Dangerous Mine: Chapter 19

Author's Note: I'm actually sad that this is winding toward it's finale. I've had a ton of fun writing it. Hope it's been a good read!

Disclaimer: I own nothing you saw on TV, only what evolved out of my own mind. Namely the plot and my OC's

-/-

"Come on," Hunter moved to go after Vanessa, out the emergency exit at the end of the hall, but Ezra stepped in front of her.

"No. I'm going. You're staying," he told her. "You've done your part." He wasn't going to let her take any more risks. She wasn't part of the Team anymore, no longer a federal agent. And beyond that, he couldn't ask her to face down Walker, not after what she'd been through.

Hunter read the consternation in his face. "Ezra, you ain't asking, I'm telling. You can't go after her without backup, and there's no time to go back for one of the others. She'll be in the wind. I'm what you've got, take it or leave it." She paused, eyes rolling skyward. "And by that I mean take it because no way in hell I'm letting you go alone." The stubborn set of Hunter's chin told him he was going to waste time arguing.

He sighed. "You follow my lead," he instructed, breaking into a trot toward the end of the hall. Hunter followed close behind, wishing in that moment her dress had worked with flats.

"Don't I always?" she asked.

Ezra hit the emergency door and kept going. "And by always you mean never?" he muttered, mostly to himself. Once through the door they separated, Ezra going left while Hunter cast out to the right, looking for their quarry. Ezra caught a glance of her, a flash of red dress disappearing into the driver's side of Vanessa's silver Audi. The undercover agent whistled sharply once. He spotted Hunter's copper hair bobbing over the top of a row of vehicles as she hurried back. He dug the keys to his rental car out of his pants pocket. For once the dark, plain, domestic sedan he was driving suited his purposes just fine. It was a lot less conspicuous than his Jag, or Hunter's Corvette.

He was already moving by the time she reached him, trusting she'd stay close. His car was two rows over. He'd already started it and put it in gear by the time Hunter slid into the passenger seat. "By all means, take your time." It wasn't really a fair dig, but then, he didn't want her there in the first place. A sense of unease had settled hard in his gut he couldn't shake.

"You try running in a skirt and four inch heels," Hunter groused back at him. "See how well you manage."

The undercover agent didn't respond. He pulled out of the parking spot, keen eyes focused on the silver Audi waiting to turn left onto west Colfax Ave. He let the car idle a few rows back. Wouldn't do for her to know she had a tail. Suspect maybe. But suspecting was different than knowing. Ezra crept the car forward after Vanessa made the turn onto Colfax. And when she made a right onto Zuni St just after that, he pulled quickly out in front of a large truck that blared it's horn in irritation. Ezra barely registered it. Couldn't be helped, not if they wanted to keep eyes on Vanessa.

Ezra turned the sedan onto Zuni. "Call Chris," he said. "Let him know what's going on and where we're headed. Hunter nodded and pulled up the number on her phone.

-/-

Chris left Orrin Travis and went to join his Team by the bar, face grim. Mary's father in law was white as a sheet. "Anything?" he asked the others.

"Sammy followed Vanessa into the back. Ezra followed after a spell. They ain't come back," Vin told his friend.

"Travis wanted to call in PD," Chris said. At the alarmed faces of the others, he held up his hands. "Managed to talk him down. For now. Not sure how long it'll last. Mary's his family, but if Vanessa's not Walker's only eyes here it's a bad move. Let's just hope Ezra and Hunter are having better luck."

No one had a chance to respond before Chris' phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket. "Hunter," he informed the others. "Yeah?… yep… okay good…. stay on her. You keep on the line Hunter. Soon as you know where you're headed we'll be moving." He tilted the cell phone from his ear to relay the information to the five set of anxiously waiting eyes. "Tailing Vanessa in Ezra's rental. Hopefully she leads us straight to Walker."

A soft beep sounded in Chris' ear. "Hunter you still there? Hunter? Sam?" He ripped the phone away from his ear. "Damn it!"

-/-

"Chris, we're heading East on 13th," Hunter said into her phone, eyes locked on the silver Audi a few cars in front of them. They hadn't gone far, maybe a block or two when Vanessa's brake lights flashed, and she turned left. "Chris? You hear that? Chris?" She glanced at her phone screen. "My phone dropped out," she told the undercover agent. "Says I don't have service."

