Jordan nodded. “He took another to the shoulder.”
“The fourth was up close and personal,” Hallier said. “That headshot was delivered at close range.” He paused. “A professional did this.”
Jordan looked up. “It was a woman.” She opened her hand, showed the brass casings she had retrieved from the ground just inside the fence. “I saw her.”
“You mean psychically?” Hallier asked.
“Yes.” She removed her flashlight and shone it at the broken section of chainlink fencing she had crawled through to enter the boatyard. “That’s how she got in. She ran into the guard and took him out at the first opportunity she had to draw and fire. She took the shot a few feet from here.”
“The vision you had that led us here,” Hallier said. “Was the shooter in it?”
Jordan shook her head. “No, just Maddy.”
“You sure?”
“If she were here, I’d feel her.”
Hallier was suddenly uncharacteristically sullen. “She could still be here, Jordan. We need to search the yard.”
“She’s not dead.”
“Just the same…”
“Trust me, Colonel,” Jordan said, “if Maddy were dead, I’d have known it the second we arrived. Her spirit would have made itself known to me. There is only one spirit here with us right now.”
“The guard?” Chris asked.
Jordan nodded.
“Can you connect with him?” Hallier asked.
“Yes.”
“Take as much time as you need,” Hallier said respectfully. “In the meantime, Agent Hanover and I will inspect the grounds. This is a crime scene now.”
Chris removed his phone. “I’ll call LAPD.”
Jordan knelt beside the fallen man and closed her eyes. No sooner had she opened herself up to the other side when she was thrust into the final seconds of his life. The vision hit her hard, and she was struck as much by the emotional pain of his passing as his physical experience. Before death claimed him, his final thought was of his wife and children. Jordan sensed the rush of sorrow he felt in crossing over, knowing that his time in the mortal world had come to an end, and that never again would he be able to see them, hug them, hold them, or tell them how very much they were loved. Sensing Jordan’s presence and her gift, the spirit of the dead guard urged her to open her eyes. Jordan saw him standing in front of her, his arm raised, directing her attention towards the opposite end of the marina. In an airy whisper which only she could hear, he said, “Persephone.”
Jordan stood, acknowledged the entity, looked toward the opposite end of the marina. “There?” she asked.
The ethereal image nodded.
Jordan watched as he turned away, then disappeared, enveloped by the darkness of the night.
Jordan walked up the gravel roadway toward the main entrance to the marina. In the distance, she heard the wail of sirens. Chris had called the police. LAPD were on their way. Within minutes, the entire yard would be locked down, every square inch of the place investigated. Jordan continued to follow the path and found Chris and Hallier standing beside a motor yacht sitting in dry dock next to the main gate.
Chris waved to her. “Jordan,” he said. “Over here.”
Jordan joined him at the back of the boat. Chris pointed to the name. “Persephone… just like you said.”
Jordan ran her hand over the name, got the impression she was hoping for; Maddy’s latent energy signature. “She was here.”
Chris nodded. He pointed his flashlight at the ground, clicked it on. “The yard’s a little muddy. See the footprints? Sneakers. The foot size is small, probably a woman’s.”
“They’re Maddy’s. I know it.”
“Hallier and I followed them around the boat,” Chris continued. He raised his flashlight, shone it in the boat lift’s direction. “They terminate over there. Come, I’ll show you.”
As they walked toward the lift, Chris said, “Hallier found more brass on the path. A hell of a lot of gunplay went down here. We searched the grounds. No more bodies.”
Jordan nodded. “I don’t feel any more disturbances. The guard was the only fatality.”
Hallier met the two agents at the foot of the boat lift. “That look normal to you?” he asked, pointing to the service platform sitting high atop the chainlink fence and perilously close to the adjoining building.
Chris shook his head. “That make no sense. Why would the operator leave the lift fully extended? There’s no way to get down from there.”
“It wasn’t about getting down,” Jordan said. “It was about getting away.”
Hallier turned. “You’re saying this was Dr. Coltraine?”
Jordan placed her hand on the machine and felt her cousin’s lingering energy signature beneath her fingertips. “She was here. She used it to get away.”
Chris looked toward the adjoining building. “There’s quite a few feet between the operator’s platform and the roof of that building.”
“She must have jumped.” Hallier said. He looked over his shoulder. “I found spent shell casings on the path. Whoever fired those rounds had a clear line of sight to this machine.”
To Jordan, Chris said, “Your cousin was taking fire. You don’t suppose…”
“We need to get on the roof of that building,” Hallier said. “Dr. Coltraine could be hurt, or worse.”
Three LAPD black and whites arrived at the main gate. Their blue and red service lights danced off the white boat hulls, illuminated the boatyard. The officers exited their vehicles.
“I’ll deal with them,” Hallier said. “You two find a way to get on top of that roof. If Dr. Coltraine is down, she’ll need immediate medical attention.”
“Copy that,” Chris said.
