Nicked

by Michael Arches

After haranguing Athena for an hour, Elijah said, “I admire how well you keep your composure. Maybe too cool.”

  Before Athena could answer, a crashing boom shook the building. The conference window looking out on the hallway shattered. Acoustic ceiling tiles tumbled over them. In an instant, dust filled the air, making it hard to see or breathe.

  Janet jumped to her feet holding her assault rifle. “What the fuck now?”

  Hagrid’s deep bark echoed in the room. Athena shushed him quiet.

  “Under the table!” Janet ordered. “Everyone!”

  Athena and the others followed her orders. Hagrid sat next to his mistress and leaned against her, his muscular body tense. Leo kicked a few times as if annoyed at her sudden movements and the massive jolt of adrenaline he’d just received.

  Janet spoke into a walkie-talkie. “Roger, anybody, what the hell’s going on?”

  He responded. “Not sure yet. Explosion above us. Someone could’ve dropped a bomb on the roof. Shelter in place, Janet. Dave is on his way to your location. Stay alert.”

  Athena grabbed her purse from a nearby chair and pulled out her Glock. She couldn’t see much from under the table, but she could hear Janet breathing hard. She was more exposed but was protected with body armor.

  Dave’s voice called from the hallway, “Approaching from the elevators. No one else in sight.”

  “Acknowledged,” Janet said. “Come on in.”

  For a moment, the building was deathly quiet. Then, the two marshals began chattering over security details. Athena hugged Hagrid. She’d almost left him in her room, but she’d been worried that he’d be too bored by himself.

  Norma shivered as she leaned against Athena’s other side. “I can’t believe this shit.”

  Athena wasn’t as surprised, not after so many years of attacks from the cartel.

  Elijah whispered, “They told me that hanging around with you might be a little risky. Those lying bastards.”

  For some reason, his annoyance made her want to laugh. “Welcome to my life.”

  -o-o-o-

  Weld County Jail, Greeley

  Maude drove past the jail to the café she’d mentioned to Rufus. The snow had stopped falling, but the roads remained a mess. Luckily, her truck had four-wheel-drive.

  The café’s parking lot was deserted. Maude worried that it had closed early. But no, when she approached, she could see the lights were still on.

  Inside, a young girl was reading a book behind the counter. No customers, and that meant no Rufus, unless he was in the bathroom.

  The girl gave Maude a warm smile. “Take any table you like. What can I bring you to drink?”

  Maude hadn’t intended to order anything, but she would have hours of driving ahead. “I’ll take a large coffee to go, with three creams and three sugars.”

  “You got it.”

  The bathroom door was open. “Listen, I was supposed to meet a guy here, very big guy. Did you see him?”

  The girl frowned. “A kinda scary guy? Yeah. He said he didn’t have any money. I gave him a small coffee anyway because the weather’s so lousy outside. He sat by the window, mostly talking on his phone. About twenty minutes ago, a chubby Hispanic guy dropped by. They chatted for a minute, and both took off.”

  Goddammit! She’d lost count of the times Rufus had asked her to meet him somewhere then decided to do something else without telling her. Usually, he met up with some lowlife who’d get him in more trouble.

  Maude kept a poker face. Simply shrugged and paid for her drink. The selfish bastard was on his own. At least, she wouldn’t have to worry about sharing money with him.

  Outside, the clouds had broken up, and the stars shone hard and cold in the darkness. That meant they would have a bitter-cold night.

  She returned to the truck with time to kill before meeting Kane in Longmont. So, she dropped by a grocery store and stocked up on food and beer. The Somalian guy running the cash register didn’t give her a second glance.

  Eventually, Rufus would call—unless he got arrested again. God only knew what he was doing with the Hispanic thug. Even so, she was his mother and couldn’t help worrying. She couldn’t get a hold of him, but he knew her cell number. She plugged her phone into a charger connected to the cigarette lighter to make sure her battery didn’t die.

