Dangerous Passage (Southern Crimes Book #1): A Novel (20 page)

A
very paced the carpeted floor of the hospital’s waiting room. She’d forgotten just how much she hated being enclosed within the walls of a building, engulfed with sickness and dying. Because no matter how prepared she thought she was to face death in her job, its presence always came as a surprise. Especially when it was one of her own.

Too much blood loss
. . .
Hit an artery
. . .
We don’t expect him to make it through the surgery . . .

She’d chosen to hang on to the last shred of hope until five minutes ago when the surgeon had spoken the words she’d prayed she wouldn’t hear.
I’m sorry, but we lost him.

Mitch was dead.

Avery stopped at the large window overlooking a row of oak trees that lined the hospital’s landscaped grounds. They had attempted to create a relaxing atmosphere using natural sunlight and nature, but none of their efforts helped to ease the grief and frustration inside her. Instead, the doctor’s final words had shattered the remaining hope she’d held on to. She now had to tell Mitch’s parents, who were flying in from Orlando, as well as his fiancée, who was driving to the hospital right now, that Mitch was gone. And then somehow find a way to help them
all put the pieces back together again. This wasn’t supposed to have happened.

Avery sank into a chair and studied a row of yellow marigolds starting to wilt from the afternoon sun. Mitch’s vest was supposed to protect him from bullets, but instead the rifle cartridge had hit the seam and penetrated his chest. There was nothing the doctors could have done to save him. Nothing, she’d been assured, that any of them could have anticipated and stopped from happening. But no matter how many times she replayed the scenario, all the assurances fell short. They should have been able to secure the building and anyone inside in a matter of seconds, but instead they’d been hit with gunfire. There had been little time to react beyond running for cover.

For Mitch it had been too late.

“Avery?”

She turned as her father dropped his cell into his pocket. She’d been so lost in her own world, she hadn’t even realized he’d been talking to someone. He’d insisted on staying with her, a gesture she’d appreciated more than he knew, while her mother—and two police officers—stayed home with Tess until they had a handle on what had happened at the warehouse. The last thing she wanted was her family caught up in the fallout of this case. Enough people had been hurt already.

“Tory just called and wanted to know how you’re doing. They’re finishing up at the scene and will report back to you as soon as they’re done.”

Avery nodded. “Thanks.”

He sat down beside her on one of the hard leather chairs. “I told her you were handling things as well as could be expected.”

“Which is a nice way of saying I’ve completely fallen apart?”

“Considering the circumstances, I think you’re handling things quite well.” He’d been through this with her before. “It’s okay to hurt, Avery. Mitch was a huge part of your life.”

“Which is why I can’t stop thinking about Kayleigh.” She pulled back, glad for his presence, while at the same time feeling an irrational frustration that her father didn’t have the power to make it all just go away. “I don’t know how to tell her Mitch is gone.”

She felt a heaviness in her chest as reality began to sink into her own mind. “I’ve heard the words ‘your husband isn’t coming home.’ ‘Your brother was killed serving his country.’ I know what it’s like to have your entire world shatter in an instant.”

“Which is why Kayleigh is going to need you. You’ve been where she is right now.”

Avery tried to swallow, but her mouth felt as if it were full of sand. She reached for her drink and fumbled with the straw. The ice had long since melted, watering down the tea to a flavorless liquid, but at least it was wet.

She set the drink back down, stood, and started pacing again. Intellectually, she knew he was right. She did understand all too well what Kayleigh was about to face, but the thought of telling her that Mitch was dead still seemed too surreal . . . How had things turned into such an ugly nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from?

“I still don’t know if I can tell her.”

“You can. Because Mitch would want you to be the one to tell her.”

Avery stopped and dropped her gaze to the black-and-gray pattern on the carpeted floor, knowing he was right. Perspiration beaded at the base of her neck. The air conditioner was struggling to keep up with the hot Georgia afternoon. Like the day Ethan had died.

The memory swam through her mind. She’d been at her mother’s that day. They’d sat on the front porch together, sipping iced tea and waiting for the next breeze to float by while the repairman fixed the air conditioner that had gone out during one of the hottest weeks of the summer.

Michael . . . Ethan . . . Mitch . . . She’d lost all of them. And they’d all been protecting the people of this city. Sometimes life was so unfair.

