“I wouldn’t tell you anything, so save your threats. You can hit me as many times as you want, Mother, but it won’t get you anywhere. You need to let us go and get far away from here before it’s too late for you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Malcolm laughed; an ugly, mean, sound that made goose-bumps stand up on Megan’s arm. The sound was of an overly confident man, who was sure that he would get what he wanted, regardless of the cost.
“Don’t worry about your mother … worry about yourself. Maybe we need to bring your grandmother into the discussion. I’m sure that she could be more easily persuaded to tell us what we want. Those old bones of hers are certainly more fragile than this one’s.” Malcolm twisted Megan’s arm higher up her back to prove his point, making her moan out loud from the pain he was causing.
Hearing her moan, Megan’s faithful hero jumped into action. With a deep growl, the puppy turned on Malcolm and sunk his teeth into the man’s calf with a firm and deep bite. The man howled in pain, but didn’t completely let go of Megan. Instead, he jerked free of the dog and before Barney could come back and do more damage, he gave him a kick, catching him in his leg. Barney yelped in pain and would have still kept coming if Megan hadn’t yelled the command for retreat. The poor dog looked at her as if he questioned the command, but when she repeated it firmly, he turned away from them and ran, limping towards the cottage.
“Smart dog. You two be as smart and not give us anymore trouble. Now. Before that mutt raises someone’s attention and then we really will have a problem here. Talk, Taylor.”
“Malcolm, I know my daughter and we’re not going to get anything out of her this way. Let’s just take the two of them and get out of here while we can. Once we’re a safe distance away, then we can force the information if we need to.” Gina was watching the direction that the dog had run off to and was clearly nervous about someone coming to look for Taylor and Megan.
Malcolm looked at his wife, and saw that she was getting ready to panic. Deciding that he would have better control of the situation on his own terms, he agreed with her and pushed Megan forward. Gina followed with Taylor. Megan was surprised when the man pushed her off the boardwalk and into the thick vegetation off to the sides. Stumbling, she walked forward as he pushed, noticing where foliage was broken and crushed recently when the other two had sneaked onto Charlotte’s property. They walked steadily for five or six minutes when, suddenly Megan stopped, horror stricken at the sight in front of her; laying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding, were the two men they had thought were protecting them. Clearly they had been taken by surprise and Megan looked over at Gina in disbelief.
“Even the big, bad FBI can be taken down with a Taser gun. They never knew what hit them.”
Gina laughed at Megan’s look and pulled a small gun out of her pocket and motioned for Megan to keep moving. Not wanting to risk a jolt from the gun on herself, Megan walked past the two men, praying that they weren't seriously hurt. Taylor was right behind her, shaking her head in disgust at her mother’s actions. No one spoke as they moved forward. Malcolm was now convinced that they would try nothing after seeing the two fallen men and Gina’s gun. He took the lead of their procession and soon they were breaking out of the trees and undergrowth, onto the main road, four or five houses down the street from Charlotte’s cottage. In front of them was a black town car, windows tinted against the sun like most Florida cars. Opening the back door to the car, he reached in and pulled out a couple of long zip ties. Making Taylor hold her hands out in front of her, he used the zip ties to secure her and then did the same to Megan.
“Get in, ladies, we’re going for a ride.” Giving Megan a shove he had her get in first, Taylor following closely behind.
“Let’s go, Gina. I don’t want to stand here and have someone notice us.”
Within minutes, Malcolm was behind the wheel of the car, driving in the direction of the main road and the route to the turnpike. They drove for what Megan thought was twenty minutes and came to the turnpike entrance. Megan was surprised when Malcolm kept heading west, leaving the main route north or south behind them. He drove for another half hour, before turning onto an old country road and heading south. Grinning at her look of confusion when he saw her reflection in the rear-view mirror, he tapped his fingers to the side of his head.
“I’m thinking ahead here ladies. It will be back roads and forgotten county lanes for us. As soon as the FBI knows you’re both missing, they will be searching every major roadway in the state. Why make it easy for them, hmm?” Laughing out loud, Malcolm seemed pleased with himself.
Megan and Taylor exchanged looks, both realizing that Malcolm had just made their rescue all that much more difficult. There were more back roads than you could count out in the middle of the state, some of them leading to small towns or cities others taking you to the middle of swampland. They knew they would have to stay alert and hopefully an opportunity for escape would present itself and they would be able to take it.
"Since you've obviously spoken to your father, you know about my little side business that I have going on at the warehouse. Part of that business, included providing personalized delivery of these exquisite items that my clients have purchased. Since most of my clients did not want me to meet them at their places of business, we would find obscure areas within the state where no one would be the wiser or give a second glance at the passing tourist who might be lost."
Taylor was furious and before Megan could stop her, she acknowledged that she knew that Malcolm at the very least had something to do with her father's disappearance.
"So I take it that's how you knew where to dump my father after he’d been injured. You were able to pick a site that nobody would ever find hoping that no one would ever find my father, either. Mother how could you possibly have been part of this? He had to know that dad would be dead before he would be found. Didn't your years of marriage mean anything to you?"
