As he lay in bed, his mind bounced between the beauty in the bar and his mystery friend as sleep finally claimed him. Dreams of the two of them melding together filled the night.
*
Charlie stood up from the table and rinsed out her teacup. She left the clean cup in the sink to dry and moved to the bench seat on the side. With a quick flip, she slid it down creating a small bed once the back cushion was lowered as well. Grabbing the neatly folded sheets and blankets, she made the bed. Sliding under the light covers, she lay listening to the outside noises of the campground. It had been so easy to obtain her living transportation. Buying the camper van from an older couple no longer traveling, they were thrilled to get rid of it, and paying cash made them even more ecstatic. Now, she was not stuck trying to find temporary housing or staying in motels as she tried to hide.
A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about her nomadic life of the past six months. How did I get into such a mess? Eli…what the hell were you doing? As much as she hated to drag someone else into her situation, she knew she had approached the inevitable time…I can’t do this alone anymore. Finally closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep. Dreams of the dark haired rescuer intermingled with the constant nightmares.
*
The ten Saints sat around the conference table in the compound under Jack’s large, luxury log house. The empty plates, previously filled with peach pie from Jack’s wife, Bethany, were pushed to the side.
“I swear you must have married Bethany for her baking,” Chad said, having eaten two pieces. Known as the gentle giant of the group, his tired face spoke of the little sleep gained with a newborn baby in the house.
Jack, his eyes twinkling as he rubbed his beard, smiled, pleased with the praise for his wife’s culinary skills.
“Hell, we know that’s why Monty married Angel,” Bart laughed, looking over at the dapper Saint. “Her cupcakes alone would make any man rush home.”
“As long as I can keep her baking and not trying to solve murders, I’m happy,” Monty quipped.
“Tell me about it,” Patrick said, referring to both his sister, Angel, and his fiancé, Evie.
Jude looked over at Chad and Cam and commented, “You two look like shit. How much sleep are you getting?”
“Not enough,” both men replied at the same time.
“Hell, in the SEALs, we’d go for a long time with no sleep,” Bart bragged. “Right, Jude?”
Before Jude could respond, Cam speared his friend with a glare. “As soon as Faith has your baby next month, we’ll talk about how a baby crying all night stacks up against the mighty SEALs. Until then, shut the hell up.”
The group laughed good-naturedly before Jack got down to business. “We’ve been contacted by the FBI to look into a situation that they’ve started investigating as well. Of course, we no longer have Mitch to work with.”
This realization produced groans from around the table. Mitch Evans had served as the Saints FBI contact and co-investigator for most of the past year, but recently had resigned and moved back to his small hometown to become the Chief of Police. And it was no secret that his assistance, and friendship, would be sorely missed.
Nodding his agreement, Jack continued. “It seems that a whistle-blower had contacted someone at the FBI about six months ago concerning unidentifiable problems.”
Bart, not taking anything at face value, looked up sharply. “Unidentifiable?”
Jack confirmed, “That’s what they said. The person I’ve been in contact with at the FBI is the agent in charge of the investigation…Lin Wang.” Looking up, he pierced the group with his stare and said, “He’s also requesting a meeting face to face. I told him I would send a contingency to the Bureau in D.C. Luke you’re on point.”
Luke, listening to the conversation while working on the computer program, jerked as he heard his name called. Looking up sheepishly, he said, “Sorry boss. What was that?”
Grinning, Jack repeated, “You’re taking point on this assignment. You’ll be heading up the team going to D.C.”
Eyebrows lifted, Luke stared at Jack before sliding his eyes around to the rest of the group. “Me? Boss, I’ve always been a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.”
“No shit,” barked Jude, the outgoing ex-SEAL, joining the others in good-natured laughter. He often assisted Luke on computer investigating but preferred being in the field.
“This problem has something to do with computer codes,” Jack explained before leaning back in his chair, pinning Luke with his gaze. “And, quite frankly, you’ve got more leadership in you than I’ve allowed you to show. So, tag, you’re it.”
