by R E Gauthier
Torres smiled. “I knew I could count on you. Just don’t do anything when you arrive, if I’m not there. Red rigged the place with some kind of destructive alarm in case the wrong person or persons attempt to gain access to the bunker.”
Deb giggled. “What sort of destructive alarm are we talking about? Should I wear some anti-bomb protection equipment?”
Torres chuckled. “Red didn’t say, but I’m thinking it’s more along the line of computer erasing or hard drive destroying software that is initiated when someone trips the security alarm.”
A half an hour later, Torres arrived at the hidden entrance to the bunker inside a sewer drain connector tunnel. Deb Norman stood with her hand in her jean pockets and her head down.
Torres cleared her throat.
Deb jumped. “Shit, Torres, I’ve been standing here thinking about all the things that could have happened to Willow, and then I hear your throat clearing; it sounded like an animal approaching me.”
Torres chuckled. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure how to come upon you without startling you. Was an animal attack one of the ways you imagined?”
“What? Oh, no. Actually, I’ve thought about a Black Ops team sneaking around down here, or maybe a few CIA agents. Thankfully, an animal attack wasn’t one of them, or I would have done more than jump.”
Torres liked Deb Norman; she had a great head on her shoulders but wasn’t too serious, that she didn’t have a delightful sense of humor. “I’ll call Red and find out this alarm code before we do anything else. If I remember correctly, Red put the panel just inside the door. She gave me the key before she left to use for moments like this one.” Tapping Red’s contact icon, Torres added, “I’m sure Red installed the alarm to allow for minimal time if an incorrect code is entered.”
Red answered the phone. “Hey, Torres, are you at the bunker?”
Torres nodded. “Yes, and Deb is here with me. I know you may not be happy about that, but unlike you, I don’t like going into a situation, not knowing what I may find without back-up.”
“I wish you hadn’t included her, but I understand why you did. Mack would scold me constantly for not having someone with me in difficult or unknown situations. I just don’t like endangering more people in this. I’m hoping that there is a perfectly simple, and non-dangerous reason why Willow isn’t answering me.”
“Well, give me the code, and we can find out.”
“Nine, six, eight, and five,” Red replied. “Once you open the door, no one else can enter until you enter the code, wait until you hear the three beeps, and then you can move, and Deb can enter.”
Instructing Deb to hold back, Torres put her phone inside the pocket of her jacket. She opened the locked bunker door. Once inside, she immediately walked to the alarm panel and entered the code. The electronic beeps chimed three times. “Deb, you can come inside.” She took her phone out and told Red they were inside and the door locked behind them.
“Good. Now, inside the second door, there is another alarm. The panel is to the left of the door, and the code is five, seven, three, and zero. There will be two beeps, and that will tell you the alarm is disarmed.”
Torres rolled her eyes and motioned for Deb to hold back. Opening the door, she walked to the left and entered the code. “Okay, I’m inside, can Deb come in?”
“Yes, down the hallway, there is another door, and—”
“Don’t tell me there is another alarm to switch off.”
Red laughed. “No, I was going to say it will open up to the bunker, so be careful.”
Drawing her gun, Torres told Deb to come inside. She put her phone on speaker and put it in her chest pocket of her shirt. “You’re on speaker, Red.”
Deb drew her gun, as well.
Once inside the room with electronic lights from the computer processors and power bars, Torres’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. She and Deb searched without moving things around much. There were neat and tidy cubbies with clothes inside, and one was empty. There weren’t any signs of personal items lying about. The place looked as if someone left planning on being away for a while.
“What do you see?” Red asked.
