As Angel escaped out the back, a rush of police and FBI vehicles converged on the abandoned warehouse. They sped down the side road from the main street, their tires splashing through muddy puddles, soaking the scattered debris between the chain-link fence and the first building. At least two dozen SWAT vehicles, FBI vans, and one private SUV raced to secure the warehouse's entrance, their headlights cutting through the darkness like spotlights on a stage.
On the opposite side of the building facing the river, FBI vessels swiftly arrived to intercept the dirty old barge that had just docked. Three helicopters swooped in from the night sky to provide cover as personnel boarded the vessel, swiftly securing it and the men on board. One helicopter hovered over the barge, its searchlight painting the deck in harsh white light, while the other two expanded their search for any escaping criminals.
Inside, Amanda held the sniffling girl tightly in her arms as she walked back to the entrance, her mind racing over how she would explain all of this to Stefon. He would not accept her explanation that she had taken all the sentries out alone. Giles alone looked like he'd been through a couple of rounds with Godzilla.
But it didn't matter in the end. Angel had rescued the kids, just as she knew he would. However, it posed a serious problem. While she might influence Stefon with some issues, she knew that covering for Angel's kill would be the final blow to her career.
Shifting the child in her arms to free a hand, Amanda reached into her vest and pulled out her ID. Moving toward the entrance just as the first wave of operatives stormed in, she shouted over the chaos, holding her badge above her head, "Special Agent Amanda Sims! I have a child here!"
Two officers hurried over, and she gently shifted the frightened girl into the arms of the first agent while the second took her ID. "It's okay. He's here to help," Amanda said, her voice softening for the trembling child.
The agent nodded appreciatively. "I've got her. The ambulances are arriving; we'll get her cleaned up and evaluated."
As he left with the girl, the second agent returned her ID with a nod. "What's the situation inside, Agent Sims?"
Pointing into the depths of the warehouse, she gave a quick overview of what had happened. "The suspects are secured, and the rest of the children got out through a side window on the north side of the warehouse, about thirty yards in."
The FBI agent's expression showed clear skepticism.
A shrug was her only response, not giving a damn if he believed her or not. "It seems their boss had already made his escape, leaving them to fend for themselves. It wasn't that difficult." What a fucking lie. No one is going to believe this!
"So what you're saying…" He paused, giving her a clearly unconvinced look. "Is that we have nothing to do but round up the unconscious men?"
"Pretty much!" Amanda returned his look with an over-the-top and unearned smug expression.
"Alright." He waved at more team members filing in behind them. "We have unconscious suspects thirty yards in, and some stragglers in other areas. Fan out, and be careful!"
A chorus of affirmative responses rang out as twelve heavily armed agents moved deeper into the warehouse. Taking the cue to step aside, Amanda waited until they cleared the entryway. Once outside, she moved to the side as more rushed up the metal stairs to join the first wave.
Over two dozen cars and vans had gathered around the docking bay where she stood, with three ambulances parked to the side. The back doors were open, revealing children wrapped in blankets, some receiving treatment while others enjoyed hot chocolate from steaming cups.
Apparently, one of the task force members—a young woman who seemed fresh out of the academy—had come well-prepared with blankets and hot chocolate. A faint smile crossed Amanda's face as she remembered her own academy days as a young, eager agent with dreams of saving the world.
Seeing the kids safe lifted her spirits, but despair followed, knowing her dream career was about to come to an end. It was ending because she'd placed her faith in the man she trusted above all others—and probably, despite denying it, still loved.
Reaching into her pocket for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, Amanda pulled one out and placed the filter between her lips. Cupping her hand to shield the flame from the cool breeze, she lit the tip. A long drag followed, inhaling deeply, then exhaling the smoke into the air as her nerves calmed slightly.
Yet, it wasn't Stefon who reached her first; it was Commander Tucker. He'd followed the second wave of agents upstairs, spotted her, and approached with a mix of awe and concern painted across his weathered face. "Sims, did you really do what I'm hearing from the others? Take out the entire place on your own?"
"They're all down, and the kids are safe." It wasn't a lie, not entirely.
Tucker gestured with his palms out. "How!?"
"I…" Amanda hesitated. Tucker was a good man. A man she liked and respected. But she had to keep Angel's secret from everyone.
Before she could continue, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Look, for two decades I've been doing this job—seen good people make impossible choices." His gaze shifted toward the children, then back to her. "My daughter's about the same age as some of these girls."
The weight in his words hit her unexpectedly. It explained why he was so dedicated to this case. Then he hit her with words that echoed Angel's philosophy.
"Sometimes the rule book doesn't have answers for everything," Tucker continued, his voice quiet and steady. "Sometimes you just do what needs doing and deal with the consequences later."
Shifting her eyes to lock with his, they shared a brief moment of understanding. Amanda could tell that he knew she'd called in Angel. And that he approved.
Then, what she'd both expected and dreaded occurred. The loud growl of SAC Stefon's voice shattered the poignant moment, potentially ruining a chance at a new ally.
"Agent Sims!" Stefon barked as he stomped up the gravel road toward the docking bay door. Storming up the steps, he pushed past Tucker and loomed over her.