  Chapter 19

  Cow Palace Public House

  Athena hugged Hagrid’s neck. His strength reassured her. Janet’s walkie-talkie passed along information nonstop, but their small group on the mezzanine level seemed to have been forgotten while dozens of cops and marshals tried to figure out what was going on.

  Elijah sighed. “For better or worse, I think your cross-exam prep is over. I’m beginning to understand why you stayed so mellow while I was haranguing the shit out of you. Sticks and stones.”

  She snickered. “Words can never hurt me, at least not like bullets or bombs. But I admit I’m getting damned tired of this. If it doesn’t end after tomorrow, I’m going to talk to some senior people in DC about more drastic measures against the cartel. Those bastards in Nicaragua aren’t as immune to attack as they think, particularly cyber-attacks.”

  “I’ll back you up for dang sure,” he said. “Nobody should have to live through this year after year.”

  While waiting for news about the latest attack, Athena turned her mind back to Dawn, who would hopefully lead to Skye. Athena and the guys seemed to be making progress for a change. Using her phone, she logged into her secure email system.

  Beau had left several messages, but Roger strode down the hall talking on his phone. Her boyfriend would have to wait.

  “No, Governor,” Roger said, “you aren’t overreacting. Mobilizing the National Guard is exactly the right decision. This is domestic terrorism. If we don’t begin this trial tomorrow morning, it’ll be because Cheyenne’s been taken over by a goddamned foreign drug cartel that’s waging war on the sovereign state of Wyoming. How would you like to run for reelection with ignoring that as your legacy?”

  He listened for a moment.

  “No, there ain’t no middle ground anymore. Wyoming and Colorado aren’t going to turn into narco-states, not while I’m still around.”

  He paused again. “Great, have your Army commander call me at this number as soon as he gets to the hotel. With regard to the public, you can say whatever you want. The jury has been sequestered already, and we will tell them nothing about this. Don’t want to scare the living shit out of those poor souls. I’ll keep in touch.”

  Roger hung up, and his voice warmed. “Okay, everybody, we got this shit under control for the moment. Come on out. Anyone hurt?”

  Athena emerged slowly and found her cane in the corner of the room. It was getting so hard to move around the bowling ball in her belly. She confirmed that everyone had escaped unscathed, except Roger. He had a nasty cut on his forehead that oozed blood.

  “Are you all right?” Janet asked him.

  He grinned. “Doing fine. Been hurt worse walking into a tree branch in my backyard.”

  “Did somebody fly a plane into the hotel?” Elijah asked.

  Roger shook his head. “As best we can tell, someone launched an RPG at Athena’s old room up on the top floor. That room and the two adjoining rooms were obliterated. I happened to be in my suite down the hall, talking to DC. Got clobbered when a track light dropped onto my head. I’m getting too old for the drug wars.”

  Thank God Roger had moved me. “So, Tabor told them where I was?”

  “Sure looks that way,” Roger said. “But he won’t be telling us. A short-order cook on the east side of town spotted him in the dumpster behind a diner. Turns out, Judas was thanked for his services to the cartel with a single twenty-two round straight into his forehead.”

  “May he rot in hell,” Janet said.

  Athena wondered whether Tabor had been killed for failing to kill her or because he’d blown his cover within the bureau. Eith
er way, she would’ve preferred that he suffer more. From personal experience, she knew a headshot was only painful if the victim survived.

  “Athena is gonna slay them tomorrow,” Elijah said. “In the immortal words of President Kennedy, ‘Don’t get mad, get even.’”

  She appreciated his advice. “Roger, we’re barely staying one step ahead of the assholes. That naturally causes a girl to worry. What’s your security plan for tonight and tomorrow?”

  He grimaced. “I know exactly how you feel. Remember, we’re all here with you. Every bit as nervous as you are. The governor has mobilized a hundred Wyoming National Guard troops. And I have personally spoken with the director in charge of the US Marshals Service. He’s sending seventy-five marshals specially trained in counterintelligence and urban security—the best we’ve got. They’re already on a plane from San Francisco. My staff and I will hold the fort until they arrive. Going to keep you safe or die trying.”

