by Mel LeBrun
“Wait at least ten minutes before you do anything,” Jeff started. “There are three guards in the stable. Two down here and one upstairs. Jessica is staying in the guest room on the second floor on the south side, facing the rose garden. There is a ladder in the back of the stable.”
Josh and Michael sat dumbfounded while Jeff continued relating his security details to them.
“Two men are keeping watch in the garden outside and another two are guarding her door inside. They have orders not to harm her but you, they will kill. Try not to be seen.”
While Josh was still trying to discern what possible reason he would have to want to help them, Michael had already figured it out. “She has your eyes.”
As soon as Michael said it, Josh saw it. They knew now why he had looked so familiar to them. There was a strong resemblance to Jessica, they just didn't put it together until now.
Jeff continued. “You are about twenty kilometers northeast of Winnipeg. Help yourself to any car in the garage. Aside from my guards, Pierce is the only other person who knows what she looks like. He's also the only other person left, besides myself who knows how to find her.” He looked directly at Michael. “I will take care of him, if you could do the rest?”
Michael nodded solemnly.
Jeff smiled nervously and looked at the floor. “Why did she leave?”
“Do you really need to ask?” Michael answered.
Jeff chuckled at himself for thinking he might get a real answer. He started to leave.
“She was raped,” Michael blurted. “A kid in school.”
Stopping with his hand on the door, Jeff closed his eyes and hung his head.
“She couldn't exactly go to you now, could she?” Michael continued, wanting to twist the knife.
For the past fourteen years, Jeff had been haunted by why. What was the trigger for her to leave? He foolishly thought if he knew the reason he might find a little peace. Instead he only felt worse. “Take care of her.” He took a deep breath and quickly left the room.
JESSICA LAY numbly on her bed trying not to think. The lights were still on as she hadn't bothered to turn them off. A distinct tapping sound commanded her attention, prompting her to sit up. Hearing it again, she determined it was coming from the window and went to investigate. As she approached, she noticed Michael on the other side. Elated, she quickly opened it and helped him in. Josh was right behind him.
She wrapped her arms around Michael, squeezing him tight. “How did you escape?”
He gently pushed her away and gestured for her to be quiet. He and Josh walked quietly to the door. Michael grabbed the doorknob and looked at Josh who nodded, signaling he was ready. The two guards in the hall didn't stand a chance. Within seconds, they were down.
Michael turned to Jessica. “I can't wait to meet the rest of your family,” he said sarcastically.
Her back stiffened. “How long have you known?”
“About twenty minutes. We can talk later.” He gestured for her to come to him. “Let's go.”
She quickly followed him and they tried to make their way to the garage. After a few wrong turns, they found it. Jessica, a car enthusiast, began salivating over the black and red Bugatti Veyron parked in one of the four stalls. There was also a Mercedes S65, and a Cadillac Escalade. The last stall was empty as Jeff had gone to meet with Pierce.
“Can we take the Veyron?” Jessica asked without thinking. “I always wanted to drive one.”
Michael pointed at the car. “That?” His tone making it clear he didn't think it was a good choice. “Where would Josh sit? In my lap?”
She shrugged sheepishly. “Can we take two cars?”
Michael gave her a look. “You can drive the Mercedes.”
“Keys are in the ignition,” Josh called out as he looked inside the vehicle.
Accepting the compromise, Jessica hopped in the driver's seat. Michael took the spot next to her in front while Josh, familiar with her driving, buckled in back.
As they got closer to the city, Jessica seemed to know where she was going.
“You been here before?” Michael asked.
“A lot has changed.” She took a deep breath. “I grew up here.”
“You're Canadian?” Michael and Josh both asked in perfect unison.
“Is it really that surprising?” she asked.
“No. I guess not,” Michael replied, still staring at her. “I just always thought you were American.”
“I guess when you ran away, you really ran away,” Josh remarked.
“I wanted to get as far away from here as possible,” she explained. “I was trying to get to Florida when I got sick in Boston and Kevin found me.”
Kevin was like a father to her. He took her off the streets and helped her get on her feet and make a life for herself. He was a computer hacker, which is where she got her skill from. He hacked into various databases, inventing her background and turning her into an American citizen.
“So do you want to tell me why you lied to me about hacking into his computer?” Michael asked perturbed.
“I didn't lie to you,” she insisted. “I had no idea my father worked for Meier. I didn't know until I saw him.”
“What possessed you to hack his computer in the first place?” Michael asked, still frustrated.
Unwilling to answer, she clammed up. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and her eyes filled with tears.
Michael decided not to push her any further, at least for the moment. “We should get to a phone and call Tim.”
MARTIN SAT in the small private jet staring out the window thinking about his cousin and friends that were as much family to him as Josh was. He struggled to quell the dread and anxiety he felt over them being taken. He knew it was only a matter of time before Josh and Michael were killed and Jessica likely sold. He determined in his mind that no matter what happened to Josh and Michael, he wouldn't stop until he found Jessica.
As his flight was nearing its end, he got a call from Gatti informing him that Michael had just called.
