Edge of Truth

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  A second later, Fernando yanked a semi-automatic pistol from his waist and fired several times. The team returned fire. He turned and ran a couple steps before a darkly clad officer tackled him to the ground, yanked his arms behind his back, and cuffed him. Blood oozed from Fernando’s torso.

  Andrea lay face down on the ground without resistance, and another officer handcuffed her.

  Kara glanced at Veronica and Eric. Veronica had a death grip on his hand, but Eric seemed oblivious. She looked back to the screen. The hard part was over. Now where was Lauren?

  The Gonzaleses were put into the back of an unmarked police car. Lauren stepped down out of the pickup, arms raised.

  “There’s Lauren,” Veronica shouted. Happy tears streamed down her face.

  Eric buried his face in his wife’s neck with tears of his own.

  Cheers resounded in the barn. Tad and Jeff and the other deputy gave each other high fives. Kara tuned out the celebration around her and focused on the screen. Lauren looked unharmed, just shaken up a bit. She swiped at her face, her shoulders raised and lowered. Was she crying or breathing hard? Too bad they couldn’t get a close up of her face. A female officer approached Lauren, and she lowered her arms. The officer escorted her to the helicopter and climbed up after her. At that moment the feed stopped.

  Tad closed his laptop. “Show’s over. I’ve arranged to have Lauren flown here. Let’s give her a nice welcome.”

  Veronica wiped her eyes and stood. “I’ll go bake her favorite cookies.”

  Kara breathed easy for the first time since Lauren had been taken. Only a couple of hurdles remained—Luis Alvarado and tomorrow’s raid. Hopefully, nothing else would go wrong.

  Chapter 38

  Not long after the barn was back to looking like a barn instead of a conference room, the thwap-thwap of helicopter blades urged everyone outside as it touched down. Dust kicked up and filled the air. A female FBI agent wearing a ballistics vest opened the door. She shielded her face with her arm, hopped out, then reached back and Lauren followed. Warned to not storm the helicopter when it landed, they all hung back and waited for Lauren to come to them.

  Kara understood the look of pain and longing on Veronica’s face. She wanted to run to the chopper and grab Lauren herself. This waiting business was not fun.

  The agent nudged Lauren toward her family. She shuffled her feet at first then picked up momentum. Her face stretched into a smile as she launched herself into her parents’ waiting arms.

  Eric nodded to the agent who then turned and climbed back into the chopper. The helicopter took off, leaving dust in its wake.

  Kara fanned her hand in front of her face and coughed. The dust aggravated her smoke-damaged lungs. “Let’s get inside.”

  Jeff and Kara followed the reunited family.

  Eric turned to them. “You two are planning to join our celebration tonight, aren’t you?”

  Jeff shook his head. “I’d like nothing better, but we need to pass. I have some business to take care of, and Kara has a commitment.” He winked at his niece. “You guys enjoy your family time, and Lauren, we’re glad you made it home safely.”

  Lauren pulled away from her parents, walked up to Jeff, and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thanks, Uncle Jeff.”

  Wide-eyed, he looked down and patted her on the back. “I didn’t do anything.”

  She backed away. “I may be fifteen, but I’m not stupid. Besides, I watch TV. I know when Fernando put that knife to my throat, you wanted to shoot him, but you didn’t because I could’ve been hurt.”

  Jeff swallowed. “You figured that out all on your own?”

  “Well, sort of. I listened to the agents on the helicopter talking about you. They think a lot of how you handled yourself. So thanks.”

  He tweaked her nose. “You’re welcome.” He looked up at Eric. “Can I talk to you alone for a minute?”

  Eric moved down the steps as his family went inside. “What’s up?”

  “I need you all to stay in the house until tomorrow afternoon. Jake and I will see to the horses.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I can’t say.”

  “Okay. Consider us under house arrest.”

  Jeff grimaced at Eric’s attempted humor.

  “Another thing. No company.”

  “Got it.” Eric turned and took the stairs two at a time.

