Malicious Desires

by Maria Pease

  “I’m going to zoom in.” He typed in some codes.

  The next screen showed what looked like people, chained up in a cell. “Is that…?”

  “Sam, they have girls in there.”

  “Are they in there now?”

  “This is in real time.”

  Alana gasped. “We have to do something!”

  “Stay calm. There’s another location in Murrieta, on Bundy Road.” He switched the view to that location.

  I stared at it, recognizing the barn. Alex moved closer and we saw the same configuration. The barn had been transformed into a prison full of girls. I looked at Alex and shook my head. I pulled out my phone and called Frank. When he didn’t pick up, I left a message telling him I had urgent information. I dialed Monique and told her what I knew and asked her to get a team to Anza.

  Alex said he’d keep watch at both locations and would let us know what was going on.

  Alana and I headed to the Justice Center. We ran in and headed straight to Jake’s office, but found it empty. I stuck my head in the office across the hall and was told he was in the conference room.

  When I opened the door, I stopped in my tracks. Frank, Hector, Cookie, Jake, Captain Foley, Monique and Eric were all there, plus a couple of others who looked like FBI.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “What are you doing here?” Frank asked.

  “I came to get help. They have them in cages!”

  The details spilled out of me and before I knew it, we were on the move, splitting up to take both locations at the same time. Cookie and Monique took a team to the Anza barn while Hector, Jake and Frank went to the Bundy location.

  I tossed my cell to Alana and asked her to get Alex on the line. “Do you have Chanel’s location?”

  After a beat, he told me she was just arriving at the Bundy house, and it looked like Montgomery, Wally and Archie were all there as well. We followed as the caravan of FBI, Riverside County cops and special agents all sped down the long driveway. Cars scattered, and the team jumped out with guns drawn. They moved fast, attacking the house and the barn with equal force. Montgomery, Wally and Archie were brought out in cuffs and I anxiously waited for Chanel to make her appearance.

  When she didn’t come out, I went to Frank. “She’s here somewhere. I’m positive.”

  “They haven’t found her.”

  I moved around to the side of the house and spotted her making her way through the wooded path leading to Mr. Durber’s property. Without a word, I glanced at Alana who didn’t waste any time catching up.

  Chanel was moving quickly for a woman in six-inch heels, and I wondered how she did it.

  We stayed on her trail and just as she was about to disappear into the thick shrubs, I ran at full speed and knocked her off her heels. She crashed to the ground with a thud, but she was fast. She kicked me, and her heel stabbed me in the shoulder. I winced and grabbed the shoe, breaking the heel off in the process. She tried to crawl away, but Alana grabbed her other leg while I reached into my pocket and snagged my stun gun. I forced it onto her back and sent eighty-thousand volts right through her. After a jolt, she flopped to the ground and was still.

  I sent Alana to get help while I made sure Chanel stayed put. I stared at her, wondering why someone with so much drive and talent, who was already such a big success, would risk it all to go into such a cruel and brutal business.

  Two FBI agents approached with Frank and Alana on their tail.

  I carefully stood to get out of the way.

  “What did you do to her?” Frank asked. I held up my stun gun and Frank smiled.

  The agents cuffed Chanel, carried her out to the police car, and shoved her in the back seat. Wally and Montgomery were also placed in squad cars and I searched for Archie.

  When I spotted him, Jake was removing his cuffs. I stared at him, furious. I stormed up to Frank.

  “What the fuck? Why is Jake taking his cuffs off? He killed Jasmine Langford, for God’s sake!”

  “No, Sam. He didn’t.”

  “Yes, he did! We have pictures, and he told me he did!”

  “Look, I’ll explain everything, but not now.”

  My head felt like it was going to explode. I strode up to Archie and punched him in the face as hard as I could, while Jake stood there stunned. I continued beating on him as thoughts of Eva and Jasmine flashed through my mind.

  Archie held his arms up to protect his face but didn’t try to stop me. It was total chaos as two uniformed officers jumped in, grabbed me and pulled me away.

