Lucy - 05 - Stalked

by Allison Brennan

  Lucy had enough experience with psychopaths and sociopaths, plus a master’s in criminal psychology, to make this call, but she’d always had backup. She’d always had Dillon or Hans to help talk things out. Now she had no choice but to go it alone.

  Sean and Peter went up to Peter’s apartment. Joe was coordinating NYPD on the street. Sean set up a camera so that Noah and Lucy, who were in a vacant apartment down the hall, could watch and listen. Suzanne would remain hidden in Peter’s apartment.

  Lucy’s theory was that Alexis would act quickly, possibly tonight and no more than twenty-four hours from now.

  Noah shook his head at the screen as he watched the living room of Peter’s apartment through a phone that Sean had programmed to transmit to his laptop. “Sean has all the toys,” Noah told Lucy.

  “Private sector,” Lucy said. “It pays better.”

  Sean was trying to get Peter to loosen up a bit, but Peter was wooden and worried. Finally, Sean turned on a baseball game that had been played earlier in the day, keeping the volume on low. It was late, after one in the morning, and Peter drifted off to sleep in his chair.

  Lucy asked Noah, “Have you heard about Hans?”

  “Same condition, but the swelling has gone down. If it continues, they’ll perform surgery tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s just as dangerous as the accident.”

  “It’s the only thing that will save him.”

  “That’s what they told us about Patrick, and he ended up in a coma for nearly two years.”

  “You never told me what happened.”

  “I assumed everyone knew. It’s in my file.” She didn’t know where the bitterness came from. She was used to this.

  Noah said quietly, “I only read what I had to know when I was investigating the vigilante murders. I knew about the coma, but not why.”

  Lucy stared at the screen.

  “You don’t need to talk about it, Lucy.”

  She shook her head. “Adam Scott had me on an island outside of Seattle. He falsified coordinates and sent them to Kate. Kate didn’t believe the information, she thought there was something wrong, but the FBI verified them and the agent in charge of the investigation took a team down to Baja, California. It was a trap. Scott had used the cabin in the past; he rigged it to explode. He was watching through a video feed. My brothers Patrick and Connor went down with Jack’s mercenary team, along with four agents. Scott watched through a video feed—I know, because he showed me—and when they breached the cabin, he blew it up.” Lucy would never forget watching Patrick half-running, half-thrown from the cabin. It still haunted her.

  “Patrick had a severe head injury that required surgery, but he was conscious and joking on the way to the hospital. He didn’t regain consciousness after the surgery. The doctors didn’t know for certain, but suspected it was a rare reaction to the anesthesia. When he was younger, he’d had his appendix out and slipped into a coma for several days.”

  “Did they operate again?”

  “No. He just woke up one day. Out of the blue.” She smiled. “The last couple years hasn’t been easy for him. Not just the physical deterioration. San Diego PD replaced him in the cybercrimes unit. Patrick had taken it from next to nothing to state of the art. But as you know, cybercrime is constantly changing. Patrick could have had his job back, but working for someone else. He was a lot like Sean—had an intuitive understanding of computer security. He lost his edge.

  “Connor, our other brother, is a P.I. and asked Patrick to join him, but Jack wanted Patrick at RCK, and Patrick needed to get out of the family nest.” She paused. “I love my family, but it’s hard to forge your own path when everyone tries to do it for you.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  Lucy smiled. “Yeah. He and Sean became close. I don’t think Patrick realized when he went to Sacramento to work for RCK that he was going from one over-protective family to another. Sean and Patrick opened up RCK East to get out from under the thumb of their big brothers.” She glanced at Noah. “You and Sean are good now, right?”

  “As good as we’ll ever be,” he said.

  “Why does that sound ominous?”

  Noah didn’t say anything, and Lucy didn’t push. She didn’t want to make waves. She liked Noah and owed him a debt for training her, supporting her, helping her become a good agent. She considered him her closest friend, outside of her family.

  But she loved Sean. He was her best friend. It was as simple as that. She didn’t want to choose sides between career and Sean. She wanted both.

