by DJ Erfert
“Coop—” Bridget said.
He didn’t look back before he bolted through the gaping doorframe and rolled on his shoulder, coming up on his knee. He pointed his gun at an orange plastic garbage receptacle, and fired a double-tap. The man who would’ve killed Gibbs fell out from behind it—dead. When Cooper swung his gun around to Nagi. The door he was standing beside just closed. “Damn!” he cursed, pointing at where Nagi had been.
His team fanned out, finding cover, as Morrison stopped behind the door and reached for the handle. Cooper crouched behind the pillar ready to fire, but just as Morrison turned the knob, he noticed Bridget wasn’t behind anything. He had to change his tactic.
Cooper ran at Bridget, hooked her waist with one arm, and carried her behind a corner a heartbeat before Morrison opened the door. A hailstorm of bullets sprayed out from inside the dark room, making Coop press Bridget closer to the wall. When it seemed Nagi ran out of ammunition, he reached one arm around the corner and fired into the doorway, as did his team. The hollow sounds of bullets ricocheting off metal echoed loudly, muffling the sound of a pained grunt—but Cooper heard it through their shooting.
“Stay here, Bridget.” He took out a small flashlight and lit up the room with a powerful beam. He slowly moved along the wall, cautiously approaching the doorway. The blood on the floor encouraged Coop into moving a little faster. When he got close enough, he saw Nagi sitting up against the wall at the bottom of the staircase, his neck, chest, legs, and arm bloodied, and holding his cell phone in his shaky hand. Who could he be calling?
It was then Coop remembered Lucy saying the bombs she found in the desert had satellite detonators that could be triggered by a cell phone. “No!” he shouted as he let loose several more shots into the injured murderer—but the building rocked with a massive explosion. He was too late! “Lucy—I’m sorry …” The icy waves of his after-effect forced him to the floor, and his world went dark knowing he didn’t change things enough.
One minute passed when Cooper woke up. He was alone with Nagi’s dead body. He picked up his flashlight and gun with dread in his heart. He had to go see what damage there was. The lobby was empty, with the exception of the man he’d shot. Cooper went out the same broken door they’d entered just a few minutes before, fully expecting to find total destruction. But everything was intact. He picked up his speed. Something else had happened. He needed to find his daughter, but she was gone—so was the taco truck.
“Hey Dad!
The sound of his daughter’s voice came from the west side grove of trees that shielded the stadium’s view from the huge parking lot across the street. Lucy and Johnny stood in the sunset, her arm draped around his shoulders. It looked like he was holding her up. Cooper ran to her.
“Lulu—” He wrapped his arms around her, taking her away from Johnny. “I thought—” He couldn’t finish his sentence.
“I’m fine, Dad.”
“What happened?” he asked, looking around. “I felt an explosion.”
“I’m sure you did.” Lucy held her hand to her chest and stepped back. “We knew Nagi had the explosives inside the taco truck, and we had to figure he’d try to set them off.” She motioned toward the street. “I had Johnny push the vendor’s truck off the concrete curb with the pickup, and then he followed me as I drove it out into the center of the west parking lot. After I set the brake, Johnny drove like a NASCAR driver and got us the blazes away from it before it blew.”
Coop’s breath caught in his chest. “You drove a truck filled with radioactive waste?” He held her by the shoulders. “You’ve got to go through decon—now!” He grabbed Johnny’s arm. “You, too. You’ve been exposed.” He turned them toward the north parking lot where his helicopter was parked, but that wouldn’t do anything except spread the contamination to the inside of his chopper, and then into the ER.
“HazMat and the fire department are on their way,” Bridget said from behind him.
Sirens cut through the air, bolstering her statement.
“Dad, is Nagi dead?” Lucy asked. “Is it over?”
Cooper let out a heavy breath as he gathered his precious daughter in his arms again. He looked over at his team standing in a tight group with the agents who had risked their lives following him into the unknown danger without even a question. The injuries on their side were minimal. Only the bad guys had died. He then looked over at the parking lot to where chunks of metal surrounded a deep pit in the asphalt. The wind was practically nonexistent. The radioactive fallout would be contained in the debris. Dirty bombs weren’t the most efficient choice in creating major damage to the masses. “Yes, Lulu. It’s over.”
