Gone Unnoticed: A Kate Reid Novel (The Kate Reid Series Book 3) (24 page)

The sound of people running bellowed inside the room over the audio system. This was it. It was happening now. Kate’s back pulled stiff; her breath nearly stopped altogether.

Still, noises surrounded them inside the room and no one there could do anything more than what they were already doing, which was simply listening to the teams. ASAC Campbell was monitoring the locations of his agents, ensuring he at least knew where they were. One of the other agents was on his headset speaking to state troopers, making them aware of the movements. They were ready and waiting at the roadblocks.

A voice sounded, calling out orders. Kate knew it was Nick. She turned to Georgia, who didn’t appear nearly as nervous as Kate had. But then, Georgia had been through this sort of thing many times before and probably worse. She was the one who had discovered Branson’s group.

Nick began shouting again, this time for Jameson to take his position. The suspects were aware of the raid and gunfire quickly erupted. It was happening so fast, Kate could hardly understand what the agents were saying. Footsteps, yelling, and now loud popping, but Kate had no idea who the voices were coming from. She felt so helpless. At least when she was there the other night, she’d been able to help and knew what was going on. Now it just felt like she was riding a roller coaster in the dark. The voices were hardly discernable; good guys or bad guys, they all sounded virtually the same buried beneath the screams of the victims, the shouting, and the gunshots.

“What’s happening out there?” Kate’s anxiety couldn’t be disguised.

“They’re in control,” Vasquez replied as she monitored the screens.

Who is in control? Us or them?
she thought to herself.

Chaos seemed to reign, but those inside the room, the agents monitoring and coordinating, they appeared to be the ones in control.

“What’s happening out there, people?” ASAC Campbell stepped towards the video screens to view the locations of his team.

Pop! Pop! Pop!
More gunfire sounded.

Kate had almost forgotten to breathe. Her heart was racing and her mind started to replay the events from the other night. As she sat unmoved in the chair next to Vasquez, her hands could almost feel the heat of the gun as the bullet left the chamber and struck Corbett. It had been so chaotic and time seemed to stop when in reality, it had passed with break-neck speed. She swallowed the lump in the throat and rubbed her palms against her pants. Sweat clung to her neck and her stomach began to roll.

Georgia stared at the little dots on the screens, but made no sound. Kate looked to her, knowing that she must feel the same, but in no way did she show it.

The gunfire stopped. Jameson’s voice sounded over the speakers. “He’s down! He’s down!”

Kate whipped her head to Georgia, who remained unmoved, but whose eyes darted between the screens.

“We got ‘em! Suspects down. Move in to secure the victims.”

It was Nick, and Kate’s heart started again.

“We’ve got five victims inside the vehicle and need medical assistance ASAP.”

Vasquez immediately contacted the waiting police and called for an ambulance. “Help is on the way, Agent Scarborough.”

“Are our people accounted for?” ASAC Campbell asked.

“Yes. Safe and accounted for, sir,” Jameson replied. “We got four suspects. They’re all down, but the victims are safe and so is the team.”

A collective sigh of relief spread throughout the room and a few claps sounded. Smiles quickly appeared on the faces of the agents.

“What about the other drops? Are the teams in place?” Nick asked.

“Yes. They’re listening and are aware of what’s happened. They’re ready for the take down. Good work, agents.” Campbell replied.

Nick began ordering the other team members to secure the scene and the sound of ambulances sounded in the distance. It wasn’t over, but Kate was grateful Nick and Dwight were out of danger.

“We got ‘em, Kate. We got ‘em.” The tension in Nick’s voice was gone as his words carried inside the comm. room.

A few voices could be heard in the background, but their words were inaudible, until Nick spoke again. “We’ll clean up this mess and head back to base. Scarborough out.”

ASAC Campbell approached Kate. “You two make a pretty good team, Agent Reid. I’ll be glad to have you working for this office.”

Kate turned to Georgia. “Agents Scarborough and Jameson deserve the credit here, sir and so does the rest of the team.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Kate,” Georgia began. “You helped bring in Corbett. ASAC Campbell is right. You two will make a great team.”

TWENTY-FOUR

I
t was over
. Corbett’s information led to the arrest of seven men and the rescue of almost fifteen women. Mercer was still in federal custody and would face multiple charges of human trafficking. Although no evidence suggested Mercer was involved in trafficking inside of Europe, Inspector Montrose was coordinating efforts with the FBI to continue the investigation on his end because it was believed the ring extended far into Eastern Europe.

James Corbett was also still in federal custody and would get his plea deal. Stan Kovac would be in lock up until his trial, and the Bjuric family, what remained of them, would be going back to Croatia.

Kate insisted she travel back to Richmond with Nick because she wanted to say goodbye to Nicola. There was still a whole lot of bureaucratic red tape to sort through because this case involved several jurisdictions, and so the trip back was necessary in any event.

