Gone Unnoticed: A Kate Reid Novel (The Kate Reid Series Book 3) (23 page)

“You don’t want me back out there, do you?” This was her punishment for disobeying his order. She wasn’t going back out in the field most likely until she graduated.

“This has got nothing to do with what happened last night. I brought you in on an operation, it went bad, and it certainly wasn’t because of you. You stopped Corbett from firing on us and that was your job.” Nick inhaled a deep breath. “I’ll take my lumps for having you out there when I shouldn’t have. ASAC Campbell wasn’t happy that you were there at all. It wasn’t protocol.”

Kate regretted her earlier irritation with Nick. “I’ll do what I can to help here, then.”

“Good.” Nick returned to his monitor and began typing, signaling the meeting was over.

» » »

As the hours grew later, Kate realized nothing would be happening tonight. Nick hadn’t returned from meeting with Corbett’s lawyer and the likelihood of coordinating multiple law enforcement jurisdictions in the span of a couple of hours was slim and none. The problem with that was if any drops were scheduled for tonight, they wouldn’t be stopped and more women would fall prey to the coyotes. That was what she remembered them being called back in San Diego. Because of the proximity to Mexico, human trafficking was all too prevalent and so were drop houses. A slightly different scenario than this, but Katie likened the criminals to the same as the coyotes.

“Thank you for helping me get my reports finished,” Kate said.

“Hey, no problem at all. That’s why I’m here,” Dwight replied. “You ready to get home?” He glanced at the time on his phone. “It’s getting late.”

“What’s going to happen to Nicola and her mother?” Kate’s preoccupation with the girl finally revealed itself.

“I’m not sure exactly. I haven’t talked to Agent Scarborough to find out. Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering if they were going to be deported. Nicola told me her mother wanted to take her home, back to Croatia, but will they suffer any repercussions because they were here illegally?”

“So it’s not the fact that you took down one of the bad guys that’s bothering you, is it? It’s the girl.” Dwight seemed to understand and had been the only one to notice her behavior.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s both.” Kate felt resigned to the idea. Perhaps it was exhaustion, but there was something else too. “I know we’ve never talked about this before, not really, but you were there when Marshall decided to go to Shalot’s place and search for evidence.”

“Yes.” He appeared reluctant to answer.

“But he didn’t tell you where he was going?”

Dwight shook his head. “I was tending to the woman who’d injured herself.”

She looked at him and wondered if Dwight was telling her the truth, or was he shielding her from something. “Why would he do that? Marshall was highly experienced. Why do you think he would go alone like that? Especially given what had just happened with that woman.” Kate didn’t like to recall the names of those involved the day Marshall died. It would be like an admission of Marshall’s culpability for taking matters into his own hands. She didn’t want to remember it that way.

“Kate, you don’t want to relive that right now, do you?”

“I want to know, Dwight. Please, tell me why he would do such a thing?”

He hesitated and looked away for a moment, appearing to gather his words. “He was afraid—for you, Kate. He was afraid Shalot was going to come for you and I truly don’t believe he thought Shalot would return to the apartment before he’d had a chance to find what he was looking for.”

“It just worked out that way.” She finished the thought for him.

“Yes.”

Kate stood up. “Thank you, Dwight. I suppose there’s not much more for me here tonight. I’m going to head home. I’ve got to be back on campus at eight a.m.”

“Of course. I’m sure Agent Scarborough will be in touch when he returns. Good night, Kate.”

“Good night.”

TWENTY-THREE

T
he SUV flashed
its lights when Nick pressed the remote and unlocked the doors. Stepping inside, he immediately turned the engine and flipped on the air conditioner. The night air was sticky as hell and he was already sweating just from the walk to his car.

It didn’t help that he’d been overheated too from the marathon negotiating session with Corbett’s lawyer and the federal prosecutor. He knew the unnecessarily long wait cost him the ability to set up the operation for tonight. And according to Corbett, he wasn’t aware of any drops scheduled until tomorrow anyway, but Corbett couldn’t be trusted. He could have made sure some of his buddies would be made aware of the situation so they had the time to make the necessary adjustments. Whatever the reason, Nick was pissed about the delay and was taking it out on the gas pedal and spinning the tires as he roared onto the streets.

Georgia was waiting for him at her apartment. She was closer to the field office and had texted him earlier that she’d arrived home. Nick wanted to see her; needed to see her. He’d already faced so much flack for letting Kate come along last night. It was only because of what happened. If it had gone to plan, ASAC Campbell wouldn’t have said a goddam thing about it. Now he was dealing with this son of a bitch who knew if he gave up the right amount of information, he’d be off in a matter of a few years instead of a few decades, if at all.

