The Awakening Read online

  “Couldn’t‘ve thought of that before you brought it with us?”

  “Kiss my ass, Baldwin! Sorry I’m not fucking perfect!”

  She glared at him and after a few moments he sighed and glanced away from the road to meet her eyes.

  “Sorry. Little intense.”

  A loud explosion from behind them marked the detonation of the rental car’s fuel tank. Katarina said a silent prayer that none of the men on the tactical team had been close enough to be injured or killed when it went up.

  “Copy.”

  Baldwin was speaking into his radio, one finger keeping the bud tightly pressed into his ear. Braking, he pulled to a stop at the curb.

  “What are you doing? We need to get out of the area!”

  “Too late. Local cops and FBI already have a perimeter set up.”

  Katarina nodded in understanding.

  “They’ll start checking the buildings and cars that are farthest out, collapsing in as they clear them,” she said.

  “Well, fuck me.”

  She was in complete agreement with his sentiment. Even if they hadn’t been caught inside the warehouse with the Retriever, the very fact that she was in the immediate vicinity of a homicide victim while out on bond for murder would likely be enough to land her in a cell until her trial.

  And Baldwin. Ballistic testing would match the weapon in his waistband to the bullet in the Retriever’s head. And ditching the gun now, inside the perimeter, was all but pointless as there was no way the FBI would fail to test both of them for gunshot residue.

  “Why would the FBI be tracking this guy, Kat?”

  His question caught her unprepared. She had a very good idea of not only why, but also who. It just wasn’t something she was willing to share.

  “I have no idea,” she said. “Maybe he was on their radar for something else. Guy in his line of work is going to attract attention.”

  Baldwin looked at her for a long time but didn’t press the issue. He turned his attention to the mirror.

  “I’m open to suggestions on how to get out of this, Blondie,” Baldwin said, watching a towering column of black smoke in his mirror.

  Katarina racked her brain but try as she might couldn’t come up with a way for them to escape. With the warehouse burning, the cops would realize there was a good chance they had the suspects contained, so they’d be on high alert. Neither of them had a plausible reason for being in the area, so they would be detained and looked at very closely.

  “Your guys get out okay?” she asked.

  “They’re clear. Took off the instant they saw the tac team. Made it just in time.”

  “Good,” she said, meaning it.

  “Wish you still had your ID,” he said. “You’d be able to flash it and drive us right out of here.”

  Baldwin’s comment gave her an idea, but she didn’t like it. Not one bit. But it was better than him going to prison and her being hauled in front of a federal judge and having her bond revoked. Digging her disposable phone out, she dialed the only number that she’d programmed in. Baldwin gave her a curious look that she ignored.

  “Macleod,” Liam growled, not recognizing the number.

  “Liam, thank God,” Katarina breathed. Just hearing his voice made her feel better.

  “Katarina? You get a new phone?”

  “Yes---”

  “Sorry I’m not home, yet,” he said, cutting her off. “Got tied up with this case---”

  “Liam! I’m in trouble and I need your help,” she said in a rush. “I know I don’t have any right to ask, and I’m asking a lot, but...”

  “What do you need?” he asked without hesitation.

  Katarina breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained their situation without going into detail.

  “Exactly, where are you?”

  She could hear that he was walking fast as he asked the question. She leaned forward and peered through the windshield at a pair of street signs and relayed the information.

  “I’m on my way,” he said, then broke the connection.

  “He’s coming,” she said to Baldwin.

  He gave her a look then turned to face front.

  “You trust him?”

  “Can you give it a rest? Please?”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. After a beat he went back to watching the smoke from the burning warehouse in the mirror. In the near distance, they could hear sirens that Katarina did her best to ignore. If they’d been spotted, they’d be suddenly surrounded by body-armor-clad men with automatic weapons, screaming at them to get out of the vehicle. They wouldn’t announce their approach by blasting a siren.

  The thrum of an orbiting helicopter made her involuntarily look up and she was glad they were stationary. No reason to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

  “What do you want to do if they find us?”

  Baldwin’s sudden question surprised her.

  “What do you mean? What can we do other than surrender?”

  He nodded, then paused as if deciding whether or not to speak his mind.

  “I’m not going to prison, Kat.”

  She turned to look at him with a frown on her face, then realized what he was saying. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his arm.

  “You can’t fight them. You won’t win.”

  “Depends on your definition of a win. In my book, not spending the rest of my life in a cage is a pretty big one.”

  “Baldwin---”

  He stopped her with a raised hand, then took her hand in his, raised it to his lips and gently kissed it.

  “There’s a body back there with one of my bullets in its head. They catch me, there’s nothing that’s going to save me. So, if they find us, you stay well clear. Understand?”

  “No! I don’t understand!” she cried. “You’re talking about giving up!”

  Baldwin laughed and looked out his side window a beat before turning back to face her.

  “It’s not giving up, Kat. It’s going out on my terms instead of rotting for twenty years until they finally stick a needle in my arm.”

