The Beginning: In the Families Footsteps (A Terri Walker Series Book 1)

by Robert Segulin

  So, you know who I am and where I am, no secrets with you are there.”

  He said with a chuckle, “in this business we know all that we can of every person working with a unit. But when you said your name, I went right to your file to see if you were who you said you were and well still single?”

  “And why would me being single make a difference that I called an old friend?” I asked.

  He then apologized to me again, and said, “what I remember of you, is that you were a great looking and a kind woman, also are a bad ass agent now.”

  I responded with, “thank you and if I decide, I will call again. Have a great day.”

  So now I know about Laurie and Tom, I also have a date if I want to. So, what should I do now? No Cat!

  Chapter 14

  Laying out on my balcony that over looks a park, I just decided to wait for a mission and take it easy. But I didn’t have to wait too long for that call. A call came in from Charlies unit and I answered it quickly. I asked, “Charlie, what made you end your vacation so early, I thought that you were to stay for two weeks.”

  Then the voice on the other end spoke in a gruff and very military way. “I am not Charlie, I am General Kelly. I am overseeing his unit until he gets back. You know the bad guys don’t take vacations, so I am here to see to it that they all get a permanent one.”

  I stood as he talked because of his mannerisms and right to the point speech. I felt that I was in boot camp all over again, then said, “sir, I do apologize my lack of protocol when answering the phone.”

  He responded with, “that is ok agent, I understand that Charlie is your brother and you two have a different approach to formality. But you are talking with me now and I do require more respect, if you don’t mind agent.”

  I agreed and then asked him, “so sir, what is the reason of your call to me today, I thought that there were no immediate missions going on now. “

  He said, “no, nothing on the horizon that would make your brother feel at ease with it. You see we all understand that he will do his best to make sure your assignments are not in the middle of trouble. But as we have noticed recently your missions seem to end up in some type of a gun battle. The most recent was a dozy. But done right and with respect for those around you. The trooper gave a very inspiring account of what happened in Vermont and what lengths you went to solve the situation without any injuries to a bystander, even though he was shot, he did tell us that it was his choice to do what he could to have the men direct their attention to him so that you could have a good shot at them.”

  “Thank you, sir, I think.” I said back to him.

  “Don’t, thank anyone but the gun that you were using at the time. It was the one thing that had your back all the time.” He said.

  “Well sir, I did use a few helpers to solve that problem. But you are right that without my training and weapons, I would have had a memorial just as Ken did.” I responded with.

  He paused a second and said, “he was a great agent and will be missed by all that knew him. Now back to the reason for my call. You recently tried to get in contact with Laurie, a fellow agent and friend, right?”

  I said, “yes sir, I wanted to visit her since it seemed that I had no projects that needed my attention. So, this mission is about or to be with her?”

  After a minute pause again, he spoke to me with a very quiet voice and said, “agent Smith was on assignment in a major city in this country. The name of the city I will tell you along with what you must do when you come in for a briefing today. Back to her assignment, well as you know things don’t go exactly as we plan them to, and this one was no different. She was to just tail a suspect with no possibility of encountering him or who he may meet with. But somehow, she was spotted and taken. We have no idea of where she is or if she is even still alive. That is why I want you to go, first you will have a purpose to do what is right more than any other agent would, I feel that you will not give up with the first bit of bad luck locating her, am I right so far Agent Walker?”

  I answered immediately with, “you are correct General, I will not give up the search for her or her body, and after that, hopefully finish the mission she was on in the first place.”

  He than said, “get in here as soon as possible and we will go over what her mission was, and what yours will be. I and Agent Smith are counting on that training and ability to get out of any trouble that you may encounter while on this mission. Also, I will tell your brother of what you will be doing, but only after you have left on it. We don’t want his or your feelings to interfere with the assignment. Agree Agent Walker?”

  I responded with “I agree and will be in soon.”

  I got dressed in real clothes, a tank top and shorts are not appropriate at this time, so a search and rescue mission. I only hope that it is a rescue and not a recover one. I am ready no matter what it is.

  As I drove to headquarters to talk to General Kelly, I said to myself, Laurie I am on my way girl. Stay strong.

  Then I arrived at the building where the general and most of the units are stationed at this time.

  Chapter 15

  As I entered the building where I was to be briefed on this mission, I thought of that someday another agent could be looking for me just as I am about to undertake a mission to find Agent Laurie Smith, alive, I hope.

  But with that thought I chased it out of my mind and only thought of this mission and how important it is, not only to me but to Laurie.

  I took the elevator up to the floor I was to be at, I would normally take the stairs but today I need all my energy to go to my mind for concertation of what I am to be told today. No mistakes on this mission.

  I entered the room where General Kelly was in and told the desk clerk who I was and is the General ready for me yet. She nodded with a yes and as she escorted me to his office, she kept looking back at me. I asked her, “is there something wrong or is there an object hanging from my nose?”

