Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
“You really do take me to all the best places, Jane,” Sullivan said by way of greeting.
At eight o’clock at night in January, darkness blanketed the city. A pale moon gave little light, adding to the mystery of a gentle rolling fog creeping over the ground below.
“Hey, you picked the place.” The terminal had decent foot traffic as the ferry continued to bustle people back and forth to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton from the city until well after midnight.
“Well, I might have a date on the island.”
“On a school night?” Jane teased.
Sullivan laughed. “Yeah. I’ve been seeing this guy for a few weeks. It’s nice. But I’ll be staying over at my aunt’s. I’ll be sleeping at her place, not his, since you’re too shy to ask.”
“And because I don’t care.”
“I’m hurt.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jane liked Sullivan. Finding a female friend, of which she didn’t have many, who both understood and appreciated what she did wasn’t easy. Sullivan lived the life and had a sense of humor about it. Jane liked that.
“So why are we here gossiping like old ladies? And why shouldn’t I have brought Rob?”
Jane frowned. “I didn’t say you couldn’t bring him.”
“Oh. I kind of thought this was hush-hush.”
“It is. But Williams is okay. Isn’t he?”
Sullivan nodded. “Right. Well, maybe I held back because I didn’t want to him to know about my date. He’s a little…”
“Into you?” Jane said wryly. Everyone knew about Williams’ crush on his fellow agent.
“Yeah.” Sullivan sighed. “I don’t want to make him feel bad.” She shivered in her coat. “But whatever. Tell me why we’re here talking about Jon Haversham and some serial killer you’re looking into.”
Jane stilled. “How did you know about the serial killer?”
“Code Blue?” Sullivan snorted. “Creative name there.”
“I didn’t name him.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a hot topic at the office.”
“But who told you?”
“I forget. But rumor has it they brought in some new hotshot to handle the task force. Then Matthew mentioned your date, and I put two and two together.”
“You didn’t believe I was dating the hotshot?”
“No. Because if you were, you’d never go someplace where tons of government employees hang out. You’d go somewhere private for snuggles with Gunther Rapp.” Sullivan gave her a sly grin. “Are you working that angle? If so, go, Jane.”
“Shut up.”
Sullivan laughed. “Okay, sorry. You wanted me here. Talk.”
“Haversham. He’s good friends with Matthew.”
Sullivan nodded. “What’s the big deal? We all know Matthew’s headed on to bigger and better things.
All those family connections and money. I do understand why he’s been working so hard to close this case with Simmons.
A DEA fella dying under his watch isn’t good.
” She paused. “But honestly, I think he actually cares about Dan. He sounded broken up about it.”
“Because he’s guilty?”
“I don’t know. But I do know he spoke to Dan’s boss. He told Haversham it was one of the worst conversations he’d ever had. As in, a true tragedy.”
Jane had her doubts about Scott’s sincerity. “Right. But back to Haversham. When you worked in Las Vegas, do you remember cases involving the Kaminski family? Or maybe a big organ theft ring?”
“The Kaminskis? No. But the organ theft thing was huge. You don’t remember the Harvesters case?”
“No, but I’ve been reading about it.”
“Yep. It made big news before they hushed it up. Some creepy doctors arranged to make a ton of money selling organs on the black market. Turned out they had contacts throughout the states and overseas. They’d get orders for organs, kidnap and kill donors, taking whatever they wanted.
I think there were close to a dozen people involved. ”
“Ten, and Haversham was on the case.”
She nodded. “He co-headed it. But that was four or five years ago, right?”
“Yes.” Jane’s mind whirred. “You’re sure you never heard the name Kaminski?”
“Before coming to Seattle? I’ve heard it more than a few times here, but they’re nowhere near to taking on the Mazzucas.
They have no real firepower. And calling them a crime family or organization is an insult to families and organizations everywhere.
” She chuckled. “But I do know some interesting intel on Haversham, if you’re interested.
Though Rob could probably tell you more.
He—” The sound of firecrackers distracted them. “What the heck is that?”
More noise, and cement chipped at their feet.
Sullivan and Jane dropped.
Gunfire.
Near them, people scattered and screamed.
Jane swore. “Those aren’t firecrackers.”
“Where are the shots coming from?”
Something struck the ground to the right of Jane, hitting the edge of the platform close by. She peered over the ledge to see one shooter, holding a rifle aimed at her, standing between small cars in line for the ferry.
“Down below—” Sullivan swore as a round struck between her and Jane. “And over there!” She nodded to two people, a man and a woman, firing pistols from the building some twenty or so yards away. Sullivan pulled out her weapon.
“They’re aiming at us. We need to move.” Jane also wanted to get the gawkers and civilians standing around to safety. “Get to safety!” she yelled at the people staring at them with blank expressions.
She and Sullivan darted away, running for the stairwell for some cover while shots continued to explode around them. Sullivan couldn’t return fire because too many people ran between her and the shooters.
Sirens screamed, growing closer.
Below, a loud exchange of gunfire filled the air, likely from the Washington State Troopers who’d been checking on the vehicles boarding the ferry.
“Drop your weapons,” she heard someone yell.
Sullivan grabbed a nearby crying woman who stood frozen in fear. She nudged her toward the stairs and fired back.
Jane tackled a young man just before a bullet drilled into the post behind him. “Head down and away,” she told him, watching him crawl away in terror down the stairs.
The rest of the civilians had scattered. The shooting ceased, the gunmen nowhere to be found. So she turned to check on Sullivan.
And found her friend bleeding on the ground.