  Jake ordered them to put me in my Jeep and to stand guard until I came to my senses. Medical personnel and law enforcement moved about, checking on everyone involved. The squad cars moved out with Wally, Chanel and Montgomery, and Archie got into the black SUV with Jake, Cookie and Hector.

  As they passed by us, Jake glanced at me, looking annoyed.

  “What’s going on?” Alana asked, bewildered.

  “I have no idea.” I was about to head out when my cell buzzed.

  Alex reported he hadn’t discovered any additional locations associated with the case. “I’ve got to say, though, that was pretty awesome! It feels good to be a part of rescuing the victims and arresting the bad guys.”

  Although I was happy about the traffickers being in custody and the victims being rescued, the day’s events had me more confused than ever; I still felt like I was completely in the dark.

  Frank pulled up next to me and rolled down his window. “Head to the Justice Center for the briefing,” he said, pulling away.

  Chapter 54

  I was still trying to wrap my head around what had happened when we arrived at the Justice Center. We moved inside without a word and Frank led us to the briefing room. We took seats next to Monique and Frank and waited for everyone to take their places.

  Captain Foley was the first to speak. He began by thanking everyone for their cooperation and quick response.

  As he spoke, I leaned over to Frank. “This isn’t finished.”

  “Shhh.”

  “Frank!”

  He did his best to ignore me, so I moved out of the room unnoticed. I called Alex on my way to the Jeep, peppering him with questions until I had everything I needed. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was ready. I knocked on the door and tried to play it cool.

  Stacy smiled when she saw me. The room was a large suite with two bedrooms, a living area, and kitchenette.

  “I wanted to give you an update. Michael is doing great. I’d really like to take you to see him.”

  “Oh, my God! That’s great news! I’m so relieved he’s okay. I’m so excited to see him again. I’ve missed him so much. I’m going to go freshen up. I’ll just be a minute.” She disappeared into one of the bedrooms, closing the door behind her. Moments later, when the door flew open, she was a blur of motion and noise.

  In a flash, I saw the gun. I dropped to the floor, trying to locate my stun gun. Panic set in when I realized I’d left it in the Jeep. Shit! Silence filled the room and I knew Stacy was waiting for me to make a move. I took inventory of the hotel suite and weighed the odds of getting to the door. If I went for it, she’d have a clear shot, no doubt about it. I didn’t know what it felt like to be shot, but I imagined it would hurt like hell and I didn’t do pain.

  I inched along the carpet and around the couch. When I caught sight of her ankles, I lunged at her in one quick movement.

  She hit the floor and the gun flew from her hand. We both lunged for it and ended up in a tangle of arms and legs. As we flailed, I lost track of the gun. Stacy attempted to get up, but I kicked her knee and she dropped again, scratching my face on the way down. I spotted the gun peeking out from under the couch and I went for it. I was about to pick it up when I felt a sharp pain shoot through me. I reached around and found a knife stuck into the back of my left thigh. A whirling sound moved past me and I glanced back.

  Stacy was pointing her gun at me. She’d fired and had miss
ed, but the picture frame on the wall splintered.

  I pulled the knife from my leg and blood spurted out. I knew if I didn’t get up, I was dead.

  She fired again.

  I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the pain. It didn’t come. I moved as quickly as I could and dove for cover. She fired again. I heard a giant slam followed by a chorus of voices, and bodies flooded the room.

  “Freeze! Drop the gun!” In my pain filled haze, I imagined the voice was Jake’s.

  Stacy pulled the trigger, this time at Jake.

  I heard a hollow click.

  In a flash, three cops were on her, forcing her to the ground. They slapped the cuffs on her, hauled her to her feet and roughly shoved her out the door.

  I stumbled to the couch and collapsed. Medics moved in and I was loaded onto a stretcher. Before I could protest, they carefully loaded me into an ambulance while a medic peppered me with questions. When I caught sight of my reflection, I gasped. I was a bloody mess. I closed my eyes.

