The human trafficking idea was out. The theory had been farfetched, but deep down he’d wanted to believe Daniel was still alive and that’s why he’d held onto it. He’d needed to feel like there was a chance he could still save his brother. Now there was no possibility. He had to face the truth that his twin brother was dead.
While he waited for his supper to arrive, he sat on the edge of his hotel bed and stared down at his cell phone. He knew he needed to call his mother and tell her he was sure Daniel was dead, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. On one hand he wanted her to know what was going on, to be honest with her. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to call her and tell her Daniel was dead when he still didn’t know the hows or whys. There were still so many things he didn’t know for sure and he knew she’d have questions. He wanted to be able to answer those questions so she didn’t keep calling him asking him if he could be wrong.
David let himself fall backward on the bed with a sigh. He laid his cell phone on his stomach and closed his eyes. The weight that had settled in his chest when he’d gotten the news from Detectives Jones and Cridge was still there. He’d expected it to blossom into full-blown grief and another emotional outburst when he’d made it back to his hotel room, but it hadn’t. The ache just stayed in his chest as the rest of him became numb. There was a kind of a peace in knowing which direction to go to find the truth, and there was a peace in knowing that he didn’t have to rush to find his brother while he was still alive. No matter how long it took him to get the people responsible he couldn’t bring his brother back. He was finally letting go. His brother was gone.
Despite everything, he wondered if he could find out where his brother’s organs had gone and if he could find someone who was still alive because his brother was dead. He decided that he wouldn’t tell his mom anything until he found out if he could. If he could present something of Daniel still alive, that was better than going to her completely empty-handed.
He jumped, startled from his thoughts, when his cell phone rang. When he picked it up from his chest and looked at it, the phone number displayed on the screen was unfamiliar—he answered it anyway.
“Hello?” he said, sitting up again.
“This is Agent Mallory, from Tennessee. I wanted to let you know we found a picture of the woman you’re looking for on a traffic cam from Cleveland. It’s a fuzzy picture, but it’s a picture. Limmon is using it to track down her license information as you’d requested.”
David’s heart skipped a beat at the news.
“That’s great,” he said. “I’ll be heading into the Pittsburgh field office tomorrow, so I’ll check everything in the morning. Is there any chance I can borrow Limmon? He was a great help with everything.”
“Sure, I can spare him,” Mallory said. “I’ll put him on the first available flight.”
He was shocked and pleased. He’d expected her to give him a hard time, but was glad she hadn’t.
“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate the help and you keeping me up to date on things.”
They ended the call after that. She had plans to make for Limmon and he had a list of hospitals to make so he could have a plan of attack for the next day.
He hoped they found out more about the woman now that they had her picture. He would have to decide if he was going to release it in the morning and open a tip hotline, or if he was going to keep things close to the chest right now so as not to give away what he knew and spook the woman and her associates. He didn’t want them to panic and escape his grasp when he was finally so close.
***
Butch and Lloyd just looked at each other, blinking for a moment before Butch smirked.
“So you’re her new toy, huh?” he taunted the smaller man.
“I’m not her toy,” Lloyd said flatly, not giving anything away. He was seething inside and wanted to lash out, but he knew staying calm was in his best interest—the more Butch had on him the more dangerous life could get later.
“That’s what you think,” Butch said, and laughed.
Lloyd shook his head and turned to walk through the building toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Butch asked, easily catching up with him.
“What do you care where I go and what I do?” Lloyd asked, glancing sideways at the other man. “You get hired by Jennings to be my mother?”
Butch laughed and said, “No, but I wonder what that would pay. I was just wondering who you were in contact with and how you were going to move all the parts…”
Lloyd stopped walking.
Butch took a couple extra steps, not realizing Lloyd was going to stop. He turned back to look at him.
“That’s my job,” Lloyd said, looking Butch in the eyes. “How about you let me do my job and you do yours?”
Butch held up his hands in mock surrender.
“Easy, killer,” he said. “I was just curious and thought I could help suggest some other contacts in case the ones you have set up couldn’t move all the stuff.”
Lloyd stared at Butch for almost a full minute, wondering what his angle was. They both knew it was possible that each handler on the black market might only be willing to take so much at once because the more they took, the higher the risk was of getting caught.
With a sigh he started walking again.
“I’ll let you know,” Lloyd said as Butch fell in step with him again.
They were silent as they left the building, and both of them stopped to watch as Sonya tore out of the parking lot.
“Huh,” Butch said, and chuckled. “Wonder what’s bothering her…”
Lloyd shrugged but didn’t answer. His eyes followed the car until he couldn’t see it anymore.
“I’m going to check out the area and get the ‘lay of the land,’ so to speak,” Butch said, slapping Lloyd on the back before walking away and getting into his truck.
“Have fun,” Lloyd called after him and walked down the ramp slowly while his mind raced, thinking about Sonya’s behavior.