  Everything mattered more—her career, her family, her life—because she had someone to share it with.

  Noah’s phone, set on intercom, beeped. It was DeLucca. “Heads up, possible Sanchez entering building. She has a key.”

  “Roger that; hold your position.”

  Noah said to Suzanne, “Did you get that?”

  “Roger.”

  They waited. It felt like forever but was only three minutes before Alexis used a key to get into Peter’s apartment. On the screen, Lucy watched her quietly close the door. She walked down the short hall and looked at Peter, now pretending to sleep on the chair. She then turned toward Sean on the couch, also pretending to sleep.

  “Suz,” Lucy said, “she has a gun in her right hand.”

  She raised her gun toward Sean.

  Suzanne came out of the bedroom and karate chopped her arm. She dropped the gun, turned to face Suzanne, but Suzanne kicked her legs out from under her and had her on the ground in seconds, her knee in Alexis’s back.

  Sean hobbled over and put his gun on Alexis while Suzanne cuffed and searched her. By the time Alexis was on her feet, Noah and Lucy were in the apartment.

  Peter rose from his chair and stared at her. “Why?”

  “He knows where you are. He’ll find you.”

  “Let him come,” Suzanne said, sitting Alexis down in a chair. “We’re ready.”

  She shook her head. “He won’t come now. He’s the smartest person I know. And patient. He’ll wait.”

  Lucy sat down across from her. “Alexis, tell Peter the truth. He deserves to know why you went to Syracuse.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t understand how hard it was for us after Cami disappeared. She was just … gone. We didn’t know where, if she was dead or alive. Kip blamed himself because he was there, at the park with her. Mom told them, watch out for each other.

  “But it wasn’t until you came back that Kip changed. He wanted so desperately to be your friend. He wanted to talk about your sister, and his sister, and you wouldn’t. He became fixated on you and everything about Rachel and the investigation.”

  Suzanne said, “You were part of it.”

  She looked down, but Lucy saw the anger in Alexis’s face. When she looked back up, it was hatred. “Feds like you fucked up the investigation. Cami was alive for a year. And no one cared; no one was looking; no one believed she was alive. Do you know what she suffered at the hands of the man who took her? The pain? Repeated rapes? Torture? For a year. All because Rachel’s family had this wild life. All the attention was paid to her. Her killer was caught and in prison while Cami continued to suffer.”

  Peter said, “None of that was my fault.”

  Alexis softened when she looked at him. “I know that, baby. I know. That’s what I told Kip, but he didn’t understand. When he found you in Syracuse, I convinced him to let me get close. I tried to protect you. And for a while, it worked. Kip was in college, and focused on finding out what really happened to Cami, on tracking the cops who screwed up the investigation. I fell in love.”

  “Is that why you put the dead pig in my bed?”

  “That was Kip. I walked in and saw it and realized he was going to kill you. That’s why I cleaned the apartment and disappeared.”

  Lucy said, “Why didn’t you tell the police?”

  Alexis looked at Lucy. “You of all people should understand how broken the system is! We had a plan,
and it worked.”

  “You just didn’t want Peter to be part of the plan.”

  “Kip agreed to stay away from Peter if I left him, so I did. I did it to protect you.” She implored Peter, “I love you, Peter.”

  “When did the plan change?” Lucy asked.

  “When Presidio went to New York. He was looking in all the right places; if he figured it out before we were done, it would blow everything.”

  Lucy said, “You stole the file after you poisoned him.”

  “I had to. I didn’t want to do it like that, I wanted him to know why, but I had no choice.”

  “You killed him?” Peter said in disbelief. “You killed an FBI agent?”

  “Three cops,” Suzanne said. “Retired agent Theissen, Detective Bob Stokes, and SSA Presidio. Plus you put Assistant Director Vigo in the hospital.”

  “He was looking into Presidio’s death. It was a heart attack, it should have been dismissed as natural, but he was suspicious. I had to do it.”

