Chapter 32

Pacing by the window again, Alec paused long enough to watch Brent as he stood leaning against a desk. He was talking to Mrs. Harris waiting for her husband. Crossing her arms, Alec moved away from the window again. “She’s got balls, I’ll give her that.”

Ian stood in the corner near the other window of the office. He glanced at her and nodded. “Yes, she does. It couldn’t have been easy for her to look into hiring someone like me to investigate her husband, never mind what she’s doing now.”

Blowing out a breath, she glanced back out the window, her heart reaching out to the other woman. Reid moved into her line of vision and she smirked as he wandered past. He was wearing mechanic’s overalls and was whistling as he wiped off a wrench. “Reid looks at home.”

Ian chuckled. “You should get a picture and send it to Jac.”

Alec pulled out her phone and took one. “I’ll send it later.”

“Afraid she’ll want to come and help.”

“Yeah.” She put the phone away and pulled out her gun, checked the clip again, and put it back in the holster. “She scares the hell out of me every time she touches someone.”

Ian made a noise of agreement from behind her.

Alec watched through the glass, hoping Harris showed soon. Two agents came through the door, both dressed in overalls similar to the ones that Brent had on. One of them made eye contact with her and gave a little nod. “Show time,” she said quietly as she pulled the blinds down and moved over to the door. “When we get Mrs. Harris in here, keep her away from the glass.”

Checking the entrance again, she quickly noted where the rest of the team was standing out in the hangar. Mrs. Harris stood up and started walking with Brent toward her. He was watching around them while the older woman beside him looked like she was about to hyperventilate.

Alec stood with her hand on the doorknob waiting until they were closer as Brent angled them so anyone coming in the entrance could see her, but he’d be able to react without hesitation. Watching the doors as they opened, Alec cursed softly.

“Shit. Kimberley Almay and Veritas are with Harris.” She heard Ian move up behind her as her eyes moved over the Christian Veritas. “He’s packing. I can see the shoulder strap.” Two larger men walked behind. “And they brought two goons with them.” Reaching behind her back, she rested her hand on the handle of the gun. “Open that closet door.” She heard Ian’s boots on the floor as he did what she asked.

Gripping the doorknob tighter, she held her breath when Veritas put his arm out in front of Kimberley to stop her from walking. The woman’s head went up, fear suddenly showing on her face. “We’ve been made.” She turned the handle and prepared to open the door as Brent’s easy posture stiffened. With a nod, he placed his body between Mrs. Harris and Veritas and ushered her through the door.

Alec wrapped an arm around the woman’s back, feeling her trembling. Before she could move her over to Ian, a shot rang out echoing in the metal building. Pulling Mrs. Harris down to the floor, she glanced over at Ian who was squatted down holding the closet door open. “Go get in the closet,” she tried to keep her voice steady.

Pulling out her gun, she kept her eyes on the woman as she hurried over and sat in the closet, hugging her knees.

Two more shots rang out.

“I’ll be right outside this door, Mrs. Harris,” Ian said softly as he closed the door.

Shifting, Alec reached down and pulled the smaller gun from her ankle holster. She checked the safety and slid it over to Ian. “If anyone gets in here, use it.” She waited until he had it in his hand and looked it over before she moved back over to the door.

Sliding her back up the wall, she leaned over and tried to look through the slats over the window, keeping as much of her body away from the glass as possible. Another shot rang out and shattering glass rained down on the floor beside her. “Fuck.” Dropping down further, she chanced a quick glance at Ian. He squatted down with his back against the closet door, his eyes moved from the broken glass to the window on the other side of the small room.

Stepping on the glass, keeping her head below the window height, Alec moved into the other corner and slid up the wall, watching for any movement outside the room. She spotted Brent a few feet away ducked down behind a stack of pallets, his focus on the corner beside the entrance. Moving carefully, she checked where Reid and the other two agents were before looking for Veritas.

There was no sound of movement anywhere in the hangar. Spotting one of the men that had accompanied Harris inside, she angled her body so she could follow where he was looking. As her boots crushed the glass under her feet, she winced hating that she was giving her own location away.

Reid’s voice echoed in the silence, telling Elijah Harris that it was over, they had everyone in custody.

Alec slowed her breathing and waited.

There was no reply.

She could hear sirens moving closer from outside and as if the sound enhanced the panic, more shots were fired. Aiming, Alec moved along the bottom of the window until she could see Veritas. He was ducked down behind a toolbox with Harris behind him.

