Fatal Jeopardy

by Marie Force

  “Sam?”

  She turned back to face the chief’s weary gaze.

  “You did good work here. You did all you could.”

  “Will Bill Springer care that we did good work when he hears another of his kids is dead?”

  “I think he knew almost from the beginning who had killed Hugo and the others, and that’s why he was so unglued earlier. This isn’t going to come as a total surprise to him.”

  “Perhaps not, but his sons are still dead, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

  “This is one of those cases where we don’t get a satisfying ending. We did our jobs, we did our best and no amount of justice was ever going to bring back those nine kids or undo what happened to Brooke.”

  “I know.”

  “Keep me posted on Sergeant Gonzales’s condition. I’ll come to the hospital when we’re done here.”

  “We need to bring the families in and tell them what happened to their kids.”

  “I’ll get that set up for tomorrow, and Captain Malone will handle updating the media on what went down here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I don’t have to tell you that these are the toughest times to be the commander. I have no doubt in your ability to get your folks through this.”

  Because she didn’t trust herself to speak, she nodded, squeezed his arm and headed for her car, acknowledging the calls from colleagues to give Gonzo their best. She could only hope she got the chance to.

  * * *

  On the way to the hospital, Sam called her dad’s house to update them on the shooting and the finale of the MacArthur case, before they heard about a cop being shot on the news and had time to think the worst.

  “We’ll pray for Tommy,” Celia said simply. “And for you.”

  “Thanks, Celia.”

  Her stepmother’s sweet compassion broke the dam on Sam’s emotions, and she sobbed all the way to the hospital in the comfort and privacy of her own car. She had to pull herself together before she got there, but for now, for this moment, she was finally able to indulge in the torrent of tears that’d been threatening for days.

  It was all too much—her assaulted niece, the murder of nine kids, the twists and turns of the case, the job offer for Nick and now one of her closest friends shot in the line of duty. She couldn’t imagine life without Tommy Gonzales right at the center of it. His charming smile, his easygoing manner, his shrewd mind, his loyal and loving heart of gold...

  Sam parked in the lot outside the emergency entrance but couldn’t seem to bring herself to go in there. What if the worst had happened? How would any of them cope with that? Sure, it was always a risk with their jobs, but no one ever expected it to actually happen. Besides, hadn’t they used up their squad’s share of bad mojo for the next decade after Cruz was shot last winter?

  Leaning her head on the steering wheel, Sam summoned the wherewithal to go in there and face this thing head-on the way she always did. Her team needed her, and this was no time to lose her shit.

  A light rap on the window had her looking into the hazel eyes she loved more than any other. He opened the door and crouched next to her. “Come here, babe.”

  Sam took off her seat belt and practically flung herself into his arms.

  “It’s okay. No matter what happens, I’ll be right there with you.”

  She held on tight to him and let him shoulder the load for a few minutes until she could breathe normally again.

  “Are you ready?”

  “I think so.” Sam wiped her eyes. “Do I look like I’ve been freaking out?”

  “You look like you’ve been out in the cold.”

  That earned him a small smile full of gratitude for the fact that he almost always said exactly what she needed to hear.

  He stood and held out his hand to her.

  Wrapping her hand around his, she locked her car and walked with him into the Emergency Department. Her squad had taken over the waiting room, and they were rallying around Christina and baby Alex.

  Nick went straight to Christina.

  She flew into his arms and held on tight as her body shook with sobs.

  “What’s the latest?” Sam asked Freddie. She was almost afraid of what he would say.

  “He’s in surgery. The bullet nicked his carotid artery. The doctors said the pressure Arnold put on the wound is the only thing that gave him a chance, but he’s in critical condition.”

  Sam glanced at Gonzo’s partner, who sat alone in the corner, covered with blood and looking shell-shocked. She gave Freddie a hug and went over to sit next to Arnold. “You did good out there, Detective.”

  He released an unsteady deep breath. “A lot of blood. So much blood.”

  “He’s going to be okay because of what you did for him.”

  “What if it wasn’t enough? What if he dies? He can’t die.”

  Sam reached for the young detective and held him as he broke down. “He’s not going to die. He’s at the best trauma center in the area, and they’re taking good care of him.”

  Arnold seemed to realize all at once that he was crying all over his lieutenant. He drew back from her, and that’s when she noticed his hands were stained with blood.

  “Why don’t you take a few minutes and get cleaned up?”

  “Come on, Arnold,” Freddie said. “I’ll go with you.”

  Arnold seemed incapable of resisting their suggestion as he let Freddie lead him out of the seating area.

  “The poor guy is traumatized,” Jeannie said as she sat next to Sam.

  Her partner, Will Tyrone, took the seat Arnold had vacated. “Gonzo is going to be okay, isn’t he?” Tyrone asked Sam, as if she had some sort of magical ability to make everything turn out the way they wanted it to.

  “If you believe in any kind of higher power, this would be the time to appeal to him or her,” Sam said. It wasn’t what they wanted to hear, but it was all she had at her disposal. Taking her own advice, she closed her eyes and said a prayer for her friend.

