Page 75 of Outsider

“I’m up for it. Snow will take care of any tracks. It’s the only way we’re going to know for sure if Burkholder’s involved.”

“Make it quick.” Bertrand reached down and turned up the heat. “It’s coming down and we cannot afford to get stuck in the snow out here.”

“Give me six minutes.” With a nod, Mercer opened the door and got out.

Bertrand watched the other man until the darkness and falling snow swallowed him. He stared at the farm, his mind running through options that were quickly dwindling. Early on, he’d entertained the idea of taking his chances and arresting her, hoping the slew of felony charges would prevent her from pointing a finger with any level of credibility. He no longer believed that was the best choice. Even with all the strikes against her, if she had a recording or video or had convinced someone else to turn on them, questions would be raised. As careful as he’d been, he could have overlooked some detail that would come back to haunt him. Other people—maybe even cops—would be coerced or pressured into coming forward, some prosecutor promising immunity in exchange for their cooperation. A shitstorm of investigations would ensue.

He would not spend the rest of his life in prison because of her. He wished he’d been more careful who he’d brought in. Fucking hindsight.

Bertrand was starting to perspire beneath his coat when he spotted the shadow moving toward him. He set his hand on the Glock tucked into the space between the seat and the console when the door swung open. Mercer slid onto the seat next to him with a swirl of wind and snow.

“I was starting to think you got waylaid,” Bertrand muttered.

Mercer’s expression told him everything he needed to know. “There’s a Painters Mill PD Explorer parked in a drift out by the barn. Colorosa’s pickup truck is in the barn.”

“So Burkholder is here.” The garrote around his neck tightened.

“Why the hell hasn’t she called this in?” Mercer said. “There’s a fucking arrest warrant out for Colorosa.”

“She hasn’t called it in because Colorosa is talking and that fucking Burkholder is listening. As far as we know, she’s already been in touch with another agency and we just haven’t heard. That’s what you call a worst-case scenario.”

Looking worried, Mercer shook his head. “I say we go in first thing in the morning. Do this just like we planned. Reach out to the sheriff’s department beforehand. Let them know we’re going to execute the warrant. Ask for their assistance. That way we don’t get accused of overstepping.”

Bertrand let the statement ride for a moment. Then he set his hands on the wheel, stared straight ahead. “You sure that’s how you want to play this?”

Mercer hefted a humorless laugh. “What else is there?”

“If we do this by the book, Colorosa is going to put us under the microscope, partner. She’s going to name names and she won’t stop there. That bitch will drag us through the mud. She will take us apart piece by piece. Destroy our careers and everything we’ve ever worked for. There go our pensions. Our families will get dragged into it. You want your kids dealing with that? You feel like spending the rest of your life behind bars?”

Mercer stared at him, silent and waiting.

“We can’t bring her in, Ken. You know that, right? We do this by the book and this thing is going to blow up in our faces.”

Mercer didn’t look convinced. In fact, he looked like he was thinking about throwing up. “What the hell are you suggesting, Damon?”

“I’m telling you there’s only one way to fix this, and I think you know what that is.”

“She’s a cop. One of us. You can’t—”

Bertrand cut him off. “She’s never been one of us. Never been a team player. The only person she cares about is herself.” Hands on the wheel, he shook his head. “I don’t like it, either. In fact, I hate it. But that’s the way it is. It’s us or her, my friend.”

Mercer squirmed in his seat, his breaths elevated, fogging up the passenger-side window enough that he used his hand to wipe away the condensation. “Jesus Christ.”

Bertrand didn’t give him a respite. “Look, we didn’t ask for this. Colorosa turned on us. She made the wrong choice. Whatever happens next is on her.” When Mercer said nothing, he pushed. “We got to clean house, buddy. She needs to go away. Permanently. That’s the only way we can put this nasty chapter to rest and move on.”

The words echoed within the confines of the vehicle. Damning. Final. Terrifying. Not for the first time, Bertrand felt that weird sense of claustrophobia pressing down on him with so much force that he fought the urge to open the window. When Mercer remained silent, he wiped his hands on his trousers, hating it that his palms were wet. “Look, Kenny, if you’re not up to it just say the word.”

Mercer nodded, but with the enthusiasm of a man agreeing to take part in his own execution. “Lengacher has a bunch of kids in there,” he said. “That’s not to mention Burkholder.”

Bertrand took his time responding, choosing his words with care. “We’ll deal with it. No one gets hurt. We’re the good guys, remember?”

Blowing out a breath, Mercer leaned back in the seat, scrubbed his hand over his face. “What’s the plan?”

“We go in. Execute the warrant. Get Burkholder out of the room. Get the family out. Then we do what we need to do.” Bertrand shrugged. “It goes like this: Colorosa is one of us. So we do a cursory pat-down and we miss the pistol she secreted away. In the course of the arrest, she goes for the weapon. She brandishes it. We’ve no choice but to use deadly force. At that point, we plant the throw-down. Fire it. Make sure there’s residue on her hands and clothes. And we are in the clear.”

Mercer looked at him, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Jesus, I don’t like it.”

“No one likes it. But there’s no other way. It’s Colorosa or us. We didn’t sign up for this. That bitch fucked us over.”