Love or Justice

by Rachel Mannino

  “How the hell did you know about that bakery?” Dante knew his voice was sharp, but he wanted to know.

  “I didn’t choose that neighborhood by accident. Always do your research.” Albert smirked back at him.

  “Thanks for giving us a heads up about it.” Bob threw his voice over his shoulder. “We almost had a heart attack when he asked you. You’d have a real tough time catching Kaimi with us in the hospital, so next time, tell us something like that.”

  “All right, all right. How was I supposed to know he would test me? I just come prepared.” Albert reached through the seats, plucking the sandwich bag from Bob’s hands. He rustled through it for a few minutes, searching for his usual dinner.

  “Were you able to lay down some mics?” Dante drove over toward the mansion.

  “I was able to drop both bugs. One in the office and one in the kitchen.” Albert wrestled with the wrapping on his sandwich. “Don’t park in the same spot. We have over a mile radius now. Let’s use it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dante pulled into the empty parking lot at the resort spa.

  The spa overlooked the ocean. The sun hung low in the sky, and the water was a deep, velvety blue. Like Laurie’s eyes. Dante thought about Laurie’s eyes. Everything reminded him of her. God, he wanted nothing more than to get off this island and go home. The thought made Dante’s lips twist in an ironic smile. Technically, this island was his home, but without Laurie, it didn’t feel like it anymore. It felt more like prison. Yet, he couldn’t go home to Laurie a failure. He had to ensure her safety.

  “We should be able to flip back and forth between the two channels from here.” Dante turned the dials on the recorder beside him to the frequency of the office device. They all turned their attention to the sound of silence.

  “What was the argument you overheard in the office?” Bob asked Albert in a half a whisper.

  “Don’t know, couldn’t make anything out. But what I do know is that it was two men arguing, and that office has one entrance and exit.” Albert bit into his sandwich. “There wasn’t anyone in there when we went in.”

  Dante turned his head, and Albert grinned like a cat that had just caught a mouse. The fact that Albert’s mouth was full of a BLT sandwich added to the picture. Dante shook his head, turning back around.

  “Could have had the TV on, or he could have been watching something online.” Dante flipped from the silent office to a bustling kitchen.

  An hour or so went by, with nothing but the buzzing of the fish tank in the office. The kitchen was much busier; with Mrs. Kimura berating her staff over what she claimed was an over-cooked tuna for dinner. Mr. Kimura broke up the tirade by promising to hire a full-time chef. Dante was more relieved than the kitchen staff; Mrs. Kimura’s voice grated on his nerves.

  Dante’s thoughts drifted back to Laurie as he listened to the quiet office again. He had sent his mother one brief message the other day, but hadn’t heard anything back. He didn’t even know if she got the coded e-mail. She may have just deleted it not knowing what it was. He was starving for something from his mother, or Laurie, even more than he was for information on Kaimi. He wondered if she would ever forgive him for leaving. He knew she loved him, but their love was so new, so fragile. His desperate attempt to keep her safe may have destroyed everything.

  Dante came back to the present moment when the door to the office slammed closed. Dante, Bob, and Albert heard Mr. Kimura let out a frustrated sigh. Dante felt for him. They heard him pull out the chair from his desk. There was silence for a long time. Then a tentative rapping sound.

  “Enter,” Mr. Kimura said. They heard the sounds of scraping and squealing. This was not the heavy office door opening. All three men leaned over the microphone receiver, staring at it.

  “Your wife didn’t seem to enjoy dinner,” came a low, rumbling male voice.

  “It’s always something—the tuna, the salad, the flatware,” Mr. Kimura replied sighing. “Now will you talk to her?”

  “She’s never listened to me. She’s too much like her mother,” the voice replied.

  “Unhappy servants are likely to start complaining to anyone,” Mr. Kimura said. “I’ll do what I can to make them happy. But you have to talk to her.”

  “I will do what I can,” replied the voice.

  “Thank you,” Mr. Kimura replied.

  “Who were the men here earlier?” the voice asked.

  “Gardeners; there’s a new one,” Mr. Kimura said.

