Tough Justice Series Box Set, Parts 1-8

by Carla Cassidy

  “I’d heard him arrange a meeting with his top commanders for later that night. We knew it would be our best chance to take him down, so we scrambled to make the bust. We had surprise on our side, but we didn’t have much time. And we knew if we didn’t catch him, we might never have another chance.”

  “Were you the one who arrested him?”

  “No, I stayed away. I couldn’t afford to blow my cover in case something went wrong and I had to resurrect my part. My boss took him down instead.” It had been a major coup. They’d captured all the syndicate’s major players, along with various, low-level operatives—not to mention Moretti himself.

  “How did you feel during all this?” the psychiatrist asked.

  “Numb. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything.” She’d gone into zombie mode—writing reports, attending meetings, analyzing the data and mopping up all the loose ends.

  “And later?”

  “I collapsed.” Physically, mentally, emotionally. She’d gone to ground in her apartment, overwhelmed by the horror of what she’d done. Hating Moretti. Despising herself. Unable to believe how foolish she’d been. Afraid there was something wrong inside her, really wrong, that maybe she’d secretly sensed the truth—and hadn’t cared.

  “I went over everything he’d said, every moment we’d spent together, trying to figure out what I’d missed. How I could have possibly been so clueless.”

  “And what did you decide?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think I missed anything. I think Moretti was just that good.”

  That elicited a nod. “He’s a sociopath. He doesn’t have a conscience. He doesn’t care how people feel. That makes it easy for him to lie. But you do have a conscience. That isn’t a flaw, Lara; it’s a normal, healthy thing. That’s how you discern right from wrong.”

  “It didn’t stop me from having an affair with a criminal.” And not just an ordinary criminal, either. The boss of a major syndicate. A man who was evil incarnate.

  “All of us make mistakes,” Dr. Oliviero reminded her.

  “I know.” And she’d paid for hers. In the past year, she’d been through hell and back. She’d been emotionally beaten and battered, her confidence shattered. But she’d come out stronger. And wiser. Definitely more cynical. And far less trusting, especially when it came to men.

  She’d suffered in other ways, too. But she was not going to talk about those. There were some things so private that even Dr. Oliviero didn’t need to know.

  “I thought it was finally over,” she continued. “I thought I could move past it and get on with my life. That’s why I took this job with the Crisis Management Unit. It was something new, something I knew I’d be good at. I was ready to begin again.”

  “But it’s not over.”

  “No. Moretti is fighting back. He wants to destroy me now. And he won’t stop until he wins.”

  “Or you beat him once and for all.” Dr. Oliviero leaned toward her, his expression intent. “You’re going to do it, Lara. You’ve got the skills, and you will succeed this time. I have no doubts about that.”

  “It sure doesn’t feel that way.”

  “That’s because you’ve let him shake your confidence and get inside your head. You just need to remember that you can succeed, that you’ve done it before. Take those skills you’ve learned and apply them.”

  “I’ll try.” She rose and shook his hand. “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate the impromptu session.”

  “Stop by whenever you like. I’m always here for you. But Lara...” he added just as she turned to go. “Even after you stop him, this won’t be over completely. Not until you take one last step.”

  She cocked her head. “Which is?”

  “You’ll have to forgive yourself.”

  “That might be harder,” she admitted.

  And downright impossible if anything happened to the baby.

  * * *

  Lara was still struggling to follow the psychiatrist’s advice an hour later as she sat at her cubicle, poring over her notes on the Moretti case. She couldn’t let Moretti spook her. She had to have confidence that she could beat him at his game. She’d learned a lot during her time undercover and was so much smarter than before.

  But even Dr. Oliviero’s pep talk wasn’t helping her solve this case. She kept combing over the evidence, and nothing made any sense. She felt lost in a labyrinth, unable to find the exit, knowing she was overlooking something vital that would point the way. She finally tossed down her pen, her frustration veering into despair.

  What was she missing here? How were these events related, aside from their apparent connection to her? Or was she trying too hard to link them all? Maybe someone else was involved in this case besides Moretti—but if so, who?

  Just then, Victoria poked her head over the wall of her cubicle. “Lara,” she said softly so no one would overhear. “I’ve got news.”

  Lara’s heart lost its beat. She held her breath, both eager and afraid to hear what she had to say. “What is it?”

  Her boss cracked a smile. “The baby and her family are fine.”

  Lara slumped back in her chair and released her breath, the tension that had kept her up all night escaping in a crazy rush. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” Victoria stepped into her doorway. “It turns out there was some sort of glitch with the phone lines last night, and the service shut down. I just got a new number from the marshal. I’ll forward it to you.”

  Lara struggled to take it in. The family was safe. She closed her eyes, more relieved than she could express.

  “Still...that note he sent. I know what you’ve done. He must be talking about that family. And remember the photos I got of the safe house? The one with the bull’s-eye on the baby’s face?” Not to mention the charm the kidnapper sent—all indications that someone knew about that child. “And the timing of this—the phone going out at the same time Cass was stabbed. Do you think—”

  “That Moretti had someone mess with the lines?”

