Critical Response, page 6
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
Maybe he was still sleep deprived because he didn’t understand what Chuck was talking about. “Tell me what?”
“There’s a price on your head.” Chuck’s voice dropped to a whisper. “We heard from a source on the street that the Blood Kings have put the word out that anyone who kills you will get five grand.”
A chill snaked down his spine. “That seems on the cheap side to shoot a cop.”
“Don’t joke,” Simmons said in a grim tone. “This is serious stuff. The source claims every member in the Blood Kings gang is looking for you.”
Simmons was right, the situation wasn’t funny. “I appreciate the heads-up.”
“You need to get out of town, Reed. Stay far away until things have settled down.”
“I’ll do that.” Technically, he was out of town. “Thanks again for calling.”
“You didn’t hear it from me. Watch your back.” With that, Simmons disconnected the call.
Reed set his phone down, his fellow officer’s words sinking deep. Killing Ivan Garcia was coming back to bite him in the butt. And while he normally wouldn’t care about a bunch of gang bangers with a grudge against him, these guys had already proven their keen determination to make him pay.
With his life.
Chapter Five
Alanna woke with a start, her heart thumping as the remnants of her nightmare faded. She lifted a hand to her incision, shivering as she reassured herself the nightmare wasn’t real. In her dream, Ivan Garcia had slit her throat, then somehow had a gun in hand and started shooting everyone in sight. The medical staff, the security guards.
Even Reed.
Swallowing hard, she pushed her hair from her damp skin. Glancing at her phone, she noted the time to be five minutes before six in the morning. She’d always preferred day shifts in the ED; her natural sleep cycle was to wake up early.
Despite the horrifying dream, she’d slept better than expected. Her room had its own bathroom, so she rummaged in her duffel to find the clear dressings Dana had given her. After carefully applying one over her tender incision, she ducked into the shower.
Feeling refreshed afterward, Alanna pulled on the extra set of clean clothes she’d brought along. The enticing scent of coffee indicated Reed was already up and about. She opened her door and stepped into the living area.
“Good morning.” She couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward at sharing personal space with a man she’d only known through work.
“Good morning.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “The coffee is just about ready. I figured we’d call room service for breakfast too.”
“Sounds good.” She searched his gaze for a moment, sensing he was hiding something. “What’s up? Did you hear something about the gang member you took into custody last night?”
He nodded as he filled a mug with coffee, then handed it to her. “I have news to share, but we should order breakfast first.”
The news must not be good. She added cream and sugar to her coffee, then took the in-room dining menu from him. “I’ll have two eggs over easy with toast and bacon.”
“Okay. Give me a minute to place the order.” He phoned in their breakfast request, his choice mirroring hers, then brought his coffee to the sofa. She scooted over to give him room. His nearness had her remembering their almost kiss.
She shook off the thought to focus on the reason they were stuck there in the first place. “Okay, spill it. Why do I get the feeling you have bad news?”
“Not all bad. I spoke to your brother Rhy last night.”
She groaned. “I should have called him when we got here. What happened? Did he interrogate you over the condo incident?”
“He did.” A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Reed’s mouth. “I have to say, it could have been worse. He was fairly decent considering your life is in danger.”
“He’s overprotective, especially of me and Elly. The youngest,” she clarified.
“You mentioned eight siblings. Remind me again who they are and what they do?”
Maybe it was a stall tactic, but she obliged, ticking them off on her fingers. “Rhy is the oldest and is the captain of the tactical unit. He’s married to Devon who is pregnant with their first child due mid-November. Tarin is second in line; he’s an MPD detective and married to Joy. Like I mentioned, I believe she might be pregnant too. Kyleigh works as a sheriff’s deputy for Milwaukee County. She’s married to ADA Bax Scala. Brady is fourth oldest; he’s with the FBI and is married to Grace. They have a six-year-old son named Caleb. Quinn is the fifth in line; he’s with the Coast Guard and is married to Sami, who is an MPD cop too.”
“I know Sami,” Reed said with a nod. “She’s great.”
“She is; we love her.” Alanna went back to listing her siblings. “Colin is a firefighter and recently married Faye; she’s an ED doc.” Thinking of Faye made Alanna glad her sister-in-law wasn’t working the day she’d been taken hostage. “My twin brother Aiden is three minutes older than me; he’s with the National Guard. Then after me there’s Elly. We call her the oops baby. She’s the youngest and has been working as an EMT.”
“That’s quite a lineup.” He smiled, for real this time. “I’m impressed so many of your family members are cops.”
“Our dad was a cop, and my mom was a nurse. They met in the ED.” Her cheeks went pink as she unwittingly drew a parallel between her parents and the way she’d met Reed. She averted her gaze, hoping he didn’t notice. “They emphasized that serving others is the most important thing we could do. That mindset was reinforced at church. We all took their example to heart; although honestly, we’re a bit concerned about Elly. It’s taken her a while to find her niche, and we’re not convinced the EMT route is for her.”
Reed arched a brow. “But she’s working as an EMT now, right?”
“Yes.” Alanna shrugged. “I can’t really explain it, but I don’t get the sense she loves going to work.”
