Above the Law (5 page)

Well, she’d been handpicked too, and Larry and everyone else at the network should know by now what they were getting when they put her in charge of a project. She’d do this piece because she owed Larry one, but after that, she was going to find something substantial to wrap her brain around. She put her hand on the door handle. “Let’s go get this over with.”

A few minutes later, she and Jed were sitting in a conference room with Special Agent in Charge Hector Diego. The DEA had rolled out the red carpet, complete with an array of sandwiches, miniature desserts, and a large selection of soft drinks, and she was disappointed they’d eaten before they’d arrived. Lindsey had conducted dozens of police station interviews in her career, and she’d never been greeted by catered food. The happenstance raised her antennae, and she stayed on guard as she introduced Jed and discussed what they hoped to learn on this visit.

“Jed will need to check out the areas where we will be conducting interviews to determine what kind of equipment we need. For my purposes today, I just want to get a feel for the office and meet a few of the people I’ll be interviewing so I can formulate a schedule. I anticipate we’ll start filming interviews tomorrow or the next day if that works for you.”

“Of course, of course. Whatever you need.” Diego shoved a binder with an official DEA seal on the front, across his desk to her. “The network sent a list of topics you plan to cover while you are here, and we have no issues with providing you full access regarding the specified areas. You’ll want to interview some of the local agencies that assist with the program as well. Here’s some background information to help you focus your questions.”

Lindsey bristled at his conclusory tone, but tried not to let her reaction show. Clearly, Diego was intent on directing her efforts and making sure she stayed within the agreed upon bounds. She’d expected as much, but now that she was here, close to where many other more significant investigations were being conducted, her promise to curtail her natural curiosity was stifling. If she didn’t find something to pique her interest, how could she expect to keep viewers interested?

An idea popped into her head, and she shot a look at Jed, trusting he wouldn’t rat her out for going off script. “Thanks, Agent Diego.” She tapped her fingers on the binder. “I’ve reviewed a lot of the material already, but I’m sure this will be helpful as well. You know what else would be particularly helpful?”

He cocked his head. “What?”

“A liaison.” Lindsey leaned forward in her chair and assumed her best I’m just a silly woman and I could use help from a big, strong man like yourself posture. “I know your entire agency is probably overburdened by all of the organized crime activity in the area, but if there was any way you could spare an agent who could, I don’t know, kind of oversee this project and guide us through the interviews, I think we could have a much more polished final product. What do you think?” Batting her eyes would be too much, so she punctuated her question with what she hoped was a pleasant, yet hopeful, smile.

Diego shifted in his seat. “Well, I guess that’s a good idea. I had one of our secretaries lined up to help with coordinating interviews, but an agent might be more help to you. In fact, I have an idea of someone we could use, and I think she’s here right now. Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

Jed barely waited until Diego left the room before he burst into laughter. “Thanks for the bonus. I had no idea I was going to get a glimpse of Lindsey Ryan, distressed reporter in search of a savior. Pretty smooth.”

She smacked him on the arm. “Shut up.” She pointed at the ceiling and whispered. “Someone’s probably listening. I just figured he’d assign us some rookie who might accidentally tell us something way more interesting than the stats we can read on DEA.gov.”

“Good plan. I’ll cross my fingers.”

They didn’t have to wait long. Within ten minutes, Diego was back. At first it appeared as though he was alone, but when he cleared the threshold, another figure filled the doorway. She was tall and rangy, dressed in skin-hugging Levi’s, a tight black T-shirt, and black leather boots. The stranger tugged off her sunglasses, and Lindsey sucked in a breath at the sight of her stormy blue eyes. Fiercely dark, they telegraphed depth and danger.

“Ms. Ryan, Mr. Larabee, I’d like to introduce Special Agent Dale Nelson. She’s been with the agency for a number of years and knows everyone here. Agent Nelson will be at your disposal during the term of your stay. I’m sure you’ll let me know if you need anything else.”