  She responded with, “I am so sorry Agent Walker, but you do have quite an interesting history for a young agent. Most men would love to see all the action that has come your way. I am proud to have met such an agent as you today.”

  I smiled and had no response to what she just said to me. I felt like a rock star suddenly, but that thought I got out of my mind, because thoughts like that will get you killed, not maybe.

  We came to his office door and she motioned me to wait. I did and instead of taking a seat I walked around the room and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. He had ones with him and presidents, other Generals, movie stars, and rock bands. Then I came across a picture that was hanging dead center of the wall, and that one was of the General and my Uncle Rick. I had no idea that they knew each other. I read the inscription at the bottom, and it said General Kelly and his most proficient Special Op’s Sniper Rick. I was astounded with this picture and as I stood in silence looking at it, the door opened, and General Kelly came out to greet me.

  When seeing what picture that I was looking at he said, “your uncle was the best that I have ever taught. He came to me skinny and green, then retired a solid skinny, but with rock hard muscles, along with a record of shots that many are still trying to match or beat. I am very proud to have been associated with him.”

  I could only smile and give a nod in agreement. Then I moved away from the wall and went over to greet the General, no hand shake but a salute. He then smiled and moved in for the hug. I leaned back, for not exactly protocol.

  He said, “Terri I have known you for longer than you know, with your uncle, now your brother under my command I feel that we are like family. But let me remind you that in a second from now, we are a unit and I am the commander and you the agent.” Then he turned and went into the office.

  I followed him and waited for him to motion for me to have a seat on a chair around a small table.

  Seated now across from the General, I again waited for him to speak first. He opened a file and glanced over it. Then lo
oked up at me and started the conversation with, “I told you before that Agent Smith was on assignment but didn’t tell you where. She was to observe and send back information on a new group of extremely bad people. They are from different areas of the world and all are said to be setting up in Los Angeles, Ca. You know that the city seems to be a sanctuary city and any illegal of any type is free to live and do business in it. She was to find all that she could without letting on who she was and why she was there.”

  I nodded that I was following him, and he paused a second and took a breath, then continued with, “This group of men and women are from, what we can tell, drug cartels, terrorist cells, gangs of many nationalities, like Russian, Latino, American, etc. you get the jest of it, don’t you?”

  Again, I could only give my head a nod because what he is telling me so far is that Laurie can be in a bit of a spot or worse.

  I continued to be silent and waited for him to continue to give me all that I may need, or at least as much as possible of her assignment.

  The General again continued and said, “we hope that she is still alive because as you know training kicks in right away with every situation that you encounter. She is an American white woman government agent. Prime person to hold for possible later negotiation, trade of people, or a sex slave. The later is the most probable because these people all inflate their ego’s by having a woman like her. I do hope that I am wrong, but I highly doubt it. So, time is of the essence.”

  “When was the last time that you heard any reports from her and where was she last seen? I just need to know for where I should be starting at. I don’t want to go to her beginning without knowing the last time first. She is a smart agent and somewhere along the way she has left clues.” I said to the General.

  The General smiled and said, “that is exactly why we want you on this mission, not only do you know her and her ways, even though many may have changed from the last time that you both were together, but you and her think alike, I have seen it. We will give you all her reports and every location that she was or was to be. One other thing that I want from you, and that is if or when you do locate her, and she is alive, no heroics, call for the Calvary and I will have a team with you in an hour or so. So, promise me that you will not take any unnecessary chances on the mission you are about to go on?”

  I nodded but didn’t say the words, I promise, and I saw that he caught that, and he could only smile and nod in understanding my feelings of this situation that Laurie has gotten into.

  Chapter 16

  Five hours later after reviewing all the information that Laurie had sent back here from her investigation of this new criminal group, I still didn’t have a great place to start.

  I gathered up all that I could take with me and thought that maybe sitting somewhere, like a park or coffee shop, away from here and my place would be the best to make my plan for when I get to California and start my investigation of the disappearance of Agent Laurie Smith.

  I ended up at a patio of a coffee shop that I go to every so often when in this area. I know that it could be very busy at times but that is good so that I don’t look as if I have now where to go because I feel that I may be here for some time.

  I took a seat close to the door so as when or if I wanted more coffee or a bite to eat, I could get it quickly. As I sat there opening the folders that I brought with me I went back in time with my thoughts of all the things that Laurie and I did together, and the plans that we had when we were agents.

  Well, even the best laid plans sometimes don’t work out. The plans that we had were good sounding, but after the graduation the government split us up, because they said two great agents need not to be together in the field, spread around the talent with those that are not as good.

