33
Caitlyn stepped out of the taxi in front of the police station, her legs feeling as if they were about to collapse. After her stint in juvenile detention as a teen, she’d never gotten in trouble again with the law. And now she was about to turn herself in to the authorities as a wanted fugitive. If things didn’t go their way, she’d end up spending years in prison.
Josh took her hand as they walked up the sidewalk toward the precinct, giving her a slight measure of comfort, but it wasn’t enough. When she was twelve, she’d asked her mother if one day she was going to end up like her father, certain she carried in her blood the same demons he battled with every day. Her mother had pulled her into her arms and told her to never, ever believe those lies.
But now here she was, facing prison just like he had.
She shoved the taunting thoughts aside. Josh had copies of everything they’d discovered, but she still wasn’t sure if it was going to be enough to put an end to all of this and prove that they were innocent. Or make up for what they’d done trying to prove that innocence. All she knew to do was pray that the light would shine through the darkness and the truth would be revealed.
“You need to know what’s going to happen once we step inside.” Josh paused in front of the precinct’s front door. “We’ll be surrounded by armed officers, all of whom have been ordered to arrest us. Do exactly what they say. We’ll get a chance to explain our side, but in the meantime they will treat us like criminals.”
She swallowed hard, then nodded. She’d watched enough cop shows on TV to give her an idea of what was about to happen. Something that did nothing to reassure her. Instead, the thought that she was about to be arrested made her want to throw up. But they were out of options and to keep running would only make things worse.
They walked across the shiny tiled floor toward the main desk. The half-dozen people sitting on benches ignored them, caught up in conversations or their cell phones.
Josh stopped in front of reception and tapped on the glass. “Mary . . .”
Recognition fluttered in the woman’s eyes and her face paled. “Detective Solomon, I—”
“I need to speak to the captain.” Josh held up his arms while still holding the file. “I’m here to turn myself in.”
The receptionist grabbed her phone and called someone. Ten seconds later, doors on either side of them slammed open, and they were surrounded by six or seven uniformed officers, all pointing weapons at them.
One of the officers stepped forward and took charge. “Drop the file, Solomon. Both of you, put your hands behind your head and lock your fingers. Now!”
Caitlyn followed their instructions, her heart pounding as she fought back the tears. All she’d wanted to do was find out the truth, and this is where it got her.
God, I need you to put an end to this . . . please . . .
“We’re here to turn ourselves in, and we will cooperate.” Josh dropped the file on the floor. “But I have information that the captain needs to see immediately. We have evidence that a bioterrorism attack is imminent at the Egyptian Consulate. You can do what you want to me, but you need to look at what we’ve got. It will tell you exactly what’s going on.”
The sergeant grabbed the file from his hand, then took a step back. “On the ground. Both of you. Now.”
Josh fell to his knees, then lay down prone on the ground beside Caitlyn.
“I need you to call the captain,” Josh repeated.
Another man walked into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Captain . . . Detective Solomon’s just turned himself in.”
Josh hesitated, then looked up from the floor. “I have information on a bioterrorism attack tonight—”
The sergeant stepped up next to him. “Shut up and don’t move.”
Cold tile pressed against her cheek. Tears welled in her eyes, and she struggled to breathe. Josh put his head back down. What were they supposed to do if no one would listen to them?
“Let him speak,” the captain said.
“There’s a virus with the potential of killing thousands about to be let loose,” Josh said, still keeping his head down. “We have hard evidence, plus a recording of a confession from ADA Nigel Hayward that he and others were involved in both the selling of the virus and framing me for my wife’s murder. But right now, there is an attack planned for tonight at the Egyptian Consulate. It needs to be stopped.”
The sergeant moved next to the captain. “Solomon’s a wanted man, sir, who just escaped from prison. I don’t think you need to be listening to him.”
“That’s my call, Sergeant, not yours. Give me the file and the recording.” He turned back to Josh. “You mentioned a bioterrorism attack.”
