Love or Justice (30 page)

“Rick is in charge of the entire Witness Inspectors office. He’s the longest serving Marshal here. He’s the only person who has led that training session in seven years. He looks forward to it every year. He talks about it all the time.” Dante’s voice rose in pitch and speed with every other word. “It can’t be anyone else.”

Bob nodded, looking away, out the windshield, into the distance.

“Dante, I know this is a shock for you, but don’t take it out on your uncle. This is a bloody business. If Rick is the mole, then all of the witnesses here are in danger. Laurie’s life will continue to be in danger until both he and Kaimi are put behind bars. I’m afraid you have to put your feelings about this aside. You have to focus on what we came here to do.”

There was something kind in his father’s eyes that made Dante bite back the response that leapt to his tongue. Dante thought about what he said for a few minutes. He turned to sit forward in his seat, just staring at the pavement in front of them.

“I’m sorry.” Dante glanced at his uncle askance.

“Don’t worry about it kid.” His uncle gave him a faint smile, clapping him on the shoulder. “It’s been a hell of a day.”

Dante nodded agreement. With heavy movements, he turned the key in the ignition and drove back to the motel in complete silence. Dante dissected every word that had come out of Kaimi’s mouth. He thought about Rick, and he began to see everything Rick had ever done in a new light. He thought of Laurie, and he began to wish like hell she was there. She knew how to console him; she would know what to say to ease the blow he’d just received. He looked down the road to see the faint lights of the motel in the distance, but his thoughts were thousands of miles away.

***

Laurie

“Pregnant?” Laurie asked.

The doctor nodded. The doctor was in his late forties, and silver hair was beginning to show at his temples. His smile was genuine, lighting up his green eyes, even though he probably delivered this same news to dozens of women a month. Laurie was less than thrilled to be one of those women.

“Pregnant? How? How could this happen? I’ve been using birth control. I’ve been using it every day since I was seventeen!”

“Birth control isn’t one hundred percent effective.” The doctor gave her a knowing smile.

The man seemed very sweet, kind, and gentle, but right now, Laurie wanted to throttle him.

“But how? Oh God. What am I going to do?” She moaned as she covered her eyes, her head in her hands.

“I know this might not have been expected, but a baby is an indescribable joy.” He patted her shoulder in what he obviously assumed was a reassuring gesture.

Laurie just nodded her head, her shocked expression still etched across her face.

“Now, I’m going to go get you some pamphlets and a referral for an OB/GYN. I’ll send in your mother and friend, so you can tell them the good news yourself.” The doctor hummed his way out of the door, leaving Laurie alone.

She sat on the exam table, huddled in the little white gown, holding her nauseous stomach. Dante was going to kill her. He was going to be so angry. She had forced him to flee Hawaii because of a man who wanted her dead. He lost his job because of her, and now she was pregnant. She had ruined his life—his entire life.

Fat tears coursed down Laurie’s cheeks when Emma opened the door to the exam room. Laurie stared at the wall in shock and horror. She let go of the little white gown she had in a death grip.

“Laurie? What is it, honey? What did the doctor say?” Emma asked, as she and Gabriella rushed into the room.

“I’m…” Her eyes glazed over. “I’m pregnant. Dante’s going to hate me.”

Laurie buried her face in her hands. She heard Emma suck in a breath.

“Pregnant? I’m going to have a grandchild?” Emma’s face broke out into a smile, as she hugged Laurie.

“He’s going to hate me.” Laurie grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake.

“No, no, he won’t, Laurie. My son loves you. He will love this baby too,” Emma crooned into Laurie’s hair.

Laurie doubted that. She looked to Gabriella, who was also beaming at her.

“I know it’s unexpected, but the baby news will make Dante happy.” Gabriella squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll see.”

Laurie took in a deep breath and expelled it slowly. She could only hope they were right. She brushed her tears away. There wasn’t anything she could do now but wait for Dante to come back.