  “You can make amends, Alexis,” Lucy said. “Help us stop your brother before he hurts anyone else.”

  She shook her head. “You’ll kill him.”

  “He needs help.”

  “By locking him up? Like a criminal?”

  “He killed at least two people—Rosemary Weber and Dominic Theissen.”

  Alexis stared at her defiantly. “So?”

  “This is getting us nowhere,” Noah said. “DeLucca and I are going to put her in Holding until I can get a transport to federal prison.”

  “Alexis,” Lucy said. “You killed a federal agent. That’s a death penalty charge. Help us stop your brother and I will help you.”

  “So I can go to prison for the rest of my life?” she snapped sarcastically.

  “Do you want your daughter to suffer for the rest of her life? Don’t you want to see her grow up?”

  Alexis’s eyes teared. “Peter. Take care of Missy.”

  Peter stared at her. “What?”

  “She looks just like you,” Alexis whispered.

  “Alexis,” Peter said quietly, squatting in front of her, “I don’t understand why you and Kip blamed the police for what happened to your sister. But I know your pain more than anyone.” He glanced at Lucy. “Lucy and I both understand. You can’t let him finish whatever he’s doing. It needs to end now.”

  Tears streamed down Alexis’s cheeks. “I’m not going to turn on my brother.”

  Peter stood and gazed down at her. “I understand.”

  She sighed in relief. “Go, far away from New York.”

  He shook his head.

  “No. I’m staying here. I love my job. Those kids mean everything to me. I’ve been running since Rachel died. I’m not running anymore.”

  “He will kill you,” Alexis said emphatically. “Don’t you understand? He’ll kill you. That’s all he wants now.”

  Noah motioned for Lucy. She walked over to the small kitchen and he said in a low voice, “She’s stalling.”

  “I think she’s torn. She honestly cares about Peter and doesn’t want him hurt.”

  “She’s loyal to her brother.”

  Lucy nodded.

  “Something’s wrong. She might have come here to warn Peter, but she knows her brother’s near. Lucy, try to get the info out of her, but I’m calling in Tactical.” Noah stepped into the hall to make his calls.

  Lucy walked back over to Alexis. “Where is your brother now?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking at Peter.

  “You do. I think you came here to warn Peter, but you know Kip is already on his way.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  Sean said, “Peter, come with me.”

  Suzanne cut him off. “You’re hardly in prime condition. I’ll take you and Peter to the safe house, and you can babysit him.”

  Sean was going to argue—he hated being out of the center of an operation—but he looked at Lucy and she nodded. “You’re not one hundred percent.”

  “My eighty percent is better than most hundreds.” He winked. “But I’m with Peter. Be careful, Luce.”

  Noah came back in. “We have a problem. Alexis mirrored your computer at Quantico, Lucy. Every communication that’s come in through your e-mail, she saw.”

  Lucy turned to her. She felt violated and angry. But it explained how Alexis knew when to leave. “You knew Sean had sent me the sketch Peter had made at Syracuse.”

  Alexis didn’t say anything, but her eyes revealed the truth.

  Sean took Lucy’s phone. He opened it up, inspected it, then reset the system. “There’s no bug, but I reset the codes so nothing you send on the phone will go through your computer.”

  “We can’t use the safe house Sean set up on the chance the intel has been compromised,” Noah said. “DeLucca has a place NYPD uses. He’s calling in an unmarked car to transport Peter, Sean, and Suzanne there. NYPD will cover the exterior. Lucy and I will take Sanchez to Bureau headquarters.”

  Lucy turned back to Alexis. “You can stop this.”

  Alexis shook her head. “No, I can’t.” She looked at Peter. “I’m sorry, Peter. I tried to save you. But you sided with the wrong people. I wish it were different.”

  Peter was heartbroken and confused. Lucy took him aside. “Peter, don’t let her get into your head. This isn’t your fault. She’s playing by her own set of rules. To her, it’s Kip and Alexis against the world. She wanted you to join them. Because you didn’t, you’re the enemy. Don’t forget that.”

