Border Breach

Hudson nudged him forward. “Go ahead. We’ll follow and get in position.”

Benji shuffled toward the school parking lot.

“This better work,” Kaylin said.

“It’s in God’s hands.”

Not him, too. She patted her weapon. “No, it’s up to us to keep that boy safe.” She couldn’t believe in an invisible God. “Let’s take our places around the corner before the dealer arrives. Benji is counting on us.”

Hudson scowled and gestured for her to take the lead. “After you.”

Why had she just been rude to this man? She knew better than that. Talk of God always put her in a foul mood.

Concentrate. You need to help solve the case to prove to your father you’re worthy of this job. She remembered how Hudson had taken over the previous investigation they worked on together. She would not let that happen again.

They reached the corner of the school and Hudson pulled out his binoculars, focusing them in Benji’s direction.

Kaylin crouched behind a massive flowerpot and peeked out.

Still no sign of the dealer. She checked her watch. It was 6:05 p.m. She tapped her finger on the side of her leg. Patience was never her strongest virtue. “He’s not coming.”

Hudson pointed the binoculars to the left, then right. “Give him time. He’s not that—”

Tires screeched around the corner and a dented Chevy Impala pulled into the school parking lot, burning rubber. The foul smell lingered in the air.

Kaylin wrinkled her nose and adjusted her earpiece. “Here we go.”

A lanky man stepped out of the car and approached Benji.

“Didn’t we just give you some drugs?” His deep voice crackled through Kaylin’s ear.

“I sold it all.” Benji’s broken words revealed his nervousness.

Calm down, kid. You’ve got this.

“That fast? Trying to make employee of the month?”

Benji shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Do you have the goods or not?” His voice steady.

Good save.

Kaylin grabbed Hudson’s binoculars. Her fingers grazed his, tingling from the electricity surging through. What was that? They’d had a moment earlier when they bumped into each other and she caught something in his gaze. Admiration? She had sworn off men, so why the sudden interest in him? Concentrate, Kaylin! You have a job to do.

She studied the suspect. The man slouched over and reached into his car. His shoulder-length curly hair swung forward, hiding his face. He tucked it behind his ear and passed Benji a package, revealing his tattooed arm. He snatched it back, eyes narrowing. “You get it when you give me money. Your rich father footing the bill?”

“That’s none of your business.” Benji pulled out a wad of cash.

The lanky man reached for it.

Hudson pulled out his weapon. “That’s it. Move in.”

Kaylin stood from her position, holding her gun in front of her body.

They rushed around the corner and across the parking lot.

“Stop, police!” Hudson raised his Smith & Wesson. “Turn around and place your hands on the hood.”

The drug dealer dropped the package and grabbed Benji. He pulled out a gun and held it to the boy’s temple. “Don’t come any closer or I swear I’ll shoot.”

Hudson and Kaylin froze in their tracks.

“Give it up, man.” Hudson took a step forward. “You’re surrounded.”

Officers emerged from their stakeout locations and circled the suspect with their weapons raised.

The lanky man squeezed Benji harder. “Is this boy’s life worth the risk?”

“Is yours?” Kaylin hated attitudes like this one. Did he really think he could get away from them? He’d be shot if he fired his weapon.

He pushed the boy aside, raising his hands and gun. “I surrender. It’s not me you want anyway. I’m just a small piece of the big pie.”

Hudson rushed the man and grabbed the Glock out of his hand, stuffing it into the back of his pants. He spun him around and slammed him against the car’s hood. “Who do you work for?” He cuffed him.

“I ain’t saying nothing until I call my lawyer.”

Hudson’s cell phone dinged. He checked his text message, then relayed it to Kaylin. “Finally, a break. We caught the van’s driver from this morning.”

“Excellent. Maybe he can lead us to whoever is behind all this. Too many small fish in the big pond.” Kaylin holstered her weapon.

Hudson shoved the lanky man forward to another officer. “Book him.”

“Yes, sir.” The constable led the suspect away.

Hudson patted Benji on the back. “Great job, man. You held up under the pressure. The authorities will take what you’ve done here into consideration. We’ll drop you off at the station. Your father is waiting.”