Shaking his head while smiling, Luke nodded, his curiosity peaked. “So what do we know?”
“The Bureau was contacted by a man named Eli Frederick about six months ago. They had little information at the time, other than he said he needed to meet with an agent to discuss a situation he had become aware of. That was all he said. According to Lin, a meeting was set up, but Eli never showed. Last week, a body was discovered by some weekend fishermen in one of the small tributaries of the Potomac River. Decomposed, it was sent to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for identification and finally a positive ID was made from dental records. It was Eli Frederick. And there was a bullet hole in his skull.”
Several fucks resounded from the Saints as they looked up from their tablets.
“Executed?” Cam asked. His mind shot back to his youth spent in drug gangs, where a bullet to the head was a quick way to get rid of an unwanted enemy…or someone who had been a traitor.
“They’re still investigating and not turning up much about him in recent years. Seems he graduated from MIT with a degree in software engineering about six years ago and has worked privately from home since then.”
“And they think he came across something that was suspicious and got him killed?” Bart asked.
Nodding, Jack confirmed, “That’s the assumption they’re going on, but they’ll cover that more when you meet with Lin.” Before the group could jump to volunteer, he added, “Luke, I want Monty with you since he knows the ins and outs of the Bureau. Marc, I’ve got a few security flight assignments for you to take so I won’t send you to D.C. Patrick, I’m sending you with Luke and Monty. This’ll get you more experience in the mission planning stage. Once they get back with their information, we’ll meet to see what we need to do to unravel the mystery of the whistle-blower Eli Frederick.”
The other Saints rose from the table, making their way upstairs as Marc and Jack stayed behind to discuss the assignments coming his way.
Chapter 4
The waxed, white tile floors gleamed under the bright florescent lights as Luke, Monty, and Patrick followed the security escort to the conference room. Stepping inside, Luke noted the muted, darker colors, mostly from the navy patterned carpet. The heavy wooden table in the center of the room was surrounded by navy upholstered office chairs and the framed black and white pictures of Washington D.C. nightscapes on the wall gave the room a less institutional feel.
Monty, having been a former FBI agent, smirked, “Looks like they’re giving us a nice room to chat in.”
The others grinned as the three Saints sat around the table waiting to meet their new contact. Punctual, Lin Wang walked into the room, stunning the Saints. A petite Asian woman, her requisite Bureau-boring navy skirt and blazer paired with a white blouse, did nothing to take away from her beauty. Her silky black hair hung in a sheet to her shoulders. Her dark eyes appeared to be assessing them from the instant she entered the room.
Walking to the other side of the table, she leaned across, greeting each man as she offered her hand.
“Gentlemen, nice to meet you. I’m Lin Wang. Thank you for coming in to meet with me today.”
Quickly recovering from his surprise, Luke introduced himself, Monty, and Patrick. As they took their seats, Lin opened a file in front of her, immediately getting down to business.
“I understand
you have read the preliminary report sent to Jack Bryant, so some of this will be a bit repetitive,” her voice clipped sharp and clear. “Approximately six months ago, the FBI was contacted by a man who did not identify himself but said he wanted to talk to someone about a possible crime. This is not unusual…the Bureau receives dozens of calls or emails daily and most turn out to be either something that a local police department would handle or they are from delusional persons with a penchant for conspiracy theories. There was little we could do since he would not give any details. About a month later, he contacted the Bureau again and this time gave a few more details about his concerns and said his name was Eli. No last name, just Eli. And before you ask, he was untraceable from his computer.”
Luke’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, knowing the Bureau would have the equipment to ascertain where a call or email was coming from unless it had been deeply encrypted. His interest, already piqued, shot up even more.
Lin pushed several papers over to the Saints and gave them a chance to peruse them before she continued. “He gave enough information that time so that his request to speak to an agent was granted. Eli insisted on the location and the time, which was agreed upon. When the agent went to the meeting, he never showed.”
