CHAPTER THIRTY

"You know, it would have been helpful to know the feds had someone on the inside of all this," said Nine, staring at Patricia. She smiled at him, nodding.

"I know. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner, but there was just a lot happening at once. I'm glad you got Agatha away for a while. I know for a fact they were planning to get to her. She was asking a lot of questions."

"What brought the feds in on this?" asked Ghost.

"APD. They're not all bad. There are a few whistleblowers who called for help, along with the D.A. We're slow on a lot of things, but this one we knew we needed to get to. It was suspected that he'd raped and killed a half-dozen young girls, but no one could ever put him near them. It was just a suspicion."

"We know of one for sure," growled Ian. The woman nodded, looking down at the file in her hands.

"Listen, everyone was a little slow to catch on to what he was doing," said Patti. "The men we arrested are willing to sing for their supper if that supper is outside of jail. There's no way we can offer that to all of them. Some of these guys have committed multiple murders, robberies, drug offenses, you name it. They were involved in everything."

"Where is the police chief in all this?" asked Nine.

"He's on the list for sure. We think he was aware but looked the other way. Gates had a woman that he lied to and told that he was married. She was from a very wealthy, influential family out of Mumbai, India. They started making a big stink with the embassy, calling in favors from everyone they knew. It made a bigger impact than they thought. The president was listening."

"That's what I call an impact," said Gaspar. "Our team is gathering all the evidence and putting together a nice little presentation for the APD at 0500. We've got your team in Atlanta and the D.A.'s team getting to the most lethal of the people who were going to be at the rally and riot."

"We'll stop it. I've been asked by the president to remind all of you that this could expose you further. I know that's a sore spot for all of you," said Patricia.

"We're aware," said Nine. "Nothing to be done about it. We committed to this life and to helping others, even as old men. We've made it through this far. We'll make it a little further."

She nodded at the men, then turned to head back out.

"Patti? We do appreciate that you were there. Things could have gotten out of hand quickly with just Miller and Addie there." She smiled at the men, shaking her head.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, staring at them. The foursome looked at one another, then back at the older woman. She was younger than them but at least sixty.

"Have we met?" asked Ian.

"We have. About thirty years ago. I was with a group of agents infiltrating a child trafficking ring. You guys beat us to it, but the bad guys had me and three other agents up against a wall, ready to put a bullet in our heads."

"Fucking hell. Phoenix," said Nine.

"Phoenix," she laughed. "You and your team walked in, looking like the three hundred Spartans, but you were only thirty. I've never seen anything like it. It's how I recognized your man. He was there as well, and he looks just like you." She pointed to Gaspar, and he laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry we didn't recognize you," said Ghost.

"No reason you should. You saved dozens of lives that day. I was just one, but I was one damn grateful woman, I can tell you that. I had a husband and kids at home. Little kids at the time. They're all grown and have lives of their own now. But I got to see that because of all of you. If I can keep your faces and names out of this, I damn sure will."

She walked out of the room, and they all just smiled at one another. It wasn't often that they got to know what happened to the lives they saved, the lives they changed. It was nice knowing that they'd saved a life worth saving.

"You're okay?" asked Magnus, hugging his wife. She inhaled his masculine scent, falling into his arms.

"I'm fine. I was always fine. Miller wasn't going to let anything happen to me," said Addie. Miller grinned at the younger couple and nodded at his friend. He wasn't offended by his statement. He would have asked the same thing if it were Kari.

"We were all listening here, so we knew things were getting heated. Julia and the team really tore his ass apart in the Square," said Magnus.

"He's been getting away with it for so long, he thinks he's invincible," said Miller. "Bastard has a rude awakening coming to him."

"I don't think he thinks so," said Addie. "He's so conceited and so sure of himself, he thinks everything will fall into place, just like he orchestrated it." Miller squeezed her hand.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure it doesn't."