Girl, Vanished (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 5)

by Blake Pierce

  “Mrs. Garcia, forgive me for being blunt, but I think you’re lying to us.”

  The comment enlivened something in the woman. “Lying? Who are you to tell me I’m lying you little bitch?” The door swung open, and Elaine lunged outside. Byford jumped between them and held Elaine back.

  “You want to get arrested?” he asked, “because that’s what happens when you assault an agent.”

  “I don’t really give a shit,” shouted Elaine. Ella turned around to see a few bystanders watching from their doorsteps. Then, she spotted the boy on the bike. He had his arm outstretched, pointing at something beside Elaine’s house.

  “Danny!” the kid shouted.

  Ella followed the kid’s pointing and saw a man, dressed entirely in black, slyly stepping over the garden wall. She couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to.

  “That’s him,” she called as she struck Byford on the arm. “He’s here.”

  The man in black froze when he heard his name, turned towards the agents then sped off down the street. His feet clattered thunderously as his outline gradually got smaller, but Ella was fast in pursuit. She leaped over the wall, took off down the road and didn’t stop to look back.

  “Daniel,” she shouted as loudly as her lungs allowed. “FBI. Stop.”

  The suspect didn’t obey, or maybe didn’t even hear. The rows of houses passed by in a blur as she turned a corner, finding herself standing in front of a small park. A large grassy area surrounded it, but more alarmingly, there was no sign of Daniel. Byford appeared beside her, breathless.

  “Where’d he go?”

  “Don’t know. He can’t have gone far. I knew she was lying to us.”

  “Where would you go if you were him?” Byford said. “Think. You can get in his head.”

  Ella tried but the adrenaline was making it hard to think straight. The park was deserted so any moving figures would immediately jump out. There were none.

  This guy was fast and agile, but tactful too. If he could get into people’s homes unnoticed, that meant he could hide himself well. Ella scanned every piece of apparatus in the park. A swing, climbing frame, tunnel, roundabout. Very small with no signs of intrusion. Even the gate was shut.

  The spring wind blew against her face. It rustled the leaves of the trees up above. She leaned against the nearest tree to regain her strength, and as she did, she noticed a few scratches in the bark.

  She followed the pattern upwards. More marks.

  Then a muddy footprint.

  Ella took a few steps back and looked towards the sky. Something unnatural sat among nature.

  “Byford, up there!” she shouted. He followed her eye line and landed on the same thing she did. He drew his pistol and aimed it skyward.

  “Daniel, you’re not getting out of here. Come down immediately.”

  Nestled between the thick cluster of branches was a man dressed in a black hoodie, his face concealed. He hunched over, like an animal on the cusp of hibernation.

  “Daniel, we just want to talk to you,” she shouted. “There’s no escape now, so you may as well give it up.”

  “I didn’t mean to do it,” a voice called down. “It was an accident.”

  “What was an accident, Daniel?” said Byford.

  “All of it. I have problems. You can’t help me.”

  “No we can’t, but we can arrest you,” said Byford. “If you don’t come down in five seconds, I’m going to fire a warning shot, understand?”

  Something seemed off. A killer like this wouldn’t confess so willingly. They would fight until their bodies gave out.

  “Daniel, what are you talking about? Are you saying you killed two people by accident?”

  Daniel’s hood fell down and revealed his face for the first time. His unwashed hair hung down to his chin and outlined his skinny features like a dirty picture frame.

  “Killed people?” he called. The branches rustled again as he adjusted. “No.”

  “Then what do you mean?” Ella called.

  Byford interjected. “Daniel, I’m counting down. Five, four…”

  Ella leaned in to him and whispered. “Stop. He’s coming round. No warning shots needed.”

  Byford didn’t listen. “Three…”

  “I didn’t do nothing,” Daniel said again, more desperation in his voice.

  “Nigel, seriously. Just wait. He can’t stay up there forever. A warning shot is just going to put up his defenses,” said Ella. She directed her voice at the suspect again. “Daniel, we promise we just want to talk to you.”

  “Don’t shoot me. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Two….one….” Byford finished.