“I’m sure there are days you don’t like going to work.”
“Yeah, but it’s something else. More like she’s experiencing trepidation.” She sipped her coffee. “She’ll figure it out, and we’ll support her no matter what she decides to do.”
“Your family sounds amazing.” Reed stared down at his coffee for a long moment. “I have an older brother in the army. We don’t get to see each other very often. Our parents split up well over ten years ago now, so we don’t have many happy family gatherings.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She couldn’t help reaching out to touch his arm. “It’s hard for me to imagine since I grew up in a household full of love and support. And chaos,” she added with a smile. “Lots of chaos.”
Reed turned to face her. “I better understand Rhy’s concern last night. We need to keep your brother in the loop moving forward. I’m going to touch base with him after breakfast. He’s going to help us get access to a car.”
The news didn’t surprise her. When her older siblings had been in danger before, the rest of the family had rallied around, swapping vehicles often to help each other hide under the radar. Aiden was the most cost conscious of the group and had secretly bemoaned his precious truck being damaged by a fire back in August while he’d supported Colin and Faye. “Rhy is good at pitching in to help out.”
“I can tell.” Reed’s expression turned serious. “The second call I received was from a fellow officer in my district. Apparently, the Blood Kings have offered a five-grand reward to anyone who kills me.”
“What?” She stared at him in horror. “That’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it’s not good.” He tried to smile, but she could tell he was concerned. “I think it’s best if you head back to the homestead with your brother. I’ll go off-grid until the investigation into my shooting Garcia is completed.”
“No, Reed. I don’t want to put Devon in danger.” She set her coffee down and turned on the sofa to face him. “What are the police doing about this threat? Who’s taking the lead on bringing the Blood Kings gang down?”
“I don’t know.” Reed slowly shook his head. “I didn’t hear about the bounty through official channels. The cop who called me heard the info from a source on the street.”
“The police department must be doing something about this.” The idea that every gang member or even non-gang members who wanted extra cash would be coming after Reed filled her with fear and dread. No way could she let him take off on his own. “Your life is in danger, Reed. And really, every cop on the force’s life is on the line too. Some idiot might mistake another cop for you and shoot to kill.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Reed admitted. “I’m hoping to get in touch with my lieutenant. He should be in after seven thirty. He may know more about what strategies are being used to combat this attack.”
She wasn’t satisfied and continued pacing the suite. Knowing Reed was the main target was bad enough, but what if Sami, Rhy, Tarin, or any of the other officers she knew got caught in the crossfire? She highly doubted any gang member would give a rip if they killed the wrong cop.
More likely, they’d use it as a badge of honor. Another teardrop tattoo.
She abruptly spun to face him. “Does Rhy know about this?”
“Not yet.” Reed stood and came to stand beside her. “I’ll tell him this morning, but you seriously need to stay away from me. I’m the one with a target on my back. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“They came to my condo, remember? I’m already involved.” She wasn’t a cop, so she knew her skills were rather useless. But she would not leave Reed alone. “We need to stick together. If someone is desperate enough for the cash, they might track me down to the homestead. I won’t put my family at risk, Reed. No matter what.”
They stared at each other, both frustrated and upset. A knock at the door broke the tension. “Room service.”
Reed sighed and stepped back. “I’ll get it.”
While he tipped the server and carried the tray of food to the table, she texted her brother Rhy. Blood Kings put a price of 5K on Reed’s head.
Instantly, three little dots indicated her brother was responding. Not good. Call me.
She turned to walk into her room, lifting the phone to her ear as Rhy answered. “Are you sure about this?” her brother demanded.
“Reed heard about it from a fellow cop in his district.” She felt Reed coming up behind her, so she turned to face him. No sense in pretending she wasn’t talking to her brother. “We need to plan our next move. And I’m worried about all of you too. Every cop is in danger with this bounty.”
“Of course we are.” Rhy sounded disgusted. “Aiden is on his way back to Milwaukee. He wants to be involved.”
“I told you not to tell Aiden. I knew he’d cut his trip short.” She was annoyed Rhy hadn’t listened to her.
“Calm down, sis. It wasn’t my idea, he called me as if sensing you were in trouble.” There was a pause before Rhy added, “I’ll be in touch in an hour. I need time to gather more intel and for Aiden to get here. We’ll meet you at the hotel before you check out, okay? Where are you staying?”
“At the Timberland Falls Suites. But know this, I’m sticking with Reed until this is over.”
“Stubborn,” Rhy muttered. “We’ll discuss that more later.”
“Later, then.” She disconnected from the call. “Rhy and Aiden will be swinging by in a few hours. In the meantime, Rhy is going to find out more about what the police are doing.”
“That would be helpful.” Reed held her gaze. “I know Rhy isn’t going to let you stay with me, and that’s fine. I totally understand. The sooner you go along with the plan, the faster we can move on.”
She resisted the urge to throw her phone at him, feeling certain it would shatter against his thick skull. Striving to remain calm, she brushed past him toward the tray of food. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
He followed her to the small table. She took a moment to refill their coffee cups, then sat across from him.
