by E. E. Borton
“Well done,” said Evan. “There’s a red and green button next to the power switch. Hit the green button. Kate, move to the stairs, please.”
They both complied. A few moments later, a red dot appeared on the screen. It was overlaid onto the 3D blueprints of the house. The dot was at the bottom of the stairs.
“Go on up,” said Evan.
Kate started walking up the stairs. Chief looked at her and then looked at the screen. The dot was moving up the stairs with her.
“As long as that phone is turned on,” said Evan, “we can track her anywhere in the house.”
“That works with any phone?” asked Grey.
“Any phone, radio, GPS, or even a pager,” said Evan. “Anything that emits a radio signal can be tracked by that thing. You just have to get it close. It has an effective range of fifty yards, but we could probably push it to seventy-five. It has a transmitter as well, so I can watch whoever is moving inside Bullet’s house from here. I’ll be able to tell you if they’re taking a shit or a shower.”
“That’s very James Bond,” said Chief. “What if they don’t have a cell phone or they leave it on a table while they move around?”
“You’re more technologically savvy than you think, Chief,” said Evan. “Those are about the only chinks in the armor. If they don’t have a phone or radio, we can’t see them.”
“We wouldn’t want it to be too easy,” said Grey, patting Evan on the shoulder. “That’s why we have guns. Great work, buddy.”
“There’s more James Bond stuff,” said Evan.
“Lay it on us,” said Chief.
“Like I said, he’s more worried about being robbed than being served a search warrant,” said Evan. “He does all his deals in the garage that he converted into a den. To get inside the main house, you have to go through a solid steel door with biometric locks.”
“Lost me,” said Chief.
“Okay,” said Evan, grinning. “Every door on the perimeter of the house is solid steel. A SWAT team would have to rip out the entire door frame with trucks and chains to get inside. Once they got inside, they’d find another steel door upstairs in Bullet’s room.”
“Okay, I get that part,” said Chief. “What about the bio shit? What is that?”
“The bio shit is high tech, but old tech,” said Evan. “All of the steel doors are unlocked by fingerprints. Lucky for us, they’re just scanned.”
“Dumb it down further, son,” said Chief.
“I can help with this part,” said Grey. “There’s a keypad at each door. They can either punch in a code or place their finger on a pad. A scanner, like what’s inside a copy machine, takes a picture of their fingerprint and matches it with the database. If it recognizes the fingerprint, the door unlocks.”
“Exactly,” said Evan.
“So we need their fingers?” asked Chief.
“Nope,” said Evan. “Already have them. All of them.”
“From their prior arrest records,” said Grey.
“Yes, sir,” said Evan. “We have all three brothers’ fingerprints from their county records. That will give us access to the house, his room, and the large gun safe in his closet. That’s where you’ll find the drugs, the money, and the recordings.”
“You said there were cameras on the outside and an alarm system,” said Chief. “How do we defeat those?”
“Not a problem,” said Evan. “I already have access to the system. I’ll throw static images on their screens while I’m watching them live on mine. I’ll be able to direct you away from them.
“I’ve been watching them for a few weeks now. On any given day, there are two guys walking the property outside and two inside. His brothers spend most of their time in the den handling drug transactions. From what I can tell, only he and his brothers can gain access to the main house.”
“We’ll need to move fast,” said Grey. “Once he verifies that Brad is dead, he’s going to call in the cavalry. We need to be long gone before reinforcements show up.”
“Agreed,” said Chief. “Our lives are in your hands, Evan. Can you handle this?”
“I’ll be in your ear every step of the way, Chief,” said Evan. “I’ll get you through it.”
“I know you will, son.”
“We’ll send Bullet the message at sunset,” said Grey. “Chief and I will already be in position. As soon as that boat pulls out, we’ll go in.”
“That turd is about to have the worst night of his life,” said Chief.
Chapter 43
Ghosts in the Closet
Your brother is rotting in the cabin where you took Emily. One down, two to go.
The anonymous text message sent Bullet, Eddie, and two associates flying out of the back door and down to the boat. Before Bullet left, he called in additional men to the house. Chief and Grey had less time than they expected.
When Bullet took the three men with him, it left his home more vulnerable. Grey could see one thug outside and estimated there were at least two remaining inside. Evan hacked into the security system and uploaded a static photo to each of the outside cameras. The video monitor being watched from inside Bullet’s den showed everything was secure on the perimeter.
Evan was watching the man patrolling the property. As soon as he was on the opposite side of the house, he gave Grey the signal that the path was clear to the door they would use to gain access. He tapped Chief on the shoulder, and the two men lowered their night vision goggles and sprang from their concealed position in the woods. Evan could see them moving towards the house on his screen, but the men inside couldn’t on theirs.
Chief activated the black box and slid it underneath the shrubs that ran along the front of the house. He then returned to the side door where Grey was waiting. Seconds later, Evan’s voice was in their ear buds.
“Two in the den and not moving. One outside moving down to the dock. All clear inside the main house.”