They’d gotten what they’d wanted in the end. Corbett gave up one of the operatives working in Alexandria, not far from the man’s former residence. He began to think about what Kate said. The plea-bargaining chip. She was right about it benefiting the bad guys, but he had to protect the victims here. That was what was important. They’d already involved Inspector Montrose and informed him of the arrest of Richard Mercer. Now Montrose would have the authority to search the man’s residence, place of business, everything. That would surely reveal even more members of the trafficking ring.

Nick still didn’t know how big this was, although he suspected it was larger than anything he’d worked on before. He was used to national investigations, but international was something new.

Georgia’s place was just ahead. He’d started to cool down both physically and mentally. Once inside her parking garage, Nick turned off the engine and closed his eyes for a moment. He didn’t want any of what he’d been through today spilling over and burdening Georgia. The woman had enough on her plate. Nick reached for his cell, which rested in the center console and double checked for any messages. One last check before putting the day behind him.

He considered for a moment that he should reach out to Kate. He had told her he’d be in contact after the meeting, but it was so late. She was probably asleep after having had none the night before. No point in disturbing her. She’d been through enough in the past twenty-four hours and it could wait until tomorrow.

Nick stepped outside, back into the sauna-like air, and locked his car, tossing his suit jacket over his shoulder. Her apartment was near the top of the building and he stepped inside the air-conditioned elevator, pressing the button to the tenth floor.

The cool, dry hallway towards her unit set his mind even more at ease. Perhaps it had just been the heat. That was what he wanted to believe. A gentle knock on her door and only a moment later, there she was. Just as beautiful as always. He loved it when she wore her hair down. “Hi.” He stepped inside and pulled her close, kissing her lips.

“Hi, come on in.” She closed the door behind him. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

“I know it’s late. It’s been a hell of a past few hours, I’ll tell you that.” Nick placed his jacket over the back of the dining chair and pulled off his tie. “You got anything to drink?”

Georgia had already returned with two cocktails in her hand. “Here you are.”

“You read my mind.”

Nick was hesitant to discuss work. It would only serve to agitate him and, right now, the smooth flow of bourbon down his throat was the best thing to happen to him all day. He parked himself on the corner of the sofa sectional and kicked off his shoes, crossing his long legs, which stretched the better part of the length of the couch.

Georgia sashayed toward him, setting her drink on the coffee table. She began to climb over him, her body pressing against his. She unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it from the waist of his pants, and pushed it off his chest, exposing his still too-warm skin.

Nick smiled as the cool air rested on his skin. He raised her chin with his index finger and kissed her again. This time, with more passion than before. That had only been a warm-up.

The kisses lingered and the heat rose between them. Nick slid her blouse from her shoulders and kissed her delicate, pale skin. She pulled aside her thick, red hair, exposing a long, slender neck and his lips moved slowly towards it.

Nick’s eyes clicked open at the vibration in his pocket. He considered ignoring it for a moment, but he couldn’t do it.

Georgia must have felt the jarring vibration too because she immediately stiffened. “Please don’t get that,” she whispered.

He shoved his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the phone to see the caller ID. The identity of the person who was so rudely interrupting this moment was immediately visible to both of them.

“I gotta take this, babe. I’m sorry. I told her I would call her when I was finished with the meeting and I didn’t. She’s probably just checking in.” Nick waited for Georgia to lift off of him. “I’ll only be a minute, I swear.”

He pushed off the couch and walked towards the sliding glass door. “Kate, hey.” He stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “No, no. It’s fine. You know you can call me anytime.” He waited for her to continue. “We got our information, but nothing’s going down until tomorrow night.” Another pause. Nick directed his eyes to the Washington Monument while she spoke. “I’d say go ahead and do what you need to do at the base, then come on down to the field office. I’m sure we can use you. Great. See you tomorrow. Good night, Kate.”

Nick pulled open the door again and noticed Georgia buttoning her blouse. He also noticed that she didn’t look very happy. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve just called her on my way home like I told her I would. She was just checking in.” He raised the phone into her line of sight. “I’m setting this over here.” Nick walked to the credenza against the adjacent wall and set his phone down. “No more calls tonight.”

He walked back over to her and sat down on the couch. “Please don’t be upset. If you were on a case right now, you’d have done the same thing. Bad timing, yes, but please don’t let it ruin the moment.”

She seemed to examine his eyes, searching for something. “What?” he whispered. “What is it?” Nick placed his hand on her knee.

“Nothing.” Georgia revealed a rueful grin. “Let’s just pick up where we left off.”

» » »

Monitors flashed, agents with headsets were double checking locations and viewing GPS maps and Kate walked into the WFO as they readied for the final takedown of the remaining operatives. She spotted Dwight talking to Agent Vasquez and headed towards the two. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“We can use all the hands we can get.” Dwight patted her on the back. “I’ll leave you with Vasquez and she’ll fill you in. I’ll let her handle assigning any tasks that she needs. I’ve got to go see Agent Scarborough.”

“Okay,” Kate replied. “I guess I’m all yours, Agent Vasquez.”

