InTooDeep

by Rachel Carrington

  The sobs breaking from her body stabbed Hunt in the heart. He’d never heard a woman in so much pain. He wanted to reach out to her, take her in his arms and promise her everything would be all right. But it would only be a lie. He could give her nothing, not even the knowledge that her sister was still alive.

  Raw memories tormented him while Carley sobbed in the background. Vivid images of another woman’s dead body, a woman they’d tried to save, rolled through his mind like a horror reel. All it had taken was one wrong move by a green agent, something that to the ordinary eye would appear innocuous. But Franklin or whoever was behind the trafficking had gotten nervous and they’d sliced the woman’s throat, leaving her to die on the side of the road like a piece of garbage.

  “Do you know how many women they’ve taken?” Carley’s voice, still thick with tears, reached through his wall of pain. She dropped to the floor and drew her knees to her chest.

  “No. There’s no way to know. Some of these women really didn’t have families so no one has reported them missing.” But all the FBI intel placed the number somewhere near thirty in at least three states across the eastern seaboard. Now Dani was one of those numbers.

  She gazed at him dully. “And some are like me. Their families are criminal so they won’t dare report their disappearance to the police.”

  “That’s true.”

  Her head drooped. “If you know your lieutenant is involved, why haven’t you arrested him?”

  Here came the part she wasn’t going to want to hear. “Because more lives are at stake. If we arrest Franklin now we run the risk of never finding any of those women he’s taken. He isn’t in this alone and we don’t have enough evidence to take down the others involved.”

  “You could bring him in, sweat him, try to get him to give up the others involved.”

  “With what? We have no leverage, nothing on tape, no tangible evidence that directly ties him to the kidnappings. Do you really think he’s going to give us anything when he’s got more at stake than just his career?”

  “If you have nothing on him, why do you suspect him? What is this tip that brought you to Charleston?”

  “I said nothing tangible, but he was the last person to see one of the women who did have a family. When he was questioned about it his alibi was tight…too tight, almost rehearsed. Ever since then we’ve been trying to get more information on him, but other than some pretty hefty bank deposits there’s nothing to tie him to these kidnappings, and he’s been fastidiously careful ever since.”

  “But you believe he’s involved?”

  He’d never believed otherwise. Even though he didn’t have any evidence against Franklin, Hunt knew a dirty cop when he saw one. All the furtive glances, the secretive phone calls and the constant working behind closed doors pointed to far more than just Franklin’s duty to his job.

  Realizing Carley was still waiting for his response, Hunt nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

  She sat on the arm of the sofa, close enough for him to catch the scent of her perfume. “So how much longer is he going to be a free man?”

  He couldn’t blame her for the bitterness in her voice. Didn’t doubt he’d feel the same if their roles were reversed. “As long as it takes to make sure we have a prosecutable case and we find as many of these women as possible.”

  “Do you think my sister is still alive?” The question was barely above a whisper.

  Hunt debated on the truth or a hedge. He turned to face her and the almost desperate look in Carley’s eyes made the choice for him. “To my knowledge, they prefer to keep the women alive.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  He sighed and rubbed both hands over his face before dropping them back down to his sides. “My team proceeds as normal. We have to keep up appearances. Right now we’re surveilling Franklin, hoping he’ll lead us to something.”

  “He’s so good you’ve got nothing on him though, right?” Every acidic word intensified Hunt’s own frustration. “How do you even know he’s the right person then? I mean, he could actually be telling the truth, couldn’t he? It’s entirely possible that both my source and the FBI are wrong.” She gave a vicious laugh then shook her head. “The killer’s going to get away with this.”

  Hunt gripped her arm. “No, he’s not. He’s been identified, Carley.”

  She blinked at him. “I know, as the last man to be seen with one of the victims. It means nothing according to you.”

  He blew out a breath, threw what caution he had left to the wind and added, “But one of the victims managed to escape about a month and a half ago. She gave us a description, told us he was a cop.”

  Carley jumped to her feet. “Why can’t she testify against Franklin then? Surely that’s a strong enough case. I mean if she—”

  “She’s dead,” Hunt interrupted before Carley’s tangent could intensify, rising to stand in front of her. “She was shot during the escape, hung on long enough to give us a description. Then died twenty minutes afterward.”

  The information seemed to suck all the life out of Carley and she sank back down against the wall. “So all you have is a dead woman’s word.”

  “It solidified what we already know, and that’s that Franklin’s going to make a wrong move. We don’t believe he’s been involved in this that long because he’s still too careful. He’s not getting his hands dirty but he’s definitely in. Now that we know the identity of one of the victims, it increases the likelihood of us finding them. Every bit of information we discover helps us.”

  “Helps you what? Watch them get away with this? Well the FBI might be content just watching but I can’t sit around and do nothing. I have to keep trying to find Dani.” Though her words held pure fury she didn’t get up, and Hunt figured all the external fight had gone out of her.

  She was exhausted, and the best thing for him to do now would be to leave her, give her time to absorb the information. And hope she listened to his next words.

  “No, you don’t. Getting involved in this could get you killed.”

  “So I’m supposed to do what exactly? Wait for my sister to be sold to the highest bidder?”