  He shrugged and squeezed her hand. Blinking back tears, she held on tightly and stared at her friend.

  “Give me your gun,” she suddenly said. “Let them find it on me.”

  “Are you crazy? No!”

  “Yes! This is my fault. All of it. I’m not going to let you die because of me.”

  “No fucking way, Kat.”

  “Give me one good reason why not!”

  “Because you didn’t kill him, I did!”

  “Because I couldn’t pull the goddamn trigger!” she screamed. “I had the muzzle against his head, and I couldn’t do it. I wanted to, so bad, and if I had you wouldn’t be in this mess. So, give me your fucking gun!”

  He stared at her a long moment before shaking his head and looking away. Emotion boiling over, Katarina reached for the weapon but he was faster, trapping her hands in his. She struggled against his grip, all reason gone as she focused solely on taking the pistol from him. He easily controlled her, which only infuriated her.

  She was about to use her legs to launch her body on top of his when a large sedan skidded to a stop next to the SUV. Liam was behind the wheel, leaning out his open window when they looked at him in surprise.

  “Get in the goddamn car!” he shouted.

  Twenty-Nine

  “Keep your faces down,” Liam said as he slowed to a stop for a roadblock.

  Two uniformed officers stood on the far side of a cruiser. They watched him for a beat then one of them waved him forward as the other got behind the wheel and moved the vehicle back far enough for him to pass. He waved a thanks as he eased past their front bumper, then accelerated away.

  “How the hell’d you pull that off?” Katarina asked, glancing out the back window.

  “Flashed my creds on the way in. Told them I had two CIs I needed to get out of the area.”

  “CI?” Baldwin asked under his breath so only Katarina
could hear.

  “Confidential Informant,” she explained just as quietly.

  Baldwin took a deep breath, quietly exhaling in relief.

  “Thank you, Liam,” Katarina said in a louder voice.

  “You can thank me by telling me exactly what the fuck is going on,” he said, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

  “More than you want to know,” Baldwin said.

  “I wasn’t fucking talking to you!” Liam snapped, surprising Katarina.

  His eyes had shifted and he and Baldwin were glaring at each other. After a long moment, Baldwin lowered his gaze.

  “Thanks for coming for us,” he mumbled.

  A surprised expression crossed Liam’s face, then he turned his attention back to Katarina.

  “Well? I’m waiting for an explanation, Katarina. What did I just pull you out of?”

  “A deep, steaming pile. Can we please wait to talk about it until we’re home? Your house, I mean.”

  She held his eyes until he had to look away at traffic. With a sigh of exasperation, he nodded his head.

  “Can you drop me?” Baldwin asked, earning another surprised look.

  “Here?”

  “I’ve got a ride,” he said.

  Liam braked hard, steering for the curb. Baldwin reached for the door, pausing and looking at Liam in the mirror before opening it.

  “Thanks again. Know you went out on a limb.”

  He wasn’t looking for a response and didn’t wait around to see if one was coming. Popping the door, he stepped out and started down the sidewalk at a fast pace. Katarina took the opportunity to move to the front seat with Liam. He glanced at her, then accelerated back into traffic without a word.

  “Are you mad at me?” Katarina asked after several minutes of silence.

  “Mad? No. More like confused. Upset. Off balance. Does this have anything to do with your husband’s murder?”

  Katarina took a breath, resisting the urge to let everything come tumbling out.

  “Yes,” she said, unable to keep it from him any longer. “I’ll tell you everything when we’re not driving in heavy traffic.”

  Liam didn’t say anything and she tentatively reached for his hand. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pulled away from her touch, but instead he intertwined his fingers with hers and didn’t let go. A flood of relief washed through her.

  It seemed to take forever for them to reach his home. Instead of parking in front, he nosed the sedan into a narrow alley and put it in a single stall garage in the backyard. When he shut the engine off, neither of them said anything for a moment, then he got out and led the way into the house.

  “Okay,” he said, dropping into a chair. “Start talking.”

  Katarina looked at the living room furniture for a moment, then went to the kitchen and poured both of them a stiff drink. Placing the glasses on the coffee table, she went into the bedroom, returning with his cigarettes and handing him the pack. He’d watched in silent curiosity.

  “Is it that bad?” he asked.

  “Making sure you’re prepared. Just in case.”

  He held her eyes then stood and moved close. Leaning forward, he gently kissed her, then took his drink and went outside. She followed, joining him on the tree swing. Taking a slug of her drink, she watched as he lit a cigarette, then began speaking in a soft voice.

  Liam only interrupted once, to refill their drinks. He brought the bottle back with him and looked at her expectantly until she started talking again. When she was finished, he leaned his head back and blew out a big puff of air.

  “Well?” she asked after a long silence. “Do you have anything to say?”

  He took his time pouring another drink and lighting a cigarette before looking at her.

  “I’m at a loss for words, Katarina.”

  She held his eyes, not about to look away.

  “You sound like a crazy person, but---”

  “I swear I’m telling you the truth!” she interrupted.

  He nodded slowly, not turning away.

