Breeding Evil

by Liz Wolfe

  “Anything, Mel. I mean that.”

  “I know, and I’ll hold you to it”

  Chris looked at the caller id on her phone before she picked it up. Three-six-zero area code. She started the trace and then picked up the call at the start of the third ring.

  “Jackson.”

  “Chris. How is everything? I haven’t heard from you in so long.”

  “Because I haven’t had anything to tell you.”

  “That’s too bad, Chris.”

  “Listen, Jonah, I can’t beat information out of anyone. I have to be subtle.” Only another twenty-five seconds.

  “Oh, I understand. I just wanted to remind you of the photos.”

  “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten about them.”

  “You wouldn’t be holding out on me, would you?”

  “No way, Jonah. My career’s too important to me.” She paused a moment. “But you know that.”

  “Indeed, I do. That’s why I’m keeping them close to me. You might say they’re in a virtual fortress.” He chuckled in a way that made her shiver.

  “I’ll try to get something for you, but I have to tell you that right now the FBI and the FSA are at a standstill. Wherever you’ve gone, they’ve lost you.” Fifteen more seconds. Please, God, let him stay on the line that long.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. Still, I think I’ll keep the photos for insurance. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Damn you, Jonah!” Chris snarled and glanced at the trace. Only a few more seconds and she’d have his location.

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  Chris looked at the trace. Damn! The trace hadn’t completed. But at least she’d narrowed it down to a location in southwestern Washington. She punched up a map and scanned it. It was good enough. She’d gotten within a few miles of the actual location from which he was calling. That wouldn’t have been good enough in a city, but this area was in the middle of nowhere. No large towns nearby.

  She punched in the URL for the travel page and checked flights. She could be there by four this afternoon. Chris leaned back in her chair and considered the implications of what she was about to do.

  It didn’t matter. Her career was at stake. She had to get those damn photos and negatives away from Jonah. Otherwise, she’d be at his mercy forever. She couldn’t live with that.

  “Shelby? I still don’t have any names. And that can mean only one thing. Anyone going to this much trouble to keep the name a secret has a reason,” Paige said. “But I have some excellent info for you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I got a copy of the original building plans from the state archives, and my friend who works at the supplier for the Fortress? Her boyfriend is the truck driver who delivers to them.”

  “Building plans will help a lot. Have you interviewed the driver?”

  “No need. This is the really good news. My friend said that the sales representatives ride along with the drivers on the remote deliveries sometimes and make their sales calls while the drivers are making the deliveries.”

  “Has the sales rep gone with this guy before?”

  “Nope. There was no reason to because they weren’t ordering much. But suddenly, last week, the order just about quadrupled. Perfect time for the sales rep to make a call, wouldn’t you think?”

  “That fits. They would have upped their order because they knew they were moving here from Tucson. What does this company deliver to them?”

  “Food, mostly, and some linens. Some bulk food, frozen meals, fresh fruit and veggies, baked goods. According to my friend, it’s just about everything you’d need for a lot of people.”

  “How many people?”

  “Before the order was upped, she thinks it was enough to feed four to eight people. Deliveries were once a week. With the increased order, she figures it’s enough for twenty or so people, and they get deliveries twice a week.”

  “That fits too. Before it would have only been the guards. Now they’re feeding themselves, additional staff, and probably a few prisoners.”

  “So, he’s making a delivery this afternoon, and I’m going along with him as the sales rep.”

  “Whoa! Paige, I’m not sure about sending you in there.”

  “It’s cool, Shelby. I’ve already made business cards, I’ve got a really cool suit, and I’ll be up there in a few hours. Come on, Shelby. You need this information, and you can’t go in because they know what you look like.”

  “I could change my appearance,” Shelby argued, but she knew Paige was right. It would be better for her to go in. The only disguise Shelby had with her was the business suit and red wig. The doctors would see through that in a heartbeat, and it would be impossible to get a really good disguise together in a few hours.

  Paige was waiting somewhat patiently while Shelby talked herself into letting Paige do it. For someone who always worked alone, she was accumulating a lot of people. Still, it seemed to be the thing to do. Just felt weird.

  “Okay. Get up here now. I want to have time to brief you before you go in.” Shelby was sure she heard a little squeal of delight, but Paige managed to contain it before she could change her mind. “But first, look in the closet in my office. There’s a large black case on the floor. Bring it with you.”

  “No problem.”

  “And Paige? Bring Zoe with you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “Hold still.” Shelby was trying to get the tiny camera attached to Paige’s lapel pin.

  “So, what’s this guy like?”

  Shelby looked up at her and shrugged. “He’s nice.”

  “You don’t go for nice guys.”

  “Mac is different. Besides, it’s not like it’s a relationship or anything. We enjoy each other, that’s all.” She got the camera nestled in among the silver roses on the pin and stood back. It was good. The pin completely camouflaged the tiny lens. She slipped the wire down the inside of Paige’s jacket to the battery pack taped under her arm.

  “There. Now move around the room.” Paige walked around while Shelby watched the screen of her laptop. “Good. Now give me an audio test.”

