2nd Cycle of the Harbinger Series: The continuation of the #1 Hard-boiled/Police Procedural smash Plain Jane

by Carolyn McCray

  Nicole cocked her head, listening for the sounds of humans. There were none. The storage area seemed to be uninhabited.

  Time to take the plunge.

  She clicked on her gun’s light. The beam sliced through the dark revealing exactly what Nicole didn’t want to see.

  Bodies. Not Joshua or Jimmi, but dozens of them.

  This must have been a rave in this old abandoned store’s stock area.

  Well, Debbie Downer had taken care of the illegal party. The partiers’ clothing had been covered by dark brown robes. All make-up had been washed off. And they were all strung up by wires running through their joints to look like they were all in pious prayer.

  Nicole’s stomach turned. To have religion perverted to this?

  The only silver lining?

  Nicole didn’t see Joshua or Jimmi in the crowd.

  Ruben walked over to a table and lifted a Hello Kitty watch up.

  Once again Debbie Downer wasn’t just one step ahead, they were six steps ahead of them.

  Damn them.

  * * *

  Joshua tried to breathe through his nose, but his mouth just wouldn’t shut. This was too much. All those times he’d wished it had been he who’d been kidnapped instead of Kent and Nicole, Ruben not so much. How incredibly wrong he had been.

  It was like pins were prickling up and down his arms. His belly quivered and his bladder was at its brink. Jimmi didn’t seem much better. His anger and apparent bravery had blown itself out. He was crumpled next to Joshua. His friend’s head leaning against the wall, mumbling to himself.

  As scared as Joshua was, he’d seen the bodies back at the abandoned electronics store. It hadn’t been pretty. And they might be next, however, the Debbie Downer cult seemed to have something else, might Joshua say, something better planned for him and Jimmi.

  Although “better” in the world of Debbie Downers might not be to Joshua’s liking.

  How had they known about his Hello Kitty watch being a GPS transponder? Or were they just being super cautious? He had to find a way to let Nicole know where he was. Not that he was all that sure himself. After the electronics store, they had been in the trunk of a car.

  Joshua had tried to keep track of the turns and duration of the drive, but he wasn’t Kent. His nerves had gotten the better of him and he’d lost count after the first few minutes.

  Jimmi wasn’t going to be much help, not with tears streaming from his eyes.

  He was probably contemplating his demise, but Joshua couldn’t give up. He just couldn’t. He had to be strong for Kent. He had to figure out how to get out of here.

  The room was bare. Just a boring, paint-peeling, non-descript room with grey walls and no windows. They could be in a thousand different rundown buildings in the city. Or outside the city. They could be underground for all Joshua knew.

  He and Jimmi were both zip tied. Hands and feet. Joshua wasn’t getting away like this.

  There were tricks though, weren’t there? He’d seen them on YouTube. Because something you learned on YouTube could save your life. Wouldn’t that be something?

  Okay, here went nothing.

  But first Joshua had to stand up.

  Okay, this might take a while.

  * * *

  Kent lay in his bed feeling each and every molecule of air that passed over his skin. The gig was up that was for certain. Martin was onto him. Playing with Kent as if he were one of his old victims.

  Flashlight beams cut into the darkness. It must be near dawn. Lord knew he was tired enough, having stayed awake all night.

  The guards stopped at their door, shining the bright light into Kent’s eyes. He didn’t flinch or bring his hand up. In here, you could give no quarter. None at all.

  “Harbinger up and at ‘em.”

  Kent swung his legs over the edge of his cot and jumped down to the floor. Martin was already up. A “cat that ate the canary” smile on his face. Kent had no doubt what was about to happen. There was no way Martin could physically challenge Kent, at least not directly. Martin was a big fan of using proxies for his kill.

  This was going to be fun. There were three guards.

  Kent put his hands through the grate, awaiting a shackling. But none were put on. Instead the guard opened the door.

  “I don’t think we’ll be needing those,” the guard said.

