From her position by the watchtower, Ana looked to the wreck of Evans' vehicle and shuddered. When she'd crashed the car and escaped, she'd been relieved that she alone had been inside. Abbie had travelled on foot to the airfield. Only now, in the aftermath of the battle, did she realise that wasn't correct. Ana hadn't been alone. She and Abbie had locked the unconscious Evans in the boot.
What remained of the car was a blackened husk. The smoke had thinned to little more than a fine mist, and the fire was out.
The boot remained closed. Evans was dead. The mere thought of that boot popping open, revealing to Ana what remained of the bent cop, made her stomach churn.
Beyond the car, through the smoke, Ana traced the hill's slope and saw shapes hunched in the grass, a little distance from the two vehicles. That both cars remained suggested good things. Was it over? Had they won?
Ana staggered forward as fast as her injured body would allow. She passed the husk of Evans' car and the unconscious DS Moore, then she was on clear grass and moving towards the bodies.
As she grew closer, she could make out who she was nearing. Abbie and a child leaned over a body. Beyond them lay the twisted form of Orion, which meant the body Abbie partially covered could only be Ndidi.
When Ana was ten metres away, Abbie heard the lawyer's approach and looked up. After glancing at Ana, she put a hand on Isabella's shoulder, whispered to the child, and stood. As Abbie made her way towards Ana, Isabella moved closer to her father.
"Is he alright?” Ana asked as Abbie approached. “I was going to shoot all the baddies but I know you like to act the hero. Didn’t want to steal your spotlight.”
This drew a laugh from Abbie, who then gave Ana an awkward but affectionate thump on the shoulder. It hurt, but Ana preferred it to a hug, which would have been painful and embarassing.
"You're a hero," Abbie said. "If you hadn't taken out Winston and the other guy, I couldn't have stopped Orion. I'm sure of it."
Ana shrugged. Like it was no big deal. “Did what I could. But you were right. It doesn't make up for the past."
"You're still a hero," said Abbie. "Focus on that for tonight."
She stepped up to Ana and turned, so the two women stood side by side, facing Isabella and Ndidi. Ana watched as the father raised a hand and stroked his daughter's cheek. The little girl burst into tears.
But not tears of sadness.
"Orion shot him in the arm," said Abbie. "Looks like the bullet went straight through. I wrapped the wound myself, and I think he'll be okay."
Raising a hand, Abbie squeezed Ana's shoulder. Where she had thumped. This hurt too. Ana needed a lie down.
"We did it," Abbie said. "We saved the child. You've done so much already; I want to tell you to go to the hospital then home. To rest and recuperate. I mean, you do look horrendous—“
“Thanks.”
“Like a zombie or something.”
“Any time you want to go back to mentioning what a hero I am.”
Abbie chuckled. “Just nice you not looking so damn stunning for once.”
“Are you hitting on me?”
“Not even a tiny little bit. I do need you though,” said Abbie.
“I’ve got tingles. This is why I can’t rest and recuperate?”
“Right. Because it's not quite over. If you're willing, I need you to stick around a little while longer.”
Ana looked at Abbie.
“What do you need?”
"Police are on the way as we speak," said Abbie, looking to the horizon, to the direction from which the cops would appear. "Now I don't have my crack team backing me, well..." she let out a long whistle and turned to Ana. "I'm going to need a top lawyer. But I think you'll do."
Forty-Three
Twelve hours later, and for the second time, Abbie stepped out of the police station onto the stone steps. The sun was high; and warm for March in this part of the world. The air felt remarkably fresh. Exoneration had that effect on a person.
As it had turned out, an average lawyer could have done the job.
After ensuring someone he trusted was caring for his daughter, Ndidi had insisted on giving a new statement to Superintendent Norris, encompassing everything that had happened over the past few weeks. His growing suspicious of Hammond and feeding information to anti-corruption. His wife’s job at Lucky Draw and how he, Ndidi, believed the casino owners had killed her. His attack on Gary, and Franks and Evans convincing him to force the teen to provide a false statement. His part in Rachel’s escape, and in her murder of DC Christine Lakes. And finally, the story of the night just gone, how Abbie and Ana had heroically risked their lives to save Ndidi and his daughter.
As a result of Ndidi's extensive testimony, Norris was forced to open various lines of enquiry. Gary was reinterviewed and this time the teen told the truth, while Kilman recovered enough to corroborate Abbie and Gary’s version of events as to what had happened at the school.
Norris got on the phone with the team at anti-corruption responsible for sending Christine. The Hammond case was reopened. PC Franks and DS Moore both survived the airfield battle and both cut deals to reduce their sentences, providing valuable information against Lucky Draw and supporting Ndidi, Gary, and Kilman's claims that Orion had framed Abbie. Xavier had survived Ana’s assault. Once he learned Orion and Winston were dead,
