Mind (the) Game
Page 29
“Yeah, but they have no idea who they are up against!” Jane argued “They are going to get themselves killed, Nancy!” she added and started gathering some of the stuff she thought she would need.
“And if you go now, you will get yourself arrested or killed!” Nancy grabbed Jane’s arm and spoke loudly.
“They want me. Morse wants me. If somebody has to die it is better to be me!” Jane talked back and freed her hand.
Jane was about to drive back to LA.
◆◆◆
“Why didn’t you stay put? Do you know, that every cop in the States is searching for you!” Tylor screamed at Jane when she knocked on his door at four in the morning.
“You can arrest me or help me, but stop yelling! My head hurts!” she said calmly and walked in his apartment.
Tylor lived alone in a four bedroom apartment in the center of Los Angeles. The place itself was spacious and modern, with matching furniture and great view from the windows.
Jane found the kitchen and started preparing coffees while Tylor went to dress himself. Soon they were both sitting on his comfortable couch talking.
“My team is about to do something stupid and I cant let that happen!” Jane said.
“What exactly are they about to do?” asked Tylor with amazement.
“I think it is connected to Evans but I’m not sure. Erik didn’t want to tell me.” Jane explained.
“Erik? He is with them?” Smith asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because he is helping me with something.” Tylor murmured.
“With what?” Jane jumped up.
“Well, we think Morse is in the States and since he probably has people in the FBI we decided to ask Marcelo for help.” Tylor said as if he was embarrassed.
“Who are ‘we’?” Jane raised her voice “If something happens to that boy I’ll blame you!”
“Nothing will happen to Erik! Calm down!” Tylor felt offended. “Me, Hunt and Barrett. We all want to find him, Blake! We all want you out of danger!”
Jane took a deep breath. Every breath she took was painful, the wound was healing slowly.
“Can you find out what are they up to?” Blake calmed down. “Please!”
Tylor nodded and stood up.
“I will but I want you to stay here. I have to go to work now.” Said Smith and headed to the door.
Blake didn’t say anything. She watched him putting his shoes and jacket on, hugged him and he walked out of the apartment.
Jane washed the cups, then sat down and lit up a cigarette. She had snatched Tylor’s smartphone while she hugged him for goodbye and now she was spinning it in her hand wondering who she should contact for information. The answer was clear enough, she had to call Steve and Oliver, her hacker buddies.
The good memory she had was in use, as always, she had memorized all the phone numbers she needed. Jane dialed and Steve picked up after the first beep.
“I’ll sent you an address and I want you and your brother at that address asap!” Jane ordered.
“Blake, the cops are searching for you! You killed someone! We are not going anywhere!” Steve shouted.
“What if I come to you?” Jane said with a threatening tone.
She could hear Steve’s heavy breathing.
“Sent the address.” He said and hung up.
Blake sent a text with Tylor’s address and waited. She was sure they will show up because they were both scared to death of her.
And soon Steve and Oliver popped up at Smith’s door with laptops in their hands and fear in their eyes. Blake welcomed them and told them to sit on the couch. She prepared coffees, took the gun she found in one of the drawers and sat in front of the hackers.
“I want you to trace several people for me.” Jane said.
“Okay. Who?” Steve asked and both opened the computers ready to type the information.
“Ryan Gray, Erik Marcelo, Ian Valdez, Nick Lee and Victoria Evans.” Jane spoke calmly.
She wrote their cellphone numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to Steve. He and his brother started typing and in a minute they had the information Jane needed.
“Gray, Valdes, Lee and Evans are at the LAPD Station.” Oliver said.
“Erik Marcelo is in St. Luis.” Mumbled Steve.
“Missouri?” asked Jane.
“Yeah.” Both brothers confirmed.
“Okay, guys, I want you to set up my phone somehow, so I can see the locations of these people at all times.” Blake threw Smith’s phone on the table in front of them.
Steve made the setting and asked “What else do you need us for?”
