Promise Renewed (6 page)

She proceeded to tell a couple of tales that in the telling sounded more rambunctious than mischievous.

“My sister and I got into trouble when we were kids, too. I think it’s the nature of the beast,” Gina said.

“Where’s your sister?”

“Here in Houston. She’s the reason I didn’t mind being transferred. Until I find a place of my own I’ll stay with her.”

“Are the two of you close?”

If Dwanda only knew. They were more than close. They’d shared a violent childhood, one that had shaped them both. “Very.”

“There’s a look in your eyes, girl. You got secrets.”

Gina chuckled. Scuttlebutt was that everyone in the squad looked to Dwanda Jones for advice or comfort in one form or another. Gina could see why. She liked the woman. She threw up a silent prayer that Dwanda was as innocent as she appeared.

There would be no way she’d tell Dwanda or anyone else about her background. It was something she and Maddy had promised each other when they were kids. It was a promise she meant to keep. “Just misgivings.”

“About the job?”

Gina nodded. “It’s hard to have to prove myself all over again. Sometimes I wonder if men face this same period of uncertainty when they switch jobs.”

Dwanda chuckled. “They’d never admit to it even if it were true.”

“You’re right there. “

“Does the team always work together as well as they did today? It was quite impressive.”

Dwanda rolled her eyes, threw a large black bag over her shoulder. “Not even close. There are times when nothing goes right. Times when you wish you’d chosen another profession. Course, that’s almost every day. We dream of busts going down like it did today.”

“So today was an exception?”

Dwanda shot a curious look at Gina. “Did I say such a thing? We know what we’re doing. Most of the time anyway. It’s the bad guys who don’t cooperate.”

Gina laughed. She
really
liked this woman. “So fill me in. Is Callahan always so uptight? Does Ernie ever stop talking? And will Leya ever say more than good morning?”

“They are who they are. You just have to get to know them.” She looked at her watch.

Gina wanted more time to explore Dwanda’s thoughts. It wouldn’t be today.

“How?”

Dwanda shrugged. “It’ll take time, but they’ll come around. Even Callahan.”

Gina made a face. “Not too sure about him.”

“He’s one of the good guys,” Dwanda said, patting Gina’s hand. “Never mind his gruff manner. You did well today. Just keep it up. We watch each other’s back. Have to. The drug world is filthy.”

Gina fingered the brooch on the jacket of her lapel. She wanted each and every member of the team to see it, to know she wore it every day. Inside, it held a camera. Its lens could be adjusted with a turn at the base. She’d used it today while they took down the drug dealer and later when they were searching the apartment. She clicked the shutter. She wanted a picture of every member of the squad in action. Not just the shots in her files.

“Gotta go.” Dwanda started to leave. “You won’t believe the trouble my boy can get into.”

Gina laughed. “The offer still stands.”

“You’re on.”

Thoughtfully, Gina left the station and drove to her sister’s apartment. She wondered what had really happened the night Tom Hunter died. She needed a clue. Something to send her in the right direction. Everyone in the squad needed money for one reason or another. But could any one of them be involved in a murder, plus make a truckload of drugs disappear? Would any of them kill one of their own? It didn’t seem likely.

Could Darin Callahan? He was smart enough. He was also inscrutable, suspicious, and untrusting.

But then, so was she.

Still, she didn’t see Callahan as a cold-blooded killer, even though his gun was still missing and he’d been the only one at the scene of a murder.

****

The next morning Gina took special pains with her choice of clothing. She’d taken notice of the team. Though the men had a jacket slung over the backs of their chairs to put on when the situation demanded, they tended to dress casual. She wanted to fit in so she’d follow suit. Instead of a pants suit she chose a pair of crisply creased jeans, a pink T-shirt with lace at the V neckline, and a matching jean jacket. Instead of her pumps, she chose a pair of low-cut boots.

When she stepped into the squad room her gaze automatically went to Darin’s desk. He wasn’t there. The quick surge of disappointment was unexpected. Ignoring it, she went to her desk and wondered if this was normal behavior for him. She would subtly ask around and find out.

Dwanda nodded at her as she walked to the coffee machine. Glad they’d had a chance to talk one-on-one yesterday, Gina nodded back.

