Hindsight, page 32
Harley sat and whimpered.
She turned back to Lynch. “There isn’t much time. Draw their fire if you have to.”
“Kendra…”
“It will be okay…I think.” She crouched and moved down the hill toward the athletic field. She jumped the chain-link fence and rolled onto the ground.
They hadn’t seen her.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
They were firing at the hillside again.
The rotor’s pitch increased. Everyone was aboard and they were about to take off.
Shit!
Kendra ran for the control panel box she’d seen used just a few days before at the aquatic center. She pulled on the metal lid. Locked.
She squinted to filter the dirt flying from the helicopter’s rotors. Her hair flew up, over and around her face.
She pointed Dietrich’s gun at the control panel lock and pulled the trigger.
BLAM!
She pulled on the lid. Still locked.
She kicked the panel once, twice, three times…
Success! The lid flew open.
She peered inside, gripped the bright red lever, and pulled. The ground vibrated beneath her feet.
It was working!
She turned to see that the hydraulic pool house cover was swiveling away from the pool.
And directly toward the helicopter.
She bolted back toward the hillside.
The copter rotors throttled even higher and she could hear shouted curses inside the open compartment. They’d seen the pool shell heading toward them.
The helicopter lurched upward, but it was too late. The structure hit the tail rotor.
Sparks flew, and the helicopter’s tail swung crazily.
BLAM! BLAM!
Two more shots from the hill, probably from Lynch’s gun.
Another gunman tumbled from the open helicopter hatch.
Definitely Lynch’s work, she thought.
The copter spun wildly as the pilot tried to gain altitude. But it suddenly veered sharply to the left.
BOOM!
The helicopter struck the hillside with a force that seemed to shake the night. It caught fire and rolled back down onto the athletic field.
Kendra ran down to the field to join Lynch, Harley, and the FBI agents who were watching the helicopter consumed by the fire.
“Interesting solution,” Lynch murmured.
Kendra couldn’t take her gaze from the burning helicopter. She could hear screams. The flames were devouring Delgado and all those people…“It was all I could think to do…”
Lynch and the FBI agents suddenly raised their weapons toward the helicopter.
A figure was upright and walking through the blaze.
Dietrich, Kendra realized. He was on fire, stumbling forward, one foot at a time. He emerged from the inferno and stopped, almost as if regarding them in bewilderment for one long, last moment.
He fell face-forward onto the lawn, burning blue with engine fuel.
Kendra made a sound deep in her throat and then was turning, running across the field. She didn’t stop until she was halfway to the gates. Then she dropped down on the grass, holding her knees and rocking back and forth.
“Kendra.” Lynch sat down beside her. “They were monsters.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? They murdered Elaine and Mr. Kim and heaven knows how many other good people. But it doesn’t make any difference, I’m the one who killed those particular monsters. I did it with my ‘interesting solution.’ And death is always terrible.”
“Yes, it is.” He was pulling her gently into his arms. “Are you going to be all right?”
“Yes.” She buried her head in his shoulder for an instant. “I just had to take a minute. Thanks for putting up with me.” She pushed him away and got to her feet. The vision of that moment before the helicopter had blown might stay with her for the rest of her life. She forced herself to lift her head to look back at the burning inferno that was still shooting flames into the sky. “They’re all…dead?”
He nodded. “There wasn’t a chance of getting anyone out.” He smiled faintly. “And no one but you would have made the attempt anyway. Every one of those guys would have put a bullet in you if they’d gotten the opportunity.” His smile vanished. “Maybe they did try to do that. How do I know? I don’t like working blind. I still don’t know what happened to you out there earlier tonight. Tell me.”
“Nothing good except the ending and I’m not sure about that.” She was hearing sirens. “Oh, great, that must be the fire department. They need to put out that fire before it spreads to the buildings here.”
And she was suddenly aware that Harley was standing a few yards away and barking at her. “I hear you, Harley. Just a minute.” She saw several FBI vehicles streaming through the gates. “Griffin. You’ll need to talk to him, Lynch. We can catch up later.”
“Now,” he said, through set teeth.
“I can’t.” She broke away from him and was running across the field after Harley. “Because Harley’s right, we’ve got to go check on Roberts…”
Chapter
18
Kendra saw Olivia the minute she turned away as the ambulance with Agent Roberts pulled out of the driveway. “What are you doing here?” Then she saw her expression. “It’s okay, Olivia. Everything’s all right. Dietrich’s dead, and they say that Agent Roberts is going to be okay.”
“What am I doing here? It didn’t occur to you that I might be worried about someone besides Agent Roberts?”
Kendra smiled teasingly. “And Harley is okay, too. He was a hero. You would have been proud.”
“I’m always proud of him, except when I’m not.” She walked over to Kendra and went into her arms. “You should have let me stay.” Her voice was muffled against Kendra’s shoulder. “It was a mistake. I could have talked some sense into you.”
“I didn’t know it was a mistake at the time. And it turned out all right, except for Roberts.” She held her close. “And I always let you run too many risks for me anyway. When I get a chance to not do it, I grab at it.”