Torres shook her head. “We do not see much of anything except for the computer equipment. Everything looks untouched. No signs of anything out of the ordinary or…” Torres heard something behind her. When she turned around, her world went black.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Nikki’s hotel room, Edinburgh, May 6, 2012
Nikki freaked out when Torres stopped talking and when she couldn’t hear anything, she screamed into her phone, “Torres, are you there? What’s going on?” All Nikki heard was silence. Neither Torres nor Deb spoke, and the call was still connected. What the hell was going on? Nikki’s heart began to race as she thought of all the possible scenarios. Did Torres and Deb walk into the bunker where someone lay waiting for them? Where was Willow? Not knowing what happened thousands of miles away drove Nikki crazy. It wasn’t like she could call anyone to help. The police or the FBI wouldn’t be able to help; they would only make matters worse if there were a simple explanation. Taking a deep breath, Nikki attempted to calm her nerves and think of her next course of action.
Nikki stayed on the phone, connected to Torres, and grabbed her second burner phone to call Deb’s cell phone. The phone rang several times and went to voicemail. Nikki left a message for Deb to call her immediately. Deciding that staying on the line connected to Torres’s silent phone was pointless, Nikki ended the call. Shit, what can I do now? Several minutes past while Nikki sat, trying to think of a way to get answers. Torres and Deb were out of commission as was Willow, her only other connection to the States was Miranda and Nanna. Should I call Miranda? IF I call her, what will I say? Thinking it was better to do something, rather than do nothing, Nikki made the call to Miranda.
As she waited for the call to connect, Nikki fiddled with the button on her shirt. Nikki wished she could reach out to Mack. Her best friend would help calm her down.
Miranda answered the phone. “Is that you, Nikki?”
“Yes, it’s me. Miranda, I’m wondering if you can help me with something. Normally, I wouldn’t ask you, but you’re all I have at the moment.”
Miranda giggled. “Oh, gee, thanks. I love being someone’s last resort.”
Nikki frowned. Maybe this is a bad idea. If Mack knew I was asking Miranda to help, she’d kill me. Deciding that this was a time when Mack would understand, Nikki pushed on. “I didn’t mean it that way; it’s just Mack would hate that I involve you in this, but I need someone to check on Willow for me.”
Miranda didn’t answer right away, but Nikki heard her breathing.
After a deep breath, Miranda replied, “Nikki, I can do that, if you need me to, but why can’t someone else do it? Have you tried calling her yourself?”
“I have been, and she’s not answering her phone or answering my texts or emails either. Have you heard from her by any chance? Everyone else is unavailable for me to ask.” Nikki didn’t want to say the other two people checking on Willow are unreachable as well. “I know she mentioned Nanna inviting her for lunch, did she ever go?”
Miranda sighed deeply.
“Miranda, did she not show up?
“Yes, she showed up, but she didn’t stay for dinner. She had to go.”
Nikki heard the stiffness in Miranda’s voice; it had been there since Nikki mentioned Willow’s name. It wasn’t like Miranda to be quiet. Since Nikki met the author, Miranda had always chatted openly. “What is it, Miranda? Did I get you at a bad time? Is Nanna not well, is that why Willow didn’t stay dinner?”
“Nikki, I asked Willow to leave after I confronted her about being less than truthful. I caught her in a lie when she tried to tell me Kelsey, and you would be coming home soon.”
Shaking her head, Nikki blurted out, “what the hell is going on? First Torres and now you; Willow isn’t hiding anything or lying. “I’m sure she was just trying to be positive and not hav
e you, and Nanna worried.”
Miranda made a sucking sound before she gave Nikki an earful. “I don’t appreciate you calling me to yell at me about your new girlfriend and how I should treat her. She came here because Nanna invited her for dinner. Willow rambled on about such nonsense, and then when I told her that I wasn’t playing into whatever game she is playing, she verbally attacked me. I’m not one to be intolerant or insensitive, but there is something definitely wrong with that woman, and I don’t trust her.”
Nikki’s head spun. What the hell was wrong with Torres and Miranda? Why did these two women not like Willow? Needing Miranda to calm down, Nikki apologized for her earlier annoyance and outburst. “Maybe Willow was feeling attacked; you must have misunderstood one another. You’re under a lot of pressure with the wedding and Mack not being there. Willow has been helping me with everything on that end, and I’m worried something is wrong.”