Grey keyed his radio twice to let Evan know that they received the message. He then pulled out his phone and plugged in an accessory cord. On the other end of the cord was a thin, black piece of film the size of a postage stamp. He pressed it into the biometric fingerprint lock. After a green light blinked, the lock disengaged and Grey pushed open the door. With guns drawn, they entered the side door of the house.
Grey and Chief had memorized the layout from blueprints Evan retrieved from parish records. Before they entered, Evan activated the GPS locator in their cell phones. Back at the rental house, the bad guys showed up as red dots and the good guys as green.
“Clear to the stairs.”
They moved in silence to the stairs that would take them up to Bullet’s room. After verifying there was nobody on the first floor, they eased up to the second. All four rooms had steel security doors, but Brad told him Bullet’s was the last on the right. Grey defeated the lock and they entered the room.
He easily found the five foot gun safe in the large walk-in closet. He inspected the area around the safe for hidden trip wires or motion sensors. When none were found, he made a silent wish and placed the film on the pad. Both men cringed when the heavy locks disengaged.
“All good,” said Evan, hearing the bolts release over the radio “One person just walked out of the den, but he’s in no rush. Looks like he’s on his way down to the dock for a smoke break. Still all clear inside.”
Grey and Chief exhaled as they swung open the door. They smiled at each other after seeing the stacks of cash, drugs, four pistols, and three automatic rifles. Chief opened his duffel bag, and Grey started filling it with the loot. Another silent wish was granted when he opened a drawer and found two digital recorders and several micro SD cards.
They were in and out in five minutes. As Grey closed the last door behind him, he saw two sets of headlights coming down the long dirt driveway. He motioned for Chief to head for the safety of the woods while he retrieved the black box from the shrubs. Chief was in good shape for a man his age, but Grey was much faster.
As the cars parked in front of the house, he had already disappeared behind the tree line.
*****
Bullet opened the door to the shack and shined his flashlight into the corner. Eddie was securing the boat when he heard a low moan turn into an anguished roar. He rushed inside to find Bullet on his knees holding Brad. Eddie moved in, put his arms around his brothers, and cried.
They stayed in a huddled mass for several minutes. Bullet was rocking back and forth as he held Brad’s head. Between sobs, Eddie could hear him whispering in their dead brother’s ear.
“Bring him to the boat,” said Bullet, standing and wiping away tears.
“I ain’t got no cuff key,” said Eddie.
“There’s a saw in the toolbox in the pantry,” said Bullet.
“You want me to cut his hands off?” asked Eddie, looking up at his brother.
“No, you dumb fuck,” said Bullet, slapping him in the head. “Cut the goddamned post.”
“Oh,” said Eddie. “Yeah, the post.”
“Did you ever tell anyone we brought Emily here?” asked Bullet.
“Not a soul,” said Eddie.
“Then it had to be the sheriff and that bitch from Miami,” said Bullet. “They must’ve made Brad talk by torturing him or something.”
“How did the sheriff know Brad was coming for him?” asked Eddie. “The boys with him didn’t even know where they was going.”
“Because it was a set-up from the get go,” said Bullet. “The sheriff is on to the judge. He made sure she knew where he was going and when he’d be there. He told her he was going alone, but they was just waiting for them.”
“Don’t make sense the sheriff killing him like this,” said Eddie. “He’s a law man. Why didn’t he just arrest him?”
“He ain’t a law man on this one,” said Bullet. “That’s gonna work out better for us.”
“How’s that?”
“Because when we kill the sheriff, his fucking family, and those assholes from Miami, ain’t nobody gonna come looking for us. Everything will go back to normal like it never happened. The judge will make sure of that.”
“What if she’s in on it?” asked Eddie.
“She ain’t.”
“But what if?” asked Eddie. “Maybe she’s trying to get rid of us for what we did to that girl.”
“She ain’t,” said Bullet. “Naw, all this is about something else. Nobody gave a shit about that junkie whore.”
*****
As soon as Grey and Chief returned to the rental house, Evan reactivated Bullet’s security system, relinquished his control, and removed the static images from the cameras. Chief was emptying the duffel bag as Evan was loading the SD cards into his computer. Grey came out of the kitchen and handed Chief a bottle of water.
“You did well out there, Chief,” said Grey. “If you’ve lost a step, I didn’t see it tonight.”
“I turned a box on,” said Chief. “Didn’t really take a whole lot of effort to shove it under a bush, but thank you for the compliment. I’ll take ‘em whenever I can get ‘em.”
“You still move like a cat,” said Grey.
“Holy shit,” said Evan, getting everyone’s attention. “I think we just won the lottery.”
“What is it?” asked Kate, walking up behind him.
“Looks like Bullet used Emily’s tactics,” said Evan. “I found the recordings that got her killed, but there’s a lot more after. The last one is from Wednesday.”
“Last Wednesday?” asked Grey.
“Yep.”
“Play it,” said Kate.
Evan disconnected his headphones and turned up the volume. Chief started shaking his head and laughing when the recording ended. It was Judge Hall ordering Bullet to kill Sheriff Lewis.
“It can’t be that easy,” said Chief.
“I think it’s poetic,” said Abby. “Everything we need to bring down Judge Hall is on Emily’s recorders that Bullet used. She’ll be disgraced and spend the rest of her life in prison because of those tapes.”
