by Jaxon, Lynn
“I love you, too.”
Katy and Jill rush through the front door just as I come down the stairs. I tell them where to find Amy and Meredith, then go into the kitchen to fix some coffee and call Sean.
It rings several times before Sean finally picks up. “Sorry, man. I was on the phone with one of my men. He has the warehouse under surveillance. Frankie and two other men are there. At least we know he’s feeding Gage because the pizza delivery guy just left.”
“Gage should be eating pizza at home. Not in some warehouse with a crazy man.”
“I know. I’m so thankful I discovered the warehouse several days ago. I was able to position a camera in one of the vents. That man really is dumb. The security on that place is shit. He’s got a fortune in drugs packed in candy boxes that anyone could find. What pisses me off is that some kid might discover them and think it really is candy.”
“Can you see Gage?”
“Yes, I have a good view of him. I can’t see his face because his back is to the camera. He’s tied to a chair around the waist and legs, and one arm is tied to his side. His other arm is free so he can eat and get a drink. He appears to be crying, because he brings his hand to his face every so often, but I think he knows not to push it.”
“What’s the plan, Sean? I’m going crazy here.”
“I want to sit and watch the warehouse for a few more hours, just to make sure it’s only Frankie and the two other men hanging around. Then I think we should call the police and let them handle it. There’s no way he will be able to get out of it. They will be able to take him out before anything happens to Gage.”
“I trust you, man, but I need to see how Meredith feels before we do anything.”
“I get it. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
Chapter 22
~Frankie~
“Stop that incessant crying, boy. Your momma isn’t coming tonight, so save your tears.”
“I hate you. I want my momma. I want Nash. He’s going to be my daddy. You’re a bad man.”
I can’t stop the laughter. “You’re never going to see that man again. You, your momma, and I are going to be a family. She has what I need, and I intend to get it.”
“Nash is going to save me. Just like PJ Masks, he’ll save the day.”
“Shut up! No one is going to save you.”
Roscoe shakes his head. “Man, you sure are mean to your kid, boss. You’re makin’ me feel almost sorry for him.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Shut the fuck up and mind your own business, or you’ll be another mess I’ll have to clean up.”
“Keep your pants on. I was only playing around.”
I glare at Paul, who has enough sense to keep his mouth shut, his eyes trained on the door.
“Paul, check the perimeter. Meredith doesn’t know about this place, but one can never be too sure.”
He nods and stands. “Yes, boss.”
A few minutes later, he walks back in. “All quiet.”
“Gage just cried himself to sleep, so I’m going to get some sleep, too. You and Roscoe are to take turns every hour, walking around outside to make sure everything is quiet. Don’t bother me unless there’s a problem.”
“Okay, boss,” they say in unison.
* * *
~Sean~
I watch Bozo number two walk back inside. He hasn’t even noticed my beat-up surveillance van sitting across the street. Then again, it fits right in with the druggies and homeless around here. During the hurricanes, this was a hard-hit area of Biloxi that the city seemed to forget.
I’m blown away by the stupidity of this man. How in the hell has he been able to distribute drugs and not gotten killed or robbed blind with this level of security? His goons smoke and talk on their phones while doing what I’m guessing is supposed to be a security check around the building. They come out one at a time, so the police will be able to take one out without anyone noticing. That will leave just Frankie and one other guy in the building with Gage. If luck is on our side, the police can get in before Frankie even knows what’s happening.
I sit and watch for the next few hours. They come out once an hour to do their security check. What they’re really doing is getting their nicotine fix. I give Nash a call and tell him my thoughts.
Chapter 23
~Nash~
The house is quiet. Meredith finally fell asleep a couple of hours ago after the girls left. I think all the crying wore her out. I’ve dozed off a couple times, but can’t seem to fall into a deep sleep. The clock on the bedside table says three thirty. The sun will soon be rising on a new day. Hopefully a better one.
I’m startled when I hear my phone vibrate on the table. I quickly jump up and grab it so it doesn’t wake Meredith. I know it’s Sean before I even look at the screen. I rush out of the room and down the stairs before I answer.
“Talk to me,” I say.
“I hope I didn’t wake you, but I wanted to run something by you. I think we should get the police involved now. I still have friends on the force I can contact. Frankie is sloppy. He only has two guys with him, and they are about useless. The police will be able to get in and get Gage before Frankie even knows what’s going on. And I just think that pussy will cave like the coward he is if confronted by the police.”
“What about Gage? Are you sure he would be safe?”
“Nothing is one hundred percent, but I think this is the safest route to take.”
I blow out a breath. “Okay, man. I trust you. When do you plan on calling it in?”
“My buddy, Jeff, will get to work around six thirty this morning. Child abduction is taken very seriously, even when done by one of the parents. Do you think Meredith will be able to give a statement as to what happened?”
“I’ll let her sleep for another hour, then fill her in on what’s going on. Thanks for everything. I owe you.”
“No thanks needed. I’m more than happy to get this scumbag off the streets.”