God, how was she going to tell him? How was she going to go back into the Marshals Service’s custody as a pregnant woman? What if she went into labor on the stand? Oh, God. She could feel her blood pressure skyrocketing. She took deep breath, after deep breath, as she climbed off the examining room table and pulled on her clothes. She would just take everything one minute at a time.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dante

Dante crouched in the closet by the fireplace, hardly able to move or breathe. He had modified the closet yesterday, taking out the shelves and the cleaning supplies. They had returned to the safe house earlier in the week, after having gathered all of the details regarding the meeting between Rick and Kaimi.

Once they returned, they began making preparations for the meeting. They had to return every detail to the way it was before they set foot in the house. Rick knew the safe house almost as well as Dante. They couldn’t risk tipping him off before they had a chance to apprehend him.

Dante modified the closet so he could stand in there. By leaving the door cracked a fraction of an inch, he could see who entered the house.

Albert set up recording devices.

Bob made arrangements so they could make a quick exit that night.

They hid early in the evening, in case Rick showed up early. Bob covered the landing upstairs, and Dante’s father was in the pantry in the kitchen. Dante thought about using the safe room, but he wouldn’t be able to watch Rick enter from a protected vantage point. The door was also too wieldy to allow him to attack quickly. No, they all had to be ready for a fight. If not from Rick, then from Kaimi and his men.

Dante’s heart beat in rapid-fire succession, adrenaline rushing through his veins. For the hundredth time, he checked his gun. He ran through his mental checklist of everything that was ready. Then he thought about the plan of attack. He checked his earpiece, making sure Bob and Albert could still hear him clearly. Dante went back to waiting again. He braced himself for what he had to do. It was almost 8:00 p.m. and Rick hadn’t shown himself for the 9:00 p.m. meeting yet.

“Car,” Bob said in his ear.

Dante sucked in a breath as he saw the faint flash of light dance across the living room wall. He steadied himself in the silent darkness of the closet. A few minutes ticked by before he heard the front door open. The kitchen lights flicked on. He heard footsteps, as the informant entered the living room. He flicked on the lights. The Marshal walked into the center of the room, taking a quick look around. As he sank onto the couch, half-facing Dante’s hiding spot, Dante blinked. His eyes went wide in surprise, and then narrow in anger. Small tremors of shock raced from his head to his feet. Ice water swam through his veins.

Cheyn sat on the couch.

Dante’s hand tightened on his gun, his jaw clenching. He watched his prey pull out his cell phone, scrolling through it idly. Attack plan be damned—Dante was furious. He burst out from behind the door, gun drawn, so angry he almost snarled.

“Federal agent! Put your hands in the air!”

Cheyn started and almost fell off the couch before he launched into a standing position. He stared at Dante in disbelief, then shook his head.

“I said put your hands in the air!” Dante took another step closer.

“Dante? How did you? I mean…uh…where have you—” Cheyn’s eyes darted to the exits.

“Save it. I know it was you.”

“Man, I don’t know—” Cheyn said.

“I know you’re here to meet Kaimi. I know you’ve been feeding him information from the start. Don’t deny it.”

Cheyn filled his lungs with air, and just stared back at Dante. His eyes hardened, his face became stony. His arms were still at his sides, with his hands clenched into fists.

“Why? Why did you do this to me?” Dante gritted his teeth.

“I don’t know what you mean, man. You did it, not me.”

“Don’t you dare, you son of a bitch. How can you live with yourself knowing you let me take the blame for what you did?”

Cheyn shook his head.

“That was your fault, not mine. You didn’t have to leave with the girl.”

“What was I supposed to do? Just let Kaimi keep hunting her from house to house? She was under my protection—our protection!”

Cheyn cocked his head to the side.

Dante fought the urge to fire his gun.

“I told you not to get too close to her. I warned you. I tried.” He shrugged.

“You’re a disgrace. You betrayed me. You betrayed the department, and your country! Why? I want to know why!” Dante shook his gun at him.

“You’re not the judge of me,
haole
.”

Dante bared his teeth at the insult.

“We were friends. For years, you and I worked this job, in this house. You BETRAYED me!”