“Speaking of prison,” said Chief, holding up large bags of heroin and cocaine, “what’s the plan for these? Should I start flushing or snorting?”
“Hide half of it in the house,” said Kate, laughing. “Put the other half and one of Bullet’s guns in a backpack. We’ll be needing it soon.”
“Abby,” said Kate, reading an incoming message on her phone. “The plane will be here in the morning.”
“I’m packed and ready,” said Abby. “Will you take me to the airport?”
“We both will,” said Grey. “Nobody travels alone anymore.”
“Do you think Bullet will do anything tonight?” asked Abby.
“I doubt it,” said Grey. “He won’t make a move like that without clearing it with the judge. He’ll need her help. I expect him to reach out to her tonight.”
“Even if he does try and pull something, I’ll know long before he gets here,” said Evan. “I’m tracking most of his guys now as well. An alarm will sound if they get within two miles of us.”
“Chief,” said Kate, “we need to get some sleep tonight. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
*****
When Bullet returned home, he and Eddie put Brad in the back of a truck after shrouding him in sheets. They planned on taking him to their mother the next day. They’d let her decide what they should do with the body.
Most of the reinforcements had already arrived. Bullet stationed four men outside with shotguns and rifles and four inside with handguns. If the same killers decided to try and take him and Eddie, they’d be in for a fight.
Bullet and Eddie entered the main house and went straight to the gun safe. He wanted to make sure everyone guarding his home was well armed, had plenty of ammunition, and inhaled enough cocaine to keep their senses sharp. When he opened the door to the safe, there was only one item inside. It was a photo of Emily.
“It’s all gone,” said Bullet, picking up the photo.
“What’s that?” asked Eddie, standing just outside of the closet.
“We’ve been robbed,” said Bullet, stumbling back and dropping the photo.
“What the fuck!” said Eddie, stepping into the closet. “How the fuck did they get in here?”
Without saying a word, Bullet walked out of his room and headed back to the den. Eddie followed. Bullet took a moment to scan the room before he found the face he was looking for. He reached down and picked up a baseball bat leaning against the wall.
As the man he left in charge looked up at him from his seat, Bullet swung for the fences. Blood and teeth flew across the room as the other men scattered to get out of range. Swing after swing, Bullet unleashed all of his anger until he couldn’t raise his arms.
He dropped the bat and turned around. Everyone in the room was staring at him. Nobody moved a muscle.
“My brother was murdered,” said Bullet, wiping blood off of his face. “While I was out there looking for him, somebody walked into my home, went into my room, stole all my shit, and then walked right the fuck out.”
“We was here the entire time, Bullet,” said Chris. “Nobody went inside the house. I swear to God, they didn’t. We didn’t see nobody.”
“You’re my cousin,” said Bullet, taking a step towards Chris. “I ain’t supposed to kill family, but I will if you don’t shut the fuck up.”
“Hey, Bullet,” said Eddie, looking at a computer screen. “They went in through the side door.”
“Who?” asked Bullet.
“That’s where it gets weird,” said Eddie. “It says you did.”
Chapter 44
Night at the Museum
Grey awoke early to spend as much time as he could with Abby before her flight. They both knew it was the beginning of the end of their relationship. Abby would never be able to fully understand the reasons why her sister, Grey, Chief, and Evan could hunt down and kill other human beings, no matter how evil they were.
When the team was going after the men that murdered Caleb and tried to kill Kate, Abby was on board with whatever needed to be done. She knew those men would keep going after her sister until the job was finished. When Kate sent Diego to hell, Abby thought it was over. She was wrong.
Kate and Abby were in the lead vehicle heading to the airport. Chief and Grey were in the SUV behind them. Once Abby was safely on the jet that would take her back to Miami, Kate and Chief would continue on to New Orleans while Grey returned to the rental house.
“Chief told me that I needed to build a new relationship with you,” said Abby, breaking the silence.
“Why did he say that?” asked Kate, keeping her eyes on the road.
“Because we’ll never have the same relationship we did before you were attacked,” said Abby, looking out the passenger window.
“Well, he’s right,” said Kate, reaching over and squeezing her hand. “My life changed forever that day. I know yours did too.”
“I need your help,” said Abby, wiping a tear and turning towards her sister. “I don’t know how to be myself around you anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to be a part of this because I wanted to stay close to you,” said Abby. “To look out for you. I thought that if I was here you’d have someone to talk to about what you’re feeling. But you don’t talk to me about that. You don’t talk about Caleb or Paul anymore. The only thing you do talk about is Emily’s disappearance and making people pay for it.”
“Her murder,” said Kate, pulling her hand away. “Not her disappearance.”
“Yes,” said Abby, exhaling. “Her murder.”
“I don’t talk about Caleb or Paul because it distracts me from what needs to be done here,” said Kate. “I promise you there will come a time. When it does, you’ll be the first person I reach out to, Abby. Until then, we need to stay focused on why we’re here.”
“What happens after?” asked Abby. “You’ll be looking for the next victim as soon as you get home. And when you’re done with that one, you’ll look for another, and another. When does this end, Kate? When do I get my sister back?”