by R. T. Wolfe
Hurst leaned over the map that extended to the southern part of Canada all the way to the top portion of South America. He glanced to her and asked, "Each line represents one of the false internet trails used to conceal the emails from the NPD mole?"
She nodded. "Officer—" She stopped, and then happily corrected herself. "Former Officer Dale Parker reported my every move to his source at IEM."
The sound of her parents' business rolled from her tongue like boiling green tea. "Parker will be relocated to the Maine location as soon as we're done in Louisville."
"Louisville, Kentucky, is one of several locations clearly void of any lines." She pointed to it. Surrounded by dozens of the marker lines Duncan's brother had drawn on the poster board, Louisville was encircled with a clean, white bubble. "We believe the IEM employee deliberately avoided sending the dummy Internet trails through the cities that contained hubs of captive children."
"Too bad that employee is no longer available to question about this," said Hurst.
"A bullet between the eyes has that effect, yes," she said.
She slid her finger to Northridge, New York. "See? Another void. We think it's because of the downtown barbershop location that housed one of Fu Haizi's groups of captive children."
"Fu Haizi, as you like to call it."
She nodded. "Yes. You call it whatever. My Fu Haizi is run by Ivanna Monticello."
"Your mother."
She sat now and closed her eyes. She'd spent seventeen years never needing to explain this to anyone. Now, she'd had to do so more times than she could count. "As a young teen, I discovered my parents' involvement. So, they arranged for Jun Zheng to silence me."
Hurst nodded. "Abducted as a means to both silence you and make money off you. That shit ain't right."
"But, I escaped. Neither my parents nor Jun Zheng saw that one coming. They aren't willing to have me killed. I brought enough unwanted attention to them when I showed up after going missing for eighteen months. So, they had me watched. Orchestrated my moves within the foster system as a minor, within police departments as an adult."
She turned her attention to the map. Peru, South America. Ontario. Daytona. Vegas and L.A. She and Duncan had planned to leave first thing in the morning to start their investigation of each location. Now this. She realized the silence had gone on for too long and glanced up to find him staring at her.
Hurst pulled his phone from the pocket of his suit jacket. "That's cold, Nick." He looked pale, if that was possible.
She nodded. "So is kidnapping children and forcing them into prostitution."
He held his phone out over the map.
Nickie's brows dropped.
Click. Click.
She didn't say he could photograph it. Her eyes darted to her captain, then to Duncan as if they could do something to stop him. He didn't even have the courtesy of turning off the sound.
"You think children are housed, then, in Cleveland, Vegas, Daytona..."
Yes. The few cities where no false trails touched, and now he had pictures of it all on his phone.
She stated what she felt was the obvious. "I think the children who are held captive in Cleveland, Vegas and Daytona are on their way to Louisville, Kentucky."
His eyes moved to hers. He took a deep breath and fell back into the chair.
He was going into shock from putting pieces together. It was time to strike. "In addition to my captain and Duncan, I want my partner on my team in Louisville. He has experience with Fu Haizi and understands the MO."
"I can agree to Detective Lynx but not the civilian."
Duncan? "The civilian?" she yelled and didn't care that she did. "That civilian has clocked more hours breaking down Fu Haizi than all of you put together." Her eyes moved to Duncan, her face tight with fear. He shook his head at her.
"Nick. I can't, okay?" Hurst held up both hands, palms out. "They're coming up with another partner for me as we speak. I really should've been placed on leave on account of my shooting Goodrich in the back."
That was a low frigging blow, and it worked. It was like her lips were glued shut.
"Nickie," Dave interrupted. She'd all but forgotten he was there. "Duncan's not exactly clean. He killed men at your house fire. If it wasn't for the fact that they were on your property and active shooters, he would be posting bond."
So much for the glue. "I give him the map. He takes pictures of it, and now this?" Partner. Shot in the back. To save Nickie from a bullet in her forehead. She dipped her head from side to side in a figure eight, then let her shoulders fall.
"I can approve Captain Nolan and Detective Lynx," Hurst said. "And that's only if some new partner assigned to me doesn't show up before tomorrow morning and disagree. But a civilian? No way."
* * *
Legs crossed, Nickie sat in the middle of the white couch. Her wrists rested on her knees. She squinted as her eyes followed Duncan walking from the penthouse bathroom to the closet and then to his suitcase, which lay open on the raised king-sized bed.
She was in her fleece pants and cami. He wore an olive green button-down shirt with black pants and casual dress shoes. The dog nudged her hand for the dozenth time, making her arm fall beside her. "Not now, Xena. Sit." The girl obeyed but not without whimpering.
"I should be going with you," Nickie said as he tucked the few belongings he'd purchased since the fire in organized sections of the suitcase.
"You are needed here," he said and reached behind the nightstand to unplug his charger.
"How long will you be gone?" This time, she set her bare feet flat on the floor, held the sides of their Rottweiler's face and rubbed heads with her. The dog smelled better than the scent of the floral air freshener and hotel room cleaner that surrounded the place.
He didn't answer her question. e didn't answer but instead said, He"Andy is coming with me."
