“You take risks?” Kreed asked. The question pulled Aaron from his lewd thoughts and made him laugh. If the guy only knew what he’d been thinking.
“What kind of question is that?” Aaron took another step backward. His risk-taking fell somewhere in the range of masking false IP addresses to conceal his identity and playing Russian roulette with the leftover Chinese takeout in his fridge, and generally never entered the there’s-a-bomb-on-the-bus arena.
“I don’t see anything askew. Wanna get in while I start it up?” Kreed’s smirk gave away his teasing test of Aaron’s boundaries.
“Are we gonna go through this every time we get inside the car?” Aaron chose not to answer Kreed’s question. At the moment, he truly wasn’t certain if he were getting inside.
“Pretty much. I’ll have equipment tomorrow to test this car, but we need to be cautious,” Kreed answered, making eye contact. Aaron didn’t immediately move. Kreed gave him another smirk as he rounded the hood and opened the driver’s side door, easily reading his hesitation. “I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
Kreed reached inside the car, and Aaron heard the hood latch release. He glanced in that direction as Kreed stepped to the front of the car and opened the hood. He used the flashlight on his cellphone to check the engine.
“Look all right?” Aaron asked, still several feet away.
“Best I can see,” Kreed mumbled from under the hood.
“What’s your gut say?” Aaron asked.
“We’re safe,” Kreed answered immediately.
“Oh, well then…” Aaron went for the car. Kreed slammed the hood shut as Aaron closed his door. Honestly, he was still a little freaked out with Kreed’s inspection. Out of all the consideration he’d given about this job, it had never occurred to him something like that was needed so early in the game. Aaron read and heard enough that, in theory, he was quite comfortable trusting Kreed’s skills as well as his instincts.
“You do know that gut thing everybody says about me is a fallacy, right?” Aaron looked up, startled, and Kreed laughed as he closed his door and stuck the key in the ignition. “You can get out now.”
“Just start the car,” Aaron said, pulling on his seat belt and buckling himself in place. Kreed didn’t hesitate; he immediately turned the key. The car started without a problem. Kreed was clearly messing with him, trying to get a rise out of him, evidently.
“You did all this on purpose,” Aaron said as they started to back out. Kreed laughed under his breath, clearly tickled with himself as he backed out onto the street then put the car in drive.
“Only a little on purpose. We need to get in the habit. Besides, with this case, we don’t know anything with certainty. They proved they don’t have a problem bringing this right to our feet,” Kreed justified.
“Okay, be honest, you aren’t questioning anyone on the inside of the justice department, are you? I mean, anyone who’s in our immediate circle,” Aaron clarified. He looked over at Kreed, who kept his eyes on the road in front of him, but tilted his head a little to the side as if truly thinking over the question.
“I don’t know. I don’t think you’re rogue. I don’t think anyone in that house we just left is, and I’m certain Skinner’s not. He wouldn’t have ever hired me or Knox or a quarter of his staff if sexual orientation mattered. Outside of that, well…I’m giving Connors and Brown a free pass. I’m not sensing it in them,” Kreed added.
“So you do go by gut?” Aaron asked. For some reason, Kreed checking their vehicle made the danger all too real for him.
“I do, but it doesn’t replace logic, and Connors doesn’t fit the type. And Brown? Well, he’s like Anne. He jumped in to help. He’s put in long hours, working right alongside everyone else. I don’t see it with him,” Kreed said, making a turn, before guiding the car onto the interstate.
“You know where we’re going?” Aaron asked.
“Enough to get us in the general area,” Kreed answered in that calm, cool, and collected way he had about him. Outside of that brief exchange in the front lobby of the FBI building, it sure didn’t seem like anything got to the guy. He needed to take a page from Kreed’s book. It would probably help him get through the next few days.
“Okay, wake me up when we get there.” Aaron lowered the seat and reached for his headphones. He was tired. All that nervousness of a few minutes ago seemed to reiterate just how little sleep he’d had over the last few days. Besides that, Kreed smelled too good, and the deep, rich sound of his voice seemed to speak directly to his soul. Aaron reclined his seat and put the earphones in then closed his eyes.
Chapter 12
“Cement Capital of Texas,” Aaron read a sign in downtown Midlothian as the headlights skimmed across the reflective etchings. “No way. Did that sign really just brag about dumping all those pollutants in the air?”
“Looks like it. There’s not much here,” Kreed said, following Ninth Street. The roads were barren, and as they passed the small downtown area, Kreed read the signs of the few businesses sprinkled along the route. “We got Chinese food, a bridal shop, a flower shop—they go hand in hand. Wonder what they thought about same sex marriage. We got a Mexican food restaurant, a title company, and a burger joint.” As they came to a stoplight, Kreed stopped then looked all around. “Wait, was that it? That’s downtown?”
“Looks that way." Aaron leaned forward, searching for something more. Thank God he didn’t live here. He turned his head to the right. A small restaurant, a donut shop, and a single stoplight were the only signs of civilization in that direction. Wow, talk about small towns. If you blinked, you’d miss the damn thing. Aaron focused his attention to the left. “Besides that Italian place and the donut shop, I see a Sonic, I think, and that’s about all they’ve got.”
