Page 91 of Operation: Valiant Angel

Reina also stood. “Thank you again, Mister Shepherd, for everything.” She presented her hand.

“You’re welcome,” he said shaking it.

Once in the hallway, with Shepherd’s office door closed, they embraced.

“We have a lot to accomplish in three days,” he said.

Cooper and Madison approached. “I hear you’re headed to Newark to meet with Stella Adams,” Madison said. “I’m in town for the next few days. I can keep Lilly and Elizabeth can watch her if I have to come into the office, though I think the majority of my work can be done from home. I’m not scheduled to cover Ops.”

“That would be great. She’s comfortable at your house,” Reina said. “Thank you.”

“Are you flying out today?” Madison asked.

“If we can,” Wilson said. “I need to call Angel.”

“If we can fly out today, I still need to tell Lilly about the plans, even though I know she’ll be thrilled that she’ll be staying at your house.”

“I’ll sleep with her in the guest room,” Madison said. “I understand it’s going to take her time to be okay being alone in a room.”

“I’m injured that you don’t want to sleep with me, Blondie,” Cooper joked. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Cooper, Madison’s husband.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Reina said. “I recognize you from the pictures at your house. I’m Reina.” She paused for a second. “Or no, I guess I won’t be any longer. My new name’s going to be Rachel, Rae for short.” She smiled. “Just Rae again.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Rae,” Cooper said.

“It might be a good idea if you only think of yourself as Rae now,” Wilson said.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I mentally had to remind myself constantly that I was Reina, not Rae or Rae Ella. This should be easier.”

“We’re headed to Doc and Elizabeth’s to get the girls,” Madison said. “You can ride with us.”

“That’s perfect. Lee said we could come see the house again at any time. We could do that and tell Lilly she’ll be staying with you for a day or two without me,” Rae said.

Upon arriving at Elizabeth and Doc’s house, they told Lilly the plan, who took it well. Rae knew both Madison and Elizabeth would take good care of her, but she still felt a little sad when she buckled Lilly into the car seat in Madison’s car. Then she and Jimmy knocked on Lee’s door.

After seeing the unit from the second floor to the basement, Wilson was ready to make an offer, but he knew he should talk with Rae about it first. They’d have several hours while flying to New Jersey to do that. “Thank you for letting us see it, Lee. I promise to get back to you by dinnertime tonight.”

“Good enough,” she said. “I’m only doing this because you’re friends of Elizabeth next door. That girl is a doll.”

“Yes, she is,” Rae agreed.

***

Rae thought she’d mentally prepared herself to sit down and talk to Stella Adams. But when the guard escorted the woman wearing Department of Corrections prison apparel into the room, Rae knew she wasn’t properly prepared to sit opposite of this woman who had so spectacularly failed her child.

Stella Adams looked different, and it just wasn’t the clothes. Her hair, worn in its normal ponytail, needed to be washed. Her face, devoid of makeup, looked dry and pale. But it was the sad,utterly defeated expression on her face and the eyes that lacked a spark of life that hit Rae the hardest. A broken woman sat in front of her. The things she’d planned to say to the woman evaporated from her thoughts.

“Are you doing okay?” Rae asked.

She nodded. “Is Lilly okay?”

Rae smiled. “Yes, she is. She misses you, doesn’t understand.” Rae pulled the drawing from the folder. “She drew you this picture.”

Stella teared up. She covered her mouth with her trembling hand. “Lilly is the only good thing I’ve ever done. No matter what you may think of me, I love her so much.” Tears spilled out of her eyes.

“I know you do,” Rae said. “And she loves you too.”

“I would have died if anything had happened to her. It wasn’t easy to let her go, but I knew it was the best thing for her. We could have killed that agent and took her from that car that night like Blake wanted to. We drove right by them. But that would have been devastating to her to see. Regardless of what they told you about me, I’m not a monster. Blake was the monster. He tried to kill me. That’s why I had to kill him.”

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