Keeping his eyes straight ahead as he slowed to make the turn after the Audi, he dug his right hand into the inner pocket of his suit coat. "Here, use mine. Code is 0428."

Green eyes flicked in her direction a moment later as Hunter swore. "No joy on yours either. We must be in a dead zone."

"Maybe." The southerner's lips pressed together. Possible, but he doubted it. "Or he's using cell jammers." He shrugged. "It's after hours, on a federal holiday, and this neighborhood isn't residential. Not gonna be a priority for anyone. Might not even be anyone to notice."

"Great." Hunter muttered beside him. "So much for backup."

Ezra slowed the sedan to a near crawl. There was no other traffic on the side street Vanessa had turned on, so he let her further the distance between them. When he saw the Audi's brake lights once more, he edged the sedan off into the shadow of a sparse tree and waited. Vanessa pulled into the small, 6 spot lot that was attached to a dilapidated two story brick building. The red dress she wore was like a beacon as she exited the vehicle and disappeared into a side door. Ezra put the sedan in park and killed the engine. "On foot from here," he announced, grim. He cast Hunter a sideways glance as he unbuckled the seat belt. "I suppose it's useless to ask you to stay here."

Hunter's expression was withering. "Just give me your extra piece and deal with it okay? No hero shit. Which means taking backup, and right now you're not exactly spoiled for choice."

Grudgingly, Ezra leaned forward to remove the extra handgun he kept in a discreet holster at his back. He handed it to Hunter, then liberated his own 9mm from it's customary shoulder holster. "How's your hand?" he asked. "Gonna be able to handle that?" He dipped his eyes toward the weapon.

Hunter passed the pistol to her left hand briefly and flexed her right, squeezing it into a fist. Her face twisted. "Not great, but I'll manage."

"And when was the last time you saw fit to patron a range?" Ezra asked.

"It's been a minute," she admitted. "But I could still pass recertification if I had to," she said, referencing the range requirements for an ATF position, "probably."

Ezra sighed. "Probably. Wonderful."

The two of them exited the car and headed toward the building, staying to the shadows as much as they could. "Not exactly an ideal wardrobe for this," he told her quietly as the went, motioning at her dress with his chin.

"I mean I could have stripped down to my underwear and gone barefoot," Hunter hissed at him. "Pure shock value alone mighta given us the upper hand." Beside her, Ezra smirked.

Ezra hugged close to the wall of the building next to the one Vanessa had vanished inside. It wasn't far to the door she had used, maybe 20-25 yards, but it was all open air between here and there. He didn't intend to march them into a killing ground. His eyes roved, looking for any sign of movement or life in the six windows that overlooked the gap between edifices. Nothing. For good measure, he looked again. "Clear."

"So we're going?" She knew the answer, just felt like getting the answer would give her a moment to steel her nerves.

"Stay on my heel," the southerner told her. With a last, quick glance at the windows, Ezra set off across the small parking lot in a swift trot, gun held ready, eyes wary. Hunter followed close behind. The door was set back in the brick, and they both squeezed into the small space it provided. Adrenaline coursed in both their veins. It was good, it would keep them sharp. "We clear rooms as we come to them," Ezra instructed. "Stay alert, and stay quiet."

"Alert's not a problem," Hunter assured quietly. "Terribly, terribly alert." Ezra lifted an eyebrow at her. Hunter nodded, "shutting up now."

Ezra tested the door. It swung open, unlocked, though even the small squeak of the hinges made him wince. The door opened into a small foyer, a set of stairs on his left, elevators in front of him and a double set of doors leading back into a dark hallway to the right. "Onward into the breach," he muttered to himself. He pushed one of the doors open and slid through. Hunter followed. Only the right side of the hallway had doors, weak squares of light from glass planes cast the only illumination into the passage. It was enough to see by, barely. Hair stood up on the back of Ezra's neck. This was all too eerily familiar to what had gone down with Vin in the warehouse. He pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to dwell.

