WALTER LIFTED THE RAG of chloroform away from her mouth only long enough to gather tape from the floor. He stuffed the rag back onto Niki’s nose and mouth, then wrapped taped around it, before sliding the hood back down so she would remain unconscious. Then he unhooked the shackles from her hands and dropped them to the floor. He pulled her along the floor of the van, lifted her over his shoulder, and walked into the cold of the night. He didn’t walk far, only about a city block to another vehicle. A small black SUV with tinted windows. Completely nondescript. A perfect getaway vehicle.
After popping the hatchback, he laid Niki inside. Next to her limp body were more shackles, waiting for transport. He latched her hands behind her, then moved to her feet. He pushed the high heels off and hooked her ankles together. After slamming the hatch shut, he moved back to the van, closing everything up, even setting the alarm. Once the horn beeped, he returned to the SUV, stepped in, and drove away.
15
Somewhere in southern Minnesota
BLINKING SLOWLY, NIKI stared at the ceiling. Wood beams ran horizontally, the entire length of the room. She felt the warmth of fire on her bare legs and wondered if she was still in the black dress or something different now. How long had she been unconscious, and where was she? She could feel restraints on her hand, but for some reason her ankles felt sore too. Her legs were separated far enough apart to realize they weren’t locked in place. When she turned her head to the side, to her surprise another young woman lay there, and by the way her eyes seemed stuck open, she was either awake staring back at her or dead. Startled, Niki didn’t know what to say. Luckily, the other woman initiated, simply mouthing the words “Help me!”
Niki strained her neck to gather her bearings. The flames from the fireplace, the only light in the room, showcased two others. They lay with their backs turned, seemingly asleep. She returned her attention to the other woman and whispered, “Where are we?”
Instantly, she put her index finger to her mouth, then shrugged her shoulders.
“What’s your name?” Niki mouthed.
“Ashley,” she replied silently.
Jackpot, Niki thought. She knew this was the exact location she needed to be in, but now, as she searched her surroundings for an exit, how would she get out? The front door seemed to be the logical choice, but where was the man who abducted her? Why wasn’t he in the room? Maybe that’s why Ashley told her to be quiet, maybe he could hear them speaking.
Niki noticed Ashley’s apparel, then looked at her own, and finally that of the others. Each wore the same thing: a long nightshirt that dipped just beneath their buttocks. What was so special about this specific shirt? Why were they all wearing the same thing? Niki decided to ask Ashley.
Niki pulled on the shirt and mouthed, “What is this?”
Again, Ashley shrugged.
Niki thought hard. If I was some sick bastard, why would I dress up the women I’ve abducted in a shirt my grandma would wear?
Niki gathered as much intelligence on the property as possible despite the darkness. Nothing remarkable stood out, not until she turned to the nightstand beside her. Something small glowed in the flame. She slunk closer. What the hell is this? She stared at the charm. A charm? A running girl charm? She turned to Ashley and asked the question with her eyes. But again, Ashley shrugged. She didn’t seem to have any of the answers Niki was searching for.
The wood floor creaked, echoing from the back of the house. Someone else was there. Niki fell to her mattress but kept her eyes open. She wasn’t going to pretend to be anything she wasn’t. If he found her awake, she’d be awake. And he’d have questions to answer. But the man didn’t appear, at least not yet.
Having no idea of the time, Niki looked back toward Ashley and was about to speak but noticed her eyes were closed. Stuck tight, glued.
The noise ceased, and at that moment Niki’s tiredness hit. A tiredness she only felt when sleep evaded her for a day, but sleep was an unwelcome friend now. What if her captor tried something in the dark? She needed to be awake to protect herself. To fight him off. After an hour, though, her eyes got heavier, and she couldn’t keep them open any longer. When she drifted away into dreamland, it was mere moments before the sun rose, and Walter stomped into the open area to stare at his latest prize.
He hovered above Niki as she was forced out of her slumber. At the sight of him, she crawled back, pushing herself against the wall. He bent down and smiled. He was bearded, and his teeth were yellow, and she could smell his rank breath even from where he crouched.
“Welcome,” he said.
Niki leered at him and scrunched her brow. Is this guy serious? “To what?” Niki said. “Hell?”
Walter stood and acted as if he took offense. “This place is what you make of it.” He turned and walked toward the stove.
“And what does that mean?”
He stopped in his tracks. Niki looked at the other women, who were now glaring at her, then waited to see what Walter would do.
He turned and forced a smile. “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll save you the punishment.”
“What punishment?” Niki was baiting him to see how he would react, to test his resolve.
Ashley looked at Niki and whispered, “Please don’t.”
Walter moved back toward Niki, bent again at her bedside, and stared directly into Niki’s beautiful aqua eyes. Then he reached for her hair as it fell into her eyes.
“Don’t touch me.” She fell away from his touch.
Walter huffed. “I’m not here to hurt you. I liberated you.” He stood and walked back toward the stove.
“Liberated me?! From what?!”
“From the mundane,” he mumbled.
