Chapter Twenty Two

Warning

With Donavan's car returned, I jogged home to pack. More than ever, I did not want to go. I wished I had time to go to headquarters because who knew what Harold Beechwood would tell everyone. No one's opinion mattered, but the possibility of facing disciplinary action once again did.

I rounded the corner to leave the neighborhood and spied Alain and Carol, walking the other direction. A little early for a morning walk. They stopped and moved to the side when they heard me approach. Alain wrapped a uniformed arm around his wife.  He gaped at the sight of me.

Carol lit up like a bulb. "My word, I didn't expect us to run into anyone else this early. Are you going to Church for prayer as well?" She grasped my arms and gave me a soft hug.

"No, I'm not. I had to drop something off to someone before I leave for my trip."

Carol's gaze fell upon my pants. "Are you in your pajamas?" she scoffed.

My shoulders slumped. "Yes. It was an emergency." 

Alain would learn about what happened when he arrived at headquarters.

"Ben told me about the trip the other day," Alain said. "He is so excited that you will be able to hang out together in Philadelphia."

I thought Ben and Alain did not talk anymore. "Did he, now?"

"You should bring us back a souvenir," Alain suggested.

Carol clasped her hands together and jumped up slightly. "Yes! That would be lovely. I want to hear all about it when you return."

"Sure, that would be nice," I answered.

"We'd better go, honey," Carol said. "I don't want us to be late for prayer."

No, not Alain too. I glanced his way and saw him fiddling with his shirt sleeves. He kept his eyes down.

"I need to go as well. I haven't started to pack yet," I said. Don't go, I wanted to scream.

Carol hugged me again. "God bless you, Lily."

I forced a smile. "It was wonderful to see you doing so well."

Carol turned and walked away. Alain opened his mouth but no words came out. The tips of his ears turned red. His chin dipped down and he followed after his wife.

He did not need to explain. I was sure he would do anything for his wife. I found myself chewing on my bottom lip, watching them stroll further away.

A blast of wind whipped my hair across my face. I spun around and ran home. If they were Church members, I did not worry about them.

***

The cargo office was eerily quiet, no bustle of forklifts moving inbound shipments into warehouses. I needed to pick up the shipment paperwork, and luckily no sign of Captain Bull or the other cargo security officers.

I dropped my bag inside the mailroom door. No mail clerks either. I began my search for the shipment paperwork in the filing cabinets. I swore the papers were filed in a different location every time.

Damn, I cursed. "They couldn't have made it easy for me."

SLAM!

I revolved on my heels with my right hand on my sidearm. Chief Smith and Lieutenant Chandler stood just outside of the kitchenette.

"Do you want me to shoot you?" I asked.

Chandler's eyes grew as wide as saucers and his jaw slacked. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't know the door would close so hard."

The Chief was not fazed. He strolled over to me with a piece of paper. "We sent everyone on an extended break. We're here under the guise of disciplinary action."

"You did not waste any time. Yeah, I choked him out," I admitted. "Did he tell you what he was doing?"

Chief put his hands up. "Slow down."

He handed me the paper, a blank disciplinary action form.

"Do you want me to fill it out?"

Chief shrugged his shoulders. "Up to you. Unfortunately, that wasn't an isolated incident."

I crumpled the paper in my hand. "What?"

"About a month ago, a man was beaten unconscious on the Greenway. He is still in intensive care, so we do not know who did it. His wife told us he worked the late shift and didn't return one night."

"What are you doing about it?" I demanded.

The Chief's hands landed on his hips. "That is not what we're here to talk about."

A dull ache started in the center of my forehead. In a carefully controlled tone, I inquired, "What else could you possibly say?"

"Something is going on and the details are not known yet," Chandler said.

"Could you be any vaguer?" I asked.

He sighed. "Williams has been acting strangely. He is not his usual cheerful self when he comes to visit. And this morning Beechwood boasted that they don't have to worry about you anymore."

"I know. It'll probably happen during this mandated excursion."

Chandler stepped towards me. "When were you going say something?"

"When were you going to tell me about the ruthless beatings?" I retorted.

The Chief crossed his arms across his chest. "That is not important. We think you should leave the city. Do not go to Philadelphia."

"Ha!" I rolled my eyes and turned back to the cabinet.

Chandler walked over next to me. "We're serious. What good are you if something bad happens?"

The filing drawer emitted an explosive bang as I shut it and opened the next one. "So, you're telling me that you don't have a handle on what's going on in the city since I don't work for you directly. The only thing keeping the sadists at bay is the fact that I am still around. And you want me to leave?"

"Well, we will get a handle on it," Chandler stated.

I found the manifest folder and placed on top of the cabinet and slammed the drawer shut. It bounced back open from the kinetic force. "I'm not going to run away when these people need me. There might be three dead boys on your hands if the woman who cares for one of them could not call me."

"I understand why your feelings," Chief said.

I grasped the folder and pointed it at him. "Obviously, you have not learned anything about me over the past couple years. Whatever happens, there is no way it will be worse than if I run away."

"Please reconsider. The people I work for do not want any harm to befall you."

I stared at him. My mouth opened but no words came out. The people he worked for caused my predicament. The Chief even signed the orders. I glanced at Chandler, but he stood with his mouth agape at the Chief as well.

I stomped around the counter and snatched up my bag from the floor. "We can discuss who was right the next time we see each other." I shoved the door open and stormed off.

My mind swirled in turmoil on the way to the train. More and more, the mission to Philadelphia was a bad idea. However, it was too late to back out. No one would take my place. I did not think Blake would go out after curfew again, but the sinking feeling in my gut only increased.

I checked in with the conductor and climbed into the passenger car. Thankfully, I was the first one to arrive. I picked out a seat by a window and closed my eyes to wait for the train to leave.