“How did you get free?”
“Fucker coasted on a highball. I ran while he was flying. Asked Alice to untie me and text that address to your number.”
“How’s Alice? Trustworthy?”
“She ain’t a fan of Peña. She doesn’t know whose number I gave her. She told me to leave town and not to come back, said if I didn’t, I’d be dust.”
“Where were you hiding?”
“Cardboard Cottages, some. Abandoned buildings past the harbor. Never anywhere long.”
“How did Peña know it was you in the warehouse?”
Mouse stilled and examined her fingers. Finally, she spoke, “I had my stash there. Clothes, my winter coat, gloves. My name was in my clothes so if they got stolen I could prove they were mine.”
“All right, Mouse. You hold tight here. I’ll send you in some food and then my guys will take you to the cells. You can take a shower and sleep until I get this all sorted.”
“Rehab, man? Out of the city? Not under my actual name. Peña’s connected. If anyone could figure out who I really am, he could.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Mouse whined, “Your best? Man, that could get me killed.”
He shook his head. “I won’t allow that to happen, but neither will I make promises I can’t keep.”
Mouse nodded and started rocking in the chair. “I got nowhere else to go. Try hard, yeah?”
“I guaren-fucking-tee it.” He rose from the chair and headed to his office. On the way past the pen, he crooked his finger at Rayburn and Watson, who followed him. He motioned to the door and Watson shut it. “You’ve got a new assignment. Mouse is your new best friend. Get her food, shower, clothes, and put her in a cell here, not in city holding. One of you cut out now and come back for night shift. Don’t leave her alone.”
Rayburn arched his eyebrows. “She must have some serious 411 this time.”
He nodded once. “Something that could blow shit apart for us.”
“You’ve got it, Cap.” Watson and Rayburn said the words at the same time.
“That was just fucking weird. Get out of here and you report to nobody but King, Theron, or me. Loose lips on this one will get people killed.” The men hustled from the office, and he walked to his door. “Theron! King! My office.”
Not a head in the bullpen turned his direction. They were used to his intercom system. Unless he bellowed their names, they kept working.
Terrence and Brody walked into the office and he once again nodded to the door, waiting for it to shut before he relayed the information Mouse had given him.
“I think Cliff would be very interested in this information.” Brody leaned forward as he spoke. “I know we can trust Cliff, but I got to tell you, information comes from the DA’s office when it is convenient for the DA. Is there a way to handle outside of HCDA’s office?”
He nodded. “It was the hit ordered on Clare Edelman. We can tie it into the federal drug case. Federal prosecution.”
“How are we going to avoid briefing Fenton?” Terrence asked. “We can’t trust him to keep this to himself. He’ll spout the information at a press conference to make himself look good.”
“I’ll brief the Deputy Commissioner and tell her of our concerns. She can make the call who gets a brief.”
Brody rolled his shoulders. “I hate that we can’t trust one of our own.”
“The police force is a microcosm of our society. There’re good and bad people on the force, even though we’ve done everything we can to weed out the bad seeds. Hell, ninety-nine percent of the people on this force would stand in the way of a bullet meant for someone they’d never met. The one percent who abuse the power of a shield are the ones that give us a terrible reputation. Fenton grew up during the old regime, the old days of give and take and deals made under the table. He’s a product of his upbringing, but until he fucks up bad enough, he’s still in our chain of command.” Ryker eyed both of his... friends. “I and I alone will do anything that does not directly comply with department policy. Do we understand each other?”
Terry jolted in the chair he’d reclined in. “What the hell, Ryker? He’s after you. If we do something out of bounds, he’s not even going to notice.” Brody nodded his agreement.
“That’s where you’re wrong. He tipped his hand this morning. He wants to dismantle this team and he’ll take a shot at anyone to discredit us. No, I’ll go to the Deputy Commissioner. They have directed me to take anything involving Fenton to her. She’ll make the call. That way, we’re all covered. Brody, as always, you do not have clearance to speak to your father about any of this without going through the chain of command, just like any other officer on any other case.”
“I’ve never overstepped before, Cap. I won’t start now.” Brody shook his head. “Wish like fuck I could bend his ear, though. Fenton is a weasel.”
“That’s Colonel Weasel to you.” A corner of his mouth twisted up when both men belted laughs.
“Watson and Rayburn are babysitting Mouse. Is the surveillance set up for the FBI’s favor?”
Terry nodded. “Yeah, Brody and I just finished the roster. We have Cantrell and Lewis inbound. They said they got something from their CI.”
He thought for a moment. “They’re tracking the rumor of the cocaine shipments through the airport?”
“Yep. Mention of coke coming in via the airport has bubbled to the surface in three different interviews.” Terry glanced at his watch. “They should be here in twenty minutes.”
“Okay. You and Brody take this and run with it. Business as usual, except for Mouse detail. If anyone makes inquires, she’s not here. I don’t want to lose my best source of intel on the streets.”
“That works. Nobody’s going to ask, though. Not from this team, at least. We meet anyone asking about our shit with a stone wall. When we
