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"I had to," Nicky said.
"I don't know how I can ever thank you," Meghan said, pulling away with tears in her eyes.
"You don't have to," Nicky said. "I'm just glad you're alive."
"We're both alive," Lauren said.
Meghan pulled back and looked at Nicky. "I can't believe you did it."
Nicky blinked back tears. In this moment, every heartbreak she'd been through as an FBI agent was worth it. She'd won. She'd saved the girl.
"Your parents will be so relieved to see you," Nicky said to Meghan. "I know they were worried sick."
"I miss them so much,” Meghan said. “I can’t believe they thought I was dead all this time. But I survived.”
"So did I," Lauren said.
"Yeah," Nicky said. "We all did."
Meghan and Lauren smiled and hugged her again. Nicky sighed. She was so grateful.
"Agent Lyons," a booming male voice suddenly said. Nicky turned to see Sheriff Corbin, his hands looped to his belt. "Sorry to break up the moment. A word?"
Nicky looked at Meghan and Lauren. "You two are safe now. That man will never see the light of day again, I promise."
"Thank you," Meghan said. "Thank you."
Nicky nodded at them and strolled away with Sheriff Corbin. Compared to the first time she'd met him, the man was a lot less hostile. Nicky hoped that seeing a crime as real and horrific as this was enough to get his head on straight.
"Well, Sheriff," Nicky said, "I hope--"
"You don't have to lecture me, Agent Lyons. I know."
Nicky nodded. "Do things by the books from now on. The FBI might be keeping an eye on your precinct."
The sheriff laughed a belly laugh. "Well, we'll work on that, but there's one issue that you feds didn't exactly clean up. Frank Katz's nephew is innocent, and he's threatening to sue."
"Let him sue, then," Nicky said. "We'll deal with it. We had reasonable cause to arrest Jordan. And he ran from us when he saw us, which he shouldn't have done if he were innocent.”
"Yeah, well, the kid's got issues, but he's not a killer." Corbin gazed off at the car that Roy was inside. Ken was talking to the other agents beside it. "To think all this time, something so horrific was happening... what you two found in that warehouse has to be one of the most gruesome things to ever happen in this part of the world."
"It was," Nicky agreed. "But it's over now."
“Anyway… I wanted to say thanks,” Corbin said.
Nicky nodded. “It’s my job, Sheriff.”
The sheriff took off, and Nicky went to meet with Ken. He broke away from the other agents and met with her in front of the old apartment building. Nicky looked at it, taking in the burnt wood and brick, imagining what life was like here before the fire--maybe, long ago, this was a beautiful place to live.
Now it was all ashes and ruined dreams.
"Hey," Ken said. Nicky met his blue eyes and half-smiled. "You really saved my ass back there," Ken said.
"Are you kidding?" Nicky almost laughed. "That bastard was choking the life out of me until you came in."
"Yeah, but he would've shot me in the face if you hadn't acted. I almost died, but you had my back, Lyons. Thanks."
Nicky wasn't sure what to say. She was happy he was okay. That was all the thanks she needed. "You're welcome, Walker. Guess we don't make a half-bad team."
