The Vigilantes (Badge of Honor 10)

Matt stood next to the zipper wall, watching the Tow Squad wrecker—its flatbed tilted down and touching the deck of the bridge—winch up the demolished gray Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.

Every lane of traffic was backed up in both directions on the bridge, and there was a cacophony of horns honking.

As Matt scanned the maddening scene, he thought about all the craziness that had led up to this very moment—all the crimes that had been committed against the innocent, which had led to all the shootings and brutal beatings of the career criminals.

And there are all the others still out there.

More crimes, more killings—it’s not going to stop.

I just slowed it. But I’m never going to be able to stop it.

He suddenly felt very small and alone.

Is there any sanity left in this world?

As he ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, his cell phone began ringing in his pocket.

He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID—then smiled as he closed his eyes and visualized the last time he’d seen Amanda Law.

The angel goddess peacefully asleep—there is sanity.

“Hey, baby,” he said, answering it. “Feeling any better?”

“Yeah, thanks. I am. Are you too busy to talk?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Say, I’m on the balcony looking at the Ben Franklin Bridge. It’s shut down in both directions. Any idea what that’s about?”

“A little. I’ll tell you in a bit. What’s on your mind?”

“I really don’t want to tell you this on the phone. How long do you think—?”

Oh, shit! What the hell else can go wrong today?

“What? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Now he could hear the excitement in her voice.

“What is it, Amanda?”

There was a long pause, then she said: “Okay, okay. Matt, I’m . . . I’m pregnant! We’re pregnant!”

What? A baby?

Then he realized: No wonder the goddess was glowing.

She was saying: “I knew I was a little late with my cycle, Matt, but when I went and got out the calendar, I saw that I was very late. And then I thought the nausea might be, well, from being late, so in the drugstore I got one of those self-tests. It came up positive, and I thought, ‘How could that be?’ We’re always careful, you know? But then I remembered that first night we were just so . . . well, you remember, in a hurry and not careful. And then I counted the days and went back and got another brand to test with. And then it showed positive. Soooo . . .”

Matt was quiet a long time as he absorbed the news.

He looked past the cables of the suspension bridge in the direction of the Hops Haus Tower, then up to where Amanda would be standing on the balcony and looking toward him.

“Matt . . . ?” she said very softly. “What are you thinking?”

Matt Payne then smiled broadly and said, “I’m thinking that’s wonderful, Amanda. Absolutely wonderful, my angel goddess.”