The sound of the closet door bumping into Ian’s back had Alec lower the gun and turn. Ian frowned at her as he moved to let the door open a few inches.

“Let me speak to my husband.” Mrs. Harris whispered with a frightening edge to her voice.

Ian raised his eyebrows at Alec asking her opinion.

Shaking her head, Alec squatted down again and moved back to the door. She nodded at Ian and put out her hand to Mrs. Harris. He opened the door completely and shifted so the woman could come out.

“Stay down,” Alec instructed her, “and stay behind me.”

The older woman nodded quickly and moved over, placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder. Everything about this should have been telling Alec this was not following procedure and a really bad plan, but there was something in Mrs. Harris’s eyes, something that told her the woman cared deeply for her husband but had grown weary.

“Elijah.” Mrs. Harris called out, her voice vibrating with emotion. “Elijah, this has to stop.”

Alec moved up a few inches so she could see if there was any movement in the garage.

“This won’t bring him back,” she continued. “Nothing will.”

She watched Christian shake his head, not agreeing with whatever Harris was saying to him. “Keep going.” She said quietly to the woman behind her.

“Elijah.” Mrs. Harris’s voice broke with emotion. “Controlling everything isn’t going to change that he’s gone.” Her voice was heavy with grief. “I can’t lose you too.”

Alec held her breath as she watched Elijah Harris stand up away from the cover of his security. Glancing briefly at Ian, she nodded so he would move Mrs. Harris back to safety.

With his jaw clenched, he reached out and wrapped an arm around the woman and pulled her back into his body. She turned in his hold and collapsed against his chest, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed softly. Ian’s eyes sought out Alec’s and her heart ached at the pain she saw in his. He’d obviously read the woman’s thoughts and knew the whole story.

Swallowing, Alec turned back to the door and watched. Elijah Harris was moving into the center of the hangar, his hands in the air, his eyes staring at the same door Alec was looking out. “Christian,” he said with authority, “it’s done.”

Taking her eyes off the powerful man, she looked back over at Veritas. He had his head down like he was weighing his options. When his body went slack, the hand holding the gun dropped down, she knew he was going to give up.

The metal of the gun echoed through the hollow building as it slid across the floor into the open. With a slow movement, Christian Veritas stood up, his hands in the air away from his body.

Alec watched as Reid cautiously moved closer to the two men standing in the open. Lifting her gun, she took aim at the one bodyguard she could see and waited for his reaction. His eyes nervously darted from Harris to his supervisor as they stood statue still, hands raised. His jaw clenched a few times then he swore a few very ripe words and dropped his gun to the floor, giving it a light tap with his foot, so it would slide into the open. He stood, watching where he knew Brent to be.

Brent moved enough that they could see him but kept himself hidden enough that he had cover if things went sour.

The second man guard stepped out into plain sight, Kimberley beside him. Both pushed their arms toward the ceiling.

Alec stood up, her body tense, and opened the door. Leaning out, she kept the gun in plain sight before she stepped out.

The two agents moved with speed to pick up the weapons as Reid and Brent closed in on those that had given up. The outer door burst open and more agents and cops moved into the building.

Ian moved to stand at the door, his hand resting on Mrs. Harris’s back. Her face was stained with tears, her eyes red.

“May I speak to him for a moment?” she asked Alec, her voice quavering.

Alec didn’t trust her voice, so she nodded and held out her hand to guide her closer to her husband. The captain met her when they were almost to Elijah and took Mrs. Harris the rest of the way.

Assessing everything was under control, Alec tucked her gun back into the holster and went back over to where Ian stood outside the office.

Ian rested his arm across her back. “A parent’s grief can cloud logic.” He said quietly so no one else would overhear.

Alec didn’t know about a parent’s grief, but she understood a siblings. “Yeah,” she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Ian leaned down, closer to her face. “So, once all the reports and filed in triplicate, of course, do you think you could take a few days off?”

She watched him wiggle his eyebrows in a playful way. “Probably. Why?”

Pulling her closer by her belt, he grinned and tucked the gun she’d given him into the waist of her jeans. With a wink, he released her and turned, walking toward the door of the hangar.

Taking the gun, she put it back into the ankle holster and kept her head down, not even sure why she was smiling but didn’t want anyone to see her doing it.