  “Is he a concern?” the voice asked.

  “No,” Mr. Kimura replied. “Mike does research on his new hires. Background checks, credit checks. This new gardener is just a grandfather.”

  Dante smirked into the front windshield of the car, as he watched the sun begin to set. There was a slight pause, some shuffling of papers.

  “Jiao-meng contacted me. He said my federal friends are getting a bit…discouraged in their search. Their grip on the private airports is loosening. I will be dining in Shanghai by the end of the month,” the voice said.

  Dante’s heart skipped a few beats, and he sucked in his breath.

  “Good,” Mr. Kimura said. “That should be enough time for you to tie up loose ends.”

  “Yes. Though it has been enjoyable spending so much time with my daughter and son-in-law, I’m sure you would like to have the house to yourselves again,” the voice replied.

  Mr. Kimura seemed to chuckle.

  “What are you going to do about the girl? Have you found her yet?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  “No,” the voice answered. “The Marshal protecting her has hidden her even from the view of the agency. I had to use other means. But I’m close.”

  Dante’s heart lurched into his throat. Now he was sure; they had found Kaimi. Kaimi was using every means to find Laurie.

  “Got him,” Dante heard Albert whisper.

  “Will you keep the informant, or should he be disposed of?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  There was a thoughtful pause. The question had been direct, emotionless. Mr. Kimura talked of killing a federal agent like taking out the garbage or poisoning a rat.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” Kaimi replied. “I’m meeting him next week. He said he has information on where the girl might be hiding. I will decide when I get there, I think.”

  “I have to transport you to another meeting?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  Mr. Kimura’s volume rose a few notches. Dante couldn’t imagine a man such as him yelling, so this might have been the closest thing to it.

  “I will be gone in a few weeks. You won’t have to think about me for a long time,” Kaimi replied.

  There was a tense pause.

  “Where is this meeting supposed to take place?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  “Hilo Forest Reserve,” Kaimi replied.

  “Why so far north?” Mr. Kimura complained.

  “He’s leading a Marshals training near Hilo all week and through the weekend. He can only break away for a few hours,” Kaimi replied.

  Dante’s mind started racing. The annual training? Max would never lead that.

  “If I transport you to this man, then I need something in return,” Mr. Kimura responded.

  “What is that?” Kaimi asked.

  “Keep him alive. I can use him,” Mr. Kimura told him.

  There was a pause for a moment or two. Dante gripped the steering wheel. He fought with his sharp disbelief. He couldn’t believe it wasn’t Max. Max would never lead the training. It didn’t make sense.

  “Fine. It’s all in the family, as they say,” Kaimi responded. Mr. Kimura chuckled.

  “Where in the Hilo Reserve?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  “Deep in the forest near the volcano, along a small access road. It used to be a safe house for the Marshals Service,” Kaimi told him. Dante took in a deep breath.

  “It’s no longer in use?” Mr. Kimura asked.

  “No, apparently too full of holes,” Kaimi said. He and Mr. Kimura both laughed.

  Dant
e clenched his left fist, pressing it to his lips. He lost David in that house. They were laughing about it. His gut burned with instant, white-hot rage.

  “It’s a bit arrogant of him to hold the meeting there, after what happened,” observed Mr. Kimura.

  “Yes. I suppose it was a subtle reminder of why I still need him. Even though he has proven to be nothing but a disappointment. But if he is of use to you, then I will let it pass,” Kaimi said.

  “Yes, I think he would be very useful. If he’s in a position to train all of the other Marshals, then I might be able to use him to make even more friends. I don’t mind if he comes to me with some minor damage. Might make him a little less cocky and a little more useful,” Mr. Kimura said.

  “Easily done,” Kaimi told him. “Now, I think I will go finish some work downstairs and then retire.”

  “Good night,” Mr. Kimura replied.

  “Good night,” Kaimi said, as the door squeaked and scraped its way close.