  No, of course not. How could the guards claim self-defense if Kent was chained up? Never mind the multiple burns and broken ribs. These guards needed to make it look as much like a fair fight as possible.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Kent answered as the guards led him down the long row of cells.

  They went to the staircase and headed down. Down into the basement. How clichéd could this get? Seriously it was like he was stuck in some movie with Billy Baldwin in the lead.

  “You really don’t want to do this,” Kent stated.

  “Want has nothing to do with it,” the lead guard stated. Kelly by the name embroidered on the man’s shirt.

  “Martin has something on you?” Kent asked.

  “Has someone,” Kelly answered.

  “I can help you with that,” Kent stated.

  The guard snorted, giving a laugh that did not sound amused. “Right. Because you’ve done such a great job with the Debbie Downers.”

  “Look,” Kent said. “I’m here undercover. I got what I needed out of Martin.”

  The guard laughed again. “That’s what they all say. I can’t risk my grandmother’s life on this.”

  Kent almost felt sorry for the man. But to give into a sadist? No, just no.

  “My wife will be visiting soon. She will not stop until she finds out what happens.”

  The guard’s lips turned up a bit. “Hiding behind your wife’s skirts? Didn’t take you for that kind of guy.”

  Kent stopped their very long walk to his beating ground. “I don’t want to have to hurt you. Any of you, but I will and even if you get me now, Nicole will kick your asses to hell and back.”

  None of that seemed to impress the guards. They were under Martin’s sway, each and every one of them.

  Kelly opened a door that led into the dimly lit laundry room.

  Like Kent said. Billy Baldwin.

  * * *

  Nicole frowned. “I still don’t understand why we are going to the prison. I mean, I love Kent and all, but he’s in prison.”

  “And Joshua was able to get a hold of him,” Ruben answered. “Just trust me. Kent might have information that could help us.”

  She didn’t like it. Ruben was acting squirrely and the two men that they would normally rely upon to find the two kidnapped techs, were the two kidnapped techs. The “B” team back at the precinct wasn’t doing a great job.

  How far could they have gotten with the two J’s? The entire department was out looking for them, but so far no luck.

  They should be out searching instead of taking this pit stop at the prison. Kent was brilliant, but picking out where the two J’s were out of his ass? Not so much. Joshua had indeed contacted Kent in prison, but that was back when he had access to the surveillance van and all of its equipment.

  Nicole seriously doubted that the killers were allowing Joshua access to communications equipment.

  But there was no point in fussing any more. They were pulling into the law enforcement parking lot at the prison.

  “This better be worth it,” Nicole said, as she parked her Mustang.

  “If I think we need Kent…”

  True, true.

  Getting out of the car, Nicole headed straight for the entrance. The sun was just coming up, giving the air a strange grayish glow.

  Today better be better than yesterday. That’s all Nicole could say.

  * * *

  Ruben followed Nicole into the prison. She walked right up to the bullet-proofed protected law enforcement check-in.

  “I need to see prisoner 11904, Kent Harbinger,” Nicole said, putting her badge and weapon into the pu
ll-through drawer. Ruben followed suit. It was the routine.

  The man behind the desk typed into his computer, then pushed their guns and badges back to them. “Sorry, but Mr. Harbinger is unavailable for visitors.”

  “Unavailable?” Nicole demanded.

  The guy behind the glass had better respect that tone. Ruben knew it well. You did not fare well if you ignored it.

  “Yes,” the man said. “You can wait if you like.”

  “I do not like,” Nicole growled.

  The man must have realized he wasn’t dealing with just any detective. “I can try to page the cell block guards and see what the trouble is.”

  “Yes, perhaps you should do that,” Nicole said.

  The man immediately picked up the phone and started the process.

  Ruben stepped forward. Something was wrong. Really wrong. A prisoner not available this early in the morning? He feared what trouble Kent had gotten himself into.

  “Belay that call,” Ruben said. “Call your warden instead.”