Miranda sighed louder than before. “All though, I don’t think I’m the best person to help you, Kelsey would want me to try. And for the record, I’m not overreacting or mentally unstable because of stress; I resent you implying that. So, what would you have me do? I don’t drive, but I can take a taxi to her hotel or to wherever she’s staying, to check on her.”
Relieved that Miranda sounded more reasonable, Nikki thought about what Miranda could do. Suddenly she realized how dire the situation was, Nikki couldn’t ask Miranda to go to the bunker. She couldn’t ask Miranda to leave Nanna and traipse all over town looking for Willow, Torres, and Deb. “You’re right, Miranda, I shouldn’t have called you. I’m going to have to call someone who can look for Willow for me. I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“I’m sorry for losing my temper, but I’m not going to apologize for my opinion of Willow. Until that woman can prove she’s not a fraud, I’m not going to change my opinion of her. Take care, Nikki, and I hope for your sake, you find Willow, and she’s safe.”
Nikki stared for several moments at the black screen of her phone after ending the call with Miranda. What’s been happening since she left? It was as if something drastic had taken over the people she knew and loved. Mack, I could really use your help about now.
***
Undisclosed area of Pittsburgh, May 6, 2012
Opening her eyes, Torres’s head hurt from the light shining on her. Raising her hand, she felt the tender spot on her scalp. Closing her eyes, she tried to move her head to determine her surroundings. When she turned her head to the right, she saw blonde hair on leather. Torres could make out the details of the interior of her car. Looking to the left slowly, she saw her rearview mirror with the rosary and cross hanging from it. I’m…no; we’re in my car. How did we get here? Torres’s last memory was standing in the bunker with Deb talking to Nikki over the phone, and then everything went black. She rubbed the sore spot on her head again; a large lump had formed there. Turning back to Deb, Torres attempted to revive the blonde from her unconsciousness.
“What the hell?” Deb mumbled as she came to. “Where are we?”
“We’re in my car. I remember being in the bunker, and then everything went black, and I woke up here.”
“Jesus, that street light is bright; where the fuck are we parked?” Deb rubbed her head.
Torres took the first real look around their surroundings outside the car and didn’t recognize a thing. “We parked on Twenty-first Street, across from the diner. I’m not sure where we are right now.” She looked for her phone and found it inside the pocket of her jacket a note was stuck on the screen. Written on the post-it paper, in bold letters, were the words: STAY AWAY. Shoving the note in front of Deb, Torres said, “looks like we stumbled onto something in Nikki’s bunker, and they want us to stay away.”
Deb took the note from Torres. “But we still don’t know where Willow is and what may have happened to her.”
Torres scoffed. “She could be the one who hit us on the head, for all we know; I said I don’t trust that woman. Who’s to say Willow isn’t working for some intelligence agency and working undercover to keep an eye on Red’s movements.”
Deb laughed and then stopped. “You're serious, aren’t you?”
Torres nodded. “I’m dead serious. Think about it; we didn’t see any signs of forced entry or a struggle. We have no reason to believe that anything happened to Willow. We were there because Willow isn’t answering her phone, texts, or emails. Why couldn’t she be laying a trap to get Red back home; would make sense. We show up and ruin her plans. She knocks us out and puts us in the middle of nowhere with a warning to stay away. We didn’t see anyone and cannot tell anyone who knocked us out. Willow goes back to the bunker and lays wait for Red to return. I need to call Red to warn her that Willow could be setting her up.”
Deb shook her head. “Nikki isn’t going to take you serious once you tell her we were knocked unconscious. She’s going to think you're paranoid and suffering from a concussion. She’ll be on the next plane back here before you hang up the phone.”