She scanned the room. Everyone except Darin was there. She’d bet he was never late. He swept into the room before she could question his absence. His eyes were full of anticipation and something else she couldn’t define. The green zeroed in on her.

Behind him was Captain Wells. He beckoned them to the front of the room.

“Callahan got a call from a snitch this morning.”

Everyone sat or stood a little taller, knowing another bust was coming, not knowing how it would go down.

“This is a big one. Though the snitch didn’t know which one of the drug lords is involved, it promises to be big. A buyer will be in town tonight. We have the location. All of you will be there.”

Now she knew why Darin had that look about him. He was raring to go. She held back a smile. She’d seen him in action once already and appreciated working with a man who took his role seriously.

Her job was to watch and learn.

What bothered her was that it wasn’t business drawing her gaze his way. It was something more. The man set off more bells than the church spire on Westheimer.

This was so unlike her.

Shoving the distracting thoughts to the side, she listened closely.

“Meet here at seven tonight. I want all of you in on this. No slip-ups. I want arrests.”

Which was exactly what Gina wanted.

Chapter Four

Darin wanted to nail whoever had killed Hunter to the wall, set the room on fire, and watch him burn. With two big drug cartels operating in town, they could easily supply the city with enough drugs to keep every citizen in Houston high. Sadly, most of those drugs were sold to kids—kids too stupid to listen to their parents or their teachers. Know-it-all kids who thought getting a little high was no problem because they were in control. Darin had all too often seen the ugly results. Just last week a sixteen-year-old had died from an overdose. He wasn’t the first. The thought of wasted lives sent Darin’s blood boiling.

It wouldn’t surprise him to learn either Chavizi or Ramero were involved in the missing drugs
and
in Hunter’s death. Darin wanted to know where to lay the blame, and he wanted proof. Wanted it so bad it shook him to his soul.

Maybe tonight HPD’s luck would turn. Maybe just once, one of the Teflon men would be where the action was or someone would finally rat him out.

The cops knew where they lived. Knew both were married with kids—each took his family to church every Sunday. They also knew each of them ran an operation so slick HPD’s best had only been able to nail a few of their flunkies. Those few either didn’t know anything or were too scared to admit it if they did.

Now, darkness closed around the van and all those in it. But the dark couldn’t hide the excitement swirling around them. Just the thought of taking one of the drug lords down had them pumped. Darin looked for a way to cool them down a notch.

“Could be a false alarm, guys. We’ve had them before.”

“Nah!” Dwanda snorted. “Your snitch is usually right on.”

“Unless this is a set-up,” Hank drawled.

Hank was the most laid-back of them all, ready and on alert, but calm and steady.

“Let’s just get it over with,” Ernie complained. “I’m missing my kid’s baseball game.”

“Not the first time.” Joe grinned. “Won’t be the last.”

“It doesn’t make the wife happy.”

“Husbands either,” Dwanda agreed. “But hey, we’re having fun, aren’t we?”

“Three minutes,” Darin said, and watched as the team readied themselves. They were a good bunch, did a good job, and he could depend on them. Could he depend on his new partner?

A slight uneasiness stole through him. He wondered if Hunter had been secretive because he suspected someone on the team was on the take. It was the only thing that made sense. Hunter was too good a cop not to call in what would amount to one of their biggest hauls.

Once more, Darin let his gaze slide over each member of the team.

Try as he might, he couldn’t see any one of them as a traitor.

His glance went to his partner. Gina’s eyes glowed with a spark of anxiety mixed with anticipation.

When she saw him staring, she gave him a questioning look.

He shrugged. He’d rather be sitting next to Hunter. He and Hunter had understood each other. Anticipated each other’s moves.

Darin knew nothing about Gina Carlson other than what the captain told them. He didn’t know if she would be tough enough in a takedown—if she could shoot if she had to—if she made good judgment calls or got rattled under pressure.

He inhaled a deep, silent breath.

He’d keep a close eye on her. If this call was legit they couldn’t afford a screw-up. He wondered if she realized her actions tonight would tell whether she could hold her own or not. This operation wouldn’t be as easy as the one she’d been on. This one would prove whether she was an asset or a liability. Would the team end up having to protect her well-rounded ass rather than do their job?

