44. Walker
Chapter forty-four
Walker
Fifteen Minutes Ago
Once I get Vivian’s bodyguard Tony on the phone, he lets me know that besides her SUV, the other two vehicles at the house were registered to Marcie Claire and her husband, Clark. Tony scoped out the property and confirmed they have security cameras mounted on the front of their house, and we don’t want to set off any alerts to give away our position. Checking my watch, I calculate Vivian has been inside with Marcie Claire for the last forty-five minutes or so. Our main advantage right now is the element of surprise, so we split into three teams in order to approach the house from each side, including the wooded lot that faces their backyard.
Despite calling and texting Vivian, I could not reach her, which has me on high alert. The three teams quickly move to their respective spots, and I tell everyone to hold their position while I get closer to see if we can get a better idea of where they are in the house. Someone has spent a lot of time cultivating a lush and extensive garden, which is providing excellent coverage for me as I sneak toward the house from the back. There is a conservatory or sunroom off the back, and I ignore the urge to rush up to the house. I don’t know what Marcie Claire is thinking right now, but my only priority is to get all innocent people out of the line of fire and then take my suspect into custody. We know she isn’t the sniper, but she is somehow connected to the case. I just need to have the opportunity to interrogate her to find out how she’s involved.
“Bravo One, this is Bravo Two. I have a visual of the suspect. She is currently holding at least two hostages with a small handgun in the sunroom,” Tara quietly tells me in my earpiece. “Hostages appear to be Clark Riley and Vivian Stone.”
Fuck!
This escalates everything and we need to get Vivian out of that house with Marcie Claire in handcuffs or a body bag, I don’t care as long as Vivian is safe. “Bravo Two, hold your position. I’m going to try to get a closer visual from the backyard.”
“Copy Bravo One, holding,” Tara says as she crouches down below the kitchen window, staying out of view from anyone in the Riley house.
I quickly move behind a large floral bush. Out of Marcie Claire’s line of sight, I hold my breath as she erratically waves the gun toward Vivian sitting beside her. Something upset Marcie Claire as she quickly points the gun at her husband, still speaking with her hands including the one holding the small handgun. I swiftly move closer to the back of the house and briefly make eye contact with Clark Riley. I’m not sure what his involvement is in all of this? but by the way he’s keeping his hands open and up, he doesn’t seem to be on the same page as his wife. Marcie Claire turns to talk to Vivian, at the same time turning to point the gun at her.
I worry for a moment that Clark will draw attention to me or possibly tell his wife I’m outside on the patio. He looks back at me while his wife speaks to Vivian and gives me a sideways glance, before slowly nodding his head. As quietly as I can, I whisper just loud enough for my earpiece to pick it up. “Bravo team, be prepared to breach on my command. I think Clark Riley is going to force our hand.” Clark takes another small step toward his wife, and this is the third time I have noticed him doing this. He takes yet another small step and sits down on the couch next to his wife with his head in his hands.
“That’s a good copy, Bravo One, waiting on your signal,” Tara responds in my ear.
“This is Halo 2, moving into position and ready to breach on your signal, Bravo One,” the local SWAT leader confirms in my earpiece as well. We don’t have to wait long before Clark lunges up off the couch, reaching for the gun to take control and overpower his wife.
“Go, go, go!” I bellow, racing toward the house. A gunshot rings out sending my stomach pummeling as I reach the patio doors that easily open when I throw my shoulder into them.
“FBI, get your hands up!” I holler as I enter the room with my gun drawn and my eyes sweep to see if anyone was shot. My blood goes cold as I see Vivian on the floor with blood pooling around her. Tara enters the room from the doorway connecting to the house and swiftly subdues Marcie Claire before she can get another shot off.
I rush the room and kneel next to Vivian’s side as Marcie Claire yells we have no right to be in her home and are trespassing on private property.
“You fucking shot her! Why the hell did you shoot her?” I roar at Marcie Claire, while putting pressure on the bullet wound in Vivian’s bicep.
“This is all a misunderstanding and is a private matter. Y’all have no right to break into my home like this! I didn’t try to shoot her! I didn’t mean to! I would never hurt her! I love that girl like the daughter I never had! Clark startled me by rushing me, I never would hurt Vivian! Why did you do that, Clark? Look at what you did, Clark!” I hear the cuffs clink around her wrists, instructing Tara and Mason to remove her from the room .
Marcie Claire fights them and demands we get out of her house, but her husband interrupts her, “Marcie Claire, shut up. As your husband and an attorney, for once in your damn life just shut the hell up!”
