Page 111 of Rules of Engagement

"Our commanders are calling it the biggest joint taskforce win for over a decade. Damien unraveled something bigger than huge."

"If he'd asked for our help earlier, he would have been an integral part of taking it down. None of this would have happened," I said.

"He'd also still have his job and he'd probably even get a commendation with promotion not far off in the future. He was a damn fool. How's Solomon taking it?"

"He hasn't said too much but I can see he's upset." It was a long and painful conversation, and I wasn't sure how much Solomon had taken in. The first time he woke up, he couldn’t say much. His throat was too sore and the doctors instantly swarmed into the room moments later, insisting on running several vital checks. By the time they were finished, Solomon was tired again and all he said was that he loved me and was afraid I got hurt too.

The next time he woke up, he wanted a drink and asked a few questions, and a steady stream of people came in to see him. I took Anastasia to one side and told her all about Damien's involvement. At first, she didn't believe me but Garrett managed to confirm everything. She insisted on going to the police station, returning only an hour later when Damien refused to see her.

The third time Solomon awoke, he wanted to know what happened and why, so I held his hand and told him. I tried to keep it together when I explained the mess Damien had gotten into and why Solomon turned out to be collateral damage. Solomon closed his eyes a few minutes later, but he continued to hold my hand with a strength that told me he was still awake and silently processing the information.

Two days later, Solomon was much stronger. He improved steadily all the time.

"He's probably going through a lot of emotions," said Garrett. "How's Anastasia holding up?"

"She continually alternates between being very upset and furious and disbelieving that one of her brothers could be responsible for causing the near death of the other."

"All very reasonable."

"What do I tell her?"

"The truth, if she wants to hear it. There's enough evidence to support our theory, but I doubt very seriously that much of it will ever come out publicly."

"Too sensitive?"

"Yeah, plus, we all look really stupid for not making the connections much earlier. Thing is, BPD had lots of information and MPD had some. Without the bits Damien provided, it might have taken us years to close this case and by then, there would have been plenty more bodies."

"Sounds like we owe Damien our thanks, although I don't think he should expect any."

"He's lucky to get what he’s getting. There's something else."

"What?"

"Damien needs to disappear for a while. We'll get him back for the trial but until then, I want him somewhere out of the way. As much as I don't think Solomon, Anastasia or you are being targeted anymore, there's no denying that he is and will continue to be."

"When is he going?"

"In a couple days. There's more information we need first, and then I'll arrange to get him out of Montgomery. You should tell Solomon. He might want to see him. It'll be a long time before he gets the chance to talk to him again."

"I'll tell him."

"There's one more thing," said Garrett.

"What else did Damien do?" I asked.

"Not him. It's Sam."

"Sam?" I frowned, failing to see the connection between my nephew and a pair of criminal gangs.

"He left a toy dinosaur in Solomon's room the night the second hit man turned up."

"Oh, yes. I remember. It was very sweet of him. The nurses brought it into this room when Solomon was moved here. Is Sam missing it?"

"I don't think so but I need it. Apparently, Sam didn't just save up for any toy. He got a toy with a secret camera! He saw that we had our old, secret nannycam hidden in a teddy and he thought that was a good idea. He got some batteries and worked out how to operate it without ever telling us. He wasn't just being sweet when he put it next to Solomon's bed. He did it so the camera was literally watching over him and I think there's a chance it might have recorded the hit man's second attempt on Solomon."

My jaw dropped. A memory of Sam positioning the plush dinosaur very carefully flashed into my mind. I should have known Sam had an ulterior motive. "You're kidding."

"When it comes to Sam, I never kid anyone. He's either destined to grow up to become another cop or an evil genius and our future nemesis."

---