“What time is it?” Kreed asked.
“It’s early still, just after ten,” Aaron answered with a glance at the dash and finally sat back in his seat. What kind of place had they landed in? All the way there, they’d passed cities full of progress. Hell, not five minutes up the highway, they had a shopping mall and more restaurants than he could count then this… It almost appeared like the community didn’t want to grow. Trying for anything that would help him understand, Aaron finally said, “Maybe the town closed early because it’s cold.”
“It’s not that cold,” Kreed said sarcastically. Clearly, he was on the same wave length as Aaron.
The light turned green, and Kreed took the turn as the GPS instructed and got in the right-hand lane to turn again. In the distance, the dimmed sign of a closed CVS Pharmacy caught Aaron’s attention, making him feel a little better that at least one chain store had made its way inside the town. He picked up his cellphone and searched the info on Midlothian, Texas.
“I’m feeling very Back to the Future here, like we warped back to the seventies. Hell, even Pineville, Louisiana, has more going on than this place,” Kreed said.
“Well, you don’t wanna go too far back in time. The town has a bad history. Back in the eighty’s some kids discovered the identity of an undercover cop at the local high school. They took him to a field and shot him—over a supposed drug deal. That’s terrible,” Aaron said, reading from his phone.
“Huh,” Kreed muttered.
And as much as he hated it, small towns sometimes held the most appalling secrets.
“Yeah, the town’s stats don’t look so good. Bet there are quite a few hidden secrets,” Aaron said, swiping his finger across the screen as Kreed hit another red light, this one with a set of train tracks twenty feet ahead. The crossing signal lit up as they came to a full stop, the safety gate lowering into position. They were the only ones on the road, and both Kreed and Aaron looked one way then the other down the dark tracks, no hint of light to show an oncoming locomotive.
“I saw this once on an episode of the X-Files,” Aaron said, after a few seconds of nothing but the flashing red lights of the track sign illuminating their car.
�
�Yeah? What happened?” Kreed asked, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, still looking one direction then the other for anything that might be coming their way.
“The track was really alerting them of a UFO above them.” Aaron reached over and pressed the button, rolling down his window. He stuck his head out and looked up, searching for anything that might be hovering above them. Feeling reasonably secure nothing lurked outside—or maybe it was merely the cold air pushing him back inside the warm vehicle—Aaron sat back in his seat, raising the window. Kreed grunted and kept up the tapping on the steering wheel.
“The town in that episode was almost identical to this one. Real country, not much going on. But we don’t have to worry. I don’t see any kind of extraterrestrial ship trying to beam us up,” he added dryly, his eyes still focused up in the sky through the passenger window as he tried to see as much as he could with the window up. Almost as if he had given an all clear, the crossing signal stopped flashing and the gate lifted. Nothing had crossed in front of them.
“Didn’t Mulder and Scully work for the FBI? Connors would have a field day with someone like them,” Aaron commented as Kreed continued on and took a right at the next road.
“High school’s down there, I think.” Kreed pointed straight ahead. In all the darkness, no matter how hard he tried, Aaron couldn’t see a thing. Kreed spoke, drawing Aaron’s attention the other direction. “Does that sign say Midtowne Senior Citizen Community?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Out of nowhere, a neighborhood began with row after row of small, quaint houses. Across the street from there was an extensive set of apartments with another senior community sign in front.
“So we’re close.” Kreed took the left and drove around the curve to see the only street lights in the area shining down on a massive, sprawling mega church that easily took up acres and acres of land.
“Damn!” Aaron muttered at just the sheer size of the place.
“Pretty much my thoughts.” Kreed slowed, glancing over at the church before GPS sounded off again telling him to make another right turn.
Aaron quickly searched out info on the church. “It’s got a water park, aquarium, convention center, and meeting rooms,” Aaron said, reading from his phone again.
“You’re fast at getting information out of that thing,” Kreed said, giving a quick glance in Aaron’s direction.
“It’s because I use my thumbs.” Aaron waggled his thumbs to prove his point. “You text and work the internet with your forefinger. Makes it slower,” he explained, typing again to bring up the church’s floorplan.
“Those must be the townhomes we’ll be staying in,” Kreed said, and Aaron looked up to see that same community style housing from before, now with a long row of attached houses, all perfectly neat and well cared for.
“It looks like that’s the entrance of the business office.” Aaron pointed to his left as Kreed kept his eyes on the right side of the road until he stopped at a home directly across from the church’s office entrance.
“Skinner outdid himself,” Kreed said as he took in his surroundings. “You need to know, I never doubted my ability to get to you if something went down, but being right here— Yeah, this is perfect.”
“Well, that’s reassuring…” Aaron quipped, sarcastically. Kreed might not have doubted himself, but Aaron doubted everything. He’d never planned to put himself in harm’s way long enough for Kreed to have to pull a Superman and come save the day. When Kreed started rolling forward again, Aaron looked down the street. “There’s an alley.”