"Now, now, Taylor. Don't be like that to your mother. She had no idea about me taking your father and dumping him out in the swamps. At least not until after the act was done and she could do nothing about it. How in the world your father got away from those alligators, I'll never know. Perhaps you can let us in on his secrets. Or better yet, you're going to tell us where he is and then I can ask him myself."
"You'll be waiting a long time for that answer, because I honestly don't know where my father is at this point of time. And holding me and Megan isn't helping your chances of getting away with anything either."
"You have always been a pain in the neck, extra baggage that I had to put up with in order to be with your mother. So just be assured I wouldn't hesitate to send you and your friend here out to that same spot in the Everglades and drive away. So, think on that a little bit, Missy."
Gina looked over at Malcolm in shock. She knew her husband had been dumped in the swamps, but she always denied that it was Malcolm who did it. And now he was threatening the same thing to her daughter. Finally, some motherly instincts kicked in and she protested.
"Malcolm, please. You can't kill Taylor. There must be another solution. I will get the information we need from her and then we can send her out of the country; some of your contacts must have a solution for us. There has to be a way she can still be alive, but under guard and of little danger to us. As for her friend, send her with Taylor or kill her. I don't know her and I don't care about her, but please don't hurt my girl."
As Megan listened she realized that tempers were heating up quickly and soon things could get out of hand. Taking a deep breath, keeping her voice calm and trying to think rationally, she jumped into the conversation.
"Malcolm. It only makes sense if we don't know where Tom is, that somebody does. I would bet that there is still an ongoing investigation into your activities. Instead of wasting time trying to get rid of us and figuring out what we know, wouldn't it be beneficial for you to try and clean up any mess you have back in Miami? You've got a head start.
Go back to your base of operations and eliminate any clues and signs of your illegal activities before Tom and the authorities can get to you."
Malcolm and Gina exchange looks, Megan's convincing and logical words sinking in, making them pause. They took a deep breath, calming themselves down as well. They nodded at each other, and in a smooth motion Malcolm stepped on the gas, speeding their way on the road heading south.
Chapter Nineteen
At the same time that Megan and Taylor were sitting tensely in the back seat of the town car that was now heading south, Aiden and Tom were sitting in a windowless, non-descript conference room at the Miami FBI office. Going over the printout of information that they had been able to get from the memory card Tom had hidden in Taylor’s wooden keepsake box was slow, tedious work and Aiden had brought in a few other agents that were more tech savvy than him to help speed up the process and get as much information as they could. Aiden wanted to be sure that when they were able to arrest Malcolm Fields, that they were able to also make an arrest on as many suspects involved in the smuggling ring as possible. That meant that every fact they found had to be verified and followed through on, checked and double checked.
They had spent most of yesterday going over the data, eliminating outdated or irrelative facts and digging deeper into data that could help their investigation. The flight down to Miami had gone smoothly and Aiden had been pleased to find that the Miami office was ready for him. They had already updated their files, as much as they could, with the information Aiden had emailed them and had started searching for information on the leads he had been able to give them over the phone. Tom had been frustrated and a bit angry that there had been no effort to storm the warehouses the night they arrived, but after working alongside the agents, he was able to understand their need to be as informed and have as much information as possible before invading the Jamison properties. They had all worked late into the night, and were right back at it first thing this morning.
“I keep thinking that there is a key element that we are missing. There was something I wanted to tell you that night, something that was serious enough to have you and your men hold off until I had confirmed it. And whatever ‘it’ was got me beat to a pulp and dropped off in the swamp to meet my demise at the jaws of some hungry gator.”
“Whatever it is, Tom, it will be the icing on the cake. We have more than enough to nail Malcolm Fields with. Judging from what you’ve told me and what I remember, he is the type of man that is going to be more than willing to plea-bargain and turn evidence on the buyers and suppliers of his little enterprise. We are ready to move tonight and bring this whole thing to a close.”
Aiden was interrupted from his train of thought by an agent sticking his head in the door and telling him he had a phone call from one of the agents on security detail up at Lady Fish Bay. He looked up in surprise, then a feeling of dread hit him and he picked up his phone and walked outside of the office to take the call. Aiden listened silently, his face deadpan, as a man on the other end of the line reported to him that two of his agents had been injured and that Megan and Taylor had disappeared without a trace. He was told that if the puppy had not returned from the beach without them and made such a fuss, it might have been another hour before anyone had noticed they were gone. No one else had been up before the dog barked his way around the balcony. Once Beth and Robert had seen that the other two weren’t in their rooms, the cry of alarm had gone out to the security detail. That was how they found the still unconscious agents.
Getting all the information that was available to him, Aiden thanked the caller and hung up. It was then that he lost his temper, slamming his fist into the hallway wall. Hearing the noise, both Tom and the others in the room rushed out to see what was going on. Aiden looked Tom straight in the eye and did not sugar-coat his words.
“They’ve got Taylor and Megan.”
Tom’s face lost all of its color as Aiden’s words struck home. He was silent for a moment and then took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He looked back at Aiden and nodded his head in understanding.