He just didn’t get it. She’d been acting like Butch scared her, but now he thought she might have been fucking Butch in the past—things just didn’t make sense. Unless…he’d done something during their relationship that had scared her. He knew she was a tough, crazy, psycho bitch, but she still had real feelings hiding under it all, she just didn’t let many people see them.
He was finally getting into his car when he received a text, and he was almost shocked to see it was from Sonya. As he thought about things for a moment before he opened the message, he realized she might need to be in contact with him because she was upset. He hoped so, wanting to believe he actually meant something to her.
The text wasn’t what he’d expected at all.
Sonya: Beware of new contacts, in case the FBI puts someone undercover.
He sat in his car for a few minutes, rereading and thinking about what dangers the FBI’s investigation could bring, and what…possibilities—a couple of ideas came to mind of how he could handle Butch and his upcoming attempt on his life.
He was grinning broadly as he started his car and drove away, and he was no longer worried about the past. He knew the score would be settled, or at least evened out, when all was said and done. Now all he had to do was set the plan in his head into motion.
***
Sonya was surprised that Jan was happy to see her, welcoming her into her house with a hug.
“I’m so glad you stopped by!” Jan exclaimed. “I just put the kids to bed; it has been hell around here with them being upset about their dad and the move.”
“I can imagine,” Sonya said. She glanced at a clock hanging on the wall and was shocked to see it was after nine o’clock. “I didn’t realize it was that late. I should have called first instead of just dropping in.”
Jan shook her head and waved her hand as if to dismiss the issue.
“Nonsense,” she said. “Like I said, I’m glad you stopped by. I’ve found a house to move into.”
/> “You did?” Sonya asked. “That was fast. When were you planning on moving?”
“This weekend,” Jane said.
“That’s…soon,” Sonya said, and looked around her. “You have a lot to move. How are you going to do it?”
“Energy drinks,” Jan said.
Sonya nodded. “Those will get you through about anything, especially a big task with little sleep.”
“I was hoping your cousins would be able to help, which is why I was glad you stopped by,” Jan said, walking into the living room; Sonya followed.
Boxes were everywhere and various objects were in different stages of preparation for the move.
“It looks like you’re making good progress already,” Sonya said. “I can call my cousins to see if they’re available this weekend, if you’d like.”
“That would be great,” Jan said, grabbing an empty box and preparing to pack books off a shelf; she had three in the box when a young voice cried out from upstairs. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll go ahead and give them a call now,” Sonya said, sliding her cell phone out of her pocket. “Do you need them Saturday or Sunday?”
“Saturday,” Jan said with a nod as she rushed out of the room and up the stairs.
Sonya dialed Jennings; he answered on the second ring.
“They’re moving this weekend—Saturday,” she said. “Will we be ready by then?”
“We can handle that timeframe if I enlist Butch to help with the move,” he said.
“Okay, thanks,” Sonya said, hanging up.
Looking down at her phone. She had a strong urge to call Lloyd, but was glad she hadn’t when Jan came back into the room a few moments later.
“What did they say?” she asked. “Are they available? I know it’s short notice…”
“They’re not booked this weekend, so they were happy to have the work,” Sonya said.
“How much will they charge me?” Jan asked, biting her bottom lip. “I’m still tight on cash, even though my family loaned me some money.”
“I think two hundred will cover it,” Sonya said, nodding. “I told them you were my friend, so they gave you the friends and family discount.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Jan exclaimed, hugging Sonya before going back to work on the books. “Things are just falling into place now.”
Sonya frowned.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked, concerned that Jan didn’t seem to be upset when before she’d been a wreck.
Jan paused, and then started packing again.
“No,” she said softly. “Not really. I’m just trying to focus on positive things and not think about anything else.”
“That’s a good idea,” Sonya said. “Pain can be a powerful tool when used to accomplish a goal.”
Jan nodded and continued packing.
Sonya sighed.
“You need some help?” she asked, stepping forward and picking up a box.
“Um, sure,” Jan said, sniffling and wiping away tears as she turned to survey the room. “You can start on the DVDs in the entertainment center. The kids were supposed to pack them earlier, but they were staging a boycott.”
“Okay,” Sonya said, and got to work.
She didn’t know what she’d planned to do when she’d come to Jan’s house, but the mundane task of packing was just what she’d needed. As she packed objects into cardboard boxes, she silently sorted through her thoughts and emotions.
She and Jan chatted about random, nonsense topics, as if sensing that the other wasn’t in the mood for anything serious, and finished packing the living room objects in less than an hour.
“Just the furniture and TV to deal with now,” Jan said, yawning and scanning the room. “I don’t want to unhook the TV yet ’cause I’ll need it for the kids.”
Sonya laughed.
“Good idea,” she said, shaking her head. “You need something to entertain them while they’re boycotting.”
Jan laughed as well, and nodded.
“Thanks for helping—it made it go faster and I wasn’t in the mood to be alone tonight,” she said, rubbing her arms and looking at the floor.