“Look, bud, I don’t—” Niki started, but Walter cut her off.
“Enough!” He pounded the countertop.
The women shuddered in fear, but Walter didn’t bother turning around to face them. He took a few deep breaths, then turned on the stove. “Since we have a new arrival, I figured I would surprise you with three meals today.”
Niki looked at Ashley, then the others. Shock hung on the women’s faces, telling Niki this wasn’t the norm.
“Besides, I want to get you looking your best, because we’re having another visitor today. A very special guest.” Walter turned to face them. “That’s right, it’s time for Mr. Ritter to return.”
Mr. Ritter? Niki thought. She turned to Ashley to see if she knew who he was talking about. Clearly she did, because her lip quivered and tears began streaming down.
16
Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport
SPRINTING THROUGH THE jet bridge and into the terminal, Collar scanned the monitors overhead to get her bearings. It had been years since she last visited Minnesota, and the last time she saw her niece Ashley was on her twelfth birthday. Ashley was her brother’s daughter. She lost touch with him when she joined up with ZULU. After Collar received word Ashley had gone missing, she called to offer her condolences and her help, but the message was never returned.
Collar scavenged the area for anyone who looked like a federal agent. But it was unlikely he or she would be waiting in the gate area. The more likely scenario would be near baggage claim. Weaving in and out of the masses that busy Saturday morning, Collar caught sight of a hanging sign above marked Baggage Claim.
Before she reached the carousel, she noticed a man in a suit staring at the oncoming crowds.
Collar walked up to him.
“Agent Collar?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m Agent Marcus Smith. Special Agent Risen asked me to pick you up.”
Again she nodded, then reached for her bag.
“Are there more bags?”
“No.”
“Good, then follow me. The car is just outside.”
On the lower level of the airport, Agent Smith moved through the sliding glass doors. Collar followed on his heels but stopped in her tracks as the bitter wind brushed against her face. “He
y now,” she said.
Smith turned around and grinned. “Not used to this winter stuff, huh?”
“No, we don’t get weather like this in Miami. Virginia is cold, but this is a different kind of cold. A cold I’m not used to. Nor never could get used to.”
“Good thing for you the car’s right there.” He pointed to a car at the nearest curb. Smith walked to the rear passenger door and swung it open. Collar jumped inside and waited for him to enter before she began asking questions about the classified case.
Smith sat in the driver’s seat, and immediately dialed up the heat, figuring how cold Collar must have felt. “You like music?” he said.
“Actually, I was hoping to talk about the case.”
“Sorry, ma’am, but the case is classified.”
“I know, but Risen trusts me. He’ll want me informed.”
“I don’t doubt that, but I’ll let him decide what to tell you, if that’s alright.”
Collar bit her tongue. She peered out the window at the poor souls waiting at the curb for their rides. Clouds of breath pushed out of their mouths. Some jumped in place to keep warm; others lay on their hands because they didn’t have a stocking hat or earmuffs to keep their ears warm.
“How do you stand the cold?” Collar asked, finding his eyes in the rearview.
“You don’t.”
Collar nodded to herself. “I suppose not. My brother never could either.”
Smith turned the radio station to country and began to jam out to the latest Dierks Bentley hit. “You like country?”
“Whatever’ll take my mind off the cold.”
He smiled, and danced to the beat, tapping the steering wheel as he drove off.
“How long’s the trip?”
“Not far. Twenty, thirty minutes, tops. Just sit back and relax.”
“You’re not what I expected.”
He caught her eye. “No? I mean, I’m sorry, should I cut the music off?” Had he offended her?
“No. You’re fine. Just not like most stiffs I’ve worked with in the past.” Collar stared out the window again, watching the Mall of America pass by as they sped west on 494.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Please do.”
As they continued, Collar watched several people in their cars, wondering what their daily lives were like. Was she missing out on the common lifestyle? The lifestyle her brother chose for his family. He was top of his class at the Naval Academy, recruited by every single government agency with an acronym. Instead, he chose a different path, one he had desired since early in life. He never wanted to get involved with an intelligence agency, which was why Collar figured they were at odds all these years. Either that or he was jealous.
They came upon a vehicle, a minivan full of kids, at least four in the backseat, from what she could discern. They were all yelling inside, that much was easy to see, but the woman in the passenger seat, with her hand on her face, looked disgruntled, most likely pissed at her children, and bored by her husband and their lifestyle. A wave of relief washed over Collar’s face. She knew she’d chosen the right path. The path of being forced into action. Taking down the bad guys when it suited her. And in this case—well, she couldn’t wait to find the men behind these abductions, the men who took her niece, and now Niki, and get the chance to shove it straight down their throats.
Smith spun the car to the right to make his exit onto 35W northbound toward downtown Minneapolis, and the minivan carried on.
Fifteen more minutes and they were on campus. Collar quickly noticed five black sedans parked along the side of the road. Once Smith pulled over and made a stop behind the row, they got out and jogged across the street.
“Is this the dormitory?” Collar said, keeping pace behind the much younger Agent Smith.
