She fired again as the door below burst open and Noah and Joe entered. They fired simultaneously at Kip. His body jerked and he stumbled backwards and tripped over a desk.
Joe rushed to Kip and kicked away his weapons, then checked his pulse. “He’s dead,” Joe said.
“Lucy!” Noah called.
“I’m okay. I might need a Band-Aid.” Or four or five. Her arm burned, but she didn’t think she’d been hit.
Noah pulled a desk over to the vent and jumped on it. Lucy saw the top of his head. She handed him her gun. He put it in his waistband. Then grabbed her by the arms and pulled her out headfirst. He held on to her as he scrambled off of the desk. He put her in a chair. “Were you hit?”
“No. I think it’s splinters from the ceiling tiles. Or maybe I cut my arm on the vent. Stupid. But he was going to shoot Charlie.”
Joe had untied Mead and was calling out for both a report and an ambulance.
Peter came in and rushed over to Charlie Mead. “Charlie?”
Charlie smiled. “You’re okay.”
“What about you?”
“Nothing broken.”
“Why are you here?” Peter asked.
“When Rogan left, I was worried and wanted to make sure you were safe. I took the first flight, went to your apartment and that guy grabbed me outside.”
“I’m sorry.” Peter hugged him.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“An ambulance is on its way,” Joe said. “I have one man down.”
Noah swore. “Status?”
“Doesn’t appear life threatening. I’m waiting for confirmation.”
Four cops rushed in. Joe ordered two to stand guard over Kip’s body, and two helped Mead out of the building. Noah picked up Lucy.
“I can walk,” she said.
“You’re bleeding.”
She frowned, feeling light-headed. “I’m okay. Just woozy. I think from the dust.”
“You’re black with dust and soot.”
Noah carried her down the hall, down the stairs, and out to where Sean and Suzanne were standing with another team of agents.
“What happened?” Sean demanded.
Noah put Lucy down on the small strip of grass separating the street from the sidewalk. “You did good, Kincaid,” he said. He stared at her and Lucy wished she knew what he was thinking. There was something odd in his expression. Then Noah turned to Sean. “She’s all yours. Make sure the paramedics check her out thoroughly.”
“I will,” Sean said.
Suzanne leaned against her car while Noah walked away to coordinate the Bureau and NYPD. Sean sat next to Lucy and sighed in relief.
“I’m fine,” she said. “A bullet grazed me, that’s all. Maybe some splinters.”
“You’re going to the hospital.”
“I will on one condition.”
“You will on no conditions.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?”
“Luce, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Me, too,” Suzanne said. “Another case together. Maybe you’ll get assigned to New York when you graduate.”
“I’d like that,” Lucy said, then glanced at Sean. She couldn’t read his face. They hadn’t talked about what they were going to do when she graduated. The only thing she was certain about was that she wouldn’t be assigned to the Washington, D.C., office. Very few agents were assigned to the field office they were recruited from.
Joe DeLucca came over. “Good job, Lucy.”
“Thanks. I’m glad it’s over.”
“Suzi, we need to talk.”
“Not now.”
“Yes. Now.” Joe stared at her and Lucy was surprised that Suzanne gave in.
“All right. Just don’t call me Suzi.” But she smiled, and Lucy’s suspicions were confirmed. Joe and Suzanne had a history. Lucy couldn’t help but be happy. She liked them both. And their body language, though they weren’t touching, told her they liked each other a lot.
“What are you looking at?” Sean asked.
“Nothing.” She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. “While I’m getting this gash in my arm sewn up, you have to let the doctor look at your leg.”
“All right.”
“That was too easy.”
“I’m too tired to argue.” Then he smiled. “Maybe we can share a hospital room. We can play doctor.”
She laughed. “Don’t you have a hotel room reserved?”
“I do.”
“I think I can get a day off. Maybe two.”
He kissed her. “Princess, you’ve earned it.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Lucy returned to Quantico Wednesday night. She was surprised by the warm greeting from her classmates. “The assistant director himself came to fill us in on what happened,” Reva said. “Rick Stockton. Can you believe it?”
“I’m just glad I don’t have to repeat the story a dozen times,” Lucy said.
“Just once,” Carter said. “We deserve the details.”
“You do.” She smiled. “I appreciate your support, but right now I have to meet with the Chief. More reports.”
She breathed deeply as she walked across campus, alone, to Chief O’Neal’s office. Noah Armstrong was already inside.
“I’ve been briefed,” O’Neal said. “You can rejoin your class tomorrow if you can make up the work. I spoke with Tom Harden and he said you can have a PT pass until Monday if you need it. Or, if you need more time, the next new-agent class starts in ten days. You can take the time off, heal, and join with the new class.”
Lucy shook her head. “I want to stay with my class. And I’m fine. Just sore.”
The doctor had removed twenty-nine plastic splinters from the ceiling tiles and stitched up a gash in her left arm where one of Kip Todd’s bullets had grazed her.
“I’m glad,” O’Neal said. “You fit with your class. And after what happened with Sanchez, you’ll be instrumental in rebuilding class unity.”
“I have one favor,” she said. “Would you call in my field counselor, Agent Laughlin, and give me a minute to talk to him in private?”
Both Noah and O’Neal looked surprised, but she agreed. She left the room, and Noah said to Lucy, “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I left the files you showed me in Tony’s office. Your office.” Noah was taking over Tony’s teaching position until they found a replacement. “Hans?” she asked hopefully.
“He was in surgery all day, now resting in ICU. Kate’s with him. I can drive you there, if you’d like.”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Lucy-” Noah stopped. She didn’t know what he’d planned on saying, but she didn’t think it was what he ended up telling her. “I put a commendation in your file. ‘Outstanding performance while under fire.’”
Lucy laughed while she also blushed with the praise. “Literally. I have a lot to learn, but I’m getting there.”
Noah hugged her. “I’m glad you decided to stay. Hans will be pleased when he wakes up.”
Lucy hoped she and Hans could regain the friendship they’d once had.
Rich Laughlin walked in. Noah nodded to the agent, then left.
Lucy didn’t say anything at first. She kept her eyes on Laughlin. The anger and frustration on his face were obvious, but his eyes questioned her. He didn’t know why she had asked for this meeting; he thought he’d won-that he’d found a way to kick her out of the Academy.
“You’re delaying the inevitable,” he said, breaking the silence.
“What’s inevitable?” she asked.
“You’re one of the ten percent.”
Laughlin was referring to the 10 percent of new agents who didn’t graduate from the Academy. Last week Lucy would have been angry with his comment, but today she understood.
Laughlin continued, “Just because you performed this time doesn’t mean you’ll do it next time.”
“I’m going to assume you’ve read my file,” Lucy said. “Not just this last case, but my personal file.”
Laughlin didn’t say anything, but it was clear he had.
“You think, because I had been a victim of violent crime, and because I am obsessive about my work, that I’m also as reckless as Grace Johnson.”
His face hardened, but his eyes lit in surprise. “You don’t know Grace.”
“Though we’ve never met, I know Grace. Her baby brother was killed because of gang violence. Her mother was gunned down in retaliation for testifying against her son’s killer. Her father is in prison for murder. She was the good daughter. Fighting drugs and violence. One of the good guys. You trusted her because she was one of the best. She knew everyone. She was willing to do anything to end the pain and suffering of other families facing what she survived.