24. Behind Bars
Chapter 24
Behind Bars
M arcus couldn’t help himself. He moved to the front door of the station and walked out onto the sidewalk to wait for Elina.
The guy was in custody. There were no signs he’d had partners, but Marcus wasn’t taking any chances with Elina’s safety until he knew for sure.
The yoga studio was only a couple of buildings away, so he saw when Elina and Finch walked out with Lia and Joe. When they spotted Marcus, the humans waved while Finch wagged his tail. Lia pulled Elina in for a hug, and Joe hugged them both.
Then Elina turned her smile on Marcus and walked his way with their dog. He couldn’t in good conscience leave the prisoner on his own in the station, so he forced his feet to remain where they were and let her come to him.
Her smile grew as she neared, and she hurried the last few steps to throw herself into his arms. He wrapped around her and breathed her in. Safe.
They waved at Joe and Lia, then walked into the station. He turned the locks and set the security system before pulling her in for another hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”
She squeezed him hard. “I was glad to see Owen and Rachel, to make sure they were okay. But I want to be here with you.”
His heart warmed at that. “Are you sure? It might be weird knowing he’s right in the next room.”
She trembled a little but leaned back to look up at him. “Weird is a good word. It helps knowing that the cells were built securely so that he can’t escape. Mostly, it helps knowing you’re here.”
He kissed her forehead. “Let’s go in my office. I’ve got my camera feed in there so I can keep my eye on Aazar.”
“Aazar? You found out who he is?
He gestured her to the chair at the front of his desk, and he moved to sit in his regular chair. One monitor showed the cells, and he angled it away from Elina. The prisoner hadn’t moved from where he lay, staring up at the ceiling, hands resting on his belly.
Finch moved down the hall leading to the cell. Marcus had closed that door, and he wouldn’t be in any danger. In only a few moments, the dog came back and flopped onto his doggie bed.
“I’ve got quite a bit of information now. Between the car rental agency and a few of my contacts getting back to me, we know more than he expects.”
Elina blew out a breath. “That’s good news.”
Marcus nodded. “His name is Aazar Mullah. He’s the nephew of Faadir Mullah, the man who ordered the attack on Suraih. Faadir runs a large opium factory. He sends out groups of men to destroy villages and take the men to be workers.”
“Why is Aazar here in the US?”
He shrugged. “Reaching between the lines, Aazar was blamed for the failure of the mission in Suraih. No new workers for their opium factory meant Faadir was pissed.”
She twisted her hands together, and Finch bounced up from his doggie bed to lay his big head on her lap. She patted him but didn’t manage a smile. “Do you think he was one of the men who took me that night?”
Marcus moved around the desk and squatted in front of her. He took the hand that wasn’t patting Finch. “I don’t have any proof of that but I think he was.”
“You think he was planning to kill me?”
Marcus shrugged but didn’t answer directly. He feared the man had planned to kill her eventually. After he’d tortured her. “I’ll find out more once he starts to speak.”
“You think he will?”
“They all do. They get tired of the silence. Some want to brag about their exploits. Others want to blame the world for their choices. Almost all of them end up saying things to dig them in deeper.”
She nodded a few times, then turned fearful eyes to him. “Do you think Faadir will send someone else?”
He hoped not. “None of my research or contacts indicate that Faadir knows anything about this. From what I can tell, Aazar was sent here to smuggle the drugs Faadir makes. He’s one of many drug mules in the organization. A big demotion for someone who was in training to be the second in command. I think Aazar somehow found out about you being here in Phail.”
Time to tell her what else he’d found. “Aazar was in Seattle for a month before you left town. He was also in Albany last month.”
Her eyes widened. “Seriously? He somehow followed me?”
“I think it was more coincidence than anything else. Over the last few years, he’s traveled to major cities on a fairly regular schedule. Seattle and Albany are both on the list. I think he may have spotted you. Or someone else in his group did. You moved on before he expected.”
Her lips curved the tiniest amount. “I’m assuming Phail isn’t on that schedule.”
He grinned. “Nope.”
“I wonder if the mascot stuff I’ve done with Piper somehow got his attention.”
Damn, he’d hoped she wouldn’t realize that. “Possibly. He might have been searching for your face online.”
“Until we started doing the logos, I never posted anything online except under Paxi. I still don’t. But after than first night in Saloon, I know Piper posted a selfie she took of us with Nina on the website. That’s probably how he found us. I’m so sorry.”
He stood and tugged her up and into a hug. Finch wormed his nose in between them to be part of it, making Elina smile.
“You know there’s nothing to be sorry about. None of this is your fault. Or my fault. It’s all on the idiot in the cell back there. You did nothing wrong. We helped people who needed that assistance. Stop with the blaming.”
She sighed and snuggled into him. He kept his arms around her and ran his hands over her in comfort. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll try. I think I’ll be seeing Owen in his hands in my nightmares for years.”
He kissed her head. “That makes two of us. And I’ll be seeing you there, too. But I’ll also remember how smart and brave you were. That’ll help.”
“Thanks again for saving everyone.”
He chuckled. “I believe that was a team effort.”
She reached up and kissed him on the side of his jaw. “You’re still my hero.”