Cheyn raised his hands and arms in a helpless gesture.

“What was I supposed to do, Dante? Do you know how powerful that man is? Kaimi feeds my family. Kaimi feeds my whole family. My brother works at the docks for him. He owns my whole town, man! What was I supposed to do? Give up my entire family for some woman I don’t even know?”

“You got to know her. What about David and Max? Were they expendable too?”

Cheyn’s hands dropped like stone. He spread his legs wider. Every muscle in Cheyn’s body began to pulse with tension. Dante steadied himself. His anger waned, allowing him to focus on the task at hand, as he readjusted his aim toward Cheyn’s chest.

“It wasn’t supposed to go down like that! I let them in, to sneak upstairs to Laurie. Max came back from the gear check too fast. It all just exploded. It wasn’t supposed to go down like that!”

“It wouldn’t have gone down like that if you had just come to me in the first place! You didn’t need to be on this assignment. You could have just stayed the hell out of it.”

“That would kill my family. If she goes into that courtroom, and Kaimi goes to jail, my family starves. I can’t let that happen.” Cheyn tapped his chest.

“They can find other jobs, for God’s sake Cheyn!”

“That’s enough, son,” Albert said gently in Dante’s ear. “Bring him in.”

Dante took a deep breath. He took a step toward Cheyn.

Cheyn stared back at him, but he didn’t move a muscle.

“It’s over Cheyn. I’m taking you in.”

“They’ll just arrest you, man.” Cheyn gave him a sly smile. “They think you’re the mole. You’re the killer. You did that to yourself, bossman.”

“This is all being recorded.” Dante shook his head.

Cheyn’s smile disappeared, as his eyes floated up to the camera above Dante’s head, mounted to the wall. Cheyn’s hand dangled above his gun, his fingers twitching.

“I can’t let you do that, Dante. You’re not bringing me in.”

“Don’t do this, Cheyn. It’s over. It’s time to turn yourself in.”

“No, sir. I’m not going to jail with all of the criminals I’ve helped put away. Either you bring in my body or you don’t bring in anything at all.”

“Cheyn—don’t!” Dante screamed.

Cheyn reached for his gun. He gave Dante no choice. Dante fired before Cheyn even had his gun out of his holster. His shot hit Cheyn square in the chest. A second shot from Bob’s perch above, pierced Cheyn from the back and he lurched forward, falling onto the floor on his knees. Dante rushed forward. He wrestled away Cheyn’s gun—flinging it to the side.

Dante grabbed Cheyn’s shoulders. Cheyn looked up at him, confusion and terror flashed across his face.

“My family,” he choked out.

Dante helped Cheyn lay down on the floor. He applied pressure to the wound, which poured out blood. Cheyn coughed, and blood drained out the side of his mouth, painting his lips in burgundy. Cheyn clutched at Dante’s forearm, and Dante looked down into his dark eyes.

“I’ll take care of them. I’ll call them when we get you to a hospital. Bob, Dad? Call 911!”

Cheyn shook his head and gripped Dante’s arm tighter. He tried to speak, but then his eyes rolled. He gasped in pain. Dante fought the panic rising in his chest. He took his best friends hand, pressing it to his heart. Dante felt the tears burning at the back of his eyes. It took a few minutes for Cheyn’s vision to refocus on Dante.

“He knows. He knows.” Cheyn gripped his shoulder.

“Just hang in there, okay? Don’t talk. We’ll get you to a hospital. You’ll be fine.”

“Listen! He knows you…went to your dad.” Cheyn gasped for air.

“What? No, no, no,” moaned Dante. “Don’t do this. Christ!”

Cheyn looked up into his eyes, and Dante saw the sheer terror there. Cheyn gasped for air. His eyes wandered up and down Dante’s face. Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Cheyn’s body gave a shudder. Dante clung to his hand.

“Cheyn! Cheyn! Don’t.”

The light behind Cheyn’s eyes flickered and died. His body went slack, and he sank into the blood soaked carpet beneath him.

