Chapter 29

Alec stared at the screen on her phone for the tenth time. What was taking them so long? Pushing away from the wall, she zeroed in on Brent. “Are they going to get these guys lined up today?”

Brent sighed and checked the time. “Yeah, Reid wants to have Rory in the interrogation room before you and Ian identify Espinosa.”

“So, you’re thinking we can get Rory to turn for us?” She paced by the darkened window.

Brent shrugged. “If we can get him to give us some more names, then that will be a bonus, but he’s still going to be charged regardless.”

She remembered the two men talking about giving them another dose when she was tied to a chair. Anger burned through her veins. “He damn well better be.” Looking into the other room once more, she checked the door to see it still closed. “Where is Ian?”

“Reid has him hanging out near the cells, doing his thing.” He sighed. “Maybe he can get some more information to help.”

A strange feeling moved through Alec, one she hadn’t felt in a long time, protectiveness. “It takes a lot out of him you know. If he does too many too close together or if he stays inside too long...”

Brent raised his eyebrows and studied her silently.

Alec crossed her arms and glared at him. “Well it does,” she mumbled.

“I see the way you two watch each other.”

Glancing back at the window to break eye contact with him she shrugged. “We have to work together; it’s good to have a feel for each other’s moves.” She ignored the soft chuckling.

“It’s not a bad thing to admit there’s something going on, Alec. He’s a good fit for you.” Coming over, he stood beside her with his hands tucked in his pockets and stared into the dark room with her. “I like Ian. I could never figure out why he never brought anyone with him to the family gatherings, but I guess he’s as used to being alone as you.”

“Relationships are hard for him because he always knows what the other half is thinking.” She glanced at him briefly. “That’s gotta suck at times.”

“God, I wouldn’t even want to know what’s going on in Felicity’s head half the time. It would give me grey hair.”

“Yeah.” She fidgeted with her hands in front of her. “His job doesn’t sound like it’s very simple for the most part. Kind of cloak and dagger shit.”

Brent made a noise in agreement. “He definitely needs a strong woman to come home to.”

Jealousy hit Alec and sat in her stomach like a stone. “I guess.”

Leaning against the glass, Brent faced her. “He’s had some hard knocks, Alec, not unlike you.” He gave her one of his brotherly smiles. “I think you two fit better than a pair of broken-in boots.”

She shrugged and looked down at the floor. “I can’t let go...”

“Maybe you don’t have to let go, but it doesn’t hurt to let someone else in.” He stood there holding her look with his compassionate eyes.

Letting out a ragged breath, she nodded slowly. “Yeah. We’ll see.”

Clearing his throat, he pushed away from the glass and went over to the door. “I’m going to go and see what the holdup is.”

When the door closed, she looked back into the empty room. Maybe it was time to try. Could she let Ian in and trust him not to crush her? Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and closed her eyes. There was too much going on right now to fall into melancholy.

The door swinging open had her turning with a start. Ian stood there, his hand still holding the door.

He gave her a once over. “You all right?” He closed the door and came over to stand in front of her, lifting her chin so he could search her eyes.

“I’m good. Did you get anything useful?”

Ian held her with his eyes for a few moments and then released her. “Nothing we don’t already have. Rory is shitting his pants and scared to death that Maurice Travini is going to come after him.”

“So Travini is behind our little adventure?”

Ian sat down and splayed his long legs in front of him. “Looks like, although Espinosa seems to have it in for Bill right now...”

She snorted. “He’s gonna have to get in line then.” Shaking her head, she crossed her arms and studied his posture for a second, he looked tired. “Did you overdo it?”

Grinning, he winked at her. “No, I’m good. I think lack of sleep is catching up to me.”

Her cheeks heated, making him chuckle under his breath. Trying to keep the topic on business, she ignored the heated look he was giving her. “How soon can we take down Bill?”

Ian sat forward and leaned on his knees; his hands clasped in front of him. “Reid and the Captain seem to think we need to leave Bill out there for a bit yet.”

“Why?”

“Veritas has dropped off the map, they can’t find a trace of him anywhere and Kimberly Almay seems to have suddenly gotten ill and called off work two days in a row.”

Grinding her teeth, she tucked her hands into her back pockets. “Maybe they took off together.”

He nodded. “That’s what they’re thinking. Or they’re underground getting things going.”

“We have to get things rolling; those discs can’t hit the general public.”

Leaning back, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “Overheard Agent Bastion on the phone, I think he’s getting the go-ahead to grab and hold anyone involved.”

“National security clause.”

Ian gave her an odd look. “There’s such a thing?”

Nodding, she glanced at the empty room on the other side of the glass again. “Yeah. If there’s a possibility, it’s a national security issue they can hold someone as long as possible without processing until they’re cleared.”

“That’s good for us.”

She grinned. “Very good for us, but they can’t keep them here, not without knowing if Bill is working alone within the precinct.”

“Already covered,” Reid spoke from the door and made both of them jump. “Pelts, Ray Bulter, Payton Cox, and Colette have already been moved to an undisclosed location.”

“A heavily guarded one?”

Reid grinned. “That’s my understanding.” He motioned to the glass. “They’re bringing them in now.”

Alec straightened and turned toward the glass. “I still don’t get why we have to do it this way. We know it was Espinosa.”

Reid walked over and dimmed the lights. “Yeah, but if we follow all the little procedures he can’t slip through the gaps.”

“Give me ten minutes with him and he’ll be too swollen to fit in any gaps.”

Reid grinned down at her. “That’s the other reason we’ve got you on this side of the glass.”

“They drugged us.” Reid didn’t say a word. “We had to climb down a cliff, Reid, like a couple of monkeys...” Alec stopped, realizing it sounded like she was whining.