“What?” Martin nearly lept from his seat.
“Josh and Jessica are okay, too,” Gatti added.
“Where are they? What happened?”
“They're in Winnipeg. You were right. Jeffrey Bowen had them, but they escaped. I set them up in a hotel. They can fill you in when you get there.” Gatti gave him the address to the hotel.
JEFF MET up with Pierce at a hopping nightclub in downtown Winnipeg. While crowds of young people danced carelessly in front of them, they sat in a corner table with their drinks and discussed business.
“Did you get what you wanted from her?” Pierce asked.
Jeff pursed his lips. “Not quite.”
Pierce shook his head. “Why don't you let me try?”
“All right,” Jeff agreed. “I'll let you have a go at her.”
“Good.” A wicked grin crossed Pierce's lips. “No restrictions then?”
Jeff knew exactly what he was asking. Pierce had no respect for women. They were objects, possessions to use, buy, and sell. Their purpose was to serve and gratify men's desires.
Hiding his true feelings about Pierce's request, Jeff smiled. “No restrictions,” he agreed. “She's in the stable.”
JEFF PURPOSEFULLY lagged behind while Pierce parked in front of the stable. Pierce eagerly stepped out of his car and opened the large door. He immediately saw one of the guards on the ground leaning against one of the stables. Thinking he was asleep, his anger flared. As he approached the man to wake him though, it became clear he was dead. His neck had been broken. Pierce drew his weapon and walked cautiously to the stairs. He called out to the guards in the cellar but there was no reply. While nervous about continuing, he reasoned that whoever had killed the guard upstairs was likely already gone. He made his way down the stairs coming upon the two guards who were stationed there. They had been killed in the same manner. The door to the cell where Michael and Josh had been kept was wide open. Pierce look
ed inside to find it empty, as he figured it would be. He put his gun away and turned around to be confronted with Jeff aiming a gun at his head.
Pierce put his hands up. “I didn't do this,” he quickly responded, thinking Jeff was blaming him for what happened.
“I know,” Jeff replied.
Pierce looked at him confused. “What's going on? What are you doing?”
“There's something you should know about Jessica Graham.”
“And what's that?” he asked nervously.
“She's my daughter.”
The realization of what was happening and why suddenly hit Pierce. His eyes grew wide and he felt a surge of adrenaline just as Jeff pulled the trigger.
Chapter 18
Michael, Jessica and Josh arrived at the hotel Gatti arranged for them. An agency contact met them in the parking lot and handed off the room keys. With no ID or credit cards, they wouldn't have been able to check in themselves.
They wearily entered their hotel room. Jessica claimed dibs on the shower. Making no objection, the men crashed on the beds. The past few days had been rougher on them than Jessica. To describe their stay with Bowen as unpleasant would be an understatement. They slept on a concrete floor with their hands bound, agonizing over what could happen to Jessica.
Jessica emerged from the bathroom feeling calm and refreshed. Josh was passed out on one of the beds. Michael sat in one of the chairs at the table by the window so he could look out at the parking lot. He pointed to the other chair. It was not a request. His intent was clear. There were things they needed to discuss.
She timidly obeyed, avoiding eye contact. He carefully watched as she crossed the room and took the seat across from him. He continued observing her as she nervously fidgeted in her chair. She could feel his eyes boring holes in her.
“Why don't you tell me why this is all happening?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to look at him. He was intently focused on her. She knew what he was doing. He was reading her to make sure she was telling him the truth. He studied every move she made, nothing escaped his notice.
She looked down at her hands. “While I was working for the CIA, I decided to look up my parents. See what happened to them after I left. I was curious.” She swallowed, not wanting to continue but knowing she had to. “My mother got remarried and moved to Florida with her new husband. Nothing terribly exciting. My father, on the other hand, had become a multimillionaire in the years after I disappeared. We were not rich when I ran away. I wanted to know how he made so much money. His file said he made his money selling expensive wine and breeding horses, but I was skeptical. To make a long story short, I hacked into his home computers. His laptop was a thing of beauty. Took me a month before I managed to get in. His security for that thing is no joke.” She glanced up at Michael who was listening carefully. “Anyway, I got in and I planted my own spyware. It logged his keystrokes, monitored his email and browsing data, sending me regular updates.”
“What did all that tell you?”
“At the time, nothing. It all looked pretty ordinary in spite of the ridiculous security.”
“Describe ordinary.”
She shrugged. “All his emails pertained to wine or horse sales. He did his banking with offshore accounts which would explain the high security. He has a lot of money to protect. There were some accounting files and spreadsheets. Everything seemed legitimate.”
“He must handle Meier's money,” Michael surmised.
“He does,” she affirmed. “He told me that's all he did, as though that would somehow make it not so bad.” She crossed her arms and clenched her jaw. “He needs to be behind bars.”
Michael took a deep breath and leaned forward on the table. “You should know. He helped us escape.”
“What?” She looked at him, surprised.
“He gave me a knife, relayed his entire security detail, then left to take care of Pierce.”
“What do you mean, take care of Pierce?”