Dante knelt, just breathing for a while. He hardly noticed his father and uncle standing over him. He stared at Cheyn’s lifeless expression. He felt sick to his stomach. Then anger welled up in him, bubbling over. He slammed his fist into the carpet several times.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” he screamed. “God damn it!”

He pushed himself off the carpet to walk to the windows. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass, but it didn’t quench his anger.

“You had to shoot, Dante. He went for his gun.” Bob spoke softly.

“Well, why the hell did he have to do that?” Dante turned on his uncle. “I mean why?”

“We don’t have time for this now, son. Kaimi will be here any minute. We have to move the body and get back into our places.” Albert gestured to Cheyn’s body.

Dante turned his heated gaze on his father.

His father looked back at him with sternness, but there was a hint of sympathy there. His father reached out, gripping Dante’s shoulder.

There was no time. Dante knew it, and he hated it.

“I’m sorry. But you have to grieve for your friend later.” Albert gave him a little shake.

Dante turned away. He hit the wall with his open palm. Kaimi was the true target. He beat back his anger, promising himself to take it out on Kaimi. Dante walked over to the safe room door, unlatched it, and shoved it to the side. When he turned, his father and uncle lifted Cheyn’s body, carrying it over into the safe room. Dante locked the door again. Then he picked up a blanket from the couch and dropped it on the floor to cover the fresh bloodstain.

“Remember the plan.” Albert gave a pointed look to Dante. “Wait until they’re all in the living room. Take out the guards first, but spare Kaimi.”

Dante nodded, just as the flash of lights from outside alerted them to Kaimi’s arrival. They dashed to their hiding places as the front door opened.

Kaimi and three bodyguards entered. Dante heard their footsteps as they walked from the kitchen to the living room.

Dante saw the four men stop in the center of the room and look around. The bodyguards dwarfed Kaimi, but he had a more commanding, self-assured presence. His salt and pepper hair was disheveled, and his moustache was pure silver. It gave Dante a moment’s pleasure that he looked more haggard than his last photograph. He wore a sleek, grey suit with pinstripes and an ivory handkerchief tucked in the pocket, but the suit was baggy, bunching around the waist in unflattering pleats.

Kaimi’s bodyguards were massive men. The one on Dante’s left was bald, with a baby face, and a large gut. His nose wrinkled, as he surveyed the damage to the room from the firefight months ago. The bodyguard beside Kaimi was an islander, beefy but fit. He had long black hair down to his shoulders, which were hunched over the rest of his body. The third bodyguard was shorter than the other two. He had a buzz cut, with dark hair. He looked ex-military to Dante, perhaps a former Marine for hire. He was fit, trim, and suspicious of the circumstances. His hand rested on his gun, as he surveyed the room.

“Mr. Apao?” Kaimi inquired. “I don’t have all day to wait.”

“Maybe he’s taking a leak,” the bald bodyguard suggested. The other two chuckled in response, but Kaimi glowered at him.

Now
, Dante thought as the third bodyguard spotted the camera he and his father had mounted.

“Federal agents,” Dante shouted as he burst from the closet.

The third bodyguard was fast to fire, but he failed to take aim first. He grazed Dante’s leg.

Dante cried out as he returned fire. He hit the bodyguard dead center in the forehead. The rest of the men all scattered. Above Dante’s head, Bob fired down on the bodyguards, hitting one in the arm as he dived behind the couch.

Albert traded bullets with Kaimi’s second bodyguard from the cover of the fireplace wall. Kaimi succeeded in yanking open the patio door, dodging Bob’s gunfire as he ran into the night. A taste for blood surged through Dante as he watched Kaimi leave. He bore down on his pain and lunged out the door after him.

Dante felt the cool Hawaiian breeze hit his sweat-dampened skin. Dante heard Kaimi running to his right, and he ran after him. Kaimi heard Dante behind him. He fired off two quick rounds. They went wide, hitting nothing but grass. Kaimi made it to the tree line, barreling into the forest. Dante dived in after him.