Breath Of Malice Part 5

Sam's brows drew together. "How old was she?"

"Just seven." Paige remembered the late-night call that summoned her to the hospital morgue and to the ER. Remembered Ivy bruised and battered in the too-big hospital bed, hooked up to medical equipment looking like a broken doll.

"You were very young to a.s.sume guardians.h.i.+p," Sam said.

Twenty-one. Having read her personnel file, Sam knew her age and could do the math. Yes, she'd been young. Their father had a distant cousin who'd come forward to become Ivy's guardian. Paige had declined and fought him when he'd made a case for Ivy to live with him and his family. Paige could have told herself that the reason she'd pursued Ivy's guardians.h.i.+p was because she couldn't leave Ivy to be raised by their father's relative, someone Ivy didn't know, but the truth was, Ivy didn't know Paige any better.

Paige had stayed away from her parents and sister since leaving home at seventeen to forge her own path. It wasn't love and devotion to her sister that had prompted Paige to fight for Ivy, but pride and arrogance.

She'd told herself at the time that she was doing what was best for Ivy, that Ivy should be raised by her own sister. But Paige hadn't wanted to concede to the cousin, to be bested by him, for him to win. Paige had been all about winning. She'd wanted to show the cousin up, show him that the rebellious prodigal daughter could do anything she wanted to do.

Not for the first time since she'd brought Thames into their lives, Paige wondered whether she was doing the right thing now, keeping Ivy with her. Whether she should have contacted their father's cousin last year and left Ivy with him. She questioned whether she was allowing her selfishness to rule her again. It didn't matter that this time she didn't want to give Ivy up because she couldn't stand the thought of being away from her. She loved Ivy so much.

"Yes, young. It wasn't easy," Paige said softly. "But all those years, I never regretted keeping her with me."

"And now?" Sam's voice was gentle. "Sounds like you have regrets now."

Sam was astute. Paige's heart gave one hard thud, then began to beat fast. His eyes narrowed, but Paige saw concern there, not judgment. She hadn't felt anyone's concern in so long. She pulled back from it. Sam's concern had no place in her life.

It struck her that she'd blurted something she shouldn't have. Her mind raced to do damage control. "It's been a long week." She shook her head. "I'm tired and that came out wrong. What I meant was, all these years I've never regretted keeping Ivy with me." She cleared her throat, then leaped off the chair. "I'll see how Ivy is coming along with those sketches."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

On Monday morning, Sam drove Paige back to Bud's. Bud confirmed Sam's a.s.sessment of the issue. Paige okayed the cost of the repair, then, with no vans available, rented a blue sedan. She got into the sedan to follow Sam back to the office.

The air-conditioning and the radio came on when Paige started the engine. Whoever had tuned the radio last had left it on a news station.

"I'm standing on the courthouse steps where just three days ago the motion to overturn the conviction in the Todd Thames murder case was granted. In the Thames case, evidence used to convict Mr. Thames was entered illegally. Thames's wrongful imprisonment has outraged human rights activists. At the moment, a crowd has gathered here in protest."

Barely below the reporter's voice, Paige could hear voices raised in unison chanting Thames's name.

Paige felt a chill down to her bones and switched off the cold air. The reporter's voice was louder without the hum of the air conditioner.

"Mr. Thames is expected to make an appearance here in just a few minutes."

Thames was being treated as a celebrity. He was becoming a poster boy for human rights. Paige flicked off the radio. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her hands went white. Only the thought that if Thames was in New York making public appearances, he couldn't be in Kirk County eased Paige's hold on the wheel. She shuddered thinking of what else Thames was doing in New York. As long as Thames was free, Paige never would be.

Remaining with the Bureau allowed Paige to keep tabs on Thames and to continue to work the case. The Bureau, along with other law enforcement and government agencies, operated extensive databases, which Paige had been accessing. She checked them continuously, searching the victimologies and methodology of unsolved murder cases to see if the condition of any of the bodies matched Thames's brutality.

She knew how he operated, knew in graphic detail what he did to his victims. His mutilation style was his signature. She would recognize it. She didn't want to think that it would take Thames himself to allow another one of his victims to be found. Would another woman have to die now before law enforcement had another chance to free the world of this monster? Before Paige herself had a chance to be free?

Paige parked beside Sam in the office lot. She wiped her damp palms on the legs of her suit pants before leaving the vehicle. Sam got out of his truck and ended a call on his cell phone.

"Change in plan for today," Sam said.

They'd planned to tackle the mountain of paperwork on Sam's desk. "Oh?"

"That call was from our undercover agent. He has the address where the drug traffickers we've been after are making and storing their product before distributing it. I'll get started on the warrants." Sam punched numbers into his phone as he spoke. "Can you round up the squad? Tell them to come in. This takes priority. Meeting here in thirty minutes."