Benji’s eyes clouded and his gaze shifted to the pavement.

Kaylin picked up on his actions. Obviously, something about his father unnerved him.

She placed a hand on Benji’s arm. “You okay?”

His gaze snapped to hers. “I’m fine.” His tone was curt.

Did this boy have trouble with his father? She flexed her fingers. Just because you had father issues doesn’t mean everyone does.

The boy slouched his shoulders and headed to the vehicle.

Clearly there was more to his story.

And Kaylin desperately wanted to know. She couldn’t save herself from past heartache, but could she help a troubled teen?

Her cell phone rang and she glanced at the number. Speaking of fathers. She gritted her teeth before answering. “What’s up?”

“Is that how you greet your father?”

“I’m busy, Dad. We’re working on a lead.” Did she have to justify everything to him?

His exaggerated sigh passed through the cell phone. “Listen, there’s been a development.”

“What?”

“I just received a disturbing picture a moment ago. I’m sending it to you now.”

Kaylin held her breath. Him, too?

“I’m pulling you off this case.”

How could she convince him that she needed to stop the drug smugglers? Even if it meant putting her own life in jeopardy. “No, you’re not.”

“Look at the picture, Kaylin. You need to be careful.”

She pulled the phone down to check it out.

It was a picture of her standing with Benji and Hudson at the school. Her face had an X through it with a caption below it.

Stop this task force or your daughter will die.

Hudson scratched on his notepad while waiting for the driver of the florist van to be brought into the interrogation room. He wanted to record what went down at the meet. They couldn’t miss a beat in this investigation. Kaylin sat across from him, checking her cell phone. She had shared the latest picture with him and the conversation she’d had with her father. It seemed they’d stepped on an anthill and now smugglers were exploding onto the scene, targeting the task force. He was more determined than ever to stop them.

They’d dropped Benji off to his father and even though the teen had seemed reluctant to go, his father had insisted they leave right away. He’d also promised to sue the department if his son had any lasting nightmares over this incident. Didn’t seem to matter that Benji had scored a victory with this takedown and would probably get off with just community service. David Rossiter had practically dragged his son down the hall and out the door.

“There’s something about Benji’s father I don’t trust.” Kaylin tossed her cell phone onto the table and stood. “Benji didn’t seem to want to go with him. Did you get that impression, too?”

“Perhaps an overprotective father?”

She shook her head. “There’s more to it. I can sense it.”

How could she possibly know, he wondered. “What makes you say that?”

“The way Benji acted around his father. He’s almost scared of him.”

Hudson ran his hand along the metal table. Its coolness soothed his sweaty fingers. “You think he’ll hurt him or something?”

“I know the signs.” Her eyes darkened.

Instinctively he knew there was a story behind her sullen expression. “How do you know?”

She stood up and paced the tiny room. “I just do.”

Clearly, he wouldn’t get more out of her, but he sure wanted to know what she was hiding.

The door opened, and a guard ushered in the van driver, pushing him into the chair. He cuffed his hands to the metal bar fastened to the table. “No more trouble out of you, mister.” The guard threw a folder in front of Hudson.

“He giving you problems?” Hudson opened the file and glanced at the particulars. Akio Lee, age twenty-six, resident of Toronto. Two arrests for drug trafficking. One for assault with a deadly weapon. Another for attempted rape. A passport picture of another man also lined the inside of the folder. Martin Belliveau.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” He rubbed his reddened cheek. “He’s all yours, Constable.” The guard slammed the door on the way out.

“You taking potshots at the guard, Mr. Lee?” Hudson said.

“Whatever.” The man slouched in his chair.

“Seems you have quite the dossier of crimes.” Hudson handed the file to Kaylin.

She opened it and read it before dropping it on the table. “Where’s your partner, Akio?”

Akio shrugged. “Don’t know. We parted ways.”

Hudson leaned forward. “Right after you torched the van?”

“I know nothing, man. I’m just a driver for a florist.”

Kaylin huffed. “A driver with a list of felonies a mile long.”