  “But, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  Katarina’s heart pounded and she could hardly believe her ears. She hadn’t known what to expect but wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d told her to get out of his house and never come back. She certainly hadn’t imagined he’d be open to the possibility that her story could be true.

  “You believe me,” she whispered.

  “Not what I said. But... it has the ring of truth. I almost always know when I’m being lied to, and you’re either telling the truth or what you believe to be the truth. Either way...”

  “Either way, what?”

  “Either way, we need to find a way through this. But claiming Pettigrew set you up isn’t going to fly. We’ve got to find a way to prove what he did and why he did it.”

  “We?” she asked with tears in her eyes, seizing on the word she’d wanted to hear.

  “We,” he said, reaching out and wiping the dampness off her cheeks. “Now. No more secrets?”

  “I promise.”

  She got up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his drink down and held her tightly. They stayed that way for a long time.

  “Guess I screwed up,” she eventually mumbled into his shoulder.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Telling you everything. Things that incriminate me.”

  He was quiet for so long she thought he wasn’t going to answer.

  “I don’t remember you telling me anything. I thought we were discussing this mystery you saw on TV the other night.”

  She pulled away and looked at him, seeing a sarcastic grin on his face.

  “Asshole.”

  “Thought I already confessed to that the other day.”

  “Didn’t believe you then, either. You need to pay attention,” she said, pulling him close and pressing her lips to his.

  Thirty

  Despite everything that had happened, Katarina was in a good mood as she and Liam set about preparing some food. They worked in companionable silence, occasionally bumping hips in the small kitchen. When her phone began ringing, they traded a concerned glance. She picked it up, staring at an unfamiliar number through the multiple prisms of the shattered glass screen.

  “Better answer it,” Liam said softly when it seemed she wouldn’t.

  She nodded and slowly raised the handset.

  “Agent Daniels, this is Harry Fry,” a deep voice with a thick Texas accent boomed in her ear.

  “I’m sorry. Who?”

  “Harry Fry, ma’am. I’m Tucker Vance’s lead investigator. I believe I was s’posed to call ya.”

  “I’m sorry,” Katarina said, relieved. “You caught me by surprise.”

  There was a soft chuckle before he continued.

  “I need to speak with ya, ma’am, and sooner is better. Kin we meet?”

  “Uh, well, sure. Hang on a sec.”

  She clapped a hand over the phone and turned to Liam.

  “It’s my attorney’s investigator. Wants to meet.”

  “Tell him to come here,” he said without hesitation.

  “You sure?”

  “We’re either in this together, or we’re not,” he said. “Up to you.”

  She thought about his answer and realized he was right. Nodding, she got back on the phone and gave Harry the address.

  “He’ll be here in half an hour,” she said after ending the call.

  Liam was busy constructing a sandwich and didn’t look up.

  “Anything else you want to tell me before he gets here?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Pausing, he looked up and met her eyes.

  “If he’s any good, he’s going to ask a lot of personal questions about your marriage. Anything you want to discuss in private, first?”

  Realizing what he meant, she smiled and put her hand on his arm. He wasn’t being nosy, he was trying to protect her from being embarrassed in front of
him.

  “You’re sweet, but no. Of course, there are details I haven’t told you about me and my marriage, but not because I care if you know them. Does that make sense?”

  He nodded and they sat next to each other at the counter and ate. It was early for dinner, but it had been one of those days for both of them. Add in the whiskey they’d consumed in the backyard and food was sorely needed.

  They had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when the bell rang. Harry Fry stood on the front steps when Katarina opened the door. He was a big man in his sixties, wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a nicely tailored western shirt. A large Stetson was on his head and he smiled broadly as he introduced himself and presented his business card.

  “I thought Mr. Vance said you were retired Seattle PD,” she said, once they were settled in the living room. She was looking pointedly at the cowboy hat resting on the coffee table.

  “Well, ma’am,” he said, opening a thick notebook on his lap, “you can take the boy outta Texas, but you cain’t take Texas outta the boy.”

  Liam and Katarina smiled politely as he chuckled and flipped some pages before looking directly at her.

  “Charged with killin’ your husband,” he said, watching her intently.

  She held his eyes, unflinching.

  “Is that a question?” she asked after a long moment.

  “No ma’am. Just statin’ a fact. And, this gentleman here is your alibi. That correct?”

  “Yes,” Liam answered. “She was with me all night.”

  “Looked ya up,” Harry said, eyes on Liam a beat before turning to Katarina. “Why didn’t ya tell Mister Vance he was DEA?”

  “I didn’t want him mixed up in this. I hadn’t been charged then, and, well...”

  “Anythin’ else you fogettin’ to tell us, Mizz Daniels?”

  His eyes bored into her and Katarina had little doubt the man had been very good in an interrogation room when he was a detective.

  “Probably,” she said. “But not intentionally.”

  “Fair nuff,” Harry said after considering her answer. “So, how long’s the affair been goin’ on?”

  “There was no affair,” Katarina said quickly. “That was... well, it’s new.”