  Dante sat stone still for the next few minutes as the noise in the office turned to the sound of the aquarium and the tapping of the keyboard as Mr. Kimura took up his work. Half of him wanted nothing more than to drive over to the mansion, storm the door, and drag Kaimi down to the nearest Marshals office to dump on someone’s desk. The other half wanted desperately to not have heard what just came through the speakers. He knew who conducted the yearly training session, but Dante didn’t want to believe he was the mole. Dante was willing to accept almost anyone as the mole except him.

  Dante switched off the receiver for the listening devices, and sat at the wheel of the truck.

  “I’ll be damned,” Albert said. “We found him.”

  “Yes, now what are we going to do with him?” Bob turned in his seat.

  “We gather intel, of course.” Albert took a sip of coffee.

  “We don’t have time to gather intel. His mole in the department has information on Laurie. We have to get to Kaimi before that meeting.” Bob slapped his leg.

  “Before the meeting or during that meeting?” Albert gave Bob a sly smile. “No one knows that safe house like my son does. You can have both Kaimi and this mole next week.”

  Albert directed his comment to Dante, but he didn’t respond. He sat in silence. His heart sank to the bottom of his chest. All of the exhilaration in finding Kaimi drained straight out of his soul.

  “But we don’t know when they’re having the meeting.” Bob lifted a hand and gestured to Albert.

  “Exactly. Until we know when the meeting is, how Kaimi will get there, and who is going to be there, then we need to continue doing what we’re doing. Once we’ve gathered all of that, we go back to the safe house and get ready to catch ourselves a killer.”

  Bob and Albert both nodded at one another in agreement before turning to look at Dante.

  “Dante?” Bob asked after a few minutes.

  “The mole isn’t Max.” Dante’s throat strained with emotion.

  “You know who’s supposed to lead this training?” Albert sat forward in the backseat.

  “Yes.” Dante blinked. “Only one man has led that training since I came here.”

  There was a lengthy pause.

  “Who?” Albert prompted.

  “My boss, Rick.” Dante looked from his uncle to his father and back at the steering wheel.

  He was too hurt to be angry. Rick had trained him, mentored him. He thought of Rick as the father he never had. This betrayal poked holes in Dante’s confidence in everything he knew, everything he’d ever been taught.

  “I’m sorry, son.” Albert placed a hand on his shoulder. “He trained you, didn’t he?”

  “Yes. I thought it was bad enough it was one of my own men, but Rick? Rick?” Dante ran a hand down his face, rubbing his eyes.

  “We still don’t know it’s him for sure.” Bob’s tone was gentle. “They didn’t say a name.”

  Rage shot straight out of Dante’s heart, into his arm, coursing its way through his veins. Dante slammed his fist into the steering wheel. Then he did it again, and again. He cursed his way through every terrible word he knew. He turned to look at his uncle, and he knew his anger burned in his eyes as his uncle shrunk back from him.

  “Rick is in charge of the entire Witness Inspectors office. He’s the longest serving Marshal here. He’s the only person who has led that training session in seven years. He looks forward to it every year. He talks about it all the time.” Dante’s voice rose in pitch and speed with every other word. “It can’t be anyone else.”

  Bob nodded, looking away, out the windshield, into the distance.

  “Dante, I know this is a shock for you, but don’t take it out on your uncle. This is a bloody business. If Rick is the mole, then all of the witnesses here are in danger. Laurie’s life will continue to be in danger until both he and Kaimi are put behind bars. I’m afraid you have to put your feelings about this aside. You have to focus on what we came here to do.”

  There was something kind in his father’s eyes that made Dante bite back the response that leapt to his tongue. Dante thought about what he said for a few minutes. He turned to sit forward in his seat, just staring at the pavement in front of them.

  “I’m sorry.” Dante glanced at his uncle askance.

  “Don’t worry about it kid.” His uncle gave him a faint smile, clapping him on the shoulder. “It’s been a hell of a day.”

  Dante nodded agreement. With heavy movements, he turned the key in the ignition and drove back to the motel in complete silence. Dante dissected every word that had come out of Kaimi’s mouth. He thought about Rick, and he began to see everything Rick had ever done in a new light. He thought of Laurie, and he began to wish like hell she was there. She knew how to console him; she would know what to say to ease the blow he’d just received. He looked down the road to see the faint lights of the motel in the distance, but his thoughts were thousands of miles away.