At least the danger from Hussain Nagi was over. But he was about to come full face with his past—and to a danger that he didn’t know existed until Lucy told him about a serial killer. He still had to confront an employee who planted bugs in her home, and somehow he was afraid that either one of those dangers could end his career, and perhaps even his freedom.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Lucy discovered it wasn’t completely over. At least the outdoor showers the local HazMat guys had set up were a little more private than the last one she had to endure down in Yuma. Bridget didn’t appreciate having to be washed with a broom while naked and sprayed with a liquid before being declared clean. All of her agents on scene when the taco truck blew up received the same scrubbing, as well as Lucy’s dad and his team. Johnny took it in stride, it seemed. Being a firefighter, he understood the procedure better than most.
With Bridget being the lead FBI agent in charge during the mission, she’d stayed on scene at the stadium while the rest of her agents headed back to the federal building to fill out reports.
Her dad’s team had a different routine, and this time Lucy and Johnny were part of his group. They gathered all Steele Reinforcement personnel who’d participated in the mission into several SR helicopters and headed—someplace. Lucy couldn’t tell where in the dark. And frankly, she didn’t care. Her ribs were bruised, and she hoped Sunny would demand she take the next couple of weeks off. If Sunny didn’t suggest it, then Lucy would. She snuggled against Johnny’s side, resting her head on his shoulder, and let the motion of the helicopter relax her.
“Are you sleeping?” Johnny whispered, his lips tickling her hair.
She shook her head just a little.
“I think we’re landing,” he said.
Lucy sat upright and looked out the window. There was a series of bright white illuminated numbers along the flat ground, evenly spaced. “Hmm, landing pads.”
It didn’t take long before Captain Sawyer had his helicopter set down on landing pad 1, and then the engines cut out. Morrison, Gibbs, Sullivan, and Craig took up the other four seats when her dad wanted to co-pilot. Lucy didn’t even know he knew how to fly. Maybe she’d spend the next two weeks with him, getting to know him again—the real him.
Sullivan slid the door open and jumped down. The other men followed quickly after him. Lucy had to move much slower. Her aching ribs demanded that she be careful. With the help of Johnny’s strong arms, she climbed down just as her dad got out.
“How’re you doing, Lulu?” Cooper asked, sliding his arm around her shoulders. He led her toward a large courtyard with subdued green lights lining the walkway and the tops of the low stucco walls.
“I’m fine, Dad. Stop worrying about me.” Lucy looked around at the huge hacienda looking building. “Where are we?” Her heart picked up pace. “Is this your office?”
Cooper chuckled. “This is my home. We’re on the north side of Mica Mountain.”
“Near Tucson?” Johnny asked, looking over his shoulder.
Cooper nodded. “That’s right.” He hurried them along through the courtyard that had an unlit outdoor fireplace surrounded by chairs and love seats with matching cushions and low tables with shiny wooden slabs on top. He didn’t stop or say anything else even as he ushered them through a heavy wooden door and into a large room filled with more comfortable l
ooking furniture—and Kate Laurence.
“I thought Jim recalled you?” Lucy said, as her dad dropped his protective arm from around her shoulders.
“Hello to you, too,” Kate said, as she gently hugged Lucy. After she gave Johnny a hug, she told them, “Sunny put me on medical leave, and then I scheduled some vacation time. Jim didn’t argue with me. Your dad said I could take advantage of his home while he helped you find your terrorists.” Kate smiled. “I’ve had a private chef, a masseuse, satellite television, a fabulous hot tub, and a heated swimming pool all to myself.”
Cooper took Kate’s hand and nodded toward a hallway. “Come on.” Her dad motioned for them to continue following him down a long hallway. He stopped at a door, and as he held a card in front of the handle, a soft beep sounded and he pushed through. “We can talk in here. It’s secure.”
