Raelyn, p.2
Raelyn, page 2
part #1 of Oath of Honor Series
He held up his arms, placing his wrists together. “Go ahead and arrest me.”
He’d assumed she was bluffing, but in a swift move, she’d slapped a pair of silver cuffs around his wrists. “Pastor Isaiah Washington, you’re under arrest for aiding and abetting a criminal.” Her gaze didn’t waver as she went on to read him his rights. That, too, brought a flashback to when he’d been lying in a hospital with his ankle cuffed to the bed after undergoing surgery to repair the bullet wound in his chest. He’d been too doped up on pain meds to really appreciate his rights, but then again, it hadn’t much mattered.
When she finished, she added, “Stay here.” After gently pushing him toward one of the church pews, she walked away, speaking softly into a radio that was little more than an earpiece.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn’t help smiling wryly at his predicament. He didn’t think the DA’s office would press charges against him, but then again, the insurrection that had taken place outside the church was horrifying in more ways than one. So much death and destruction. For what?
He lifted his gaze to the crucifix on the wall above the modest altar. If he was to spend more time in jail, so be it. He would take whatever punishment the legal system deemed fit. He could only hope and pray that he’d be set free sooner rather than later.
The pretty cop headed outside, no doubt bringing in reinforcements. He wasn’t that concerned with being arrested. She was just trying to make a point.
Yet his job was to save lost souls.
A full ten minutes passed before Officer Lewis returned. He rose to his feet to meet her halfway. “I’m ready.”
She scowled as if annoyed by his calm attitude. Her job wasn’t easy either. And he could acknowledge that it was far more dangerous.
“The situation is under police control. Let’s go.” She tugged on his arm and drew him through the church and outside. The scene that greeted him nearly sent him to his knees. Several bodies were lying on the ground in pools of blood. So much like the way he had once been.
He froze, unable to move. To take another step. Had he caused this? Was this all his fault?
Lord, help me! Show me Your way!
“Pastor Washington?” Officer Lewis glared at him, her brow furrowed with suspicion. “What’s wrong?”
He couldn’t conjure the words to explain his role in the death and destruction he faced. He looked down at the ground, then dropped to his knees to pray.
Another crack of gunfire rang out. The pretty cop threw herself on top of him, slamming him face down on the concrete steps as the area erupted into chaos.
“More shots fired!” someone shouted.
Stunned, he tried to lift his head, but Officer Lewis continued to hold him down. And that’s when he realized that for the second time in his life, someone had just tried to kill him.
Chapter Two
“Shooter is at the abandoned warehouse,” Jina said into her earpiece. “I’ve pinned him down but need a team to investigate.”
“On it,” Roscoe drawled in his Texas accent. He and Zeke took off running toward the abandoned warehouse she’d recently used as cover. Had the gunman been in there the whole time? If so, why not take her out when he’d had the chance?
No, it wasn’t likely the guy had been inside the warehouse the entire time. He would have taken the opportunity to pick off a few more cops. Instead, he’d fired at the pastor. What was that about?
“Let me up,” Isaiah said with a grunt.
“Stay down.” What part of being used for target practice didn’t he understand? “We’re searching for the shooter.”
“Raelyn! Are you both okay?” Joe and Grayson came running toward her, crouching on either side of them.
“We’re fine.” She raised her head enough to glance over their shoulders. “No other shooters in the area?”
“We just finished clearing the area,” Joe said grimly. “Or so we thought.”
“The shooter could have sneaked into the warehouse at any point,” she said. “I’m sure if he’d been in there the whole time, he’d have fired at me when I ran past.”
“Maybe, but I still don’t like it,” Joe muttered.
“Can I please get up now?” Isaiah Washington asked.
“Not yet.” She didn’t move off him. Roscoe and Zeke had disappeared inside the warehouse, and it was suddenly eerily quiet. Seconds ticked by with excruciating slowness.
Finally, she heard Jina’s voice through her earpiece. “The guys have cleared it. Repeat, the warehouse is clear.”
That was both a relief and incredibly frustrating. How had the shooter gotten away? She knew it hadn’t taken that long for Roscoe and Zeke to head over. They should have been quick enough to catch the gunman.
“Let’s get him back inside the church,” Grayson said tersely, gesturing at Isaiah. “One cop dead on the scene is bad enough.”
“Only one? I thought I saw three down.” She levered herself up and off the pastor.
“Two critically injured and on their way to Trinity Medical Center,” Joe confirmed.
She shook her head, knowing there were several dead teens too. What a mess. “Pastor Washington? You can get up now.” She stepped back to give him room. “But stay close. We’re heading back inside the church.”
“Thank you.” Isaiah didn’t argue. When he managed to stand, she felt a little guilty when she saw her handcuffs were still around his wrists. Swallowing a sigh, she escorted him inside the church and over to the pew.
Then she reached for the key to release the cuffs.
“I’m not under arrest anymore?” He appeared surprised by her action.
Frankly, she was surprised by her decision too. “I should take you in, but we need to understand what just happened out there. Starting with who tried to kill you.”
