Page 17 of Dead Drunk (Cold Case Psychic #36)

Tennyson

After getting his first good night’s sleep in nearly a week, Tennyson felt like a million bucks. Ronan was back to his usual bright eyed and bushy tailed self as well. For what was about to happen, they would all need to be at their very best.

Once dinner had been eaten, Cisco outlined his plan to get Oliveri. He was going to wear a wire and get his former partner to confess all his sins. Ronan hadn’t liked the idea when Cisco introduced it and he didn’t like it now, based on the sour look on his face.

“Ronan, take a breath,”

Ten said, while Fitz and Cisco went over the plan one last time.

“There’s a lot riding on this meeting between Cisco and Oliveri, there are a million things that can go wrong.”

“There are also a million things that can go right. If Oliveri doesn’t confess to Cisco, then you’ve got arrest and search warrants for Oliveri and his property. Everly told you where to find the crucial evidence. Along with you, Fitz, and Jude, Cisco is being covered and protected by the Salem Police.”

“What about you? Is your gift picking up anything?”

Ronan’s voice was filled with anxiety.

Ten shook his head.

“Just that you’re going to be okay, but don’t use that as an excuse to be reckless. Follow Cisco’s plan. Come home to our family. Got it?”

“Yeah,”

Ronan said, not sounding at all happy about it.

“Okay,”

Cisco said.

“This is it.”

He was standing on the sidewalk in front of Ten and Ronan’s house dressed in a pair of tan cargo shorts and a short sleeved button up. In the front pocket was a pen, outfitted with a Blue Tooth transmitter that connected to Fitzgibbon’s phone, which he wore strapped to his arm as if he were going for a run. Every single word that was said would be recorded to be used against Oliveri at trial.

“Just remember to park far enough back that Oliveri doesn’t see you coming and realize this is a trap.”

“We’ve done this a time or two before, chief. We won’t mess it up,”

Ronan assured Cisco.

“Yeah, but you’re also the dumbasses who thought I was the killer.”

Cisco rolled his eyes.

“We’re never going to live that down, are we?”

Jude asked.

“Not likely,”

Cisco agreed.

“I’m off. You remember the safe word?”

“Picnic,”

Ronan said.

“If we hear that word, we’re coming in hot, so be ready.”

“Let’s roll.”

With those words, Cisco got into his truck and drove away.

After Ten climbed into Fitzgibbon’s SUV, it pulled into traffic and followed a safe distance behind Cisco.

“Ronan, I want you and Jude at the back of the house, I’ll take the front along with the SPD officers, who I’ll bring in if needed. Ten I want you out of the line of fire, but I know that isn’t always possible. Lastly, I want all of you in vests. Got it?”

“Got it,”

Ronan said, softly.

Ten knew Ronan was nervous about the operation. Cisco was going to try to get Oliveri to confess. If the plan didn’t work, Fitz would swoop in and arrest the retired cop and summon SPD officers to conduct the search warrant. He knew Ronan was itching to sink his teeth into the soon to be disgraced cop in an interrogation room. Ten hoped Oliveri would just confess and save everyone a lot of time and frayed nerves.

“This is it, Rockingham Drive, on your left,”

Jude said.

“Park here.”

Cisco had wanted the detectives to park two streets over from Oliveri’s house. They were supposed to wait for Cisco’s word before they moved into position. By all appearances, Fitzgibbon wasn’t in sync with that part of the plan.

When he parked the SUV, he climbed out and went to the back hatch. Inside were bullet-proof vests, which he handed out to everyone. Lastly, Fitz handed out headsets so they could communicate with each other and backup. Ronan had to help Ten with his.

“Jude, Ronan, take the next street over, which will position you at the back of Oliveri’s house. From what we saw on the satellite image, the backyard is wooded. Stay out of sight. I’ll approach from the front. The unit commander has us on their comms. If you’re in trouble, call for help. Don’t be a fucking hero.”

Ronan nodded. He pressed a kiss to Ten’s cheek and hurried off with Jude.

