bed was up so she could see all of them, her right hand threaded with Katie’s.
AJ spoke. “They gave me fifteen minutes to talk, so make it fast. Take me from the moment I got shot.”
Grace began. “There were two men in the guard shack behind tinted glass. We couldn’t see them, and since we didn’t know that was where the truck was going, we didn’t expect it. That’s why Tattoo Man and his buddy didn’t resist.”
“I still should have seen them,” Tag added.
“I should have too,” AJ said.
“What none of us saw was a very big sign that said the plant was Temporarily Closed. After the ambulance, the cops, and the DHS showed up,” Grace continued, “Richard, Tag, and I went inside to help the DHS. Maddie stayed with you and rode back here, to the hospital. The DHS put Tattoo Man and the other guy into one of their vans and they’re here, in Niagara at the police station. Richard drove the truck back to Milwaukee with Frog and all of the kids last night. They’re at Hannah’s House being looked after. I sent Greg and Jeff back too. Maddie’s bureau chief has Clint Weeks in Milwaukee with Lawrence Kelly. Pete is helping them on the charges against him.” She took a drink of water. “Tag did the final report at the resort to Kelly.”
AJ looked at them, shocked.
“Kelly was here? And son of a—it was Clint? Damn it. What about Jay?”
Maddie spoke next. “Couldn’t have done it without him. He got the chopper that brought Katie and the surgeon up here from Green Bay. He got Lithscom to hold the two motel men here in jail and he rode back to Milwaukee with Clint Weeks.”
“Everyone’s safe? No one else hurt?”
“There were two dead kids in the plant, but all of that will come later when we have more than this fifteen minutes,” Maddie said. “We’re staying here until they release you.” She looked at Katie before she spoke again. “We’ll have you transported back to Milwaukee in an ambulance when you’re ready.”
AJ took a breath. “Whatever works. I’d rather be home.” The Milwaukee doctor had already spoken to her. They’d leave tomorrow.
At that moment, the doctor stepped into the room. “Time’s up. Everyone out.”
AJ started to argue, but he shook his head. “No. I’m going to run those final tests we talked about. There’s a waiting room right down the hall.”
Katie leaned over with a kiss, her gray eyes gorgeous and wet. “See you soon, love,” she said and was the first to leave.
AJ sighed. “Somebody stay with her while he has me. Thanks. You did great. Damn, I can’t believe it was Clint. I’ll bet Kelly is furious. I am.”
* * *
Katie stood at the waiting room window, her curly black hair shining in the low lights. Tag saw her wipe her eyes.
“She’s going to be all right.” Tag put an arm around her shoulder.
“The doctor said so too when he talked to us earlier.” Katie turned to face everyone. “The doctor doesn’t want to leave until he’s satisfied the internal bleeding’s stopped. That’s what he’s checking now. The shoulder was a through and through and should heal fine, but the brain’s another matter.” She straightened with a breath. “After he gives us the results of this test, I can leave. I’ll sleep in AJ’s room at the resort and pack her things. Will one of you give me a ride?”
Grace smiled. “I will. We’re doomed to stay together. Last spring and now.”
Katie almost pulled off a smile. “I didn’t bring anything with me. Chief Whiteaker picked me up at work and took me to the airport. My car’s still there. I can have someone take it home, but I need clothes and stuff.”
Grace teased her. “If you weren’t so short…”
“If you weren’t so tall,” Katie shot back and turned to Maddie. “About that transport. I’ll ride with AJ.”
Maddie nodded. “Okay. We’ve already got a room for her at the hospital where she was last spring, and I’ve talked to Dr. Light. Ride back to the resort with Tag and Grace. You’ll need clothes and I’ll see to that. You also need to eat. I called the resort and they’ll have it ready when you get there. Sam and I have to arrange for the transport to Milwaukee for Tattoo Man and the other guy right now, so we’re leaving. We’ll see you at the resort.”
“I’ll get us some coffee,” Grace said and trailed Maddie and Sam to the door.
Katie sat down next to Tag. “AJ hates hospitals, and I have to thank the stars above that there won’t be any crutches this time. The doctor said this procedure will take about an hour, and if the tests are positive, we’ll go tomorrow.” She tried to straighten her wrinkled business suit.
Tag stretched her long legs out in front of her. “We’ve got things for you at the resort. Of course…”
“I know. You’re all trees and I’m a shrub,” Katie said and finally laughed.