“I need paramedics in here! I have a victim with a gunshot wound to her upper right bicep,” I bark at my team. I lower my head so I can talk softer to Vivian. “Hey there, baby, you’re going to be okay, I’ll make sure of it. You’re okay, Viv, I’m here now. We’re going to get you taken care of in just a minute.” I use my free hand to brush a few loose pieces of hair off her forehead as she leans into my hand.
With her eyes filled with tears and a quivering lip, Vivian tells me, “Special … Special Agent Man, I’m really happy to see you right now. She … Marcie Claire. Walker, it was her. Clark was so mad, mad … at her! And the poems? She sent the poems!”
“Shh, it’s okay, Sugar, we’ve got you. We’ll get this all sorted out.” I’m holding pressure on the bullet wound, but I really hate how much blood she’s already lost.
“But she did it! Marcie Claire called Trent a roadblock she had to remove. I don’t know how, but some mob guy named Gio is Chase’s biological father. Marcie Claire asked him to have Trent killed as a favor! I don’t know what’s going on, or what I did to deserve this, but she admitted she killed Trent for me to be with Chase!” Vivian pauses as sob escapes from her. “It’s my fault Eloise lost her daddy.” Vivian is talking much faster than is typical for her and is clearly going into shock.
“Shh, baby, take a breath. You did so well, Vivian, you’re so brave. It’s okay, you are going to be okay, I promise.” I will do everything and anything in my power to ensure she is more than okay for the rest of her life. “And you figured out the missing piece. We couldn’t connect why Gio Bruno would be willing to get involved, but you, my clever girl, helped us put that piece together. Now deep breaths in for four, out for four. With me, in—one, two, three, four. Out—one, two, three, four. Good girl, Vivian. That’s right, I’m right here, focus on my voice, baby.” I try to help her focus on her breathing, and she gets a few deep breaths in before paramedics finally rush into the room.
I go to take a step back to give them space, but as I start to move away, Vivian reaches up over her head with her good arm and grabs my hand. “Please, Walker. Please don’t go.” Tears cascade from her wide eyes down her beautiful face.
I take her hand, interlocking our fingers. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m right here. I’m right here with you, Vivian.”
“Will you stay with me?” she pleads with me, as if I could even consider leaving her side right now.
“You might regret asking me that, honey.” I try to lighten the mood a little. “I’ll stick to you like white on rice.”
“I’m okay with that, especially right now. I’m scared. I need you, Walker.” Vivian’s plea is barely a whisper as her voice breaks a little. I don’t think either of us are talking about just this moment. I squeeze her hand before answering her plea.
“Well then, it’s a good thing you have me, baby. I’m not letting you go.” I lean in and kiss her forehead.
The paramedics bandage the bullet wound as best as they can but personally, I think they are taking too long to get the stretcher, so I bend down and haul Vivian into my arms. She snuggles into my neck as I carry her bridal style out of the Riley house to the ambulance.
“I’m riding with Vivian to the hospital. Can you meet us there to help me with her statement?” I ask Mason as he walks with us toward the open doors of the ambulance.
“Yes sir, Agents White and Shannon are escorting Marcie Claire Riley to the Sheriff’s office for initial processing then we can transport her to our office in Nashville,” Mason explains .
“I want to be there when she is interrogated, but I’m needed elsewhere right now.” I tilt my head toward Vivian, who is occupied answering medical questions the paramedics have for her.
Mason nods in understanding. “Yes sir, we will keep you in the loop and one of us will stay with her until you join us back in Nashville.” I thank him as I join Vivian in the back of the ambulance. I realize I’m not going to be able to stay with her and do my job at the same time. We need to get Marcie Claire to admit to soliciting the sniper and I need to be in the room when we interrogate her.
Squeezing her hand to get her attention, Vivian turns her head toward me. She is so delicate and vulnerable laying on the stretcher. I am so fucking pissed that she got hurt. Her eyes are filled with tears I can tell she’s trying so hard to hold back. “Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe now, I’m right here,” I try to console her and wish I could take away her fear after everything that just happened. “I will be by your side as much as I can, but I also need to do the job I promised you I would do, so that means I need to go to Nashville when they interrogate Marcie Claire.”
“Could they do that here in Forrest Falls? Then you would at least be in town and not so far? I mean, if it could be … no, sorry, you know what, that’s a silly question. I know your job needs to come first. I’m sure one of my siblings or my daddy can come meet me at the hospital, it’ll be fine.” She bites down on her lower lip and tries to look brave, but I’m not buying it. I also really don’t like the idea of someone else being there for her when she wants me by her side.
