by Mel LeBrun
Jinx was Josh's girlfriend and Jessica's best friend. Her real name was Jasmine Flores, but her friends called her by her screen name, Jinx. She was a hacker, like Jessica, and had recently gotten a job, with Michael's help, using her skills for the FBI.
“Yeah, she is,” Josh replied.
“Jess, what's Ben's last name?” Michael asked.
“Tucker.”
He turned back to Josh. “Call Jinx and see what she can find out about a Benjamin Tucker who works at Gen Tech.”
“I'm on it.” Josh pulled his phone from his pocket and started dialing.
“What are you doing?” Jessica asked.
“I'm gonna find out who this guy is,” Michael said. “You should call the police now so they can find you. Call me back after you do.”
“Okay.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She hung up the phone and dialed 911.
While she was calling the police, Jinx called Josh back. He listened to her for a minute then took a deep breath and looked at Michael.
“You should hear this.” He handed Michael the phone.
Michael put it to his ear. “What do you have?”
“Hi, Michael. I did some digging into this guy. At first glance everything seems legit. There are even tax records going back seven years. But when I compare employment records with the companies he's supposedly worked for, they don't match. With the exception of Gen Tech, there is no record of a Benjamin Tucker working at any of them. I checked his prior residences and according to his record, he lived in a two-bedroom apartment the same time as a family of four.”
“His record is forged,” Michael stated the obvious.
“Yes. I have no idea who this guy really is. And there's something else.”
“What is it?”
“He's only been working at Gen Tech for the past three months. The man who had his position prior to him disappeared four months ago. No one knows what happened to him.”
Michael was starting to get a horrible feeling about what was happening. “I need a favor, Jinx.”
“Whatever you need, Michael.”
“I need you to send someone to pick up Jessica from the police station. I'll find out which one and call you back. I don't want her in the hands of local PD.”
“I'll have someone ready.”
“Thanks.” Michael hung up the phone and looked at Josh and Martin. His stress level was at an all-time high.
Chapter 5
Jessica related everything that happened to the 911 operator. The woman was at first dubious of her story but soon realized it was no hoax. Two cars were dispatched to the area to search for her. The operator told Jessica to let her know the minute she spotted one of the cars. She anxiously watched the road hoping to see a police car.
“I see one!” she finally exclaimed.
The operator told the officers to stop. Jessica went to them, putting her shirt back on along the way. She tearfully thanked the operator for staying with her then hung up the phone. The officers asked her what happened. She said she would tell them but right now she just wanted to get out of there. They put her in the cruiser and started driving back to the station. She dialed Michael who had been waiting for her call and getting nervous it was taking so long. He breathed a sigh of relief when his phone finally rang.
“Hey baby,” he answered. “You okay?”
“Yes, I'm in a police car heading to the station now.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes.
“Good. Jinx is going to have someone pick you up.”
“What did she find out?”
Michael wasn't sure he wanted to tell her. She was frightened enough already. He didn't want to make it worse.
“Michael? What is it?” Jessica grew more anxious.
He figured she'd find out sooner or later. She might as well know what she's dealing with. “We don't know who he really is. Ben Tucker was invented. Probably three months ago, when he started working for Gen Tech. The man who worked there before disappeared.”
Jessica started shaking again and her heart began to race. “Oh my God.”
The officer driving glanced at her. “What is it?”
She looked at him and shook her head. She continued talking to Michael. “What do I do?”
“I'll tell you what you do not do. You do not go home, you do not go near your car, and you do not go to any friends. You need to drop off grid. Jinx can get you some protection until I arrive. But you need to lay low.”
“What am I supposed to...” She couldn't finish the sentence.
“Tell the police?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell them what happened, they'll do their job, they won't find anything but that's not your concern. Don't use your real name obviously. Use our cover name.”
“Okay.” She was quiet for a few seconds. “Did you find Katie?”
“Yeah. We'll be getting on a plane in four hours.”
“Good. I'm glad.”
“There is something else you're going to have to do. It's very important,” he said.
“What is it?” she asked.
“You need to get rid of your phone. Leave it at the police station.”
“Alright. But I can still call you?”
Michael knew she was going to have a problem with the next part. “No. I need to get rid of mine too. I don't know who this guy is or what he's after, but we can't take the risk of being traced through our phones.”
“So I won't be able to reach you at all?”
Michael could hear the distress in her voice. “Sweetheart, I will be by your side in less than twenty four hours. I'll be on a plane in four hours, you wouldn't be able to call me anyway.”
“I wish you were here,” she tearfully replied.
“I know, baby. Me too. I love you, Jess.”
“I love you too, Michael.”
“Are you almost there?”
She looked up. “Pulling in now.”
“Okay. Time to say goodbye.”
Her lips started trembling and her hands shook as tears streamed from her eyes. “Goodbye.” She barely got the word out.
