Next Exit, Dead Ahead

by CW Browning

  “Was he still alive at that point?” Stephanie asked.

  “Larry thinks so,” John answered quietly.

  “So they cut off his arm and cut out his tongue while he was still alive, then beheaded him.” Stephanie shook her head and took another deep breath. “Lovely.”

  “It's consistent with cartel antics,” John said slowly. “They're barbarians, most of them. Do we have a name yet?”

  “I have three,” Stephanie said, getting to her feet shakily. “Show me the footprint and fluid inside the door to the maze and then I'll tell you what Matt found out.”

  “We already got a cast of the print,” John told her, leading her back through the maze. When they passed the operating room, she glanced in to see Larry and his assistant bending over the gurney. “The fluid could be from Rodrigo, or it could be from the people who brought him in here. Matt should be able to tell us once he gets it tested.”

  “Who was the museum guard on duty inside last night?” Stephanie asked.

  “Karl.”

  “Interesting,” Stephanie murmured.

  John glanced at her.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Bad things seem to happen when Karl's here,” she answered quietly. “First, the arm shows up when he's on duty, and now a tongue and body appear.”

  “He wasn't on the night the head showed up,” John pointed out.

  “I still don't like it,” Stephanie said. “Let's do a more thorough background check on Karl.”

  John nodded.

  “Ok.”

  They approached the beginning of the maze and he motioned to a corner just inside the door leading to the parking lot. A couple of techs were just packing up their bags and they nodded to Stephanie as they approached.

  “We just finished,” one of them told her. “We got a cast of the footprint, samples of the fluid, and we also found this.”

  He held out a sealed evidence bag and Stephanie raised an eyebrow. Inside was a cigarette butt.

  “Where was that?” she asked.

  “Marker 3,” the tech answered, motioning to the little plastic evidence markers. “It was near the footprint.”

  “That was careless of them,” Stephanie murmured. She crouched down and examined the footprint in the soft earth. “Are they getting sloppy on us already?”

  “Maybe they were in a hurry to get inside the door,” John said, looking out the open door to the parking lot. “If a patrol car was pulling into the side street to get to the station, they may have been caught and had to get out of sight quickly.”

  “Perhaps.” Stephanie glanced up and looked out the door. “Kind of ballsy to be smoking a cigarette while you're moving a headless corpse around, don't you think?”

  “If you think that's the most risky part of this whole mess, then I'm going to have to rethink our partnership,” John told her. “The whole thing is ballsy, starting with the arm in the cell.”

  Stephanie grinned sheepishly.

  “You're right,” she agreed, standing. “A cigarette is the least of their worries right now. Still, it's a lucky break for us. At least we can confirm our suspect now.”

  John nodded and they walked through the door and outside the wall of the prison yard. Stephanie glanced around the parking lot and the bevy of activity as techs and agents bustled around together, processing everything from the maze. It was a daunting task, going through every inch of the haunted walk, but John seemed to have organized everyone quickly and the process appeared to be going smoothly.

  “Tell me about the Cartel,” John said quietly as they moved away from the commotion and walked toward the Warden's House.

  “The man is named Lorenzo Porras,” Stephanie told him. “He's a soldier in the Casa Reino Cartel. Three months ago, the head of the Cartel was shot and killed. Matt says there were rumors at the time the CIA was behind it, but that was never confirmed. When he was shot, the second-in-command, a man named Jenaro Gomez, took over temporarily and helped to get a new leader in place quickly. Lorenzo Porras is known to have been working closely with Jenaro the past few months.”

  “And he's the one who went into the Dungeon on Friday,” John said slowly.

  “Yes. Matt ID'd him from the surveillance video.” Stephanie stopped walking and turned to face John. “That's not all. Jenaro Gomez entered the country through Arizona about a month ago. DEA lost him, but they think he was heading east. An FBI team out of Washington is looking for him.”