Without another word, he was gone, leaving them with Agent Dark and Handsome. Lindsey tried not to stare, instead launching into the first question that came to mind. “He just surprised you with this, didn’t he? I mean, you must’ve just walked in seeing as how you still had your sunglasses on when…” Lindsey stopped talking, certain she was rambling and sure she was making a horrible first impression.

Dale looked between them before answering. “Yes.”

Straightforward. Good. She could work with straightforward. “Do you have some time now to meet? We could go over our plan for the week. I’d like to get your input on a few of the interviews we have scheduled.”

“Now’s no good.” Dale put her sunglasses back on. “I’m in the middle of something. I’ll call you when I break free.”

Lindsey only had a brief second to react before Dale started walking toward the door. In a flash, she was out of her seat. “Wait.”

Dale turned, her mouth fixed in a thin line. Lindsey wished she’d take her glasses off again so she could tell if the expression in her eyes was curious or annoyed. She’d bet on the latter. Still, no matter how annoyed Dale might be, Lindsey couldn’t help but want to prolong the connection, if only for a few minutes. She stuck out her hand and silently counted the seconds as Dale looked down and then finally grasped it. The grip was firm and strong. Exactly what she’d expected. She let the touch linger just a shade longer than she figured Dale was comfortable with and then reluctantly let go.

Dale nodded at her and then at Jed and strode out the door.

It wasn’t until they were in the car, headed to the hotel, that Lindsey realized she hadn’t given Dale her number and Dale hadn’t asked.

*

“What the hell was that all about?” Dale slammed Diego’s door shut behind her and crossed her arms while she waited for him to respond. Peyton was waiting, but she didn’t want to start talking to Neil until she straightened things out with her boss.

He didn’t even look up. “Sit down, Nelson.”

“No, thanks. I won’t be here long. Can’t, since you’ve got me doing double duty. Not sure why you think I have time to show a reporter around. I’m loaded up as it is. I was on my way to interview a suspect when I got here.”

“Seriously, Dale. Take a seat.”

She caught the tone, gentle but firm, and complied. “What’s going on?”

“Word is the task force work is about to be put on hold for a while.”

“What?” He had to be joking. They’d been working these leads for months, and they were just now seeing some progress. “You can’t be serious.”

“It’s not coming from me. Word is Gellar is shifting his office’s focus, and part of that is disbanding the team.” He pushed some papers around on his desk, clearly uncomfortable to be having this conversation with her. “Look, I know these cases are personal to you, but—”

“These cases are personal to a lot of people, including the people Gellar is supposed to be representing. What’s the deal? He made his case against his archenemy, Cyrus Gantry, and now he’s done? Gantry’s money laundering is nothing compared to the evil the Vargas brothers engage in every day. Our work is far from over.”

“I hear you, but it’s not my call. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Take a breather. You’re already breaking protocol by working so soon after taking a bullet. Show this reporter and her crew around for a while and then we’ll find you a good case to get involved in. They’re focusing on the Take-Back Initiative, and we’ve already given them a list of people to interview, things to focus on. Just guide them through it, and when the event’s over, you’ll be off the hook.”

The reporter. Lindsey Ryan. She’d known who she was the instant she saw her. Everyone knew who she was. She’d been embedded with several military units over the course of the invasion in Afghanistan and her appearances on
Spotlight America
were well known. To top it off, she made no secrets about her sexuality, which meant she was a poster girl for lesbians everywhere. “Did you pick me for this because she’s a lesbian?”

He looked genuinely surprised at her question. “To tell you the truth, it was a split second decision and I’m giving you the gig because you should be on light duty anyway, and with the task force winding down, you’re the perfect choice. I guess it doesn’t hurt that your tours in Afghanistan give you a connection to Ms. Ryan. Be nice. This piece they’re doing is important to the director. Very important.”

Image control. She got it. In the past year, the agency had taken a hit both in the press and on Capitol Hill when it was discovered that certain agents were using hookers as confidential informants and taking favors in the process. Funding was always in jeopardy, but after Hooker-Gate, getting money from Congress had been next to impossible.