Ian stood on her other side. “I resent being called a monkey.”

She gave him a stern look. “You know what I mean.” Whatever he was going to say was interrupted when the lights came on in the other room and men started to file in. Turning she glared through the glass at Felix Espinosa as he strut into the room like it was nothing. A low growl came out of the back of her throat. Ian placed a hand on her back and rubbed it slowly up and down and for whatever reason; she couldn’t explain it seemed to soothe her.

Ian helped Jac sit down. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She shook her head and leaned down to rest on her knees. Reid came through the door, a very pissed-off expression on his face.

“What possessed you to do that?” He demanded, squatting down in front of her.

Ian stepped back, giving Alec a panicked look as she came in the door. She went over and held out a cup to Reid.

“It’s not her tea, but maybe a jolt of caffeine will help.”

“Thanks.” He took the cup and helped Jac to lean upright. “What the hell were you doing?” His voice bled with concern.

Ian backed off and jammed his hands into his pockets. When she’d suggested she go with him when they moved Rory, he had no idea it would do this to her. Glancing at Alec again, he sighed. “I had no idea.”

Alec nodded in a slow understanding way. “We know.”

Reid glanced over his shoulder at him. “She knows better, but still...” he turned and brushed the hair back from Jacinda’s face, “does it anyways.”

Reid stood up and looked down at her. “For what? He already sang like a sparrow; we didn’t need anymore.”

She glanced at Ian briefly and then took another sip of the tea. “Ian was having trouble getting back in through all the emotion, so I thought I’d check to see if the fear was genuine or if he was just playing everyone.”

“And?” Reid demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, the fear is real. So real I almost hit the floor when I brushed up against him.”

Ian sighed loudly and ran his hands down over his face in frustration. “I used to think what I could do was a curse...” He leveled Jac with a serious look. “Mine is a walk in the park compared to yours.”

Alec took the cup from Jac and set it on the table. “Getting stuck in someone’s head doesn’t sound like a walk in the park, Ian.”

Jac groaned. “That really happens?”

Ian didn’t like being in the spotlight at all. He shrugged. “If I’m not careful it can...”

The door opened and Brent stood leaning on the handle. “They’re going after Travini.”

Ian looked from Brent to Alec. “Right now?”

Brent nodded. “Now.”

Reid looked down at Jac and then over his shoulder at his partner.

“Go, Reid.” Jac blew out a breath. “Ian can keep me company while you guys go do your cop thing.”

Ian’s heart accelerated. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was being left with Jac, and what happened to her had scared him more than a little, or if it was because he knew Alec was going to go help bring in a high-ranking criminal. Reid continued to watch him. “Uh, yeah. We’ll hang back here.”

“I need a vest.” Alec’s tone was that of an excited schoolgirl.

Ian looked over at her, she was grinning in a way he hadn’t seen her do before. This was who she was, he realized, what she thrived on doing. He didn’t want her to go. What he wanted to do he knew she’d berate him for, but he wanted to hold her and ask her not to go. My god, he thought, when did I turn into this guy?

“Don’t worry, Ian, they’ll bring her back in one piece,” Jac assured him.

Startled, he looked down at her. Brent chuckled. “I’d worry more about the other guy and how many pieces they’re going to bring back of him.” He motioned to the cupboard Reid was leaning into.

Ian turned and watched him toss a vest to Alec. A bulletproof vest and she was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat when she caught it. Reid then tossed her a serious-looking shotgun, then walked past her, and handed her a handgun in a case on his way by Jac.

Brent was humming to himself and putting on a vest while Reid bent low and was talking softly to Jac. He turned and watched Alec put on the vest and secured the handgun to the back of her waist. It took every ounce of macho he could drum up to not ask her to stay.

Jolting, he realized she was headed out the door and hurried with long strides to catch her before she got up the stairs. “Hey,” he called out softly to her as her foot hit the first step. She turned and looked at him, eye to eye with the help of the step. Reaching he grasped the back of her head where she had her hair pulled back and brought her face toward his. “Be careful.” He crushed her mouth in a frenzied kiss for a few moments, then softened it before he released her.

“Always am,” she whispered, staring into his eyes.

“Damn, why doesn’t Felicity send me off like that?” Brent joked from behind him.

Ian turned to see Reid and Brent standing there grinning at him.

Alec cleared her throat. “I’m sure Felicity does that and more.”

Brent laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m a lucky man.”

Alec grinned. “So where is Felicity?”

Ian stepped back as the three went up the stairs chatting like they were going to do nothing more serious than have a coffee together. Stepping back into the office, he saw Jac grinning at him. “Do they always look so damn animated when they go off to do something like this?”

She nodded slowly. “It’s what they love.”

He dropped down into the closest chair, not trusting his legs to stay steady. “So, what do you do while they’re gone?”

Jac sighed. “Pace, worry, wonder.” She smiled at him again. “Once they have Maurice Travini though, things should draw to a close quickly.”

Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “Hopefully once Cardiel and Harris realize the secret is out they’ll give up.”

Jac stood up slowly like she was testing her balance. “I don’t think they’re just going to walk into the station and turn themselves in though. Do you?”

He smirked. “I can hope.”

“Let’s go get something to eat. It’s been a non-stop day and once the adrenalin slows down, they’re going to be starving when they get back.”

He glanced at the clock, noting the time. “I didn’t even realize the time. They’ll come back here with Travini?”

“I doubt it, but Reid will come back here for me.”

Ian sighed and got up.

“Relax. There are enough people going that Alec will be lucky if she can see what’s happening, never mind getting in on it.”

Ian sent her a skeptical look.

She smiled. “You’re right, she’ll be at the front of the line.”

That’s what he was afraid of.