  “Yes.” It would fit his MO perfectly—to draw out the torture, heightening her fear and anxiety to a fever pitch, and then finishing her off with his Grand Finale.

  “I wondered the same thing,” Victoria acknowledged. “I’ve got people checking that out.”

  “Maybe we should move the family again. If they’ve been compromised...”

  “I’d rather not do that until we’re sure.”

  “But—”

  “Lara, we can’t keep moving them around. The constant upheaval isn’t good for them. They need to start leading a normal life. I want to make sure it’s necessary before we make them leave.”

  Lara forced in a calming breath, trying not to imagine the worst. Victoria knew what she was doing. WITSEC would keep that baby safe. She had to focus her energy on stopping Moretti, not worrying about things she couldn’t control.

  “Speaking of that note, how’s Cass this morning?” she asked.

  Victoria sighed. “You can see for yourself. She’s in her office, writing up her statement about the attack.”

  “She’s here?”

  “She insisted on coming in.”

  “But she just had surgery last night.”

  Victoria glanced toward the tech room before answering. “She’s not doing too well. She said she had a rough night.”

  Lara didn’t doubt that. Cass had been a wreck at the hospital the previous night. The entire team had kept her company, waiting until the doctor released her, then loading her into Victoria’s car for the trip to the safe house they’d arranged. She’d looked shaken, weak and thoroughly traumatized, despite their attempts to cheer her up.

  “She’s supposed to keep her leg elevated. She should be in bed for the next few days.”

  “I know, but I couldn’t convince her. She didn’t want to be alone, even with an around-the-clock protective detail. She feels safer here at work.”

  Lara understood. It was a classic reaction to a violent attack—jumping
at shadows, worrying that an attacker would pounce at any minute and be hiding behind every door. And the effects could last for months.

  “Have you heard back from forensics yet?” she asked. “Any clues about who might have stabbed her?”

  Victoria shook her head. “I got the initial report. About the only thing of interest is that he was most likely left-handed.”

  Lara’s heart missed a beat. “Moretti is left-handed.”

  “Moretti’s in prison.”

  “Could he have gotten out?”

  Victoria’s mouth went flat. “Not a chance.”

  “You’re sure? Because—”

  “Lara. Calm down. He’s locked up in a federal maximum security penitentiary. There’s no way that he got out.”

  “You’re right.” She was overreacting. And that was exactly what Moretti wanted. He wanted to rattle her nerves, ensuring that she wouldn’t think straight—just like Dr. Oliviero said.

  She tugged in another breath, determined to follow the psychiatrist’s advice. She could beat this guy. No one was superhuman. Somewhere he’d left a clue that would enable them to bring him down. “But that doesn’t narrow it down much. There are a lot of left-handed people in the world.”

  “Maybe Cass will remember something else. Why don’t you talk to her?” Victoria suggested. “I want to keep her busy. The more she can do to help solve this case, the more she’ll start feeling in control again.”

  “I will.” But as she headed toward Cass’s office a moment later, her worries returned in a sickening rush. They might be able to defeat Moretti.

  But if Cass’s attack was any indication, their time was fast running out.

  * * *

  Lara found Cass standing at her office window. She took in the weary slump on her slender frame and wondered again why she was here. Instead of working, she should be back at the safe house, coddling herself in bed.

  “Knock-knock,” she called out.

  Cass turned her way, and Lara was struck by how bad she looked. Her bruised eye was swollen shut. The other was rimmed with red, as if she’d been crying all night. Her hair was lanky and limp, her face ashen and strained. Lara couldn’t imagine how she had the strength to stand.

  “I just stopped by to see if you were okay,” she said.

  “Do I look okay?” Cass asked, her testy reply taking Lara aback. But she knew she had to cut her some slack. Cass had to be in tremendous pain after the ordeal she’d been through.

  “To be honest, you look exhausted.” She stepped into the room and sank into a nearby chair as Cass used her crutches to hobble to her desk. “Why are you here today? You should be taking it easy for a while.”

  “I thought the job always came first.”

  This time, Lara couldn’t mistake the bitterness in her voice. She frowned as Cass sat down. “No one expects you to work while you’re injured. The doctor said you were supposed to rest, and Victoria’s fine with that.”

  Cass didn’t answer. She propped her injured leg on a stool, her anger palpable now.

  And Lara’s uneasiness grew. Maybe Cass blamed her for the attack. She’d defended Lara before, when Xander had hurled his accusations at her. But maybe Xander’s attitude had rubbed off, especially now that Moretti had gotten to her.

  “Cass, listen. I’m sorry that you had to go through all this. You know I’m doing everything I can to stop Moretti and end this case.”

  “I’ll just bet you are.”

  Lara’s head reared back. Her anger sounded...personal. Exactly what was going on? Did Cass think she was slacking off? Did she hold some kind of grudge against her? Or maybe she thought Lara didn’t appreciate the terrible loss she’d suffered when her sister, Allie, had died.

  And she couldn’t help but wonder if hanging out with Katya Auerman was doing Cass more harm than good. Katya had been close to Cass’s sister. They’d been trapped together in that hellish existence, both victims of Moretti’s syndicate. But unlike Cass’s sister, Katya had survived.

