The in Death Collection Books 11-15 - J. D. Robb [697]
Roarke wrapped his arms around her waist, drew her back against him, and let her pour it out. “I’m sitting there, looking at him, listening to his bullshit justifications, the program propaganda, and I remember how Colleen Halloway thanked me. She thanked me and I’m kicking loose one of the people responsible for her son’s death.”
She pulled up her knees, pressed her face against them. “I’m seeing what happened to Hannah Wade. I see her lying facedown in her own blood. And he says it’s too bad about her. Said it was an accident. But she only got what she deserved because she was just a whore. I want to pound my fists into his flesh for that, beat him senseless for it. But I swing weight with the P.A. to get him immunity so he won’t have to pay for it. For any of it. Am I standing for the dead, or am I walking all over them?”
“You know the answer to that.” He forced her around. Her cheeks were damp again. “You know the answer in your heart.”
“I used to know it in my gut. I used to know it in my bones. And I don’t know what kind of cop I’m going to make if I don’t feel it that way again.”
“I don’t know this Dwier, but I do know this: He may not live out his life in a cage, but he’ll never be free again. I do know you, Eve. Whatever you did, you did for Halloway, for Hannah Wade, and the rest. You bargained your own needs away for theirs.”
“I don’t know if I did. But I hope to God it was worth it.” She used her hands to scrub her cheeks dry. “I’m going to break them tonight. And tomorrow, I’m going to send Peachtree down to hell with them.”
She blew out a breath, pushed back her hair. “To do that, I’ve got to shake this off.”
“Would you like some positive news?”
“I could use it.”
“We’ve finished the full ID on the virus. We’ve duplicated it. Which means we can create a permanent shield against it that allows us full access to the data in the remaining units.”
“You can track it back to source?”
“We can. We will. It’ll take a bit more time, but we’re on our way, well on it, to that point.”
“Good. I’ve got a warrant. One that went through,” she added, thinking of Judge Archer. “All Dukes’s equipment—whatever’s left in his place—is to be confiscated. I need you to dig out transmissions. Somebody gave him the word to run, and where to run to. We’re getting Dwier’s and Price’s, too. Just in case they’re holding any names back.”
“We’ll be busy.”
“You and Jamie can put in some time on them tonight while we run the op.”
“I recall you saying the investigative team would be in on this bust.”
“I can’t take the kid on an op.” She rose, walked to the closet. “You’d be a lot more valuable to me in the lab. That’s not a con, and to prove it, I’m not ordering you to stay.” She grabbed a shirt, turned back. “I’m asking.”
“That’s tricky of you.” He got to his feet. “I’ll be your lab rat then, for a bit longer.”
“Appreciate it.”
“Don’t wear those trousers with that shirt. What are you thinking?”
“I’m going to a bust, not a party.”
“That’s no reason not to look your best. Let’s see, what’s the well-dressed cop wearing these days to take down a major terrorist organization? You can’t go wrong with basic black.”
“Is this a joke?” she asked as he selected another shirt.
“Good fashion sense is never a joke.” He handed her the shirt, slid a finger down the dent in her chin. “But it’s good to see you smile again, Lieutenant. Oh, and wear the black boots, not the brown.”
“I don’t have any black boots.”
He reached in, pulled out a pair of sturdy black leather. “You do now.”
Half a block down from the Church of The Savior, Eve sat in the surveillance vehicle and argued with Peabody.
“Look, you’re lucky to be here at all. You’re on medical leave.”
“No, I’m not because I didn’t sign off.”
“I signed you off.”
“I signed me back on.”
Eve bared her teeth. “You forgot the ‘sir.’ ”
Peabody’s chin jutted. “No, I didn’t.”
“How about I write you up