  “Dan, I just want to talk to you about Santeria. Okay? That’s all.”

  The suspect turned and looked at his aggressors for the first time, but the brief moment of connectivity was suddenly dashed. A deafening gun blast shattered the eardrums of everyone in the vicinity, juddering the tree branches as though they were being shaken by a giant.

  “No! What the hell are you doing?” Ella screamed as she grabbed Nigel’s wrist. The ringing in her head drowned out the sound of her own voice.

  The next thing she saw, in some surreal slow motion, was Daniel Garcia’s body fall from the trees.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Mia tracked the license plate and followed it a few miles outside of Manhattan. In the passenger seat beside her, Melissa fiddled with the radio dials to the point of irritation.

  “Just leave it on one station,” Mia said.

  “Sorry. I didn’t like that song.”

  “Focus on the task at hand. They’re right up ahead.”

  Fingerprints from the Manhattan crime scene had revealed two potential perpetrators. A couple of local boys named Billy and Patrick, rumored to be part of a criminal gang according to local police. Mia tailed the black SUV up a country lane, being sure to keep a discreet amount of distance.

  “They’re going into the gas station,” Melissa said, her voice trembling. Mia recognized that tone. It was the tone of reality hitting home.

  “Yes, and we’re going there too.”

  “What? We’re arresting them? Right here?”

  “We’re talking to them. That’s all. We have their names, license plates, and their addresses. If they get away, we can still find them. We’re not dragging them kicking and screaming.”

  Melissa gripped the arm of the passenger door. “But they’re massive. You saw the size of them, right?”

  Mia watched the black SUV pull up to the pump at the far end of the forecourt. She took the one at the back. She saw the silhouettes of her suspects move back and forth in the wing mirror.

  “Right, how comfortable are you with this?” Mia asked. “I know this is nerve-wracking but it’s part of the job.”

  Melissa shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m worried. This all seems a bit real now.”

  “Oh yeah, that’ll happen. Get used to it. I tell you what, I’ll go talk to him on my own. You stay here and observe. Okay?”

  Melissa agreed. “Done. I’ll be your backup.”

  Mia removed her gun from her holster and placed it in the glove box. “I don’t need to tell you not to touch this, right? For obvious reasons.”

  “Of course.”

  From the same compartment, Mia pulled out an electronic taser. “You see this? Taser. It has a thirty-foot radius, so you can shoot a bitch from two streets away, okay?”

  Melissa took the taser and inspected it. “I know. I’ve used a taser before.”

  “Good. Stay alert. Have handcuffs prepped too, just in case.”

  Mia exited the car with eyes locked on her suspect. He was a large, well-built gentleman in a vest and jeans. His head was completely shaved, reflecting the afternoon sunlight off his enormous skull. He had a pump in hand.

  “Excuse me,” Mia said, gripping her own taser in her pocket. “Are you Billy Graham?”

  The gentleman eyed her with great suspicion. �
�Yeah. I am.” The gas pump fizzled to life as he began filling his SUV with diesel.

  “My name’s Agent Ripley. I’m with the FBI. Could we talk for a moment?” She saw Billy clench his fist. Usually, suspects emitted a note of concern when she announced herself as the FBI. Billy didn’t seem fazed by it.

  “Talking now, aren’t we?” he said. He took his hands off the pump and let the auto-fill function do the rest.

  “Could you tell me where you were at midnight last night?”

  “Let me think. I was down the bar.”

  “Which one?”

  “One in town. Can’t remember the name. Sixteen beers will do that to you.”

  “I see. In that case, could you tell me why your fingerprints were found at a crime scene this morning? A young banker by the name of Tony Atlas. Recognize the name?”

  Billy turned his back to her for a second as he messed with the pump. “Don’t know what you’re talking about sweetheart. Never heard that name before.”

  “Strange. Because your brother’s prints were found in there too. Why would you both pay a visit to an investment banker at midnight?”

  “Buying weed. End of,” Billy grunted.

  “So you do know him? Why did you say you didn’t?”

  “You need to leave us well alone,” Billy said, still with his back to Mia. “This is nothing to do with you or anyone else.”

