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Todd puts a hand on my shoulder and one on Athena’s. “Are you ready?”
Athena nods once.
“Yeah, let’s call the police.”
He walks away from us, cell phone to his ear as he makes the 911 call.
***
Within the hour, police, paparazzi, news media, and paramedics are crawling all over our home. Athena’s in shock, sitting on one of the white couches in the living room with a blanket around her, and Lulu is on her lap.
The police confiscated Shannon’s Uzi, and right now, she’s in front of the media, giving her a colorful recollection of what went down. More than once, she’s stated to anyone who would listen that she’s both Athena and my best friend.
The one assailant who was found alive has been telling the police about an Amazonian woman, aka Shannon, who killed most of his friends. He’s in handcuffs, and they’re walking him out of the house when he looks at me.
“I’m sorry, man. We were sent to kill you and your wife for payback for Luis’ brother. But this had nothing to do with Diablo. Rivera ran this on his own without permission.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m as good as dead. I won’t last the night in custody.”
Todd and I exchange a glance. “Ahh, maybe I could escort the prisoner with you back to wherever you’re taking him?”
The detective in charge signals them to keep walking with the prisoner, and then he looks at Todd. “He’s right. If we put him in jail, the cartel will kill him. No one likes a snitch.”
“Put him in protective custody,” replies Todd.
The detective smiles. “Yeah, that’ll work.”
Todd sucks in a breath and puts his hands on his hips. “FBI?”
Gritting his teeth, the detective says, “Yeah, they’ll want in. What a fucking high-profile mess.” He walks out, shaking his head.
“What are you going to do?” I ask Todd.
“I’ve got that friend in the FBI, so I’m going to call him. You go sit with your wife.”
A female paramedic is talking to Athena, and I can tell from her movements that she’s had enough. Sitting beside her, I put an arm around her, and she melts into my side.
“I’m tired.”
“It’s shock,” explains the paramedic.
“Yeah, that, and it’s three o’clock in the morning.”
The woman stands. “You have a point.”
With my lips to Athena’s temple, I whisper, “You okay, wife?”
“Yeah. I’m exhausted.”
Thomas Silverback walks through the front doors of our home and makes a beeline for me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“What can I do?”
“We’d like to leave. Athena is about to pass out from shock and lack of sleep.”
