Page 67 of Resolution

“Yes,” Miguel added. “Thank you for saving our lives, Humphries.”

“Thank you, sirs.” The young man preened under the well-deserved praise. The pride and relief in the new agent’s voice was palpable.

We pulled into the nearest gas station and Miguel and I waited while Lincoln and Mac got out to speak to the officers. They talked for several minutes while the two of us waited inside the car with Humphries and Damon. Lincoln pulled out his phone to make a call, eventually passing the phone over to one of the officers. He spoke for a minute before giving it back to Snow and getting into his own car.

When Lincoln and Mac finally got back into our car, Lincoln told Humphries to head back toward the hotel. I knew we’d long passed by the exit we should have taken since the chase had lasted what felt like a nightmare eternity. Lincoln turned around.

“They wanted to take us all to the station to give a statement and I had to call SAC Bradley when they were insistent.”

“And now?”

Lincoln smiled. “Now they’re going to escort us to the hotel, and from there, go with us to the airport as an added layer of security. It seems Bradley got their captain on the line, and explained that not only was the FBI taking the lead on this case, but they’d expect the LAPD’s full cooperation with the Bureau in this matter. Apparently, Donovan Bradley has a good reputation with the captain and since he’d approved Mike and Cassidy’s trip to the Caymans, he was already briefed in the urgency of the matter.”

I exchanged a look with Miguel who smiled back at me. “Do you think four cop cars is going to be enough security?” I asked Snow.

“We’ll have those guys, just to make sure we get there without being followed,” Lincoln said, pointing up. I leaned close to the window and realized the chopper was still overhead. I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Once we get to the hotel, there will be three more FBI units waiting to go with us. We should have doubled our protection as we left the Federal Building. Bradley is responsible for letting us go without an adequate escort but ultimately, I take responsibility for this mess. I should have anticipated something. Good agents with families died today.”

“You couldn’t have known, Lincoln,” Mac said, defending his friend. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.”

“Anyway…” Lincoln sighed. “There’s no way the FBI is going to let them get another shot at any of us again.”

We got to the hotel twenty minutes later and I quickly packed a bag, shoving clothes and running shoes along with our passports into a single duffel. Miguel made me put on my shoulder holster as he donned his own, before we headed out. The drive to LAX took a half hour more, but it wasn’t until I was actually seated on the nearly empty FBI plane forty minutes later that I finally breathed a sigh of relief and started to shake as the last of the adrenaline ebbed away.

Chapter Sixteen

RAVEN

I watched Miguel fall asleep in first class in the half empty FBI jet with his head resting on a neck pillow leaning up against the window of the plane. Cassidy and Mike sat with Lincoln, Mac, Damon, and a cluster of other FBI agents near the back of the plane’s cabin, in quiet discussion as we flew toward Houston to pick up the Special Ops team. DEA SAC Hope Bannister and her team were also onboard, taking up several rows in the center of the plane.

Cass and Mike had given Miguel and I a hug when we got to the airport. We hadn’t had to explain a thing to them since they’d heard of our close encounter with death before we got there.

Once we were off the ground, I learned from Lincoln and Mac that one of the FBI agents in the car which had followed us on the freeway, had survived the shooting and crash, and though, injured critically, had been extracted from the crumpled vehicle. He was in surgery. I prayed again, this time for the man’s recovery, grieved that the other three agents had died from their wounds. I hoped those cartel fuckers would pay for their crimes.

All of them were on their way to jail after giving up their weapons when they realized a standoff with the cops was useless. I was certain they hadn’t been handled with kid gloves while being carted off. I rested my head on Miguel’s shoulder soon after, praying we’d all survive in Grand Cayman to make the return trip. All I wanted was for all of this to be over.

I opened my eyes, only realizing I’d fallen asleep when I heard the screech of the plane’s tires on the runway. I sat up, seeing that I’d been drooling on Miguel when I noticed a wet spot on his shirt. “Oh, shit,” I said, wiping the back of my hand over my lips and cheek. Miguel’s low chuckle made me look over at him. He was watching me with glittering eyes.

“I love the sounds you make when you’re dreaming.”

I didn’t know what to say. “I-I make noises when I dream?” I hadn’t remembered dreaming.

“These little snorting, whimpering sounds. It’s adorable.”

I felt an embarrassing smile spreading across my face. “Shut up.” As the cabin lights came on, I suddenly realized it was dark outside. I checked my watch. Sure enough, I’d been asleep for almost five hours.

“Hey, guys.” Lincoln appeared beside my chair out of nowhere.

“Are we in Houston?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We’ll be on the ground for less than thirty minutes, just long enough for the guys to load their gear and join us here in the cabin.”

The FBI tac team. Right. I’d almost forgotten why we were in Houston, only that Houston had been the destination.

“There’s something I wanted to share with you,” Lincoln said, looking slightly worried.

I sat up in my chair as he crouched beside the seat. “What?”

“The plan of getting Castillo out of the house with Tawny Flores and her attorney isn’t going to work.”

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