Camels and Corpses

by G. K. Parks

“Hang on, Parker. We’re two minutes out.”

  While I waited for the cavalry to save the day, or at least carry Ryan out of the house, I checked his vitals. He was barely coherent, but with enough shaking and coaxing, I could convince him to momentarily open his eyes. Mallick was still face down on the floor, and I was too afraid to go near him. Not much scared me in terms of physical threats, but the way he threw me around the room like a ragdoll encouraged me to keep my distance. Unconscious or not, he was dangerous.

  When the rapid response unit burst through the front door, I jumped, automatically aiming my weapon. “Stand down,” O’Connell ordered, stepping between the tactical assault guys and me. Heathcliff maneuvered around them and took the gun from my shaking hand. O’Connell went to Ryan, and the tactical unit surrounded the unconscious Mallick, evaluating his injuries and slapping on the cuffs.

  “I thought you said you were okay,” Heathcliff said, examining my swollen and bruised visage.

  “Comparatively speaking. After all, I’m the only one wide awake.” I turned to see O’Connell crouched next to Donough. “Can we move this shindig somewhere else before any more killers show up?” O’Connell caught my eye and checked Donough for injuries. Heathcliff didn’t move an inch, uncertain how fine I really was. “I’m okay. My nerves are shot to hell, but at least I’m not. Why don’t you help Nick get Ryan out of here?” I said, throwing a final cursory glance at Mallick. “If he moves, I vote someone shoots him.” One of the tactical guys snorted and tossed a smirk my way.

  “Okay, let’s get you out of here too, Annie Oakley,” Nick said as he and Heathcliff draped Ryan between the two of them and dragged him to the front door. “Give your keys to one of the officers outside. You’re riding with us.”

  “Sure.” I did as I was told and slid into the back seat of the cruiser next to Ryan. Sometimes, it was nice to have someone else save the day.

  “Alex?” Ryan squinted against the bright sunlight. “There was gunfire, right?” All those rounds must have been enough to rouse him and force his adrenaline to kick in. That was probably the only thing that gave him the energy and strength to walk out of the room, down the hallway, and stab Mallick with the needle.

  “Yeah, there was gunfire. Eleven shots, I think.” He nodded, closing his eyes again and drifting into the abyss.

  The flashing lights were on, and when we were a decent distance from that horrible house, O’Connell hit the siren and flew through traffic. Heathcliff was on the phone and radio, simultaneously relaying orders and news. The rapid response team had already taken Mallick into custody and cleared out. A surveillance unit was positioned to keep eyes on the house, but with any luck, my rescue wouldn’t be enough to scare away anyone else who might be using the house, like the Camel or Devereaux. The police wanted to grab whoever showed up, so hopefully, Mallick didn’t call to report the news, and the police didn’t spook them.

  “This morning, you get a call from Donough, and by dinnertime, you’ve single-handedly located and rescued him,” Nick commented, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. “I’ve complimented your skills in the past, but this is insane. How the hell did you pull it off?”

  Maybe it was the fact that my body was still in shock from the fight and near-misses, but everything from confronting Mallick at the hotel to illegally obtaining the Jeep’s GPS coordinates and checking the locations spilled out of my mouth. When my story was over, I took a ragged breath, exhausted from the retelling.

  “Jesus.” Nick stopped the car in front of the emergency room, and since Heathcliff called ahead, a stretcher and some doctors were waiting for Donough. A second cruiser was nearby, along with a government-issued SUV. “Moretti’s assigned a security detail, and Jablonsky’s done the same.” I nodded. “Do you want to stay here with him or come back with us?”

  Spotting Agent Farrell hovering outside the door, I knew Ryan would be safe. “I’ll stick with you guys. After all, Devereaux might still expect Riley to show up tomorrow night.” Normally, I wouldn’t want to leave Ryan’s side, but I’d been through too much in the last hour to wait inside a hospital with a dozen armed LEOs.

  After Ryan was carried in, I stretched out on my side. My back was sore, and I was suddenly too exhausted to remain upright. It was just the adrenaline crash, but there was no reason not to take advantage of the entire back seat.

