That was when Wilson and Burke aimed over the banquette. “Freeze!” Wilson yelled. “Put them down. We won’t miss at this range.”
With no furniture to hide behind nearby, and the two men who had weapons aimed at them concealed enough that they had no clear shot, the two men raised their hands into the air.
“The weapons! Toss them to the side,” Wilson ordered.
The men complied. When ordered to do so, they dropped to the floor and assumed the position, spread-eagle on their stomachs. Laura Lee joined Wilson and Burke.
“Two more Tango’s secure,” Wilson reported.
In the apartment, Burke saw the blood creep away from him as it soaked into the white carpet beneath Davis. “Davis is hit,” he transmitted, still holding Jefferson, whom he allowed to get a little bit of oxygen, just enough to stay conscious, but not enough that he had much strength to fight him. He’d prefer a teammate was in the room before he let go of the man’s neck.
“On my way,” Rogers broadcast. He left Wilson and Saxton to secure the two men. He entered the stairwell and ran up the two flights of stairs.
As soon as the two men’s hands and feet were bound in zip ties, Saxton and Wilson followed him up the stairs. They came into the room and stopped momentarily at the two downed men. The one whose neck Laura Lee checked for a pulse did not have one. The wound in his chest was right over his heart.
“I’ve got a pulse,” Wilson declared, though the man whose neck his fingers pressed on was unconscious he wouldn’t be putting up a fight. The bullet had entered his chest through the side, its trajectory most certainly penetrating a lung.
“Okay, really easy, Jefferson,” Burke said. “I’m going to let go of your neck and take your hands behind your back at the same time.”
Jefferson was just this side of unconscious. There was no fight in him. His gaze remained fixed on Laura Lee. He stared at her with recognition.
“The safe, you’re going to give us the combination to open it,” Burke said.
Jefferson still stared at Laura Lee as he slowly regained full consciousness. “I know you,” he finally squeaked out.
Just then, Rogers helped Davis sit up. He helped remove his jacket. “It’s just a graze to his shoulder. The vest stopped tworounds. You’ll be sore, but you’ll live. Hound dog, when it’s secure, we need two ambulances.”
“Roger that, Powder,” Smith replied.
“Whatever you take from my safe won’t hold up in court,” Jefferson said.
“Sure, it will when the report reads that one of your men went rogue and brought two law enforcement officers up here to kill them, who then overpowered you and your men. That’s how the reports will read. And your dead men won’t be able to dispute that’s how it went down,” Burke said. “The combination, now.”
Wilson had the picture swung to the side, revealing the safe.
“It won’t take much for us to get it open without your help. I guess it doesn’t matter much if we destroy your place to get it open.”
“Why not?” Jefferson said, thinking he still had the upper hand. He provided the combination.
After it was opened, Burke sat Jefferson in a chair. Smith called in the ambulance and the DEA as the Shepherd Security Team leafed through the many journals which were dated. Laura Lee took the one that covered the years when Charles Saxton was killed. She flipped through the pages.
“It’s here,” she announced. “He recorded that he killed my father. He has IAB spy written next to his name.”
“That’s how I know you,” Jefferson said. “Holy fuck, you do look just like your mother, Ruth Lee. Saxton did adopt you, son of a bitch.”
Burke stood beside him, leafing through the book with the most recent dates. It was there, the name of every cop currently on Jefferson’s payroll. He was sure past books would have the other names. He didn’t see him flinch, didn’t see him draw a weapon. He heard the single gunshot as the round tore through La Vonn Jefferson’s chest. Everyone’s gaze went to Leo Davis, who held his P320, still aimed at Jefferson, the pant leg of his right leg up just far enough that the empty holster near his ankle could be seen.
“What the fuck, Davis?” Burke asked.
“I promised Charlie he’d never know where or who Laurel Lee was.”
***
Donna sat on the bed with her back propped against the headboard. The television was on some stupid movie just to have some kind of background noise. Her mom lay on the other bed, taking a nap.
There was a knock at the door. Donna went to the door and looked out the peephole. Rich, Laura Lee, and Brad stood in the hallway. She unlocked and swung open the door, immediately noticing there were bloodstains on Rich’s clothing. Donna stared at him, her eyes taking in the blood on his clothes.
Burke instantly took Donna into his arms. He held her tightly to himself despite the blood spatter on his clothes.