  When I opened them again, familiar faces stared back at me. My head spun and it was hard to focus. I heard florescent lights buzzing above me and faint voices filled the room. Then, a bold voice bellowed, followed by silence. I faded again. When I opened my eyes again, Jake was there, holding my hand.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “You were stabbed. You’re at Temecula Valley Hospital. It looks like you’re getting a couple of days off.”

  My mind raced. I remembered Frank’s angry face and his finger pointing at me. “I was fired,” I whispered.

  “Just relax, Sam. You don’t need to think about any of that right now.”

  “Did we get them?”

  “Oh, yeah. We got them, all right.”

  I took in a breath and relaxed, then dozed off again.

  I was alone when I awoke. With my head pounding, I attempted to put the pieces together of the last twenty-four hours. The last thing I remembered was seeing blood. I couldn’t help wondering if I’d passed out; I’d never done well when it came to blood. The door opened slowly and I heard voices just outside. When the nurse peeked in, I waved at her.

  “I’m up.”

  Frank came in behind her and stood over me, taking my hand. “Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. How do you get yourself in these situations?”

  “It was my job. I really liked that job.”

  “Well, as soon as you get better, you may have the chance to do it again.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I guess I’m stuck with you.” He smiled warmly.

  I smiled, took a deep breath and felt the stress melt away. “Thanks, Frank.”

  He squeezed my hand then moved to the door. “Are you up for another visitor?” he asked before opening it.

  “Sure.”

  Alana hesitantly moved through the door as Frank disappeared. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “What was it like?”

  “What was what like?”

  “You know, getting stabbed.”

  “It hurt.”

  Before I had the chance to ask Alana to fill me in, a large male nurse walked in. “Visiting hours are over.”

  With one look at him, she headed for the door.

  He looked familiar and then it dawned on me. Oh, shit.

  Recognition flooded his face. He shook his head. “Not you. You’ll do anything to get in here, won’t you?”

  I grinned at him.

  I was released the next morning. Though I loved the Ativan, the doctor said it wasn’t necessary to give me a prescription, despite my attempts to convince him otherwise. When Jake came through the door, I was ready to go.

  The nurse wheeled me to the entrance per hospital protocol. “I promise you won’t be seeing me anytime soon. Thanks for taking care of me.

  “Promises, promises. And you’re welcome,” he said, smiling.

  On the way home, Jake made small talk, but I still had so many questions swirling in my brain, I didn’t hear a word he said.

  It felt good to be home, but the only thing I wanted was a hot shower. I watched Jake head to the kitchen then limped upstairs. When I took off my clothes, I noticed quite a few bruises on my face and body. I tried to cover them with make-up with some success. By the time I headed downstairs, the bruises were barely noticeable.

  “Sam, I don’t want to rush you, but we need to get to the Justice Center.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “You missed the briefing.”

  “Yeah, I guess I did.”

  This time, the conference room wasn’t full of FBI and Temecula’s finest; well… not many of them, anyway. Frank, Monique, her partner Eric, Alana, Cookie, and Hector were all sitting at the table when Jake and I arrived.

  “There she is!” Frank said, pulling out a chair for me. “I’ll bet you have some questions.”

  I nodded. “Frank, I –“

  “Let me brief you. Then you can ask your questions. Okay?”

  “Um, okay,” I said.

  Frank took out a file and placed a chart up on the board.

  I looked at it and frowned. “That’s my chart.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  He moved through the case from the beginning, using my chart to show various twists and turns that had occurred in the case. Then, he went into an explanation of the event that had changed everything.

  “Remember when we got the photo of Jasmine Langford on ice and discovered the barcode on her neck?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And Jake told you they’d be taking it from there?”

  “Yes, I remember.” I stared at Jake.