“He said Pierce was the only other person besides him who knew who you were and how to find you. Not counting the men we already neutralized, obviously.”
“How about you neutralize my father,” she said flatly, staring out the window.
Michael stared back at her. “I'm not killing your father.”
“The world would be a better place,” she reasoned coldly.
“I don't care what he's done, Jess. I will not kill your father.”
He could see the emotional pain hiding just under the surface. Her heart was breaking. Old wounds from her childhood had been reopened. Learning what her father had become was difficult to absorb.
He got up from his chair and stood next to her. Touching her shoulder, she burst into tears. He pulled her up and into his arms.
“How could I come from such a monster?” she cried.
“Even though he's done terrible things Jess, he loves you.”
“I don't love him,” she wept bitterly.
“Then why are you hurting so bad?” he asked, knowing she did.
She despised her father with every ounce of her being. Yet, confusingly, still loved him. She didn't want to admit it and to anyone else; she likely never would. She couldn't hide it from Michael though. To him, she was an open book. It was one of the reasons she trusted and loved him more than anyone else. He knew everything about her and nothing ever seemed to change his feelings for her. Even when livid with her for something, she was always sure of his love.
A knock came on the door that neither of them was expecting. Michael woke Josh then cautiously walked to the door and looked out the peephole. He couldn't believe what he saw. He swung open the door and enthusiastically greeted Martin. Josh and Jessica heartily embraced him, flabbergasted by his presence.
“How did you get here so quick?” Josh asked what everyone was thinking.
“I was tracking down Meier's contacts in Canada.” He looked at Jessica. “I was looking through Jeffrey Bowen's file when I saw a picture of you.”
Her face went flush. “Who else knows?”
“For now, just me and Tim. Why didn't you tell us?”
She crossed her arms. “I didn't know he worked for Meier.”
Martin frowned. He turned to Josh. “How did you guys escape?”
He and Michael went on to relate how they got away with Jeff's help as well as his offer to take care of Pierce, thus insuring Jessica's safety.
“So what now?” Martin asked. “Pack it up and go home?”
“No,” Jessica said firmly. “We take down Meier and my father.”
The three men looked at her, none of them sure they wanted to take that on.
“Jess. I think maybe we should go home and take some time to think things over,” Michael tried to dissuade her.
“I'll do it without you.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Meier is a monster who's destroyed countless lives and my father helped him. I won't rest until they answer for it.”
He sighed heavily knowing how stubborn she could be. “You think you can hack his computer again? Gather evidence against him?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I don't know. If he's smart, he won't use his home network anymore. He knows I can hack it again.”
“Then how do you expect to get anything on him?” Martin asked.
“We use his desire to have a relationship with me against him. I'll wear a wire and get him to talk,” she answered.
Michael huffed. “Jess, I don't think that's a good idea. We should take some time to think about it.”
“I'm doing this with or without you, Michael.” She was firm in her conviction.
Michael was getting frustrated. “Jess, he may have let you go this time, but if you start messing with his freedom and his money, you might see a different side of him.”
“You'll have my back, won't you?” She looked at him, undeterred.
Michael clenched his jaw, staring silently at her. Josh and Martin avoided eye cont
act with either of them, not wanting to get in the middle.
Jessica turned to the cousins. “They took Katie,” she reasoned, hoping to strike an emotional response in them. It worked.
“If it means taking Meier down, I'm all for it,” Josh finally spoke.
Martin nodded. “I'm in.”
Michael looked at them both, not entirely surprised but aggravated still. He was tired of putting Jessica in danger. It had already turned out badly once. “Does anyone care what I want?”
Jessica moved close to him, placing her hands on his chest. “I need to do this.”
After a minute of protesting with his body language, he reluctantly gave in. “I'll help you.”
She reached up to his neck and kissed him. Looking in his eyes, she smiled. “I knew you would.”
MICHAEL CALLED Gatti, informing him of what Jessica wanted to do. Gatti didn't think it was a good idea either, but Michael expressed how determined she was. He reluctantly agreed to supply them with any equipment they would need. Michael requested guns, surveillance equipment and a wire. Gatti said he would deliver them within the next twelve hours which was fine with Michael. He needed some downtime.
The following morning they received the equipment delivery Gatti had promised. Jessica sat at the table and watched the men as they looked over the equipment. Each was happy to finally be armed. Carrying a gun for them was like carrying a cell phone. They felt naked without one.
Michael held up the wire and looked at her. “Shall we?”
She followed him into the bathroom. He asked her to remove her shirt as he closed the door. She did as requested, standing before him in just her bra. Lips pursed, he tilted his head and crossed his arms as he looked her over.
“Should I remove my bra as well?” she asked half joking, trying to break the tension.
He smiled. “No. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to hide this thing.”
He moved towards her and began taping the wire under her bra strap. He was concerned about her being frisked and the device being discovered. The thin wire and tiny mic wasn't so much the problem as the battery pack. Even though technology had advanced significantly and the batteries were much smaller and thinner, thus easier to conceal, they still could be felt under clothing.