  “So we have a confirmed cartel soldier in Jersey, and probably the second-in-command of the cartel as well,” John muttered. “Fabulous. What the hell are they doing here?”

  “That's the million dollar question,” Stephanie replied.

  “What about the woman?”

  “Her name's Jessica Nuñez. She doesn't seem to have any connection at all with either Rodrigo or the Cartel,” she told him. “She's a legal resident and works for Social Services. She doesn't even have a parking ticket. That's all I had time to find out about her so far.”

  “Why would a Mexican Cartel be interested in a hacking ring working for North Korea?” John asked with a frown. “It makes no sense.”

  “I know.” Stephanie shook her head.

  “Could we be wrong about NicTel?” he wondered. “Could our information be wrong?”

  “I don't think so,” Stephanie said slowly. “Over the weekend, a terrorist was spotted in New York City. His name is Jin Seung Moon. Ever hear of him?”

  “No.” John shook his head. “Who is he?”

  “Apparently, he's one of North Korea's top terrorists,” Stephanie told him. “Interpol hasn't been able to catch him. He's virtually untouchable.”

  “And he happens to be less than two hours away from here,” John said.

  Stephanie nodded and they looked at each other grimly.

  “There seem to be a lot of coincidences here,” John said after a moment.

  “I don't believe in coincidence,” Stephanie retorted. “It's getting crowded, and they're all here for a reason.”

  “You think our hackers are the magnet?”

  Stephanie nodded.

  “I think Rodrigo was in the middle of it all,” she said.

  “If that's the case, then Phillip Chou is next,” John said slowly.

  “I've already sent an agent to keep an eye on him,” Stephanie replied. “I'm one step ahead of you, partner.”

  Damon lifted the military binoculars to his eyes and his lips curved into a cold, satisfied smile. He studied the green crossover, parked in the narrow alley between two sets of row homes. Jessica Nuñez's car was backed into the alley and parked, for all the world like it was a driveway. Hawk lowered the binoculars and sipped his water thoughtfully. The row homes were deteriorating with age and neglect, and the narrow street they fronted was strewn with debris. A convenience store on the corner sported thick iron bars in the windows and the ground floor windows of all the row homes had smaller iron railings fixed onto them. Even the sun declined to shine on this depressed neighborhood, disappearing behind thick clouds and casting gray shadows over the buildings.

  Hawk had been settled on the roof of an equally dilapidated structure across the street since early morning, watching the corner house. He scored a lead on the car in the early hours of the morning when the registration popped up in the police databases. Jessica's car received its first parking ticket the night before in Riverside, near the Delaware River. Once it was on the grid, finding it was easy.

  Damon set down his water bottle and turned to his laptop while he was waiting for signs of life to emerge from the house across the road. A few minutes later, a black pick-up truck pulled up in front of the house and parked half on the sidewalk. Damon picked up the binoculars, watching as the driver jumped out and ran around to the passenger's side. He opened the door and leaned in, helping the passenger out of the truck.

  Hawk raised an eyebrow as he watched the passenger emerge. His shoulder was wrapped up in gauze and blood was seepin
g through the bandage. Zooming in on the faces of the two men, Hawk clicked a button on the side of the binoculars and snapped a series of pictures of both men. He frowned as he watched the injured man impatiently wave the other away. They went up the cement steps to the door and disappeared inside, leaving the truck angled out front of the house.

  Damon turned his attention to the truck. The windshield had a bullet hole in the driver's side and the front passenger tire was a spare. Damon lowered the binoculars slowly.

  Something had certainly gone very wrong for the two cartel soldiers this morning. A bullet hole at that angle meant the shooter was a better-than-average shot. Hawk considered the truck thoughtfully for a moment, then raised the binoculars again, searching the windows for signs of movement. A few moments later, he was rewarded when the driver ripped open the curtains on a second floor window. He turned away from the window and Hawk watched as he spoke to someone out of sight in the large room. The injured passenger was sitting on a folding chair, his right arm laying on a folding card table. As he watched, a large man came into view, his back to the window. He leaned over the man and started unwrapping the bandage from his shoulder. He turned his head to say something to the driver and Hawk snapped a picture of his profile. His smile was arctic as he lowered the binoculars.

