by Jamie Hill
“It’s okay. Come on.” She approached from behind. “Charlie? Do you have any idea how much commotion you’ve caused?”
The figure in black turned to face them. He was Hispanic with a thick black mustache. The man glanced over Nick’s shoulder and at that moment, Nick realized they were in trouble.
Another hooded figure grabbed Jordan and pressed a rag to her face. She kicked and tried to fight back, but quickly went limp.
Nick smelled something medicinal just before a rag covered his mouth and nose. He elbowed the person behind him, causing the man to drop the rag. Something heavy crashed down on his skull and he felt searing pain before the world went black.
Chapter Seven
California State Prison, Corcoran
Protective Housing Unit
Corcoran, California
Pete Rossi paced in his cell. It was nearing dinnertime and he was famished. He tried not to get that way because meals in COR were less than appetizing. Sometimes he just couldn’t help it. He’d lost a good twenty pounds since he’d been incarcerated. He could stand to lose another fifteen, but he was looking rather buff if he said so himself. The fact that he had little to do besides exercise didn’t hurt.
The trial started in two weeks. He’d be back out in the real world, going to court, seeing other people. Maybe he’d snag a decent meal here or there. He wasn’t fooling himself. Whatever happened, he wouldn’t go free. But his fate would be decided, and he’d know what to expect. That was huge.
Will I ever get out of solitary? That question haunted him. In some ways life was easy in protective custody. In other ways, it was like hell on earth. Once he’d testified, the pressure would be off. Van wouldn’t have a reason to be after him. Unless…
No. He refused to allow negative thinking.
He couldn’t keep it from seeping back in. Unless Van is just that fucking vindictive. If all he wanted was revenge, he’d have Rossi whacked for sure.
What can I offer him to keep that from happening? Funny, his sitting in prison, waiting to testify against the man he was now trying to figure out how to placate. If he could be of some use to Van in prison, perhaps the man would keep him alive.
Rossi paced more nervously now. He was testifying against Van. Nothing he did afterward would make up for that. He shouldn’t try to fool himself. He might have to get used to solitary. Six months had been hell. What would he be like after six years? Sixteen years? The thought made him want to cry.
The slide through door on his cell opened with a noisy clang.
“Dinner! Great. I’m starved.”
A guard he didn’t recognize pressed his face to the window. “Bon appetit.” He shoved the covered tray inside.
“Thanks! Hey, I haven’t seen you before. What—”
The man sneered, “Oh, and Mr. VanDyke sends his regards.” He slammed the small door closed.
Pete’s heart sank. He looked at the tray in his hands and slowly removed the metal cover. A dead rat lay in the middle of his Salisbury steak and potatoes. He nearly dropped the tray, but held tight, knowing he’d have to live with whatever mess he created. He set it down by the door and backed up, staring at it like the rat might come to life.
He sat on the edge of his bed, still staring. He might be able to eat around the rat, but if someone got that close to him, what was to keep them from poisoning his food? Would he be able to trust the next meal, rat or no rat? Would he be able to eat anything in the next two weeks?
Terror gripped him and he ran to the door, pounding as loudly as he could. “Hey! Help me! I need help!” He continued banging and yelling until his voice was hoarse and his knuckles bloody. No one ever came.
* * *
Los Angeles, California
Nick opened his eyes and tried to focus. The cold concrete under his face quickly jolted him awake and he sprang to a sitting position. He must have moved too quickly because his head started to spin and for a moment he thought he might pass out.
What the fuck happened?
His second thought was a littler clearer.
Where the hell is Jordan?
“Jordan!” He pulled himself to his feet and looked around. There was no one in sight. The storage unit was locked tight like before, and the pre-dawn streets were quiet. “Shit!” He felt his pockets. Wallet, keys and phone were all in place, as was his gun. They obviously didn’t know I’m a marshal.
Why did they take Jordan and not him? The first reason that popped into his mind terrified the hell out of him and he refused to dwell on it. Whoever nabbed her was after Charlie, same as they were. They wanted to kill Charlie to keep him from testifying. They did not want to kill Jordan. She was an asset to help them find Charlie.
He groaned. She had her badge and ID on her. If they didn’t know he was a marshal before, they did now. And they knew they had in their possession another marshal, from Kansas, which was probably where Charlie had been stashed.
So much had gone wrong in such a very short time.
He staggered to the Expedition and climbed in, locking the doors. He pulled out his cell and dialed Evan. As it rang he glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted a trickle of dried blood on his temple. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Please tell me this is good news, like the two of you aren’t fighting anymore, and you have Archer, and—”
“Hold up, Boss.” Nick’s voice was throaty and he realized he’d gotten Evan’s attention promptly.
“What’s happened?”
“It’s bad, real bad. We were watching the storage unit and we spotted a guy we thought was Charlie. Turns out it wasn’t him, it was some Hispanic dude with a mustache.” He knew he was rambling but couldn’t quite get to the point.
“Nick?”
“Damn it!” His emotions gushed out. “They grabbed Jordan and knocked her out with some kind of chloroformed rag. I fought them off and they dropped the rag and just plain knocked me out. When I woke up, they were all gone.”
