by Kris Calvert
“No ma’am,” one of them stuttered as I hurried past her to greet them.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. I hope you’ve brought a variety of sizes and styles.”
“Yes, ma’am, we did,” the other said as I ushered them into the front hallway.
“We’re going upstairs to the third bedroom on the left.”
Mimi looked at me, raising one suspicious eyebrow. “What’s all this?”
“The men couldn’t wear your ball gowns too, so I had to call someone.”
She nodded and I followed them both up the stairs, praying the guys could be measured for their tuxedos quickly. Agent Fuller walked out of the front room where he’d been sleeping, rubbing the stubble from his haggard face.
“Agent Fuller,” I said, nodding to the tailors. “You’ll need to be measured for a tuxedo—for tonight.”
He took a deep breath. “I’ll wear a dark suit—you know—blend in with the rest of the security detail.”
“You mean the other men on security detail, who will all be wearing tuxedos?” I asked. I was tired of these people fighting me at every turn. They were all coming to the party, per Mac’s orders. And if they were attending, they were coming in proper dress. Those were my orders.
Fuller dropped his head and began to climb the staircase, passing Chops on his way down.
“Don’t feel bad, honey,” Mimi chimed in. “She’s been trying to boss me around for years.”
“Mimi,” I scolded.
“Mrs. Callahan,” Chops said.
“Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
He shook his head and the solemn look on his face gave me a pain in my stomach. “What is it?”
“It’s Brady, ma’am. He’s gone,” Chops said, holding a note in his hand. “He was too afraid of what would happen to him—what would happen to me if he was seen tonight.”
“Tonight?” I asked. “Why?”
Elias walked through the crowd now gathered on the staircase. “I know why.”
Everyone turned to look at him. “Mac had us cross reference your guest list with the known emails we pulled—”
Elias stopped and stared at the two tailors holding multiple black dressing bags. “Who the hell are you two?”
“Elias,” I said forcing a smile. “These men are only here to fit you for your tux. For the party tonight?”
“Oh. Anyway,” he continued. “There’ve been some matches—you know—between the two lists. I imagine he was afraid of who he might run into.”
“But where did he go?” I felt frantic, concerned for Brady’s wellbeing.
“He’s a kid off the streets, ma’am. I’m sure he felt like he’d be safer out there than in here.”
“In here with armed agents?” I asked.
Chops nodded. “I’m afraid so. These kids don’t rely on or trust in anyone because everyone has always let them down.”
“We have to find him,” I said.
I paused for only a moment.
“I’ve got things covered here, Sam,” Mimi said as she began to slowly climb the staircase, weaving in and out of those at a standstill. “I’ll get the crew ready for the party, you go do your thing.”
I nodded. “Agent Fuller?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“I know you don’t take orders from me, but I need you to stay here and keep everyone safe.”
“Plus you need to be fitted for your James Bond wear tonight,” Micah chimed in.
Fuller looked back to me and nodded. Micah was more convincing than I was this morning.
“I’ll be at Lone Oak. Mimi can call me there if you need anything and Timms will be here to pick you all up for the party. Be ready.”
“Mrs. Callahan?” Chops said. “I should head back to D.C.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Don’t go just yet, Chops. Shadeland is a small town and he couldn’t have gone very far.”
“You don’t know these kids, Mrs. Callahan,” he replied. “They’re resourceful. And they’ve done just about everything you can imagine to survive. He could be halfway to anywhere by now.”
I took a deep breath and nodded to let him know I heard him and I understood what he was saying to me. The problem was, I couldn’t give up on Brady. After knowing what he’d been through, someone needed to fight for him. Today that was me. “Stay for one more day—just one more.”
“Okay then,” Chops said. “One more.”
Rory casually walked down the staircase and stared at everyone. “Brady’s gone,” he said.
“Good morning and welcome to the party,” Mimi replied from the top of the steps where she ushered the tailors to a room.
“We know,” Elias said. “Chops just told us.”
“I found these,” Rory said holding two envelopes. He took two steps down the staircase and handed one of them to Chops. “Samantha?”
“Yes?”
“This one is addressed to Mac.”
28
MAC
I paced the front lawn back and forth. I needed people on my team tonight other than two white hat hackers, an NSA agent, my wife and an ex-assistant. I needed an agent I knew was on the outside of this case and one I could trust. I made the call.
“Win Holloway,” he said answering the phone.
“Win, it’s Mac Callahan.”
“How the hell are you, Mac?”
A few years my junior, Winterbourne Holloway was a crack agent from Kentucky. I’d been his mentor on one case before I came back to Alabama. The kid was smart and reminded me a little of myself at his age. I’d heard through the grapevine he’d taken some time off to take care of family matters and I didn’t know for sure if he was ready to work again, but this wasn’t work. I was calling in a favor. I only hoped he was up for it.
“First off, I just want to offer my condolences for everything you’ve been through this year.”
“Thank you, Mac. I appreciate it. I do.”
Win was a good southern boy. Being an agent was his calling—much like myself—but his family took priority. Especially now that he was running his family’s distillery.