“Don’t do that, baby. You don’t have to try to be brave around me, it’s okay to admit what you want or need, okay?” I softly stroke her forearm with my thumb as we ride to the hospital. “Let me check with my team and see what we can do, but regardless of where I need to go, I will have to step away for at least a little while and I know you have a lot of family that will show up. Who do you want me to call for you first?”
“The entire Callahan Cavalry is going to show up. Oh no—Eloise! She can’t see me like this or find out I was shot after everything with her daddy! Her nightmares just started getting better,” she cries as Vivian’s eyes widen and her heart rate escalates on the heart rate monitors.
“You’re a good mama, Viv, and Eloise is going to be okay. How about this, why don’t you let me know who you want me to call to join us at the hospital, and who you think should take Eloise until we get you cleaned up, so she doesn’t see you until you’re ready for that. How’s that sound?” I ask as relief washes over her face.
“That’s a good idea, she’s currently with Savannah, but that’s also who I would call to meet me at the hospital,” she admits. “She will have her kids too as I’m sure Shane is still at work.”
“Could one of your brothers pick up Elosie and Savannah’s girls to go do something with them? That way Savannah will be free to come to the hospital without any of the kids knowing about it just yet,” I suggest as she nods.
“Yeah, Ryan or Finn, either of them should be able to help,” she says as her lower lip starts to tremble. “I can’t have Eloise see me like this, she just started sleeping through the night. Walker, I’ll never forgive myself if I cause her to have more nightmares.” Vivian looks up and blinks quickly as she’s trying to stop the tears that continuously slide down her face.
I gently use my thumb to wipe away her tears. “I have Liam and Savannah’s numbers, I’ll take care of it, okay?” She gives me a tight smile with a nod of her head and tries to take a deep breath. Without letting go of her hand I’ve been holding, I pull my cell out of my pocket to send a text to my team first.
Me
Can we see if the Sheriff has the space for us to keep Marcie Claire Riley here in Forrest Falls for the initial interview?
Mason
I will inquire and let you know ASAP.
I know Vivian has said it’s hard to reach Liam on the phone, so I send him a text before calling Savannah.
Me
Liam, your sister is okay and stable, but she’s on the way to the hospital. She doesn’t want Eloise to know yet. She’s wondering if one of your brothers could pick up Eloise and your other nieces to go do something so Savannah can meet her at the hospital. Are you able to help me coordinate this for Vivian? I don’t have any of their numbers.
*Liam Callahan has added Jack Callahan, Ryan Callahan, Finn Callahan, and Murphy Callahan to the chat.*
That escalated a little quicker than I imagined it would.
Liam
Walker, why is my baby sister on the way to the hospital ?
Murphy
Which hospital? What happened? Where is Eloise?
Liam
Savannah has Eloise, but Viv needs Sav at the hospital with her. Who’s in town and can get all the girls and keep them occupied? I’m a flight away but will be leaving as soon as possible.
Finn
I can be at her house in five minutes, just leaving a job site now.
Ryan
I’ll meet you there. Back up though, why the fuck is Viv on the way to the hospital?
Me
I’ll let her explain to all of you, but she has a bullet wound to her right bicep. Paramedics think it looks like a clean through and through, but we won’t know if she needs surgery until the doctors can assess her. We’re pulling up to the Forrest Falls hospital right now.
Murphy
WHO THE HELL SHOT MY BABY?
Ryan
What?!
Jack
What the hell is going on?
Liam
I want a name, and I want it now, Walker.
“I’m assuming you told my brothers,” Vivian says as she hands me her phone that is vibrating with multiple notifications of incoming text messages and voicemails. “Would you mind holding on to that until Savannah gets here to take it?”
I slide her phone into my pocket. “I sent one text to Liam and suddenly all of your brothers and your father are yelling at me through text messages,” I tell her.
She nods. “That sounds about right. Can you call Savannah quickly before one of them freaks her out?”
The paramedics move Vivian out of the ambulance, and I’m briefly forced to let go of her hand as we walk into the hospital. Following Vivian, I pull up Savannah’s number and wait as it connects while ignoring the multiple notifications of incoming text messages from every male in the Callahan family. I quickly explain to Savannah what’s going on just as her brothers show up at her house to take their nieces out for an ice cream date.
“I have a lot of questions but I’m trying to stay calm for the little girls in the next room, Walker. I expect answers to everything when I arrive,” Savannah quietly admonishes me before ending the call.
“We’re protective of one another,” Vivian tells me when I relay what her sister said as she takes my hand again. “It’s not like you shot me, so try not to take it personally.”