  “Sam, what you didn’t know was Cookie and Hector weren’t here to help you. They’ve been on the case for several years. They’d planted an informant and didn’t want us to blow his cover until they’d uncovered enough evidence to lock them all up for life.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “They had an undercover agent who’d spent almost three years infiltrating the trafficking ring. We couldn’t tell you because we couldn’t risk blowing his cover, but we also had to get you off the case. You were getting too close.”

  Cookie stood up and opened the door.

  When Archie walked in, I almost bolted from my seat, ready to strangle him once again, but Jake held my hand tight. I glared at him and sputtered in disbelief. “He killed Jasmine Langford!”

  “No, Sam. He didn’t kill anyone,” Hector said.

  My head was spinning when Archie came over to me. “My name is Thomas James. I’m the one who’s been undercover.”

  I looked around the room in disbelief. “But you –”

  “That day when we found you in Wally’s garage, he was ready to shoot you right there. I told him we should cool down for a while and I’d take care of it. I convinced him to tie you up until he calmed down and had a clear head.”

  “But I got away…”

  He smiled. “While you were tied up, I had Cookie contact Frank and fill him in. Frank assured me you were a feisty one and if you could get away, you would. I loosened the ties and made sure the window was unlocked. I was counting on you getting out of there alive.”

  “Is that why you were there?” I asked Frank.

  He nodded.

  “So, was I the only one in the dark?” My cheeks flushed and I felt foolish.

  “No. We hadn’t planned on telling anyone, but you were getting too close. I couldn’t risk all the work we’d done,” Thomas said.

  “Chanel?” I asked.

  “She goes by the name Kennedy Sinclair. She’s the brains of the operation. Frank Monty, who you know as Montgomery, was planning to get rid of her. He’d concocted a plan and asked Wally and Archie to help. I knew I had to make a move soon or she’d be dead,” he said.

  “Who killed Jasmine Langford?”

  “Jasmine is just fine.”

  “But I saw the photos. She was dead!”

  “No. These animals have been testing me for year
s to make sure they could trust me. When Chanel gave the order, Hector and Cookie staged her death and sent me the photos. Once they saw them, they assumed she was dead, but she’s been in a safe house with the others.”

  “Her family had a funeral,” I muttered.

  “We know. We had to let them think she was dead.”

  “What about Heather Newman? I saw you driving her car.”

  “Fortunately, she’s safe, too.”

  “Sam, are you okay?” Frank asked.

  “Um, yeah. I’m just trying to process all of this.”

  “Do you have any other questions?” Thomas asked.

  “Alana and I saw you get beaten to a pulp at the Lake Elsinore casino. You ended up in the hospital. What was that about?”

  “Chanel and Montgomery think a good beating keeps the troops in line. It’s happened a few times over the last several years. I’ve had my ribs and nose broken, among other things. It’s how they do things.” He smiled. “Anything else?”

  “I should probably tell you all something,” I said.

  I went on to tell them about Alex Zimmerman and how he was able to get me an inside look at what was going on. Of course, they already knew about Alex and all his out-of-this-world technology. He’d alerted them when I’d left to bring in Stacy Carson.

  “She wasn’t even on our radar,” Hector said. “We’re glad you followed the trail to the end, or she’d still be out there.”

  I was about to get up when I looked at Frank. “Am I still fired?”

  “No, you’re not fired. Look, if you’d have just backed off when I told you to, I wouldn’t have had to fire you in the first place.”

  I was completely exhausted by the time Jake brought home, but at least I felt better about things now. I was no longer in the dark and although I was still upset, I understood why they’d done it; too many lives had been at stake.

  Frank cheered me up by telling me Chuck was headed to work a case in Las Vegas. “Get some rest and be ready to get back to work in a few days. Oh, and Alana has decided to stay on with us.”

  I went up to get comfortable while Jake opened a bottle of wine and made spaghetti. After a relaxing dinner, we headed upstairs to make up for lost time. He was as sexy as ever and despite my bruises, managed to do his part by making my toes curl. Of course, the handcuffs were a nice change, and although they would never be a regular thing, they did heat things up.