  Nicole raised her eyebrows at the request. “Ruben?”

  He kept his focus on the guard. “The warden. Now.”

  Finally, he had to turn to Nicole. Who had that look of hope, anger, and more anger.

  “What do you know that I don’t?”

  “It isn’t for me to say,” Ruben stated.

  Nicole punched him in the shoulder. It wasn’t a fake, playful punch, it was a punch that made him flinch. “Tell me.”

  Ruben turned away from her. The one thing in all of this that Ruben had learned was to never come between Nicole and Kent.

  * * *

  The door was shut and locked. Right on schedule. Nightsticks were taken out of their holders. The three guards surrounded Kent with menacing frowns.

  “This really is your last chance,” Kent said. “You don’t have to do this. I can get you out from under Martin.”

  None of the guards answered. Martin had been playing his head games on these men for years. He had convinced them he was the god that Martin thought he was.

  So sad really.

  Kent glanced around his current battlefield. The usual laundry items. Rolling bins. Detergent. No fabric softener, because well, this was prison after all.

  Kent put his palms together and bowed his head.

  If they were going to fight, they might as well have a civilized start.

  Or kind of start.

  Kent flung a bag of detergent at the closest guard. The dust blocked his attack.

  Amateurs.

  CHAPTER 10

  Nicole fumed. Literally, she could feel the steam coming out of her ears as they waited for someone to get the warden. Apparently the man was at the gym for an early morning workout before the day.

  She was about to go haul him out herself, but finally the call came that he was in the office, sweaty, but ready to see them.

  They were rapidly escorted through the hallway to the warden’s office.

  Nicole burst into the room. He’d clearly gotten the word on exactly how pissed off she was because his hands were up.

  “We are working on finding him.”

  “Finding him?” Nicole growled. “Finding him?”

  The man wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Some guards took him from his cell on an unauthorized walk.”

  “You mean to get a tune up or worse?” Nicole demanded. Funny how Ruben was staying quiet.

  “Yes,” the warden said with a sigh, sitting behind his desk. “They know the gaps in coverage. We lost sight of them once out of the protective custody ward.”

  Nicole spun on her heel, turning her agitation on her partner. “Well? You better fess up now, or I swear…”

  “She doesn’t know?” the warden asked, seeming truly surprised.

  “No,” Ruben answered.

  “Know what?” Nicole hissed at Ruben.

  He sighed.

  “I didn’t really press charges,” Ruben explained. “Kent set this all up so that he could bunk up with the serial killer Martin Goodling. Kent believes that Martin is the Debbie Downer ringleader.”

  Nicole took a step back. “What?”

  Once again her husband tortured her for no good reason. Okay, maybe there was a good reason, like catching a vicious serial killer cult, but still. Couldn’t he tell her just once when he was going to pull a stunt like this?

  Oh, those guards better not kill Kent. She wanted the pleasure of doing it herself.

  * * *

  Kent grabbed a towel off the clean stack and wrapped it around his arm, just in time, as he fended off another charge by a guard. He danced out of the way, throwing an elbow.

  Ah, the crack of bone. Such a satisfying sound. Another broken nose. After that initial attack, where they didn’t get Kent down, he’d convinced the guards they might take a more cautious tact. They were used to beat downs, not an actual fight.

  Due to their greater number, they thought they could simply wait him out. They didn’t know Kent got better with age.

  Pretending to retreat, Kent angled back toward a dryer. A guard charged, head down like a bull. Or maybe more like a calf. Kent opened the dryer door and allowed the man to run full speed into the glass door.

  Kent couldn’t help but chuckle. The guard stumbled back, twirling around, clearly disoriented. Kent could swear there were stars dancing around the man’s head.

  Another guard looked to take advantage of Kent’s distraction, only he wasn’t distracted. Kent never felt more alive than in a fight to the death.

  Nightstick up and ready to come down on Kent’s head, the guard pushed forward. Skipping out of the way, Kent jumped onto one of the folding tables. The nightstick came down on the Formica surface, chipping it. Kent waited until the guard’s follow through, then kicked the guy in the head.