“It’s game time. What do we do first?”
Aiden appreciated Tom’s reaction, and pointed for everyone to head back into the room, issuing orders as he followed them in.
“If they took the girls, then they know you’re alive. We don’t know how much else they know, but I do know Megan; she will resist telling them anything for as long as possible. So that means that we have lost our element of surprise. Since that’s the case, I want all agents over to the warehouse now. All warehouse personnel are to be brought here for questioning and under no circumstances are they allowed to make contact with Malcolm or Gina. Once we have the warehouse cleared of personnel, I want it swept for any weapons or recording devices. We are going to need men stationed inside and outside of the warehouse, ready for my signal to proceed,” he paused, looking directly at Tom.
“I want Malcolm to think he still has the upper hand. Once he is on his own turf, he’ll be comfortable and more prone to making mistakes. Tom, you and I are going to be hiding inside, along with a few other well-placed agents, ready to confront them and get as much evidence as we can without putting the girls in any further jeopardy. If no one has any questions, then let’s get to work. We may not have much time before Malcolm gets to Miami. I have confidence that Megan is going to somehow convince him he needs to get down here. Tom, you might want to call Beth and let her know that we are on top of things. But no details, please.”
As soon as Aiden finished speaking, the agents in the room got to work. They worked like a well-oiled machine, each doing his assigned task efficiently and with minimal conversation. After Tom had finished his phone call to Beth, Aiden pulled him aside, out of the hearing range of the others in the room.
“There is a lot riding on how this goes down, Tom. Are you up for it? The stress isn’t going to be too much for your mind to handle?”
“I honestly don’t know. But I will be there to see my daughter safely rescued and confront my ex-wife.”
“Personally, Tom, I think you are going to be just fine. Because of that, I’m going against all regulations. I know you have past firearm experience and if you feel you can handle it, I’m going to make sure you are armed while we’re in the warehouse too. I want to cover all of our bases.”
“That I can handle. I promise not to shoot Malcolm between the eyes before you get your confession,” Tom answered, trying to make a joke, but really wasn’t that far off from the truth.
Aiden smiled wanly at his attempt of humor, knowing just how Tom felt. After all, it wasn’t just Taylor who was being held against her will. Malcolm and Gina also had Megan and that was not at all acceptable to him.
Chapter Twenty
Megan found that once Malcolm had decided to start talking, it quickly turned into bragging. It was obvious from the amount of information he was sharing, that he had no intention of letting them go free and it was questionable if he would let them live once they had served their purpose of luring Tom to the warehouse. Once she came to this realization, Megan worked on him to get as much information as possible. She had every confidence in Aiden and knew that he was somehow working out some sort of plan down at his end in Miami.
“Once I became a partner in the firm, it was relatively easy to take over the running of the bonded warehouse side of the business. Old Tom, he was happy to have the extra time to spend with his family; especially you, Taylor. And the extra income he was happy to use that for ‘good works.’ He put his wife on a strict budget, but was willing to fund scholarships and contribute to the many organizations that came calling for a handout. Now how was Gina supposed to feel about that? It was all I could do to console her.
Then an old business associate of mine from China approached me about adding a small bag of rare coins that had been in his family that he wanted to send to his son without having to declare it and pay taxes. I could relate to his predicament … they were his to pass on
to his son, why did the government have to know or get involved with this? So I said yes. The first crate came into the bonded warehouse, where it waited before it had to go before a custom inspection. It was easy to open it up after everyone was gone, remove the bag and then seal the crate back up. No one was any wiser. I simply put the bag in my briefcase and walked out with it. The grateful son met me for coffee at a local bistro and I passed along his father’s gift. I was rewarded handsomely for it, too. I earned money from both ends of the deal; easy money that I was happy to share with my Gina.” He smiled over at the woman next to him and Megan was surprised by the look he gave her: the man was in love with Gina.
“When Malcolm told me where the extra money had come from (it paid for our first getaway weekend) he thought it was only going to be a one-time thing. But I also had contacts that Tom didn’t know about and I was able to discreetly let it be known how successfully Malcolm's first ‘favor’ had been. You meet the most interesting people over cocktails at fundraisers. Not all of them are there for the benefit of the function. Some are there specifically to find ways to meet individuals who might be beneficial to their business as well. It wasn’t too long before I was approached by another man who wanted to bring in some family heirlooms. Only this time he wanted to bring them in to sell so that he could send money back to his family, untraced by the government of both countries. With my contacts, I was able to arrange for Malcolm to bring the goods in and then I found a buyer. It was a wonderful arrangement. We were getting paid from two sources and making a commission on each sale. Tom was oblivious to everything.”
“Mother, you were an active part of this? Why?”
“Active part? Your mother took this whole operation to heights I had never dreamed possible. And the irony of it all is that she opened multiple accounts in your name and your grandmother’s name to hide the money. Accounts that you never would know about and that would never be traced back to her or me. This woman is pure genius and not the simple trophy wife, as many think.”
SCENT OF A MYSTERY...A CITRUS BEACH MYSTERY (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 2) Page 19