Isaiah glanced up at her, his expression dazed. “I have no idea.”
“You seriously expect me to believe that?” She was getting mighty tired of his stubborn attitude. “Okay, let’s go through this again. First a bunch of kids with guns gather outside your church. Then you protect an armed teenager who held you hostage and took a shot at me, and now you claim you have no idea who just tried to kill you.”
He flushed and nodded. “I agree the situation doesn’t look good. I understand your concern. And the boy was scared, that’s all. I don’t think he really tried to hit you.”
“I’m not concerned,” she said in a low voice. “I’m angry. People died here today. You and I were almost killed too. Quit playing games. What gives?”
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Joe and Grayson were watching them warily. She did her best to ignore them.
“Okay. You’re right about one thing,” Isaiah said with a grimace. “I am partly responsible.”
Now they were getting somewhere. She softened her tone. “What happened?”
He stared down at his hands for a moment, then lifted his gaze to hers. “I noticed a group of kids outside the church buying and selling drugs. I called an anonymous tip to the third district police station to let them know. I did not give them my name, but I did mention I saw at least one weapon.”
She was shocked by his candor. “You said you were in your office working when the shots were fired.”
“I was.” He closed his eyes for a moment as if he couldn’t bear to remember. “I know what you’re thinking. It wasn’t me being a coward, because I walk with God and am not afraid to die.” He lifted his hand to rub his upper chest in a seemingly unconscious gesture. “I was only hoping to keep my involvement anonymous mainly because I need this church to be a refuge for those who seek peace and safety.” He paused, then added, “But I wasn’t about to ignore a major drug deal going down either.”
“So that kid who held you hostage was one of the drug dealers?”
“No, he wasn’t the one involved with the drugs, not at first.” Isaiah’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure when he arrived on the scene.”
“I still need his name.” She would bet money on the Glock matching the bullets found at the scene outside.
“I told you before, I don’t know his name.” There was something about the way he responded that indicated he knew more than he was letting on.
“Look, Preach, you better start cooperating, or I’ll slap those cuffs back on and haul you downtown.”
“My name is Isaiah.” He sighed and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know his legal name. But I’ve heard his street name.”
“I’ll take whatever information you have.” She tried not to show her annoyance with the way he was splitting hairs. He must have known the kid’s street name earlier, too, but hadn’t seen fit to tell her. Not even when she’d clapped handcuffs around his wrists.
Before he could tell her anything more, Joe crossed over. He drew her from Isaiah so they could speak freely. “We need to go outside and talk to the district three captain and two detectives who just showed up.”
She hesitated, glancing back at Isaiah. “Not sure we should leave him here after the way someone tried to kill him. At least not until the scene has been cleared.”
Joe frowned. “Yeah, okay. You stay close. Grayson and I will head outside.”
“Wait.” She didn’t like being stuck on babysitting duty. “We can get one of the officers outside to sit on him.”
“Not happening. Three of their own were shot, one dead and two injured. They’re taking the lead on the investigation.” Joe shrugged. “Rhy just wants us to offer assistance as needed until the area is completely cleared. He’s not putting us on modified duty either.” Joe pinned her with a gaze. “I know you hit one teen, and Roscoe did too. You’ll have to give your gun to the detectives, but you’ll be allowed to use a backup piece.”
“Okay.” She could tell there was no point in arguing. She was relieved Rhy wasn’t taking them off the street, even though she knew that was the usual protocol. And she could understand the decision to allow district three officers to take the lead. If one of the casualties had been a member of their tactical team, there wouldn’t be a cop on the planet who could keep them away. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do.” Joe cut a glance toward Isaiah. “Go easy on him. He’s trying to do a good thing here. This neighborhood needs a church.”
She nodded without saying anything. She understood where Joe was coming from. He was a man of God too. A believer like Steele, Brock, and their boss, Captain Rhy Finnegan.
But not her.
After the guys left, she turned back to Isaiah. He wasn’t in the pew where she’d left him. He was walking up the side of the church toward the altar.
“Isaiah? Hold on, we’re not finished yet.” She hurried after him, her gaze taking in the crucifix hanging above the simple table covered in a white cloth. He’d mentioned this was a Christian nondenominational church. She wondered what that meant. Then she told herself it didn’t matter.
He led the way into his office. She hovered in the doorway, noticing the tall bookshelf behind him full of different books and a few Bibles. Why more than one? She had no clue.
“Officer Lewis,” he said with a nod. “Please take a seat.”
So formal, she thought as she dropped into the plain hard-backed chair. “I know you care about the law and justice,” she said. “Or you wouldn’t have made that call to the district three police station about the drug deal. So why are you harboring a cop killer?”
“You don’t know that boy killed anyone,” he protested.
“We have one dead cop and two critically injured,” she said in a clipped tone. “And I have reason to believe that kid fired at one of them.”
Isaiah frowned, then slowly nodded. “I see. Because of the way he said no one could help him now.”
