She jumped slightly when the door opened, eyes shooting up to find Eli’s smile; “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s ok; I’m a bit jumpy. Look what I found,” she held the rack of cards out to him. “I think we should make copies of these as well.”
“Oh wow, yes definitely. Here’s Doug’s file if you want to go through it, and I’ll be back with the next one.”
The pair worked their way through what turned out to be seven folders, as well as the Rolodex. Placing all of their copies into a large envelope, Tori zipped it up inside her jacket so that it would be less noticeable when they left. Eli placed the files back into the drawer as he had found them, and they closed the door behind them.
Ten minutes later, they were back inside the car, relieved that the security guard had been too busy pressing buttons on his device to even look up when they passed in front of his counter. “He isn’t worth much,” Eli commented once they were outside of the building.
“Thank God for that,” Tori grinned at the man beside her. “I think we got some good information though. I can’t wait to see what Geek can come up with on the phone numbers.”
“He knows how to track people, and use the GPS system?” Eli inquired as he started the engine.
“Yes, he does, and how to get personal information,” she replied into the darkness. “You know about that stuff?”
“Of course,” he replied with a soft laugh, “A very useful tool in my line of work.” He hesitated, drawing a deep breath before diving in, “I guess Enrique probably told you about some of my more… unfortunate choices.”
“You mean the fact that you sent him to kill Michael,” she bit her words, suppressing her anger. “I’ve tried not to think about that since all it does is piss me off.”
“Understandably so. However, I have to admit, that was back when I was still under the delusion that you and I could have had a future together,” he adjusted his grip on the wheel. “I really am sorry, as well as glad he didn’t carry out my plan. I know Mike is very good for you.”
Tori’s jaw dropped, surprised that he would think so. “Did Godfry tell you to do that? I thought he was in charge.”
“He is,” Eli shrugged. “He set up the committee and delegated the jobs to us. You were my job. While you were in the hospital, it was my responsibility to make you comfortable and draw out what you knew. Then, after you were moved to LA, my focus was shifted. Enrique was the foothold we were going to use to get to the Scorpions, but it didn’t work.”
“He didn’t cooperate,” she concluded for him.
“No, and no amount of persuasion that I was able to give him helped. I only asked him to kill your husband out of jealousy. I truly am sorry,” his eyes flicked over at her, then back to the road. “One of the files we copied tonight was part of my research as well. Some things that Godfry had me looking for. I had no idea at the time, but as I was making the copies, I think I figured out why.”
Tori frowned, “I guess you can tell me about it when we get to the cabin, so that everyone else can hear, too. I wanted to talk to you about something personal while we have the chance.”
She could hear his exaggerated inhale across the dark interior. Swinging her gaze to look out the glass to her right, she noted they were already on the outside edges of town, and she would have to hurry if she were going to have her say.
“I need to apologize to you,” she kept her focus on the dried greenery flashing by in the shadows. “I shouldn’t have pushed you to have sex with me. I should have known better.”
“How would you have known better?” he demanded. “You know, I realize you want to talk about this, but there really isn’t much to say. You grew up in a very different world. You didn’t understand, and you’re not the one that is to blame. I am.”
She chewed the inside of her cheek, not wanting to argue with him as he went on.
“I want you to have a happy life, Tori. I would have loved, and on some levels would still like, for you to be my girl. But you’re not. You’re not even close, and after being reunited as we have been…” he paused, shifting in his seat as they made the last turn, “It would never have been right. I have very strong feelings for you, but there’s no real foundation for them. For us. We have very different lives; we are very different people. And no amount of wishful thinking is ever going to change that.” He reached up, shutting off the engine, allowing his hands to fold into his lap.
“I appreciate what you did for me. Then, and now,” she managed quietly. She still did not look at him, her sadness engulfing her, causing her to feel weary. Grabbing the knob, she felt the sudden urge to breathe fresh air as if she were suffocating inside the cramped space. She wasn’t sure what she had expected him to say, or where she thought the conversation would lead, but that certainly wasn’t it, and all she wanted to do at the moment was to get away.
Devil’s Advocate
Tori entered the cabin to discover the group had taken her advice, at least in part. Pulling the envelope out of her jacket, she laid it on the counter, turning to look over their map. “So, what’re the markings?” she pondered aloud.
“We opened up all of the electronic files and began laying out the focal points of the documents if there were any.” Geek took over the briefing, grabbing his computer to show her the screen, “And we needed some confirmation on a few of the details from you. Oh, and I wanted you to explain this to me.” He lay a page on the table; a large daisy drawn in the center of it.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, smiling to see that Eli had joined them, “You remember the first time I showed you this?”
“Yes, very vividly,” he replied. “You also shared it with the committee. What’s it doing here?”
“There was a description of it in some of the documents we were able to access, as well as your reports from the hospital when you were visiting her,” Mason supplied.
Tori reached for the page, her gaze fluttering nervously at Brett for a moment, “I divulged a bit more than I implied. But I guess you’ve already figured that out.”