  “Homicide definitely is something to do with me. Do you want to start telling me the…”

  Billy cut Mia’s sentence off with a sudden lunge in her direction. In a single millisecond, his bulky hands were reaching towards her neck. Mia was ready for the attack. She grabbed both his wrists and kicked him between the legs. Billy fell back, only momentarily dazed, then started towards Mia again.

  A second later, he was on her. Her legs gave way and she toppled to the ground, this hulking beast on top of her. He pulled his fist backward and struck down against her forehead, knocking all of the cognitive abilities right out of her skull. Then the man’s hands were at her neck, and all Mia could do was kick her legs against his rock-solid lower body. It didn’t do much to subdue him, only angered him further.

  Mia saw the sky turn a little darker, then realized it was her own consciousness fading. She felt for her taser but couldn’t get a grip on it. She just needed a little leverage. In her dreary state, her muscle memory recalled a neat little maneuver. Mia once referred to it as a Muay Thai, but her teacher always corrected her. It was actually bujinkan.

  She clutched her knees around her attacker and arched her back as much as she could. She pressed her thighs against the man’s ribs and did everything in her power to roll forward just an inch. Billy fell back for a flash, and that was all Mia needed to strike. Her hand found the taser, withdrew it and shot Billy clean in the chest. His body failed him, and he toppled backward like a falling tower, ripping the diesel pump out of the vehicle and spilling fuel onto the ground. Mia felt it gush against her ankles, but the burning sensation brought her back to the present.

  Billy gasped for breath on the ground while Mia rushed to cuff the man. She had him face down when another soul made itself known in her peripheral vision. Billy’s passenger had climbed out to see the action up close, but the look on his face said he wanted no part of this. He ran off down the lane, passing by Mia’s car as he did.

  “Melissa!” Mia shouted. “Get him.”

  Her partner slowly stepped out of the car, much to Mia’s frustration. Melissa watched the escapee disappear down the way. “Cuff this idiot and get him in the car. Now! I’m going after the other one.”

  Melissa jogged over and did what she had to, trembling the entire time. Mia heard the cuffs clink and that was enough to put her mind at rest. Billy would be out for at least a few minutes. More than enough time to get him locked in the vehicle.

  Mia took off down the lane, taser in hand. She saw the escapee’s figure about thirty feet down the road. She continued on for a few seconds, aimed with her taser, fired and missed. The man was unrelenting in his mission to escape, gradually diminishing from view.

  What to do? Chase him? Call it a success? One suspect was better than no suspects.

  Then from the other direction, Mia heard a scream. She ran back to the gas station and saw Melissa lying on the forecourt floor clutching her nose. Beyond that, Billy Graham was escaping in the opposite direction.

  “Shit,” she shouted. In the blink of an eye, Melissa had scrambled to her feet and pulled something out of the passenger side of the car.

  No, don’t you dare, Mia thought. It all happened too fast to get her words out properly.

  “Melissa, put that fucking thing down! Do not shoot that gun!”

  Billy Graham passed by his car and up the hill. How he regained composure so quickly was unlike anything Mia had seen before.

  “He’s getting away,” Melissa screamed. She leaned against the hood of the car, aimed the pistol towards the fading suspect.

  “The fumes,” Mia shouted. “The Goddamn fumes.”

  Melissa, slack against the car, fired the pistol. Mia’s instinct was to drop to her floor, but instead, she hurled herself towards her partner as fast her joints would take her.

  But it was too late. She first heard the bullet hit the car up ahead. The clink of metal on metal. Then came the fireworks. Billy’s car exploded like a miniature volcano erupting for the first time in a thousand years. A gigantic cloud of black smoke surged into the afternoon sky, and for a second Mia wondered if this was the end.

  Mia grabbed Melissa’s hand and pulled her away from the scene. “Why? For Christ’s sakes, why would you do that?” she screamed at her.

  Melissa’s eyes were frozen in a look of abject dread. Up by the flaming car, a bunch of gas station attendees appeared with fire extinguishers. They squirted foam onto the burning vehicle, risking their lives in the process. Another one, a young woman, ran over to the agents. Melissa immediately hugged the woman.

