No Good Deed (2 page)
Joseph leaned over and kissed her hard on the lips, then held her face in his hands and looked at her. He didn’t have to say anything—couldn’t over the sound of the engine and the blades whirling above them—but his eyes said everything.
She was loved. And she was free.
Lucy Kincaid walked into FBI headquarters Monday morning, late for the first time since she’d started working in the San Antonio field office six months ago. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel guilty.
She’d had the best weekend of her life. A weekend that had changed her in a deep, fundamental way because what Sean had done—what he’d said, what he’d confessed, what he’d shown her—removed the invisible weight that had held her back for years. She walked lighter. She felt
happy
. In the eighteen months she’d known and loved Sean, he’d made her happy—ice skating in DC, a weekend in New York City, feeding her chocolate-covered strawberries, taking her to a kids’ movie: These were all wonderful and romantic gestures. She laughed with Sean when laughter had been elusive for years.
She’d had happy times before, but she’d never truly felt happiness, deep down inside. Until now.
It certainly wasn’t only because of the exquisite engagement ring on her finger, or the three lazy days at the beach house in San Diego, or the birth of her beautiful, perfect nephew. She, Lucy Kincaid, finally accepted—and liked—who she was.
For years she’d thought that she was irrevocably damaged, that the horrific kidnapping and rape that had destroyed her at eighteen would haunt her for the rest of her life. She wanted desperately to be normal; she wanted to be like everyone else. And she recognized that while she would never forget what happened, and while it had in fact changed her life, the cruel acts didn’t define her. Accepting that part of her past and who she had become washed away the lingering doubts and numbing pain. She wasn’t normal, and that was okay. Accepting her differences, accepting that it was
okay
not to be like everyone else, had been difficult. Even Sean’s love couldn’t get her out of the rut of believing she didn’t deserve love and affection. She realized this last weekend that only she held herself back, only she lived with one foot in the past, fearing it would come back and destroy her.
Now her past no longer taunted her. For the first time in years, she’d had a full week of restful sleep. Maybe the nightmares would come back, but she’d deal with them rather than ignore them. Because the nightmares showed her problems that needed fixing, rather than flaws that were permanent.
“Look who just floated in.” Kenzie Malone leaned back in her chair.
“What?” Lucy said, momentarily confused. “Oh, I’m late. Sorry. We flew back this morning and Sean dropped me off. We didn’t even go home first.”
“You’re like only thirty minutes late. Juan isn’t even in yet.” Kenzie rolled her chair over to Lucy’s cubicle and grinned, her eyes sparkling. “Tell me
everything
.”
Kenzie’s nickname was the Energizer Bunny. She never stopped. Once a month she trained with the National Guard; she’d served six years in the army before going to college. Lucy hadn’t yet worked any cases with Kenzie, but they’d become friends. Maybe because the only other female agent on their squad was just a few years from retirement and didn’t socialize with anyone.
“It was fun,” Lucy said. “Relaxing. I needed it.”
“And—holy shit, that’s a ring.” Kenzie grabbed Lucy’s hand. “A
ring
. You’re getting married.”
Lucy blushed.
“Now I know why your feet aren’t on the ground.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“First, you’re late—you’re never late, Kincaid. And you were smiling. Honestly, you don’t smile enough.” Kenzie leaned over and hugged her. “I’m so, so happy for you. You and Sean are made for each other.”
Lucy smiled. “He’s pretty great.”
“When are you going to introduce me to his brother?”
“
Kane?
” Lucy laughed. “Oh, Kenzie, Kane is nothing like Sean.” That wasn’t completely true. Kane and Sean were two sides of the same coin, but Kane was dark and Sean was light.
Lucy had become worried about Kane, especially his obsession with Tobias, the elusive gunrunner he’d been hunting for nearly three months. But Sean told her Kane was fine. That Kane was just being Kane. Lucy wasn’t as confident, but she didn’t know Kane as well as Sean did.
“I might not need an introduction.” Kenzie winked and leaned in. “I met a guy a couple of months ago.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t want to say anything until we had at least three dates. You know how it is … you like someone, then find out he snores like your grandpa or picks his nose when he thinks you’re not looking.”