They didn’t speak much in the car. Kate wondered if Nick was still processing the events from last week. She wouldn’t blame him for it. He’d put his life in danger twice in that week alone. And she began to question his theory that most agents who work in BAU are analysts or hang in the background while the field agents take the glory, although she supposed he was the exception. His work crossed over because he was assigned to the WFO as a BAU operative and coordinator. He did a little bit of everything.

Nick pulled into the parking lot of the police station and Kate noticed Detective Garrett near the entrance.

“Welcome back,” Garrett said. “Glad to see you came through without a scratch.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Nick replied.

Kate spotted Nicola immediately as the young girl sat next to her mother in the lobby. The two were being deported, but as it was considered voluntary, and bearing in mind all that had happened, Immigration would not flag their passports and they would be allowed to return to the United States—someday. But Kate figured that day would likely never come and she wondered what life would be like for Nicola in Croatia. Poor, unskilled, her mother would struggle once again to find work, just as she did in this country.

Nicola noticed Kate and immediately ran towards her, arms extended. The smile on the girl’s face was contagious and Kate greeted her with the same warmth and open arms.

She squeezed the girl and was filled with a sense of joy she’d not felt in a very long time. Nicola was a survivor and she’d been through a terrible thing. Kate understood all too well what it was like to lose someone you loved.

“I don’t want to leave here,” Nicola cried.

Kate only had to bend a little to meet the girl’s eyes. “I know, Nicola, but it’s for the best. There’s nothing here for you, not right now. Maybe when you’re grown…”

“When I’m a grown-up, I’m going to be an FBI agent like you.”

Kate’s eyes started to burn and she smiled at Nicola. “There is no doubt in my mind that you will be whatever you want to be.” She looked up at Nick, who had just approached the two of them.

“I bet you’d make an awesome agent, Nicola.” He smiled at Kate, the first smile she’d seen on him in days. “Just look at your name. Same as mine.” He winked at her. “We’d better get started, Kate.”

Kate pressed up on her toes and returned to standing. She pulled out a business card from her days in San Diego and reached for a pen from the lobby desk. “Here.” She began scribbling on the back of it. “This is my email address and my phone number. You can contact me whenever you want to, you hear me?” She handed Nicola the card.

The girl nodded. “Yes.” She smiled a final time and returned to her mother’s side.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Kate said to Nick and began to approach the mother. “You have an amazing daughter. I wish you both a safe journey home.”

“Thank you, Agent Reid,” the woman replied. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure my Nicola has a good life.”

“I have no doubt, ma’am.”

» » »

The class assembled in the main training room for a briefing on the day before the final exams. Kate began to scan the room and noticed that nearly one-quarter of the agents who’d started with her were now gone. She recalled the speech one of the Supervisory Special Agents delivered at the beginning of the training. That many of the people in the room would not be there by the end and he was right.

Kate doubted how it was that she made it this far. Had Nick not stepped in, she believed she could have been one of the twenty-five percent. But she had worked damn hard too and needed to remember her part in achieving the goal. The grueling physical tests, the tactical training; all of it was something she had doubts about in the beginning, but by the end, had mastered. It wasn’t over, though. The final exams were tomorrow and Friday. She still had to pass and had been hitting the books particularly hard since the case was over. She’d had to regain her focus on the training.

Will had been there to help and she was indebted to him. His friendship, although she’d nearly set it to ruin, had been invaluable. Now he sat next to her, waiting for this final speech from the instructor.

“Those of you who are still here should be proud of your accomplishments. You’ve put in the hours, you’ve practiced, and you’ve learned. But this isn’t over yet.” The instructor started to pace the front of the room. The large screen behind him was on and showed the FBI emblem on a light blue background.

“The next two days will probably be the worst. Your physical and mental strength will once again be put to the test. However, I’m looking at the best of the best and so this should not be a problem for any of you.”

Kate was ready. This was what she wanted. If a shred of doubt remained in her mind, it had vanished when she saw Nicola for the last time. It had been weeks since then, but her memory hadn’t faded; in fact, it propelled her to work even harder.

She was missing Nick, though. He’d been busy wrapping up the investigation and she’d hardly seen him more than a few times in almost a month. And when she had managed a quick lunch with him, he seemed preoccupied. Maybe it was better that way; she needed to do this last part on her own.

“If you pass,” SSA Hawes continued, “then I’ll see you all at graduation. You’re dismissed.”

Almost at once, the remaining NATs took to their feet and shuffled out of the training room. Kate made her way from the aisle with Will trailing behind.

“You heading back to the dorm?” he asked.

Kate looked at her watch. “I think I’ll grab some dinner first at the cafeteria. You hungry?”

“Always.”

“Great. Let’s go eat.”

It appeared as though most everyone had the same idea, as the cafeteria was packed. It was doubtful any of the remaining members in her class would be doing anything else tonight except for studying and getting rest, which was exactly what Kate was planning on doing.

“It’s been a pretty incredible five months.” Will shoved a section of a large cheeseburger into his mouth.