“Nothing. You may go.” Blake said after checking if everything was okay with the phone.
Stele and Oliver hurried to the door but before they opened it, Oliver asked with fear “Did you really kill this man?”
“No, this one is not on me.” Jane answered honestly but the answer scared them even more and they went out without another word.
◆◆◆
“Don’t forget to text me when you head to her place!” Ian whispered to Nick.
They were at the end of their shift at the station and Lee was about to go on a date with Victoria. Ryan and Ian were prepared to break in Evan’s house and to search for evidence against her. Erik should have been with them but the day before he told them he had another lead to follow and he’ll not be joining them.
Two hours later Gray and Valdez were dressed like typical burglars and were waiting in the bushes in front of Evan’s one story house in the suburbs. They saw her and Nick going out and driving off with Victoria’s car. It was time to go in.
Ryan crept to the door followed by Ian. Gray unlocked with the spare key under a stone in the garden Nick had told him about. Ian paced inside and searched for the pass code Lee promised to leave. The alarm system started beeping and they had seconds to type the right code.
“Where did he leave it?” Ian whispered and searched under the small shelf on the right side of the door.
Ryan didn’t answer but took some kind of a device out of his pocket. Without waiting, he connected it to the numpad and pressed several buttons on it. The alarm went off with a loud beep. Gray closed the door and turned to Ian
“I thought he might mess it up.”
“What was that?” Ian asked while looking at the square device with eight buttons in different colors, wires and a small LED screen.
“My creation.” Ryan smiled. “Let’s go! We don’t have much time.” He added and entered the living room.
It was small but comfy-looking, the couch and two armchairs were surrounding a wooden coffee table with flowers on it, a big TV was hanging on the wall and the room was decorated with many pictures of city skylines from around the world.
Ryan and Ian started the search from there but soon realized that the room was clear. They moved to the bedroom. Also, small and with a lack of furniture. There was just a bed and a closet full of formal clothes, each one arranged perfectly. Ian went in, while Ryan went to check the other bedroom which was identical. Both of them walked out with sad expressions and went back in the living room.
“There is nothing!” Valdez said.
“Did you check the bathroom?” Ryan suggested.
“Yeah. Clear.”
“There is something off here.” Gray sighted.
“I noticed it too.” Ian agreed “There isn’t much furniture or personal stuff.”
“It looks as if this is a rental. But she said she owned the place.” Gray acknowledged.
“Can you check the blue print of the house somehow?” Valdez asked with hope.
Ryan nodded, sat on the couch and took the laptop from the table. Valdez settled next to him.
“It’s password protected!” Ian stood up angrily.
“Are you serious?” Gray laughed at him. Apparently Valdez had forgotten what was Ryan’s best skill.
Ian sat back awkwardly and waited for Ryan to crack the pass and to find the house plans.
Ian hurried to the kitchen which looked perfectly normal at first sight. Ryan and Ian searched for the entrance to the bunker.
“It doesn’t make any sense, it should be here!” Gray puffed looking at the kitchen island in the middle.
Valdes stared at it for a minute and he made a gesture to Ryan to move. Ian opened one of the cabinets and kneeled down. It took him some time but soon he lifted a piece of plasterboard from the floor and under it they found the entrance lid. Ryan helped Ian to lift it and a flight of narrow stairs revealed in front of them.
They both walked down, happy that they found the bunker. But the good mood soon vanished.
Before their eyes was a small room with walls covered with photos of Jane and the rest of the team. There were maps of Chile with different routes drawn with red marker laying on a long and old wooden table.
Ryan walked towards the cabinets under the table top and opened them.
“Look!” Gray said to Ian with horror.
They both kneeled down and started checking the contents of the two black suitcases they’ve found.
“Damn!” Ryan exclaimed when he saw several guns without serial numbers.
“Check this out!” Ian padded him on the shoulder.
Ryan turned and saw piles of pills in the other suitcase.