Ezra slowed as they approached the first door. The door's window pane was caked in dirt and grime. Hunter took up a ready position behind his shoulder. He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door inward. Hunter swept past him, pistol raised, and Ezra just behind. He swept his weapon to the right, she to the left. Clear. They adopted the same approach as they neared the next door. There were six till they reached the end of the hall. Like the one before, Ezra first peered through the dirty glass. He was about to grasp the doorknob when Hunter tapped his shoulder. He looked back. Hunter tapped the index finger of her left hand to her ear, then pointed down the hall. Then Ezra heard it too, a low hum. It diverted his attention. They made a quick check of the rest of the rooms off the hall, but it was clear where they were headed.

Another set of double doors sat in the last few feet of the hallway in the left wall. Ezra's approach was cautious. His own breathing sounded like a roaring gale to his ears. The glass was less dirty. he kept his shoulder tucked against the left wall, and risked a glance. Beyond these double doors was a large, open, concrete floor. A warehouse maybe, judging by the truck door docks in the East wall. A couple more rooms shot off the warehouse floor in the North wall, as well as a couple at the top of a flight of metal stairs. Back toward the entrance, another set of stairs plummeted into the darkness below. Lights in the space were powered by a generator, which explained the hum. Two people were inside as well, one man, and Vanessa. The red dress was a dead giveaway, even if the grimy window obscured her face. They were arguing, but he couldn't make out the words over the generator. He didn't see Mary.

Ezra pulled back from the doors to where Hunter waited. "Walker and Vanessa are there," he whispered. "No obvious weapon, but I've no doubt Walker is carrying."

"Mary?" Hunter asked, equally quiet. Ezra just shook his head. "Okay, so she's in another room. That's actually good. Plan?"

"Wait for a moment they're not watching the door, and then interrupt their little soiree." Simple. But maybe not easy. "Be prepared, Walker isn't going to give up without a fight."

"He draws down on us, he's getting two, center mass," Hunter assured grimly. Ezra did not need to warn her about Walker. She already knew.

Ezra dared to peek into the warehouse floor again. Vanessa was gesticulating wildly, and Walker had his arms crossed over his chest, shoulders slightly away from the double doors. Well hell, no time like the present. He glanced back over his shoulder and gave Hunter a tight nod. She trotted past him to the other door, ducking low as she passed under the windows. Together, they burst through the doors, guns leveled, Ezra sweeping left while Hunter went right. "ATF!" the southerner bellowed. "Hands in the air!" There was a plastic folding table behind Vanessa and Walker that held several guns. Ezra watched Walker tense, shoulders pivoting towards it. "Do it and be assured I will drop you where you stand." Ezra told him.

Walker stopped, lifting his palms skyward, and then turned back to face the undercover agent. And he smiled. A slow, lazy, self assured grin that set Ezra's nerves instantly on edge. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Vanessa, face purple with rage as she stared down Hunter. But she too, had her hands raised. "Lace your fingers behind your head and get down on your knees," Ezra instructed them both. Walker complied, though the grin never left his face. "You're under arrest."

"Oh," Walker spoke. "I don't think so."

Doors banged open. The sound of footfalls on concrete filled the air. Two men appeared out of the basement. Two from rooms on the north wall. And two came from the offices on the second floor. All were armed. All had their guns squarely trained on Ezra and Hunter. "Actually I think it's you, Agent Standish, that should raise their hands. Weapon on the floor first though, if you please." The two men that had come up out of the basement, had circled behind Ezra and Hunter. The two on the balcony had positional advantage and line of sight. Teeth clenched tight, Ezra lifted his left hand away from his weapon and slowly stooped to place the gun on the floor with his right. He found Hunter's eye. Her face had turned wan, knuckles bloodless on the grip of her gun. He gave a small shake of his head. Her teeth raked once over her bottom lip before she too, set her weapon aside. Hell. Ezra raised his hands. So much for having a plan.

-/-

Chris paced. Not far. Just in the space occupied by Josiah at one end and Vin at the other. He paused every lap or two to look at his phone screen. 8:45. The governor was about to come on stage and start speaking. Chris knew the schedule. Start speaking at 9, hand out awards by 9:15, the last to Team 7 by 9:30. View Denver city fireworks on the patio at 9:40. Time was whittling away from them. He did not want to go up on stage. He did not want to renounce his, or his Team's position on live Colorado TV news. And more than that, it meant Mary's time was running short. Walker would kill her the moment Chris gave in to what the man wanted, he had no doubt.