  “Okay, why don’t we talk a little more about your new boyfriend?” Paige giggled.

  “He’s not a boyfriend. I’m too old to have boyfriends.”

  “Whatever.” Paige waved a hand, acknowledging that they weren’t going to have any girl talk about Shelby’s love life.

  “You’re sure you’re ready for this?” She was worried about sending Paige into the Fortress. She was talented and eager, but she was also young and inexperienced.

  “I’ll be fine. It’s just a sales call. Barbara gave me a little crash course on what to say. I have my business cards, and I’ll only be there for half an hour.” She held up her hand to prevent Shelby’s imminent interruption. “I won’t say or do anything to make them suspicious. My only job is to check out what kind of security they have on the inside.”

  “Good girl. Let’s get this equipment in the truck.” Shelby carried the laptop and the receiver to the door. Paige grabbed her briefcase and opened the door for her.

  Zoe was talking to Chase and Kevin, the delivery truck driver. Kevin opened the back door of the truck, and Chase helped Shelby set up the equipment and cover it with boxes.

  Kevin checked his watch. “Time to go. I’m due there in half an hour.” Paige climbed into the truck beside him and waved at the others as they took off.

  Shelby was still watching the road they’d driven down when Mac drove up in the rental truck, Bear in the passenger seat beside him.

  Bear gave her a big hug and smiled at Zoe. He then went to the back to pull out his luggage. Chase grabbed one of the crates.

  “Chase Harmon,” he introduced himself. “You can bunk with me. I’ve got two beds.”

  “Uneventful trip?” Shelby asked.

  “Almost,” Bear said and looked at Mac. “Tell her.”

  “It’s possible I saw Chris at the airport.”

 
“Who’s Chris?” Chase asked.

  “Mac’s SAC.” Shelby turned back to Mac. “You’re not certain?”

  “Well, it certainly looked like her. But we were at a distance, so I can’t be sure. Besides, what would she be doing here?”

  “It’s possible the FBI and FSA were able to locate the Fortress. They have a lot of resources.”

  “But then it would be a team. Why just Chris alone?”

  “Are you sure she was alone?”

  “I didn’t see anyone around her. It’s possible that she flew in separately from the team, but that doesn’t really make any sense.”

  “Actually, it doesn’t really make sense that she’d be here even if they found out about the Fortress.” Shelby said. Chase and Bear reappeared, and the five of them walked back to the motel room. “Chris is the SAC of the Phoenix office, but she’s not in charge of this op. I can’t see why she’d come out here.”

  “It was probably just an over-active imagination,” Mac said. “She was a distance away, and it’s entirely possible that she just resembled Chris. It could have been just a coincidence.”

  Shelby exchanged a look with Bear. She knew from working with him that he didn’t believe in coincidence any more than she did.

  In the room, they gathered around the small round table and laid out what they’d observed the previous night to Bear. They then spread out the building plans Paige had brought, taking some time studying them and looking at each section carefully.

  “First thing is to disable the laser beams,” Bear said. “To do that I’ll have to climb up one of the poles. We’ll figure out which one when we get there. Usually one pole will hold the master unit that powers all the others. Once that’s taken out—”

  “I have to get past the gate,” Shelby added. “Or go over the wall. There’s a lot of light around the place, even when the laser beams don’t set off the search lights.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem to take out a couple of lights. All we need is one dark area.”

  “I’m really hoping they haven’t changed the floor plan too much.” She looked at the blueprints again, committing them to memory a little more each time.

  “They wouldn’t have taken out any of the support walls. That’s about all we can be sure of,” Bear said.

  “What do you want me to do, Shelby?” Zoe asked.

  “Nothing. You’ll be staying here.”

  “No. I want to go in. I want to be a part of the team that takes them down.”

  “Zoe, there’s nothing for you to do.”

  “But I’m really good at getting into places undetected.”

  “I know you are. But, this is my op. We do it my way.”

  Zoe scowled at Shelby. “Fine.”

  Shelby stood up and stretched. “You guys go get some rest. I’ll let you know when Paige gets back.” The men left and Shelby put on a pot of coffee.

  “What are you going to do when this is over?” Shelby asked Zoe.

  “That’s funny. Shannon asked me the same thing right before—” Zoe cleared her throat. “The weird thing is that I don’t really know. I can’t be a thief any more.”

  “Really? Why is that?”

  “A friend once told me that one day something would happen, and I’d know that it was time to quit.” Zoe shrugged. “And something happened.”

  “I see.”

  “Besides, I was trying to get away from it anyway. I was just doing enough to live on and get through school, until I could take the CPA exam.”

  Shelby laughed. “Somehow, I can’t see you as a CPA.”

  “Why? I’m pretty good with numbers.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just see you as kind of active. Can’t really imagine you sitting behind a desk crunching numbers.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way. But it doesn’t matter. I’m going to be a CPA.”

  “Is it just another way to steal? Maybe a safer way?”

  “No! I’m tired of the stealing. It’s just that I’m really good at it.”

  “How did it start? The stealing, I mean? I don’t suppose there’s a school you go to?” Shelby chuckled.