“Isn’t that...” Valdez took one of the guns.
“Yeah!” Ryan sighted with amazement.
“That’s the same gun as the one we found. The same as the one which is used for the murder of William Spencer!” Valdez said while checking the weapon.
“Look over here!” Ryan took a bag from the corner and started taking out the contents.
“Jane’s fingerprints must be on that cup!” Ian saw a plastic bag with an old coffee cup.
“And I’m guessing this also belongs to her!” Ryan said and lifted a vacuum bag with black hairs in it.
Both of them started digging in every cabinet and every notebook and document in that room. More and more evidence were popping out and at the end they were sure that Evans not just wanted to send Jane to jail but she was working for Morse.
“And now the question is, what are we going to do?” Valdez said worryingly “Without a warrant or probable cause…”
“You have a probable cause!” Blake’s voice made Ian and Ryan jump up with horror.
Jane walked down the stairs and joined them in the bunker with a wide smile.
“You saw me, the most wanted criminal in the state, and you followed me in. You discovered this by chance.” Jane said calmly.
“What are you doing here?” Ryan and Ian were stunned.
“Saving your asses!” Blake laughed and waved them to follow her upstairs.
Ryan and Ian followed her. The three of them were in the kitchen again.
“Seriously, how did you find us?” Ryan was curious.
Jane smiled deviously and showed him Tylor’s phone. Ryan took it and when he saw the green dots on the screen with names written over them, he smiled and gave the phone back.
“Your hacker boys did that?” he asked.
“Yep!” Jane confirmed. “Let’s go, Evans and Lee are going to be back in a bit!”
“What about the evidence?” Valdez headed back to the bunker.
“Come on, Ian!” Jane insisted. “We’ll get them later!”
Ian stopped and stared at her with confusion. Ryan also froze on his place and asked quietly “What are you not telling us, Jane?”
Blake smiled and headed to the exit. She reached to open but someone pushed it in against Jane and she make several steps back because of it. Ryan and Ian walked next to Jane and with horror saw Victoria holding Nick’s neck with one hand and with the other she was holding her weapon pushed in his head.
“You should have left!” Evans said with an ugly smile.
“I’m sorry, guys!” Nick said apologetically.
Evans slammed the door with her foot and pushed Lee forwards. He made a few steps against his team and when he found his balance again he stopped and turned towards Victoria.
“Why?” he asked sadly.
“Did you really think that I like you?” Evans laughed “Oh, you are so easy! He was right – you are the weak link!”
“Who is he, Evans?” Jane stepped forward. “Michael Morse?”
“Why are you asking when you know the answer, Blake?” Evans said arrogantly, pointing her gun at Jane.
Valdez gave Nick his spare weapon secretly and made a gesture to Ryan to take out his too. The three of them lifted their weapons at once and pointed them at Evans. Blake did the same but slowly and calmly.
“Evans, you better put it down!” Blake spoke quietly. “Even if you manage to shoot one of us, three bullets will fly into you. Give it up!”
“Oh, no, honey, you get this all wrong.” Evans said “You will put down your weapons.”
“And why would we do that?” Gray asked.
“Because if you kill me, the whole house is going down with me.” Evans said and showed them a detonator with a dead man switch. She was holding it in her left hand during this whole time.
Chapter 21
He is back
“Come on, Evans, we all know that trick!” Blake laughed and made a few steps forward.
“I thought you might say that!” Victoria said and walked to one of the pictures on the wall. She removed it, behind the picture there was a square device with blinking lights and a display. Evans backed away and waved her hand to Ian “You may check it. I heard you used to be in the bomb squad, you should know what a real bomb looks like!”
Valdez looked at Jane, Nick and Ryan with horror and walked to see if this was a real explosive. He spent a minute examining it then returned back on his previous spot with a grave expression. Ian put his gun down and made a gesture to Nick, Jane and Ryan to do the same. Apparently, the bomb was real and there was no point of trying to take down Evans with force.
