30. Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Patience: what you have when there are too many witnesses.
Chance didn’t like any of this, but he especially didn’t like that the Feds were now involved. Sitting on the opened back hatch of an SUV, he kept his arm around Berlin’s shoulders. They’d been given blankets, but he didn’t think they were helping much against the mud and rain that had to have soaked her through to the bone.
Adalyn strode over then with the woman he’d officially met when she’d touched down in an FBI helicopter in a clearing not too far from here, Special Agent Hazel Blake. Her jet-black hair was pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, a wide brimmed hat keeping most of the now drizzling rain off her face.
“This is a giant mess,” Adalyn murmured, her jaw tight. “Wish I’d known how many dead bodies were on the ground.”
“Or you wouldn’t have called me?” Special Agent Blake raised dark eyebrows as she glanced at Adalyn.
“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t going to say it out loud.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got this…contained.”
Chance hadn’t said much and neither had Berlin, on Adalyn’s orders when she’d arrived in a blaze of glory on that chopper.
“Please explain to me how, because that isn’t going to disappear.” Adalyn jerked her thumb at the bagged bodies lined up next to a big van with the back doors open.
The agent’s expression was relatively neutral as she sighed, but then she looked at Chance. “Like I said, as of right now this is contained to a small group of agents. I trust everyone here. I’ve also looped in exactly two DEA agents, both of whom I trust.”
“Commander Levine one of them?” Adalyn interjected.
Hazel nodded, then looked back at Chance. “You’re going to be questioned, and I suggest you get a lawyer. That said, your brother is likely going to be put into WITSEC, along with Nicola Abelev.”
“That’s her real name?” Berlin asked.
“Apparently,” the special agent murmured. “And she wasn’t lying to you, she really did work with the Acton brothers. I’m pretty sure she was trafficked herself once upon a time, but either way she seems to know a lot of shit about them and she’s willing to talk. She’s got names, locations, a whole lot of dirt. She’s already given up really great information and said there’s more for us if we put her in WITSEC.”
“Well that’s good,” Berlin said, her expression unreadable.
“We’re going to bring down a huge operation and cut a big hole in drug and human trafficking from Texas to Georgia. I know some monster will eventually fill the void, but for right now, this will hurt the Becerra cartel. Which brings me to the next topic… I’m going to work it so that your names stay out of this. Or I’m going to try. I honestly don’t know if it’ll be possible, but I’m going to do everything in my power to keep your names out of this. After what you guys did in Montana,” she said, looking pointedly at Adalyn, “Levine has no problem with that.”
Chance had no idea what they were referring to and didn’t actually care. His only concern was Enzo and Berlin. “Look, I just want to talk to my brother, and then I really want Berlin to get a shower and dry clothes. She’s shivering and the blanket you gave her is shit. She’s exhausted and everything else can wait until she gets dry.”
Both women blinked at him, but the special agent’s mouth quirked up slightly. “All right then, I can do all of that. Come on, let’s go talk to your brother.”
Chance squeezed Berlin’s shoulders once before he strode off with the agent, who took him to where Enzo was sitting on the back of another dark, unmarked SUV.
Enzo slid off as soon as he saw him and Chance’s throat tightened when his brother pulled him into a tight hug.
Chance hugged him back, hard, needing to reassure himself that Enzo was alive. Finally they parted as Hazel stepped away, murmuring that she’d give them a few minutes of privacy.
Enzo wiped away wetness on his cheeks. “Thank you for…everything. The last few weeks are surreal, but today…” He shook his head. “I’d be dead without you.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I should have called you earlier, but I thought it was too much for you to handle.” His gaze strayed to the body bags now being loaded up into a van. “Clearly not.”
“I hear you might go into WITSEC?”
“Yeah, at least temporarily. It’s a lot to think about but…maybe it’s a good thing. Fresh start and all that.”
“You don’t need WITSEC for a fresh start.”
“I know that, but I want to testify against those assholes. And all the women they took are going to testify too. They’ll be given asylum if they want and a fresh start. I hope they take it.”
“And you had no idea that Nicola woman wasn’t who she said?”
“No, but looking back, there were signs. But she had big eyes and a pretty face and I’m apparently a sucker for that. Look…I need to say some things in case I don’t get to later. I’m sorry for blaming you for stuff that was out of your control. You were always there for me and Ivy. And you were a kid yourself, just trying not to drown when Mom… Well, you were there, you know what happened. I understand why you joined the army and I’m so proud of you.”
Chance cleared his throat, unsure what to say. Finally, he found his voice. “I’m proud of you too. It took guts to go on the run like that. Danny’s gonna be pissed about his place,” he added, mainly to lighten things.
Enzo let out a sharp bark of surprised laughter. “Yeah, he won’t be doing me any favors ever again. He’s got to have insurance though. If not, maybe I can convince the Feds to do something about the damage.”
Chance had a feeling that Berlin’s crew would cover the cost of the damage if he asked and he might do just that. “We’ll get it taken care of either way.”
“Chance!” Adalyn called out from where she still stood with Berlin, nodded once at him.
“You’ve gotta go,” Enzo said, pulling him in again for another hug.
“I’ll figure out a way to get into contact with you. My girl is a genius so if the Feds won’t let you call, we’ll find a workaround.”
“Your girl, huh?”
Chance glanced over at Berlin, still covered in mud, her clothes mostly wet and her hair plastered against her face. He had a feeling she might try to run from him again, but that was okay. She wouldn’t get far. “Yep.”
“Hopefully I get to officially meet her one day.”
“You will.” He hugged his brother once more, then jogged over to the others. It was time to get the hell out of here.