Page 105 of Facing the Enemy

“Stay down.”

One man lunged at me and the other at Gage. The man grabbed my right wrist and wrestled for my gun.

I pulled the trigger into his shoulder, sending him to the floor. I flipped him onto his stomach and flex-cuffed his hands. A glance at Gage showed his man now cuffed. Adrenaline flew through my veins with the hand-to-hand combat—I couldn’t do this in the classroom.

Gage ripped off the mask on his man. I did the same.

“Mr. Duong and Mr. Bui,” Gage said. “How good of you to visit.”

58

GAGE

My two friends Mr. Duong and Mr. Bui were taken into FBI custody, photographed, and fingerprinted—again. They were charged with a first-degree felony for breaking and entering with the intent to kill a federal officer. Risa and I, now wide-awake, studied them outside an interview room.

“Duong Tuan has a jagged scar on the left side of his neck, and Bui Vinh is three years younger,” I said.

“I had a bad feeling about those two when they were released on bail,” she said. “But when I saw Old Judge Lenient’s name, I wasn’t surprised.”

“I’ll be leading the campaign against him at the next election.” I blew out my frustration. “So here they are again. I’m ready to hear their story without their attorney.”

“They didn’t lawyer up?” Risa said.

“Sure. But he’s not here yet. Ready?” We walked into the interview room, and I dug right into my agenda. “We meet again, gentlemen. Only strengthens my case against you.” Risa and I took our seats across from them. “It’s late or rather early, so we might as well get started. Who hired you to eliminate Special Agent Risa Jacobs?”

Both men stared at the table. Duong, the one Risa shot, wore a bandage on his right shoulder where an EMT had packed his wound. His face etched in pain.

Risa slowly stood and walked around to the back of the men’s chairs. She bent to Duong’s ear. “You’re not very comfortable. I suggest you answer Agent Patterson, or my fingers might find that bullet hole.”

Risa would never in a million years abuse a prisoner but ... she had gone after Carson. I didn’t want to risk anything. “I’m losing my patience. Who hired you to eliminate Agent Jacobs?”

Nothing.

“Who hired you to kill Agent Jack Bradford?”

Nothing.

“Don’t they speak English?” Risa said. “I can find an interpreter.”

“Oh, they speak English just fine. Those two know they are facing life or a lethal injection for the Phan sisters. I’m thinking they beheaded Agent Luke Reardon. Is that so?”

Duong shook his head wildly. “That was not us.”

“The Phan sisters or Luke Reardon?”

Bui spoke up. “We didn’t kill Reardon.”

“So you killed Suzi and Hai Phan?”

Bui’s shoulders arched. “No. We already pleaded not guilty to Phan sisters’ deaths.”

“All right,” I said. “Who killed Luke Reardon?”

Duong scowled at Bui. “We don’t know. We want to keep our heads. Where’s our attorney?”

“He’s on his way. We woke him, and he’s not in a good mood.”

Risa walked back around the table and sat. Calm. In control. I breathed inward relief. “Was Agent Reardon’s killer the same person who paid you to come after me?” she said.