  * * *

  Hours later, Gonzo’s parents and sisters had arrived from out of town, the media had released the name of the officer shot in the line of duty—as well as the conclusion to the MacArthur case—and they were still waiting to hear that Gonzo was safely out of surgery.

  Scotty had called to find out how Gonzo was doing, and Shelby had offered to stay with him as long as necessary. Sam’s head occupied one of Nick’s shoulders while Christina had claimed the other one. Alex had fallen asleep in his grandmother’s arms, which had given Gonzo’s mother some comfort while she waited for news about her son.

  The rest of the squad was still there, and Sam knew that no one would leave until they knew Gonzo was out of immediate danger. Elin had come to be with Freddie, and Jeannie’s fiancé, Michael, was there too. Lindsey and Terry had come as soon as they heard the news, and Farnsworth, Conklin and Malone were waiting with them, as well. Between them, Sam and Nick had taken calls from her dad, her sisters, the O’Connors, Nick’s dad and Agent Hill, all of them filled with concern for Gonzo. She hoped he somehow knew how many people were pulling for him.

  Sam was comforted by the fact that the surgery was taking a long time. That meant whatever was wrong could be fixed and was being fixed. He hadn’t lost so much blood that he couldn’t survive the surgery. He was surviving. She prayed fervently that he would get through this and still be the ace detective, loving father, friend and partner he’d been before.

  And then a woman came into the surgical waiting room and went right over to Mrs. Gonzales. “Please give me my son.”

  “Excuse me?” Mrs. Gonzales asked, startled by the woman’s sudden appearance.

  “That is my son, and with his father incapacitated, I’ll be taking him home.”

  Christina sh
ot out of her chair. “No, you won’t. You have no right to be here, Lori.”

  “I have every right! He’s my son, and his father is unable to care for him, which means he rightfully belongs with me.”

  Nick stood and put his arm around Christina’s shoulders. “Are you really going to do this now?” he asked Lori. “Do you care so little about the man who fathered your child that you would come here and upset people who already have enough to be upset about?”

  Lori had the good grace to at least seem ashamed of herself but not enough to go away. “I want my son, and none of you has the right to keep me from him.”

  Nick withdrew his cell phone from his pocket. “We’ll see about that. In the meantime, you’re in a room full of cops, and I’d recommend you refrain from doing anything you’ll regret.”

  Sam assumed he was calling his friend Andy, who had represented Gonzo in the custody case. She watched him with a sense of pride and awe as he stepped up for Christina—and Gonzo. He walked away from the group to talk to Andy.

  Lori hovered awkwardly in their midst, watching her sleeping son with barely restrained agitation.

  Sam watched her closely. She wouldn’t put it past the woman to pull a gun on them to get what she wanted. The fact that most of the people surrounding Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales were cops might not deter her.

  Nick returned a few minutes later and took a seat next to Sam. “Andy is on his way with everything we need to get rid of her. Apparently Gonzo anticipated this very scenario and took steps to ensure it couldn’t happen.”

  “Thank goodness,” Sam said with a sigh of relief.

  The tension in the waiting room was amped up by Lori’s presence as everyone tried to pretend she wasn’t there while they waited for word about Gonzo. Sam had no doubt that every one of her colleagues was prepared to do battle to keep Gonzo’s son where he belonged. No one moved or said a word, but they all had eyes on Lori.

  Sam smiled to herself. The poor woman had no clue what she was up against with Gonzo’s squad watching out for him. Sam didn’t think cutting Alex’s mother out of his life was in the child’s best interest, but Lori had lost major points with all of them by barging in there to take advantage of the fact that Gonzo had been grievously wounded.

  Andy arrived a short time later, as did the social worker who’d overseen the custody case on behalf of the court. When Andy produced documents outlining the legal arrangements Gonzo had made should he ever be injured or unable to care for Alex himself, Lori read them as everyone else watched and waited for her reaction.

  “As you can see, Sergeant Gonzales was very clear about who he wanted caring for his son if the need should ever arise.”

  “He can’t just decide that! I’m Alex’s mother!”

  “Yes, but he has full custody so he can decide. He has directed that Ms. Billings and his parents care for Alex in his stead. I’m sorry, Ms. Miller, but you have no standing here.”

  Lori looked to the social worker. “Will you tell him that’s not true? Tell him I’m the mother. I have rights!”

  “Lori, the court gave full custody to Alex’s father. He does have the right to decide who cares for Alex in his absence.”

  “This isn’t fair,” Lori said as she broke down.

  “You really need to go now,” Andy said.

  “Come on, Lori,” the social worker said, curling her hand around Lori’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  Thankfully, Lori went quietly, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

  Andy sat with her and Nick. “Unreal,” he muttered.

  “No kidding,” Nick said. “To come here and try to take advantage of the fact that he’s injured...”

  “Takes a special kind of person to do that,” Sam said.

