Since the mass grave discovered at the home on Tchoupitoulas, Bright had been at the beck-and-call of the FBI investigators. Even though, they prohibited Bright from actively participating and working the case, those orders didn’t prevent Vivien from following the primary witnesses from the gruesome scene to the hospital. She continued to follow the investigation on her own and made regular reports to her boss.
The Tchoupitoulas case involved five sadistic men who brutally and savagely raped Kendall White. Lucky to escape at all, Kendall had somehow known about the other women buried in shallow graves behind the house. Her knowledge was a mystery the FBI wanted resolved. The agents would keep hounding the young victim for as long as it took to solve it. However, Kendall stubbornly remained silent about the angel.
Vivien understood the girl’s reluctance. Mentioning that you saw an angel usually discredits everything else you have to say, regardless of the evidence. Vivien hadn’t revealed that in her own statement the night Rusty and Jake attacked her. It was easier to say that ‘something or someone’ rescued her.
“Look,” Vivien finally advised Kendall, “Tell the agents that you overheard it from the men as they tortured you. Once that loose thread is neatly tied-off, they’ll leave you alone. There are certainly plenty of other intriguing facts about the case to keep them busy and off your back.”
That’s exactly what Kendall did.
As it turned out, Geno Bennett had ensnared twenty-nine young women over the past five years. He had used an enticing college-boy charm to seduce unsuspecting girls and lure them back to the home shared with the evil, malicious men. Geno was paid to turn those innocent women over to the crew of men who violently used the girls before torturing them to death.
Of course, Vivien knew how Kendall had acquired the knowledge about the graves, but she wasn’t sharing with the FBI either. She also knew how Kendall escaped. The angel, a celestial being, had rescued her. Just as he had rescued Vivien and many others.
He carried Kendall, and her best friend Robin, to safety. The angel had urged her to tell the police about the others buried in the yard. He had even uncovered one of the bodies, making it easier to find.
Bright, extremely factual, hadn’t wanted to hear that, but it was true nonetheless. The angel’s alter ego, a huge red demon, had also destroyed the wicked, degenerate men in unusually creative ways. Vivien smiled when she thought about their deaths. She couldn’t help it. The bastards got what they deserved.
After Kendall was released from the hospital, Vivien visited her in Mandeville. She went to share her own experience of salvation at the angel’s hand. She also encouraged the young woman to join the others in the online support group.
Kendall was doing as well as could be expected, but like all the others, she needed to be heard. She needed a safe place to share her account. No one could comprehend or truly relate unless they had personal experience in a similar situation. Even Robin didn’t fully appreciate everything Kendall had suffered. Although she was present at the house during Kendall’s appalling experience, Robin was unconscious and unharmed. They were saving her until they were finished with Kendall.
The support group was a perfect fit. It freely offered the empathy each survivor needed.
Although, most of Kendall’s scars were hidden beneath her clothing, the seventeen-year-old victim would remain physically and emotionally damaged without support. She needed compassion from others – others who fully understood because they shared similar experiences. Otherwise, the wounds and nightmares might never lessen.
At the present, Vivien was excited that her boss was finished with the FBI. She knew he was too. On the rare occasions when she’d seen Bright over the last few weeks, he’d been tense and unhappy, feeling useless. He was agitated, grumbling, “Davis’s expertise as a coroner is actually used while I only hold up a wall, watching from afar. I like to be actively involved, but no, I’m stuck on the sidelines. It irks me!”
Vivien understood Bright’s discontent. She liked to be operational and useful too. Since the FBI kept Bright engaged elsewhere, the squad was also benched. Only allowed to work cold-cases as it was. The officers were bored and exasperated that all new cases went to other districts. Being idle was not Vivien’s favorite pastime either. The standstill was difficult for everyone.
Still, the imposed time off had allowed Vivien the freedom to pursue cases from the past. She had discovered a few more witness statements to add to the group of believers.