His step hitched when he saw Buck look down at his phone. "Still no word," the ladies man told him. "Still can't raise them. Both phones go straight to voicemail."

"Shit," Chris breathed. Where the hell were they?

-/-

Relieved of their weapons, Ezra and Hunter stayed shoulder to shoulder as they were herded at gunpoint toward the office doors on the North wall of the warehouse floor. Once there, one of Walker's minions disappeared into a room, only to come back a moment later with two sets of handcuffs dangling from his fingers. He handcuffed Hunter first, roughly twisting her arms behind her body before shackling her hands together. He did Ezra next, the southerner's bad shoulder aching in protest of the treatment.

Walker circled them once, regarding them like a curiosity in a sideshow. His smile grew predatory as his eyes raked over Hunter. "So we meet again Ms. Hunter. You've wound up more of a thorn in my side than I anticipated." He reached for her and Hunter recoiled, though she couldn't go far with one of Walker's men at her back. Ezra could see the slight tremble of her hands, even bound by the handcuffs. She banished it by curling her hands to fists, lifting her chin to meet him with a locked jaw and steady eye.

"Don't touch her!" Ezra snarled, lunging forward. A chivalrous but ultimately useless effort, given the state of his bonds. But he couldn't help it. There was no part of him that could forget how she'd looked in that hospital bed six weeks earlier, broken, bruised, bloody. Fingernails removed and her face so swollen she could only use one eye. The thought of allowing Walker to lay hands on her again was untenable.

Ezra was met quickly by the butt of a rifle in his gut. Air rushed from his lungs and he bent double, till a rough hand grabbed the back of his collar and jerked him upright. Walker had his hand cupping Hunter's chin. Rage suffused every inch of Ezra's body.

Hunter was a trapped animal. Fight or flight. And flight wasn't an option. She'd never been much good at that one anyway. So she let the fear morph, let it fortify instead of break. Her face twisted into a mocking smile. "Thorns draw blood you asshole, and I'll happily take some of yours."

"Such a brave face now. You forget, I've seen the other side."

"You saw the side before I knew who you really were," she shot back. "Before I knew you were such a tiny, pathetic man. Before I knew why you did this. And it's not God. So why?" She took a step into his space, lifting her chin away from his touch. "Because you got passed over for a job?" Her voice dropped into a harsh whisper. "Because mommy was mean to you?"

"Shut up Hunter," Ezra told her. Buck had it right. All grit and no sense at all.

A growl in his throat, Walker wrapped his hand around the base of her throat, his thumb and forefinger pressing against her jawbone. He spun her like that, thrusting her against the wall. She grunted. "I should have just slit your throat like the others," he barked warningly.

Hunter didn't take the hint. Her eyes had hardened to flint and she sneered, "because that's what you do right? Cut women's throats when they're bound and helpless. Does it make you feel strong? Because you're too impotent to deal with them any other way," she snarled. Even in his grip she managed to jerk her chin in the direction of his acolytes. "You tell them we went toe to toe? That the only reason you're still standing is cuz you drew a knife? That in a fair fight you had no better than even odds?" She pushed back, into his hand, and her face had gone feral. "Big. Bad. Green. Beret."

He thrust her back again, the back of her head snapping against the wall. His lips curled into a smile. "You won't goad me into losing time in some stand off. This isn't the movies." Walker let go of Hunter's neck. "Put them in with the other one. Time for us to pack up and get moving. Revolution is at hand my friends. Tonight, God's righteous take a stand against those leading this city into moral abomination."

Two of Walker's men shepherded Ezra and Hunter toward one of the rooms on the North wall at gunpoint, while the other four followed Walker. Vanessa trotted up the stairs to the second floor offices.

This door too, had a small, grimy window in its center. It creaked loudly on it's hinges as one of the two men pulled it open. They shoved Ezra and Hunter inside. A familiar, blonde face and blue eyes greeted them, streaks of dark makeup running down her face. She too, had her hands bound. Her eyes widened at the sight of them. "Ezra!" she exclaimed.

