Chapter 2
Di mentally kicked herself for not anticipating the gunman would set up outside her apartment to wait for her.
Pressing her back against the brick wall, she stayed low, pulled her weapon, and scanned the area, searching for him.
She heard Jarek calling for backup and wished again that she’d insisted on heading home alone.
She didn’t want to drag Jarek or anyone else down with her. Especially not a cop who would insist on working within the confines of the law. Not that she didn’t appreciate the need for laws, but she preferred working on her own. It was one of the reasons she’d confronted the guy following her.
And the reason his disposable cell phone was burning a hole in her pocket.
“Do you see him?” Jarek called.
“Negative.” With the bright summer sunlight beating down on them, it was difficult to see anything useful. Her instincts told her the guy was positioned to the east, but she couldn’t be more specific.
“The shooter knows where you live?” Jarek asked.
She bit back a sarcastic reply. It was her fault she hadn’t mentioned that she’d picked up the tail shortly after leaving her apartment.
“Yeah, that means he knows far more about me than I do about him.” Again, her thoughts went back to her troubled past. It didn’t make any sense for something that happened eighteen years ago to have resurfaced now.
Yet she needed to call her sister, Michelle, to make sure she took precautions. Just in case.
The whine of police sirens filled the air for the second time in an hour. She couldn’t blame Jarek for calling backup, yet she didn’t want to be forced into providing yet another statement.
Clearly, things were escalating fast. The sooner she figured out who was behind these attacks, the better.
Staying low, Jarek rounded the front of the squad, then quickly covered the distance between the street and the building. His blue eyes bored intently into hers. “You’re not hit?”
“Nope. Guess the guy isn’t that good.” Her attempt at humor was lost on him. His scowl only deepened.
“We need to get you into a safe house,” he said. “If this is the work of the K2 Bloods gang, then you won’t be safe until we have their new leader in custody.”
“I can go off-grid on my own,” she said. “I don’t need a safe house.”
His scowl deepened, but then his gaze was diverted by the oncoming squads. Two units came to rest on either side of Jarek’s vehicle, essentially blocking the street.
Di was convinced the shooter was long gone, but she didn’t rise to her feet until the officers emerged from their respective cars. Jarek stood, then offered his hand.
It was a nice gesture, one he’d have no doubt done for a fellow officer, so she allowed him to pull her upright. Then she released him and turned her gaze to the east, scanning the buildings across the street for a possible hiding spot.
Her gaze narrowed on a window that was open on the third floor of the building across the street and down a block.
That it was the only open window was one reason she’d focused on that as a likely location.
That and the angle was such that the shooter would have had a clear shot at anyone approaching the front door of the building.
How he’d missed was a mystery, although she was grateful he had.
“There.” She gestured to the window. “Tell your guys to check it out.”
“Open window, third floor,” Jarek said. “Go!”
Two officers peeled away from the scene, sprinting toward the building.
Again, she was convinced the shooter was already in the wind, but she hoped he’d left evidence behind.
A guy who could miss at this distance didn’t scream professional.
Yet at the same time, the dead man’s lack of ID, cash, or anything other than the cell phone indicated these guys were better than most.
Better than your average gangbangers, in her humble opinion.
The two attempts to kill her weren’t typical of how gangs struck out at their enemies. For one thing, the gangs wanted their rival to know who’d done the hit. They took great pleasure in eliminating their competition.
Could Terance Warren have hired someone to go after her? Maybe.
It didn’t take long for one of the officers to appear in the open window. He shook his head, then ducked back inside. She took that to mean there wasn’t anything obvious like a shell casing or footprint left behind.
The crime scene techs could sweep for trace evidence. It was a warm June day, and the shooter may have left droplets of sweat behind. But she knew DNA took time to process, and she doubted Jarek and his fellow officers had the kind of pull needed to move the sample to the front of the line.
“Have you spoken to Grayson about this?” Jarek’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Does he know your previous case has put you in the line of fire?”
“Not yet.” She swallowed a sigh, imagining Rex’s response. “But I will.”
“Do it now,” Jarek said firmly. “And you need to rethink your idea of staying in the area. Go stay with Rex in Chicago. We’ll work the case from our side.”