“You and me both. Talk to ya soon.”
I pray Meredith is okay with this. I agree that the police need to be involved. I think she needs to let her parents know as soon as possible, too. Once the police move in, it will be all over the news, and I’d hate for that to be the first time they hear of it.
I set my alarm for six and climb into bed, pulling Meredith into my chest, slowly closing my eyes.
* * *
All too soon, my alarm goes off, waking us both.
“Gage,” Meredith mumbles.
“Shhh, baby. It’s going to be okay. We’ll get him back.”
She turns in my arms and hugs me close. I can feel her heart beating fast as her tears begin to fall down my bare chest. I rock her in my arms and run my fingers through her thick hair.
“Listen, babe. I talked to Sean a couple of hours ago.”
She pulls away. “Why didn’t you wake me up? What did he say?”
“You needed your rest. If it were something urgent, I would have woken you. He’s been watching the warehouse all night. He found the place before Frankie even took Gage, placing a camera in a vent. That means he can see inside.” Her eyes widen. “Gage is fine. He has him tied to a chair, but it doesn’t look like he’s hurt. Gage is a strong, resilient little boy. Frankie only has two men with him, and Sean says they are about useless. Your ex doesn’t appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed.”
This earns me a sad chuckle as she wipes away her tears. “I could’ve told you that. He is a moron.”
“That he is. Anyway, Sean thinks we need to report this to the police. He has a friend on the force he wants to call. Sean feels like they’ll be able to get in and grab Gage without much of a problem.”
“What if Frankie hurts him?”
“The cops are professionals. They won’t take any chances.”
She seems to think for a minute, then nods. “I trust you.”
“I also think you need to call your mom and dad and let them know what happened. You don’t want
them finding out through the media.”
“You’re right. I wanted to protect them from the pain I’m going through. I had hoped we’d get him back before they ever found out.”
“They would eventually learn about it. You know Gage will have quite the story to tell.”
“That’s true. He loves to talk.”
When my phone rings, I pick it up, thinking it’s Sean, surprised to see Ms. Bailey’s name on the screen.
“Nash, this is Ms. Bailey. I have some bad news. I just received a call from the Biloxi Police Department needing me to verify the identity of a body.”
I sit up. “What? Are you okay?”
“I’m just in shock. Apparently, Ms. Lange had me listed as her next of kin.”
“Wait…” I shake my head. “What does this have to do with Ms. Lange?”
“Her newspaper delivery boy found her dead this morning. When he got to her house, her door was ajar. Seeing as it was only five am, he thought it strange and pushed open the door. Roxy…Ms. Lange was lying in a pool of her own blood, a gunshot wound to her chest. It appears to be a robbery gone wrong. The contents of her purse were all over the floor and wallet is missing.”
“I’m… I’m in shock. I don’t know what to say.”
“I just wanted to call and let you know. I plan on having grief counselors at school for anyone who needs to speak to them. I just didn’t want you hearing about it on the news. It’s very sad. Poor girl had no family. I know she was a little over the top, but nobody deserves what happened to her.”
“No, they don’t. I sure hope they find the person responsible.” In my gut, I think I already know who that is. This is too much of a coincidence to not be related. “Do you need me to come to work?”
“No. Take care of what you need to. Like I said, I just wanted you to hear it from me, not the news.”
“Thank you. Let me know if I can do anything.”
Hanging up, I drop my phone onto the bed in shock.
Meredith takes my hand. “Nash, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“That was Ms. Bailey. Ms. Lange was murdered yesterday.” I look at her. “I have a bad feeling this is somehow connected to your ex.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to stress about it.” Taking a deep breath, I continue. “Ms. Lange came into my office the other day. She told me she saw me dancing at the club, and if I didn’t break things off with you and get with her, she’d make sure Ms. Bailey and the news found out about what I like to do when I’m not at school. I kinda expected it because Evan called me before that and said a redhead, who fit her description, was at the club, asking all kinds of questions about me.”
Meredith gasps and her eyes go wide. “Oh, my god. Do you think Frankie had her following me and that’s how she saw you? Actually, it makes sense. She was at both the club and the festival.” She places her hand over her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick. He said something about someone learning what happens when he’s threatened. Do you think he killed her? This is all my fault. If I hadn’t left him, Gage would be playing downstairs and she’d be alive. I should’ve been content with being just a name.”
I grasp her hands, making her look at me. “It’s not your fault, Meredith. He’s a sick man. Stop blaming yourself. He’s the only one to blame here.
“Listen, I need to call Sean and fill him in on what’s happened.”
Sean picks up on the first ring. “I was just about to call Jeff. Have you talked to Meredith?”
“Yes, but hold up. I have some developments.”
“What’s happened?”
“Do you remember me telling you about that teacher who kept throwing herself at me?”
“Yeah, sure. What about her?”
“She’s dead.”
There was a pause before Sean said, “Come again?
“You heard me. She’s dead, and I think Frankie killed her.”
“Why would you think that? I know he’s a monster, but he isn’t responsible for every bad thing that happens around here.”