“They, who?”
“They, all of them! The chloroform guys, the mustache guy, and Jordan. They’re just gone.”
“Oh, my God. First things first, are you okay?”
“My head is bleeding, but yeah, I think I’m okay. They didn’t know who we were, Evan. They never touched my gun, my badge, or anything else. They just took her.” Tears streamed his face, but he tried to hold it together long enough to complete the call.
“We’ve got to call the police, but they need to know that Jordan’s identity cannot be compromised. I’ll do that, and have them send people to your location.”
“Evan, listen. Charlie is still out there. If he shows up and the place is crawling with cops we’ll never get him.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m in a silver Ford Expedition, parked on the street across from the storage place. A cop could come and talk to me, but they need to be discreet. I’ve got to stay here and wait for Charlie.”
“You need to get to the hospital, Pierce.”
“Not until I’ve got the witness. He’s what they’re after. Our only hope of getting Jordan back is if we have Charlie.”
“As much as I’d like to, we can’t swap them. You know that.”
“I know that. Hopefully, they don’t. It’s our only chance, Evan.”
“Okay. You stay there. I’ll call the cops then I’m on my way. I’ll bring a company jet so I don’t have to wait for the airlines. I can be there in a couple of hours. I’ll bring Ben with me. We’ll need all the manpower we can get.”
Nick hesitated then said what was on his mind. “Evan, that’s fine, but…”
“But what?”
“Don’t tell Doug. I’m not sure I could handle him right now.”
“He’ll go ballistic, that’s for sure. I agree, we won’t tell him yet. He’d be out there faster than me and trying to run the show.”
“Without a doubt. We’ll find her. Then he can hear about it.”
“Agreed. I’ll call when we’re
on our way. Call me if Archer shows up.”
“You got it.” He pushed the off button, relieved that the chief had gone along with him about Doug. That pain in the ass was the last thing he needed at the moment.
What do I need? Nick tried to pull himself together and make a mental list of things to do. It didn’t work.
The only thing he needed was Jordan.
* * *
Bakersfield, California
Jordan’s head felt fuzzy, as if she’d been drugged. She opened her eyes and tried to focus, but nothing made sense. She seemed to be in a nicely decorated bedroom, lying on a comfortable king-sized bed. Her hands were cuffed above her to a brass spindle on the headboard.
Handcuffed? She struggled to remember what had happened. She and Nick had approached the storage unit—Nick! Where was Nick? She looked around, but she was alone.
Lying on her back, she could tell her gun was gone. She mentally kicked herself for not carrying a back-up piece like Doug recommended. Doug. He was going to freak when he found out what had happened. Maybe he already knew, and would be looking for her. But what about Nick? Was he also looking for her, or was he another victim?
And where was Charlie?
The door opened and a pretty woman in a stylish green dress entered. Long, brown hair flowed around her shoulders, framing an attractive face. She carried a small white poodle, snuggled in one hand, close to her chest. “You are awake. Welcome, Marshal Burke.” The woman smiled, but the gesture didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Where am I?”
“You’re safe.”
Jordan didn’t feel all that safe. She inhaled and blew the breath out. “The question remains.”
“Perhaps that’s not the right question. The right question might be, ‘where is Charlie Allen?’”
She blinked. “Who?”
The woman chuckled. “Don’t play coy with me, Marshal. Or may I call you Jordan? I presume that’s your real name. You federal types love the cloak and dagger secrecy, don’t you?”
“I really don’t know what you mean.”
Petting the small dog, the woman said, “Then let me tell you what I know. Charlie Allen has been in federal protection since he unfortunately witnessed a murder a few months ago. We now know that he’s probably been hiding in Kansas, given the fact that a couple of US Marshals with Kansas ID’s were nosing around here. So I’m asking again, where is Charlie? Did he run off, is that why you’re here? Or has something else happened?”
They looked at her ID. Damn it! She had to ask, “Where’s Nick?”
“Your marshal friend? I regret that we didn’t realize he was a marshal at the time. Two hostages are infinitely better than one. Although some would argue that they are unnecessarily more trouble than they’re worth. I’m afraid Gabe is of that state of mind. He didn’t see the value of two hostages, so he grabbed you.” She smiled pleasantly. “And killed your friend.”
A razor-sharp pang tore through Jordan’s chest as she struggled to maintain control. Nick! They couldn’t have killed him. Not now, when I was so close to getting him back. Rage burned in her gut and she growled, “You’re a liar!”
The poodle barked, a tiny sound full of more bravado than threat.
“Shh,” the woman murmured to the dog. “It’s all right. The poor thing just lost her lover. You can see it in her eyes.” She flashed her phony smile at Jordan again. “I’m sorry, Jordan. I really am. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Now, if you don’t want the same fate, I’d suggest you start talking.”
“Who are you working for?”
“That’s a stupid question. You think I’m going to tell you everything I know and then let you go? Use your head, Marshal. The less you know the better.”
Once again, Jordan could have kicked herself. Whatever they used to drug her had messed with her mind. She understood that she really didn’t want to know more than was necessary. “You’re right, sorry. My head is fuzzy. A definite lack of coffee. Plus, I really need to pee. I don’t suppose I could use the facilities?”