“It is.” They reached the door—the very same door Walter waited behind when he abducted Niki—and Smith held it open for her.
Collar waited for Smith to move in front so he could lead the way. He walked down the hallway, then turned right. It was there that they came upon at least a dozen men and women dressed in suits.
Feds, she thought, shaking her head from side to side. They all looked the same. Then she caught sight of Risen. “Pete!” He turned toward her call, closed his laptop, and walked to meet her.
“Agent Collar.” He moved in for a hug. He stood six feet, only a few inches taller than she, but he was strapping. He swallowed her with his broad shoulders and long arms. “It’s great to see you.” But when he pushed out of the hug he said, “I just wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”
“I agree. Good to see you too, Pete. Tell me what you’ve got.”
“Come here.” He waved her over. When they reached his computer, he said, “Check this out.” He tapped the space bar for the video to play.
Collar leaned forward for a closer look at the screen. The scene outside the door she’d just entered unfolded right before her eyes. She watched as Niki fell to the ground after a forceful blow to the side of her face.
“Is that your girl?” Risen asked.
“It is.” In the next moment, Niki’s attacker stepped in front of the camera. “And who the hell is that?”
Risen tapped the space bar again to freeze the frame. Collar studied the image. It was blurry and pixelated, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. She peered up at Risen and said, “Walter.”
He nodded.
“Tell me you know where he is?” Collar said.
“No,” he paused. “I’m afraid we don’t.”
Collar stood tall. “What do you mean, no?! Don’t you have cameras on the vehicle? There are traffic cameras all over this city, no? Didn’t you track the van?” Collar looked around the room; surely someone had a better answer.
“We did. As far as we could, but . . .” He stalled once more.
“But what?”
“We found the van early this morning.”
“Okay, and?”
“And it was empty. Wiped clean. Walter must’ve made a vehicle switch. The van was parked on a street where no cameras were set up. This was planned. And knowing Walter, he isn’t working alone.”
“How can you know that for sure?” Collar said.
“Because he wouldn’t have the wherewithal to comprehend the camera setup throughout the Minneapolis area. Someone gave him the directions to carry out. And like a trained dog, he did as he was told.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Not kidding.”
“So where does this leave us?”
“At the moment . . . blind.”
“What about witnesses?” Collar said.
“We’ve interviewed some students on campus, mainly the ones who’ve had the most contact with your girl since she arrived.”
“Like who?”
“We started with Coach Braxton. He thought it would be best to speak with Rory Thompson and Poppy Lewis. As well as her two roommates.”
“Anything?”
“Nothing of consequence. Mainly superficial answers. The boy, Rory, said she was heading to a party. At least that was her plan for the night. The girl, Poppy, confirmed she was dressed to impress.”
“Damnit, Niki. Where are you?” Collar reeled.
Lingering in the middle of the lobby, she thought, Where are you? There’s got to be a sign.
“Sir!” Another agent walked into the room. Collar spun and watched him walk up to Risen. When he handed off a piece of paper to Risen, Collar moved toward him.
“What is it?” She glanced at the piece of paper, then at Risen’s face to read his reaction.
He looked up and smiled, then said, “A lead.”
17
Somewhere in southern Minnesota
AFTER BREAKFAST WALTER rocked side to side, leaning into the sink and washing the dishes. Niki sat with one hand attached to the bar along the wall, sitting up on her mattress. With his back turned to her, she sparked up a conversation. “Why are
you doing this?”
Walter paused as he shifted between bowls, but he didn’t turn around or answer her question.
“I said, why are you doing this?” Niki pressed.
Walter clenched his fists and his jaw. Niki saw his body language shift. But again, he didn’t respond.
“Did you hear—”
Walter didn’t allow Niki to finish her sentence. He slammed the porcelain bowl into the sink and crushed it between his oversized hands. He spun and glared at Niki. He stepped toward her, but Niki’s comment stopped him in his tracks. “You’re bleeding.”
Walter lifted his palm and rotated it to examine the gash. Instantly, he looked away and gagged.
“I can help you with that,” Niki said coyly, discerning right away his weak constitution when it came to blood. “My mother’s a nurse and my father a doctor,” she lied, hoping to gain an advantage.
Refusing to look at the blood dripping down his forearm, he looked only at Niki, then moved his gaze to her wrist in a chain.
“How?” he said.
“Do you have a first aid kit in the house?”
Walter nodded yes.
“Good. Go get it. Then come back and you’ll need to unhook me from these chains.”
“No way.” Walter stepped back and spun around. “I’ll just grab a towel.”
Niki continued to try out her power of persuasion. “You could, but that may cause an infection. And if that cut is deep, you may need to go to the doctor to get stitches.”
“No.” Walter concentrated on the floor and shook his head from side to side. Then his words turned very peculiar. “I said, no, Mommy. You cannot cut me again. Leave me alone, I’m not a child anymore.” Then Walter, this huge man, proceeded to break down completely in front of these four women, as if he’d detached himself from reality and reentered his childhood.
Third Degree Page 8