Page 63 of Retribution
Once he’s gone I pull out my cell, dialing Dutch’s number. It goes straight to voicemail, and I leave a quick message, urging her to call me. A shiver of unease slides down my spine, but a disturbance at the door has me pushing it aside.
Tommy backs into the room, pushing the door open behind him as he struggles with a box. Dumping it next to me, he announces, “More DNA in from Quantico.”
“Thanks, Tommy,” I mutter, starting to rifle through it.
“Hey, Susannah,” one of the other agents calls over to me. “We’re going on break, want to come with?”
“Thanks, I’m good. I’ll grab a coffee later.”
As they all file out of the room, I carefully go through the newest evidence, which is mostly from the spate of killings. The meeting room is empty, and I cast a surreptitious glance out the glass walls. Everyone must have taken their breaks together, as the halls are empty of life.
Removing a few key pages from the files, I slip them into my purse, joining the others I’ve been methodically hoarding.
Checking one more time that the coast is still clear, I head down the hall, glancing into the break room. Denise, the receptionist, has a cup of cocoa in front of her, tapping away on her phone while the other agents are busy chatting and helping themselves to donuts and croissants.
Slipping away, I find myself at Denise’s desk, and pulling out the paperwork from the files, feed them one by one into the shredder, pushing aside the twinge of guilt that comes with the illegality of my actions.
It’s not a long-term solution, but until I can find a way to remove the files permanently from the system, it will do for now.
I’ll protect my niece by any means necessary. I just hope I don’t get caught—orange really isn’t my best color.
Chapter 36
Rebecca
Today is our last day in Arizona. It’s a bittersweet feeling, for sure. I remember so little of my life before, and it’s all I’ve known for the past eleven years.
It’s where I was hidden away, raped, and abused. It’s where I birthed my babies. It’s where I became a killer.
A part of me will be glad to see the back of this place, and yet I know that when we go, I will also leave behind a piece of my heart. Raphael and Rachel will always be with me, carried as precious memories that I’ll store forever inside. It’s this thought that helps me be okay with leaving all of this behind.
Trey and I finally came up with a plan. Today we’ll end my list with Doctor Erin Ortega. The car will be packed and ready to go. Once we’re done, we’ll travel to Vegas to be married. Neither of us has family or friends to join in a wedding, and I wouldn’t want some big event anyway.
It may be fast, but I know it’s right. Trey has proved to be everything I never knew I needed—strong, loyal, honest. He lets me be myself, stands at my side while I do what I must to enact vengeance. He knows me on a deeper level, understands me. He is ruthless, and can be vicious and cruel—but for me, he is romantic and loving. And he’s more than willing to step into the darkness with me.
Trey not only climbed over my walls, he obliterated them. He took that shivering, hidden, naked me and surrounded it with strength and care.
I haven’t said the words back to him yet. He’s waiting, watching, hoping to hear them back. They haven’t been easy words to say, but once we say “I do,” I know they’ll come. When he’s mine for always.
***
Doctor Ortega has a private practice located in the heart of Flagstaff. Her office is unassuming; a small waiting room with white walls, a few potted plants dotting the windowsills, magazines strewn across an occasional table. Navy upholstered chairs dot the space, and a lone receptionist sits at a small desk guarding the hall that leads to the doctor’s office and examination rooms.
The receptionist could be a potential problem, so I’m going in first. Trey has his handy backpack stuffed full of goodies and is waiting in the car outside the building. Tucked up my sleeve is a syringe of liquid Rohypnol.
Trey hacked into the office’s computer system and made sure to clear all the morning’s appointments. Clients received an email that mandatory work was being carried out, and to please reschedule their appointment for another day. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
Luckily, due to HIPAA, there are no cameras inside the building, and Trey disabled the outside one before we arrived. Now, I just need to hope that the receptionist is a coffee drinker. I’m posing as a new client, and need to distract her just enough to slip the drug into her drink. While I’m filling out the new patient forms, it can do its thing, and she’ll hopefully have no memory of me being here when she wakes.
Trey kisses me before I open the door, slipping out onto the sidewalk. It’s overcast today, a cool breeze rifling through my hair. Hopefully, the weather isn’t an omen of events to come. Letting out a long breath and shaking out my hands, I steel my spine and plaster a sunny smile on my face. Stepping into the waiting room, I make my way to the desk, the receptionist behind it around my age. Her blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail, and my smile grows infinitesimally bigger when I see the large cup of tea sitting beside her.
“Good morning,” she trills, eyes eager and bright. “Welcome to Doctor Ortega’s office. How can I help you this morning?”
“Morning. I’ve just moved to the area and I’m looking for a new doctor. I’m due to get a pap smear soon, and after seeing such good reviews for Doctor Ortega, I just knew I had to come in to register. Is she accepting new patients?”
Standing, she replies, “We sure are, Miss … ?”
“D’Angelo,” I state. “Dolores D’Angelo.”