“Of course.” She went to the door and looked into the hall. “Gabe, our guest needs to use the ladies’ room. Take her and stay with her, please. Keep your distance, and your gun at the ready. Remember, she’s a trained US Marshal.”
The mustached Hispanic man she’d seen at the storage unit entered the room, a pistol in his hand. He reached over to uncuff her, drew the metal cuff through the spindles then attached it to her wrist again.
“Really?” Jordan held her cuffed hands in front of her. “It’d be much easier without these.”
He glared at her. “I’m not here to make your life easy, bitch. Do what you gotta do so I can put you back to bed.” He nodded to an adjoining door.
She got up slowly, testing her steadiness, and walked to the bathroom. She entered and began to shut the door when he blocked it open with his boot.
“Leave it open.”
Jordan frowned. “I’d appreciate some privacy.”
“Tough shit. I told you, do what you gotta do.”
Fortunately, the only thing she had to do was pee. She finished and washed her hands, then checked her appearance in the gold-rimmed mirror. She looked like crap. The house, on the other hand, looked like a million bucks. Where the hell am I?
Returning to the bedroom, she scoped out windows and doors but heard a gun cock behind her head and didn’t try anything. “Sit,” Gabe commanded.
She turned around and sat on the edge of the bed.
Her mysterious hostess stood in front of her. “I might be willing to find you some coffee and eggs. But first I want to know, where is Charlie Allen?”
Jordan sighed. “In all honesty, I don’t know.”
The woman nodded to Gabe.
He backhanded Jordan across the face.
Reeling, she sprawled across the mattress. It took a moment before she mustered the strength to drag herself back up.
The woman smiled. “Where did you say Charlie Allen is?”
Jordan gritted her teeth. “I was telling the truth. He ran off. We came looking for him.”
“You were in Kansas?”
She worked her jaw from side to side. It didn’t feel broken. Yet. Risking more wrath, she didn’t answer.
The woman nodded to Gabe again.
He came at Jordan from the other side with a right hook. It felt like she’d slammed her head into a concrete block. She fell back and blacked out from the pain.
Her eyes popped open. She thought about remaining prone on the bed, but decided nothing good could happen in that position. She dragged herself up again. Her face was on fire. She couldn’t imagine how boxers handled the pain.
Her captor nuzzled the dog again before smiling at Jordan. “So, you came here from Kansas?”
They had her ID. She wasn’t telling them anything new. “Yes,” she mumbled through rapidly swelling cheeks.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” The woman headed to the door. “We’ll take this slow if we have to. We’ve got some time. Meanwhile, you’ll remain here as our guest. Gabe will bring you meals and attend to your needs. Quid pro quo, you can, in return, attend to his needs. If at any point you decide to come clean and give me the information I’m seeking, then this will all be over. Until then, Gabe, tie her up again, and get her some breakfast. After that, she’s all yours. Just try not to make too much of a mess.” She smiled at him and walked out.
* * *
Los Angeles, California
Nick was tired of sitting in the car and almost as tired of answering the police officer’s questions. Tricky business dealing with cops, because so much of what Witsec did was classified and top secret. He could only tell the officer so much, and as per his usual experience, cops loved it when marshals were less than forthcoming.
“Tell me again why you and Marshal Burke were here to begin with?” Officer Jarrett sat in the passenger seat of the Expedition taking notes. He looked about twelve to Nick’s jaded ey
e, with curly blond hair and a kid’s facial features. If attitude counted for anything, he could definitely match Nick in a pissing contest.
Nick sighed. “You understand why we have to be cautious with information. My chief spoke with your captain about this.”
The cop looked at him. “You have to understand, you call us with some crazy story and when we get here you’re very sketchy with details. Makes it hard for us to do our job.”
“You know what? Believe me, don’t believe me, I don’t care. All I can tell you is that I didn’t conk myself over the head. I’ve got some people from the Marshal’s service flying in to assist me and we’ll handle it. I was told to make a report and I did that. If you need to leave I’ll understand.” He spoke with his eyes trained on the storage unit, the same place he’d been looking for hours on end.
Finally, there was movement, and this time it looked promising. Another hooded man, this one was stocky and hadn’t done a good job of tucking in his red hair. Charlie.
Nick sighed. Finally. He glanced at Jarrett. “I’ve got to go talk to this guy.”
The officer looked toward the facility. “Is that the person you’ve been looking for who you can’t tell me about?”
“Maybe.” Nick placed one hand on the door.
“So tell me this, could you use some help apprehending him, or do you and your people have it under control?”
Nick glanced at him. Jarrett seemed to be extending an olive branch, and considering ‘his people’ hadn’t arrived yet, he could use the help. “The problem is not so much apprehending him, but making sure he stays alive while I attempt to put him in the car.”
“Want some help with that? I can have backup here in minutes.”
He smiled. “Yes, I’d appreciate that. He needs to get something from inside the unit and I know I can’t watch from all sides at the same time. As evidenced by my partner now being MIA.” He watched Charlie unfasten the padlock.