Bowing her head, she let out a breath. Anger was never useful. She sought patience instead. “Dear Lord, we thank You for this food we are about to eat. We ask that You continue to guide us on Your path while providing us the wisdom we need to fight the evil men coming after us. Amen.”
“Amen,” Reed echoed. “But the evil men are after me, Alanna. Not you.”
“Both of us.” She lightly touched the skin at her neck. The incision still hurt if she turned her head too quickly, but the stitches weren’t red or inflamed from infection. She was fortunate the injury wasn’t worse.
His mouth tightened as he eyed the line of sutures. They ate in silence for several minutes. She understood his concern for her safety; she had the same worry for his. But even he should be able to figure out they were better off staying together.
Finally, she said, “Leaving me alone at the condo didn’t work out so well. If you care about me and my family at all, you’ll allow me to stay close.”
He closed his eyes, then lifted his tortured gaze. “Don’t you understand? It’s because I care about you that I want you safely away from me.”
His words eased the remnants of her anger. “Please know the feeling is mutual. And it’s because I care that we need to stick together.”
“I never met anyone as stubborn as you,” he muttered, stabbing an egg with his fork.
“Back at you.” She didn’t care if he was annoyed. The only thing that mattered to her was making sure the Blood Kings didn’t succeed in their mission.
Deep down, she knew God had brought them together for a reason. And no matter what Rhy or Aiden said, she was going to stay with Reed until the danger was over.
Reed couldn’t decide whether he wanted to throttle Alanna or kiss her. She was the most endearing and frustrating woman he’d ever met.
He dropped the subject, hoping Rhy would be able to knock some sense into her. Yes, it was concerning to know his wife, Devon, was pregnant, but he felt certain the captain of the tactical unit could handle keeping his wife and Alanna safe.
Far better than he could, considering the bounty on his head.
When they’d finished eating breakfast, he set the tray out in the hall, taking a moment to glance around to make sure there was no one lingering nearby. Paranoia came with the job, and he made no apologies for constantly double-checking that they were safe.
He made another pot of coffee, then pulled out his phone. Time to call Lieutenant Harvey.
“What?” Harvey sounded grumpy. Then again, that was his normal demeanor.
“It’s Carmichael. I was hoping you’d give me an update.” Reed didn’t want to ask about the bounty since his buddy had called on the down-low.
“On what? Your case? IA doesn’t exactly share their progress with us.”
Reed reined in a wave of impatience. “I understand that. But you must have heard something by now. Late last night I helped capture a guy who is likely a member of the Blood Kings. Officer Cohen of the Brookland PD was involved in the arrest. Has anyone questioned the perp? Do we know anything more about Durango’s murder?”
“You’re on leave, Carmichael. I can’t give you information on an active investigation.”
It took all his willpower not to shout at his superior officer. “What can you tell me? I’m concerned the Blood Kings will be seeking revenge because I shot and killed Ivan Garcia.”
“Okay, okay. Give me a minute. I haven’t had any coffee yet,” Lieutenant Harvey muttered. Reed heard the sound of fingers clattering on a keyboard. “You should be worried, Carmichael. The Blood Kings are offering five thousand to anyone who kills you.”
He was relieved his boss cared enough to share the news. He injected alarm into his tone. “That’s not good, Loo. Other cops will be in danger too. Some of these punks will shoot first and ask questions later.”
“I know.” Harvey sounded testy. “I can tell you everyone has been put on alert. I just saw the notice myself. We’re just getting ready for roll call. According to the message, news of the bounty has been spread across the entire city.”
A sudden thought occurred to him. “Are they willing to put me up in a safe house?”
“There’s no mention of that, but I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, keep your head down, Carmichael.” Harvey’s tone was gruff. “The last thing we want is another cop killed in the line of duty.”
Like Wesley Durango, he thought.
“I need to know if the guy who broke into Alanna Finnegan’s condo has given us any further intel.” He frowned as a thought occurred to him. “Do you think he was hoping to get the bounty?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard much of anything. Do you have a name?” Harvey asked.
“No, he wouldn’t talk. I figure Cohen must have put his prints through the system, though. They probably have an ID on him by now.” He’d bet his next paycheck that the guy was a member of the Blood Kings.
“I’ll touch base with Cohen and the Brookland PD,” Harvey said. “Anything else?”
Plenty, but he sensed he wasn’t going to get very far with Lieutenant Harvey. “That’s all for now. But I would like to hear any additional information you find out. It’s my life on the line here, Loo. I would hope that means something.”
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” There was a pause, then Harvey said, “We’re doing roll call. I’ll be in touch.” With that, he disconnected.
Reed lowered the phone, not at all satisfied with the conversation. Super frustrating that he hadn’t learned anything new. He wondered if Harvey would have bothered to call him about the bounty if he hadn’t reached out first.
“Rhy and Aiden won’t be here for an hour, maybe less.” She met his gaze. “I heard you ask about the ID of the guy who broke into my condo. Rhy has the perp’s name.” She turned her phone so he could see the screen. “Does the name Davonte James mean anything to you?”
“No. May I see that?” He held out his hand for the phone. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Rhy had obtained key information on the case before his boss. Rhy probably had connections in every precinct in the city. “How did your brother get this?”