The reminder of why we’re at the hospital makes me feel a fresh murderous level of rage. I’ve seen plenty of bullet wounds between my time with the 75th Ranger Regiment and my career as an FBI agent, and while I’m not a doctor, I’m pretty sure the paramedics were right that Vivian’s bullet wound is a minor flesh wound. But the fact she even has a minor injury is infuriating. My phone continues to vibrate as Vivian is wheeled on the gurney toward an exam room in the emergency department. I continue to ignore the notifications of her brothers and dad blowing up my phone.
“Sir, you need to wait in the hall unless you are an immediate family member,” a crotchety nurse tells me as she tries to separate Vivian from me. The paramedics guide Vivian into an exam room, forcing me to release my hand from hers once again as medical personnel rush into the room. Annoyed that Vivian is no longer in my line of sight, I pull my badge out from my pocket without saying a word and once she reads the letters F-B-I, I raise one eyebrow and step around her to enter the exam room.
“Walker? Where’s Walker?” I can hear Vivian call for me as doctors and nurses are working on her bullet wound.
“I’m right here, baby,” I tell her as I take her left hand and stand near her head out of the way of the medical professionals, but close enough she can see me. I softly push the hair off her face, holding her check as she leans into my touch. The doctors confirm the bullet was indeed a through and through, but it did clip the edge of some muscle so they will need imaging to make sure there wasn’t any damage that would require surgery. Soon after the pain medicine kicks in, her sister walks into the exam room.
“Vivi girl, I’m here, honey.” Savannah pushes through to get to her sister. Vivian leans her head toward her sister but does not let go of my hand .
“Is Eloise okay? She didn’t overhear anything, did she?” Of course, Vivian’s first thought is of her daughter. She is such a good mama.
Savannah shakes her head. “No, the girls thought it was super fun to have a surprise ice cream date with their uncles. I’m sure they will have way too much sugar, but none of the girls know anything happened yet.”
“I would like to keep it that way until I can tell Eloise myself. I need her to see I’m okay, especially after everything else,” Vivian tells her sister. We’re all aware of the nightmares Eloise has struggled with since her father’s murder.
“Of course, we’ll do whatever you want. What else do you need, honey?” Savannah asks as she runs her hand over Vivian’s hair. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Vivian shakes her head before the doctor prevents her from saying anything else.
“Ms. Stone, we need to get some imaging done of your arm to make sure there aren’t any bullet fragments left,” the doctor explains. “As long as it was a clean shot, we’ll be able to bandage and suture the wound but if there are any fragments, especially in the edge of the muscle that was hit, we may need to go in and surgically clean the bullet trajectory. Depending on what we see on the scan, we’ll either bring you back to an exam room or have to go right into surgery. Alright folks, prepare the patient to be transported to imaging.”
“Can they come with me?” Vivian asks one of the nurses as the team quickly prepares to move her out of this exam room.
“One of them may come with you but that individual will need to wait outside the imaging room, while the other waits in the lobby,” Nurse Crotchety from earlier answers, emphasizing the word lobby. Vivian looks from me to her sister with her eyes wide, panicking at having to pick between us, but I can make this decision easy on her .
“Savannah, why don’t you go with your sister, and I’ll go talk to my team, okay?” I look at her sister. Savannah nods, reaching out to squeeze my arm in thanks, clearly relieved I wasn’t asking her to step away from her sister. “Savannah will keep me in the loop until you know more, and I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?” I tell Vivian.
She nods but I can tell Vivian doesn’t want me to go. I lean down close to her ear so we have a little privacy before saying, “I promise I’m not leaving town. I will be back, okay? I won’t be far, and you can reach me on my cell if you need anything, and I mean anything at all, okay, Sugar?” My lips gently brush her temple with a soft kiss. Vivian squeezes my hand and looks up to me as she nods, but I hate that her eyes are once again glossy from unshed tears.
“I’ve got our girl, Walker. Go take care of business, and hurry back. And when you get back, you can start explaining how the hell my sister got shot in the first place.” Savannah steps in, reminding me although I have to step away, Vivian’s not alone. Reaching into my pocket, I hand Vivian’s phone to Savannah that has been vibrating nonstop with notifications.
“We’re moving people, let’s go,” Nurse Crotchety declares and Vivian’s bed is wheeled out of the exam room toward wherever they do imaging in the emergency department. Before she rounds the corner, Vivian looks back over her shoulder and her gaze locks with mine. In that brief moment, I know my life will never be the same. As they round the corner, I realize she doesn’t just have a piece of my heart—this woman already owns all of it.