Fuck! This just kept getting more and more complex. “Do you mean the Amin Sood,” Ryan asked.
Sai turned again and nodded to the men. “Yes, the Amin Sood. The man responsible for thousands of deaths.” Amin Sood had gained popularity and power with the disenfranchised as American forces took out the top Taliban and ISIS leaders. He filled the vacuum their deaths created by sending his followers to regions in conflict and setting up cells of followers. Drugs and human trafficking were the vices that funded his fanaticism.
Sai faced the lake again. The crystalline water was more soothing than the shock on the men’s faces. “Amin’s brother, Bala Sood disagreed with Amin. He tried to convince Amin that what he was doing was wrong.” Sai faced the men, “My cousin, Bala, is a good Muslim. He says his prayers, goes to the Mosque, helps the poor. Bala embraces love and peace. Amin never had any use for those concepts. Even as a child he caused problems and grief to those around him.”
Sai returned his gaze to the lake. “Amin decided to teach Bala and the other family members a lesson. They were to submit to him, and he showed them what would happen if they didn’t.”
Walking to his desk, he picked up a picture frame and held it delicately, as if the lightest touch of his fingers could turn it to ash in his hands. “Priya paid the price.” He loved this picture. It was taken the day Priya graduated from college. In it, his arm was wrapped around her shoulders and they both smiled with pride.
Ryan and Logan sat in silence and allowed the man a quiet moment. Dr. Kapoor’s eyes puddled with tears as he grazed his fingertip over the picture. “Amin took Priya. Used her in his brothels and then had her killed. It was a very powerful message to Bala and the other family members who disagreed him. If they didn’t support him, their loved ones would suffer the same fate.”
There had been no mention of a kidnapping or sexual abuse in the coroner’s report. It only mentioned that Priya had been shot through the head and found in the streets of a slum in Pakistan. Dr. Kapoor’s story explained the misery and sadness that oozed from him. Ryan let out a slow breath. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He knew the words were insufficient.
Dr. Kapoor returned the photo to the desk and inhaled deeply. “Yes, it is horrific. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. I struggle to keep the images out of my head, but each day I lose.”
Logan felt sick. He couldn’t image losing a loved one to the deviant world of human trafficking. This story explained Aditya’s hatred for the men who abused women so violently. And losing her sister had pushed her over the edge. She’d become an avenger, seeking justice for the lost and helpless.
Logan took a deep, steadying breath and asked, “Dr. Kapoor, what was your relationship with Aditya? Why did you give her the bug?”
Dr. Kapoor finally sat behind his desk again. “After Priya’s murder, Aditya came to me. You have to understand,” he said, his eyes pleading with them. “Aditya is,” he paused a moment and then corrected himself, “was highly intelligent. She had a powerful sense of right and wrong. She didn’t see the world in gray. Of course, she understood the gray lines toed by so many, but she couldn’t embrace those gray lines. But when Priya was killed, and then Riya left with that American boy who changed his name to Hazeem,” Dr. Kapoor shook his head in disgust. “It blurred Aditya’s perception of black and white and tossed her into the world of gray. The world of vigilante justice. She understood the difficulty countries have when fighting a War on Terror. The Butterfly Effect. Remove one person, and another usually rises to power who is worse than the first. Start a war in one area, and other nations join and soon you’re encumbered in a world war. There are no easy answers to this mess.”
Dr. Kapoor took a deep breath and then continued, “At first I didn’t know what Aditya was doing. You see, I have contacts throughout the Middle East. She asked me for introductions, and I provided them.” He paused and motioned with his hand. “It wasn’t until she’d killed several men that I became suspicious of what she was doing. The dates of her travel lined up with the dates of men being killed.” He inhaled deeply and let out a heavy sigh. “After her sister died, she armored herself in an unbreakable shell. It was like she’d walled up her personality and joy and replaced them with detachment and a sense of mission.” Dr. Kapoor shook his head in sadness. “I didn’t like the change in her, but there was nothing I could do about it. When I finally pieced it together, I wanted to protect her.” He pointed to the acrylic box on his desk. “When she asked me for a bug, something undetectable, I felt I had to help her. She was the last one.” He pointed to the pictures. “I only wanted to protect her. I didn’t know what she wanted it for. I didn’t want to know. But I gave it to her.”