He grinned. “Right back at you.”
Her eyes misted, and he laughed. “Okay. Let’s try something else. How do you feel about helping me write up the ad for new deputies?”
She smiled and blinked away the tears. “I’d love to help, but I don’t have a clue what belongs in that kind of thing. Have you searched to see what other small towns do?”
Marcus helped her into the chair and pulled his own around the side of the desk where he could keep an eye on Aazar who still hadn’t moved. He passed his notepad and a pen over to Elina. “There are several recruitment sites, so I’ve been skimming those. All the ads sound the same, and I want ours to stand out. I figure this town has more than its share of wacky, and I want to somehow use that to lure in the right people. But I’m a step-by-step person. I need your creativity.”
She smiled at his words. “What kinds of things do you want to include in the ad?”
He shrugged. “There’s an online form they’ll fill in with most of the information. This is just to attract their attention and get them to consider us.”
“We can have some fun with it?”
He pointed at the posters. “I love what you’ve done with the Wanted ads, so something with that tone would be great.”
They dove into the task, trying to balance the practical with the silly. Movement on the screen had him turning to see the prisoner standing and staring at the camera. “I think he wants to talk. I have to go back and see. Stay here.” He didn’t want her anywhere near that man again.
When Marcus stood, Finch did as well. After the dog stretched, he trotted over to Marcus. With his growing legs, it only took him a few strides to cross the room. “Finch, stay.” He smiled at Elina. “I shouldn’t be too long.”
He closed the door behind him. Another barrier between Elina and the man who’d tried to hurt her. Marcus took a deep breath and shoved the rage way down. He was an officer of the law, and he would control himself.
When his face and body were composed, Marcus opened the door and strode into the small hallway in front of the cells. It included a chair and a small desk. Instead of sitting, Marcus moved to stand directly in front of the man.
Figuring the man had something to say, Marcus waited. He was good at waiting.
Aazar stared back at him but Marcus didn’t so much as blink. When it threatened to become a staring contest, he raised an eyebrow. The man remained silent, so Marcus turned to leave.
Sure enough, the man spoke. “I demand to be released.”
Marcus turned. “No.”
“You have no reason to keep me here.”
He stared and waited. The man knew as well as he did that the arrest and confinement were justified. He’d broken more than one law. During his initial arrest, Marcus had read him his rights, and listed the initial charges. He’d also told him he’d potentially be adding more. There was no need to repeat any of that.
Anger flashed through the man’s eyes. He was used to being in charge, which was not going to happen here.
“She destroyed my life. You both did. I have the right to take back what is mine.”
What the hell did that mean? What had he been trying to take back?
“I lost my position. I was forced to leave my country behind. Because of a woman who doesn’t know her place.”
Marcus nearly rolled his eyes in disgust. Instead, he continued to stare at the man to see what else he’d spew.
“You will see what happens when people cross him.”
When the staring contest resumed, Marcus decided to stir things up. He’d got information back from the car rental outfit and had found out a lot more about Aazar Mullah. “I’m betting your Uncle Faadir didn’t sanction your little side trip here to Phail, did he, Aazar?”
The man reacted like one of Elina’s comic strip characters. Huge eyes, open mouth. He even backed up a step at the news. Did he really not realize they’d get his name from the rental car agency? Or was it Faadir’s name that surprised him? Had he forgotten he’d mentioned the name before?
Marcus kept pressing. “You’ve already screwed up twice with the people of Suraih. Faadir doesn’t have a reputation for tolerating stupidity or incompetence. Maybe our best bet is to send you back home and let him deal with you.”
Aazar’s demeanour changed again. Terror flashed through his eyes, and he backed up, knocking against the cot in the cell. He turned to the back of the room and ran his hands through his hair.
“You went rogue here in the States. Faadir isn’t going to like that, is he? You’ve not only got yourself caught, but now you’ve put him and his operation at risk. We know you’re part of an opium smuggling ring. I found trace evidence in your rental car. Once the lab confirms, I’ll be adding drug offenses to the list of charges. And I’ll be sending everything along to the FBI. We’re going to take down Faadir’s operation. Guess who he’s going to blame for that?”
Aazar’s body shuddered, but he didn’t turn around or speak. Figuring it was best to give him time to think about the implications, Marcus left him and closed the door behind him. By his estimation, he’d have a full confession by morning.
E lina couldn’t take her eyes off the screen on Marcus’s desk. She couldn’t hear anything, and she wasn’t going to intrude by checking for an audio button, but she had to watch.
This man had terrorized her more than once over the years. He’d threatened to harm Owen. He looked different in the cell. Less, somehow.
He puffed up his chest and tried to intimidate Marcus, who barely blinked. As the conversation moved along, the man got more nervous, and then truly afraid.
Marcus hadn’t moved a muscle, hadn’t spoken all that much from what she could tell. Whatever he’d said had been effective.
She didn’t move from where she sat when Marcus returned. She wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t watched.
He frowned when he saw her. “You don’t need to see him anymore.”
She shrugged. “I actually think it helped. When the memory of the knife at Owen’s throat returns, I’m going to replace it with this image. I think it’ll help me sleep.”