The modest-sized room surprised Lucy at first. Eight computer monitors hung above a long desk, each with a different picture. Two of the screens showed stationary helicopters from different angles, with men climbing out of the sliding doors. The cameras had remarkably clear views. Lucy sat down in the chair closest to the monitor showing the helipad, her heart beating fast.
“Are you okay, Lu?” Johnny asked with his hands on her shoulders. “Are you in pain?”
“Yes, I mean no.” She turned to look at him. “Why did you ask?”
“I …” Johnny glanced at her dad, but then only grinned and then kissed her forehead.
Cooper sat down next to her, touched a toggle switch on the computer keyboard, and moved a camera in closer to a small group of men headed toward the courtyard. “Lulu, is your husband’s roommate among these men?”
Her heart flipped, and Johnny’s hands squeezed tighter. “Yes.” She touched the screen, pointing out a redheaded man.
“I recognize him, too,” Kate said. “But I haven’t seen him since Jim was transferred into the LA office. Curious.”
“How do you know him, Lu?” Johnny asked.
“Mac would reminisce about his academy days, and every once in a while he’d talk about his wild Irishman roommate, Paddy Brennan. He liked him for his easy manner, although sometimes he didn’t know when to stop drinking.”
She dropped her hand away from the screen to Johnny’s hand still on her shoulder. “I always thought we’d get along well together, and I looked forward to meeting him. When we were at a party, I saw a man across the room who looked like the guy from Mac’s academy picture.” She gazed at her dad. “His name was tagged, so I knew it was him. But when I went to talk with him, he took off, and I lost sight of him. I told Mac I thought I’d seen him, but I don’t think Mac believed me.”
“Well, Lulu, you were right. It is the same man.” Coop leaned his elbows on the counter and slumped slightly, like his head got too heavy. “I had Rick Denim’s apartment searched—Rick is Patrick’s alias in my organization—”
“Is he still with the agency?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid he is. And he would have no other reason for taking an alias other than to hide the fact that he’s an agent—”
“You did,” Johnny said quietly.
Cooper nodded, his head hanging just a little bit lower. “You’re right, but Brennan’s reasons are more treacherous. I did it to protect my daughter. Brennan did it to spy on her—and me, it turns out.”
He looked up at the monitors again. “I had two of my most trusted men go in and do a thorough search of Brennan’s apartment while we were looking for Nagi. Turns out, Brennan’s address in Tucson that we had on file was a shill. His real house is in LA. It took until this morning before any good evidence turned up. He’s had my house bugged.” Coop gazed at Kate. “They found a dozen listening devices this morning.”
“Really? I didn’t see anybody come in,” she said.
He smiled at her. “I told my guys not to disturb you.” Giving his attention back to Lucy, he said, “A series of conversations recorded from this house were found on Brennan’s computer. Fortunately, all he listened into was my mission information, which …”—Cooper rocked slightly in his chair— “I’ll make him pay for, but he had personal emails to and from CIA East Sector Assistant Director Candice Bancroft that were very informative.”
“Bancroft?” Lucy and Kate said simultaneously.
Kate said, “I told you, it was Bancroft who sent me to recruit Lucy for the agency. She wanted Lucy as a field agent, but when I told her she’d only accept a courier job, I came close to being fired.” She stared hard Cooper. “She used me to get to your daughter!”
Lucy looked up at Johnny. “She was the assistant director in LA when I met Mac.”
“How did you meet him?” Cooper asked softly.
“I told Johnny about this already the day we met.” Johnny sat down in the chair on the other side of Lucy before she continued. “We met in Kosovo when he gave me a package to deliver to DC. He, uh, decided to tag along with me. Our exit out of Yugoslavia wasn’t exactly smooth, and, well, we had some hardships, and a few laughs before we finally made it back to the states. We got married two weeks later. We had … a lot of adventures, and he taught me so many things—he made me a better agent, and he kept my secret.”
“You were literally swept off your feet,” Johnny said, his voice soft and tender.
“Yes, but he didn’t really understand what I went through, like you do,” Lucy reminded him quietly.
“I think he understood enough.” Cooper touched a switch, and one of the displays showed a room. He pressed a button on the monitor. A volume indicator line moved across the screen, increasing the sound. At the moment, the room was empty. “Stay here, watch and listen.” He rushed out of the surveillance room, leaving Lucy, Johnny, and Kate alone.