"Mrs. Travis," Ezra greeted her, "it may hearten you to hear that we have arrived to effect your emancipation." He got a shove between the shoulder blades for that, stumbling forward a couple steps.

Mary let out a small snort. "Id say it was good to see you two, but I was hoping for other circumstances."

"Backs to the wall and sit," one of the men ordered. They complied, Hunter taking the spot closest to Mary, Ezra to her right. Aside from the door the room was windowless cinderblock. Once they were down, the two men left, the sound of a lock being set audible.

"Well you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men," Hunter told the other woman grimly.

"Best laid?" Ezra grunted. "Surely you jest. Your and Mr. Tanner's plan was far from deeply thought through."

"Well how the hell could we know he'd go and recruit friends?" Hunter said, peevish. "I was only counting on Walker and your psycho ex girlfriend."

"At no point was Agent Navarro my significant other," Ezra corrected quickly.

"You tell her that?"

"Wait," Mary shook her head. "Vanessa is involved in this? And you were dating her?"

"Dating, sleeping with," Hunter supplied. "It's all very gray for Ez."

"So she was sleeping with you, while simultaneously planning to kill you?" Mary asked, though it was mostly rhetorical. "That's twisted."

"Exactly," Hunter agreed.

"Why thank you ladies, for your illuminating insight to my personal life, but I think we have larger problems at hand here." Ezra gave a shake of his head. "Unfortunately Mr. Larabee and the rest of the Team are not privy to our whereabouts, so there is no rescue to be had that is not of our own making."

"You got any suggestions?" Hunter asked. "Cuz I'm all ears."

"First order of business would be to free ourselves of these shackles." Ezra twisted his shoulders, grunting from the effort. "Though at the moment it would seem I'm having difficulty retrieving the shim from where I had it sewn into this jackets lining." A handcuff shim was a narrow, thin bar of metal that could be inserted into the ratchet mechanism of a pair of handcuffs and effectively nullify it. Which meant the cuffs would slide right open. Handcuffs were not actually difficult to free ones self from, so long as the had the correct tools. Hell, in a pinch? Ezra could manage it with a paperclip.

"You said that suit it brand new," Hunter pointed out.

"It is."

"And you've already got a handcuff shim sewn in the lining?"

"In case of an eventuality such as this yes."

"You say that like this is normal. You're a weird guy Ez." Hunter shook her head, "but hell, in this case? Gotta love a man who's prepared." She scooted closer to him. "Where? Maybe I can reach it easier."

Before he could say anything, the door to their temporary cell swung open once more. Walker stepped inside, flanked by two of his men. "Take her," he said, pointing at Mary. The blonde reporter shrank back as the man approached, but he grabbed her beneath the arm and jerked her to her feet.

"You won't be able to just storm in," Ezra told him. "They'll be ready for you. My team? The police running security? You won't get within 20 feet of the door."

"We don't need to get within 20 feet of the door if we're already inside," Walker replied, voice dripping with condescension. "How much do you know of Denver's history Agent Standish? About the tunnel system that's been walled off beneath the city?" He shrugged. "Well, used to be walled off. I've had a very productive six months to change that."

Ezra felt his face grow cold. "The Navarre tunnels."

"Very good. The Navarre was a private girls school turned brothel near Civic Center park. A number of tunnels were constructed throughout the city so male patrons could come and go without being seen. Used again later during prohibition. Such a happy coincidence I discovered one of those tunnels leads right to Mile High Station. And not too far a walk. Under a mile as the crow flies, or the tunnel winds." He approached Ezra, dropping into a crouch in front of the agent. "Do you really think they'll be ready for us then? Especially after I set off a few of the car bombs in the parking lot dear Agent Navarro set for me tonight. Pray that God may have mercy on their souls. It's the only chance they have." Walker stood, smoothing the front of his shirt. "Of course, you might want to pray for your own soul while you're at it."

He stepped to the side, and Vanessa moved past his shoulder, gun in hand. She'd changed out of her dress, into black pants and tight black t-shirt. Her face was cold. Walker's men left, dragging Mary with them. "All yours," Walker swept his arm toward Ezra and Hunter, "as promised." Then he left, leaving them alone with Vanessa.