Paige could feel Sam's eagerness to see this done. "I'll set it up."

Thirty minutes later, Paige followed Harry, Dom, Mike, and Riley into the conference room. Sam stood at the head of the long rectangular table.

"As you know," he began, "we've been coordinating with Central and other state agencies to take down a drug ring that has been moving across state lines. We've had a man undercover working to find out where the drugs are being made and housed. A short while ago, he called in with a location and let us know that the man heading this branch of the operation will be there tonight."

Sam tossed a photo of a trim man with a neat goatee getting into a limousine onto the table. "Victor Alessandro. I'm waiting on the warrant, then our squad will be going in." Sam's gaze swept across them. "Just our squad. Central will be setting up a perimeter to block the exits from Kirk and will be on standby should we need backup. Kirk PD will come on board to keep the scene secure after the takedown.

"Here's how we're going to do this." Sam turned his laptop for all to see, then called up a visual of a street and a specific house on that street. "Harry, Paige, and I will go in through the front. Dom, Mike, and Riley, you'll take the back." Sam struck the keypad and the surveillance showed a rear view of the house. "This house backs onto the railway yard on Sparrow Street." He expanded the image to show the yard. "There's a train scheduled to go through there tonight. We need to be sure no one gets past us and on that train."

Sam went over duties and positions, then asked if there were questions. When they all shook their heads, Sam said, "That's it, then."

Paige moved to follow the others out.

"Paige," Sam said. "Stay. Close the door."

Paige did as he asked, then turned to face him. "Is everything all right?"

"Are you okay to do this?" Sam's tone was mild, but she could feel his eyes on her, a.s.sessing her.

She licked her lips slowly. "I don't understand."

"While you were in Denver, you weren't out in the field. The last raid you were part of was a year ago."

Paige's stomach tightened. "My marksmans.h.i.+p score is-"

"Excellent. You're a crack shot. You've kept your training up. You definitely have the skills." Sam's gaze became penetrating, his eyes piercing. "What I'm asking you is, are you up to using them?"

An alarm shot through her, but there was no way Sam could have known how she froze on that mountain with Thames, unable to summon any of her training to save herself and take Thames down. Only she and Thames knew that. Thinking back to that moment made it hard to inhale her next breath. "Of course."

"Don't answer so fast. Take some time."

Her throat tightened. "I don't need any time. I'm fine."

Sam gave her a level look. "I need you to be sure. I need to be sure. I won't send you in if there's any doubt. I won't risk you or anyone on the squad if there is any doubt that you can handle this."

Paige didn't think she had any pride or ego left when it came to the job, but it surprised her how strongly she didn't like being thought of as the weak link. "There's no doubt. I'm up for this."

Sam studied her for another moment. "Marian will show you where we store our gear."

The warrant came in late that afternoon, and then it became a waiting game until the takedown. Finally, it was time to leave.

In the parking lot, there were two unmarked sedans that hadn't been there earlier in the day.

Sam said, "Paige and Harry, ride with me."

Harry took the backseat, Paige the front, then they were under way. Sam left behind what Paige considered a picturesque section of Kirk, compared to the rundown area he eventually pulled into in Haldonville. Houses were in need of repair. Lawns were more weeds than gra.s.s, and many of those same front yards had become designated parking spots for cars that had seen better days.

Sam drove slowly up the street. "Doesn't seem to be anyone around."

"Not a soul," Harry said from the backseat.

On a warm evening like this, Paige expected to see people on their porches or at least somewhere outside cooling off. Most windows were open, but without any breeze their faded curtains didn't even flutter.

"That one." Sam pointed to one of the worst-maintained houses on the street. "Confirm for me that's the right house number."

The house looked like the one she'd viewed on Sam's laptop, but then the houses on this street all looked alike. Paige consulted her notes, gripped tight in her fist. "Affirmative."

Sam drove on, then parked at the end of the street. They remained in the vehicle, waiting for the others to catch up and also to continue to get a lay of the land. Sam's gaze moved up and down the street, then he glanced back at Harry. "You set?"

"Good to go," Harry said.

Mike drove up behind them.

Sam spoke into the mic on his shoulder. "Move out."

When Mike, Riley, and Dom joined them on the street, Sam addressed the other men. "We'll give you a few minutes to get into position."

In her tactical gear, Paige stood sweating. The sun was going down, but the temperature hadn't let up.

A few moments later, Sam glanced at his watch. "That's time. I'll go in first, Harry next, then Paige."

It didn't surprise her that Sam would be the one to go through the door first. What Paige had observed of Sam's character told her that, as their leader, he would never send someone else in before him. He would be the one to a.s.sume that risk.

At Sam's signal, they crossed the street. The windows were covered with what looked like sheets and blankets, so tight that if any lights were on inside, Paige couldn't see them.