In addition, it had also allowed her to keep an ear to the ground, listening for any reports that might surface regarding MeChelle DeLaurent. Only rumors. The billionaire was missing, along with his trusted bodyguards. Even that was a whisper – DeLaurent had been known to fly off to some obscure destination for a month or two at a time.
Vivien didn’t know what had actually happened when Alec Winters went to the hunting lodge to rescue Sabrina Devereux. She only knew that he brought Sabrina home. He had succeeded.
It was also a twisty, touchy situation. Because she’d done a favor for a favor, she couldn’t involve her boss or the squad. Vivien thought about her involvement, wondering how to handle the situation.
She decided she could live without knowing what had happened. It was a first for her, and although she couldn’t explain it, she went with it. Yes, she’d been tempted to drive out to the massive estate to look around, but she didn’t. She considered that she might be letting her own desires get in the way of her duty. She was very aware that she had an ulterior motive – Questioning Alec Winters might very well spoil the quid pro quo – her chances to meet Catalina.
Chapter 9
Sazerac’s, a block from Bourbon Street, was located inside the Roosevelt Hotel. When Vivien arrived, she was handed one of the famous drinks. Made from rye whiskey, Drambuie, and bitters, it had a powerful and heady taste.
Albright greeted her warmly and smiled easily at his newest recruit. She noticed again how handsome he looked when he cracked a grin. Slightly embarrassed at the thought, she blushed and looked away.
“Here’s to getting everyone back to work!” Bright exclaimed as glasses clinked together.
“Here, here!” a chorus of male voices responded.
“Yes! Yes!” Vivien joined in and then laughed with the others.
She settled on an extra long sofa with four of the five detectives from the squad. Bright and the fifth detective took two chairs facing them. Everyone, as noted by the camaraderie of the group, was glad to have their lieutenant back. At the last minute, Davis appeared and Bright got up to get him a drink.
Although Davis wasn’t as unhappy about working with the FBI as Bright had been, he was still glad to return to duty and his official position of medical examiner. The fifth coworker vacated his chair in honor of Davis, and then, crowded onto the sofa with Vivien and the others. Feeling crushed among the larger male bodies, she grumbled good-naturedly before jumping to her feet.
“Whew!” she exclaimed, “that felt like being packed in a can of sardines.”
“You can always sit on my lap, Vivien,” one of the married detectives flirtatiously teased.
When he returned, and overheard the comment, Bright motioned for her to take his chair. Vivien perched on the arm of Davis’ chair instead. She slowly sipped the strong drink and smiled at everyone.
The squad didn’t stay long and began to scatter as soon as the drink was finished. Bright hung back long enough to ensure that Vivien got safely to her car. He still had a detail assigned to her, but they were currently parked in front of the hotel waiting to follow when her little Honda pulled out. He made a mental note to tell them how stupid it was since someone could easily be hiding in the garage. He wanted her watched closely, not from afar.
Bright didn’t want to take any chances. The garage had only one entrance-exit. Until he saw Vivien leave it, and the assigned officers follow her, he wouldn’t relax. He watched closely, and followed at a reasonable distance, as she entered the parking garage on foot.
When Vivien neared her car, two men suddenly appeared from the shadows behind her. One quickly slapped a strip of duct tape over her mouth to silence her. She never had a chance to scream.
Neither of the men uttered a word. They roughly grabbed Vivien by the arms, all business-like. As they pulled her away from the Honda, a large sedan squealed to a halt nearby. She fought back, but the assault happened quickly. It was well planned. Easily overpowered, the men shoved her into the truck. The lid slammed shut before Bright could close the distance. When he saw he couldn’t rescue her in time, Bright touched the radio at his waist and barked out orders to alert the others. If he couldn’t stop this, his squad better damn well try!
“Deters, Bright here…hotel’s parking garage…Vivien’s been forced into the trunk of a white Ford, looks like a 2010 LTD. Plate number Victor-Victor-Frank-Two-Seven-Six. Back-up now!”