Michael hung up the phone to spare her from having to do it. He sat on the edge of the bed and clutched his head. He was in just as much agony over the situation as Jessica, maybe even more so. He told Josh to call Jinx and let her know what police station they were taking her to. Michael dismantled his phone and tossed it in his bag. Martin, Josh and Michael each took a few of the girls and spent the next few hours escorting the women to the appropriate consulates and embassies. They instructed the women to leave them out of their story to the authorities. They were to say they all escaped on their own. The guys didn't want any extra attention.
JESSICA SPENT the next half hour answering questions about Benjamin Tucker and the events that transpired that day. It was being treated as a kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. The police went to Ben's apartment but he wasn't there. They stationed someone outside to wait for him to come home, which wasn't likely to happen. The other patrol car found Jessica's purse about a mile from where she was picked up. To her relief, nothing was missing.
She was sitting in an office talking to one of the detectives, still answering questions when a uniformed officer came in the room and whispered something to the detective. He gazed at the officer with a look of confused disbelief. “Are you serious?” The officer just shrugged. The detective looked back at her. “Someone from the FBI is here for you.”
She tried to look surprised but wasn't very convincing. Before the detective could say anything else a tall man dressed sharply in a black suit and white shirt stepped in the room. He introduced himself as Special Agent Lance Corvo. He was very handsome with short brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He reached out his hand to Jessica. She shook it and introduced herself.
Corvo looked at the detective and officer in the room. “If there are no further questions, we'll be on our way.”
&n
bsp; “Why is the FBI involved?” the detective asked.
Corvo just smiled and turned to Jessica. “My car is outside.”
She smiled nervously at the police as she stood up and then followed Agent Corvo out of the room and through the station. On their way out, she slipped her phone from her pocket and discreetly left it on one of the desks as she passed by. As they stepped outside, Corvo seemed distracted. He kept looking around as they walked as if he were looking for something or someone.
“So what exactly did they tell you?” Jessica asked as they continued to the car.
“That you need protection and there's a possibility you're being followed.”
“Is that all?”
They approached a black GMC Yukon with dark tinted windows. Another man dressed in a suit was standing guard outside it. He was older than Corvo with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. He had a few extra pounds on him but still looked like he could hold his own.
Corvo turned to her when he reached the truck. “I know your real name isn't Jessica Graham.” The penetrating gaze from his intense blue eyes reminded her of the look she would get from Michael when he knew she was hiding something.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“I pulled your file after Jasmine asked me to pick you up. I know a cover ID when I see one.”
“I really don't know what you're talking about,” she replied.
She was a terrible liar and Corvo could tell right away that wasn't the case. Overlooking her untruthfulness, he smiled, then gestured to his partner, introducing him as Special Agent Mark Preston.
Preston opened the back door for Jessica. She slid into the seat and he shut the door. Corvo got in the driver's seat while Preston slipped in the passenger's.
“Have you found out anything more on the guy who attacked me?” Jessica asked.
“No,” Preston answered her. “We're going to have you work with our sketch artist and maybe we will be able to ID him.”
She nodded and looked out the window. “What branch of the military did you serve, Lance?” she asked after a few minutes.
“Marines. How did you know?”
“Just the way you carry yourself. You remind me of my husband.”
Corvo grinned. “Where did he serve?”
“He was a SEAL.” It was just one of the things Michael had done in the military but she wasn't about to tell his life's story.
“Nice.” Corvo seemed impressed.
“You missed our turn,” Preston interrupted.
“I know,” Corvo replied. “Don't turn around, but I think we're being followed.”
Jessica had to fight the urge to look out the back window.
Preston looked in the side mirror. “Black Camry?”
“Yeah, and a red Civic. I think they're tag teaming us.”
Jessica's heart started racing. She had been thinking she was finally safe but now felt more vulnerable than ever. If there were two vehicles following them that would mean Ben wasn't working alone. How many others were involved and what were they after? Her mind raced and she wished Michael was there.
“What are you thinking?” Preston asked.
“I have an idea.” Thirty seconds passed and Corvo hadn't elaborated any further.
“Which would be?” Preston spoke up.
“We're going to get off the main roads. One of them will have to follow along but both won't be able to without being too obvious.” Corvo was intently focused on the road and keeping tabs on all the cars around him in case more were following.
“And then?” Preston was getting impatient.
“I'll tell you when we get there.”
Preston frowned and turned his attention back to the road, not thrilled about being kept in the dark. They soon found themselves on a deserted road out in the middle of nowhere. There was about a foot of grass on the side of the road followed by dense forest. The black Camry was still behind them but at a distance. Corvo asked to switch seats with Preston. They managed to pull it off without swerving all over the road. They were coming up on a sharp curve. Corvo told Preston to floor it until the Camry was out of sight, then he was to slow enough for him to jump out. After Corvo was clear he was to continue driving a little further down the road before pulling off.
“What are you gonna do?” Jessica asked as Preston stomped on the gas.