Kreed drove the length of the street to the entrance of an alley, before looping back around and driving down that dark, small road. He pushed the remote control he’d pulled from the manila envelope, guiding them to the correct garage door. Kreed carefully drove inside and parked the car. He turned off the ignition and reached out to hold Aaron’s arm, keeping him from getting out until the overhead door closed again.
“You live here alone, remember. You wouldn’t be getting out of the car on that side,” Kreed said, letting Aaron’s arm go as the last churn of the gears in the overhead garage door unit ceased. Kreed tapped a finger at his temple, looking over at Aaron. “Mental mind-set, like checking the car. You’re undercover now.”
“So, like Mitch said, you won’t really go anywhere until this is done?” Aaron asked. Kreed pushed another button on the remote, plunging the lit garage into darkness.
“If I do, you drive and I stay tucked in the back,” he answered, reaching for the manila envelope again. He opened the package, letting the remaining contents drop into the palm of his hand. There was a small note, about the size of a business card, attached to a single key. Kreed lifted his phone, using the light to read the instructions. After another minute, Kreed finally got out and headed toward a backdoor. Aaron wasn’t entirely sure if he should follow or stay put, so he did both. He opened his door, stuck a foot out, but stayed seated.
A loud beeping started. Kreed stood as a silhouette at the door. He looked like he was punching a finger into a keypad. The alarm stopped beeping, but Kreed continued to work the keypad. After a few seconds more, Aaron finally got the nerve to get out and stand close by.
“What are you doing?” Aaron asked, watching the long series of numbers and codes being entered into the box.
“I’m connecting this to the bureau. They’ll monitor the activity around the house. Remember that senior citizen communities mean that the older adult isn’t always working, and they usually don’t mind peeping around, poking their nose in your business. I’ve got to stay hidden at all times. This will help the bureau see who’s getting too close to the exterior of the house,” Kreed said as they stepped inside the doorway.
Aaron nodded and looked around from where he stood. “It’s not a terrible place. Small, but not terrible. Kind of nice.” Kreed left him standing there and went to the trunk of the car. He came back with a small device in his hand, edging past Aaron before going deeper inside the house. “So people really live here?”
“Yes. It’s really a couple traveling abroad. I’m guessing there are Justice Department eyes in here watching us, but I’m not sure. Usually they leave the bathrooms free of surveillance. Maybe the bedroom for some privacy.” Kreed pulled out his device and began scanning parts of every room. Aaron followed for a while but got bored and just stayed in the hallway, waiting for Kreed to finish. It didn’t take long. “I’m not detecting any inside cameras, but all the security keypads can become monitors and recording devices if needed, so keep that in mind.”
Kreed finally turned on the hall light, before going back to one of the bedrooms. Aaron followed to find a small study with a sofa and a desk. “I think this is the best angle for a full view of the church. I’ll set up in here.”
As Kreed worked, Aaron walked around to get a closer look at the rest of the house. The home was rather small, perfect for two people and very comfortable. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were essentially one room but had tall ceilings which made it feel a bit more open. The entryway had a half wall that partially blocked the front door from his view. Feeling apprehensive about his new surroundings, Aaron peeked around the corner. There were several large boxes stacked inside. Kreed came up behind him, startling the shit out of him, and walked around the partial wall to pick up a box.
“What’s that stuff?” Aaron followed Kreed into the kitchen.
“Probably the surveillance equipment. Your wires, shit like that. I asked for a computer for you. I don’t know if they approved that request, but you know, the standard stuff. Grab another box. Let’s get it opened. We need to do an inventory.” Kreed placed the box he held on the kitchen table, before going back for another. When all three were there, Kreed pulled out his pocket knife and cut through the tape to open each one.
“How’d you get involved in this side of things? I thought the marshals just arrested people,” Aaron asked, cocking his head to get a better view as Kreed moved packing peanuts
around until he found two large metal briefcases in one box. He pulled each one out.
“Generally, that’s all we do. Knox and I are special teams. That usually means we go after the super bad guys, but sometimes we do things like this. Knox got to stay on the case because he’d found all these connections and it had been a senator’s kid who’d gotten hurt. Then with Cody’s deal…” Kreed said distractedly, lifting the locks on the metal case. “They don’t take kindly to having law enforcement shot at, so they’re better to stick with the original team as best they can—better continuity for the case. Can you grab the other box?”
“Sure,” Aaron said, but didn’t move, as he peered over Kreed’s shoulder at the contents of the case. “They aren’t playing, are they?”
This case held a barrage of weapons. Everything from Glock 9mms, M1911 pistols to an M4 carbine with all the scopes, and the guys at the FBI had even thrown in flash-bang stun grenades, Halligan tools, flexi-cuffs, and all sorts of other tactical accessories. He recognized most of these weapons thanks to his hours of playing Call of Duty.
“Nah, they don’t normally mess around. The government’s stance is to make sure we have what it takes to bring us home alive. From where I’m standing, I can’t say that’s a bad thing.”
Kreed closed the lid, buckling the case, before opening the other one.
“I’m surprised we’re here alone then,” Aaron said, watching him work. This briefcase was filled with about the same. Kreed closed that lid, put one on top of the other and moved them to the kitchen counter before scooting the few loose peanuts that fell out of the box back inside.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 84