  The guard looked shocked as his head snapped to the side and a tooth flew across the room.

  Kent was on the lean side, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have the muscle mass to inflict serious damage.

  He ran across the table and launched himself at the third guard who by no means was ready for that maneuver. Kent hit him full body, knocking them both to the floor. Kent raised his fist, bringing it down on the guards face, once, twice, then a third time.

  Kent was about to win this little war, when he felt two prongs pierce his back and electricity pumped into his body.

  Spasming, Kent fell off the guard, his muscles contracting in agony.

  They cheated. Wasn’t that Kent’s gig?

  He could barely see through the onslaught, but two guards approached, their nightsticks up. Then they came down, raining pain upon Kent’s already crippled body.

  The door flew open.

  Nicole rushed in. Stopped and cocked her head.

  “Touch him again and you’re my bitch.”

  In all fairness, Kent had tried to warn them.

  * * *

  The guards looked like they might have some choice words for her, but then they saw who stood behind her. The warden.

  They backed away from Kent, who still twitched from the taser hit.

  She rushed over to him, knocking the prongs out of his back with her foot. Then Nicole grabbed him by the ear and pulled him up.

  “Hello to you too,” Kent chattered through clenched teeth.

  “You do this again? Do this without telling me and I swear on all that is holy I will kick your ass.”

  Kent pitched forward. No matter how pissed Nicole was, she caught him, holding him up as he once again grew accustomed to being in charge of his muscles.

  “Did it work?” Ruben asked.

  Nicole smoothed Kent’s hair back as he nodded the best he could. “Martin is sending messages through the library books.”

  “You saw him do it?” Nicole asked.

  Shaking his head, then looking like he wished he hadn’t, Kent answered. “No. The opposite. He ignored the library cart each time it came by, but he is voracious reader. He didn’t want to tip his hand.”
>
  “So these men are on Martin’s payroll?” the warden asked.

  Kent was strong enough to push off from her, standing on his own, but then he swayed and Nicole shored up his right side.

  “No,” Kent stated. “He has kidnapped one or more of their family members, so don’t go too hard on them.”

  Typical Kent. You would expect him to want the guard’s heads, but instead he was defending them.

  * * *

  Ruben rolled his eyes. Kent always the shiny white knight. When he wasn’t lying, cheating, and shoplifting. Not quite so shiny then, was he?

  You couldn’t tell by the looks on everyone’s face. Nicole’s anger had mellowed to concern and somehow pride. The warden had a look of respect for the profiler that Ruben would never feel pointed at him. And the guards, the guards looked contrite.

  This really was Kent’s world and Ruben just lived in it.

  Back to reality.

  “So how does this help us?”

  Kent didn’t skip a beat. Not even tasered was the man humbled. “There is a library trustee. He is Martin’s bag man. Find him. We find the books. We find the orders that Martin sent.”

  Of course, Kent had cracked the case. Of course.

  Ruben turned to go find exactly those items, but the warden stepped past him and put his hand out to Kent. “Your reputation preceded you, but I must say you have more than lived up to it.”

  Dear God.

  Ruben left without the rest, heading back up to the prisoner levels to go find this trustee.

  Joshua and Jimmi’s life depended on Kent’s theories being correct.

  * * *

  Joshua shivered. It wasn’t that cold, but his muscles insisted on doing something constructive. He hadn’t found a way out yet, but he knew Kent would never give up, so neither could he.

  He’d gotten out of his restraints, then managed to get Jimmi out of his zip ties as well, but that didn’t get them out of this small room.

  It was non-descript. He’d seen a hundred such rooms over the years. They must be somewhere isolated, so Joshua didn’t bother to try to cry for help. The cultists had left them alone, so far.

  He could imagine the Downers really wanted to put on a show for Joshua and Jimmi. They would want to humiliate the police department. Put the two techs on display somewhere public.