“Kenzie!”
She laughed. “Eric does neither. He’s a cop with SAPD, SWAT-trained, all-around
hot
. I think you worked with him on Operation Heatwave. Eric Butcher. Ryan introduced us—seems Eric had been interested in me for a while and wanted to make sure I didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“I remember Butcher. Definitely your type.”
Kenzie leaned back. “Maybe we can make it a foursome this weekend?”
Lucy wasn’t as social as Sean, but Sean would probably enjoy it. “I’ll ask Sean. He loves having people over to the house.”
“That would be fun.”
“Must be serious, if you’re introducing Eric to your friends and colleagues.”
“We’ll see—” She nodded at the ring. “So, when’s the big day?”
“We’re not doing anything big, and I don’t know when. I suggested eloping, but Sean thinks my father will draw and quarter him if we don’t get married in the church.” That had been a big concession on Sean’s part. Lucy went to church semi-regularly, but Sean detested organized religion. “Sean’s been working on the boys’ home with the pastor at Saint Catherine’s, so we’ll ask him to marry us. Sean respects him.”
“So I’ll get to meet your entire family—very cool. And what about your sister? Did she have the baby?”
“Last Thursday. He’s perfect.” Lucy held out her phone, which had a picture of John Patrick Thomas set as the wallpaper.
“God, I love babies. I feel my biological clock ticking. I’m thirty-four, Lucy! Maybe that’s why I want it to work out with Eric. He’s the first guy I’ve really liked in … well, years. At least you have a few years before you have to worry about that.”
Lucy felt the twinge in her hollow stomach. It was the one truth that still bothered her, that she couldn’t have children of her own with Sean. She’d accepted that Sean was okay with it, and that when and if they wanted children they would adopt. There were so many children who needed homes—not newborns, who were easier to place, but older kids who’d been lost or forgotten by the system. Still, Lucy grieved that she couldn’t have a child of her own.
But Kenzie didn’t know, and she didn’t mean anything by her comment. Lucy said, “Thirty-four isn’t old. Carina is thirty-eight. Nora, Sean’s sister-in-law, was forty when she had her baby.”
“And that’s only six years away for me.”
Zach Charles, the analyst assigned to the Violent Crimes Squad, jumped up from his cubicle and bellowed across the room, “There’s been a prison break—conference room, stat.”
Half the Violent Crimes Squad was present, and they rushed to the conference room where they were joined immediately by Special Agent in Charge Ritz Naygrow. Twenty agents filled the room, with more trickling in as Naygrow spoke. Lucy’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the number—it was Brad Donnelly with the DEA. She didn’t take it, but she had a bad feeling she knew who had escaped.
“People, I don’t have many details but will tell you what I know. A federal prisoner transport unit taking former DEA agent Nicole Rollins to the courthouse was hit minutes ago.”
The conference room television was on and muted. A news helicopter was circling a yellow school bus that was stopped in the middle of an intersection. The armored van could be seen on the bottom of the screen as the helicopter shifted perspective, but there was no movement in the van.
“Multiple shots have been fired. We don’t know if the shooters are targeting her because she cut a plea deal, or if this is an escape attempt. SWAT team leader Leo Proctor just left with his team to assist the DEA and the US Marshals. As you can see on the television, a school bus of hostages is in play, possibly as a distraction. Be alert and ready to go in the field. We’ll be assisting in any way we can.”
Kenzie said, “Kids are running out of the bus.”
They all turned to the television, faces grim. A guard and several civilians were helping the children, but everyone appeared frantic. This wasn’t a typical rescue operation. A guard was seen carrying a small child as he ran out of the bus.
Only seconds later the bus exploded.
A chorus of curses and gasps filled the room.
Naygrow told ASAC Abigail Durant to take over the meeting and he quickly left the room.
Durant stepped up and looked around the room. “Agent Figueroa, put together a team of agents with medical training and get on-scene stat. Agent Proctor is our lead in the field, connect with him as soon as you arrive. The marshals’ office has point on this, but since there’s extenuating circumstances, the DEA will be all over it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emilio Figueroa said.
