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detailed preparation he wasn’t counting solely on George Sanchez’s intel.
    There were nine of them now, with a tactical backup of six watching the perimeter and manning the communications van. Donnelly had everyone gear up. Six were SWAT-trained, including Donnelly and Ryan and SAPD Officers Butcher and French, who’d been part of their team from the beginning. Two other DEA agents had joined them as well. Donnelly split them into three teams of three, and Lucy was assigned to Donnelly and Ryan.
    Donnelly had week-old satellite pictures of the block, and he highlighted the hardware store and all its ins and outs. He marked the two primary entrances. “My team is Alpha, we’re going through the front. Beta, you’re in the rear. Delta, you’re covering the parking lot. Any packages, get them clear immediately. Questions?”
    There were a few, which Donnelly answered. Then he said, “As soon as the warrant gets here, we’re moving.”
    Ryan turned to Lucy. “Are you ready for this?”
    Donnelly interjected. “You have a problem, Quiroz?”
    “Kincaid isn’t SWAT. Neither are Rollins or Crane. You just outlined a SWAT operation.”
    “This is a raid, pure and simple. According to our drive-by, there are only two cars in the lot, and SAPD intelligence reports on the area list this as a low-level facility. They don’t even have it confirmed as a drug house, but Sanchez swears up and down that it’s for storage. And it makes sense they’d keep it low-key, to not trigger our interest.” He turned to Lucy. “You want out?”
    “No, sir,” she said.
    “Good.”
    It was clear from the look on his face that Ryan was still not happy. Lucy pulled him aside while Donnelly handed out communications equipment. “I’m good, Ryan.”
    “Donnelly’s a hot dog. He’s knows better than to rush an op like this.”
    “We don’t have time. This is our best chance—if George Sanchez is being up front, we can deal a severe blow to his brother’s operation and possibly gain a lead on where he’s hiding. He might even be here.”
    “It’s not we , Lucy, it’s him. It’s Donnelly’s gig, we’re just along for the ride.”
    “I’m okay with that.”
    “I don’t know that I am.” He glanced around at the team. “We train every week in SWAT. This is a hodgepodge of people who haven’t trained together.”
    Lucy didn’t know how to respond. She trusted Ryan; he was the most cop-like agent on the Violent Crimes Squad, largely, she suspected, because he’d been a big-city cop for so long. But this situation required speed. If they waited, they’d lose the edge.
    “But,” Ryan continued, “I have your back.”
    “I have yours, too. I might not be SWAT, but I’ve trained for this.”
    Ryan was acting protective, and she didn’t know if that had more to do with her being a rookie, or her being a female agent. He didn’t really know her, her history, what she’d done or what she’d been trained to do. If their roles were reversed and she were the agent assigned to a rookie, she might have similar concerns.
    She added, “Ryan, when this is over, remind me to have you to the house for dinner. I have some stories for you. Maybe then you’ll trust me.”
    He glanced at her. “I trust you. It’s him ”—he jerked his finger toward Donnelly, who was on the phone—“I don’t trust. Not completely.” Then he gave her a half grin. “I was wondering when you’d get around to an invite. Nate said he’s over there all the time. Says your place is awesome.”
    “That’s all Sean. He has too much time on his hands.” Which was becoming a problem. Not for Lucy—she loved coming home every evening to Sean—but she sensed that Sean was getting restless. Starting a new PI business in a city where he didn’t have many contacts was proving more difficult than he’d thought. He was looking into local private security companies, but he didn’t want to work for anyone else. It was his chance to make a clean