  “No, you’re supposed to let me do my job.” He walked to the door once more. “And by let, I mean stay out of the way, Carley.”

  She pushed herself to her feet, kept her back against the wall. “Are you going to tell your partner you found me?”

  “I don’t know yet. It’s something I have to think about. Until then, stay out of sight. I’ll be in touch.”

  He couldn’t stay any longer. He needed space to wrap his head around the situation he was in. With Carley’s sister in jeopardy he had a good lead, could possibly even track her through this Scott guy she was supposed to be dating. The only problem was he couldn’t reveal how he knew about her, not without involving Carley.

  “I know you need to leave.” Carley’s voice sounded wooden, as if all emotion had simply drained from her body.

  “Carley.” He waited until her gaze met his. “I’m going to find your sister.” As he made the promise, he had to wonder how in the hell he was going to pull off what might very well be a miracle.

  Chapter Six

  “We should have killed her. I should have killed her.” Franklin rubbed the back of his neck, pacing across the plush Oriental rug covering the wooden floors of his den. “It’s too risky to keep her alive.”

  “And it’s too expensive to kill her,” Rena snapped, a haze of cigarette smoke swirling around her head. “She will bring a solid price on the market, especially once our buyers know her family connection. I imagine we may be able to find some of Ben Morgan’s enemies who’d be willing to offer a tidy sum for her.”

  “I’m starting to feel some tension in the squad. Like someone’s watching me. Someone knows. Maybe you shouldn’t come here anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

  Rena waved a perfectly manicured hand. “Don’t you think you might be a little paranoid? With that passageway behind the library, an e
ntire army could get in without the men in blue finding out.”

  “But you’re using it too often. They might catch on.” The note of hysteria in his voice pissed him off. He was a decorated cop and he was shaking like he was about to face the electric chair.

  “How could they catch on, Frankie? The passageway opens up behind an old, deserted church. Trust me. No one is keeping watch on that abandoned place. Now,” she checked her watch, “I do have to run. I hope you can find some way to relax. Nervous men make mistakes. Granted, this was a fuck-up, but it’s going to turn out fine.”

  “And this woman’s sister? What about her? I called one of our overseas contacts. He knows this Carley woman. She’s supposed to be ten times better than her father. I don’t think she’s going to give up.”

  Eyes lighting with an inner spark that should have scared Franklin, Rena stabbed her cigarette out in a jade candy dish. “Maybe not, but perhaps we can work this to our advantage. I mean, it would be positively rude of us not to allow the sisters to see each other one last time, don’t you think?”

  “Great. You’re alive. So what’s the word on Carley Morgan? Did you find her?” Dave didn’t apologize for the lateness of the hour once Hunt had opened his front door. Instead he shouldered his way into the dimly lit foyer.

  “You look like hell.” Hunt played for time but it wasn’t a lie. With more than a day’s growth of stubble on his face, red-rimmed eyes and wrinkled clothes, Dave looked like he’d slept in a cigarette-filled bunker.

  “Funny. You don’t look any better and no one knows where you’ve been for the last three hours. You weren’t answering your cell or your radio and, being that I’m your partner, I’m sure you can understand why I’m here at,” he checked his watch, “one in the morning.”

  Dave circled him once then nodded. “Just had to see for myself that you’re still alive.”

  “Well now you saw. Can I get back to bed now? We can cover everything once the sun comes up.” Hunt scrubbed a hand over his eyes even though his head hadn’t touched a pillow yet.

  Making a rude noise, Dave stormed past him into the dark living room. “Hell no. I want answers. I deserve answers.”

  Hunt had been debating how much to share with his partner. He trusted Dave, had looked into the man’s background, his record, and if his partner was involved in this ring he had nothing to show for it. Dave wasn’t living above his means and he was as dedicated to his job as Hunt was to his.

  But the information he could pass along was limited, even though he’d already spilled most of it to Carley. Carley didn’t work for the police. She didn’t sit behind a desk under Franklin’s command every day so the likelihood of letting something slip was limited.

  Dave, on the other hand, loved to talk, but Hunt had to go with his gut on this one…at least partly anyway.

  “Okay, what the hell is going on? You’ve got this strange look on your face and I’m beginning to think you’re trying to figure out a lie to tell me.”

  Hunt let out a heavy breath and pointed to the sofa. “You’d better sit down. I’m going to put some coffee on because this is going to take some time.” He stopped on his way out of the room to switch on the overhead light. “I’m presuming you weren’t in any hurry to go home.”

  “No, I think what you’re about to tell me is infinitely more interesting than anything I could catch on the TV at this late hour.”

  Sliding beneath the silk sheets, Carley closed her eyes on a sigh. Staying alert was taxing but, as her father always said, the payoff was worth it in the end.

  Never let your guard down. His words rang over and over in her head. She’d lived by them from the moment she’d realized what her family was, what she would become. And once she’d chosen to follow in the footsteps of her family, she’d gotten the words tattooed in Latin on the small of her back—a permanent reminder that a thief who let their guard down was a thief captured.