“Win, I need your help. I’ve gotten myself involved in something big—too big to brief you over the phone—but I was wondering what you were doing tonight?”
“Tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said with hesitation. “I know it’s short notice, but there’s a big party happening at Lone Oak tonight and I need back up I can trust.”
“Is this for the North Star gala?” Win asked.
“Yes,” I replied, knowing his name wasn’t on the guest list for tonight. I’d checked it myself.
“We were invited, but declined. I thought it was in Atlanta.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Me too, but it was moved here. It’s a long story. Look buddy, I just need you to put on your tux and bring your gun. I need someone around I know I can trust.”
“Say no more, Mac. I’ll be there. Whatever you need.”
“Thank you. I’ll arrange for a car to meet you at the airfield. It’s going to be crowded there with everyone coming in tonight so get your flight plan filed asap. You can stay at Lone Oak. We’ve got plenty of room.”
“I’ll be there. Don’t worry. I just have one question.”
“Shoot,” I said as I kept a careful eye on the Secret Service combing the grounds and setting up stations.
“May I bring my fiancé, Ginny?”
I took a beat. “Of course. I had no idea.”
“It would be my honor to introduce you to her.”
In the midst of all the chaos it was nice to hear a truly happy voice. “It will be mine to meet her.”
“We’re on our way.”
I hung up and watched Samantha roar up the driveway in her car. I was thankful in addition to Fuller, I would have another agent I could trust. I was anxious to let Sam know we would have back up. Pulling to the front of the house instead of the back and into the garage, she stepped out of the car and
I knew by the look on her face that something was wrong.
Taking her by the hand, I said three words. “Walk with me.”
Squeezing my fingers tight, a flash of panic filled my body and I hurried us to the horse barn saying, “the vet called this morning” as we passed two Secret Servicemen before ducking into the barn and shutting the door.
“Brady’s gone,” Samantha said, knitting her brow in a panic. “I drove around a little, but didn’t see any sign of him. I stopped at the bus station and asked at the ticket counter, went to the drugstore to see if he’d been there to eat—nothing.”
I hung my head and dug my hands deep into the pockets of my jeans. “What did Chops have to say about it?”
“He said he knew he was scared—scared of what these people might do to him.” Samantha handed me a white envelope, the stationary thick with importance. He’d used something from one of the desks at Mimi’s house. Tearing through the envelope I read his note aloud.
Mac,
I know you think you know what’s best for me. Maybe you do but I can’t take that chance. For everybody’s sake, I’m gone. Don’t try to find me because you won’t. But I’ll take any prayers you want to say for me. Chops always says there’s more power in prayer than in anything else. I hope he’s right. If you think you can help some of the others, I can tell you that sometimes we worked out of the Elizabeth Arms Motel. I can’t say for sure where it is but I read the name on an ashtray where they kept us. I want a new start Mac and I can’t do that with my past trying to hunt me down. I feel bad for leaving the others behind and that’s why I’ll tell you that much. Thank you for everything you did or tried to do for me and be careful. You don’t know who you’re dealing with but I do.
Sincerely,
Brady
P.S. Tell your wife thank you. Being welcome in your house and the soft bed she gave me last night was something I’ve only ever dreamed of.
Looking up, I brushed the tear from Samantha’s cheek. “He’s just another kid lost in the world,” she whispered. “Instead of helping him all we did was expose him to the people who ruined him in the first place.”
I pulled her into my chest. “We’ll find him. I promise.”
“That’s not what Chops said. Chops said he was gone—that he was a kid who knew how to survive on the street and we’d never see him again.”
“Well, Chops might know Brady, but he doesn’t know us. We’ll track him down. We’ll find him.”
She nodded her face in my chest and I took a deep breath. I needed this night to be over.
“Where are you supposed to be?” I asked.
“I need to do one last sweep of the tent and check with Shelia, the event coordinator. Then I just need to shower and change for the party.”
“Look sweetheart, this is all happening tonight whether we want it to or not. I’m handing over names and email addresses and letting someone higher up in the food chain sort this out. I’m not going to end up dead like Senator Storm or on the run like Brady. I might not be able to take down Washington, but I sure as hell know someone who can.”
Sam wiped the tears from her eyes. “Go do your job and I’ll do mine,” I said. “Our ragtag crew at Mimi’s is all set to go and I’ve got backup flying in from Kentucky. We’re doing everything we can to make sure tonight happens on plan.”
I watched my beautiful wife square her shoulders and walk away with her head held high, knowing I’d already put her through so much and now I was only asking for more.
The burner phone rang in my pocket and I hoped the call I’d put in two days ago was coming back to me just in time. “Callahan.”
“Heather said this was important, so it better be good, Mac. I’m a very busy woman.”
“Secretary Molloy,” I replied. I’d never been happier to hear someone’s sarcastic tone in my life. “Are you on a secure line?”
“Of course I am. Why? Is there some reason you’re calling me from an unsecured one?”
“It’s a burner phone, ma’am. I’ve had several in the past seventy-two hours.”