“That’s in the past. I’ve changed my ways.”

“Hardly. Tell us what you were transporting into the country. Whatever it was you didn’t want us to find.” Kaylin sat opposite him.

“Flowers.”

Hudson tilted his head. “You can get flowers in Canada. Why were they coming from the US?”

“I don’t know. Something about a rare breed of roses.” He jiggled the cuffs in front of him, clanging against the bar. “You have nothing on me. Let me go.”

Kaylin placed her hands on the table, leaning close to Akio. “Nothing on you? You fired on an officer of the law. Why did you have a picture of me and the police chief?”

“I was only following orders.”

Hudson leaned forward. “By whom?”

“Don’t know.”

Hudson’s chest tightened, his unconscious nephew entering his mind. “How could you not know?”

Silence.

“What about the knife behind your driver’s seat? What were you going to use that for?” Kaylin massaged her forehead. “And stop lying to us.”

“That’s only for opening boxes.”

Hudson lunged out of his chair. “Tell us the truth. What was in that van?” He paused. “If you cooperate, we’ll try to help you.”

“Yeah, right. You’ll put me behind bars and let me rot. I know what a cop’s promise can do.”

“You have experience, I take it?” Kaylin fiddled with the strap on her radio. “Look, we don’t want you. We want your boss. Cooperate with us and we’ll try to get you a plea bargain.”

Could they? Hudson wasn’t so sure. But they’d let him believe that.

Akio bit his lip.

They had him nervous now. Good.

“He’ll kill me,” Akio whispered.

It was the second time they’d heard that today. First the boy and now this man. Both were scared of someone. But who?

Kaylin’s eyes softened. “We can protect you, Mr. Lee. Tell us what you know.”

“My partner did all the dealing with the boss man. I was only supposed to drive the van to and from the States.”

Hudson sat back down and picked up his pen. “What’s your partner’s name?”

“Blaine Ridley.”

He checked the file. “Says here it’s Martin Belliveau.” He shoved the passport picture in front of Akio. “This him?”

“Nope. He obviously used a fake passport.”

How did he get across the border, then? Then he remembered Kaylin mentioning he wore a hoodie, hiding his face from her.

Hudson wrote down the name. “Can you give us a description of him? Any distinguishable features?”

“About six feet. Bushy hair, beard. Zigzag scar under his right eye. Said he got it in a bar fight.”

Not a lot to go on, but Hudson would get a sketch made. “What was the plan for your shipment?”

“We would cross at the Windsor border and pick up the flower order in Detroit, then make our way back with all the correct papers.”

“If you only had flowers, why would we think anything of it? Why pull a gun?” Kaylin scooted her chair closer to the driver, obviously wanting to intimidate him.

He shrugged. His knee bounced as if he was ready to bolt if he could.

“Who are you scared of?” Hudson guessed the man wasn’t telling them everything. His nervousness proved it.

Akio chewed on his fingernails. “He promised he’d kill us if we ever told anyone about him.”

“Do you know who he is?” Kaylin rubbed the back of her neck.

“We only know him as—”

A rumble shook the building.

The lights snapped off, leaving them in pitch darkness.

FOUR

Kaylin flicked on her flashlight as adrenaline coursed through her body. Was this a simple power outage or something more sinister? Her mind raced to the latter. It was too much of a coincidence after everything else that had happened today. Had they found her? Her father’s warning echoed in her mind. She rested her right hand on her holstered weapon. No way would she be caught unaware.

Across from her, Akio’s eyes widened. “What’s going on?”

A crash sounded down the hall, followed by screams.

“He’s found me.” Akio’s whimper didn’t fit with the image of the arrogant van driver he’d portrayed earlier.

Hudson bolted out of his chair, unleashing his gun. “I’ll check it out. Stay here with him.” He rushed out of the room.

Kaylin set the flashlight on the table. “Who do you think has found you? What are you involved in?”

Akio exhaled. “I needed the job, man.”

“What exactly is your job? Drug running across the border? Targeting people?”

His eyes flashed in the beam of light. “No.”

“Why did you torch the van?”