“On our way, boss,” Deters replied, and as the radio crackled and popped with static, Bright turned his attention to the car.
“Stop!” Bright yelled at the abductors, holding out his badge and taking a firing stance directly in the center of the exit ramp. “Police! Stop!” he called out again.
The warnings went unheeded. Without hesitation, Bright pulled his weapon and fired six rounds in rapid succession as the car raced towards him. The driver was shot and killed instantly, leaving the vehicle to careen out of control. It plowed into a support beam and came to a trembling, smoking stop.
Bright ran towards it with his service weapon still drawn. The front seat passenger was unconscious and bleeding. He hadn’t worn his seatbelt. The third man, in the backseat, got out running. Again, Bright yelled a warning, but the criminal made a dash for it anyway.
Two detectives from the earlier gathering pulled into the garage, cutting off his exit. The fender of the car driven by Detective Deters clipped the would-be abductor. The impact broke his leg and threw him through the air where he landed on the vehicle’s hood. Finally down, he didn’t move after that, but he certainly screamed in agony.
Bright could only shake his head in frustration. He’d clearly warned the criminals and they hadn’t listened to a damn thing he said. Now, one was dead and two were seriously injured. “It’s just fucked up!” he silently cursed the situation.
Bright fumbled for the hatch release but couldn’t find it. He retrieved the keys from the ignition and manually unlocked the trunk to release Vivien. In spite of the crash and flying bullets, she wasn’t injured. However, she was badly shaken.
She let him assist her out of the trunk, but when she was on her own feet, she dizzily fell forward. Bright caught her securely in his strong arms. He only had a brief moment to register that it was a pleasant experience. Soon, the other officers crowded around.
For the most part, the five detectives under his command treated Vivien Simon like a kid sister. They were like a family and everyone wanted to make sure she was all right as evidenced by the excited exclamations and comments.
“Are you all right, Vivien?”
“Jesus Bright! How did you get to her so fast?”
“Good shooting, Bright!”
“Damn, you are one lucky little lady!”
Bright was disturbed. This was the second attempt on Vivien’s life in only a short time and it had to be hard on her. It was little wonder she was shaken and dizzy. It would rattle anyone.
Scenes from the alley where she had very nearly died returned to the lieutenant and he continued to shake his head back and forth in annoyance and worry. Bright acknowledged that she had royally pissed off someone at the Catholic Church. Still, it irked him that, even though she no longer worked for the Rag, apparently they weren’t going to let it go.
The entire squad gathered in the parking garage to look over the crime scene. While Bright and Vivien gave their statements, the bus arrived to treat the injured attackers. Coroner Davis also arrived to examine the dead driver.
“Dammit Bright, I hadn’t even gotten out of the Quarter when I got the call. Was this another attempt on Vivien’s life?” Davis asked. He briefly examined Vivien before reassuring everyone she was fine. Then, he turned his attention to the dead body.
“Yep, it was. I guess the news still hasn’t traveled up the chain of command.”
“Then, you might have to lend a hand. You know, get that information to the proper authorities, Bright,” Davis countered. “Make sure these idiots know so they’ll report it to whoever sends them.”
“Still, if they wanted her dead, they could’ve easily killed her this time. I couldn’t have stopped them. Why didn’t they?”
“Perhaps, this was truly an abduction then. Maybe they wanted to question her,” Davis replied.
Since Bright and Vivien were personally involved, neither was allowed to investigate. That little wrinkle didn’t stop the lieutenant. He was itching to talk to the one that was conscious. After he had made certain one of the officers would personally take Vivien home and wait for his arrival, Bright leapt into the back of the ambulance.
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to make sure he gets to the hospital,” he called out cheerfully. He wanted to know who in particular from the church was after her and was determined to find out.
Alec watched the entire parking garage from the shadows. He was prepared to protect Vivien if needed, but the police officers had beaten him to it. He was glad that she had so many friends to look out for her, but he would remain vigilant anyway.