“According to Hayward, it’s going to be at the Egyptian Consulate. Tonight.”
“A lot of vaccines use viruses to transport genes into the body, then those genes are able to alter the immune system’s response and eliminate whatever disease the vaccine is targeting. In this case, though, the virus created turns lethal when introduced into the body. And if let loose, this lethal virus will spread like the common cold.”
The captain dropped his hands to his sides. “Who’s the buyer?”
“Angelo Braddock.”
The captain frowned. “He’s on the FBI’s most wanted list.”
“Yes, sir, I believe he is.”
“Take them to separate interrogation rooms.” The captain headed out of the lobby. “Sergeant, you’re with me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Someone pulled her up off the ground. She groaned at the sharp stab of pain that shot through her shoulder and down her arm, but she bit her lip instead of crying out. She’d do what they said. She was innocent, and surely that was going to be enough in the end for the truth to come out.
It had to be enough.
Caitlyn stared at a long scratch on the metal table in front of her. She had no idea where Josh was or how much time had passed since an officer had brought her here. Had no idea if the captain planned to take what they’d said seriously. What she did know was that every minute that passed was another minute closer to someone letting the virus loose. They’d done everything they could to stop what Braddock was planning, but unless the captain believed them, it wasn’t going to be enough.
Numbness spread through her as her mind switched to Josh. He’d gone through so much both emotionally and physically. Seeing his partner’s murdered body. Taking the brunt of a prison beating. And now this—the frightening realization that everything they’d worked to fix might be coming unraveled.
She gnawed on the inside of her lip. For a moment she was fourteen again, sitting in the driver’s seat, terrified she was going to prison for her father’s crimes. Today had become a reminder of just how much there was to lose when you cared about someone. Why she’d learned at a young age how to close her heart so it didn’t hurt as much when it was broken.
Which was exactly what was going to happen if she let Josh in. The men in her life always left. She had no desire to repeat the cycle. A cycle that always left her with a broken heart. His kiss might have left her off-balance, but she’d meant it when she’d told him things wouldn’t work between them. He’d gotten emotionally caught up in the situation, something she couldn’t afford. Not if she wanted to keep her heart intact.
She shifted in the chair, her entire body aching from exhaustion. No. She couldn’t think about Josh right now. Just like she couldn’t give in to the fatigue or the fear. This wasn’t over. Not yet.
The door to the interrogation room swung open, and an officer stepped into the room with a badge and gun on his hip, startling her awake. “Get up. I’ve been ordered to transport you to a holding cell at the county jail.”
She glanced at the door, fear washing over her again. “Wait a minute . . . Why?”
“I’m just following orders.”
“I want to speak to the captain first. Where is he?”
“The captain’s not available.” He cuffed her, then led her out of the room, toward the elevator.
“I want to see the captain before I go. I need to make sure he understands—”
“Do you know how many people come in here with stories of why they shouldn’t be in jail? You’re not exactly in a position to make requests.”
She felt her heart pounding in her chest as they stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. She was starting to panic. Struggling to breathe. “Then I want to see a lawyer. I have the right to an attorney before you take me anywhere.”
He shook his head. “I’m just doing what I’m told.”
“I want to see a lawyer,” she repeated.
He stopped the elevator midfloor and pushed her shoulder against the wall. “Here’s the deal. You’re going to shut up and do as you’re told. If you scream or do anything to try and get attention, I won’t hesitate to shoot you. All I’ll have to do is tell them you tried to escape my custody and I had to shoot to stop you. And trust me, they’ll believe me. Do you understand?”
A wave of panic swept through her as she tried to take in what he was telling her. Hayward had lied to them. He had a contact in the precinct, and this detective wasn’t following orders to transfer her. He was planning to use her as leverage if things went south for him. She pulled against his grip, but he only dug his fingers deeper into her flesh. This was insane. They were at a police station. A place where she should be safe.
She glanced up at the man, and Quinton’s image flashed in front of her. Any doubt of this man’s intent vanished. For the moment she had no choice but to do what he said.