Ryan pieced together Dr. Kapoor’s story and filled in the blanks. “The contacts. They helped her get in to see the men, didn’t they?” They’d wondered how she’d managed to get alone time with some of her kills.
Dr. Kapoor nodded. “Yes. They put her in touch with the right people that could give her information and access to the men she wanted to kill. I do not know the specifics. I’ve tried to stay out of it. While I’ve never killed anyone, I harbor the desire in my heart. I’d love to destroy the lives of the people who hurt Priya. It would not bring her back, but I would feel a nominal amount of justice and know that they’d never hurt another person again.”
Sai focused on Logan. “How long had you been seeing Aditya?” Was it too much to hope that she wanted to leave that life behind? That she’d somehow escaped the black hole of vengeance and found happiness?
Logan didn’t want to reveal too much, neither did he want to hurt Dr. Kapoor any more than he already was. The man obviously struggled to make it through each day and didn’t deserve the pain that engulfed him. “We hadn’t been together long,” Logan paused, “but I cared deeply about her.” That was true. He did care about her. And learning her background, understanding why she did what she did, only added to his pain. Although her flesh bore no scars, the pain and devastation had destroyed her heart. She wasn’t just a killer; she was a victim.
A true smile broke free on Dr. Kapoor’s face as he nodded. “She was happy with you?” He liked the looks of Logan. He had kind eyes.
Logan inhaled deeply. This meeting with Dr. Kapoor was much more difficult than he’d anticipated. “I’d like to think so.” Bella’s words about Aditya not being able to kill him shattered the wall of anger that he’d built around his heart. Bella was right. Aditya’s feelings for him must have been real, even if they hadn’t started that way.
Dr. Kapoor rubbed the scruff on his chin and gazed out the window. “She must have felt threatened to kill herself. Death would be much kinder than ending up in their hands. She’d promised me that she’d die before she’d let them take her.” He looked at Logan. “Of course, that promise brought little comfort, but I couldn’t bear to see her suffer the way Priya had.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I guess, in a morbid way, I’m glad that she had the strength to end her life on her terms instead of suffering at the hands of monsters.”
Logan’s stomach churned as nausea percolated through his system. “Is there a restroom I can use?”
“Yes, of course,” Dr. Kapoor replied, pointing at the door. “Take a right out of the door. You’ll see it at the end of the hall.”
Ryan had been quiet most of the meeting, but his mind hadn’t stopped calculating. If Dr. Kapoor was Amin Sood’s cousin, and he’d been able to connect Aditya to the slime that she killed, then Dr. Kapoor’s connections were extensive. He obviously knew people who knew people.
Ryan needed to contact Captain Wallace. Perhaps Sai Kapoor would make an excellent asset for the CIA. He certainly had the motive. Captain Wallace would know who to contact to recruit Dr. Kapoor.
Ryan waited for the door to close behind Logan and then cleared his throat. “May I ask you a question?”
Dr. Kapoor adjusted his position in the chair. “Of course.”
“Were you ever conce
rned for your safety? You were doing some very dangerous things. If Amin Sood’s people realized your part in Aditya’s actions, he’d kill you.”
Sai glanced at the pictures that still lay on his desk and then looked at the picture of himself with Priya. “My wife died of cancer shortly after Priya’s death.” He cleared this throat and reigned in his emotions. “That was why they took the trip to India. My wife was in remission and wanted to see her family again while she was still in good health. I am a shell of a man. I have nothing left to live for.” He spread his hands out. “This, work, is my only solace. Here I can drown myself in science and incredible revelations about the world around us. It challenges my head and keeps me out of my heart. If I die, then maybe, perhaps by some miracle of God, I will be reunited with my family. So, I helped Aditya in her mission. I assure you, there is nothing left of me for Amin to destroy.”
