"Don't kid yourself, ' she said, feeling her fury escalating. "You just confessed in front of a roomful of people." He smiled at her.
"Whatever statements I made were coerced from me, elicited under threats of damage." He looked around at the four government agents.
"Ask any of these gentlemen if they think one word of what I said here will ever be admissible in court." Gin looked around. No one had to say anything. Gerry's eyes spoke volumes.
Something snapped inside her. "You mean he's going free? " Gerry started to say something but Gin didn't hear it. All the pain, all the anguish, the terror, the self-doubt, the betrayal, and Duncan was going to walk!
She turned, grabbed the ultrasound handle, thumbed the power button, and slammed it against Duncan's leg.
'"Walk away from that! " Duncan screamed "NO! " and clutched at his thigh. "Oh, God, NO! " The lab was suddenly bedlam, Reilley pushed her away from Duncan, Gerry pulled the handle from her hand, while Decker was saying, "Jesus H.
Christ! Gerry, get her the hell out of here! " Gerry grasped both her upper arms from behind and gently but firmly propelled her toward the door, guiding her past Duncan, who was now bent double as he clawed at his thigh, whimpering and moaning, "Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no, please, God, no-oh-no-oh-no! " And then they were in the narrow passageway outside the lab. Gerry shut the door behind them and turned her around to face him.
"My God, Gin! I can't believe you did that."
"I want him to be as frightened as I was. I want him to know what it feels like to be utterly terrified."
"I can appreciate that. Look, know what he tried to do to you, but after all you just said, I never thought . . . " He ran out of words and stared at her. "Why are you smiling? " She truly loved this man's sense of decency.
"I guess I forgot to mention that Duncan's implant was empty."
" Empty? " She nodded. "Right. He burst in on me before I had a chance to fill it, so I stuck him with an empty one." She watched Gerry's expression slacken, then saw his lips turn up at the corners.
A second later he was shaking his head and grinning.
"I love it. Give him a taste of his own medicine, or let him think that's what he's getting." He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I was so worried about you. Why didn't you call? " "I didn't think you'd believe me." Suddenly she felt weak and shaky.
"Can we sit down? " He guided her to one of the chairs in the lounge area and pulled another up close beside her. He slipped a protective arm over her shoulders.
"That will never happen again, Gin. I'll always believe you. I swear."
"Good. Hopefully I'll never again be in a situation like this."
"That makes two of us. Three of us, counting Martha. She's missed you." He leaned closer. "I think this morning will square me with the Bureau.
Which means I'll probably be moving up. I'm thinking of moving Martha away from the District. How about you? Still itching to work on the Hill? " Gin shook her head. "I've had it with this place. I think I'm going to look for a practice in a nice little town where only things are for sale, not people."
"Great." His eyes held hers.
"Maybe you could pick one with an FBI office nearby. How's that sound?
' "That sounds nice, " she said softly.
The lab door opened behind them. Briggs stepped out and walked past, heading for the stairs. He gave Gin a wary look. As the door swung closed again, Gin heard Duncan's voice.
"You've got to get me to a hospital! Now! Not later! This is an emergency! " And then the door clicked shut.
"How long before we tell him? " Gerry said.
"Tell him? " Gin said. "I'm not going to tell him. He'll figure it out sooner or later. Let the bastard stew till then." Gerry laughed.
"Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you." She grabbed his tie and pulled him closer. "Believe that, buster. Don't ever forget it."
They kissed.