“Tell me why did you poison me? Putting drugs in my coffee!? Why not kill me?” Jane sat on the kitchen island and spoke as if she was there for a cup of coffee with an old friend.
“It was better if you kill yourself. I needed to stay in the LAPD.” Victoria answered while walking around shutting the blinds down. She wanted to make sure nobody would see them.
“What about Vidal? Was it you who killed the layer?” Jane murmured and then raised her voice “No, you paid the PI, and you shot him because he was going to expose you!”
“Yeah, the son of a bitch was going to spill his guts, so I had to, well, spill his guts.” Victoria’s lips curved into a nasty smile. She stopped walking and froze in front of the three of them. “And Vidal had to pay for his betrayal but because of you he walked!”
Jane smiled, Ian and Ryan were puzzled.
“You know, Blake, I admire your stubbornness.” Said Evans “But you have no chance against him! You should have left the case, Blake, and he would have left you alone!”
“You didn’t kill me, Morse didn’t kill me and you both had plenty of chances. Why? What are you afraid of? Who are you afraid of?”
Victoria looked at Jane icily and changed the subject “Blake, don’t you think you are getting pathetic? You are a grown ass woman searching for your mommy!” Evans laughed nastily “But your mommy doesn’t care about you, she loves her daddy and the fancy stuff he is buying her!”
“So you are afraid of Jim, I’m guessing.” Blake’s mouth curved into an arrogant smile.
Victoria froze for a millisecond but changed her expression immediately and said coldly “This man is dead. Michael Morse killed him himself!”
“Did he really?” Ryan decided to join in. Only he knew who Jane was talking about.
“Gray, shut your mouth!” Evans shouted.
Blake and Gray exchanged thoughtful looks. Victoria�
�s reaction was enough to make them think that this Jim was alive. But why were Morse and Evans so scared of him, nobody could suggest.
“Blake, I’m afraid your team has to die with you.” Evans said and moved back to the exit door. “It is time!” she added and went out of site.
Ryan, Nick and Ian lifted their weapons and crept towards the hallway. They couldn’t see Evans but they could hear her steps. Blake jumped off the kitchen island, waved Ryan, Nick and Ian to get out through the windows and noisily she walked to the hallway.
“Evans if I was you I wouldn’t go out.” Blake said.
Ryan hesitated but Ian pulled him and instead of escaping they went to the bomb. Nick followed them. Valdez was about to try to disable it.
Meantime, Jane was holding Victoria’s hand and trying to keep her inside as long as possible hoping that Ian, Nick and Ryan will get out and away from the house. Blake had to risk her life to save theirs, she was responsible for that mess and she had to be the one to fix it.
“You can’t escape this, Evans! The FBI will get you sooner or later.”
“Yeah, just like they found Morse!” laughed Evans and tried to free her hand but Jane’s grip was far too tight.
“You were the one tipping him off! Who is going to do it now? I think we will have him soon enough.” Blake said quietly.
“Morse has people everywhere, he will manage.” Evans lifted up the detonator.
“Are you ready to die for him?” Jane said and grabbed her other hand.
Now they were both staring into each other’s eyes with hatred, shaking from the pressure. Jane thought this might be the last moment of her life. She knew that Evans would catch them but she didn’t know about the bomb. Her plan was failing and she hoped, that Kyle and Tylor wouldn’t bust in and get killed. Jane listened carefully and with horror realized that Ian and Ryan were still in the kitchen. It was now or never, Jane had to get that detonator or die trying.
Blake took a deep breath. She had to be fast and precise, she had to take that detonator at any cost.
Shaking and sweating Evans was losing control. Jane’s grip was tight and strong and Evans was apparently afraid to do something more invasive to release herself. It looked like Victoria wasn’t sure if she could keep the button down and fight at the same time. Evans was horrified, she didn’t want to die, not today, not ever.