“You could say that.” Kate paused for a moment. “I really wasn’t sure I’d even make it to this point and I know you’ve played a part in my success. Thank you for that, Will.”

“Please.” His mouth still half-full of food. “You did the hard stuff. I was just a shoulder.”

Kate looked down at her food. “But it was more than that, wasn’t it?” They hadn’t once spoken about that night, but Kate felt compelled to explain her behavior because she didn’t want to finish this and say goodbye to him without at least acknowledging that while she hadn’t been ready for it, she didn’t hold him responsible for her actions.

He put his burger down and held her gaze. “Kate, I’m not going to lie to you and say that it didn’t sting a little because it did. I like you. What can I say? But I understand that it is too soon. I get that. That doesn’t mean we can’t continue on as friends and who knows—maybe someday—when you’re ready… but in the meantime, I will always be your friend and when we’re finished here and we go our separate ways, I want you to know that I’m only a phone call away. Hell, I’ll only be an hour’s flight away too.” He smiled. “The last thing I want you to have are regrets about me.”

“I would never…”

Will raised his hand. “I’m just saying. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You needed someone. We all need someone. Give yourself a break, is all.”

“Thanks.” Kate worked to keep the tears at bay because she had regretted it and it would be something she would have to find a way toward forgiveness. But hearing him let her off the hook, well, maybe she needed that.

» » »

“There you are.” Georgia walked into Nick’s office. “I’ve been looking for you for the past twenty minutes.”

As she approached, Nick pressed a button on his keyboard and his monitor flashed to its screen saver. “I must’ve just missed you then, because I’ve been here for the last fifteen minutes. What’s up?”

Georgia walked around his desk and kissed his lips, glancing for just a moment at his computer screen. “I just wanted to know if you felt up to grabbing dinner soon.”

“What? No work?”

“Nope. I’ve got a few consults heading my way, but nothing yet, so I thought it’d be nice to get out of here early tonight.”

“Sure. I could eat.” He turned back to his monitor. “I’ve got a few emails to shoot out first. Can you give me, say, thirty minutes?”

“I can do that. I’ll see you in thirty.”

As she walked out of his office, Jameson approached. “Agent Myers, nice to see you.” He watched her begin to head down the corridor. “Heading home?”

“Not just yet. Waiting for that guy to finish up so we can go eat. Care to join us?”

“Maybe another time. I’m swamped right now,” he replied.

“Okay. Goodnight then.”

“Good night.” Dwight continued in to Nick’s office. “How’d it go?” He pulled out the chair and waited for Nick to reply.

“Not great.”

“Goddamn it, Nick. What the hell are you going to do?”

“Wait, I guess. Nothing else I can do.”

“Look, you know I got your back, right?” Dwight said.

“I do.”

“Whatever that asshole says happened, you did what you needed to do, and any of us would have done the same. They’ll see that and this will all blow over.”

“I sure as hell hope you’re right, man.”

“Did you tell Georgia?”

“No.” Nick turned away and shook his head. “Not until I know for sure what the higher-ups plan on doing. No point in worrying her.”

“Sure. I guess not. And what about Kate? She’s taking her exams tomorrow, right? Does she know?”

“Definitely not. She’s got enough on her plate without worrying about me.”

“This could affect her, though, you know that. Shit goes down the wrong way and they might not keep her here. Might ship her off someplace else.”

“I don’t think so. All the assignments are out.”

“Maybe so, but if they end up laying the blame on you for what happened out there, there’s no telling what else they’ll do.”

“I’m not going to worry about that for now and neither should you. Like you said, I got plenty of people on my side, including you, who saw exactly what went down. I didn’t do anything wrong. They just need to make sure they got all their ducks in a row. That’s all this is.”

Dwight nodded his head. “Okay, man. You’re right. I’ll let you get back to it. I’ve got a few things to wrap up myself before heading out. I’d better call Kate and wish her luck.” He stood up. “You should do the same.”

» » »

Her legs were burning, but Kate pushed on. Only a quarter mile more to go, but she had no idea of how much time she’d had left.
You’ve done this before. Move, goddammit!

The track was still wet from the early rains, but there would be no accommodations for the weather. Some parts of the track had puddled water and she worked to avoid them, which was throwing her off her time. She was more concerned with slipping and falling than running.

The finish line was moving in closer now and she could see it. A few of the other female trainees were ahead of her, but she had no idea how many were behind because Kate refused to look back. Only a few more feet now. Her arms and legs pumped hard; she would not fail this test.
Come on. Come on.

Kate crossed the line and she almost stumbled over her own feet as she came to a stop. Dropping her hands to her knees, she hunched over and pulled in as much air as her lungs would take.

It seemed only moments when the man with the stopwatch approached her. “Time, 11 min., 30 sec. You passed, Reid.”

Kate returned to full height and looked up to the sky, laughing. She’d done it. She’d passed the physical test. It had been a grueling day, but it was over and she made it.

Her exam results were due to be ready by the end of today, including the academics portion. But she would have enough time to get back to her room and get cleaned up.