  Kara walked with Jeff out to her damaged Civic.

  He ran his hand over the severely dented front end. “What a mess. It doesn’t look drivable.”

  “No kidding.” She leaned against the door. “You didn’t walk out here with me to talk about my car though. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. We need to head into Bend to meet up with our team.”

  True enough. They would be meeting with everyone to go over the final plan for the early morning raid. Then she’d take a short nap somewhere in the field office. She hid a yawn behind her hand. “Can I hitch a ride with you to the field office?”

  “Of course.”

  “And I placed an order at the bakery for cookies. But the bakery is in Sunridge. Do you mind?”

  “Nope. I forgot about your tradition of bringing cookies to everyone before a raid.”

  She shrugged. It was her thing. She always pigged out on cookies before a raid and, out of habit, bought enough to share with the team. No one here would expect it, but she didn’t care.

  Twenty minutes later, they strolled along the sidewalk in Sunridge. Kara held open the box of cookies. “Take whichever one you’d like.”

  “Thanks.” Jeff grabbed a monster cookie and bit into it. “Good thing we don’t eat like this all the time. Our arteries would be so clogged we’d drop dead of a heart attack.”

  Kara pulled a butter cookie from the box and took a bite. It melted in her mouth. No way would he ruin her ritual with his talk of clogged arteries. She looked around without seeming to. Luis had to be somewhere nearby. Then again, maybe one of his cronies was tailing her instead right now. She spotted a city slicker on the park bench across the street. He read a newspaper. Could be her tail, but it was impossible to say for sure.

  “Kara!” Marci ran up from behind her breathless. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?” She glanced at Jeff but other than that ignored him.

  “No. What do you want?”

  “Here.” Marci stuffed an envelope into her hand then turned and walked away in the direction she’d come.

  Kara’s instincts told her the envelope contained instructions from Alvarado. It was about time, too.

  “What was that all about?” Jeff asked.

  “Beats me.” She could tell Jeff knew as well as she did that Luis had sent his instructions.

  Back at Jeff’s SUV now, Kara laid the box of cookies on the backseat, put on her seatbelt, and opened the envelope.

  Leave the package in the alley behind your building, tomorrow morning 10:00 a.m. sharp.

  Jeff started the engine and pulled forward onto the main road. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. I’m tired, but considering the events of the past two days, I’m doing well. How about you?”

  “I’m ready for this to be over.” They rode the rest of the way in silence. The transaction would take place in the alley. Good choice on Luis’s part since her place was roped off. Thanks to the fire, no one would be around.

  Her stomach churned. If she didn’t learn to control her nerves, she’d get an ulcer. But didn’t ulcers and busting the bad guys go hand in hand? She chuckled.

  “What?”

  “I was just thinking about how before every bust my stomach turns into a raging fire of acid.”

  Jeff nodded, clearly understanding. He finally turned into the field office parking lot. She assumed everyone there knew she wore a bug and would behave accordingly. But to be safe, she slipped a thick vest on and zipped it up to her chin. That ought to at least make it harder for listening ears.

  Once inside, Tad swept Kara away into a confer
ence room. “The team will be here shortly. Are you feeling up to tomorrow’s raid? I know you still have stitches, and the doctor said you needed to rest. From what I can tell, you haven’t done much resting.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She nodded to a blue couch pushed up against the wall. “I might crash on that for a few hours when we’re done.”

  “Good idea.”

  The conference room door opened and a couple of agents filtered in along with local police. Jeff parked himself next to Kara while Tad sat at the head of the table. Kara listened intently as Tad outlined the solid plan. She itched to move out. As the meeting broke up, a couple of team members nodded to her, but no one spoke directly to her. They must know about the bug. One less thing she needed to worry about.

  Jeff spoke softly in her ear. “Rest well. I’ll make sure you’re left alone.” He stood and closed the door behind him.

  Switching off the lights Kara conked out on the couch a few seconds later.

  Jeff opened his eyes to find Tad glowering down at him. “What?”