The man’s knee bounced. His obvious nervous tic. “Blaine told me the boss man would get angry if the shipment fell into the police’s hands. Plus, we made sure you saw the pictures as he said we needed to scare you so your father would back off. The boss ordered it. I do what I’m told. Learned that from living in the hood.”

Kaylin certainly related to living among danger. She’d faced it in her short time with the homeless as they defended their territory. Fights broke out frequently and she had done her best to steer clear of them. She shuddered. Thank God for Diane, who’d saved her from that life. Did I just thank God? She wasn’t thinking straight. It was all Diane. God had nothing to do with it. She rubbed her brow and concentrated on the situation in front of her. Enough about her past. She needed to figure out this case quickly and bring down this ring.

Before they got to her or her father.

“Tell me about your boss man. Do you know his name?”

He massaged his neck. “Blaine only referred to him as Valentino.”

“Have you met him?” She wrote the name down.

“No, not many have. All I know is he has men everywhere.” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “You better watch your back. They’re close and watching.”

“How do you know that?” How far did this drug ringleader’s tentacles reach? How many people were involved? The thought of anyone hurting her family or friends sent a jolt of anger through her veins. She had to stop them.

“Blaine is always nervous and said one of them confronted him when he stole money. They roughed him up and said never to cheat Valentino again. That was when he knew they were watching. He’s been paranoid ever since.”

“Where’s Blaine now?”

Akio shrugged. “Don’t know. He ran in one direction and told me to go in the other. That we couldn’t be seen together.”

“Can you get in touch with him? He’s our only hope to finding out more about Valentino and what they’re smuggling.”

“I can give you the address where I picked him up for this run.”

Kaylin slid her notepad and pen across the table. “Write it down.”

Akio scribbled on the paper. “I’ve cooperated, so can you give me a deal?”

“That will be for Constable Steeves to decide. This is his case.”

“What do you—”

The door opened and Hudson entered. “We have to leave. Now.” He unlocked Akio’s cuffs and pulled him up.

Kaylin grabbed her flashlight and stood. “What’s going on?”

“Bomb threat. They’re clearing the building.”

“Where do we go?” Kaylin’s head throbbed, but she ignored it.

“To the nearest OPP station. We’re transporting all our prisoners there. We can finish our interrogations after we’re secured. We still have to question our drug dealer suspect.”

Akio wiggled in Hudson’s vise grip. “How about you give me a deal?”

“You need to provide us with more intel before that can happen,” Hudson said.

“But I gave her lots of info.”

Hudson raised his brow. “Until I’m satisfied, you’ll stay with us.”

“But they’re watching. They probably called in this threat and caused the power outage.” He paused. “They know I’m here.”

“Who?” Hudson said.

“Like I told Officer Poirier, I only know him as Valentino. Blaine told me they’re never far away. You have to let me go, man. I’m not safe with her.” He pointed toward Kaylin.

She dismissed the quiver of fear running down her neck and tucked her notepad into her vest pocket. She understood the man’s concerns. It seemed this ring stretched far and wide. “You’re the safest you can be. We’ll protect you. Cooperate with us.”

“I am! I told you everything.”

“Have you?” She raised a brow.

He cursed and looked at his feet. “Yes.”

Kaylin knew that expression. Either he was too scared to say anything or he was holding back because he was more involved than he let on.

And she intended to find out which.

Hudson pushed him toward the door. “We need to clear the building. We’ve already wasted valuable time.”

Kaylin followed the pair out of the room and down the darkened hall.

An officer ushered their other drug dealer suspect, the lanky man from the high school parking lot, out the front door.

The evening breeze kissed Kaylin’s cheek and she welcomed the fresh night air after a humid day. Officers rushed by, vacating the building, as two shots pierced the night, echoing around them.

Kaylin drew in a sharp breath.

Beside her, Akio fell to the pavement, along with the drug dealer.

Both lay in a pool of blood.

Hudson crouched and whipped out his 9 mm, pointing it in the direction of the shots. They were out in the open and easy targets. A suspicion raced through his mind. Someone must’ve called in a fake bomb threat to get them out of the building so they could take out both suspects. Who were these people and how closely were they being watched?

