Pete had entered the kitchen during the conversation, his face thoughtful. "His driver’s license says Luis López. He isn't on our radar. Must be from somewhere other than the Shore.”
"Tattoos indicate gang," Terry growled. “I’ll bet I know who hired him.” His jaw clenched as the pieces fell into place. "Where's Harrison now?"
Jeremy replied, "Thought you might be interested. Just checked. He’s still at the beach house, dealing with the damagefrom the party. Colt has a deputy assigned to keep eyes on him, but we need to move before he realizes we've got his guy here."
Pete turned from the others, speaking quietly into his radio before turning back with the kind of grim satisfaction Terry recognized. "Harry's there with his dad."
Terry felt the familiar surge of adrenaline that came with a case reaching its breaking point. The Blackwoods had been operating under their noses for years, poisoning their community with laundered drug money, and now they finally had a chance to bring down the whole operation.
But leaving his family felt impossible after what they'd just been through. The thought of walking away from Emma and Toby so soon after almost losing them made his chest tight with competing loyalties.
"Go," Sandra said quietly, reading his internal conflict with the understanding that came from truly knowing someone. "You need to be there for this. We're safe now, and you know you want to be in on the arrest."
"Dad, you should go," Emma said, wiping her eyes but managing a shaky smile that reminded him how grown-up his girl was becoming. "We're okay now."
"Yeah, Dad," Toby added, his natural resilience already reasserting itself. "Go get the bad guys!"
Manuel stepped forward, his voice carrying the quiet dignity Terry respected. "Captain, your family will be safe with us. You have my word."
Carmen nodded firmly, her maternal instincts already extending to include Terry's children. "We'll take good care of them. You go do what you need to do."
Terry looked at each face—Sandra's understanding smile, Emma's brave nod, Toby's excitement at the idea of his dad catching more criminals, and the Garcia family's steady reassurance. These people had risked their lives to protect whatmattered most to him, and now they were giving him the freedom to finish what the Blackwoods had started.
"I love you," he said, kissing each of his children and then Sandra with the intensity of a man who'd almost lost everything. "I'll call you as soon as I can."
"We love you too," Sandra said, her hand lingering on his cheek. "Now go finish this."
Terry hustled out the door with Jeremy and Pete, already radioing for backup from Colt's deputies. The Blackwood empire was about to come crashing down, and Terry intended to be there when it happened.
But as he climbed into the SUV, he knew that his real victory had already been won. His family was safe, and that was worth more than any arrest or conviction.
49
Terry's heart rate had slowed to something approaching normal, but it was replaced with cold rage flowing through his veins like ice water as they pulled up to the beach house where everything had started weeks ago. The massive waterfront property looked different in daylight, less glamorous and more tarnished.
Several service vehicles were parked in the circular driveway, their corporate logos bright against white panel sides: carpet cleaning, window washing, power washing, and maid service. Someone was working overtime to erase all evidence of the party that had blown Harry Blackwood's operation wide open.
The irony wasn't lost on Terry. They were cleaning up one mess while creating a much bigger one for themselves.
The front door stood open, and Terry could hear voices from inside as they approached—casual conversation mixed with the sounds of industrial cleaning equipment, as though this were just another day of property maintenance.
"Sheriff's department! Eastern Shore Drug Task Force!" Terry called out, his voice carrying the authority of twenty years in law enforcement. "We're coming in!"
They found Harrison and Harry Blackwood standing in the main living room, both men surveying the damage andcoordinating with the cleaning crews as though they had no worries beyond restoring their rental property to pristine condition. Father and son looked up in surprise as the three officers entered, their faces shifting from mild annoyance to wide-eyed alarm in the space of a heartbeat.
Terry felt a surge of satisfaction watching their composed masks slip.
"Harrison Blackwood, Harry Blackwood, you're both under arrest," Terry announced, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins like electricity. Jeremy and Pete moved smoothly into position beside him, their handcuffs already out and ready.
"What the hell is this?" Harrison demanded, his polished composure cracking like a facade hit by a sledgehammer. "You can't do this! I'll have your badges for this outrage!"
"Dad?" Harry's voice cracked with genuine panic as Pete spun him around and secured the cuffs behind his back. "What's happening? I want my lawyer! This is harassment!"
"You have the right to remain silent," Jeremy began, his voice cutting through their protests with professional calm as he read them their rights. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
Terry watched with cold satisfaction. These men had terrorized his family, endangered children, and poisoned their community for profit. Seeing them reduced to just another pair of suspects in handcuffs felt like the first installment of justice.
A deputy vehicle arrived within minutes to transport the two men separately to the station. Terry was grateful to avoid the continued threats and bluster that he had no doubt filled the entire ride back to headquarters.