  “You slept in that chair all night?”

  Jeff glanced at his watch—2:00 a.m. “Only half, apparently. It didn’t make sense to drive home. This way I’m near Kara if there’s a problem.” After their meeting, the office had emptied out as the team went home to catch a few hours of sleep. No way would he leave her alone in here with Alvarado lurking nearby.

  Tad chuckled and shook his head. “You’ve got it bad.”

  Jeff sat up ignoring his comment. “You’re back early.”

  “Habit. I like to make sure everything’s in order before the masses arrive.”

  The conference room door opened, and Kara shuffled out. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Jeff said. “Go back to sleep.”

  “I’m awake now.” She pulled up a chair and parked herself beside Jeff. “Anything new going on that I need to know about?”

  Tad shook his head. “No. Excuse me.” He walked into another part of the building.

  “You sleep well?” Jeff asked.

  “Like a rock. Although the few hours of sleep I’ve had here and there over the past couple of days are beginning to catch up with me.”

  “I hear you. I’ve slept more than you, and I’m ready to crash for a week.”

  The front door opened, and two agents entered followed by a couple of police officers.

  “Looks like it’s time to move,” Jeff said. The team had arrived. Seemed Tad wasn’t the only one that liked to arrive early. The tension in the room could spark a fire.

  Tad had organized a solid group, and they had a sound plan, but anything could go wrong, especially if Alvarado double-crossed Kara. But she seemed certain Alvarado would let them do their job since he wanted the drugs.

  Tad walked back into the room. “Looks like everyone’s here. Get your gear packed up and be ready to move out in fifteen minutes.”

  Kara huddled between a large ponderosa pine and a mass of weeds near the shack in the woods. Her heart pounded in the seemingly calm early morning. Crickets chirped and cool air chilled her. She pulled a ski mask down over her face.

  “Go,” Tad shouted.

  Kara jumped up from her spot and ran with the team toward the cabin. All seven of them approached the only entrance. With one hard blow to the door it opened. They swarmed inside the small space. Voices around her shouted DEA, and another shouted police.

  Three men scrambled off their cots, with raised arms. Flashlight in one hand and her Glock in the other, Kara shined the light on the men and trained her gun on them. Another agent shouted at them in Spanish to get face down on the floor. Kara approached cautiously and helped cuff the men. An officer led the smugglers outside, freeing up a little real estate to move around the warm room.

  With a lantern, Tad illuminated the small one room shack, which held three cots, an arsenal of weapons, and several wood crates stacked in a corner. It shouldn’t be too hard to find the drugs in this tiny space. Unless she missed her guess, the drugs would be in the crates.

  She walked to Jeff’s side and watched as he pried the top off one of the crates then moved on to the next.

  Several hundred kilos of cocaine sat neatly in the crate. No way would she tip off Alvarado. “There must be thirty kilos.”

  Jeff raised a brow then nodded. “I agree.”

  Thankful for the cover of darkness, Kara, along with several agents, helped carry the crates out of the shack to several ATVs that had pulled up after the raid. It’d take more than a few trips on the ATVs to get all the cocaine back to their vehicles.

  Satisfaction mixed with adrenaline pushed her forward in spite of a nagging headache. In a few hours, this would finally be over. Luis and his cronies would be in custody, and she’d have her life back.

  Jeff walked up beside her. “How you doing?”

  “Fine. We’ve got quite a load here. I’m taking the ATV. I’ll catch up with you later,” Kara said for Alvarado’s sake. He knew she had the drugs and would be on the way to meet him soon. The trap was set. Now all Luis had to do was step into it.

  Chapter 39

  Kara looked around the deserted alley. A lone cat meowed near a small dumpster where Jeff hid. From the backside, her apartment looked unharmed. It was hard to believe that inside, a charred mess still awaited attention. The charred mess of her apartment mirrored her heart of late. At least she was making progress on that front.