  He had found Jenaro Gomez.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alina watched as Michael drove away with Angela in the truck next to him. She shook her head slightly, not envious of that drive. When she and Michael returned to the house, Angela pounced on them. Alina was pretty sure that Angela would still be talking now if Michael hadn't finally told her to be quiet. Alina grinned now and turned away from the plasma screen above the mantel when the truck pulled out of the trees and onto the road. Michael had no idea what he had let himself in for by offering to drive Angela home to pick up some things.

  For that matter, Viper wasn't quite sure what she had got herself into by telling Angela to stay with her until they found out who was following her and why.

  The grin on her face faded as Alina went into the kitchen and pulled a mug out of the cabinet. She was already regretting the necessity of having Angela stay here, but there was nowhere else she could go where Viper knew she would be safe. Setting the mug under the coffee spout, she hit the brew button on her coffeemaker and leaned on the counter. At least if Angela was here, she could keep an eye on her.

  Viper glanced at her watch as coffee began pouring into her mug. She was glad Michael had agreed to help. She still had Jessica Nuñez to deal with, and that would take up most of the evening. With Michael babysitting Angela, Alina could focus on getting Jessica somewhere safe.

  “Good Lord, why is nothing ever simple in this state?” she muttered, pulling out the mug and sipping the hot coffee.

  Alina turned and carried her mug over to the bar, setting it on the shiny black marble before grabbing her laptop. She settled down on a stool and opened the computer, sipping her coffee gratefully and taking a moment to enjoy the silence. Viper had a feeling it would be a while before she had the house to herself again. She savored her coffee for a moment, then turned her attention to the laptop. It was time to get to work.

  She was still sitting there an hour later when Damon slid open the door to the deck and stepped into the living room.

  “Whose car is that?” he asked, sliding the door closed behind him.

  Alina glanced over her shoulder.

  “Angela's,” she murmured. “She's staying here for a few days.”

  Damon raised an eyebrow and moved into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, holding it up questioningly. Alina nodded and he pulled a second bottle out. Closing the fridge, he walked over to hand her the water.

  “What's going on?” he asked.

  Alina stretched and took the bottle.

  “Someone's following her,” she told him. “She's managed to get herself involved with the Rodrigo mess. He used her network passwords to hack into the bank mainframe, and now someone's been following her for the past twenty-four hours.”

  “That's not good,” Damon murmured. “How did she know Rodrigo?”

  “To hear her tell it, she didn't.” Alina sipped her water. “She says she barely knew him and she has no idea how he got her credentials.”

  “And now someone's following her? How do we know?”

  “I saw them,” Alina told him grimly. “Blue sedan. He was parked inside my perimeter, in the trees. I went to find out who he was, but Michael beat me to him and scared him away.”

  Damon drank some water, watching her with his sharp eyes.

  “Is Michael still alive?” he asked dryly and Alina grinned despite herself.

  “Yes. He's paying for it by babysitting Angela,” she said.

  Damon laughed.

  “Ouch,” he murmured. “You play hardball. Where are they?”

  “He took her to pick up some things from home that she'll need.” Alina turned her attention back to the laptop and Damon and moved around the bar. He glanced over her shoulder at the monitor. A shining black Audi A7 was on the screen. He raised an eyebrow.

  “Shopping?” he asked in surprise.

  “Browsing,” Alina answered evasively.

  “I saw the Camaro was missing.” Damon sat down on the stool next to her and looked at her. “Did I miss anything fun?”

  “Not especially.” Alina yawned and stretched her arms high over her head. “Let's just say it was compromised.”

  “I don't think the Audi is really your style,” Hawk said thoughtfully, accepting her cryptic explanation without question.

  “Do I have a style?” Viper asked, smiling faintly.