“Mitch should be here right now.” Tears began forming again. “He should be alive and planning a wedding with Kayleigh. He called me a few nights ago and told me he’d bought a seven-day cruise package for their honeymoon as a surprise, but he was afraid he’d end up telling her. He never could keep a secret.”

“You’re right.” Her father moved in front of her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Just like Ethan and Michael, he should still be here, but we both know all too well that’s not always how life works.”

“Sometimes I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.” Tears formed in her eyes. “What if we take down Sourn? There’ll just be someone else to take his place. I solve one crime, and there’s always more waiting for me. It never ends.”

Her father took her hand and led her to the row of chairs overlooking the hospital grounds. “It’s hard whenever someone makes the wrong choice that affects others around him, but you can’t let that change who you are.”

“My head knows that.” She sat down beside him. “But my heart . . . Is there ever a time when it’s best just to walk away?” The idea wasn’t new, but today, the reality of her choices engulfed her like a raging storm. “I have a daughter to think about, a family who cares about me, and a relationship to explore with Jackson. How do I know that tomorrow I won’t walk into a situation like today, and I’m the one who doesn’t come home?”

“We can’t know, Avery. None of us do.”

“It just hurts so bad.”

“I know.”

Her father gathered her into his arms and let her sob. The strain of the past week, every moment of despair and heartache
she’d witnessed, flooded through her. Sometimes life simply wasn’t fair. Sometimes the good guys didn’t win. Sometimes none of it made sense.

He reached down and grabbed a handful of tissues from the square side table, handed them to her, then waited for her to blow her nose.

Avery dropped the used tissues into the trash. “Thanks for being here.”

“You know I’m always here for you.”

Kayleigh would be here any moment, which meant she had to get control of her emotions—at least for now.

“One last thing.” Her father took her hands in his. “You do what you do, because while it might not save the world, what you did today matters to Malaya, and it will matter for the rest of the girls when you find them. What you do matters, and that is why God has given you the courage to get out of bed every morning and face evil head-on.”

Avery nodded, trying to draw strength from his words. It might not be enough for right now, but later, when she had a chance to step back from the situation, his encouragement would give her something to hold on to. She blew her nose again, then took a deep breath.

Five minutes later, Kayleigh entered the room, the fatigue from the drive up from Columbus where she’d been visiting her brother coupled with worry about Mitch evident on her face.

“Kayleigh . . .”

“I got here as quickly as I could. My brother’s parking the car. How is he?”

Avery walked toward her, struggling for the right words, but she already knew Kayleigh could see it in her eyes.

Kayleigh shook her head. “He’s gone, isn’t he?”

Avery nodded. “I’m so, so sorry. They did everything they could to save him, but in the end . . . it just wasn’t enough.”

“His vest?” Kayleigh dropped onto one of the chairs. “I told him to wear his vest.”

“He was wearing it, and while they save many lives, sometimes it just isn’t enough.” Avery knelt down in front of her, knowing all too well what Kayleigh was experiencing. The shock numbed you, then the pain hit. Anger, depression . . . it could be a long time before acceptance finally settled in. “I’m so sorry. Mitch was like a brother to me. He was family.”

“I know.” She laughed in spite of the tears. “I was so jealous of you at first, he seemed to bring you up in every conversation. He looked up to you.”

“And he loved you.”

“I just can’t believe he’s gone.” Kayleigh stared at her hands twisting in her lap. “I found the perfect wedding dress online last week. I hadn’t even shown it to him yet. It had the most beautiful neckline with tiny beads sewn in . . . He’ll never see it. Never see me in it.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Kayleigh.” Avery felt a lump of emotion lodge in her throat. “He . . . he asked me to tell you how much he loved you before he died.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed for the box of tissues beside her, took one, and blotted her eyes. “It’s crazy, but in some ways I think he tried to prepare me for this day. I just always assumed that he’d be around for us to enjoy our honeymoon and, at the least, a few years of wedded bliss. He was a good guy who believed in what was good and right.”

“Which is what made him a good cop.”

Kayleigh blew her nose. “What about his parents?”

“They’re on a flight from Florida right now.”

“I never met them. We were planning to visit next month—Mitch had requested a week off. We thought we’d spend a day at Disney World, maybe a few days playing golf so I could get to know them. I was terrified, actually imagining one of those
horrible meet-the-in-laws disasters. I told him that once. Now I’d do anything to spend that week with them.”