  “Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance?” the woman asked, furiously glancing between the two agents.

  Mia wasn’t quite sure what to make of all this. Were they hurt? She wouldn’t know until the adrenaline wore off.

  “We’re fine. Are you guys okay? Was anyone else hurt?” Mia asked.

  “No. There’s no one else here. Just the staff. What the hell was that about?”

  “We’re FBI. Maybe former FBI now. Please, this was an… accident.”

  “No shit,” the woman said. “Don’t worry, fire brigade is on the way.”

  “Tell those guys to get away from that car. What if the fumes ignite? This place could blow.”

  The woman shook her head. “Diesel fumes don’t catch fire. Plus, I switched off the supply. It’s fine.”

  Melissa dropped to the floor, still glued to the now-smoking rubble. “I… I can’t believe that.”

  Mia backed away and surveyed the scene, her vision clouded with fury. She suddenly thought of the escaped suspects, but there were more important things to worry about now, like how she’d explain this to FBI officials. Melissa was a rookie and it was Mia’s responsibility to keep her behavior in check, but this wasn’t just a rookie mistake. Back at the suicide victim’s apartment, Melissa acted as any trainee would. It was understandable, even expected.

  But this was a catastrophic error that could have resulted in mass death. Melissa had fired at a fleeing suspect, which would be difficult to justify but not impossible. But firing while gas leaked all over the garage forecourt?

  This could be the thing that brought Mia’s thirty-year career to an end.

  Maybe it was time, Mia thought as she tugged on her ponytail. Had she not explained herself properly to her new partner? Was it all her fault for not being clear?

  The flaming wreckage became a thick tornado of black smoke, the risk of explosion dissolving into the sky. In the distance, she heard the fire engine sirens. They needed to get back to HQ and get their punishments over and done with, the idea of w
hich brought another bout of rage.

  Mia didn’t know if she had it in her anymore.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Daniel,” Ella shouted and ran towards the body at the foot of the tree. She shook him, rolled him over and then tapped his cheeks. “Byford, what the hell is wrong with you? He could have fallen and broken his spine.”

  “It was a warning shot. And we need to arrest him. He’s a suspect. We can’t just talk to him.”

  There was no blood, but Daniel was unresponsive. The blast must have shocked the boy to the point he lost control. She checked his pulse. “He’s alive. No thanks to you.”

  At her touch of his wrist, Daniel stirred on the ground. Ella released him as he slowly climbed to his knees.

  “The fuck happened there? I was out cold. Where am I?”

  The agents stayed quiet as Daniel came around. He sat with his back against the tree and blinked himself back to full consciousness. When he saw the agents in front of him, the fury came back. He tried to rise to his feet but didn’t have the strength.

  “You two. Shit, I thought I dreamt that. What do you want from me?”

  “Daniel, we just want to talk, okay? We’re not accusing you of anything. Do you feel alright?”

  “Get rid of the asshole, then me and you talk,” Daniel said. He directed his venom at Byford. “He goes.”

  “I’m sorry, but we have to take you into custody,” Byford said. “You’re a suspect in a murder investigation.”

  “No I’m not!” Daniel shouted. The force pulled a nerve somewhere in his spine. He grabbed it and moaned in pain. “Shit, that hurts.”

  Ella turned to her partner and did her best to conceal her exasperation. Byford wasn’t rolling with her at all on this. Daniel was at the center of the rope, and they were both pulling on different ends, but she couldn’t show irritation in front of a suspect. She’d have to deal with Byford in a more private arena.

  “Nigel, trust me on this. Just do what he asks.”

  “Do what he asks?” he laughed. “This man could have killed two people. We have an obligation to take him in.”

  Ella didn’t want to do that. In an interrogation room, Daniel wouldn’t be his real self. Out here, he would tell the truth. And there was something about him that seemed a little off to her. Right now, she didn’t think Daniel was the person responsible for the recent murders. He had a macabre side to him, and he was certainly guilty of something, but whether it was murder or not was another question.