  He didn’t say anything, but the pain in his eyes hurt Lucy. “I don’t want to run,” he said.

  “You won’t have to. We’ll find him.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  “The cars are here,” Noah said.

  It was after three in the morning, and the street had been quiet for thirty minutes. NYPD had searched the neighboring buildings and public areas and there was no sign of Kip Todd or any threat.

  “We’re taking Alexis out first through the front. Two agents will take her to headquarters. Once we’re clear, I’ll call up and Suzanne, you come down with Peter. Keep your com line open, no unnecessary chatter. This guy hates cops. He’s not going to hold back if he has a shot.”

  Lucy turned to Alexis. “This is your last chance. What is Kip planning?”

  The woman stared at Peter.

  Then she turned to Lucy and Noah. “Promise me I can see my daughter one last time.”

  Noah nodded. “If you tell me the truth, I promise visitation rights for your daughter.”

  “Just once. To tell her I love her. And to tell her about her father.” She glanced at Peter, then closed her eyes. “Kip was here earlier today. He wanted me to tell him when Peter got home, but I followed Peter from the subway station to warn him. When I saw Rogan, I panicked. I knew I had to steer Peter away from his apartment.

  “I told Kip afterward that Rogan already made contact and I tried to take Peter out myself. He was angry because he wanted to do it. He told me to watch the apartment, and he was baiting the trap.”

  “What trap?” Noah demanded.

  “I don’t know. Just that he knew how to get Peter out of hiding.”

  They all looked at Peter.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  Sean swore. “Charlie.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. “There’s no answer.”

  Noah said, “I’ll have the Bureau contact the Syracuse police.”

  “My plane is ten minutes away,” Sean said.

  “I’m going,” Peter said.

  “No,” Lucy and Noah said simultaneously.

  “I’m not a prisoner, am I? Charlie is my only friend. He’s the only one who believed me. He’s the only one I trust. And I put him in danger by having him keep my secret.”

  Lucy said, “Alexis put him in danger by mirroring my computer. That’s the only way they found out about how he helped you.”

  Peter turned to Alexis and shook his head. “I forgive you, b
ecause if I don’t, I’ll be full of the same hate you are. But if anything happens to Charlie or his wife, I hope you get the death penalty, because you’re no better, no more noble, than the men who killed Rachel and Cami.” And he turned away.

  They went down the stairs to the main floor, staying inside the small lobby until Joe DeLucca opened the door. “We’re clear, but keep moving.”

  He walked in front of them, looking both ways. The passenger door opened and an agent got out. He showed Noah his credentials and opened the back door. Another agent got out and assisted Alexis inside. The two agents got back in and the car left.

  “One down,” Joe said.

  “Change of plans,” Noah said. “We’re going to Syracuse.”

  Before he could explain, Sean came limping down the stairs. “I have Charlie Mead on the phone,” he said, and put the phone on speaker.

  “Charlie, I have Agent Armstrong here.”

  “I walked right into it. I’m sorry, Rogan.”

  “Where are you?”

  Another voice came on the phone. “I’ll exchange the cop for my sister and Peter McMahon.”

  “I can’t do that,” Noah said. He mouthed to Sean, Are you tracing this call?

  Sean nodded.

  “Then the cop dies. And I’ll kill another cop every day until my sister is free and Peter is dead.”

  “I have to talk to my boss,” Noah said.

  “You have thirty minutes.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Exactly fourteen minutes away.” He hung up.

  “Trace it, Rogan.” Noah handed him back the phone, then called for more backup.

  DeLucca called to his men, “I need two men on each entrance, two men inside searching from the ground floor up. Call for all available units, but be on alert. We’ll be moving.”

  “Are you calling back the team with Alexis?” Lucy asked.

  “No. I can’t risk it. Mead is a cop; he knows we’re not going to trade a cop killer for him. We have to find the location.”

  They went back upstairs. “Fourteen minutes away,” Noah said to Peter. “What’s fourteen minutes?”