“I’m assuming this has something to do with why you needed to speak with me. You know I’m coming to your house tonight. Couldn’t this wait?”
“Secretary Molloy, I’m sure you’re aware of Senator Storm’s murder yesterday.”
“I am.”
“Ma’am, I had spoken with Storm not an hour before his death. I have evidence a handful of Senators and Congressmen have been involved in a sex ring.”
“Hell, Mac, it’s Washington. My gardener’s probably involved in a sex ring.”
“Listen to me,” I said getting stern. “You know me. I wouldn’t be troubling you with this if I didn’t think I had something. Senator Storm was going to confess and take a few of his fellow participants down with him. But this isn’t just a prostitution ring, ma’am. These are sex slaves for hire or purchase—and they’ve been trained to drug their clients and rifle through their phone and computer for information. Information they’re feeding back to domestic terrorist organizations.”
“What are you even saying, Mac?” she said. “What evidence do you have? What did Storm say to you?”
I explained the events of the past few days to her in detail, telling of Brady Kurtz, the emails we had, Storm’s confession and even the attempt on my life. She listened without interrupting me. My only indication she was with me was the sound of her breathing, which became heavier as I went on. When I paused, she took a beat before saying anything.
“Who knows about this?”
“Outside of the hackers and Agent Fuller ma’am, no one.” I lied, knowing it would be unscrupulous to drag Lars or even Samantha into the mix at this point. It was better to beg for forgiveness later.
“Cut the ma’am shit, Mac. You don’t have an audience you need to impress. Do you honestly expect me to believe that these two kids hacked into all of this without the help of the NSA?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Yes, what?”
“I expect you to believe it.”
I didn’t know if she bought it or not, but there was no way I was throwing Lars under the bus.
“We have to tread lightly here, Mac. It’s one thing to out a bunch of horny men using a prostitution service, but you’re talking about an entirely different ballgame. We can’t go around accusing people of espionage.”
“Or treason?”
“Well, what the actual fuck, Mac? How long have you known all of this? I just spoke with you earlier this week. Why in the hell didn’t you tell me what you were up to? Does Dan know?”
“I’ve only been on this for a few days, Molly. Dan knew I was on to something, because he got a call from high above his paygrade demanding I shut it down. I would’ve included you earlier, but frankly I’m at a loss knowing who I can trust at this point. But I know you, Molly. You’re not going to sit by and let these assholes get away with anything.”
“You know I have to take this to the president, Mac.”
“He’ll be here tonight, just like you.”
“Well, how very fucking convenient,” she hissed. “Do you know the position you’re putting me in?”
“Yes, ma’am I do.”
“I don’t think you fully realize what you’re asking of me.”
“I’m asking you to think of Brady Kurtz as one of your own, Molly. This kid put his neck on the line to break up this ring. Now, I want your blessing—I need your blessing—but if you’re not going to help me, then I’m damn sure not going to wait around for someone who will. I’ll out the bastards myself if I have to.”
“And then what? I have to put you in hiding, too? Is that what you want? You and your pretty little family? I don’t think so.”
My heart sank at the idea of losing everything to take down a handful of shitheels in Washington. But what choice did I have?
“And the boy?” she asked.
“We’re trying to locate him. His mentor from the church home in D.C. is here in
Shadeland with us. He’s planning on attending the party tonight. I can make the introduction.”
“Great.”
Molly sighed on the other end. I knew her love for kids like Brady, not to mention his well-being, weighed on her mind just as much as her duty as Secretary of Homeland Security. “We need to pick him up, Mac. If he’s your only witness, all we have is a bunch of horny policy makers caught with their pants down.”
“But it’s so much more, Molly.”
“It’s only more if we can prove it is, Mac. Now I can work with the NSA on the back end, but prosecuting these fuckers might not be worth our time or effort, do you understand me?”
“You’re going to cover this up?”
She was quiet on the other end. “I’m only saying I’m not making any promises. I’ll see you tonight,” she said before hanging up.
I hung my head. “Well, shit.”
Out of the shower, it was nearly six o’clock. The entrance of Lone Oak was completely decorated and overflowing with white flowers. The lights shone through the walls of the tent on the back of the property as I gazed out the second floor window of our bedroom.
Dropping my towel, I walked to the corner of our room where Samantha had placed my tuxedo on the valet stand. My pants, perfectly pressed and hanging in the front, my jacket and starched white shirt on the back. On the small table in front of it all was my watch, my signet ring with the Callahan crest, cufflinks, shirt studs and the monkey drive Rory had given me with everything they’d hacked from the darkcloset site.
I turned to face my beautiful wife, sitting at the dressing table in a pale pink robe, her hair neatly twisted up off her shoulders, and watched her clasp a set of pearls around her neck. Coming up behind her, I placed my hands on her delicate shoulders and stared at her reflection. “How are you holding up?”
She looked to me with her bright blue eyes and blinked. “I’m going through the motions. The party is planned to a tee, now I just have to wait and see if y’all mess all of that up.”
“Baby,” I said dropping to my knees, turning her body to me. “My intent is not to mess anything up tonight.”