More than a minute ticked on in silence, Vanessa just staring down at Ezra. "Why?" he finally asked.

Her eyes flicked toward his, her voice like ice. "Because of Atlanta."

Ezra's chin jerked back involuntarily. He wasn't sure what answer he'd been expecting, but it wasn't that one. Vanessa stared down at him a moment longer, then turned on her heel and left. "Atlanta? Ezra what the hell is she talking about?" Hunter questioned. "She was involved in your Atlanta case? As a cop?"

Ezra shook his head. "I can honestly say I have no earthly idea. But," he scooted so his back faced Hunter, "I do think it will be advantageous if we can get out of these as quickly as possible. The shim is in the lining of my left sleeve."

Questions were for later. Hunter pivoted as well, till their backs face each other and she could feel his hands with her fingertips. She latched onto the fabric of his suit coat and started to feel around for the end of his sleeve. "Left," Ezra spoke up. "Left, left, your other left."

An irritated whoosh of air pressed out through Hunter's lips. "Okay, okay, other sleeve I got it. Not like this isn't super disorienting or anything," she muttered. She shifted her hands and found his other sleeve cuff. It only took her another few seconds to feel for the slim, metal shim. Desperately, she began pulling the liner apart from the sleeve. She managed to work open a small hole and stuck her forefinger inside, digging around till she felt the shim. A few seconds later she held the tiny object triumphantly between her thumb and forefinger. Hunter dropped it into Ezra's waiting palm. Then the two rose and faced the door. Neither wanted to confront Vanessa from the floor.

Ezra had barely managed to orient the shim in his hand before Vanessa returned, this time, with gun drawn. He needed to buy time. "You weren't in Atlanta," he addressed her calmly. "You were PD back then. I'd have remembered you."

Vanessa's dark gaze flicked toward the southerner as she started to pace, a few steps one way, then the other. The muzzle of the gun was pointed down, but it bounced up and down rhythmically as she moved, her hand restless. "True," she said simply.

Ezra kept his eyes on her, and kept his mouth working as he tried to blindly find the top of the handcuff ratchet with the shim. Keeping up a dialogue meant she wasn't shooting. "So I'm failing to understand your motivations. You're not a religious zealot. Your career has been spotless thus far, well on your way to rising through the ranks. So why throw in with a man like Walker? And what does it have to do with Atlanta?" Almost had it. There. The shim slid home. Just a little more….

Vanessa stopped then, turning to face Ezra. "Because Walker's not wrong when he talks about corruption within the government. He made some noise about it when we were at the Academy, not much, just a few little things here and there." She laughed once, a short, barking sound. "I thought he was crazy."

"Got news for you," Hunter interrupted, "he is crazy." She made herself not look at Ezra, not look at his hands. It was just Vanessa. If he could get free, they had a chance.

Vanessa glared at the other woman, before her gaze slid back to Ezra. "We graduated, separated. Didn't really think much of him after that. And then seven months ago he calls me. We met for coffee, and he slid your employment file in front of my eyes." She punctuated the thought by jerking the gun in Ezra's direction. "And that's when I realized he was right. Not the calling from God mind you, but the corruption. That you are allowed to be an agent anywhere, spits in the face of everything I believed in. So I joined him."

Ezra slid the one cuff open and off his wrist, careful to keep his hands concealed. He wasn't stupid enough to charge a woman holding a weapon leveled at his head. "Didn't realize my Agency dossier was that polarizing," he said, voice edging on bland.

"Do you even remember what a clusterfuck Atlanta was?" Vanessa queried. When Ezra didn't answer, she went on. "Of course not. You came out of it clean, so why give it a second thought right?" Ezra frowned but didn't correct her. Black balled out of the FBI, reputation in ruins, wasn't exactly what he'd call 'clean', but it seemed like a poor choice to argue the point.