“No problem,” Sonya said. “I wasn’t either.”
Jan looked up and Sonya smiled at her.
“Thank you,” Jan said, and hugged Sonya.
“I better go,” Sonya said, hugging back. “You get some rest—there’s still a lot to do before the move.”
“Don’t remind me,” Jan said with a sigh.
“You’ll get there,” Sonya assured her. “Do you want me to help with the move?”
“Yes, that would be great,” Jan said.
“Okay, I’ll see you Saturday,” Sonya said, opening the front door to leave. “Call me if you find anything out in the meantime or just need to talk.” She waved and walked out into the cool night air.
“I will,” Jan called after her, waved, and closed the door.
Sonya waved back, rushed to her car, and got in. She glanced at the clock in the dash as she started the engine and sighed. The glowing lights indicated it was close to midnight, and she still needed to call Miles—she wasn’t looking forward to talking to him.
She decided to get the call over with while she was waiting for her car to warm up.
She dialed his number and waited through six rings—she was about to hang up when he finally answered.
“Hello?” Miles said in a groggy voice.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” she asked, rolling her eyes.
“No, you didn’t—I’m awake, playing a video game, actually. I’m happy you called. I’ve missed you. Are you okay? You didn’t come to work today…”
“I’ve been sick,” she said. “I won’t be at work again tomorrow…” she paused to fake a cough, “…but I should be back the day after.”
“I’m sorry you don’t feel well,” he said. “Do you want me to come over and take care of you?”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “I’ll be fine and back to work very soon. The reason I was calling was to tell you that the FBI is in town and will be looking into the missing persons case. Depending on what they figure out, they might be checking hospitals and morgue records in the next couple of days.”
He was quiet for a moment and then what she’d said sank in.
“What am I supposed to do if they show up?” he asked in a rush. “What if they look at the paperwork? What am I supposed to tell them? I’m not good at lying, you know!”
“I don’t know,” Sonya said, gritting her teeth, “but you do need to calm down. You said there shouldn’t be any problems with the paperwork because of the car crash. If you can, just make sure you covered your tracks well, and stay calm if they talk to you.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved…” he whined. “I don’t want to go to prison. I’m not made for this…I can’t handle this kind of pressure.”
“Miles,” she said, “I have to go. Just take care of things and make sure everything clicks with the paperwork. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I’ll take care of things,” he said. He took a couple of deep breaths. “Feel better soon. Bye.”
Sonya hung up, sighing with relief at having gotten off the phone with him so easily, and without having to promise to fuck him again.
She put her car in drive and went home. As she went inside and got ready for bed, she couldn’t help but wish Lloyd was there with her.
But even missing him, she fell asleep with ease once she’d laid down in bed.
***
Lloyd started his car and pulled out onto the street to head home. He’d been watching Sonya’s house for hours, wondering where she was and what she was doing. Now that she was home and safely inside, he felt better. The fact no one else was casing the place also made him feel better because he knew the FBI hadn’t found her yet.
While he’d waited, he’d been on the phone, calling and texting everyone he knew who moved body parts on the black market. He’d w
arned them about a possible upcoming undercover attempt and asked them to keep him abreast to anyone new who was interested in acquiring human organs. Apparently someone had already been placed undercover and come sniffing around; a couple of detectives in the city had been asking questions about human traffickers and human organ handlers as well.
Jennings had texted him to let him know the harvest was going to happen in a couple of days. His contacts were in place, but he had plans for anyone who was sent undercover for the police or the FBI.
With the harvest details dealt with, he planned to focus his attention on gathering more information on Jennings and the money. He’d already combed through all of the online information he could get his hands on for Jennings, but he had a sneaking suspicion that most of Jennings’ holdings were listed under his wife’s name because he couldn’t find any death records for the woman.
His plan was to do some searches on her to see if he could find bank accounts and other holdings like safe deposit boxes. There was no doubt in his mind that he would find things hidden in plain sight.
When he got home, he was happy to see Butch wasn’t there, and neither was his stuff. He hoped that meant Butch had found his own accommodations and wouldn’t be returning.
He sat down at his desk and turned on his computer, knowing the long night ahead of him without Sonya would be filled with compiling information on his enemy—the man who was funding his murder plot with the money he’d stolen from the team.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The outside world was still shrouded in darkness when Lloyd called Sonya, and after almost ten rings, she finally answered.
“You awake, beautiful?” he asked playfully.
He heard her mutter something he couldn’t make out and moan. In his mind he pictured her wiggling around in bed and wished he’d just gone over, but then they would have spent the day enjoying each other instead of taking care of business.
“You’ve got to be awake so we can talk,” he said, and chuckled. “This is important.”
He listened to her huff and mutter, “Fine.” Then he heard some loud rustling, and when she spoke again, she sounded a little more awake.
Nurse Blood (The Organ Harvester Series Book 1) Page 20