  “Tommy was very concerned about something like this happening, so he had me draft documents right away that spelled out his wishes,” Andy said. “I had no idea we’d need them so soon. What are they saying? He’s going to be okay, right?”

  “We don’t know,” Sam said. The not knowing was starting to get to her.

  “Before things got so crazy this week, I was planning to call you for an update on Scotty’s adoption,” Nick said. “Have you heard any more?”

  “As you know, the P.I. is trying to track down his birth father. We have to make every effort to find him, and once we’ve done that, the rest should be a formality.”

  “What if we can’t find him?” Sam asked.

  “Then we can move forward without him. We just have to show an effort was made to locate him. I wouldn’t worry. Even if we find him, his father never had anything to do with him, so I can’t imagine he’ll discover a sudden interest in him.”

  The thought of that was enough to send Sam’s anxiety further into the red zone, so she decided not to think about it.

  After what felt like an endless wait, the surgeon finally appeared to speak to Gonzo’s parents and Christina.

  “It’s okay,” Mrs. Gonzales said as the entire squad stood behind her and her husband. “These people are his family too. They can hear whatever you have to say.”

  “We were able to repair the wound to his carotid artery, and he’s in recovery. He lost a lot of blood, and he’s still in critical condition, but we expect him to make a full recovery.”

  Sam sagged against Nick, the relief coursing through her and making her legs go weak.

  His strong arm around her was about the only thing that kept her from landing on the floor in a heap.

  “When can we see him?” Christina asked.

  “He’ll be in recovery for the next couple of hours and then in ICU after that. We’ll let you know when he’s ready for company.”

  “Thank you so much for saving his life,” Christina said tearfully. “He means an awful lot to all of us.”

  “He’s a fighter,” the surgeon said. “It was a very close call, but he hung in there. Whoever applied pressure to the wound in the field is the one who really saved his life.”

  The entire squad pointed to Arnold, who had tears on his cheeks as he heard his partner was going to survive.

  “Well done, Detective,” the surgeon said before he left them to celebrate the good news.

  Nick hugged Christina, who held on tight as her emotions got the best of her.

  “You all should go home and get some sleep,” Sam said to her team. “It’s been a long week. I hope you’ll all feel free to stop by at some point on Thanksgiving. We’ll be home.”

  Every one of her detectives hugged her on the way out of the waiting room.

  “I’m really proud of you,” Sam said to Arnold. “You held up out there today, and you saved his life.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Arnold said before he beat a hasty retreat.

  Freddie was last in line.

  “You did a very courageous thing today.” Sam rested her hands on his arms and looked up at him. “Thanks for not getting killed while doing it.”

  Freddie’s engaging grin couldn’t hide the relief she saw in his eyes. Gonzo was one of his closest friends too. “I know how much you hate the paperwork, so I do what I can.” He hugged her and held on for a good long time. “I’ll see you on turkey day. Lots to be thankful for this year.”

  “Indeed. Bring your parents if they’d like to come.”

  “I’m sure they’d love to.”

  Elin surprised Sam by giving her a quick hug on the way by.

  Christina had made arrangements to send Alex home with Gonzo’s parents while she stayed at the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales hugged Sam and thanked her for being such a good friend and boss to their son. They nearly reduced her to tears again with their effusiveness.

  “We love him very much,” Sam somehow managed to say.

  When it was down to just Sam, Nick and Christina, he turned
to his longtime friend and colleague. “Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself? I don’t mind staying.”

  “And I don’t mind loaning him out for the night,” Sam added.

  Christina offered a faint smile. “I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need to stay. I’m fine now that I know he’s going to survive. I’ll probably conk out in the ICU waiting room until I can see him.”

  “Will you call me if you change your mind?” Nick asked.

  “Sure,” she said as she hugged him. “Thanks so much for the shoulder tonight.”

  “Anytime.”

  Sam hugged her too. “Let us know what we can do for you and Alex. Anything.”

  “Thanks, Sam. I’m sure we’ll be taking you up on that before all is said and done.”

  “The offer stands.”

  “I’ll call you in the morning to let you know how he is,” Christina said.

  “I’ll be waiting to hear.”

  She left them to head for the ICU.

  “Would you mind if we checked in on Brooke before we head home?” Sam asked Nick.

  “Not at all. Let’s go.”

  “We should let the family know that Gonzo is out of surgery and expected to be okay,” Sam said as they waited for the elevator.

  Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Group text.”

  “I probably need to get one of those smartphones one of these days.”

  “You’d go into shock with this much technology in the palm of your hand. You probably ought to stick to your ancient flip phone.”

  “Are you making fun of me?” After the horrendous afternoon and evening they’d spent waiting for news of Gonzo, it was a relief to return to business as usual with her husband.

  “Would I be so foolish as to make fun of you, my love?”

  “I believe you would. Makeup sex is one of your favorite things.”

  Laughing, Nick put his arm around her and kept it there on the walk to Brooke’s room, where they found the teenager up and walking around, wearing a robe from home and fuzzy bunny slippers.