“I’m not leaving.” She pulled out her cell phone, but the call she made wasn’t to Rex. It was to her sister.
“Dina? What’s wrong?” Michelle asked. “You never call in the middle of the day.”
“Yeah, sorry about that, but there’s been an incident.” She hated worrying her sister, but Michelle’s safety had to come first. “Have you noticed anything unusual?”
“No, but if you’re worried, then I’m terrified,” her sister admitted. “Nothing scares you. What happened?”
“Someone took a shot at me, but I’m fine. He missed.” Twice, but she didn’t see the point of mentioning that. “I think you, William, and the kids should get out of town for a few days. Just in case.”
There was a long moment of silence. “What are you saying? This is related to our past?”
“No, it’s probably related to one of my cases, but I just want you, William, and the kids to be safe.
It’s summer, right? Take a small vacation.
A week should do it.” If Di didn’t have answers by the end of the week, she’d need to switch tactics.
“Please, Michelle. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. ”
“Okay, I’ll call Will and see what he can arrange. But I want you to let me know what you find out, Dina.”
She could feel Jarek’s intense gaze as he blatantly listened to her side of the conversation. She imagined her relief at her sister’s agreeing to get away was evident on her face, but that couldn’t be helped. “I promise to keep you updated. Thanks, Michelle.”
“Be careful,” Michelle said. “Emily and Noah need their Auntie Dina.” A pause, then she added, “And so do I.”
“I can take care of myself,” Di assured her. “Let me know when you’re settled, okay?”
“Okay. Be safe.” With that, her sister ended the call.
“It’s nice you sent your sister to be safe.” Jarek arched a brow. “Not sure why you won’t do the same.”
“I told you. I need to find this guy.” She glanced over as the two cops who’d gone into the building across the street returned.
“We think that’s where the shooter was. It’s an empty apartment, and the door was forced open,” the officer said. “But I didn’t see anything inside that could be used to identify him.”
“He was smart enough to pick up his brass,” the other cop chimed in. “And he must have wiped the place down on his way out. I didn’t even see a footprint in the dust.”
“I still want the crime scene techs to go through the apartment,” Jarek said. “They should be finished with the other crime scene by now.”
“I’ll call them.” The first officer took a step back, lifting a hand to his radio.
Di turned toward Jarek. “You saw as much as I did. I don’t see a reason to provide another statement.”
His jaw clenched, but then he nodded. “Fine. But let’s go up to your apartment. I want to make sure there are no other surprises waiting for you.”
She wanted to argue but sensed it was fruitless. She couldn’t really prevent Jarek from following her inside. Without saying anything, she turned and opened the front door, keenly aware of the lack of security. In her defense, she was a trained soldier. And she was always armed.
To his credit, Jarek didn’t point out the obvious as he followed her up the stairs to the third floor.
She ran five miles every morning to stay in shape, and it appeared he took his physical conditioning to heart too.
He kept pace without a problem, and she sensed he’d have beaten her up the two flights in a race.
At her apartment, she used her key to unlock the door. Jarek stood on one side, leaving her positioned at the other as she pulled her weapon and pushed the door open, then waited a beat for anyone who may have gotten inside to show themselves.
There was nothing but silence. She led the way inside, sweeping the room with her gun as she scanned the area.
Jarek followed close behind her, no doubt also advancing with his weapon held ready.
She was a neat freak by nature, so there wasn’t a single item out of place as she continued through to the single bedroom and bathroom.
“Clear,” she announced.
“Clear,” Jarek echoed.
She returned to the main living space, acutely aware of the sparse furnishings. Her twelve-plus years in the army had convinced her she didn’t need a lot of stuff. Her only personal item was her sister’s family portrait.
“Pack a bag,” Jarek said curtly. “I’ll give you a lift out of here.”
She bristled. “I plan to leave, but I don’t need a ride.”
He sighed loudly. “Honestly, Di, what is your problem with accepting help? If this guy has your address, he likely knows your vehicle license plate. You need to rent a car or hop a train. Either way, it’s too far to walk.”
He was right, but she didn’t have to like it. If she were honest, if any of her other teammates were there offering a ride, she’d have accepted without blinking an eye. It was Jarek who put her on edge. Mostly because he was a cop.