“Would you be willing to talk to a friend of mine? I’d like to give him your name.”
Dr. Kapoor studied the man across from him. Ryan Marks was unknown to him, but he could draw plenty of conclusions about the broad, well-muscled man sitting in his office. “You are ex-military, correct?”
“Yes.” Ryan nodded.
“You want to use me? I assume this man will have connections to an intelligence agency.”
“Yes.”
Sai took in a deep breath and stared out the window as he thought about his future. “I have no training in the field of spy-craft,” he said, making eye contact with Ryan. “Being an asset was never in my life plan, but I will talk to someone,” he said resolutely.
“Thank you. Someone will be in contact with you.” Ryan stood and glanced at the pile of photos. He hated to say it, but he had to. “I need the pictures. They’re part of our investigation.”
Sai stretched out his hand and picked up the pile of pictures. Standing, he handed it to Ryan. “Thank you for telling me about Aditya. I would have heard it eventually, but I’m glad to know that she found happiness in the end.”
Ryan wasn’t about to destroy Dr. Kapoor’s hopes that Aditya had turned some corner and found happiness. With an affirming head nod, he made his departure and joined Logan in the hallway.
35
Friday morning – Christmas Eve
Bella stretched and sat up in bed. Light seeped into the room around the edges of the window shades. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was just after eight. She’d spent most of the previous night talking with Jack. They hadn’t gone to bed until midnight. She’d felt bad about that because he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a while, but he didn’t seem to mind the time with her.
They’d talked about all kinds of things. She shared her love of Game of Thrones, and he taught her how to play Call of Duty. He wasted her, but by the end of the night she was at least catching on. Then, in his protective way, he showed her where he kept extra guns in the house. She figured that with his past and their current situation, he wanted her to know where the guns were in a pinch. Once again, she realized just how different his mindset was from hers.
When she started working at Savage Security, Cole made sure she knew how to handle a gun. Quarterly, she was required to log a minimum of five hours at the shooting range. She enjoyed the practice, but until the attack, she’d never imagined that she’d ever need to use a gun. This was one more way Eric messed up her life. She’d lost the naïve belief that bad stuff only happened to other people.
And now, with the bed covers still draped over her legs, she thought about Jack’s confession. She’d never imagined that he’d had a crush on her, and now she realized that he was the type of man that she could see herself with. She’d always respected his choice of career. Any person willing to sacrifice themselves for others demonstrated a quality of character that was more than most could even imagine, let alone achieve.
Easing herself into a standing position beside the bed, she ran her hands through her hair and rolled her head. The pain meds from last night were wearing off and a dull ache throbbed between her temples. Her ribs stung when she took a deep breath, but shallow breaths were pain free.
They’d eaten well last night, but her stomach was beginning to rumble its dissatisfaction. She made the bed and decided to make breakfast. She wanted to do something nice for Jack as a thank you for all that he’d done for her.
She eased her way down the stairs, careful to be quiet in case Jack was still sleeping, and when she reached the first floor, she knew he’d already beaten her to kitchen. The energizing aroma of coffee greeted her as she wandered into the kitchen.
He’d crashed when he got in bed the night before, but as the sun rose, he’d awoken with a sense of urgency. There were still too many unknowns in this case. They knew they didn’t have all the members of the cell that had targeted them, but with each capture and subsequent interrogation, the noose was tightening. As they rounded up members of the cell, they’d get more insight on the cell and its connections with other cells throughout the country and in the Middle East.
When the stairs creaked, he glanced up at the entrance to the kitchen. The sight of Bella in her Game of Thrones bathrobe triggered his lips to curve into a smile. She belonged here with him.