"Growing up," Vanessa continued, "my mother was a junkie. Father wasn't around. So I lived with my abuelita. She raised me. And she was a foster mom. Helped a lot of kids. When I was fifteen, Ramon came to live with us. He was 12. He stayed with us for four years, my little brother, till the state decided my grandmother was too old to foster any longer. So they moved him. Group home, different school. He started hanging with some rough kids. But he still came around, holidays, birthdays. When I went off to college he'd drop in on the odd Sunday, just to mow the lawn. But those kids? Got Ramon got involved with a gang. And then a couple years later the gang got involved with the cartel. And before he knew it, he was in up to his neck."

Vanessa took two steps closer to Ezra, gun still raised at his head, now no more than an arm's length away. Ezra felt a cold knot wind it's way into his gut. "He called me. I was just a rookie then. Ramon wanted out. I told him to sit tight, that I'd find a way to help him. And instead?" Her lips twisted in a bitter smile. "You happened."

Ezra's mouth felt dry, his tongue thick. "Ramon Rodriguez. Low level player in the Diez cartel."

Tears shone in Vanessa's eyes. "You don't say his name!" she screamed. She pressed the muzzle of her gun into Ezra's forehead. "He was one of the guys watching the money at the stash house you raided that day," her voice shook.

"He ran," Ezra managed to keep his voice calm, barely. "We didn't catch him. He disappeared."

"When the money count came up short, we all heard the FBI was looking at one of their own to be good for it. A dirty agent. You," she practically spit the word. "But somehow, you hid your tracks, got yourself cleared." Again, not the moment to argue that he'd had no tracks to hide, since he hadn't taken the money. "You know who the cartel blamed then?" She took a heavy, ragged breath. "They left his head on my abuelita's doorstep!" Her voice dropped, tears now making tracks on her face, though the gun never wavered.

"So all of this for you has been about vengeance?"

"You got my little brother killed. I wanted you to feel your heart ripped out by someone you cared about, that you loved. To know the pain of losing every member of your little adopted family, everyone you love, one by one. And you will," she nodded once, "starting with her." Vanessa pivoted, swinging the gun away from Ezra's forehead, to aim it at Hunter.

The moment Vanessa moved, so did Ezra. And Hunter. He threw himself forward, barreling into the smaller woman. Wide eyed, Hunter threw herself sideways. Ezra's left hand thrust out to grab Vanessa's right wrist, driving the nose of the gun toward the floor. It went off. The retort of the gunshot in the tiny, cinderblock room was deafening. His right hand, open handcuff still dangling from his wrist, hit her chest and drove her back. They struck the opposite wall, grappling for control of the gun.

Vanessa drove her elbow down into the crook of Ezra's arm. His hand slipped from her chest, though his left never released her gun arm. She drover her knee up in a vicious strike to his midsection before she rolled her left shoulder into him like a wedge. She managed to get both hands on the weapon, but she was no match for Ezra in raw strength. He slammed her arm twice into the concrete wall and her fingers slid open, gun clattering to the floor. They both lunged for it, but Ezra, still holding her wrist, spun her and threw her behind him. Gun in hand he turned, but she had fled, slamming the door and her heard the lock slide into place. It wouldn't stop them, it would be easy to break the glass and undo the lock, but it gave her precious moments advantage.

"Stay on my heel," he barked at Hunter for the second time that day. It would only take him a few seconds to free her from her handcuffs with the shim he'd managed to slide into his pocket. He was already at the door.

"That's gonna be a problem." Hunter's voice rasped from behind him. Ezra turned, and all thoughts of pursuit fled his mind. Hunter leaned heavily on the wall, face pale and sweaty. A small puddle had begun to form at her feet, and it took him a second to realize it was coming from the dark red stain that marred her dress. She managed to shoot him a watery smile. "Keep telling you boys, I really hate getting shot." Then the wall was no longer enough, and she crashed to the ground.

-/-

Chapter 19

So one thing about this story is that it's been getting me to do some research on Denver. It's been fun winding some fact in with some fiction. The Navarre tunnels are absolutely a real thing, and it really was a brothel. Do they go all the way to Mile High Station? (a real place) I don't think so. But that's not the point is it?

I was really torn on where to leave this chapter off. I'd initially planned on waiting, but this seemed like a good moment. Thank you so much to everyone that is reading this! And to everyone that has taken the time to review.