Luke’s eyes skimmed the report, his mind immediately pulling together the information. Eli. Worked for a private company. Crimes against humans. Has proof. Evidence. Will turn it over for protection. May have others that need protection as well.
“Was any attempt made to find him?” Luke asked, earning a grimace from Lin.
“As I’m sure former Agent Lytton can tell you,” she paused, nodding toward Monty, “the Bureau had enough evidence of a crime to open a case. When he was a no-show, we went to his house and discovered he was not there, although there was blood in the kitchen. It was investigated but, without a body, it wasn’t considered a murder case…only a possible missing person’s case.”
“And now?” Monty asked, glancing through the report in front of him.
“A body was found over a month ago by some weekend fishermen on one of the tributaries of the Potomac River. It was greatly decomposed, but it was determined to be the body of a male, in his late twenties, and it appeared death had occurred within the last year. When compared to the missing person’s reports meeting those parameters, dental records were examined and a positive identification was made. The body was that of Eli Frederick.”
Luke and the other Saints continued to peruse the information in the file concerning Eli Frederick. Software Engineering graduate from MIT. My Alma Mater, graduated three years after I did, Luke noted. Worked independently, taking private contracts. Last known address…Baltimore, Maryland.
“When we went to his home in Baltimore,” Lin explained, “it was mostly empty…and wiped clean. It was evident there had been blood on the floor but whoever cleaned the place had used bleach in an attempt to eradicate the crime scene. There were a few personal effects in the bedroom closet and bathroom, but no computers. None.”
Luke’s gaze traveled from the files in front of him back to Lin’s face. Her tight-lipped expression showed she was not happy, but he was not sure of the cause. She’s pissed to call in a private investigation firm? She’s pissed because the FBI missed out on a possible case by ignoring it to begin with? Feels guilty because a man, who obviously knew something about something, is now dead? Stifling a sigh, Luke knew he was much more comfortable with the computer aspect of investigating. Reading people was never my strong suit!
Relying on Monty’s experience with the Bureau, he watched as Monty peppered the agent with more questions and noticed as Lin’s grimace became more pronounced.
“Gentlemen,” she bit out, “I’ll be honest. I had no desire to bring in an outside company to assist with the investigation, but I was overruled. And, quite frankly, we are taxed to the max right now. My part of this case is to try to solve the murder of Eli Frederick. My time is limited due to also being assigned to certain security details with the Chinese Embassy.” Piercing them with a cold glare, she added, “There are few agents of Asian descent, and fewer who speak Chinese, so I have now been thrust into a role there. So while I’d prefer not to have to deal with an outside investigation business, we need to know what Eli wanted to meet about. That will be your part of the equation.”
“You don’t think the two are interrelated? His contact with the FBI and his murder?” Luke queried.
“I’m sure they are, but it’s my understanding that you have the ability to dig into his situation more than I can right now.”
Nodding, Luke agreed. As the meeting came to a close, the participants stood, shaking hands as they filed out of the room. The Saints did not speak until they were out of the building. Patrick took a nonchalant walk around the car, a small piece of equipment in his hand, before he gave an almost imperceptible nod to the others.
Once inside, he reported, “No bugs.”
“Monty,” Luke began, “you gotta tell me what you thought, because working with Lin will be nothing like working with Mitch.”
“Mitch was special,” Monty agreed, thinking back to the efficient, but easy-to-work-with agent. “This lady’s got an axe to grind and I don’t know what it is yet. But I intend to find out.”
“What does your gut tell you?” Patrick asked. “I thought she acted like a lot of women officers in the Army…where they have to be extra tough to make sure they survive.”
Nodding, Monty agreed. “It’s hard, sometimes, for a woman in a predominately man’s field…and the Bureau can be brutal. Still very much an old-boys-network kind of workplace. And she is right, there are precious few Asian agents.”