  The hair on the back of her neck rose. Alvarado must be nearby. She placed the backpack near the stoop of her apartment door and waited. Two minutes later, a man wearing a red baseball cap, jeans, and a T-shirt walked around the corner. “You Kara?”

  “Who wants to know?”

  “Some guy gave me a hundred bucks to come back here and see if a chick had a package for him. I’m thinking you’re Kara.” He looked around the small alley. “Where’s the package?”

  She grabbed the backpack and held it up. “Tell the guy to come get the package himself.”

  He chuckled. “That’s funny. He said you’d say something like that.”

  “What else did he say?”

  The man pulled a 9mm from his waist. “Don’t take no for an answer. Now hand over the bag.” The gun shook in the man’s hand.

  She raised her hands. “There’s no need for that.” She glanced toward where a sniper sat in wait to protect her. “I’ll give you two hundred dollars to take me to him.”

  “He said if you offered me money, he’d double my pay, so thanks.”

  Kara studied the man’s face. Strung out brown eyes stared back at her. Dark shaggy hair hung close to his face from under his baseball cap. “This must be your lucky day. I’m in a generous mood. I’ll give you five hundred dollars now for taking me to him, and then after I see him, I’ll let you live.” She kicked the gun from his hand, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back while slamming him against the building.

  Clapping erupted from behind her. “Very nice, Kara.” Luis walked up to her with his gun drawn. “I knew you were good, but really, that was impressive. You sure you don’t want to work for me? I pay better than the DEA, and I could use someone like you on my payroll.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh wait. You were on my payroll and double crossed me.”

  Kara shoved the guy she’d pinned against the wall aside and faced Alvarado. Her mind barely registered footsteps running from the alley. The 9mm lay on the ground between her and Alvarado. Why hadn’t Jeff moved in?

  Alvarado took another step toward her and motioned toward the backpack. “Is that for me?”

  She nodded. Somehow, she’d dropped the pack when she attacked the other guy. Why wasn’t anyone moving in? She forced her eyes to stay focused on Alvarado. If he had an inkling this was a setup, she was a dead woman.

  He bent to pick up the backpack, never taking his gaze or the business end of his gun off of her.

  “Before you go…” Her pulse thrummed in her ears. This was the moment she’d
been waiting for. She whipped her arm forward and knocked the gun from his hand. He dove for it at the same time as her. They landed prone on the ground facing one another.

  His eyes narrowed. “Give it up, Kara. You’ll never beat me.” Somehow, he still held his gun trained on her.

  “Oh yeah. Think again.” This was her chance to finish the man so he couldn’t harm anyone else ever again. But could she move faster than he could pull the trigger?

  Jeff bolted from his hiding spot and kicked the gun from Alvarado. He pointed his Glock at the man. “Don’t move.”

  Kara stood, retrieved the drugs, then handed them off to a CODE agent who joined them in the alley.

  Two uniformed officers flanked the drug lord and brought him to standing. One cuffed him and the other read him his rights and hauled him off to a waiting police vehicle.

  “What was that about?” Kara asked. “Why didn’t you let me take him and finish him off?”

  “Excuse me? That’s not how we operate.”

  Adrenaline turned to rage. “Give me a break. He tried to kill me, not once but multiple times. He’s destroyed countless lives and would happily continue to do so,” Kara hissed. “When do the good guys matter, huh? When do we get a little justice? What about all the kids that died thanks to the drugs he provided?”

  Jeff’s gaze softened for a second then hardened. “We are not God, Kara. Justice is His department. Besides, I think it’s safe to say Luis Alvarado will never taste freedom again.”

  A uniformed officer rounded the corner and spoke with Jeff. Kara walked away. The truth of Jeff’s words hurt like a knife ripping through her flesh.

  She didn’t care whether Luis Alvarado lived or died. She’d wanted him to pay for her cousin’s death and for her prior partner’s death. But Luis wasn’t to blame. He had nothing to do with either incident. Yet, somehow, he had come to symbolize everything that was wrong in the world.