Emilio had been a paramedic for eight years before joining the FBI. Lucy didn’t know him well because he’d been cross-training weekly with all first responders in the area.
Lucy stepped up. “Emilio, I’m an EMT and search-and-rescue-certified.”
“Okay. You, Kenzie, Ryan—oh, wait, he and Nate are with Proctor’s SWAT unit. Nelson—” Emilio looked around.
“I’ll go,” an older agent said.
“Thanks, Pete. Grab your go-bags and firearms and meet in the garage in three minutes.”
For emergencies, they had prepared medical kits secured in the locker room. It had been a project Emilio had worked on when he first joined the San Antonio FBI office eight years ago. He worked closely with the SWAT team on training to ensure members of Proctor’s team were up-to-date on triage and other medical protocols.
“Wear your vests,” Abigail ordered as they started out. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”
Five minutes later Lucy was in a tactical SUV with Kenzie and Emilio while the other two agents followed in a pool car. Lucy immediately returned Brad’s call—he’d texted her
urgent
multiple times.
He answered immediately. “Did you hear?”
“I’m on my way with a medical team.”
“It was a bomb,” Brad said. “She’s gone.”
“Nicole’s dead?”
“Gone. It was a fucking escape. At least two guards are dead, possibly more—it’s a clusterfuck.”
“The children?”
“I don’t know. I’m getting reports—one indicated that one of the guards got all the kids out, but we don’t have confirmation. There were eight people assigned to transport her in three vehicles.
Eight.
Two were DEA. No one has checked in.”
“We’re only a few minutes out.”
“I just got here. Find me when you arrive.” He hung up.
Lucy told the others what Brad had said.
Emilio said, “I have a report from Proctor that there are at least three confirmed dead, guards who were in the transport van.”
“Any word on Rollins?” Lucy asked.
“Nothing. But SAPD put up roadblocks and helicopters. Border patrol is on alert. It’s not going to be easy for her to disappear.”
“She planned this escape while sitting in solitary confinement for nearly three months,” Lucy said. “She will have planned it all the way through.”
If it were her, she’d immediately head for the border, but not on any major thoroughfares. Rollins had friends in Mexico—criminals she’d worked with or helped while she was a DEA agent. Those were likely the ones involved in her escape. Staying local would increase her chances of being caught. The closest border was a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. But the fastest route wouldn’t necessarily be the safest. Nicole had a head start, but not a big one.
Lucy sent Sean a text message.
Rollins escaped. Alert Kane.
If there was any chatter about the escape, Kane would uncover it. Not only did he have moles in key places, but his instincts were borderline psychic. His knowledge of the drug cartels and travel routes and heavy hitters in the criminal underworld could help them find Rollins before she disappeared permanently.
Traffic was a mess as Emilio navigated through roadblocks and detours until they finally reached the crime scene. They were ordered to park a full block away. SAPD had cordoned off two square blocks and was still in the process of evacuating civilians. All that remained of the bus was smoke. The firefighters were doing their job to ensure that the fire was fully out before their investigation team went to work. Lucy stepped out of the SUV and was hit with a wave of humidity even though it was only nine twenty in the morning.
The scene was controlled chaos. Dozens of cops, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters all doing their jobs. Emilio’s team pulled their medic bags from the back of the SUV. Most of the injuries appeared to be from glass and flying debris.
As a group, the five of them approached the staging area. Immediately SWAT team leader Leo Proctor flagged Lucy. “Kincaid, we need a psychologist.”
“What happened?”
“The officer who survived the transport attack—he’s the one who saved the kids on the bus. He won’t put down one of the kids. He seems to be coherent, but I think he has to be in shock.” He shook his head. “Dammit, Lucy, the gunmen killed the bus driver in front of the children. Shot the two guards driving the van.”
“School’s out for the summer,” Lucy said. “Was it a camp?”
“A summer program at Saint Catherine’s.”
“Oh my God,” Lucy said, automatically crossing herself. “That’s where I go to church.”
“If you want me to bring in someone else—”
“No, I’ll do it.”
“We need intel. Officer Harris gave a statement, but we still don’t know what the fuck happened. All he’s clearly said was that he had five minutes to get the kids out of the bus.”