  Great words but sad ones also when we found out that we would be split up. But at the same time, we made a vow to stay in contact as much as we would be allowed to. And to try a visit once a year. Well the once a year has now been three and the visit, we are about to have is me doing what I can to locate her and bring her back home. Alive, I truly hope.

  Getting back to my work, I took out my iPad and brought up a map of LA area and with what I gathered from Laurie’s reports, I marked each area that she sent items of interest of that were sent from what she felt were spots of interest. I now had a better idea of her travels around the area she was investigating.

  Looking at the x’s on the map that I put, I see a slight pattern to where she may have been moving around. When she made an entry of buildings that were possible safe houses, or were that of a living quarter, I marked in green and those of places that were gathering spots of the different gangs, I did red.

  What I see is that she made the living apartments or condos priority. That way she would know if they are home or not. The leaders of these different groups usually would be in a high-rise condo and the underlings an apartment or what looked like some type of group housing. Probably for the ones that did the dirty work.

  Laurie’s place that she lived in was right in the middle of the areas that she was investigating, smart girl stays in a place that you can observe the goings on without being noticed as actually doing that. She somehow was found out, but how and by who?

  Each place that she gave information on was that of high-ranking people. Each one had the living place, places that were frequently visited by each. Their title and to which criminal organization, like Russian, Middle eastern, Central or South America Cartels, along with Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Asian, and so many others.

  This is a very dangerous situation that is happening in our country, now the different organizations and gangs are coming together, to become even more powerful then an individual group. If they all get on the same page and there is no in fighting of the different entities, they will possibly, no definitely be practically impossible to beat.

  Chapter 17

  Staring out the window of the air plane in which I am heading to LAX, to finish the mission, and hopefully finding Laurie. The General was going to send me part way on a military plane then the last hour go commercial. I told them that if these people are that good to be able to get so many different criminal groups to work together, they just may have all the resources to track my path here.

  I am supposed to be a graduate student getting my Doctorate in California, a last stop on my path to professor. If they check and see that I came from Colorado or some other place close they will know that I am not who I am supposed to be. And I am flying coach, no frills for this poor school teacher, who’s uncle is paying for college and mother for the living expenses, besides what I am to have showing in a savings account in my name. Which isn’t very much, that’s the reason for all the help.

  Seat belt light came on and I am about to land in California so that I can continue Laurie’s mission to put together this crime syndicate and find my friend and fellow agent.

  I have my bags and went to get the car that I rented, I did a short-term rental because if I am not done soon, I will buy a cheap, but good running car to go around town. An inexpensive automobile will be that I am on a budget and my story becomes stronger. The car though will be bought at a dealer that is well connected with the government hopefully, and that way it will be a good runner and equipped with a GPS Tracking system on it. That way where ever I go the General will be tracking and is to also eliminate to many reports being sent back and forth from headquarters. To many can produce a trail that could be found.

  Into my little sub compact car and away to my meager motel not far from the area that Laurie had marked as possible places of interest. Interest of who is there and how the movement in and around those marked spots are.

  I arrived at the motel and checked in. Then I went where Laurie had a condo and was last seen being from area cameras and such. I feel that I would at least look at the building and hopefully get a better Idea of why she picked it. I also can possibly run into a tenant there and make an acquaintance of sorts. A friend that I ca
n follow without too much worry of being caught. I can always say I have an interest in him or her and am a shy person, so I do what I can to be around them even though they might not want me to. A good game of cat and mouse will make me look like a stalker more than an agent.

  I made it a point to go to the rental unit and inquire if any are vacant, that way at least if the rental clerk knows something about Laurie not being around, I will know. Also, how much it costs, so I can strike the place off my list. I will walk around a bit first after I finish with the agent, before I leave.

  I went into the rental office and was greeted with a smile and asking how they can help me. I said, “I know that I just might be in a dream world even looking at this building but driving by I had to be sure.”

  The agent then asked, “do you have a budget?”

  I then told her how much and she shifted in her chair then said, “I am sorry but that is less than half of what we are asking for the smallest of units. And besides we are all filled at this time, later we may have a small unit, but you would have to get your budget up quite a bit.”

  I thanked her and asked, “may I look around here, that may get me thinking a little higher in price. “

  The agent nodded with a yes and I left the office. Now I need to try and run into a person that lives here and may have that look of a criminal. Not that a person does, well without the tattoos they may be harder to recognize who they really are. But with them easy to tell. But in this type of a place, the criminal element will be of a cleaner look, very well dressed and extremely well spoken, even if with an accent.

  I slowly wandered over by the gym, it had huge windows, so it was very easy to view inside. The windows were the advertisement for the gym, because all the young aggressive hard body type of people both men and women were exercising in front of it. The equipment was purposely put in that spot so to stop the passer byer like myself and either dream or drool. Me it was to see what type were in there today. Criminals, millennials, or just some all not so perfect people.