“I’m coming with you,” Ten said.

Fitzgibbon nodded and started moving away from the SUV.

“Cisco! You old son of a bitch! How the hell are you?”

Oliveri’s voice boomed through Fitz’s phone.

“Been better. Been worse,”

Cisco said, his voice shaking.

“Let’s go into the kitchen and get you a drink to calm those nerves. You always were a bit flighty.”

The sound of the front door shutting came through the phone, as did Cisco’s footsteps.

“Kitchen’s at the back of the house,”

Fitz said.

“Let’s head for the front.”

He took off at a jog.

Tennyson followed behind. His gift was focused on Cisco and Oliveri, who were talking about the weather while drinks were poured.

“Bottoms up, partner,”

Oliveri said.

Glasses clinked. Cisco swallowed hard and coughed.

“Tell me what the hell is going on, Cisco. You look like shit.”

Oliveri laughed.

“I feel like shit. It isn’t every day you find out you’ve been betrayed by someone you thought was a friend.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Who betrayed you?”

Oliveri asked, his voice guarded.

“You!”

Cisco shouted.

“I can’t fucking believe that you were involved in this extortion scheme with that weasel Kirkpatrick.”

Oliveri laughed, but there was no mirth in it.

“Nice try, Cisco. Lift up your shirt.”

“What the fuck, Bobbo? You think I’m wearing a wire?”

Cisco snorted, as if the idea was ridiculous.

“Do it, asshole!”

Bobbo said, his voice calm.

The sound of fabric rustling came through the phone’s speakers.

“See, no fucking wire! Can we get down to business now?”

There were a few seconds of quiet, before Cisco spoke again.

“My god damned cold case team swore out an arrest warrant for me this morning. Was supposed to be all hush-hush, but the judge’s clerk owed me a favor and tipped me off. They want me arrested for murder, extortion, conspiracy to commit murder. All told, those convictions would add up to a minimum of four life sentences, no possibility for parole. They’d throw me in protective custody, but we both know there are ways to get to people in PC. Assholes with shivs and something to prove or guards with grudges would come for me.”

“That sucks, man, but what the hell that does that have to do with me?”

Oliveri asked.

“We both know I didn’t do any of this. You on the other hand, well, let’s just say it tracks.”

All traces of nervousness were gone from Cisco’s voice.

“Fuck you!”

Oliveri sneered.

Cisco laughed.

“Don’t forget you and I were partners for a lot of years, Bobbo. A lot of years. I was there for every suspect you manhandled and roughed up for resisting arrest. I was there for every woman you groped while you frisked them. I was there for the offers you made the hot ones. A quick blowjob on the side of the road was all it took for the ticket you’d written to turn into a verbal warning.”

“And?”

Oliveri asked.

“Everyone did it. Hell, everyone’s still doing it. One of the perks of the job.”

“Not everyone was doing it. I wasn’t!”

Cisco charged back.

“That’s right, partner, you weren’t doing it. You were still in the closet, hiding who you really were. Didn’t want anything to fuck up your precious chance to be chief.”

Fitzgibbon stopped when they reached the front of the house. He crouched by the stairs and seemed to be listening intently.

“We’re in position, Cap,”

Ronan’s voice came through the earpiece.

“I can see Oliveri and Cisco in the kitchen.”

“Stay put, wait for Cisco’s safe word,”

Fitz whispered.

“Is that what this is all about?”

Cisco asked, sounding incredulous.

“Being chief of police? Is that why you started this exhortation scheme, because I’d been fast tracked and you hadn’t?”

“Fuck off, Cisco! You were Alcott’s pet from day one. His heir apparent. I was stuck watching you kiss his ass to get what you wanted.”

“Is that why you killed him?”

Cisco asked.

“What did you just say?”

Oliveri’s tone turned darker. Threatening.

“You heard me, loud and clear. You killed Alcott in his hospital bed with an overdose of insulin.”

Oliveri laughed.