  Heathcliff turned and studied me. “There is no way in hell you’re confronting that other son of a bitch by yourself.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t you give us the information from his rental if you already had it? Aren’t we on the same team? Don’t you trust me? Shit, Parker, you called me to run prints on your gun and deliver your back-up. You should have realized I had your back on this.” Apparently, since I was safe, he decided it was okay to yell at me.

  “We’d have your back,” O’Connell corrected. “Sure, we have some legal guidelines to follow, but eleven shots.” Even though he was facing forward, I could see his head shaking.

  Heathcliff ejected the clip from my commandeered weapon and checked the magazine. “All eleven came from your nine millimeter.” He raised a wary eyebrow. “Since when do you miss eleven times?”

  “Since I wasn’t the one firing,” I remarked quietly. Heathcliff rubbed his face, and O’Connell let out an exasperated grunt.

  “What? You gave Donough your gun, and he’s an awful shot?” Heathcliff asked, certain this wasn’t the case.

  “Oh, come on,” I growled, “did you see Mallick? The guy must be 6’4 and two hundred and twenty pounds of muscle. He’s twice my size, and yet, I kept him at bay, even after he wrestled my gun away from me.” I shuddered, recalling the desperation.

  “You needed back-up,” O’Connell remarked.

  “Well, when I got there, the place was abandoned. How did I know he was going to appear? I sure as hell didn’t invite him.”

  “Yeah, but you still couldn’t carry Donough out of there either. Hell, he’s probably got eighty pounds and six inches on you, Parker. You needed help,” Heathcliff argued.

  “You’re right, but I wasn’t about to ask for it if it meant blowing your chances of apprehending the Camel. So how much progress have you made since this morning?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Not much,” O’Connell began, and as the conversation shifted, my eyes closed. The car came to a sudden stop, and I rolled off the seat and onto the floor. Goddamn, that hurt. “It’s state law to wear a seatbelt inside a moving vehicle. Maybe we should ticket you for the violation,” O’Connell suggested.

  “Bite me,” I muttered, wincing as I climbed back onto the seat and waited for one of the detectives to open the back door.

  “Y’know, if we leave her in the car, at least we’ll know where she is at all times and be able to keep tabs on her,” Heathcliff suggested. “Plus, she can use the time to nap.”

  “Guys,” I sighed, “let me out. Ryan’s been recovered, and there’s no reason for me to do anything alone from here on out. Hell, if you want me off the case, I’ll walk away.” They exchanged a look.

  “Yeah, right, you’ll walk away,” O’Connell muttered, opening the door. “That’s total bull, and you know it.” I dragged myself out of the car, achy and limping. “However, you might actually be invaluable since you already have a meet set with Chase Devereaux. It just depends on what Moretti wants to do. Until then, you’re not allowed out of our sight.” Heathcliff nodded in agreement, and the detectives escorted me to major crimes.

  * * *

  Hours later, I was debriefed by Moretti, all the detectives assigned the Camel case, and by Mark Jablonsky and a team from his joint task force. Luckily, no one arrested me for my questionable investigative tactics. Sometimes, the ends really did justify the means. Farrell phoned with Donough’s condition, and he was okay. Drugged with the same benzo derivative and suffering from dehydration, but he’d be right as rain in a couple of days. Until then, he had a platoon of federal agents and uniformed police personnel stationed in h
is room, the hallway, and throughout the hospital.

  “Are you sure Chase Devereaux is calling the shots?” Moretti asked.

  “I guess. When I encountered Mallick at the hotel, he seemed more intrigued with the aspect of physical violence than he did with taking over Barlow’s business. Hell, he must have relayed my desire to renegotiate to Devereaux because Chase called a few hours later.” I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking. “That house, the I.V. bags, Donough being drugged, they have to be getting this from the Camel if neither of them is the Camel.”

  “Mallick’s in custody now,” Mark said. “We’ve moved him to an undisclosed location, and he’s under armed guard. But from what the medical staff said, he’s going to be out for a couple of days. He’s lucky he’s a big guy, or the dosage might have killed him. We have to get a court order to supersede the medical advice.” I cocked my head, confused. “We need permission to shoot the bastard up with something else to get him wide awake and talking. Given the circumstances, I’m sure we’ll get the go-ahead, but we have to wait first. Everything’s gotta be on the up and up.”