“So right now, we’re getting the teams in place. We’ve got three locations, according to Agent Scarborough, that will be used to hand off the victims to their end users. We’re coordinating with Richmond PD, Virginia State Troopers, and surrounding state police. They’ve received the information on the suspects; however, we don’t know how much cargo they’re bringing.”

“So when is this all supposed to happen?” Kate asked.

“A matter of hours, from what I understand. We’ve already got field teams heading to the drop locations to set up.”

“Great. What do you need from me?”

“Nothing right now. Give me an hour and I’ll have you positioned to assist me with coordinates and making sure we’ve got eyes and ears on our guys in the field. We’re working on getting the surveillance up and running. In the meantime, just sit tight. Maybe give Agent Scarborough a heads up and let him know I’ve got you covered.”

“I’ll do that. Thank you, Agent Vasquez.” Kate turned away and headed towards Nick’s office. In the hallway, she ran into Dwight again.

“Vasquez get you hooked up?”

“She did. I was just going to let Agent Scarborough know that I was here and that I’d be working with her.”

“I just left his office. Better catch him while you can. We’re both heading out with one of the teams soon.”

“Okay, hey, be safe out there tonight.”

“Always.” Dwight smiled and continued down the hall.

“You got a minute?” Kate peeked into Nick’s office.

“Sure, come in.” Nick leaned back in his chair for a moment, appearing as though he needed a break as he rubbed his eyes. “Thanks for coming down. I know we could use the help.”

“I want to be here. Thank you for letting me help.” Kate pulled up a seat. “Agent Jameson said you and he are going into the field too?”

“We’re going to take the rest of them down.”

He seemed different, like he was speaking to her as a colleague. She was being treated as an equal, not as if she was someone he needed to help. Maybe it was because she wouldn’t be in any danger this time. Whatever the reason, it felt good to be a part of the team. And it gave her a renewed sense of purpose.

“Agent Vasquez has got me tasked with a few things to assist her. So, I think I’m all set. Anyway, I won’t take up any more of your time. I just wanted to let you know that I was here.”

“How’d the training go today?” Nick asked. “I suppose you’re getting down to the wire now.”

“It was mostly online stuff today, but yes, it’s getting close now. I can’t thank you enough for helping me get through this. And I don’t just mean the Academy.”

Nick leaned over his desk, his firm triceps bulging slightly beneath his white button-down shirt. “You did the work, Kate, not me. And I don’t just mean the Academy.” He leaned back again and turned to his computer. “I’d better get back to work. I’m leaving in a few minutes.”

Kate stood up to leave. “Thank you, Agent Scarborough.” She wanted to tell him to be safe, that she was worried he might get hurt. But what good would it do except to set his mind to the dangers that he faced? He was already well aware of them and didn’t need her pointing them out. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

» » »

The time had come and all the pieces were in place. According to James Corbett, there were three drops happening tonight inside of a two-hour window. Local authorities stood at the ready. Roadblocks were in place and Agents Scarborough and Jameson were in the field running the teams. Tensions were high inside the communications room where GPS monitors tracked the agents’ locations and audio connections were being tested.

Kate stood behind Agent Vasquez who was monitoring one of the stations. ASAC Campbell was running the show from the comm. room. Kate half-expected him to insist she not be involved, but she quickly realized that he had far more important concerns than whether or not a NAT was hanging around. She became acutely aware of her insignificance. In all honesty, it felt good not being the one to whom the focus had shifted. She was truly part of the team here and not a victim.

“You might as well take a seat,” Vasquez began. “We’re going to be here a while.”

Kate pulled out the chair next to the agent and sat down, not noticing that Georgia had come into the room. It wasn’t until she heard her speaking to another agent that she realized her presence. An immediate understanding occurred to Kate as to why Georgia was there. It would have been no different if it had been Marshall. She would have been there too.

Kate pushed back her chair and walked towards Georgia. “Agent Myers,” she greeted her with a handshake. “How are you?”

“Fine, thanks. Just thought I’d see how things were going in here.”

Kate knew it was more than that, much more. Georgia was worried for Nick and Kate couldn’t blame her for that. “So far so good, I hear.”

Georgia pressed her lips together and nodded.

“They’ve got eyes on an approaching vehicle.” One of the agents turned to ASAC Campbell.

“We’re on,” he replied.

“I’d better get back.” Kate walked back to Vasquez and waited for instruction.

There were no visuals on the teams. No body cameras being worn by the agents, only audio from the headsets. It made for an odd sense of blindness inside the room, at least as far as Kate was concerned. In her training, she’d learned about the FBI’s use of drones. Their occasional uses were narrow and infrequent, often only incorporated in terrorism or hostage situations. It was difficult to understand in this moment why drones could not be implemented in this current situation. Lives were at stake and having the ability to visually monitor the situation would seem to be invaluable. But there were rules and regulations to which they must adhere. Kate felt increasing conflicted by this, especially now when her friends were out there.