“Exactly.” She held his gaze. “If you ask me, that was pretty much a confession. I understand you want the church to be a sanctuary, but that doesn’t excuse harboring a cop killer.”
“You don’t know he killed an officer, and I’m not harboring him.” Isaiah spread his hands wide. “He’s not here in the church.”
She ground her teeth together. “This is serious. I need to find this kid. Are you really going to refuse to help me?”
Isaiah dropped his gaze to the desk. It was all she could do not to leap across, grab him by the shoulders, and shake him. After what seemed like eons, he lifted his gaze. “He goes by his street name, Pinky.”
“Pinky?” Was he for real? “Why Pinky?”
“Because he lost the pinky finger of his right hand when his father smashed it with a hammer,” Isaiah said, his blue eyes dark with pain.
She could only stare at him in horrified shock, feeling his anguish. The explanation was awful. Even though she was no stranger to growing up poor and in an abusive household, the image of some man smashing his son’s finger with a hammer made her sick to her stomach. “Was his father arrested?”
“No, because Pinky’s mother told the police his finger was slammed in a car door. Even though they didn’t have a car.” He sighed. “Don’t you see? These kids aren’t born bad. They’re products of their environment.”
“That may be so.” She was a product of her environment, too, wasn’t she? But she’d taken a different path, escaping the lure of easy money in the streets. Besides, having compassion for the kid’s situation didn’t extend to ignoring the law. “I still need that weapon to see if it matches the slugs that will be taken out of these fallen officers. They deserve justice.”
“I understand. But even if you find Pinky and the Glock, you don’t know for sure he was the one to fire at those officers.” Isaiah shrugged. “He may have picked up the gun from the ground.”
What, he was a cop now? She frowned. “I thought you didn’t see anything?”
“I didn’t.” He looked tired and sick over the violence that had erupted just yards from his church. She couldn’t help a flash of sympathy. For someone who did believe, this situation couldn’t be easy. “I’m just saying that the fact that Pinky had the gun in his hand doesn’t mean he fired at one of your fellow officers.”
Isaiah seemed determined to protect this kid at all costs. And she could understand, to a point. “It would be easier to believe that theory if he hadn’t taken a shot at me before bolting out of here.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she quickly added, “But I will keep that possibility in mind once I find him.”
Isaiah’s expression was grim. “I hope you do.”
Why did she feel as if she were one of the bad guys? She and the rest of their tactical team put their lives on the line every day for their community. She didn’t appreciate him trying to make her feel as if she was part of the problem. “Is there anything else you can tell me? Like additional street names for the other kids who ran through here?”
He frowned, then leaned forward to grab a pen. He jotted down a short list of four names. “These are the only ones I know, and that’s only because they’ve attended church services.” A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “The kids talk to each other freely as if I’m invisible.”
She was surprised to hear they’d bothered to attend services but stayed focused on the list. “Congo, Dagger, Tiger, and Snoop?”
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate.
It was like pulling teeth. “Do you know the stories behind all of their nicknames?” She pressed.
“Congo used to play the drums. Dagger is skinny and is known to carry a knife, and Tiger has a large orange Afro as he is also a mixed-race child. I’m not sure about Snoop.”
She made those additional notes, then stood. “Thanks for this.” Her main priority was to find Pinky and his Glock. Then she remembered how she hadn’t wanted to leave him alone. “I’ll see if we can arrange for more police protection.”
“No need. I’ll be fine.” He didn’t look concerned. “Pinky didn’t want to kill me.”
“Someone did.” She considered calling Joe, but then she decided against it. The pastor should be safe enough in church. Getting these kids into custody had to be a priority. And now that she had names and even a description, she was anxious to get started. “Your choice to stay here or have an officer escort you home. I’ll see you later, then.”
As she turned away, Isaiah called out to her. “Officer Lewis?”
She paused to glance over her shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I pray you find the peace you’re seeking.” He smiled gently, and she was surprised at how handsome he looked. “God is always there, waiting for you. You and your teammates are welcome to our Sunday service any time.”
Don’t hold your breath. Somehow, she managed not to say the words that flashed in her mind. Instead, she simply nodded and left.
After seeing the death and destruction that had just transpired outside the church, she didn’t understand how anyone, even Isaiah, could believe in God.
Isaiah told himself not to feel guilty for giving Raelyn the information about the kids’ street names. The truth was, the situation that had unraveled outside couldn’t happen again, and if that meant some of these kids doing time in a juvie center, then so be it.
Yet he wasn’t sure Raelyn—Officer Lewis, he swiftly corrected himself—would agree with his assessment of where they should be held if found guilty of a crime.
It was no secret they were on opposite sides here. Not that he condoned violence in any way. No one should be fired upon, much less police officers. But he also knew what these kids dealt with every day. They didn’t have easy lives.
But they did have choices. And many of them had made the wrong ones today.
The way he once had. He absently rubbed the scar on his chest through his black shirt. God had saved him for a reason. To be here today. To help these kids in any way possible. And logically, he knew that didn’t include protecting criminals.