Once outside the precinct, they started across the darkened parking lot toward his car. Temperatures had risen over the last few days, leaving behind the cold snap that had swept through the area, but she still felt chilled. She tried to slow her breathing while she hunted for a way out. Once she got into his car, her odds of escaping were going to diminish drastically.
“You can’t do this. You’re only going to make things worse for yourself.”
He clicked his key fob and opened the silver sedan to their right. “I don’t think things can get any worse. Just get into the car and shut up.”
He handcuffed her to the inside door handle, made sure her seat belt was secured, then seconds later, peeled out of the parking lot and headed north toward the freeway.
“Where are we going?”
“Doesn’t matter. I heard the captain talking, and it’s just a matter of time before he figures all this out and puts out a warrant for me. You’re going to be my insurance until I can disappear.”
“And then you what? Arrange to have me killed like you did the others?”
His silence spoke volumes.
“You know this isn’t going to work,” she said.
“Shut up.” He banged his hand against the steering wheel. “You can’t just be quiet, can you? If you’d done that in the first place, none of this would have happened.”
“What about Dr. Abbott and Helen? Were they murdered because they couldn’t keep quiet?”
He glanced in the mirror, then took the next exit. “They were loose ends.”
“And the virus they’re going to release? Are you planning to just ignore that?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Do you even know what they are going to do with the virus? Once it’s out, a lot of people are going to die. And don’t think it can’t affect you. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
His phone rang. He checked the caller ID, then ripped out the battery and threw it into the back seat.
“Why did you decide to do this?” she asked. “Betray your city. Your country.”
“Does it really matter at this point? My wife walked out, left me with a huge monthly alimony payment. I had twenty years of service behind me, and I was left with a broken marriage and bad back. I deserved more.”
“So you became a dirty cop?”
He pressed on the accelerator in order to swerve around a blue pickup. Her fingers gripped the armrest, thankful at least her hands were cuffed in front of her, but he was going too fast which made it difficult to keep her balance.
A second later, their vehicle clipped the back end of the truck. Her abductor fought to keep the car upright, but the force of the impact was too strong. The car lost traction, flipped a full 360, then skidded across the pavement. The moment it stopped, a heavy silence surrounded them. Caitlyn opened her eyes. Dust settled around her from the air bag, but she couldn’t feel anything. Sirens blared, and someone nearby was shouting, but the sounds around her were muffled.
He reached over and undid her seat belt, then unlocked the handcuffs. “You’re coming with me.”
A sharp pain ripped through her rib cage as he dragged her out of the car. He held her in front of him, with his gun pointed at her chest. Blood poured out of a cut on his head. Her own shoulder throbbed, and her chest felt as if someone was sitting on her.
Two police cars pulled up to the scene. Seconds later the officers exited the vehicles with their weapons drawn.
“Adams . . . put the gun down and let her go.”
“No, you listen to me. I’m walking out of here with her as my insurance.”
“There’s nowhere to go. This is over.”
“You’re wrong. It’s not over. Not yet.” Adams shook his head. “I’m walking away with her. If you follow, I’ll shoot her.”
She stumbled next to him as they crossed the parking lot of a small strip mall.
“They’re right.” She tried to keep up but was only able to draw in shallow breaths. “There isn’t anywhere to go.”
He pulled her toward the entrance of a local coffee shop, located at the end of the strip mall.
“What do you think’s going to happen if you take more hostages?” she asked.
“Shut up.” He stepped up to the curb, dragging her with him. “I need time to figure things out.”
The man was in a panic. And he should be. This wasn’t going to end well for him no matter what he did.
“Let me call the captain,” she said. “We can work something out if no one else gets hurt.”
“What is there to work out? I’m already looking at life in prison.”
Another sharp pain shot through her as she tried to take in a breath. She stumbled in front of the coffee shop’s entrance, almost losing her balance, then froze at the crack of a gunshot.