The van edged into a dark alley next to the building in question.

They took their positions as planned earlier.

Dwanda and Ernie quietly made their way to the back of the warehouse.

In charge of the raid, Darin motioned Gina to follow him to the left, Leya and Hank to the right with orders to stay hidden. Joe and Melanie were to hold their positions at the van until they were ordered inside.

No lights showed in or outside the warehouse.

Not for the first time, Darin wished for night-vision goggles. From the deep silence, he sensed no one was here. Had the snitch lied?

Headlights headed their way. Gina was so close he heard her sharp intake of breath. A sweet floral scent wafted over him. When this was over, he intended to tell her to knock it off. They couldn’t be put in danger because of something as simple and as basic as perfume.

The doors of a Ford Explorer opened. Three men stepped out. He didn’t recognize them. They walked to the side door of the warehouse, stepped inside.

Then a dark brown or black Hummer drove up. This time two guys, who looked as if they could hold their own in boxing ring, climbed out. One went inside, the other stood guard at the car.

Still not the head man. Damn!

Darin held his breath.

The man was close enough to see clearly in the car’s headlights. His eyes darted toward Darin and Gina’s hiding place, then shifted away. They couldn’t be seen. Still, it was unnerving.

One of the thugs stuck his head out and waved the guy in. He pulled a suitcase out of the back seat and took it inside.

“Drugs or money?” he whispered to Gina when the door shut.

“Money,” she whispered back.

Together, they stepped toward the door and slipped inside. Leya and Hank were right behind them.

A dull light glowed from the front. Quietly, searching the area closely for a lookout, they made their way toward it. Once there, they watched the deal go down.

“I want to get closer,” Darin whispered in Gina’s ear, her scent a minor distraction as he crept forward. He felt her behind him as he edged around boxes and barrels, briefly wondering what was in them.

When they were close enough, he stopped. Listened.

“We ordered more goods than this,” one of the guys said.

“We have all you want and then some,” another promised. “This is just a sample of what we can deliver.”

Just what Darin wanted to hear. “It’s a go,” he whispered into his mike.

He took the lead as four members of the squad, guns drawn, made their way to the front and surrounded the group. One of the thugs made the mistake of reaching for his gun. Standing at a safe distance, Gina had hers to his head before he could finish the draw.

Knowing it would be suicide to fight, both the buyers and the sellers threw their hands in the air.

In minutes they were handcuffed.

With an all clear, Joe and Melanie walked in to help with the arrests.

Darin motioned for Hank and Dwanda to open the cases and verify the contents. One was filled with money, the other with heroin. Good haul. Except it wasn’t as big as Darin’s snitch had led him to believe. And not one of the drug lords under suspicion had showed up.

He looked around for Gina, saw her walking around with her hand on the brooch she always wore. He called her over. “This is much less than I expected.”

“Maybe your snitch was wrong.”

More cops showed up to take the suspects in. “I want these creeps kept on ice until I talk to them,” Darin ordered. At least he’d find out which cartel they belonged to.

They put the drugs and money in the van.

Then they were back at the station. With Gina on his heels, Darin followed the drugs and money to the evidence room and watched as they were documented and locked up.

“Good night’s work,” he said. The disappointment he kept to himself. His snitch had implied more, much more, had even hinted a big shot would be involved in the deal. Something had scared him off. A niggling worry formed in the back of Darin’s head.

“The best,” she agreed as they made their way back to the squad room.

After the tension, relief took the form of antics. After the high-fiving was over the squad members relived every minute of the takedown.

Darin watched from his desk. Thinking.

“Good job,” Captain Wells said as he and Darin shook hands. “Always good when you make an arrest without a shot being fired.”

“Yes, sir. It is,” Darin agreed. “But we didn’t get the one we wanted.” His glance slid to Gina. He wondered if she would have pulled the trigger earlier if it proved necessary. From the look on her face at the time, he’d guess that she would. “I want to talk to the suspects. I think they know something about the missing drugs. Maybe they’ll let something slip about their boss. It would make this easier if we had a name.”