Chapter 25
Raiden
My gut is twisted with worry as I dash across the courthouse parking lot.
I’m beyond late, and the thought of Andi having to face her ex without me by her side is doing something catastrophic to my mental state.
I promised her I’d be there, and despite knowing she’s strong enough to stand on her own, she shouldn’t have to be.
I push my way through a sea of journalists and protestors, their scribbled signs of support held high above their heads as they demand justice for Tobias’ victims. A hint of a smile graces my lips, proud to see this community coming together after being under a microscope these past few weeks.
Chaplain’s good deeds will forever be tarnished by the evil that Veritas has inflicted on this city, the entire world questioning how a cult could go unnoticed for so long by the residents they often interacted with.
It’s easy to pass judgment when you’re on the outside looking in, but this entire fabrication was so intricately woven by expert manipulators.
It’s going to take years to undo the damage they’ve done to our reputation as a people, though it pales in comparison to what their victims will have to overcome.
I take the weathered brick steps two at a time, eager to get my eyes on Andi.
There’s a line of people waiting their turn to walk through the metal detector, so I slip my badge out and flash it in the general direction of the security guard on duty.
He’s vaguely familiar, but he steps aside, scanning my credentials thoroughly before waving me forward.
I’ve barely moved when I hear the unmistakable sound of a gun going off.
Twice. For the briefest moment, my body seizes and years’ worth of training falls to the wayside as my heart freefalls.
Andi.
I take off at a sprint, my mind still trying to make sense of what’s happening but failing to land on anything remotely plausible.
I’ve heard that sound a million times, even found comfort in the steady thud of my bullet finding its mark at the range.
But here, in this setting? It’s akin to nails on a chalkboard.
Wrong. So very fucking wrong. All too soon, active shooter protocols are initiated—as they should be—and I’m barred from exiting the lobby.
People are fleeing en masse, desperate to get as far away from the danger as possible, but I’m running towards it.
Or fucking trying to, if the rent-a-cop guarding the main corridor wasn’t blocking my way, his hand shaking with fear as he listens to what’s being relayed on his radio.
The sound of sirens filters through the open entrance doors, and I spin on my heel, changing tactics as the cavalry nears.
“Move aside!” I order, shouldering past the panicked workers as I head towards the parking lot.
It’s mayhem, security slinking around the building like some wannabe badasses, people rushing to their cars, phones pressed to their ears as they unknowingly spread fragmented information that will likely result in mass hysteria.
“Raiden!” I turn at the sound of my name being shouted, surprised to find Dayton and Colsen rushing towards me.
“What the fuck is going on?” They both speak at once, eyes wide with fear and casting worried glances at every person who passes, searching for Andi as the building begins evacuation measures.
“Gunshots,” I answer bluntly, wishing I had more information to pass along.
“Stay here; I’m going to speak with Chief O’Connor.
I’ll fill you in as soon as I know something.
” I don’t wait for their reply, jogging off in search of the one person who can circumvent the rules and get me inside.
I spot him instantly, his gruff exterior appearing even harder in the face of such dire circumstances.
“O’Connor,” I cut in, ignoring the officer he’s mid-conversation with. “I need in there. Now.”
“Well, far be it from me to intervene with your one-man rescue crew,” he huffs in agitation. “We’ll just bend the laws to suit your needs.”
“Andi’s here. In case you’ve forgotten, Tobias had a hearing this morning. I haven’t seen her exit,” I grit out, my throat growing tight.
“Shit,” he swears under his breath. “Alright, let’s go. But if you fly off the rails and start acting foolish, you’ll be gone faster than a toupee in a hurricane.” I ignore his stupid idiom, keeping pace as I force my nerves to calm.
She’s okay. She has to be.
I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for what’s happened here today; we just need to get to the bottom of it.
O’Connor stops to speak with a guard, but I’m too amped up to stay idle.
I scan the loitering groups of bystanders, but Andi is noticeably absent.
Those captivating eyes would give her away in a second.
O’Connor motions me over, and we continue our journey up the courthouse steps, bypassing the news reporters who couldn’t be more thrilled with today’s turn of events. They rarely get a two-for-one special.