  Lara understood why Cass would want to see her. Allie’s birthday had just gone by, and the anniversary of her death was approaching soon. Katya was her only remaining link to her sister, and talking to Katya would help keep her memory alive.

  But maybe it was also keeping her from getting closure, from moving past the burden of guilt she felt for failing to find her sister in time. Maybe she’d be better off making a clean break and severing that depressing tie.

  But Lara could hardly tell her that. Cass had kept her friendship with Katya secret. For whatever reason she didn’t want anyone on the team to know. And if there was one thing Lara respected, it was boundaries. Heaven knew, she’d erected enough barriers of her own.

  Still, Cass obviously needed help.

  “Listen, Cass. This case...it’s hard on all of us. Especially you, getting stabbed like that. And after your sister died...”

  Cass made a listless shrug.

  “I saw Dr. Oliviero this morning. He’s been a big help to me. Maybe you should think about paying him a visit. It helped me to talk things out.”

  Cass’s good eye flashed. “Just because you need to see a shrink doesn’t mean that I do. Maybe you should keep your advice to yourself.”

  Lara flinched, stunned by her hostility. But as much as her nasty tone hurt her, she knew that Cass was right. Who was she to make suggestions when she was so messed up herself? “Sorry. You’re right. It’s none of my business what you do. I didn’t mean to intrude.” She rose and headed to the door.

  “Lara.”

  She paused and turned around, still stung by Cass’s tone. But Cass looked deflated now, her undamaged eye beseeching hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’ve been through a lot.”

  Cass looked away and blinked back tears. “This is nothing compared to what Allie went through.”

  Lara’s heart flipped. “I know.” She’d seen the conditions those girls had lived in, the horrific existence they’d endured. The beatings, the intimidation. The brutal abuse they’d suffered as the sexual outlet for hundreds of perverted men. They’d been tortured into compliance, shot up with drugs and locked in cages, their hopes and spirits crushed. And knowing that her baby sister had been subjected to such vile acts had to be hard to bear.

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should go see the shrink,” Cass admitted.

  Lara walked back into the office and took her seat. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Everyone’s different. It helped me to talk to him, but you have to do what’s best for you.”

  “I will.”

  Remembering Victoria’s advice, she cleared her throat. “So what are you working on?”

  Cass motioned toward her desk. “I finished my statement for Victoria and now I’m going through the military sniper lists.”

  “Any progress?”

  “Not really. We’ve been tracking the people down, having our local offices verify their whereabouts for the past few weeks. So far, everyone has checked out.”

  “I guess it was a long shot.” She forced a smile. “No pun intended.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So where’s Xander? I haven’t seen him yet today.”

  “He’s helping interview potential witnesses around my apartment in case someone saw something. He’ll be back any minute now.”

  “Have you remembered anything else about the attack?”

  “No, nothing. It happened too fast.”

  Lara sighed. She had to hand it to Moretti’s people. They excelled at covering their tracks. “Well, I’d better get back to work.”

  Cass nodded, but her mind was clearly somewhere else. Lara rose again and started out the door. But then she hesitated and glanced back. Cass was gazing into space.

  “Cass?”

  She looked up.

  “We are going to get this guy.”

  “You think so?”

  “Absolutely. I promise.” And that was one vo
w she wouldn’t renege on, no matter what the cost.

  CHAPTER THREE

  What a difference a day made, Lara thought as the team assembled for a meeting in the conference room later that morning. Their optimism was gone. A somber air permeated the room. Instead of feeling victorious after arresting the kidnappers, the team was silent, grim and unusually subdued. Cass’s stabbing had wrenched them back to reality with a vengeance, reminding them that they weren’t done. Moretti had attacked again.

  And it was past time to take him down.

  “Our focus right now is threefold,” Victoria began, her voice reflecting the same tight-lipped determination Lara felt. “First off, we need to identify and arrest Cass’s attacker. That’s number one. We also need to figure out how Moretti is communicating from prison and find The Ghost. So I’d like to get an update on where we all stand. Xander?”

  Sitting across from Lara, he cleared his throat. “I helped the NYPD interview residents around Cass’s apartment this morning, but no one saw anything. I left business cards for those not answering, asking them to call when they get home.”

  “Good,” Victoria said.

  “In the meantime, I’ve got a meeting at the prison this afternoon. They’ve promised to get me a copy of all the surveillance tapes from the past few months.”

  Victoria jotted something on her notepad. “It’ll take time to study all those. I’ll get you some extra help.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m still waiting to hear from the cryptologist about Moretti’s picture,” Mei volunteered.

  Victoria made another note. “Keep on that. If we can make some headway there, we might be able to anticipate his next move.”

  “All right.”

  Their boss looked up. “So where are we on the hunt for The Ghost?”

  “I’m still checking the military lists,” Cass said. The sunlight streaming through the windows highlighted the purple bruise around her eye. “I’m looking at army vets who served in Afghanistan first, but we’re checking everyone out, active duty and retired. There are quite a few names, so I haven’t made much progress yet.”

  “I’ll get you some more help, too. Lara and Nick can pitch in until I do.” She glanced around. “Anything else?”