“So she has to present the right attitude?”
“Could be. Could just be that she doesn’t like working with an outside group. Could be that she’s getting pressure from above to close out the case. Could have been implied that she can’t handle it. Who knows?”
An hour and a half later, as they drove back into Charlestown, Luke looked at the clock on the dashboard as he told Monty to drop him off at his house. Turning onto Luke’s street, the SUV swerved as Monty cursed, “Damn Vespa! They shouldn’t be out here on the roads!”
“College towns are full of bikes and Vespas,” Patrick commented. “It was the same in California.”
Luke looked into his side view mirror, seeing a lone figure riding a small Vespa. “Must be the best way to get around for a poor college student,” he surmised before his attention re-focused on the case again as Monty pulled into his driveway.
As Luke stepped out of the SUV, he turned back and said, “I’ll spend this afternoon digging into Eli Frederick. Chances are, I’ll get a lot further than the FBI. We can meet tomorrow at Jack’s and go over what I find.”
With a wave, he watched as the two Saints threw their hands up in salute before turning to head into his house.
Once inside, Luke walked into his kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Cold pizza. Leftover lasagna. And a container of…hmmm, not sure. Closing the door with more force than necessary, he grabbed his keys and headed back out. Within a few minutes, he sat at the counter of a local diner, thankfully almost empty since the lunch crowd had thinned.
He was almost finished gulping his burger and fries as the bell jingled over the door. A woman walked in, a riot of red curls framing her face. As she turned toward him, she smiled as she strolled by. Purple glasses, along with her curls, partially hid her face making it difficult to get a clear look at her. Wearing fitted jeans that did not appear painted on, and a green short-sleeved sweater, she sat at the counter two seats from him and ordered a cup of coffee. He watched as she slowly turned toward him, smiling once more.
Two different women…two different places…both catching my attention. Luke had no idea what was going on, but after a long time of being with the Saints, when they were single, who gained female attention quicker than he did, he was not about to pass up a rare opportunity.
“That’s
all you’re having?” he asked, secretly hoping his words did not sound cheesy as he wiped his hands on the wadded up napkin.
A slow smile spread across the woman’s face as she offered a little shrug. “Not very hungry today, but thought a little caffeine would perk me up.”
He nodded, unsure of what to say next. “The pie here is pretty good, but if you really want a treat sometime with your coffee, you should try Angel’s Cupcake Heaven. The owner is the wife of a co-worker and believe me, they’re special.”
The conversation remained stilted but continued as she drank her coffee. He knew she would soon leave and his thoughts jumped back to the raven-haired woman from Chuck’s. I let that woman walk away. Am I going to do the same thing again? Taking an unprecedented chance, he rushed, “My name’s Luke. I’d love to take you to Angel’s sometime…or meet there.”
Her smile appeared genuine before she glanced down at her empty coffee cup, once more the red curls hiding her face. “I…uh…well, I…”
“Here,” he continued, taking a napkin and scribbling his cell phone number down onto the thin scrap of tissue. As he pushed the paper over to her, he noted her smile was still on her face. Breathing a sigh of relief, he grinned. “I won’t even ask for yours…just your name. And if you ever want to try a life-changing cupcake, you can call me first and I’ll meet you there.”
Tucking the scrap into her oversized purse, she slid down from the stool. Glancing up at him from behind the large glasses, she nodded. “I’m—”
Just then his phone rang and he knew it was Jack. Damn timing! “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to take this call. It’s my boss.”
Before he had a chance to speak again, she smiled as she turned, walking quickly to the door, disappearing into the parking lot to the side of the building.
Grinning ruefully, he thought, Well fuck. I keep losing them before I get a name. Smiling at the waitress, he tossed down his money and headed out into the sunshine taking his call. Time to get to work and find out who the hell Eli Frederick was and what he wanted to tell the FBI so much that it got him killed.
Discover Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 3