  “Oh, you have a certain flair, yes,” he murmured. “What else are you looking at?”

  “Nothing in particular.” Alina shrugged. “I have the Jeep for now. It's not pressing.”

  “Hmm...” Hawk reached over and minimized the Audi window. Behind it was another window with the Aston Martin Vanquish. “Now, that's more your style,” he said approvingly.

  “A little conspicuous for Jersey, though,” Alina said, smacking his hand away from the laptop. “It would be nice in Europe.”

  “That's true.” Damon nodded, smacked her back, and swiftly minimized the Aston Martin. “Wow! Now, that's a surprise!” he exclaimed, staring at the next car. He just caught Alina's soft sigh.

  “You really can be a nuisance, you know that?” she asked, trying to minimize the car.

  Hawk grinned and pushed her hand away.

  “So this is the one you're really looking at,” he stated, rather than asked. When she was silent, he glanced at her just in time to catch the slight flush on her cheeks. “Interesting.”

  “It's just a car,” Viper muttered, not meeting his bright blue gaze. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so exposed. It was just a car.

  A car she had loved since she was a teenager.

  “This is not just a car.” Hawk shook his head. “It's a piece of American history. This is the Shelby GT 500.”

  “Yes, I'm aware of that,” Alina retorted dryly.

  “I would never have pegged you as a Mustang girl,” Damon told her. He was looking at her with a faint smile, and something in his eyes made her cheeks heat up again.

  Alina cleared her throat. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tried once again to minimize the screen. He ruthlessly smacked her hand away with a grin.

  “See that? You learn something new every day,” she said tartly.

  “With you, yes.” Hawk sat back and they both stared at the car on the screen. It was the latest model, fully loaded, and cobalt blue with white racing stripes. He glanced at her. “How long have you wanted one of these?”

  “Since high school,” Alina admitted with a faint smile.

  She raised her eyes from the car and met his bright blue ones. That strange look was back on his face, the one that made her feel like he knew something about her that she didn't. Her heart started beating
faster and her mouth went dry.

  “Then I think it's about time you gave in,” he murmured softly.

  Alina stared at him, feeling completely exposed for a moment. He wasn't supposed to know about the Mustang. The Shelby was a little piece of her from long ago, a part of her that she wasn't sure she wanted Damon to know. It was a silly thing, but it was representative of a younger, more carefree girl. A girl she had buried deep inside her years ago.

  “We'll see,” Viper said, reaching out and closing the browser window. “It's not high on my list of priorities right now.”

  “What is?” Damon asked, dropping the subject of the car as her mask slid into place, closing her off from him. He had rattled her somehow, and he wasn't quite sure how.

  “Jessica Nuñez,” Alina answered promptly.

  “Talk to me.”

  “I have her.”

  Hawk stared at her for a beat.

  “I'm sorry. Care to run that by me again?” he asked softly.

  Viper smiled slowly.

  “I have Jessica Nuñez,” she repeated.

  Damon was speechless for a moment, then his lips twitched and he shook his head.

  “Ok. You win,” he told her. “Tell me what happened.”

  Alina grinned and picked up her water again, turning to face him. Her eyes were sparkling and Damon couldn't stop the reluctant grin pulling at his lips.

  “I was watching her this morning, to see where she went, etc., etc. Nothing serious, just doing some research,” Alina explained. “She went into work and then came running out again a few minutes later. She headed to her car and one of Gomez's men took a shot at her.”

  Damon's eyes narrowed and he stared at her, his attention arrested.

  “What?”

  “Right in the parking lot, with no silencer, right in broad daylight,” Viper said disgustedly. “You should have seen the rifle they used. These guys really are ridiculous. They have no sense of discretion whatsoever.”

  “Not everyone can be as skilled as we are,” Damon murmured, his eyes dancing. “I'm assuming he missed?”

  “She dropped her keys and bent down to get them as he fired,” Alina answered. “I had a split second to make a decision.”