  “I sure do wish you were here now, Pop,” she whispered in the darkness. Her father had always believed the justice system was flawed so he’d made it his business to give it an occasional kick in the ass when he could without exposing his identity.

  Ben Morgan would have known what to do the second he’d gotten the call from the kidnappers. There would have been no hesitation and, more than likely, once he’d found the men who’d taken Dani he’d have eliminated them. That’s just how things worked with their father. And for the first time in as long as she could remember, she would have supported his ways.

  Carley rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling. He’d shared more than just the tricks of his trade with her. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought he could trust the rest of his family, but Carley knew as well as he had that the family wouldn’t be as open-minded as she was.

  Ben would have never even considered telling Dani what he knew, the things he’d done, for she was always the straight shooter in the family—the abide-by-the-rules type who usually admitted what she’d done wrong long before the traffic cop even asked if she knew what she’d been doing.

  Dani had been her father’s moral compass, insisting he only use his skills to help the less fortunate, like some modern-day Robin Hood. Otherwise, in her mind, he was nothing more than a common criminal…which was exactly why Carley let Dani believe that her own work was legit. She’d seen the look of disappointment on Dani’s face one too many times when talking to their father, and she hadn’t wanted to disappoint her little sister.

  Carley rubbed her aching eyes, remembering the last conversation she’d had with Dani. They’d talked about Ben, how the two-year anniversary of his death was less than two weeks away. And Dani had told Carley how grateful she was that Carley had chosen not to follow Ben’s example, and Carley had allowed the lie to continue.

  How well had that sense of morality served Dani? If she had done what their father had asked, learned the necessary skills to protect herself, she might not be in this situation now.

  Carley cursed at herself. Blaming Dani made little sense. She’d chosen a different path in life, as was her right. She loved being a schoolteacher, talked about her kids all the time and, up until a few days ago, had little reason to worry about their father’s past.

  Now Carley had to wonder if the kidnappers’ knowledge was actually going to help her sister or hurt her. Would her captors go easier on her, knowing what they knew about Ben Morgan, about her?

  As of now Carley still didn’t know if Dani was dead, but she couldn’t give up. If Dani was alive she’d find her, but God help those bastards if she wasn’t.

  Carley had taken everything her father had taught her and added to it, gaining much more knowledge and skill over the years. She’d crossed so many lines she didn’t know the right ones from the wrong ones, but now it didn’t matter.

  When it came to her sister’s life there were no lines. She’d do what she had to do to save Dani, and for the first time in her life she was going to convince a cop to cross to the other side.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t bring her in.” Dave took a slurp of the now lukewarm coffee then held up one hand. “No, actually, I can. You weren’t thinking with your actual brain.”

  Hunt kicked his foot off the coffee table. “Smart-ass.”

  “So what are you going to tell the lieutenant?”

  The question tightened the muscles in the back of Hunt’s neck. He didn’t want to talk about Franklin. “I don’t know. Guess I’ll wing it.”

  “That’s the best you got?” Dave scooted forward to the edge of the sofa. “No, no, no. When duping your superiors, you have to have a game plan, preferably one that’s going to protect your ass as well as other vitally important body parts. And those of your partner, who has assisted you with the plan.”

  Hunt stared at him. “You’re telling me you’re going to help me lie to Franklin?”

  “No. I’m telling you I’m going to help you steer around the truth. Big difference.” He held up one bony finger. “Now, we know we need
to be able to use this information about Carley’s sister, and we need to make every effort to find her. So we have to have a plausible way to have discovered this information without the involvement of Carley herself.”

  “You’re stating the obvious.” But Hunt liked the way his partner’s brain was working.

  “I’m just getting started.” Dave tapped his chin with an equally bony finger. “If Franklin discovers Dani’s true identity he’s going to go on a witch hunt for Carley. Bagging a criminal like her will definitely polish his brass.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you’re such a fan of his after all,” Hunt noted, watching Dave’s expression. Though he’d kept out the main parts of the story, like Franklin’s suspected involvement and the undercover work, Hunt had revealed enough to expose Carley if Dave was in any way involved with Franklin and his crew.

  “Never said I was a fan. The guy’s got excellent creds but that doesn’t mean I like him. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, Carley’s sister.” He lifted his shoulders and let them fall. “Okay, I haven’t a clue what we’re going to do yet but we’ll figure something out. We’re reasonably intelligent guys.”

  Hunt massaged that spot between his brows that had started to ache. “Whatever is to be said about Franklin, he’s not stupid. So whatever lie this is had better be a damn good one.”

  “Well I always say that the only lie worth telling is a damn good one.” He stood, stretched and leaned forward to crack his back. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

  Hunt was already on his feet before he asked, “Where are we going?”

  “To the station. I just got an idea and I’ll fill you in on the way. Before this is over, my friend, you’re going to think I hung the moon.”

  “I doubt it, but it’s worth a shot.”

  Carley slipped into the house unnoticed by the neighbors. Removing her shoes, she walked across the carpet toward the large, overstuffed sofa in Hunt’s living room. She’d tried to call him several times but all she got was voice mail. And each unreturned call only ratcheted up her anxiety level. Unable to sleep, she found herself behind the wheel of her car before she even realized it.