  “Until we have something more substantial, I say we use what we have,” one of the Interpol agents added. “Ms. Parker, you have a meeting scheduled with Devereaux, so we should plan to send you in tomorrow night.”

  I saw three sets of concerned looks. Mark, Nick, and Derek all needed to relax. Ryan was out of danger, and I had no desire to be reckless with another member of Barlow’s team, particularly after all the sexual demands Devereaux had made since the first time we met.

  “I’ll do whatever you guys want. I’m just here to follow orders.”

  “Great,” the Interpol agent remarked, “but since it’s almost midnight, and you’ve been through quite the ordeal today, let’s reconvene in the morning.”

  “Sounds good,” I replied as a few people stood up from the conference table.

  “Just for the hell of it, I’m assigning a detail to you, Parker,” Moretti announced. “And your car’s been brought to the station, so why don’t we give you a ride home and make sure you have a peaceful night.”

  “Sounds even better,” I acquiesced, surprising Mark. He narrowed his eyes but shook it off and excused himself since a team was sitting on that house, and Mark was set to meet with them. The warrant was signed, so it was just a matter of snooping without spooking.

  Heathcliff offered to drive me home, and a patrol car followed us to Martin’s. “I’m glad you found the inspector,” he began, “but do you have any idea how frantic you made our department when that call connected this afternoon and you weren’t on the other end?”

  I grinned. “Aww. You were worried.”

  “Damn right,” he snarled. “Constant gunfire, no response, and before you came on the line, sounds of a struggle. It’s not what I want to hear when you call me. Do you understand that?”

  “Absolutely.” He parked in front of Martin’s house. “Why’d you bring me here instead of home?”

  “Because after a day like today, you shouldn’t be by yourself. It’s okay to ask for help, Parker. Even when it might mean letting a killer go free. There are always more opportunities to catch him, but you may not always get another chance to remain breathing.” He exhaled. “Finding Donough was your priority, but you should realize, we’re a tight-knit group, just like when we banded together to rescue O’Connell’s niece. We protect our own, and that includes you.”

  “Thanks,” I opened the door and added as an afterthought, “you should keep eyes on my apartment. Maybe Devereaux will make a run at me since Mallick has disappeared. Apparently, Alexandra Riley is an awful influence on Barlow’s team.”

  “Jablonsky’s already assigned multiple units to do that. It turns out a few of the coordinates we pulled from the Jeep tracked to your neighborhood. Looks like Devereaux abducted Ryan from your apartment after all.” He glanced at Martin’s house; the lights were on inside. “Both of your weapons are in evidence right now, but we’ll put a rush to get them back to you by the morning. Until then, the unis will keep an eye out, but I don’t imagine Devereaux knows enough about you to look here. It’s just precautionary.”

  “I know.”

  “However,” he turned serious once more, “if you hear so much as a peep, pick up the goddamn phone and call it in immediately.”

  “Yes, sir.” I saluted and stepped out of the car.

  Twenty-five

  The next morning, I woke up, draped across Martin’s chest. One of his hands was on the back of my neck, and the other was on my thigh. He was taking extra care to avoid touching my back. Yesterday played through my mind, and I felt at peace for the first time in weeks. His alarm clock chimed, and he reached over and turned it off.

  “Can you skip the workout this morning?” I murmured, tracing the ridges on his chest and abdomen. “You’re already ripped, so you can afford to miss one day.” He brushed my hair back carefully. “Plus, I’d like to stay just like this a little longer. For once, everything is perfect.”

  He kissed my forehead. “That’s the first time you’ve ever said that.” I shut my eyes and remained in the peaceful bliss. It was an over-embellishment, but I didn’t care. Donough was safe. I was alive and breathing and so was the guy playing with my hair. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk last night. I didn’t expect you to be here, and you went up the stairs so quickly. By the time I realized what was going on, you were in the shower, and then when my conference call concluded, you were practically asleep. You just mumbled some random things and rolled over.”