“It could have been a disaster.”
“But it wasn’t.” Kendra pushed her away and smiled at her. “And now we’ve put the bad guys down and saved the school we both love. It’s all good, Olivia.”
“Is it? We’ll see.” She grimaced. “At least, you did one thing right. You didn’t let them hurt my dog.”
“I can’t take the credit. He was phenomenal. Your dog helped save the day.” She tilted her head. “And do you realize these days you always refer to him as your dog?”
“Of course I do.” She bent down and caressed Harley’s head. “But it’s not because you conned me into accepting him as a service dog. I’d get along just fine without him. It’s just that I realized no one else is capable of training and taking care of him. He’s an extraordinary dog and it takes an extraordinary person to bring out his fine points. So we’ll hang out together unless he runs into someone else who can do it better than I can.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Kendra said solemnly. “Does that mean I don’t have to take care of him at night any longer?”
“You didn’t do a great job anyway. He was beginning to have a discipline problem.”
“I won’t even address that charge.” She moved toward her car. “But in gratitude for sparing me, I’ll take the two of you back to your condo and let you bad-mouth me to Jessie.” She gazed at the burning embers of the helicopter lighting Lynch’s face as he talked to Griffin while they walked toward the administration building. Listening. Intent. Absorbed. She paused for a moment, feeling a little lonely that she wasn’t there with him after all they’d gone through together. What foolishness. She opened the driver’s door. “It’s all good,” she repeated. “But now I’m very tired and all I want is sleep. Everything else can wait until tomorrow. I’m just glad it’s all over…”
* * *
Allison’s Office
Next Day
“I came to return your books.” Kendra handed Allison the four volumes she’d borrowed. “They came in very handy, as you’ve probably heard.”
“Everyone on the planet has heard,” Allison said dryly. “The story’s been blasting from every TV in the civilized world.” She added sourly, “Unfortunately.”
“I agree. The reporters have been all over the property and there wasn’t anyone here to stop them but the FBI.” Kendra made a face. “And they even tried to take their photos, too. I’m glad you’re back to take control.”
“I’m not,” Allison said curtly. “I’m just here to pack up my belongings and bring the accountants up here to settle any wage disputes the employees might have for their termination.”
“Termination?” Kendra’s eyes widened. “You’re closing down? But Dietrich’s been killed. That tunnel will be sealed again. Everything can go back to normal now.”
“I’m not closing it. Maxine Rydell has withdrawn her support and that means she’s closing it. We won’t be able to pay the bills after the next thirty days.”
“Then talk her out of it,” Kendra said desperately. “Persuade her how wrong that would be for the kids.”
“I tried, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Then go out and get other supporters.”
“That all sounds so easy,” Allison said wearily. “We’re dealing in charity here, Kendra. You can’t be that naive. Or maybe you can, you’ve always been too idealistic.” She leaned back in her chair. “I can’t really blame her for withdrawing her support. Donors always want their dollars to be spent on crystal-clean projects of which they can be proud. There have been murders and thefts and even hints of drug use here at Woodward during the last weeks. And last night was pure chaos. Any money contributed here would be considered tainted. It would be a joke to expect anyone to contribute.” She added bitterly, “And we would be the joke if we asked them.”
“It’s no joke,” Kendra said fiercely. “How can you say that? It’s no joke to those kids. No one knows better than you how much they were given and how much would be taken away if we let them be cheated like this. That son of a bitch, Dietrich, would win if we let that happen.”
“Do you think I want it to happen?” Allison asked. “I just don’t know how to stop it. I’ll try and keep on trying, but it’s not going to do any good.”
“Yes, it will. Don’t say that. We just have to figure out how to do it. Just give me a little time and I’ll…” She had to stop a moment as her voice broke. “You just stall and don’t close Woodward down yet. Will you do that for me?”
Allison nodded and said gently, “But it’s not going to do any good. You’ll have to face reality soon, Kendra.”
“No, I won’t. Because that reality hurts too much for too many people, We’ll just have to change the reality.” She turned and almost ran into Lynch at the door. “Did you hear that?” Her voice was shaking. “They’re shutting it down and it will probably be permanently if they can’t get the damn money.”
“I heard,” he said gently as he drew her out of the office. He dabbed at the tears running down her cheeks. “I know it hurts. I probably have enough cash to keep the place going for a little while until you think of something permanent.”
“Allison thinks I won’t be able to do that,” she said jerkily.
“Then Allison doesn’t know you.” He kissed her cheek. “Just calm down and let the pain go away and then it will come to you.” He nudged her toward his Lamborghini in the driveway. “Come on, we’ll go for a drive.”
“You might have to give up this Lamborghini if I take you up on that offer to fund the school for a while,” she said unevenly as he closed her passenger door.
“That would hurt very much, but I’d survive. But please start thinking hard and fast to save me.”
She wiped her eyes. “It was a splendid offer, but we really need steady funding in the billionaire category.”
