straight with you.”
From what Tommy had seen, almost every suspect who talked about being honest was, in fact, lying through their teeth. But Wallace seemed different. Raul must’ve thought so, too, because he was talking to the kid about getting into rehab. Doing community service. Something to keep him out of jail.
When Raul was back in the car and after he had filed a report, Tommy leaned against his seat and exhaled. “I thought the kid was going to steal your car.”
“He could’ve.” Raul glanced at him. “What would you have done?”
“Gotten out.”
“Good answer.” Raul breathed deep. “Kids like Wallace… they’ve been raised to hate us. But the thing is, they need us. If we can get Wallace clean, get him into a community service program… someday he might be one of us.”
Tommy set his eyes straight ahead. He had long been a Marvel fan, loving the way Captain America and Iron Man laid down their lives to help people. But right now there was no hero he’d rather be like than the one sitting beside him.
Officer Raul Garcia.
17
Luke could barely concentrate.
He rose from his leather chair and walked to the wall of windows that rimmed two sides of his law office. From his spot on the eighteenth floor, clouds hung low over Indianapolis, but they were nothing to the turmoil in Luke’s spirit. He was working a case that involved a store owner attacked by members of a new gang, a group of particularly vicious criminals whose only goal was to terrorize the city.
For the past month, since Tommy told them about wanting to be a police officer, Luke had worked hard to convince Reagan. No reason to discourage their son, he had told her. And he, himself, leaned on truth. Do not be anxious about anything… Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Those and a dozen other Scriptures Luke had shared with Reagan or texted her from work.
But today he had learned a lot about this new gang.
He and Mike Lockwood had met for lunch and the detective had never looked more serious. “These guys are big trouble.” He set his jaw. “We’ll need a lot more officers to take them down.” The new group was into robbery mainly. “They wear hoodies and gloves and masks. Eight or ten of them pile in a van and go to their location. A tech store or a jewelry shop. Someplace with high-end goods.” He paused. “Then they storm the place.”
What Lockwood had said next made Luke’s blood run cold.
“Every one of them is armed and the groups are organized. Two stand lookout at the door while the other six or eight grab goods. If anyone gets in their way they take them down.” He hesitated. “Last time they killed all three employees. They leave no witnesses.
“They’re hard to find, hard to identify.” Lockwood added that the gang had one simple motto when it came to police. “Shoot to kill.”
Now Luke was sorting through his firm’s case—a civil suit running concurrently with the criminal one. At least two members from the gang were going to prison, by the looks of it. But like his friend said, the gang was growing faster than the police force could handle.
Lightning shot straight down onto the city and a chill ran along Luke’s arms. What was he really advocating for Tommy? He walked back to his desk and sat down. Not only that but Annalee’s scan results were in. Her chest tumor was only slightly smaller, not nearly as much as her doctor had hoped. Over the next several rounds, they would have to increase her chemo.
Something her parents weren’t sure she could handle.
Every minute Tommy wasn’t doing homework or at the gym or on a ride-along, he was with her. Praying for her. Helping her to the bathroom. Reading to her. Worrying about her—no matter how positive he tried to stay. But it was taking its toll on Tommy… and on his faith.
Luke couldn’t imagine a more difficult season for any two young people. And Tommy and Annalee were two of the best.
His phone lit up. Luke checked it and saw a text from Lockwood. Probably just thanking him for lunch.
Typically Luke wouldn’t check messages during the workday. But something made him open this one. The text was short:
Luke, we have an officer down. He’s critical—in the hospital on life support. I wanted you to know before Tommy sees it on Twitter.
Then Luke read the officer’s name.
No. Please, God,