  ***

  Laurie

  “Pregnant?” Laurie asked.

  The doctor nodded. The doctor was in his late forties, and silver hair was beginning to show at his temples. His smile was genuine, lighting up his green eyes, even though he probably delivered this same news to dozens of women a month. Laurie was less than thrilled to be one of those women.

  “Pregnant? How? How could this happen? I’ve been using birth control. I’ve been using it every day since I was seventeen!”

  “Birth control isn’t one hundred percent effective.” The doctor gave her a knowing smile.

  The man seemed very sweet, kind, and gentle, but right now, Laurie wanted to throttle him.

  “But how? Oh God. What am I going to do?” She moaned as she covered her eyes, her head in her hands.

  “I know this might not have been expected, but a baby is an indescribable joy.” He patted her shoulder in what he obviously assumed was a reassuring gesture.

  Laurie just nodded her head, her shocked expression still etched across her face.

  “Now, I’m going to go get you some pamphlets and a referral for an OB/GYN. I’ll send in your mother and friend, so you can tell them the good news yourself.” The doctor hummed his way out of the door, leaving Laurie alone.

  She sat on the exam table, huddled in the little white gown, holding her nauseous stomach. Dante was going to kill her. He was going to be so angry. She had forced him to flee Hawaii because of a man who wanted her dead. He lost his job because of her, and now she was pregnant. She had ruined his life—his entire life.

  Fat tears coursed down Laurie’s cheeks when Emma opened the door to the exam room. Laurie stared at the wall in shock and horror. She let go of the little white gown she had in a death grip.

  “Laurie? What is it, honey? What did the doctor say?” Emma asked, as she and Gabriella rushed into the room.

  “I’m…” Her eyes glazed over. “I’m pregnant. Dante’s going to hate me.”

  Laurie buried her face in her hands. She heard Emma suck in a breath.


  “Pregnant? I’m going to have a grandchild?” Emma’s face broke out into a smile, as she hugged Laurie.

  “He’s going to hate me.” Laurie grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake.

  “No, no, he won’t, Laurie. My son loves you. He will love this baby too,” Emma crooned into Laurie’s hair.

  Laurie doubted that. She looked to Gabriella, who was also beaming at her.

  “I know it’s unexpected, but the baby news will make Dante happy.” Gabriella squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll see.”

  Laurie took in a deep breath and expelled it slowly. She could only hope they were right. She brushed her tears away. There wasn’t anything she could do now but wait for Dante to come back.

  God, how was she going to tell him? How was she going to go back into the Marshals Service’s custody as a pregnant woman? What if she went into labor on the stand? Oh, God. She could feel her blood pressure skyrocketing. She took deep breath, after deep breath, as she climbed off the examining room table and pulled on her clothes. She would just take everything one minute at a time.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Dante

  Dante crouched in the closet by the fireplace, hardly able to move or breathe. He had modified the closet yesterday, taking out the shelves and the cleaning supplies. They had returned to the safe house earlier in the week, after having gathered all of the details regarding the meeting between Rick and Kaimi.

  Once they returned, they began making preparations for the meeting. They had to return every detail to the way it was before they set foot in the house. Rick knew the safe house almost as well as Dante. They couldn’t risk tipping him off before they had a chance to apprehend him.

  Dante modified the closet so he could stand in there. By leaving the door cracked a fraction of an inch, he could see who entered the house.

  Albert set up recording devices.

  Bob made arrangements so they could make a quick exit that night.

  They hid early in the evening, in case Rick showed up early. Bob covered the landing upstairs, and Dante’s father was in the pantry in the kitchen. Dante thought about using the safe room, but he wouldn’t be able to watch Rick enter from a protected vantage point. The door was also too wieldy to allow him to attack quickly. No, they all had to be ready for a fight. If not from Rick, then from Kaimi and his men.