“Yeah, Cisco, you’re right. I did kill Alcott, and those assholes who wouldn’t pay extortion money, and so many more. So many, many more.”

“Oliveri’s gonna shoot Cisco!”

Ten said, feeling panic well up inside him.

“Jesus Christ, Ronan, move in now!”

Fitz bolted for the front door.

Ten knew what was going to happen. Oliveri was going to pull a gun from the silverware drawer and was going to gun down Cisco in cold blood. One shot to the heart.

“Damn, it feels so good to tell you all of this. I actually feel lighter.”

Oliveri let out a big sigh.

“Let me take you into custody,”

Cisco said calmly.

“I’ll make sure you have the best attorney money can buy.”

“I’m not going to need an attorney.”

Oliveri laughed.

“There’s no way the Salem Police are going to arrest a decorated detective for killing a murder suspect in self-defense.”

“Self-defense?”

Cisco asked. A beat later he screamed, “Bob! NO!”

A single shot rang out. Tennyson hit the ground, while Fitzgibbon burst through the front door.

“Put the gun down, Bob!”

Fitzgibbon commanded.

“Fuck you, Fitz!”

Two more gunshots broke the near-silence of the neighborhood.

Pained screams came through the earpiece. Ten couldn’t tell who was injured.

Several police cruisers pulled up to the front of Oliveri’s house. Men got out of their cars and crouched behind them, waiting.

“All clear!”

Fitzgibbon’s voice came over the comms.

“Two officers down! Send in the medics now!”

Ten picked himself off the ground in time to see two ambulances, with their red and white lights on, park in front of the house. The paramedics jumped out. Several ran for the house, while others yanked open the back doors and grabbed gear, along with a stretcher.

With the whirl of activity and the gunshots still ringing in Ten’s ears, his gift was useless. He didn’t know who was shot or what condition they were in. He stood by, helplessly watching.

After what felt like an hour, but was probably more like ten minutes, the paramedics rushed a stretcher out of the house. It was Cisco. Ronan was right behind him. Both of his hands were covered in blood.

“Call Luca,”

Ronan shouted.

“Tell him to meet us at Salem Mercy.”

Cisco was loaded into the ambulance. Ronan climbed in after him. Sirens wailed. The ambulance sped away.

Jude came out of the house and ran to Ten.

“Cisco was shot in the left shoulder. Fitz fired twice at Oliveri, both shots struck him.”

“Ronan was covered in blood, is he okay?”

Ten asked.

“He’s fine. Ronan had his hands pressing down on Cisco’s wound to help stop the bleeding until the medics got to him.”

“What about Oliveri?”

Ten asked.

“Fitz got him in the right arm and leg. Bastard’s gonna be just fine. While the medics were working on Oliveri, Fitz read him his rights. He wanted to handcuff him to the stretcher, but the medics wouldn’t allow it.”

As Jude spoke, medics brought Oliveri out of the house. He shouted obscenities and threats as he was loaded into the ambulance. Fitzgibbon came out of the house moments later. He sat down hard on the front steps.

“Are you okay?”

Ten asked.

Fitz shook his head.

“I saw Cisco go down. There was so much blood. Cisco looked like a ghost. All I could do was make sure Oliveri couldn’t hurt anyone else.”

“It was a good shoot, Fitz. Don’t even worry about that.”

“Jude’s right. You’re not going to be charged. All three of you are going to get medals.”

Ten rolled his eyes.

“Just what Ronan needs, an even bigger ego. More importantly, Cisco’s gonna be fine too, only Luca won’t be at his bedside.”

“Why the hell not?”

Jude asked, sounding angry.

“Because he’s on his way to Gloucester Hospital to meet their daughter for the first time. Call came in half an hour ago.”

Ten felt his eyes fill with tears, he couldn’t help but think the baby had been born around the time Cisco had been shot.

Thanks to Fitz, Jude, and Ronan, Cisco was going to be there to see his little girl, his baby Marisol, grow up to be a proud member of law enforcement, just like her father.

Ten would keep that little tidbit to himself, for now