Marcus nodded. “That makes sense. Let me show you how to control the audio in case you want to hear it next time.”
They watched for a few more minutes, but Aazar sat down on his cot and stared at his hands.
She had to ask. “Can you tell me what he said? If you’re not supposed to, that’s okay.”
He shrugged. “He didn’t say anything that we didn’t know or suspect. He’s afraid of his uncle, and I’m convinced Aazar is doing this on his own. Faadir will be furious that Aazar has brought attention to Faadir’s drug empire. I’m going to loop in Shanice Williams. She’s the lead FBI agent over in New Hampshire. We’ve worked together a few times now, and she’ll know who best to involve from there. Once they take the reins of the drug smuggling case, they’ll probably take Aazar with them.”
All of that made her feel better. “I’m glad you’ll have support with him. Because you haven’t hired new personnel yet, do you need to remain here until the FBI comes to take him?”
He nodded, and she made an instant decision. “I’ll be with you.”
His eyes softened, and he leaned over to take her hands again. The gesture made her feel treasured every time. He rubbed his thumb over her fist. “Thank you. I know it’s safe, but I’ll feel better if you’re within sight.”
She grinned. “Good. I thought you might argue.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “And miss time with you? Not a chance. Why don’t we call Branna to see if she can bring some food over for us? We’ll need to feed Aazar as well.”
She looked back at the screen, but the man hadn’t moved. If he was the one who had kidnapped her, he’d let her go without food for almost a week.
“Hey. What are you thinking?”
She tuned back into the present. “Sorry. I was just thinking that he might be the one who didn’t allow me food or drink for days.”
Marcus frowned. “I think the probability is high that he was part of that group.”
She shuddered. “I don’t want to be like him.”
Marcus smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. “You’re nothing at all like him. Not in any way. You’re unfailingly kind and thoughtful. You believe in people and in their potential. Even after what you’ve been through, you assume the best in others. I’ll call Branna and get us some food.”
Her heart filled with his words. While she wasn’t sure she lived up to them, she wanted to. And he was right. No matter what, she couldn’t let the man go hungry.
Twenty minutes later, Sean appeared with a selection of rice bowls. “Branna wasn’t sure of the asshole’s dietary restrictions, so we made them all vegetarian.”
When Marcus took one back to the prisoner, she angled the monitor so she could watch. Sean joined her.
They watched Marcus approach the cell. The man didn’t move or respond that she could tell. Marcus opened a section of the cell wall and placed the bowl inside along with a spoon, then turned to leave.
“Has he said much?” Sean asked when Marcus returned.
Marcus shrugged. “Not much that we didn’t already know. He was surprised when I used his name.”
Elina added. “He got scared when Marcus used his uncle’s name.”
Marcus nodded. “I mentioned that Faadir might not be pleased with Aazar going rogue here in the States and bringing the attention of the FBI to the drug smuggling organization.”
Sean laughed. “I bet that scared the piss out of him. Nice. Are you bringing in Shanice? She was great when that jerk followed Branna up here from Florida.”
“It’s next on the list.”
Sean nodded. “Why don’t you get to that? Elina and I can hang out in the squad room for a bit.”
Elina smiled. “I don’t need a babysitter. I can hang out there by myself.”
Sean laughed. “You could, but this way, you get to have some interesting company.”
And Marcus could have privacy for his call. She was sure police work of this nature required that he be alone unless the FBI agent needed her account of what had happened.
She followed Sean into the squad room, and they sat at the desk she’d used before.
Sean studied her seriously. Like the rest of the team, Falcon was observant. “How are you?”
She shrugged. “Better. I’m sure I’ll have nightmares, but seeing him in a cage helps.”
He nodded. “I bet. How’s Arrow?”
“Better, too. He keeps a lot inside, but I know having the man in custody helps. As does having a plan to keep him behind bars, along with the rest of those involved in the drug smuggling operation.”
“Arrow does like his plans. Especially when they involve making the world a safer place.”
That described him very well. “I’m so grateful to him and to all of you. I knew that your team would keep us all safe. It made it easier to stay calm and to wait for Marcus to give me a signal.”
Sean grinned. “You were great. Keeping still and not panicking meant we were able to keep the asshole in our sights but didn’t need to make the shot. We figured you and Arrow would work out a plan.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure it was a plan. I just knew if I followed his lead, it would be okay.”
“That’s how we dealt with all the crap we saw overseas. Arrow is the best of the best.”
Her heart filled again. “He is.”
“He deserves the best. So, you’re going to stay here in Phail and make him happy.”
The fact that he didn’t phrase it as a question made her laugh. The fact that he was taking care of his team leader filled her with contentment. These were the people she wanted in her life.
Even if she hadn’t fallen completely in love with Marcus, she thought she might settle here in Phail. But she was in love, and she couldn’t imagine living anywhere without him.
She smiled at Sean. “As long as he’s here, I’ll be here, too.”
Sean grinned. “Exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Knowing Marcus wanted her to stay was everything, but knowing his team approved of them as a couple made it even better.
Despite what had happened with Aazar earlier, she thought it was a pretty good day.