Page 112 of Charmed Forces

“But we started putting it together. We’ve been watching Brandt,” said Hertford and Crump nodded. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you too, just in case. We should take Captain Brandt to the station and get the official interview on tape. The sooner we can do that and get him formally charged, the sooner Daniel’s a free man.”

“I agree,” said Maddox. “We’ll take him to our building for processing before we turn him over to you guys. Lieutenant Graves wants to sit in. You’d be welcome too. I’d like to compare notes.”

“We can work with that,” said Detective Hertford. “This case is so sensitive a lot of people are riled up. No one figured we had a traitor in the building. Not sure what the Feds have to do with any of it, but I assume your interest in Brandt is watertight?”

“It plays into a much bigger investigation,” said Maddox. “He’s just a little fish in a big pond.”

“Piranha are little fish too,” said Crump.

“I just heard a car,” said Garrett. “Let me check it out while you get Brandt ready to go.” He jogged to the door and peered out. “It’s Special Agent Farid. Someone’s with him, and there’s a second car. Another one of yours?”

“You’ll see in a moment,” said Maddox.

“Let’s go,” said Detective Hertford. He and Garrett each took one of Captain Brandt’s arms and hauled him to his feet. Brandt scowled but didn’t resist and I had to wonder what was going through his head. I’m sure he was debating whether to get in touch with Tom Victor and have him send a lawyer, or how to convince everyone it was a conspiracy orchestrated by everyone in the warehouse. Probably both. He’d tried to pull the wool over Crump and Hertford’s eyes but they’d already seen through him. For once, I was grateful for their presence.

“Hey!” Garrett called, waving as he stepped outside. He took out a whistle and blew three short, sharp blasts. Although it was clearly a signal, I didn’t see any movement. I could almost believe there was no one there. “Special Agent Farid, we’re coming out and ready to load up. Wait... is that...” He trailed off, flashing a grin back to us as he stepped outside.

We filed out after him, curious as to what had him so pleased, and I had to wait for my pupils to adjust from the glare of the illuminated warehouse to the black night sky to follow where Garrett was pointing. Farid’s car doors were both open and the headlamps swathed the small courtyard in light.

A man stood on the other side of the car, dressed in a light jacket and jeans, an MPD badge hanging around his neck. His arm was in a sling and I had no doubt the wound beneath would cause him some pain in the days to come but it was good to see him upright. A woman with short, cropped hair stood next to him, clad in jeans and a hoody, a badge at her belt.

“I thought you were dead, Detective Wayne,” I said.

“Nearly was,” he said. “I’m told it’s thanks to you that I survived. Special Agents Maddox and Farid took me into protective custody, moved my hospital room and told everyone I didn’t make it. This is Detective Anne McGinney. She joined me in protective custody as we couldn’t be sure she wasn’t under threat too.”

“The elusive Detective McGinney,” I said, as I reached to shake her hand.

“Nice to finally meet you,” she said. “You did a great job. Sorry I couldn’t help but I was already with these guys.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked, turning to Maddox.

“Strictly need to know,” said Maddox, tapping his nose. “Our whole involvement had to be as quiet as possible so no one tipped off the real culprit. We didn’t want anyone to know about our investigation into the Victors.”

“Who are the Victors?” asked Crump.

The second car switched off its engine and the door opened. Daniel climbed out, followed by Fletcher and Flaherty. Daniel walked over to Detective Wayne and they embraced. “I couldn’t miss this,” he said. “Man, it’s so good to see you.” He turned to us and shook his head. “Captain Brandt. Really? I just don’t get it,” he added, his whole face in disbelief.

“Get it?” sneered Captain Brandt. “There’s nothing to get. Nothing at all. There’s no way I’m going down for this!”

I opened my mouth to retort but Captain Brandt eyes widened and he gasped. A sliver of blood slid from his forehead between his eyes and his knees crumpled. He hit the ground face first, his mouth gaping open in surprise.

The shot was so perfectly executed, none of us could have prepared for it.

A moment later, we all hit the deck.

Chapter Twenty-Four

We were all assembled in a meeting room at the FBI’s field office a few days later. The room was long, narrow, and largely non-descript with beige walls on each end, a glass paneled wall above the equally beige corridor, and picture windows overlooking the town. We were four floors up and it was like watching the inside of a snow globe as tiny people and matchbox-sized cars scurried in all directions.

“Why do you even have a field office here?” I wondered, turning away and destroying my soul by staring at the beige walls. Why didn’t they have any artwork? Why was there nothing to look at except several good-looking men?

“It’s as good a place as any,” said Maddox. “Why do you have a private detective agency here?”

“So many reasons,” I said, “but mostly because of all the criminals.”

“Think it’ll ever end?”

“The criminals? Nope.” I thought longer before adding, “But neither will the good people.”

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