and if she leaves, tail her. I’m sending you her photo and data now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Since he wore a T-shirt instead of his uniform, she realized she’d gotten him out of bed. “As soon as you can, Carmichael.
“One more,” she told Gina, and sent a text to Whitney, Mira, and Jenkinson.
Rapid developments on Natural Order matter, including cooperating wits. Will brief at Central in ninety minutes. Request FBI inclusion in same, Commander. Request your presence, Dr. Mira. Require all available officers and detectives in my division be present. Jenkinson, coordinate same.
When Eve finished, Gina simply stared. “This is really happening.”
“Count on it. We’re nearly there. I’m going to have a lot more questions.”
“Lieutenant Dallas, I’ve never considered cops friends of mine, but if you can get my kids somewhere those very-bad-word-to-say-in-front-of-children can’t touch them, I’ll kiss you on the mouth.”
Eve flicked a half smile in the rearview mirror. “Answering the questions will handle it fine.”
18
At Dochas, the children were lured away with toys and breakfast, and promises to see Gabe and Zoe as soon as they woke up.
To ensure privacy as the house began to stir, Eve sat with Gina in an office where Gina gulped coffee.
“I haven’t had coffee in four years. Four years. God, I missed it. Nothing caffeinated, nothing carbonated—house rules from the asshole. I don’t have to say his name anymore. He is now and forever The Asshole.”
“Jane Po. Did she set you up with the recruiter?”
“Yeah. She talked about my progress, and this opportunity to work, entry level and all that, but I’d get training and the potential for advancement. I was really grateful she’d arranged this interview.”
“Where did you meet the recruiter?”
“At Stone Tree, the halfway house. She talked about training for marketing and public relations for this global organization. It all sounded so frosty. I was going to turn eighteen and figured I had to make a choice between getting my ass in gear or living on the streets. I thought I was getting my ass in gear.”
“What happened?”
“She said I’d passed the initial interview, and with Po’s recommendation, she could take me to the next phase. She said it turned out there had been an opening, and if I wanted to fill it, she’d take me to her supervisor for the next phase. I jumped on it.”
She broke off at the soft knock on the door. Natalie poked in.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you’d both like a little breakfast. The kids are eating like horses,” she assured Gina. “Lollie is a firecracker, Gina.”
“They couldn’t smother that personality, and they tried. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Eat some breakfast. As soon as your partner arrives, Lieutenant, we’ll send her in.”
“Thanks. Appreciate the food and coffee.
“What happened next?” Eve asked when Gina dived into the scrambled eggs.
“She had transpo. I got right in. You know, I was a street kid, but I never sensed anything off. I thought I was so damn good at that. She had coffee in the car—dosed. It had to be dosed because the next thing I knew I was waking up in this room. No windows, one door, and this other woman sitting on a stool. She said she was Mother Catherine, and I was now a member of Natural Order. She would teach me to be faithful. I was groggy, scared, pissed, and when I tried to get out …
“She had a shock stick and knew how to use it. I didn’t see anybody but her for I don’t know how long. A couple of days, a week.”
After a long breath, she picked up her coffee again.
“I had to eat when and what I was told, or shock stick. She’d run this bullshit propaganda about the order on-screen for hours. They restrained me and took me into a medical-type place. I got a physical, if you can call it that. Oh, I had a couple of tats—they took care of that. It hurts having tats removed.”
Though the sudden influx of caffeine probably added to Gina’s rapid recitation, Eve topped off her cup.
“Thanks. Anyway, a lot of it blurs. A lot of drugs pumped into me, a lot of shock-stick therapy.”
Gina paused and closed her eyes for a moment. “I’ve never tasted anything better than these eggs in my life.”
“Freedom tastes pretty great.”
When her eyes welled, Gina used the back of her wrist to dry them. “Yeah, it does. You get it. So … one day Mother Bitch brought in a white dress, told me to put it