“What would you say if I told you a woman fitting her description was at the club and asked Evan a bunch of questions about me. And then, just the other day, she came into my office basically demanding I have sex with her or she would tell Ms. Bailey, and the media, that I was a stripper. She’s been following Meredith. Frankie even alluded that the last person who threatened him learned the hard way what threatening did. Meredith thinks he was talking about Ms. Lange.”
“Shit. He’s more unhinged than I thought. You two stay put until you hear from me or Chief Jeff Dunn.”
“Will do.”
When I hang up, I see Meredith on the phone with her parents. She’s crying again as she hangs up. “They’re on their way. It took all kinds of begging to keep dad from doing something stupid. He’s ready to go hunt down Frankie and kill him himself.”
“He’ll have to stand in line. Sean wants us to wait to hear from either him or Chief Dunn.”
We cling to each other, providing comfort, no words spoken.
Not ten minutes later, my phone rings with a number I don’t recognize. “Nash Brooks speaking.”
“Mr. Brooks, this is Chief Dunn. Sean just filled me on what’s happened. I just wanted to let you know that I’m on my way over to get your statements. I owe my life to Sean, so I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Thank you. We’ll be waiting.”
“Who was that?” Meredith asks once I hang up.
“Chief Dunn. He’s on his way over to get our statements. Let’s get dressed. It’s fixin’ to be a madhouse around here.”
Just as we walk down the stairs, Meredith’s parents rush through the door, a lot calmer than I expected them to be. They probably know that the calmer they are, the calmer Meredith will be. We fill them in on everything.
Not too long after that, the doorbell rings. I answer, seeing Sean and a man I assume to be Chief Dunn standing there.
We all go into the kitchen. Meredith tells Chief Dunn and her parents every detail of what happened from the time I left her house yesterday until the time Frankie took Gage. Nobody was very happy she didn’t call the police right away. I also tell Chief Dunn about Ms. Lange’s murder and why we think Frankie may be connected. At this point, I don’t care about losing my job. If they want to fire me, they can go ahead. Some things are more important.
“We definitely have probable cause to search Frankie’s house. At this point, there’s no proof he was involved with Ms. Lange’s murder, but it seems very likely. The fact that he abducted Gage is cause enough.”
Meredith cuts in. “We told you. He’s not home. He has my baby tied up in a warehouse in the slums of Biloxi.”
“I understand that, Ms. Maddison. I’m currently in the process of obtaining a search warrant for all his properties. I have men positioned around both his apartment and the warehouse. No one will do anything until they get the okay from me.”
Meredith looks at him, determination in her gaze. “Take me with you. I want to be there when you get my baby out. Please.”
“I don’t think that would be the safest thing to do. We have protocol to follow.”
She clenches her fists. “I don’t give a shit about your protocol. My life is nothing without my son. Either you take me with you or I’ll go on my own.”
Sean looks at Chief Dunn. “Let them come with me. I’ll make sure they stay safe.”
“Sean, you know that’s not how we do things.”
Sean nods. “I do, but if this were my child, I’d be the same way. I promise. They’ll be safe with me.”
“What should we do if Frankie calls again?” I ask. “I suspect he’ll call to make sure she is following through on getting him the money.”
“Sean will put a wiretap on her cell phone. When Frankie calls, it will enable us to pinpoint his location. He is also going to forward any incoming calls to Meredith’s home phone directly
to her cell. Combined with the undercover officers positioned around his apartment and the warehouse, he won’t be able to do anything without us knowing.”
Meredith nods. “Let’s do this!”
Chapter 24
~Frankie~
“What took you so long, Paul? You were out there forever.”
“The bums are coming out of the woodwork today. I had three ask me for a cigarette or money. I think we need to move our operation to a safer location. When is Roscoe coming back with the food? I’m starving.”
“Is that all you think about? Get me my phone. It’s time to give Meredith a call and find out how she’s coming along getting my money. Once I get it, we can think about moving to a better location.”
“It’s barely eight o’clock, boss. The banks have just opened. I doubt she’s been able to get the money this quickly.”
“I know that, asshole,” I growl. “I just want to torture her some more.” I look at the kid, seeing he’s drooled all over my table. “I think it’s time to wake the crybaby up. When she hears him, it’s sure to light a fire under her fat ass.”
I slap Gage on the back of the head. “Wake up, you little shit. Don’t you want to talk to your momma?” I taunt.
He immediately starts crying. I laugh and dial. She picks up on the first ring. That’s a first.
As if on cue, Gage screams, “Momma! I want my momma!”
“Let me talk to my baby, you sorry sack of shit.”
She seems to forget who she’s talking to. I’m the one holding all the cards. “Is that any way to talk to your husband?” I say in a sweet voice.
“You’re not my husband!”
“Technicality. I just thought I’d give you a little reminder that the clock is ticking. If you want your precious angel back, you’d better get me that five million. Meet me at 1111 Dockside instead of my apartment. You have until noon.”