  -o-o-o-

  Red Dragon

  Beau arrived first. It was dinner time on a Friday, and the parking lot was half-full already. He circled the building. There was nothing behind it except an empty lot.

  He returned to the street and parked a block away. No signs identified the business, but every half-bright cop patrolling this part of the city should’ve checked it out. Somebody high up in the cop shop had to be shielding this business.

  He was particularly annoyed because, at the beginning of his investigation, he had sent out a general inquiry to county and town police departments along the Front Range asking for information available about local brothels and sex workers.

  In response, he’d received nothing from Weld County. Beau called Lenny and passed on his observations and conclusions.

  “I received a search warrant for the building,” the CBI agent said. “On my way. The SWAT team is ahead of me, but I hope to catch up with them before we get there.”

  While waiting, Beau worked with the FBI’s public affairs staff to issue a BOLO for Maude Gacy’s pickup. They’d missed the early evening news shows, but the story would probably lead on all the late evening local news broadcasts.

  -o-o-o-

  I 25 South near Longmont

  Maude exited the freeway and drove west. It didn’t take long for her to find the huge house that Kane’s friend lived in. Her boyfriend had said the guy was a senior executive at a high-tech firm in the area. The congestion was definitely much worse than the last time she’d been to Longmont.

  She parked behind Kane’s car. His backseat was full of stuff. He’d figured out that neither one of them could go back to their old homes anytime soon.

  She sat in his front passenger seat. “Okay, what’s the plan?”

  He shrugged. “Same as before. We pay him six grand for the security deposit and the first month’s rent. You’re paying your three, and you’re loaning me two. I’m paying the other grand out of my pocket. I’ll repay the loan as soon as we grab the next girl.”

  Maude blurted out, “What happens if this guy takes our money then rats us out to the cops? My picture is all over the news, my name will probably be slandered by the FBI soon.”

  Kane shook his head. “Not a problem. This guy develops role-playing games. The only news he pays attention to is stock market reports. Plus, he doesn’t have to know anything about you. He’s renting to me.”

  That was for the best. “Good. I’ve been worrying myself sick about him turning us in. Let’s get this done. I want to get some sleep.”

  Maude gave him five thousand bucks, and he headed up to the house. She waited in his car, her teeth chattering. His car’s thermometer said it was twenty degrees outside.

  Thankfully, he wasn’t gone long. He gave her a key to the cabin and let her check the form rental contract he’d signed. No mention of her. The more anonymous she was, the better.

  “Exactly where is this place?” she asked.

  He wrote out the address for her, and using his phone’s map app, he showed her how to get there.

  “What about snow? It’s probably still coming down up there.”

  “Yeah, he says the cabin is fifty feet from a road the town plows.” Kane gave her a garage door opener. “We can park our vehicles inside his garage. A local guy with a blade will keep the driveway clear for the rest of the snow season. We should be fine.”

  Maude felt a sudden, overwhelming desire to move. “Let’s go. I’ll follow you.”

  -o-o-o-

  Red Dragon

  Lenny and CBI’s SWAT team made good time and reached the brothel together. The SWAT team had been transported in a large, heavy-duty bus.

  Over the phone, they’d planned the assault based on Beau’s reconnaissance. The most vulnerable point seemed to be a back door marked Maintenance, but before they busted in, Lenny wanted to give the pimp running the place a chance to surrender peacefully.

  Beau used his SUV to drop two CBI agents at the rear door to watch for people sneaking out. Then, he headed for the front parking lot and parked near the CBI bus.

  By chance, a customer was walking toward the front door. Beau held back long enough for the guy to speak the password. The door buzzed. When the guy stepped into a dark vestibule, Beau slipped in behind him before the door closed.