  “Well, there is a school, kind of. I started when I was a kid. Stealing stuff from stores. I got caught a few times before I got good at it.”

  “What happened then?”

  “The foster parents I was living with would send me back to the orphanage. Then I’d go to another foster family. Finally, I just ran away.”

  “How old were you then?”

  “Fourteen. I supported myself stealing. It was better than what most runaways did.”

  Shelby knew she meant prostitution, and she had to agree. “And you just kept doing it? How did you graduate to the big time?”

  “The big time? You mean stealing jewelry and stuff?” Zoe shrugged. “I hooked up with some other thieves. They were older, better, knew more. And they taught me what they knew.”

  “I see. So that was your school?”

  “Pretty much. When I got older, I got my GED and tried to stop stealing for a while. I got a job with a security company.” Zoe shook her head. “That just made me a better thief. Before that, safes had been my specialty. Once I knew security systems too, I was in demand.”

  “So you went back to being a thief?”

  “I got laid off, and it was the only thing I knew how to do. After a few years, I remembered what Black Joe had said to me about knowing when it was time to quit. So, I started school and made my plans.” Zoe laughed. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I don’t normally tell people about my life.”

  “I understand. I used to be the same way. Probably still am.” Shelby poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Zoe. “When I was growing up, my dad was a con artist. I used to help him.”

  “You did?”

  “Sure did. Right up until I was seventeen and met Mel. I still don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t met her. She turned my life around.”

  Zoe smiled. “By the way, working with Paige was great. We had a lot of fun. She doesn’t think I can’t do anything just because I’m small.”

  “She told me you had some natural ability at handling the bikers in that bar.”

  “That was easy.” Zoe shrugged. “I hang out in biker bars, so I know what they’re like.”

  “You know, Zoe, you have developed a lot of interesting skills.”

  “I have?”

  “Sure. Not everyone can sneak into a house and steal something without getting caught. You know about safes and security systems and bikers.” Shelby laughed. She liked Zoe. She reminded her of herself a while back.

  “Yeah, I guess. But it’d just be nice to use my talents legally, you know?”

  Shelby looked at Zoe and made up her mind. Mel had reached out to her when she was young, and she figured it was time to pay that back. Whenever she’d tried to thank Mel for what she’d done, Mel had told her no thanks were necessary. Just pass it on when the time came.

  “You could.”

  Zoe just stared at her.

  “I might be needing another investigator at my agency.” Shelby sipped her coffee. “You’d have to be trained, of course. At first, you’d just be answering the phones, maybe doing some bouncer gigs. And God knows I could use some help with my accounting.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Shelby nodded. “I think I am.”

  “Where do you want this stuff?” Kevin carried the laptop and receiving unit. Shelby motioned him to put them both on the table and then hurried to plug everything in.

  “I think I got some good stuff, Shelby. Zoe, can you help me get this thing off?” Paige motioned for Zoe to follow her to the bathroom. By the time they came back, Shelby was ready to play the footage.

  “Well, that was fun, but I gotta run. Still have another delivery to do.” Kevin shook Paige’s hand and then everyone else’s.

  “Thanks, Kevin. You’ve been a big help. Remember, not a word of this to anyone,” Sh
elby said.

  “And lose my secret agent status? No way!” He laughed and waved as he left.

  “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got.” Shelby tapped in the commands to replay what Paige’s camera and microphone had recorded.

  There were good shots of the entry. The gate appeared to be electronically locked and operated by the guard who stood in the guard tower next to it. There was a camera where visitors were stopped and asked for ID and the reason for their visit. After Kevin and Paige had been cleared by the guard, the gates swung open. Kevin had dropped Paige at the front and then driven off toward the delivery area.

  She was met at the front door by another guard and escorted to a small office. Paige had fiddled with her lapel pin in order to show the cameras tucked into corners all over the place. Soon the door to the office opened, and Ruth Carlson stepped inside. There was a collective intake of breath. Absolute proof that they had the right place.

  “I tried to get her to show me the kitchens. Told her I could help her with the ordering, but she didn’t go for it. This was pretty much all I got on tape.” Paige pointed to the monitor. “But right here Carlson left for a few minutes. She was having a conversation with someone just outside the door.”

  The view from Paige’s pin camera shifted and moved as she walked to the door. “Damn. I was hoping the microphone picked it up.”

  “Give me a minute,” Bear said as he settled at the keyboard and began typing in commands.

  “Don’t worry. You got what we needed the most. Proof that we have the right place,” Shelby said.

  “I’ve got it.” Bear turned the volume on the laptop up and sat back.

  “I told you, Jonah, I’ll be ready to start the course of meds on three of the children tomorrow.”

  “I’m just anxious.”

  “Have you given any thought to controlling Shannon?”

  “I’m actually leaning toward the lobotomy. It won’t

  affect the fetus, and it’s not like we need her psychic abilities. Only her breeding ability. ”

  “When will you do it?”

  “I suppose tomorrow. I’m growing weary of her tantrums and demands. It’ll be a welcome relief to have her docile for a change. ”