“They’re great people. I met them once. You’ll like them. They’ll be there for you, and I think that together you’ll be able to work through things.”

“I don’t know what to feel.” She shook her head. “I’ll meet Mitch’s parents and figure out what happens the next few days, then go stay with my brother and his family.”

“You’ll need them close.”

Kayleigh nodded.

Avery struggled for the right words. Nothing she could say could fix the situation. “Please, don’t hesitate to call if you need someone to talk to.”

“You’ll pray for me, won’t you?” Kayleigh fiddled with the strap of her purse. “I . . . I’ve never really gone to church, but right now I need something . . . anything.” “I already have been praying, along with our prayer team at church.”

“Kayleigh . . .” Her brother stopped in the doorway, the resemblance obvious.

Kayleigh started toward the door, then turned back to Avery. “I’ve got to go talk to my family. Thank you. For everything.”

Avery watched Kayleigh walk out of the room with her brother’s arm around her. Mitch was gone, and nothing any of them could do would bring him back. But she could find out the truth about what happened at the warehouse. Which for starters meant digging deeper into why Mason had really been there.

J
ackson found Avery at the neighborhood park not far from the precinct. She sat on one of the wooden benches, hands in her lap, staring straight ahead, her gaze lost somewhere along the horizon. He watched her for a moment, taking in her now familiar features and marveling at how her entrance into his life had changed something inside him. It had brought back that spark of life he hadn’t even realized was missing.

Knowing it could have been her he’d lost today in that warehouse swept through him. He stopped beneath the shade of an oak tree, a dozen paces from where she sat. The reality that she could have been the one to take the bullet had shown him one thing—that he wasn’t ready to lose her. Seeing her now with his own eyes was the only thing that could assure him that she was okay. Alive.

He slid onto the seat beside her, wishing there were something he could do to make the hurt and pain she was feeling disappear. But that wasn’t going to happen today. “I got the call about Mitch. I’m so sorry.”

She looked up at him, the faint hint of a smile masked by tears. “I needed some time off alone to clear my head. At least according to the captain.”

“If you want me to leave—”

“No.” She reached up and clasped his hand. “Please. Stay.”

He laced her fingers together with his, then pulled her closer. She leaned against him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder. It had been so long since he’d felt this way. Since he’d felt comfortable with another woman. Avery had walked into his life, surprising and unexpected, and while he might not know what the future held, he did know that he wanted them to face it together.

He looked around, all too aware of the open space surrounding them and of her vulnerability. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours for her to be taking risks. If someone was after her . . .

“Does Captain Peterson know where you are?”

“Don’t worry. My shadows are over there.”

He could see it in her eyes. She wasn’t going to let whoever was behind this rob her of her freedom, especially after what she’d lost. He might not agree but also knew that she wasn’t the kind of woman to run and hide from a situation. Confining her would only make things worse.

“Do you want to talk?”

“I’m not sure I would know where to begin. With everything that’s happened . . . It’s still so unreal at the moment.” She leaned back and looked up at him. “I’ve learned, though, that once you start having to tell people about a tragedy, trying to believe you imagined it all doesn’t work anymore.”

“I know.”

It had been that way with Ellie. How many times after she died had he walked into their bedroom, forgetting for that split second that she wasn’t there anymore? Every time he broke the news to a family member or friends, the reality that she was gone forever came crashing in on him. He didn’t think he’d ever get past the gut-wrenching pain of losing her. Until one day he woke up and realized he had to move on. But the day-to-day
process had never been easy. Never short-lived. And the long-reaching fingers of pain and loneliness still tried to grasp him when he least expected it.

He leaned back against the bench, shoving aside his memories of loss. This wasn’t the time to dwell on his own past. “Tell me what happened.”

“It was supposed to be a routine search.” She pressed a tissue to her eyes that were still puffy from crying. “I had the search warrant. The teams were set up in the front and in back. But the moment we stepped into that warehouse, everything fell apart. It all happened so fast, like they were expecting us.”

“An ambush?”

“Not according to the captain.” She shrugged, clearly still mentally processing what had happened. “But they were armed and started shooting before any of us could react. By the time I turned, Mitch was already lying on the floor. Blood everywhere. They killed him, Jackson. Shot him in cold blood as if his life wasn’t worth anything.”