He hadn't answered her question, but she was too distracted with what he did say to call him on it. "Andy?" She stood and let her hands drop to her sides. "Since when?"
He zipped one of the two pieces of luggage they owned. It still had the tags on it. "He called as you and Special Agent Hurst concluded your meeting."
"I didn't want this."
He stopped mid-zip. "I know that." Standing tall, he faced her. He stepped to her and took her face in his hands.
She leaned into him and pressed her forehead against his. "This is different from one of your business trips. You're going out of the country."
"You might find yourself somewhat appeased to know there were no first-class seats available on my commercial flight."
She didn't want him to make her smile at a time like this. "Coach seat. How will you survive?"
He lifted her chin with a finger and set his lips on hers. They were warm and safe.
"Okay," she said between kisses. "But what if I get to Louisville and the whole things is a wash? Hurst is relying on a gig set up through Slippery Jimbo."
"There is that." He turned back to his suitcase, finished zipping it and set it on the floor. "Then, you'll join us."
She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why Peru? I thought we decided to case the closer spots first. Peru is not close. Ontario is close, and you know L.A. like the back of your hand."
"Mariposa joven," he said and sat next to her.
"My Spanish isn't that good, Duncan."
"Mariposa joven is a term I came across when sifting through the files I stole from your father's workplace. It means young butterfly."
"A butterfly. The symbol pedophiles use to show they prefer children of either gender." His lanky fingers wrapped around hers. "Butterfly references are used in the marketing world all the time. That's a stretch. You must have more."
"The reference mentioned some kind of drop box containing files pertaining to importing and exporting materials used to create earth-moving equipment."
"You're thinking more like importing and exporting humans?"
"I'm going to find out." He rotat
ed to face her.
She placed her cheek on his shoulder. "I don't like this."
"I don't like the idea of you and Eddy Lynx setting up former Officer Parker in the witness protection location."
She sighed. "Let's get this done once and for all, Duncan. Then, we can think about that starting a family thing."
He took her face in both hands this time. "Or we could work on that starting a family thing before I leave." His mouth met hers, and his fingers traced a line to the back of her neck. She climbed on his lap and straddled him, meshing tongues and lips. He pressed her back to the piles of pillows and they started.
Chapter 3
Going in blind was an understatement. Special Agent Hurst told her six teams, but Nickie had no idea how many men that meant, if they had notified the Louisville Police captain or what her role was in all of this.
A crackle over the intercom was followed by an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 487 with service from Rochester to Louisville. We are currently next in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air in approximately three minutes."
She'd given Duncan shit about riding commercial coach, but when was the last time she'd had to? The air smelled like it had been recycled from the last sixteen flights, and the temperature felt like eighty humid degrees.
Only four feds were on board. That didn't make up six teams. They sat up about ten rows. Her seat was in the middle of the plane next to a mother and her toddler. Her partner sat in the far back next to two teenagers with their noses in their tablets.
She messed with the twisty air thing over her head as her phone signaled a text message. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw the text was from Duncan.
The stewardess announced, "Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones." Swiping her phone, she read.
Landed in Atlanta. Four-hour layover.
She started to respond when another stewardess stopped at her seat, cleared her throat and said, "Ma'am. Please."
Ma'am? Nickie wasn't old enough to be a ma'am, but she smiled and stuffed her phone back in the pocket of her slacks anyway.
The mom next to her shook up some concoction in a bottle. It smelled horrible. Powder, cardboard, fake milk something. Nickie must have been staring because the mom said, "So her ears won't pop on takeoff." Oh, the sucking. Or was it a special ear-popping-protection formula? How would Nickie ever learn this stuff?
Duncan was in Atlanta when he should be in on Operation Belmont Stakes with her. Or she should be on her way to Peru with him. Her partner should be setting up the witness protection location for the bastard Officer Parker, not sitting behind her with strange teenagers.
Everything was backasswards. She placed her head on the headrest as the plane took off. The kid happily drank from the baby bottle while she stared at Nickie like she was an alien. Nickie closed her eyes until they leveled out.
"Excuse me, Detective."
The voice was close and made her jump.
"I'm with the gentlemen up front." Polished shoes, white shirt, tie. As if she couldn't tell. "Mr. Hurst would like to speak with you."
Ah, she'd been summoned. "Coming," she said and unbuckled her seat belt.
The spot next to him was empty. She assumed it was vacated by the dude who delivered her summons. Maybe he would become best friends with the mom and her kid.
Hurst wore the same thing she always saw him in, which was the same as every special agent she ever met. "Good morning, Detective."
"Mornin'."
He tilted his head to her and spoke low. "Base is set up at the racetrack."
"They won't be at the racetrack."
"Yet. We will be reviewing the plan of action at base."
"Since I wasn't privy to the preview or the main view, I guess I should ask what the view is and what you want me to do."
He rotated his large shoulders in the seat and faced her. "Do we have a problem, Nick?"
"Nope." Yep. "Just want to be helpful and all that." She lifted a boot and set her ankle on top of her knee.
He leaned in and whispered, "We have sixty-five men on the ground, plus the six of us en route."