Akio lay motionless. Taken out by a shot to the forehead. Assassin style. The man had probably died instantly.

Hudson placed himself in front of Kaylin. He needed to protect her from the hidden enemy. He waited for more shots.

But none came.

The shooter had hit the assigned targets. And in so doing, he had killed Hudson’s first big break in this case.

Heat flushed through his body as he pictured Matthew on his hospital bed. Still. Silent. The life sucked out of him. Hudson’s only lead had faded like a weathered photograph while his nephew’s assailant goes free. I can’t fail him, Lord.

The drug dealer they’d arrested in the school parking lot moaned.

Hudson checked the man’s pulse. It was weak. They had to get him to the hospital immediately.

He grimaced and holstered his gun. He had a job to do. “We’re clear. Seems the shooter only wanted these two. Our drug dealer is still alive.” He pulled out his cell phone and called for EMS. He motioned to another officer. “Put pressure on his wound until the paramedics get here. We need this guy alive. He has valuable information in our case.”

The constable obeyed and placed his gloved hands on the lanky man’s chest.

Kaylin put her gun away. “How did these people know we had both men?”

“I don’t know.”

“Akio did say he was being watched. Could it be the same sniper who took shots at us at the border?”

“Probably. Who else would it be?” It was the only active case Hudson was working on at the moment. Was he getting closer?

Hudson eyed the dead witness. What information died with Akio? He knew the driver had held back information, but what? “What did Mr. Lee tell you after I left the room?”

“Gave me the name Valentino as the head of the ring. Also said he didn’t know much, but he gave me an address for Blaine Ridley.”

He glanced at his watch. 8:30 p.m. “Want to check it out?”

Distant sirens sounded.

“It’s getting late and we haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“What? You going to turn into a pumpkin?”

She scowled, taking a wide-legged stance. “Fine, boss. We’ll do as you wish.”

Ouch. What gave him the right to be rude? He rubbed his temples as a migraine hovered in the background. Stress held him in its grip. He obviously hadn’t learned from their past working relationship. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

An ambulance and OPP officers pulled in front of them. Paramedics scrambled out of their vehicle and relieved the officer holding pressure on the suspect. “We’ll take it from here.”

“Jacobs, follow them to the hospital,” Hudson said to one of the constables. “I want a report on his condition later. We still need to question him.”

The officer nodded and raced to his vehicle.

“He won’t be in any condition for your questions, sir. At least until after surgery,” the paramedic said as he hooked the suspect up to a portable IV and sped him away without waiting for further comments.

The coroner arrived moments later to take Akio’s body to the morgue.

Hudson shook his head. What a waste. This young van driver was struck down in his prime. Whatever future he’d had had evaporated. Lord, be with his family as they go through their loss. Not that he knew if he even had one, but someone out there must have loved this poor guy.

“Do you want to quit for the night and start fresh tomorrow morning?” He gestured for more officers to come forward. “These constables will secure the scene and Forensics will soon be here to check for evidence.”

“No way.” She pulled a granola bar from her pocket and held it up. “My go-to nourishment on the job.” She pursed her lips before opening the bar and taking a bite.

Her expression told him he’d annoyed her. He seemed to have a habit of doing that.

He motioned her toward his cruiser and followed her, admiring her from a distance, despite his warnings to himself to keep his eyes averted. Even her uniform couldn’t hide her exquisite features. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t get wrapped up in past thoughts of this woman. He’d sworn off women since Rebecca. No way would he fall that hard again.

He promised his heart he wouldn’t. But sometimes the head and heart didn’t agree.

He opened the passenger-side door for her.

She ignored his gallantry and didn’t look at him when she climbed into the vehicle, her disdain evident. Could he get through the walls she’d obviously built around her?

He slipped into the driver’s seat and started the car. “What address did Akio give you?”

She mumbled it off between bites.

He punched it into his vehicle’s GPS and turned right out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of Blaine’s home. “How did you get into the CBSA?” It was time to lighten the tension between them. After all, her lousy mood was his fault.