She’d do her part for the good of the division, but she wasn’t going to cozy up to Lindsey Ryan and start swapping war stories. Reporting about war wasn’t the same as actually fighting one. Ryan would tape her candy-ass fluff piece and jet back to New York, and she’d stay here and keep doing the real work that kept folks alive. In the meantime, she’d have to figure out how to keep the task force in operation without anyone knowing. The first step was convincing Diego she had drunk the Kool-Aid.

She stood up. “Okay, I’m in. I’ll deal with Neil Davis and then I’ll call Ryan and get her crew what they need to get started.”

“Thanks, Dale. I owe you one.”

Damn right you do. Dale walked straight from Diego’s office to the room where Peyton’s brother had been since they’d brought him in early in the day. Peyton was waiting outside the door. “He still in there?” Dale asked.

“Yes. I was waiting on you to go in, but I’d about decided you’d ducked out the back door.”

“My disappearance is the least of your worries.” Dale glanced around, but several other agents were wandering the halls, and she’d rather have the talk about the fate of the task force with Peyton in private. “When we’re done here, we need to talk.”

Peyton raised her eyebrows, but to her credit didn’t ask any questions. “Deal.” She motioned to the door. “You ready to start with him?”

A few minutes later, Peyton was seated across the table from her brother and engaged in a silent standoff. Dale could see a definite family resemblance, but where Peyton sat tall and confident, Neil slumped in his chair, and his red eyes and sullen expression signaled defeat. It was hard to take the backseat on any interrogation, but she deferred to Peyton’s position as Neil’s sister and decided to trust her strategy. For now.

“Neil, Mom is worried sick about you.”

“Mom never worried about me a day in her life. How could she? All she ever did was think about her precious Peyton. No matter what the rest of us did to keep the ranch going, you were waiting for the right moment to take it all away from us.”

Dale watched Peyton closely, but she couldn’t detect even a hint of defensiveness in response to his provocative remarks. She remembered Peyton had one other brother, Zach, and she wondered if he was as bitter toward his older sister as Neil.

“I don’t want to take anything from you,” Peyton said, her tone neutral, calm even. “In fact, you’re free to leave here right now if that’s what you want. I only want to talk to you and help you, if I can. Considering the circumstances, I thought you might consider an offer of help after what you’ve been through.”

“You don’t have a clue what I’ve been through.” Neil growled the words.

“Why don’t you tell me? I know the people you’re working with are dangerous, deadly even. You should know that by now since I’m pretty sure you didn’t tie yourself up and risk getting shot by federal agents who’d been tipped off to storm that barn. I can help you, if you let me. Don’t let all the hard work you’ve done on the ranch go to waste.”

“Of course you’d say that since you’re the only one who benefits from all the improvements I’ve made. Does Zach realize he’s never going to own a piece of Circle Six or will you wait to spring that on him until he’s given his life to making your inheritance as valuable as possible?”

Dale shot a look at Peyton who couldn’t quite hide the toll her brother’s words were taking. While she respected Peyton’s desire to handle the interview on her own, she wanted to move it along, especially in light of what Diego had told her about the task force. She pushed away from the wall and stepped between Peyton and her brother. “Like your sister said, you’re free to leave, but you haven’t. What that tells me is you’ve either got something to tell us or you’re just plain scared to show your face on the outside. Why don’t you lose your pride and start talking, otherwise we’re going to kick you out of here and let you fend for yourself with your new friends.”

“If I talk, I die.”

“Wrong. If they think you talk, you die. You walk out of here right now, the Vargases will think you talked whether you did or not. If you tell us what you know, we’ll protect you. If not, you’re on your own. I don’t care who your sister is.”

Neil hung his head, and Dale could tell he was wavering. He’d been off the grid for days, doing who knows what. He’d gotten cash from Cyrus Gantry in exchange for his promise to let Gantry Oil drill on the Davis ranch, but he hadn’t had any money on him when they’d picked him up. She wondered if he’d blown it already. Either way, he seemed desperate, and she planned to take full advantage. She rapped a knuckle on the table. “Tick, tock. We’ve got other people we can talk to, but you better hope none of them point a finger at you.”

He looked up at her, and his expression was a mix of resignation and resentment. “Fine, I’ll talk, but not here.”