Chapter 10
In the meantime, Lieutenant Albright was on a personal mission. He settled in the back of the ambulance with the two surviving men from the parking garage. He’d have a few words with them while they were transported the short distance to the hospital.
As he interrogated Leroy Dixon, the only one conscious, Bright was ill tempered. He was determined, angry, and worried about Vivien, but he also wanted retribution. The damn fuckers had attempted to seize her right before his nose, and now, he was pissed off.
“Who ordered the abduction of Vivien Simon?”
“Who?” Leroy asked.
“You know damn well ‘who.’ The woman, Vivien Simon. Who ordered you to kidnap her tonight?”
“Oh, the reporter…Yeah, well you listen. I need medical attention and a lawyer. Get me those two things and maybe, just maybe, I’ll answer your questions. Maybe,” Leroy casually repeated. Now indifferent and unflappable, but Bright would soon change his nonchalant attitude.
“Look, asshole, you’ll answer me now or you won’t get any treatment except my fist!”
“I know my rights. I don’t have to answer anything until my lawyer gets here and after my leg is fixed-up,” Leroy was shaken by the look in Bright’s eyes so he hurried on, “Besides, I don’t know who was behind it. The orders came through the driver, but you shot and killed him. He won’t be answering your damn questions either. That’s all I’m saying,” the perp smugly responded. It was a bluff and Bright didn’t buy it.
Dissatisfied with Leroy’s response, Bright pressed down hard on the broken leg. It hurt like hell, the agonizing sensations throbbing in his brain. Loud screams of pain followed.
No one interfered. The paramedics and driver had heard enough to know that the injured criminals had attacked the police. It didn’t sit right with them. They drove at a normal speed, only using the siren when in a congested area. It gave the lieutenant plenty of time. His face was hard, determined to get something from the assailant. Anything. Some bit of information that would help protect Vivien and get these bastards off her back.
“I won’t ask you again.”
“I was just hired-help. That’s all I know.”
Bright leaned in again, but the threat was enough. “All I know is that someone very, very powerful is extremely riled that Father Maddox is dead and his reputation was smeared. Blame falls on that damn crazy reporter. Whoever they are, they’re a big supporter of the abbey where the priest transferred,” the terrified man replied. When Bright’s hand move
d toward the broken bone once more, he cried out again, “Please, I swear! I swear! It’s all I know!”
“You’re lucky I believe you.”
Lieutenant Albright stepped out of the back of the ambulance when it arrived at the emergency room entrance. He was pleased to see Deters waiting for him. He relayed the information and then asked, “Where did you park the car?’
“I’ll get it, boss.”
Alec Winters was also at the emergency room entrance. The slow ambulance had given him more than enough time to get there ahead of them. He was unobserved as he listened closely to the information Albright relayed to his officer.
If Albright hadn’t gotten anything, Alec would’ve followed the criminals inside and gotten it himself. That’s why he was there. He was even more determined than the lieutenant to find out who was behind the attacks.
Now, that wasn’t necessary.
Pleased that he had something tangible, a place to start also, Alec disappeared. The hit had come from the abbey where Maddox was priest. It was easy enough to check out.
After Deters brought the car around, Bright climbed into the front passenger seat, and directed, “Take me to the little cottage where Vivien Simon lives.”
When they arrived at the estate on Conti, Deters asked, “You want me to wait for you, boss?”
“No, after I’ve talked to her, I’ll call for a car. Go home. I’m sure your wife is waiting up for you.”
Chapter 11
Vivien was anxiously pacing back and forth in the small living room that overlooked both the patio and the beautifully landscaped gardens. The kitchen light was on, but the rest of the living quarters were dark. It allowed her to see out, but kept anyone else from seeing in. She now knew with certainty that the church was still watching her. She shivered in response to the thought and wrapped the light sweater she wore more snugly around herself. It seemed to help ward off the unsettling chill of fear.
Port City (An Alec Winters Series Book 3) Page 4