“I need you to keep a level head, Cortés.” Chief pins me with a look I can’t quite decipher, my hackles rising the longer he drags this out.
“It was Stillwater’s hearing. Two are dead.
” My head fills with static as I stumble back a step.
Two. I shove past him, ignoring his commands as I struggle to find my balance.
Between the exertion and my heart valiantly trying to beat through my fucking chest cavity, I can hardly drag in a breath by the time I reach the designated courtroom.
I can hear the others hot on my tail, but I keep picturing Andi’s lifeless body, the need to find her propelling me into motion.
My dramatic arrival startles the guard manning the double doors, his hand twitching for a gun that’s no longer holstered to his hip.
I have just enough common sense to flash my badge, not bothering to pause for him to catch more than a glimpse of it.
His protest falls on deaf ears, my adrenaline heightened by the cacophony of sounds that greet me.
I’ve barely made it through the door when I jerk to a halt, my eyes refusing to believe what I’m seeing—Seth, sprawled across the outdated carpet, a self-inflicted gunshot wound beneath his chin, blood and brain matter sprayed across the back wall morbidly.
I double over, my breaths sawing in and out of me painfully.
What the fuck did you do, Seth?
O’Connor finally catches up to me, placing his hand on my back in a show of comfort.
I turn away, refusing to look at the dead man that’s become an unlikely friend.
It doesn’t seem real that he’s no longer among the living, and as much as I want to discredit the possibility of him making such a permanent decision, it wasn’t a secret that he was struggling.
There were signs, but I never imagined it would come to this.
And then I remember there’s another victim…
“Who else?” I force myself to ask the question, breathing through the nausea threatening to overwhelm me.
“Stillwater,” O’Connor answers, shocking the hell out of me.
I spin to face him, certain I misunderstood.
“Taylor lifted the pistol off a guard, and before anyone could intervene, he shot Tobias, then turned the gun on himself.” His explanation makes my head spin.
I’m thrilled to hear that evil prick is no longer breathing the same air as Andi, but not at Seth’s expense–a life for a life.
“I need to find Andi,” I comment distractedly, scanning the room for any sign of her. The only people present are city officials and law enforcement.
“They’ve still got a few witnesses being held in the judge’s chambers.
I’d start there,” O’Connor responds, the words barely registering before my feet are moving.
Admittedly, I take a moment to gaze at Tobias’ corpse, a perfectly centered bullet hole marring his forehead.
If it weren’t for the gravity of the situation and the loss of Seth overshadowing any joy I feel, I’d throw a fucking party.
I shift my focus, knowing this has to be doing a number on Andi.
Ten more feet and I’m pushing through a small corridor that leads to the private room.
My eyes find hers instantly, those two-toned orbs bloodshot and filled with tears.
She pulls away from Briggs, the bastard’s obvious reluctance to let her go grating against my patience, then rushes towards me as a broken sob spills out of her.
The second we collide, my heart rate starts to slow, the panic dominating my thoughts dissipating as my arms wind around her.
“I’m so sorry, minha luz. I should’ve been here,” I murmur, pressing my lips to her temple, breathing in the scent of her and letting it soothe my anxiety.
“He’s gone, Raiden. Seth is gone,” she hiccups, her pain manifesting into something palpable that causes my chest to physically ache. I’d give anything to take away the hurt she’s feeling.
“Let’s get you out of here.” I nod at Briggs, gesturing towards the secondary exit that should allow us to slip away unseen.
“Cortés,” O’Connor calls out, putting a kink in my plan to escape.
I sigh and turn to face him, dreading the interaction before it’s even begun.
“She has to be questioned. Given her close relationship with Taylor, we’ll need to figure out what she knew, or if she knew anything at all.
” My jaw ticks, cycling through the information my brain has retained, grasping for the smallest loophole that would get Andi as far from this as possible.
“Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.
Take her to the precinct and wait for me specifically.
I’ll do the honors myself.” It’s a small kindness, knowing he’ll get us in and out as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t appease my irritation completely.
“Fine. Make it quick.” O’Connor grunts, his brow arching at my demand.