“Yeah, baby girl.” He pulled his arms across his chest, refusing to come down on her. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is hope that we can get t’ th’ source.”
“The source,” she repeated, her voice sounding distant, her finger tracing the ring that made up the center of the flower. “It occurs to me, I have no idea who the source really is. Do you?” she caught his green eyes.
“I have a few names that I’ve heard over the years, but nothin’ concrete. Tha’s part o’ what made Th’ Organization work. Secrecy, with only th’ most vital connections knowin’ all th’ details.” He indicated the page, “Please, tell us about this.”
Smiling shyly, she proceeded to give them her explanation of how all of the parts were aligned.
Finishing a few minutes later, she exhaled loudly. “I have no idea how many of these ‘protector’ groups are out there. I had heard of the Spiders when I rode with the Dragons, but had never seen them. I guess in a way, I had hoped they weren’t real. I guess we’ll be lucky if there aren’t any more.”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Brett supplied readily. “But that don’t mean that there’s not. If there wasn’t any need for me t’ know about ‘em, then I woulda been kept in th’ dark; that’s th’ way o’ Th’ Organization.”
“Right. So they are high on our list of targets. But we need to be clear of the next step before we do anything about them, even if we could locate them at the present. What names did you come up with, as far as the leadership? Who’s in charge?” she peered at Brett, then shifted to Mason, hoping one of them had a clue.
“My best guess,” the federal agent supplied, “Would be these two guys.” Laying another piece of paper on the table, she could see the picture of two very young men.
“Wow, those guys aren’t near old enough, I don’t think,” she conceded.
“Oh, they’re old enough. Those pictures are more than 30 ye
ars old. And we’ve been searching… haven’t been able to locate any newer ones of them, anywhere, since,” he indicated Geek and his handy devices as he spoke.
“Are you sure they’re still alive? Maybe they’re dead. Maybe that’s why there’s nothing of them,” she played the devil’s advocate.
“No, there are a few other records that indicate they’re still breathing. They’re very particular about hiding, that’s all. They’re siblings, sons of an old school drug lord who was shot down about the time that those two pictures were taken,” he tapped the faces for emphasis.
“Oh wow, they learned from a master, then perfected the whole operation,” she breathed.
“We think the same thing. This,” he touched the older of the two, “Is Pablo Contreras, and this is his younger brother, Saul Martin Contreras.”
She lifted the page, staring at their dark eyes. “I have an idea.” She twirled around, reaching for their package and pulling out the files, “We made a copy of Godfry’s Rolodex.”
“You really thinks they’re gonna be in there?” Enrique scoffed.
“No, I think they are not going to be in there. Here,” she handed out the other files that were clipped in groups according to their original folders, “Flip through and see what names you find. See if you find these two, or anyone else that looks interesting.” Turning the pages to the cards, she found nothing close to either of the two men. “Not here, that’s a good sign.”
“I don’t understand why that’s a good sign. You’re not making any sense, and we’ve been working on this for hours,” Mason’s voice was strained, his fatigue glaringly obvious.
“I realize that, but we have to move fast. They’re going to shut you two out of the system at any moment, so we have to get what we can before that happens. Did anyone else find anything?” she addressed the group of searchers, accepting the pages from them.
“Look, Tori; the key here is, we need to stay focused. I agree that these two are important, but I think it’s too early to go digging through everything we have, trying to make it fit them,” Mason blurted out.
Tori was flipping through what she had been presented, only half listening to him, repeating his words in an offhand manner, “The key here is,” the key here is… Her mind froze, her eyes shooting up to stare at him, “The key,” she breathed barely above a whisper. Son of a bitch, I forgot about the key.
“What key?” he demanded, unable to control his displeasure any longer, “I told you, you’re not making any sense!”
“Hey,” Michael cut in, “It’s after midnight, and I think we’re all getting tired, and a little bit cranky here. Let’s turn in and get some sleep, start fresh in the morning.”
Tori lay the pages on the table, her exhaustion catching up to her the instant she thought about going to bed, “Actually, I think that’s a very good idea. Maybe I’ll make more sense in the morning.” She smiled up at the tallest man in their group, reaching over to squeeze his arm, “Thank you for pulling out all of this information, and don’t worry. We’ll go through all of it, not just picking out the parts that support my theories.”
Turning to make her way down the hall, she called over her shoulder, “I guess everyone knows where they’re going to crash?” a yawn trailing at the end.
“Yes, ma’am,” Michael replied playfully. “We’ve got it all lined out,” closing the door behind them.
Risky Business
“We’ve got a problem,” Eli blurted out, bursting through the door of the cabin the following morning.
Tori turned, holding out her cup to avoid spilling her coffee while taking in his disheveled appearance. “Did you sleep in your car?” she demanded.
“Yes,” he supplied, “I always do. And I just got off the phone with Godfry. We touched something or left something out of place, so he knew someone had been there.”