Torres knew Deb was most likely right, but she had to try and make Nikki understand. Until they found real proof that Willow was missing, Red couldn’t stop what she was doing and come home. “You may be right, but I have to try. Mack would want us to look out for Red.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Nikki’s hotel Room, Edinburgh, May 7, 2012
Nikki stared at FBI Director Manley’s private phone number for several moments. She hesitated to call and ask him for a favor. But she didn’t know who else she could call. First, Willow went AWHOL, and now Torres and Deb went looking for her, and they weren’t responding either. If she were to call him, what would she say? I could say, I’m helping SSA MacGregor with a personal matter, no, Sir, I understand you believe she’s dead, but she isn’t, and I need you to send an FBI team to this address…Shit, I can’t do this. Nikki tapped back to erase the number, just as her phone chimed. Nikki saw the number and hit the accept call icon, immediately. “Torres, what the hell happened?” When Torres didn’t answer, right away, Nikki asked, “are you there Torres? What happened? Are you and Deb okay?”
“Deb and I are alive, but someone knocked us over the heads and dragged us back to my car. They then drove us to a random area down near the Southside tracks, which is my best guess. We both came to moments ago, to find a note on my phone telling us to stay away.”
Nikki attempted to make sense out of what Torres had said. Did she say someone knocked them out and drove them to the Southside? Glancing at the time displayed on her phone, Nikki realized that the women were unconscious for nearly half an hour. “Are you and Deb okay? Can you drive? Maybe you should call for an ambulance and get to a hospital. You both could suffer from serious concussions.”
Torres’s words were slow, but she clearly said, “we’re fine, but you could be in danger. Red, we didn’t see any signs of forced entry, nor were there any evidence of a struggle. Willow either let the people in, and they took her, and then they lay in wait for us, or…”
Nikki waited to see if Torres planned on finishing. When Torres went silent, Nikki prompted a continuation of the explanation. “Or what? Torres, are you still there?” Worried that something may have happened again, Nikki shouted,
TORRES!”
“I’m here, Jesus, you don’t need to shout. I’m only hesitating because Deb said you’re not going to react well to what I am about to say.”
“You can understand why I may be worried something could be wrong. I sat here, thinking all sorts of horrible things that may have happened. You were explaining your theory of what may have happened and then stopped. What is it, that Deb thinks I’m not going to react well to?”
“Promise me that you’re going to hear me out until I’m finished. I need you to listen to everything I have to say with an open mind and no preconceived thoughts or feelings. Imagine I’m describing a case you’re investigating. Can you do that for me?”
Mack used a similar tactic for them to prepare for a new case. The
y would read the case specifics and allow the evidence to speak for itself before they tried to look for motives, theories on the behavior of the suspects, or other personal observations. “I can do that. What is it? Were you and Deb able to determine if Willow left the bunker on her own accord?”
“Red, if this is going to work, you must keep your feelings for Willow out of the equation. Promise me you’ll do that.”
Nikki grew impatient, but said, “I won’t let my feelings get in the way, I promise.”
“Good. Here’s what Deb and I saw.” Torres gave a full and detailed description of what they saw in the bunker.
From Torres’s observation, Nikki could imagine what the bunker looked like. Nothing was moved; everything appeared in place as usual. Willow was a neat-freak like Nikki and kept a clean, tidy working space. From what Torres said, the computers seemed to be all on standby mode, which is what Willow would do if she were planning on leaving for a short period. “Did you see—”
“Red, you promised.” Torres chastised Nikki’s impatient outburst.
“Okay, I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“Deb and I did see one cubby empty, and also there were no personal items like cell phone, watch, or outerwear lying about. Before I got knocked out, I remember seeing no shoes, and Deb said when she searched the bathroom, there were no toothbrushes or toiletries of any kind.”
Nikki swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat. Willow had a neat working space, but in her bathroom at the hotel, and then again at the bunker, Willow left her things strewn about. Torres didn’t describe a scene where Willow had been abducted or taken against her will. From all the details, Deb and Torres gave her, Nikki had to conclude Willow left the bunker and didn’t plan on coming back right away. Thinking that Willow wouldn’t leave her babies, as she called her computers behind, she asked, “how many computers were set up?”
“What? What does it matter how many computers were set up? I wasn’t counting computers. Deb, did you notice how many computers were there?”