  “We found Ryan, and he’s okay.”

  “Thank god.” He shifted slightly beneath me. “But why is there a patrol car out front?”

  “They’re patrolling,” I deadpanned. His torso jumped as he chuckled, and something in my back pinched painfully. “I don’t remember talking to you last night. Hell, I barely remember the shower. That’s where the hot water comes from, right?” I joked. “Basically, Heathcliff dropped me off, and the next thing I know, I’m using you as a body pillow.” I searched my memory, but I didn’t remember him coming to bed or saying a single word to him.

  “Well, it was the only position you found comfortable.” His voice took on a slight edge. “You were twisting and turning, letting out these pitiful whimpers, and when I touched your back, you practically screamed. I thought holding you would help. Honestly, I was surprised you didn’t wake up. What happened?”

  “I must have been tired.” I shrugged, still not moving from my spot against him. “Just so you know, none of this fits into my previous statement that things are perfect.”

  “Sorry, I had no intention of destroying your fictitious utopia.”

  “Y’know, I found Donough in a similar condition to the way you must have found me on the bathroom floor. I realize how disconcerting that must have been, and,” I looked up at him, “I also came to the realization that things need to change between us. We’ve known each other for over two years, and we’ve been dating for half of that.” He tensed beneath me, fearing what I had to say. “You’ve spent far too many nights contending with my nightmares and various injuries of all different degrees. Clearly, my plan to shield you from all of this has never worked.”

  “Alex?”

  “Donough told you how crazy this case was, and it upset you. I thought it was because you didn’t understand this is what I typically do. But that wasn’t it, was it?”

  “I told you we’re not fighting anymore.” He brushed his lips against my hair. “You do what you think is best.”

  “I’m guessing by keeping you in the dark, you probably assume the worst all the time.” He didn’t respond, and I knew it was true. “So I’m going to tell you what happened yesterday because you asked, and when I’m done, you will search every cabinet in this house until you find some extra strength muscle rub and ibuprofen because my back hurts like a son of a bitch.”

  When I was finished, he eased himself free, set me gently on my stomach, and
lifted my shirt. “Are you sure you want me to touch you?” he asked.

  “Why? How bad is it?” My voice was muffled by the pillow.

  “You’re swollen and bruised.” He gently ran his finger along my side, and I jerked and gritted my teeth. “Maybe you should get a few x-rays.”

  “No. Just slather on the Bengay or Icy Hot or whatever, and I’ll be fine.”

  He disappeared and returned with the gel. As carefully as possible, he coated my back and pulled my shirt down. The cotton immediately stuck to the cooling cream, and I sighed. Before I could turn to face him, he disappeared into the bathroom. While the burning coldness numbed my aching muscles, I contemplated the rest of my day. After a few minutes, I got changed and phoned for a ride to the precinct.

  * * *

  “Were you walking like that yesterday?” O’Connell asked as I made my way across the bullpen. “Why the hell didn’t you say something? I would have taken you to get checked out.”

  “That’s why I didn’t say anything.” I sat in Thompson’s empty chair and leaned forward against the desk. “I’m fine. Just sore.” He didn’t look convinced, but I soldiered on. “Has anyone devised a plan for tonight?”

  “It seems you’re Interpol’s bitch. They’re going to do what they want with you, and they’ve taken over on this front now that you rescued their guy. Moretti’s pissed. Our role gets smaller and smaller every time he turns around,” Thompson replied, annoyed that I stole his chair.

  “Better them than Devereaux,” I growled. “Any word on Ryan’s condition?”

  “Stable,” Nick nodded, “they have him on fluids, and he’ll be discharged tomorrow. From what Jablonsky said, he’s still pretty wonky, but that’s to be expected.”

  “Parker,” Moretti bellowed from his office, “I need a minute.” Carefully standing, I went inside and shut the door. My nine millimeters were on top of his desk. “We matched the ballistics to one of the slugs the OIO pulled from the wall in that house. The prints on both weapons match Virgil Mallick.”