“Ah, rejected again. Then just lean back and close your eyes and dream of billionaires…”
* * *
It was only twenty minutes later that Kendra sat up straight in the seat and said, “You can take me back to the academy now. I’ve got to apologize to Allison for falling apart on her. I was just hoping so much that everything would go well for the kids that I convinced myself it was going to happen.” She added passionately, “And it will happen, but I shouldn’t have gotten so emotional about it with Allison.”
“I like you emotional.” He reached out and covered her hand with his own. “I just don’t like you hurting. So I’d appreciate it if you’d find a way to save the day without you going through the trauma.”
“Allison said I can’t save the day, that I’m too idealistic, and I don’t think about donors or charities the way most people do.”
“She’s right, you don’t think of anything the way most people do. Every one of your senses is more alive and you see and hear everything more sharply and intensely, and it translates to those emotions that you’re going to apologize to Allison for having. But that’s not bad. It would be nice if we could all see and experience everything the way you do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve always said that anyone can do what I do if they’d just concentrate and pay attention. But they have to make the effort, I can’t lead them down the path, dammit.” They were driving back through the gates of Woodward Academy, and she gestured to the magnificent scenery surrounding them. “And who wouldn’t want to do it, to see everything, to feel everything with every ounce of the senses God gave them. Just look at what—” She broke off as she saw another TV van parked in front of the administration office. “Another vulture zeroing in on Allison,” she said bitterly. “I shouldn’t have run out and left her to—” She stopped and inhaled sharply. “Vulture.”
“What?” Lynch asked.
“That’s all wrong.” She gestured to the administration building “Park. Get me inside. I have to talk to Allison.”
His eyes were on her face, and he suddenly smiled. “I believe you do.” The next moment he’d drawn up in front of the building, jumped out, and was shouldering the reporters aside to get her to the front door.
Allison unlocked and threw open the door as soon as they reached it. “You should have waited until the TV trucks left.”
“No, I shouldn’t,” Kendra said. “I should never have left.” She was pulling the blinds down to allow them a modicum of privacy. “There’s too much to do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lynch dropped down in a chair. “Yes, what are you talking about, Kendra?”
“Vultures,” Kendra said. “I’ve never liked the media because they always got in my way and seemed to go for the most sensational stories no matter how ugly they are. Oh, I know they’re only doing their jobs and trying to earn a living. They’re probably just obeying orders and giving their editors what they want. But what I’ve been seeing here is that they’ve been taking the ugliness and spreading it because they think that’s what people want to see.” She leaned toward Allison. “And you told me that’s exactly what any donor would not want to see. They’d be afraid they’d be associated with all the ugliness Dietrich brought here.”
“I’m glad you realized that I’m right.”
“No, it just made me realize that we have to change the narrative.” She grimaced. “And we need the media to do it. They can’t be the vultures, they have to be the white knights. They have to help us make everyone think about the victims and not about Dietrich and the drugs. The heroes and not the horror.”
“Victims. You mean Elaine and Mr. Kim?”
“Yes, but we’ve got to make everyone know that all those children are also the victims. We’ve got to show them in the classrooms, tell their individual stories, tell the story of Woodward through the years. Show them the beauty and the peace that Dietrich tried to steal.” She was frowning, trying to see farther down the road. “Make people want to swoop down and rescue them. But we’d have to keep the school in the forefront of media attention until that way of thinking became ingrained whenever the name was mentioned. Sort of like St. Jude Hospital or Shriners…Guest lecturers, celebrities coming to visit—Jessie has lots of Hollywood contacts because of her stunt work. And I could increase my lectures to once a week and so would Olivia.”
“No billionaires?” Lynch asked.
“Of course.” She grinned at him. “But we’d have to spend time to find just the right billionaire. We don’t want anyone who hits and runs.”
“I remember you said steady.”
“You’re mad,” Allison said flatly. “Nice pipe dream, Kendra.”
“And one you’d like to share. One you can share.” She leaned her hands on the desk and leaned forward to meet her eyes. “You love this place. It’s home to you. It was home to me, too. We can make this happen. It will be difficult as hell and there will be times when I’ll scream at you and ask why you ever let me do it.”
“I’d like to be there to see that,” Lynch said.
“Be quiet or I’ll make you volunteer to give lectures on how to bring down a crime family. That should bring in a crowd.”
Allison was silent. “Persuade the media black is white? That would be a king-size headache. How would you do it?”
“Start at the top and hope the rest will follow. Give them a chance to tell a story that will make them feel good about themselves as well as the kids.” She paused. “But we have to strike fast while the world is paying attention. I thought I’d call 60 Minutes and see if they’d like to interview me here on the grounds. They’ve asked me for interviews twice before. But you’d have to get the children and teachers back in class right away. I want the story to be about them, not me. Do you think you could persuade their parents to do it?”
“Perhaps.” She thought about it. “Yes.”
“Then do it,” she said softly. “Don’t let all that love and care and hope vanish because Dietrich thought all the world should be dirty like him and tried to make it that way.”
“I’m a realist, Kendra. It’s been a long time since I believed in fairy tales. This idea is doomed to failure.”