25
SPENCER GLANCED AT his phone countless times after placing the call before he left the condo in search of his wife. Finally, it rang. He felt an odd combination of nervous anxiety and respect as he read the display: A VECCHIO. He opened the line, answered the call. “Hello, Uncle T.”
The smile in his godfather’s voice was clear. “Spencer, my boy!” he said. “I was so pleased to hear your voice. It’s been too long. Sorry for not being able to pick up when you called. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Spencer stayed the sense of urgency he felt to reach out to the only man he knew who had the power and resources to help him. Antonio Vecchio had been his father’s best friend growing up in New York City. The two had been inseparable during their pursuit of law degrees at Columbia University. John Coltraine had chosen corporate law, Antonio criminal. Years later, when Spencer entered the world, Antonio was his father’s first and only choice to be his son’s godfather, an honor he accepted with great humility, a trait rarely displayed by the now don of one of the country’s most powerful crime families. In later years, when the evil that was leukemia set its sights on Spencer’s father and claimed him far too soon, it was Tony, or Uncle T as he insisted Spencer call him, who stepped in and provided the financial support, life experience and paternal guidance Spencer needed. He knew him as a kind and caring man. His reputation as a cold and ruthless Mafia kingpin was as distant to Spencer’s reality as he could imagine. Years ago, Antonio Vecchio had left behind New York’s cold winters in favor of the sunny climes of Southern California. Malibu had become his new home. It wasn’t by coincidence that it also brought him closer to the godson he loved so much.
This would not be an easy conversation. Spencer steeled himself, then spoke. “I apologize for disturbing you, Uncle T. I know how busy you are.”
“Nonsense, Spencer,” Tony replied. “You know I always have time for you.”
“Thank you.”
“How can I help you? I trust you and your beautiful wife are keeping well?” He laughed. “Please tell me you’re calling to tell me there’s a little Spencer or Maddy on the way!”
Spencer’s tone became sullen. “I’m afraid not,” he replied. “I am calling about Maddy, Uncle T, but
not with good news.”
“What’s wrong? Is she all right?”
“She’s…” Spencer swallowed hard. He had been so wrapped up in trying to stay focused and in control of the situation that he hadn’t given himself permission to feel. He wanted to speak, but the words simply would not come out.
“Take a breath, son,” Tony said. “Gather yourself, then tell me what’s going on.”
Spencer exhaled. “She’s missing, Uncle T.”
“I don’t understand, Spencer. What do you mean… missing?
“Someone’s taken her, Uncle Tony. Maddy’s been kidnapped.”
“What? When?”
“Earlier today. Within the last few hours.”
“Have you contacted the police?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s being handled by her employer.”
“Farrow Industries is handling a kidnapping?”
“No, their government contractor is. DARPA.”
Spencer heard the astonishment in his godfather’s voice. “Maddy is working for the military?”
“Yes.”
Tony muffled the phone. Spencer could hear him talking in the background in hushed tones, issuing commands. He uncovered the phone and returned his attention to Spencer. “Have the kidnappers reached out to you? Have they stated their demands?”
“No.”
Tony paused. “No one has called you?”
“No, Uncle T. Not yet.”
Tony sounded confused. “Please forgive me for asking this, Spencer. But are you certain that Maddy has been--?”
Spencer cut in, informed his godfather of the mysterious black Mercedes and how they both felt they were being followed… the crumpled photograph he had found in the bedroom with the note written on the back pleading with him to reach out to her famous cousin for help… her Porsche in the parking garage with its shattered window… the concern displayed by DARPA’s Colonel Hallier… how he had been ordered to remain in the condominium by the agents but had left instead, been followed by them and lost them… and about the covertly placed GPS microdot trackers he had hidden in Maddy’s clothing and her belongings that placed her current location less than an hour from his.
“You’re not equipped to deal with something like this, Spencer,” Tony said flatly. “Not at all. These people are professionals.”
“I have no choice, Uncle T,” Spencer replied. “I have to find her. The app is accurate. I know exactly where she is.”
“Tell me.”
Spencer shared the current location of the microdots.
“You say you’re an hour away?” Tony asked.
“I am.”
“All right.” Tony’s voice was level, clear, calculating. “Now listen to me carefully, Spencer. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to deal with this on your own. I’m on my way to the coordinates you provided. I’ll bring a team with me. Meet me there. My men and I will handle this. We’ll get Maddy back and see to it that these people never bother you again. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. In the meantime, try to relax. I’ll take it from here.”
“Thank you, Uncle T. I knew you’d be able to help.”
“Calling me was the right thing to do, Spencer. I only wish you’d done so sooner.”
Spencer breathed a sigh of relief. “Me too.”
“One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“It goes without saying that we never had this conversation.”
“Understood.”
Uncle Tony ended the call.
For the first time since this ordeal had begun, Spencer felt a sense of hope. Men were coming to help him. Deadly men. Experienced men. Made men. Men with blood on their hands who would stop at nothing to save Maddy out of fierce loyalty to his uncle.
God willing, this nightmare would be over soon.
He pressed down on the accelerator. The Range Rover lurched ahead.