Bella swiped her hand through her messy hair and stopped at the table beside Jack. She glanced quickly at his laptop and the gun sitting on the table. Yep, his mindset was definitely different from hers.
“Morning,” Jack crooned, drawing her eyes to his.
A sexy stubble darkened his features, but his eyes looked rested, brighter. She wondered if he carried his gun around the house all the time or if this was a special event because of what was going on.
“Have you eaten?” she asked, glancing around the kitchen looking for evidence of food or dirty dishes.
“No.” He shook his head. The scent of her as she stood beside him triggered a thread of desire. He wanted to wrap an arm around her and pull her into his lap. He stopped the fantasy there because he didn’t think he’d survive if he started thinking about what he wanted to do when he couldn’t do what he wanted. “I was waiting for you.”
Bella’s eyes twinkled at his response. She squeezed his shoulder and said, “Perfect. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to make you breakfast as a little thank you for all you’ve done.”
The warmth of her hand seared a brand into his flesh, as if she were marking him as hers. His body heated under her gaze. “That would be nice, but I can help,” he offered. He leaned forward to push back the chair.
‘Oh, no,” she said with a shake of her head and pressed down on his shoulder. She motioned towards the laptop with her other hand. “You do whatever you were doing while I work my magic.”
“Okay, thank you,” he said, absentmindedly rubbing his hands over the keys of his laptop.
She headed towards the pantry and peered inside. Shelves lined the three sides of the pantry from top to bottom. “I should have known,” she said, staring at the organized pantry. “Is organization some sort of job requirement for you guys?” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I swear, not even one of you guys is messy.”
He laughed. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “A very good thing.” She stepped into the pantry and looked over the shelves. A few large pots and pans were stacked in one area. The rest of the items were organized alphabetically. “Ah, here it is,” she said picking up the box of pancake mix. She grabbed the non-stick spray and set the items on the granite island. She headed back to the pantry for the griddle.
After making herself at home in his kitchen, she found everything she needed to fix up a pancake, bacon, and eggs feast. They ate together, sipping on coffee and enjoying each other’s company. Bella was impressed by how relaxed Jack was and how easy it was to talk to him. She’d seen a different side of him in the past few days. Being here with him felt natural, like this was where she belonged.
While she cleaned up the kitchen, Jack read through the information
the team had learned. The trip Logan and Ryan had taken to see Dr. Kapoor had been a goldmine of information. He scraped a hand over his jaw as he processed the birth of Aditya the Man Killer. Knowing her motives for her actions helped him understand why she became a killer, but it didn’t excuse her. She still killed Lieutenant Shaw, and he’d been one of the good guys. Jack knew that Savage Security would never learn how the intelligence agencies would use Dr. Kapoor, but he knew that the man’s information and connections could save lives.
The doorbell rang, cutting through the peaceful kitchen.
Jack and Bella’s eyes turned towards the front of the house. Bella’s heart raced at the sound, but she reassured herself that if it was a killer from the terrorist cell that he wouldn’t ring the doorbell.
Glancing at Jack, Bella asked, “Were you expecting someone?”
“No,” Jack said flatly. He pushed back his chair and stood. Pointing at Bella, he said, “You stay here. I’ll check it out.” Jack slipped the gun into the back of his pants and stalked towards the front door.
Stepping to the side of the front door, he peeked between the curtain and the window. Shit! Jack knew they’d show up eventually. Two men dressed in suits stood patiently at the door. One man was white and the other was black. He’d put both men in their forties. He’d seen the white man before at Aditya’s hotel, but couldn’t recall his name.
“Who is it?” Jack asked gruffly.
The white man addressed Jack through the door, “We’re detectives with the Carrisburg Police Department. We met briefly at the hotel yesterday. I’m Detective Hal Webb. We have some questions about the recent event at Savage Security.” Both detectives held their badges towards the door.
Coveted Kiss (Savage Security Book 3) Page 19