Bracing herself for what lay ahead, another long drag on the cigarette followed, the orange tip glowing in the darkness like a tiny beacon.
"Hello, Stefon." It was all coming to an end, so why give him the satisfaction of formality?
Before he answered her, he turned his attention to Tucker. "Go supervise the rounding up of Bible's men. I want each and every one of them processed and locked up within the hour!"
"Yes, Sir!" Truly a duty-bound soldier, Tucker turned, gave her one last knowing look, and disappeared through the door.
Stefon swung his glare back to her. "Explain yourself! Why did you go in before backup arrived, and how the fuck did you secure thirteen suspects by yourself?"
Blowing out the smoke with a casual shrug, Amanda answered, "Luck?"
"Bullshit!" Stefon cursed, his voice harsh. Lifting his head and swiveling around, he asked in a tight voice, "Where is he?"
"Who?" A blank stare was her only response.
"You know who—Kevin Collins!"
My career's fucked anyway—why not have a little fun?Besides, this could have all been avoided if this prick's ego hadn't clouded his judgment.
"I never saw him, sir," she said, hating how easily the lie came. "I saw the barge arriving and knew they'd be loading the children immediately. I simply couldn't wait."
"And how the fuck did you even know where to find them? We hadn't sent anyone in this direction yet. This area was marked for mid-afternoon tomorrow!"
"Right." Amanda nodded. "And we also knew we were running out of time. After I showered, I came back out to get a jump on the grids. It was sheer luck I stumbled upon them when I did."
Running his tongue across his lips, his chest seemed to deflate. "Is this going to be your official statement?"
She found the unidentifiable expression that briefly flickered across his face disconcerting. "It is." And the final nail was hammered in.
"Well, fuck." Stefon rubbed his eyes, clearly recognizing she was uninterested in providing any more answers. A sigh escaped as he gave up on the cat-and-mouse game for now, looking back over his shoulder at the door. "So, did you get them all?"
"As far as I know, yes." A pause, then she added another lie to the tally. "I did have to take one down, though. Permanently."
His eyes narrowed. "You killed one?"
Meeting his gaze without flinching, Amanda answered, "There was no other choice."
"Just one." A long, deep breath followed as Stefon seemed to contemplate another attempt at extracting a confession. Instead, his gaze shifted to the children being cared for. "And the children? All safe and healthy?"
One last drag of the cigarette, then Amanda crushed the tip against the concrete wall beside her. "All the ones I found, yes. But until they've been evaluated by the medics, I can't give a definitive answer."
Stefon closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing her statement, then looked directly at her. "Off the record, your initiative and foresight saved many innocent lives, and I'm glad the girls are safe. I'm also very pleased that we have suspects to interrogate. We might gain some real insight into Bible because of this bust."
Amanda hadn't expected praise or even simple congratulations, but it had been off the record, and she understood what that meant.
"Glad to be of help." The quip came easily, then Amanda braced herself for the other shoe to drop. "And on the record?"
An extraordinarily long hesitation followed—longer than she'd expected—but then came the blow. Stefon held out his hand. "Badge and gun, Sims. You're suspended indefinitely pending review, and I'll be talking to your boss in Washington about your actions."
Goodbye, career. Resigned, Amanda drew her gun from the holster, released the magazine, cleared the chambered round, and handed both to him. Then, to his surprise, she produced a second gun from her waistband. Angel's weapon.
"You carry two?"
"Always good to be prepared," Amanda said with a solemn nod. "And good thing too, since I needed this one to take down the suspect."
"You didn't use your service weapon?"
The lies were really piling up now. "He knocked it away—didn't know I had the second."
Stefon nodded, accepting her lie as truth. After she repeated the process of clearing the ammo, she handed the gun and mag to him. Withdrawing her badge next, Amanda gave it a longing glance before handing it over. "Do I report to the office for interrogation?"
"No."
What!?
Defeat crossed Stefon's face, matching her own emotions. Shaking his head, shoulders sagging, he continued, "Just… just get the fuck out of here. Go get drunk, laid, whatever—blow off some steam."
"Uh, thank you, sir?" Dumbfounded, Amanda had fully expected to be ushered to a car for the trip back to headquarters—arrested or not.
Stefon wasn't finished yet. "Don't thank me yet. I know you had help, but I have too much paperwork and interrogations to get through—can't drag you back to headquarters and sit in a room all night just for you to keep shrugging."
Keeping a smirk hidden proved difficult while he added, "But don't leave town; we still have a particular rogue to discuss." Spinning on his heel, Stefon headed toward the ambulances.
A sigh of relief escaped Amanda's lips—relieved the children were safe—and gutted that her career was likely over. Not because she'd called Angel in, or because he'd gone in on his own. Now that she was suspended—and would probably be fired—she couldn't cover for him anymore. This was dangerous whenever he pushed the limits. Too many innocent lives were at risk for him to be taken out of the game. Carefully playing her next move to keep him involved would start with a long, emotional conversation with Ethan.
After that, she'd confront Angel and finally get some real answers from him. No one believed her lie about taking out all the sentries alone—and they were right. No matter how skilled Angel was, there was no way he could've pulled off this mission by himself, either.