“I know how close the two of you were.”

“I realize that death is always a possibility with this job, but when it happens right in front of you, it seems unreal. I had to tell his fiancée that there wasn’t going to be a wedding. His parents that their son wasn’t coming for a visit next month.”

“I don’t know. It’s never easy, no matter how prepared you think you are.”

“Did you know that Kayleigh quit her job to move here from New York a few weeks ago so she could be closer to Mitch? And now . . . and now there isn’t going to be a wedding. Mitch loved her. I mean really loved her, and that’s saying something for him. In all the time I knew him, he was nothing more than a player until he met her, then everything changed.”

He pulled her closer to him, letting her head rest against his shoulder again. “Tell me about Mitch. Before last night, I’d
only talked to him a couple of times. He always seemed like a nice guy.”

“He was. Hardworking. Honorable. A bit of a goofball, but not when it came to his work. He was good at what he did. He loved the Falcons and followed them religiously, had a crazy passion for trivia and superhero quotes, and ate sushi, of all things.” Good memories brought with them the hint of a smile in her eyes. They would be something to hold on to in the coming days and weeks. “We talked a lot about faith during our all-night stakeouts. Mitch always told me he hoped I was right about there being a God who loved him, but he’d seen too much in this life to believe that there was a God who really cared.”

“It wasn’t a choice you could make for him.”

She lifted her head and glanced at him. A shadow crossed her expression again. “I know.”

“I have to say, though, I understand where he was coming from.” How many times had he stood over a homicide victim and wondered where God was? But God wasn’t the one to blame for man’s actions. “Sometimes it’s hard not to question. We spend our lives taking down the bad guys, trying to bring order to a world where injustice wins out more often than not. But neither can we blame God for man’s choices. That’s what always seems to help me hold on to my faith. The reality of God is bigger than the failings of man.”

“It’s still hard to accept,” Avery said. “And honestly, it makes me want to think twice about everything I’ve always believed about heaven and hell. But I also know I can’t pick and choose what I believe about God.”

“Because God stays the same no matter what we believe about him.”

“I know that despite what I do or think, God is still sovereign. I don’t want a watered-down faith, but sometimes it just hurts so bad . . .”

Jackson tightened his arm around her. “So what happens next?”

“The captain expects me to go home and take the rest of the day and tomorrow off.”

“Good.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can. My partner was just murdered. I have to find out how this could have happened.”

“Do you really think you’re emotionally ready to be in there questioning the suspects?”

“Now you’re beginning to sound like the captain.” She looked up at him and frowned. “I know the routine, Jackson. This isn’t the first time I’ve lost someone I cared about. I know the steps of grief and the process. But this is something I have to do. This isn’t just about a serial killer anymore. I need to go back to work and find out why this happened. Because there’s something else at play now as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mason Taylor was in that warehouse. He was arrested along with the other men who shot at us. According to the captain, Mason was working undercover to bring down a ring of arms dealers Robert Sourn is allegedly involved in.”

“And I take it that isn’t what you think.”

Avery shook her head. “I think there’s a whole lot more involved than trafficking weapons.”

“I know you think Mason’s involved with the department leaks.”

“Yes, but while I admit that I’m looking at things from a somewhat biased angle, everything is still too convenient. They were there, waiting for us with their loaded weapons.”

“When Ellie died, I wanted—needed—to blame someone, but what was there beyond the disease that took her away from me?”

“I can’t let this go.”

“Then don’t. But maybe you need to focus on one case at a
time. Find the rest of the girls involved in this trafficking ring, but don’t give up on your brother’s case.”

“And if there is a connection somewhere?”

“Then one will lead to the other.” Jackson hesitated, then decided to go ahead and tread carefully on ground he knew she would fight him on. “I do think that the captain is right about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Take the next thirty-six hours to get some rest. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to think clearly and solve this case. Spend some time with Tess and your family. Spend some time praying and asking God for direction.”

“Why do you always come across as wise and discerning . . . and put me in my place? I guess asking God for help is where I should have started.”

He squeezed her hand. “You’d better watch out, or you’re going to give me a big head.”

“I’m serious. Today reminded me that we don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I need the kind of balance you bring to my life.”

“Good, because I don’t plan on going anywhere.”