Trees and shrubs left to grow tall, wide, and wild hid a large section of the house. The small house was made of brick. It didn't look like there would be more than two bedrooms, and both on one floor. No upper story. No bas.e.m.e.nt.

As they walked across the front lawn, Sam went still, then said quietly, "No dog."

Their intel had told them as much, but it was possible the situation had changed. Paige nodded. Her hand was on her shoulder harness, and she removed her weapon.

Sam spoke into his mic. "Confirm your position."

"We're in place," Mike said.

Sam took out his gun and went to the front door. Paige took one side. Harry took the other. With a slow nod to Paige and Harry, Sam kicked in the door.

"Federal agents!" Sam shouted as he charged into the house.

A commotion came from the kitchen. There were two men inside. One, a heavyset guy who looked to Paige to be in his late twenties, grabbed a sack of white powder off a long wooden table and ran toward a back room.

Sam grabbed the guy by the collar, then slammed him against a wall hard enough that the impact knocked a clock to the floor. The guy crumpled to the worn, scuffed tile, unconscious.

The second man, in a designer suit and wearing a fortune in gold and diamonds, drew a gun from his suit pocket. Paige recognized Alessandro.

"Drop it," Harry shouted, "or I'll drop you!"

The man dropped his weapon and lowered himself to his belly. Paige slid his gun toward her with one foot, then trained her gun on Alessandro and the man with him, covering Sam and Harry. Sam checked the heavy guy for weapons and, finding none, cuffed him to the fridge. Harry placed his knee on Alessandro's spine and jerked his arms behind his back.

Sam gave Alessandro a hard look. "How many others are in the house?"

Alessandro, whose cheek was pressed into the floor, spat in Sam's direction, but missed his mark. Harry mashed the man's face in his own spittle, then patted him down. Harry removed another gun, pocketed it, then secured Alessandro to the oven.

Resuming their original formation, with Sam in the lead, they cleared the living and dining rooms, one bathroom, and two bedrooms. Each of the rooms was filthy and smelled like roadkill.

They discovered a length of rope dangling from the ceiling that lowered the stairs to the attic. There was no way for them to know if someone was up there aiming a gun, ready to blow the head off of whoever went up first.

Sam lowered the stairs, which hit the floor with a thud. He was going to be the one to go into the attic. Paige's breathing picked up, and her grip on her gun grew slick with perspiration.

Sam held a flashlight in one hand, his gun braced above it in the other hand, and mounted the steps. Paige held her breath, but Sam led with his gun hand, keeping his head low. He went still for a few precious seconds, then raised his head above the floor and looked into the attic.

"Clear." As he descended the steps, he spoke into his shoulder mic. "Anyone leave here?"

Mike's voice came back. "Negative."

Harry unlocked the back door, and Mike, Riley, and Dom entered the house. While Mike called for a team to process the scene, Sam went to the table in the kitchen where mounds of white powder stood ready for packaging. The guy Sam had slammed face first into the wall was coming around, mumbling and groaning.

Alessandro's gaze locked on Sam. "You feds are stupid if you think this is over."

Sam's gaze since they'd set foot inside the house had been impenetrable. He'd shown nothing of what he'd been thinking or feeling. Now he bared his teeth. His eyes went ice-cold. "It's over for you."

Considering the amount of product visible and not counting what may have been stored elsewhere in the house, awaiting pick up or distribution, Paige knew these two weren't going to see the light of day from anywhere but a prison yard for a very long time.

Of course, that's what she'd thought would happen to Thames. A chill went through her. She drew a deep breath and brought herself back from that dark place.

By the time she followed Sam and the others out of the house, hours had gone by. Paige knew that Sam had more hours ahead of him, but for her and the others, the night was done.

Kirk County PD was now on scene. Uniformed cops had sealed off a perimeter around the house. Neighbors and the curious were pressed up against the barricades being used to cordon off the area.

Paige allowed herself to feel a bit of pleasure at a job well done and in cutting off this stream of drugs. She was feeling better about her ability to pull her weight and contribute to a squad than she had in a long time.

Harry rubbed his hands together. "I'm so pumped. The one thing I want more than anything after a raid is a hard, fast fu-" Harry stopped himself. "Ah." He glanced at Paige, then cleared his throat. "I'm starving. Anyone want to grab wings and beer?"

Paige realized he hadn't finished his sentence because of her. "I just want to get some sleep. I'll leave you all to your wings and beer." She gave Harry a grin. "And whatever."

Riding high on the night's success, she stepped out from between the men to return to the vehicle, then spotted news vans and camera crews at the edge of the crowd. Her pulse began to thud. Cold sweat bathed her skin. She stopped walking.

The others walked by her. All but Sam.

Sam stepped into her path. His gaze narrowed on her face. "You all right?"