That's seventy-one. Did she hear him right? She wanted to hate the feds. It was practically in her job description, but seventy-one? She tried not to get her hopes up.
"Your informant will be—"
Her left eyelid twitched. "Slippery Jimbo will be taking part in the operation?"
"Yes. He's been instrumental actually. Says he's visiting family. He was hanging out at an OTB when a man in a mock turtleneck and black pants offered access to child porn."
The muscles in her face dropped. Mock turtleneck and black pants. That was the MO of Fu Haizi. She stuffed her hands beneath her thighs to keep them from shaking.
"You gotta admit, Nick. James fits the physical profile of a slimy pedophile."
And the personality of slimy all around. She shifted in her seat. "I'm trying not to like you. You are a fed, ya know. Then, you have to go and say something funny like that about Slippery Jimbo."
He laughed. It was surprisingly girly. "Yeah. Back at you, Nick. We're not sure of locations or how many hubs, but we have enough men for up to six teams. I'd like it if you'd guide that part of the base meeting, then take charge as leader of one of them."
"Have you involved the local LPD?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "Will they be included?"
"No, but they will be allowed on-site."
That earned him an eye roll. "It's not a lot to go on," she said.
"We'll go into more detail in the secure location on the ground. Honestly, you're the most qualified and ready for this, Nick. I need you. The children need you."
So much for not liking him.
* * *
Duncan wasn't sure about Internet access or power where he was going, so he used the airport power and Wi-Fi. His office manager had a few questions that needed to be answered before he boarded the flight to Peru.
He checked his phone again. No response from Nickie.
He sighed and scanned his surroundings. Hundreds of people bustled around him, most of them waiting in line at the hot dog stand across from the terminal. The scent of the grill was almost as distracting as the absentee text message from his wife.
He sent the final email to his office manager, then decided to take full advantage of the hot dog stand with a loaded foot long. His stomach growled as he opened a search engine on his tablet. Lima, Peru, was clearly one of the voids on the map Andy had created. The same map Hurst made a copy of via the camera in his cell phone, making his Nickie not at all pleased.
He checked his phone for the fourth time. Nothing. Searching for a map of the casinos in Lima, he noted there were dozens. Since casinos bred Fu Haizi types, he and his brother were looking at a potentially extensive search.
His brother sat next to him and nudged his arm as they waited. "What's the matter?" Andy asked.
He craned his chin a fraction of an inch. "What makes you think something might be the matter?"
"You're grinding your teeth."
Ah. "My wife and I have an agreement to communicate when flying without one another. Her flight should have landed over an hour ago."
"I get that," Andy said. "But she's kinda doing something big right now."
"Which apparently makes me grind my teeth."
"Point taken, man."
Duncan had an eidetic memory. Generally, it was annoying. Sometimes, it was terrifying. Today, it was perplexing. He knew the voice that spoke behind him. The voice wasn't only in the same airport, but in the same terminal, which meant the man was headed to Peru as well.
Closing his tabs, Duncan straightened in his seat and turned. Jess Larsen did a double take as well. He continued his conversation with the young woman next to him, then stopped altogether. He turned back to Duncan and pulled his chin toward his neck. "Duncan Reed?" he said.
Standing, Duncan walked
the few aisles to him and held out his hand. "Yes. It's good to see you, Mr. Larsen."
"Please call me Jess. You're on this flight?"
"I am." He took Jess's hand and shook as he turned a shoulder to expose Andy. "My brother and I are investigating a possible lead in Lima."
"I'd love to hear about it. Please, sit," he said and gestured to the seats next to the young woman. "This is Bella, my fundraising and development intern."
Duncan took the hand of the woman who couldn't have been more than twenty-five. Her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look younger yet. Bella nodded and shook his hand.
"How is Nickie?"
"She is well, thank you. She's involved in an operation today."
"A bust in the States," Jess said. "Excellent. You can tell she loves what she does."
"Yes and no," he said. "The FBI confiscated the case. She is now a subordinate."
"Ouch."
"Yes. That seems to happen often. They are allowing her assistance for today's operation, but she has little knowledge of the plan. It doesn't sit well with her." It felt good to talk about it.
"Allowing or using her assistance?" Jess said.
"Exactly."
"So, Peru," Jess said.
"It seems to be a location used by the international wing of Nickie's Fu Haizi."
"She is determined."
"She is. And thus, more frustrated that the case has been taken from her."
"And yet, here you are."
Duncan smiled at that.
"It's one of the reasons we work internationally," Jess explained. "We have more freedom and less bureaucracy. Where are you staying?"
"I actually have no idea."
"You're traveling to Peru blind?" Jess pulled his chin back again. "Really? We have room. I can show you around."
A wave of relief covered Duncan. He nodded. "We would be most grateful."
Chapter 4
The sun promised to cook anyone who dared to step foot from the shade. They entered Belmont Park in groups of three and four beneath a wall of arched windows that were surrounded with vines. It was eight hours before the racetrack opened, and already people hustled around like ants. Special Agent Hurst walked next to her, but Nickie's partner was stuck a few groups behind.