Holding up her hand, she cut him off. “Relax, Eli. We knew going to his office was risky business. Take a deep breath, and then you can tell me the rest,” she finished, lifting her mug to her lips.
“Alright,” he exhaled loudly, “After he had realized someone had been in his office, he went down to security, had them pull up the video surveillance of the entrance. He knows I was there and that I took you with me. It’s a good thing you hid the copies, or he would know we have those as well. Long story short, Mason and I are out. We will be arrested on sight, for obstruction of justice.”
Tori leaned on the counter, considering the situation. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?” he scowled, “What good does that do?” he questioned, presenting the device.
Opening it, she dialed the number of his last incoming call, noting the time, and that he had, in fact, come straight in afterwards. Listening for the ring, she waited, then asked the crisp voice that answered the line, “Can I speak to Jim Godfry, please? Yes, I can hold.”
The group of men around her stood waiting to see what she was up to. A moment later, he was on the other end, “Hi, Jim; this is Tori.” Her warm greeting was met with silence, “Yes, I’m sure you’re pretty stunned to hear from me. I have a proposition for you, and we need to meet in private to discuss it.”
“A proposition,” he stammered. “Now? After all this time, you’re ready to do the right thing?”
She could hear the anger in his voice but didn’t bite. “I’m ready to do what I have to do, Jim. Like always. When and where can we meet?” Picking up a pencil, she jotted down the address and time. “See, that wasn’t so hard. I’ll see you then.”
“What the hell did you do that for?” Mason demanded.
“I thought you were going to be less cranky,” Tori implored. “You know, after a good night’s sleep.”
“And I thought you were going to make more sense,” he countered evenly.
“I am making sense. Finish your breakfast. We have a lot of work to do this morning before I can meet with Godfry after lunch.” She kept her tone even as she placed her empty cup in the sink, heading to the bathroom for a private shower, and in case she needed to vomit.
Returning to the kitchen close to an hour later, she had taken the time to cover her scar with her makeup. Michael watched her, having heard her spasms as, unfortunately, everyone else had as well. “You still look tired, baby girl,” he commented in a low voice.
“I know,” she confessed. “I need more sleep, but getting down to business is more important.” Moving over to the map, she began to break down the necessities, “We need to go through the files we got from Godfry’s private stash. We take those, and we compare them to the official documents, looking for discrepancies.”
“I’ll buy that,” Brett agreed. “Whatever’s different is probably important.”
“I’d like to show you what I gave him as well, if you don’t mind,” Eli looked nervous. “I wanted to tell you last night, but you said to wait until everyone could hear.”
“Alright, show us then,” Tori turned her gaze to him.
Lifting the packets, he located the one he needed. “I was told to gather information about some disappearances; young women who have disappeared from a four-hundred square mile geographic location, over a period of about twenty-five years.”
“These are some pictures of the young women, all between the ages of fifteen and nineteen.”
Michael reached over, fanning the pages, his fingers moving quickly at first, then more slowly. Watching him pull out one in particular, Eli continued, “You see the resemblance?”
“Yes, actually I do. What the hell does this have to do with anything, though?” the crystal blue eyes staring at him from the sheet put him on edge. Looking up at his wife, he asked quietly, “Have you seen these?”
Taking what he offered, she shrugged, “I glanced through them, but I wasn’t sure what it was about. I thought maybe it was from when they were trying to identify me.”
“We never tried to identify you,” Eli stated flatly.
Tori could feel the air hang in her lungs,
“I suspected you didn’t. That’s why you hid my age, so that you could own me. So what does this group of girls mean, then?”
“They’re victims,” he supplied in a low voice. “All taken, none ever found. Ever. And they all look alike,” he hesitated slightly, “They all look like you.”
“What do you means, ‘looks like’ her,” Enrique demanded, snatching up one of the photos, and then another. Pouring through the stack, a horrified expression crossed his face, “Fuck me, baby girl, they do alls look like you.”
“Ok, Eli,” she touched a few of the sheets. “You have my attention. What does it mean? Why did Godfry care about this?”
“I don’t know why, he didn’t tell me that. Maybe you can ask him when you see him. What I do know, is that I think it’s important. Very important. There are almost fifty of them; fifty girls in twenty-five years. And no one has ever been arrested, and no connections made. No real investigation into their disappearances collectively that I could find, either; until Godfry asked me to look into them; discretely.”
“Wow,” the girl breathed. “That’s hot. Ok, we set this on the back burner, and move on, and if it’s really significant, I’m sure we’ll find some other pieces to the puzzle that connect to it.”
Brett nodded, sliding his hand over the copies, “We could, but I don’ think we’ll have t’ wait long. I’m sure this’s something t’ do with how an’ why Eddie Farrell chose you.”
“How do you figure?” the girl frowned.
“Well,” he lay the page he was holding back on the stack, “If you recall, I tol’ you he spent almost a year lookin’ for the right girl. I always assumed he chose you for your intellect an’ your abilities. This makes me think different; he may’ve also been searching for certain physical characteristics.”
A New Life Series - Finisher Set Page 55