“I’m coming, Maddy,” he said. “I’m coming, baby.”
26
“LET ME OUT,” Qin said.
Zhang stopped the car.
Qin exited the vehicle. “Kill the engine,” she demanded.
“Why?” Zhang asked.
“Just do it!”
The car fell silent. Qin listened to the quiet of the night.
“Well?”
“She’s here. She’s close. I know she is.”
“Perhaps your shot missed her completely,” Zhang argued. “If that’s the case, she’s fully mobile. She could be long gone by now.”
Qin shook her head. “I hit her. I know I did.”
“Where did you hear the dog bark?”
“What do you mean?”
“From what direction?”
“I’m not sure now.”
“Perfect. We’re running out of time, and you don’t even know where you’re going.”
“It was somewhere around here.”
“That’s helpful.”
“More helpful than you’ve been all night. Hit the horn.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Hit the horn.”
“Why?”
“With any luck, it will disturb the dog, make it bark again. When I identify where the dog is, I’ll check it out.”
“You’re so on top of this, aren’t you?”
“Shut up and do it.”
Zhang beeped the horn.
Qin listened, waited.
“See?” he said. “Nothing.”
“Do it again.”
“Qin, you’re wasting time. We’re better off driving the area and looking for her. If she’s here, we’ll find her.”
Qin yelled, “Again! Longer this time.”
Zhang shook his head. He laid into the horn. The loud blast disturbed the sleeping industrial district.
In the distance, the dog barked.
Qin snapped her head to the right, identified the direction from which the sound had originated. She pointed. “There. A block over.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Zhang argued.
“What are you talking about?”
Zhang pointed down the road. “It came from down there.”
“You’re wrong.”
“No, I’m not.”
Qin began to walk to where she had heard the sound.
“Wait,” Zhang said.
Qin ignored her partner, kept walking.
Zhang yelled. “I said wait!”
Qin turned angrily, raised her hands. “What?”
“You need to listen to me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re letting your emotions get the better of you. You need to stop for a moment and think.”
“About what?”
“We both can’t be right.”
“I know. Which is why I’m right and you’re wrong.” She pointed down the road. “Let’s go.”
Zhang laid into the horn again.
Qin turned. “What are you doing?”
“Making a point.”
“Now who’s wasting time?”
A dog barked, then a second.
“See?” Zhang said. “I was right. So were you. Two dogs, not just one. So, the important question is which one did you hear?”
Qin paused. “I know what I heard.”
“I’m not arguing with you. It’s the acoustics of the surrounding buildings. From where we are now, the sound bounces everywhere. You heard a bark coming from one direction, I heard it coming from another. We were both right.”
“Then we split up. I’ll take this road and follow it until I find the dog. You go straight. Come back for me after you’ve checked it out.”
“Chang won’t be pleased that you disobeyed a direct order,” Zhang warned.
“I don’t care. When I meet Chang’s men, it’s going to be with Dr. Coltraine standing beside me.”
Somewhere in the area, the dogs cried out to the night. Qin began to walk down the road.
Zhang called after her. “Five minutes. Not a minute longer.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Qin retorted. “Just do your job. Find Coltraine.”
Zhang punched the gas, more out of frustration than a desire for speed. He headed down the road in search of the animal.
Qin panned her flashlight along the ground as she walked, scanning the pavement, hoping to spot a blood trail. Despite Zhang’s lack of confidence in her, she was sure she had hit the scientist when she leapt from the boat lift to the rooftop. She swore to herself. The industrial complex was proving to be much harder to investigate than she had expected. It was comprised of many companies, large and small, the access to most of the properties guarded by spear-tipped wrought iron or chainlink fences. One company made it perfectly clear that any attempt to access their property illegally would be met with dire consequences. Signs affixed to the fence every ten feet warned DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE. A lightning bolt symbol followed by 10,000 VOLTS served as an ultimate deterrent.
Qin had almost reached the end of the street when she caught movement at the end of a laneway between two buildings. She stopped and listened, then pulled her gun and trained it into the darkness. She rested her flashlight atop the weapon, ready to turn it on the second she needed it. Slowly, she left the road and walked down the shared laneway.
She called out, made her presence known. “This will go much easier for you if you come with me now, Dr. Coltraine. I know you’re hurt. I can get you the help you need. Just step out into the light where I can see you. Do it now, please.”
An object suddenly came hurtling at her out of the darkness. Qin stepped aside and dodged the airborne metal garbage can lid. She watched it bounce along the ground, then slide to a stop past her. Qin issued a warning. “I don’t want to have to shoot you again, Doctor, but I will if I have to.”
From the deepest recesses of the laneway, a male voice called out from behind a dumpster. “Go ahead, lady,” he said. “Just try it. I fuckin’ dare ya. I’ve got one hundred pounds of dog right here who hasn’t eaten tonight, and you’re starting to smell real good to him.”
In the darkness, the animal growled.
Nemesis: A Jordan Quest FBI Thriller Page 9