“This is an awesome setup.” Lucy touched the monitor that covered the recreation room where all of the men had gathered, and turned up the volume. The camera covered most of the room, and had great sound quality. The men who were at the stadium were easily distinguishable; they still had on the hospital scrubs, like Lucy and Johnny.
Her dad, on the other hand, had found a change of comfortable clothing in his helicopter. Everyone seemed happy while they rehashed what they’d gone through over the past two days, with a can of Pepsi or bottle of beer in their hands—including Patrick. The smile on his ruddy face seemed sincere, but knowing he was spying on her and her dad made her angry. Johnny’s arm went around her shoulder, and he gave her a little squeeze. He always knew when she needed consoling.
Coop walked into the camera’s view. He stopped and whispered something to Sullivan before heading to Patrick. With his hand on Patrick’s shoulder, Lucy could hear her dad say he needed to speak with him for a few minutes.
The smile on Patrick’s face never wavered. He looked very friendly, and her heart gave a twinge of regret at the thought of his betrayal to Mac’s memory. He nodded and followed her dad out through the crowd. She noticed they didn’t go alone. Sullivan and another man she didn’t recognize followed, too. Lucy had an idea where they were headed. She muted the rec room and concentrated on the monitor her dad had set up.
“Are you okay?” Johnny whispered.
Lucy nodded. “Just tired.” She leaned into his embrace. “I want this over, so I can go home.”
Johnny looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get going soon. It’s a six-hour drive from Phoenix.”
“But we’re near Tucson.”
“That’s where my truck is.”
Lucy sighed loudly. “Maybe Dad can fly you home, and I can drive your truck back tomorrow.”
“I don’t want you driving with your injuries.”
“Then … oh, I don’t know. How about buying a new truck?” Lucy giggled—and then the door to that empty room opened, and her dad walked in with an envelope in his hand. He glanced up at the camera before moving aside to let Patrick into the room. Sullivan and the other man came in lastly, but stayed near the door after it closed.
“Take a seat,
Rick,” Cooper said as he walked over to an overstuffed chair next to a long couch. “We need to have a frank discussion.” With that, Patrick moved behind the wooden slab of a coffee table and sat on the couch near her dad.
“What’s up, Coop?” he asked, glancing between the two men standing at the door and her dad.
“We have a problem, Rick,” Coop said as he opened the envelope. “Or should I call you Patrick?”
The only facial change Lucy could discern was a subtle lift of his red eyebrows. “That’s my formal name,” he said.
Cooper took out a small blue booklet. A passport. He opened it and set it on the table for Patrick to see. After a stunned few moments, Patrick finally shifted his eyes away from the passport and up to the two men again. His face had a slight tinge of pink to it now.
“Can you explain to me why you planted bugs in my daughter’s home?”
Lucy leaned closer to the monitor when Patrick’s brows pinched together. After his Adam’s apple noticeably bounced in a hard swallow, she could see he didn’t understand the question. But Jim’s video was clear enough for her to recognize his face. Could there be another reason he was confused? How many women was he spying on? Too many to remember, possibly?
“He doesn’t know you’re his daughter,” Kate said quietly, watching the monitor. “Candice kept that a secret!”
“How do you know Special Agent Lucy James?” Cooper asked next.
Patrick glanced at his passport again. No doubt, he was trying to figure out how her dad came to have it, and why he was interested in one of his secret missions.
“I knew her husband—years ago,” he said.
Cooper nodded. “Yes, Special Agent Seth Mackenzie. I understand he was a very brave man. Excelled in his, uh, occupation.” Patrick cleared his throat, like he tried to dislodge something distasteful. “You did know that Mac told Agent James about you, since you and Mackenzie roomed together at the academy.”
Patrick’s jaw twitched.
The next thing out of the envelope was a thumb drive. Cooper set it down next to the passport. “I found most of your emails we downloaded from your laptop fascinating, especially the ones kept in the folder named Operation Get Lucy.”