Corvo cocked his gun and put it back in his shoulder holster. “I'm going to find out who this guy is.”
The Camry was soon completely out of sight. Preston hit the brakes and when he got down to around twenty five miles an hour, Corvo bailed out. Preston hit the gas again and continued at a normal speed for another quarter of a mile then stopped, putting his hazards on.
Corvo waited in the woods for the Camry to pass by. It slowed and came to a stop when it spotted the Yukon parked with its lights flashing. The driver seemed uncertain of how to proceed. He was straining to see what was going on with the truck when his door flung open.
“Freeze! FBI.”
Before he could even react, Corvo was dragging him from the vehicle at gunpoint. Once Preston saw Corvo he turned the truck around and went to assist him in apprehending the suspect. The man didn't resist. Short and partially bald, he looked like he had been around the block a few times. They cuffed him and put him in the back. Jessica moved to the front so Corvo could sit in the back with the captive. They started driving back to the FBI office keeping an eye out for the red Honda Civic. It never made an appearance.
The man in back refused to speak. Corvo tried to question him, but he didn't say a word. Corvo gave up and faced forward to watch the road. They were closing in on the city when the prisoner was suddenly no longer handcuffed. He took Corvo by surprise and lunged for his weapon. He shot Corvo in the chest and then quickly aimed it at Preston's head. As if unharmed by the gunshot, Corvo kicked him just before he pulled the trigger and the bullet flew through the roof instead. Corvo's bulletproof vest had saved his life, but didn't spare him from having the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for air as a life-and-death struggle ensued in the backseat of the Yukon.
Preston slammed on the brakes and hurried to assist his partner who was struggling for his weapon. Jessica bolted from the truck and hid behind a nearby tree hoping not to get hit with one of the stray bullets that were being fired sporadically. She let herself glance every so often to see what was happening. Corvo and Preston were grappling with their violent prisoner, trying to restrain him. They were able to finally subdue him and cuffed him once again.
Preston kept the man pinned to the ground with his knee in his back while Corvo called for reinforcements. Jessica came back towards them as he paced and talked on the phone. There was a bullet hole in his shirt, yet no blood. He hung up the phone and looked at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yeah. Are you?” she pointed to the hole in his shirt.
“I'll live.” He looked back at the man that had, a moment ago, shot him. “You just tried to kill two federal agents. You'll never see the light of day again. What do you have to say now?” he asked patronizingly.
“If I had known you were wearing a vest, I would have aimed for your head,” the man coldly retorted.
“Well, it sucks to be you.” Corvo started unbuttoning his shirt. He looked back at Jessica. “You sure you're okay?”
“I'm fine,” she assured him.
Corvo removed his shirt and the bullet proof vest that had saved his life. A giant red welt was visible over his heart. There was no doubt it was painful. He left the vest off but put his shirt back on. A few minutes later another black Yukon rolled up and parked next to them. Three FBI agents emerged to take control of the prisoner. He was put in the backseat with an agent on each side. Preston instructed them to keep a close eye on him. They tried to call an ambulance for Corvo, but he wouldn't allow it. His only thought was to get back to the office where Jessica would be safe and they could interrogate the man fol
lowing her. The agents with the prisoner took the lead while Corvo and Preston followed behind.
“I think he broke a rib,” Corvo complained as he gingerly touched his chest.
“You should be in a hospital,” Preston reprimanded him.
“They can't do anything for me even if it is,” he reasoned.
Preston shook his head.
“You were more than a Marine.” Jessica spoke from the back. “You were in Special Forces.”
“Why do you think that?” he asked.
“The way you handled yourself. Especially after getting shot in the chest at point blank range. Most people would have been too stunned to react.”
Corvo didn't say anything.
“So were you?”
“Maybe.”
“I'll take that as a yes,” she concluded. Corvo didn't say anything more. She let the subject go.
ONCE THEY arrived at the local FBI office, Jessica was whisked inside to safety while the prisoner was carted off to an interrogation room. Jessica was sitting alone in Corvo's private office when the door opened and Jinx walked in.
“Jinx!” She jumped up and hugged her.
Jinx was petite with an exotic look that was hard to place. With brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, she looked like she could be Latin, Italian or Dominican, with a bit of Asian mixed in somewhere. She was abandoned as an infant and had never known her real parents, so her true ethnicity remained a mystery. Her adoptive parents were good to her though, and she never felt like she missed out on much growing up.
“I'm so glad you're safe,” Jinx responded while hugging her back. “Have you heard from Michael?”
“No.” She frowned. “We had to ditch our phones.” She looked at her watch. “He should be getting on his plane soon though.”
“His flight was delayed,” Jinx informed her.
“You spoke to him?” Jessica asked surprised.
“No, I just checked on his flight. It's been delayed two hours.”
“Wonderful,” Jessica remarked sarcastically.
“I'm sorry.”
Jessica sat back down in the chair with a distressed look on her face. “This is all way too familiar.”