  Someone inside must’ve noticed because a voice sounded from a speaker in the ceiling. “You, in the back, return outside and give us the password.”

  Instead, Beau said, “This is Special Agent Beauregard Boudreau with the FBI. I have a warrant to search these premises.”

  The voice said, “Entry is not permitted. We are contacting our attorneys. Remain outside until they arrive.”

  Like hell, I will. The guy in front of Beau pushed past him and ran back out the main entrance. Beau proceeded to the door at the far end of the vestibule and tried to open it. It remained locked.

  He strode out to the parking lot and hopped on the bus. “No surprise, Lenny, they want to do things the hard way.”

  The man snickered. “Works for me. We’ll take you around back.”

  A couple of agents dressed in full body armor hopped out and took up a position outside the front entrance. The bus proceeded around back.

  After everyone exited the vehicle, the driver opened the outside luggage compartment. Six burly guys removed a heavy metal battering ram. They hit the metal door marked Maintenance in the center, and it crumpled inward and broke off its hinges.

  The agents poured into an empty room containing a few chairs and a medical examination table. Beau and the CBI agents were stopped by a second locked door, this one made of oak. The same burly guys slammed the battering ram into the door, shattering it into kindling.

  Women began screaming, and men yelled. The agents called out, “CBI! This is a raid! Everyone, stand still. Hands up!”

  They happened to be at one end of a long hallway with many doors, each with a number. Several of the agents raced forward. Beau and the others spread out and opened every door. The rooms contained a bed, a chair, and little other furniture.

  The first two Beau entered were empty, but then he opened a door and discovered a couple having sex.

  “The party is over, dude!” Beau yelled. “Get your clothes on. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

  To the woman, he asked, “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, trembling. “About time you got here. I’ve been here for four months.”

  What could he say? There were thousands of other women like her in Colorado. “I’m sorry it took so long to find you, but your nightmare is finally over. We’ll help you make contact with your loved ones soon.”

  Chapter 20

  Cow Palace Public House

  Janet confirmed for Athena that National Guard soldiers had blocked off the streets surrounding the hotel. In addition, US Marshals searched every room on the third floor, where both Athena and Judge Trujillo were staying. Athena now had two guards, Dave outside her door and Janet insi
de.

  But everything seemed to settle down, including Leo. She had no idea what her raging hormones were doing for the poor little guy.

  Athena returned to her encrypted emails. Beau had sent a confirmation that a large group of officers were about to raid the Greeley whorehouse. Unfortunately, nobody had a clue where Maude Gacy or Skye were.

  Athena searched for clues pointing to Maude Gacy or the other unnamed kidnapper. The woman likely had a cellphone, so Athena hacked into the customer records for the national cell service providers until she discovered Gacy’s personal records. Using the phone number, she could check to see whether Gacy happened to be within range of any of the provider’s cell towers. That would reveal the woman’s approximate location.

  Sure enough, Gacy’s phone was pinging a tower in Northglenn, Colorado, a northerly Denver suburb along the I 25 corridor. She forwarded that news to Beau so he could send it on to the Colorado State patrol and local police departments.

  There wasn’t much else Athena could do remotely, but she kept an eye on Gacy as she moved steadily southward.

  -o-o-o-

  Red Dragon

  While the raid was in progress, Beau gave the state troopers and Denver police periodic updates on Maude’s progress. But because of the storm, those agencies were primarily focused on car crashes.

  It was too late for any local Greeley cops to tip off the Red Dragon, so Beau called the Greeley police chief. The guy was confused for a moment then furious about the FBI not informing him in advance of the raid.

  Beau said in a calm voice, “Settle down, mon ami. It’s obvious that somebody senior in your department is protecting this illicit business. Either it’s you, in which case you’d better find yourself a damned fine lawyer, or it’s someone who works for you. That is certainly going to present other difficulties for you.”

  Beau paused to let the chief respond, but he didn’t.

  So, Beau kept his voice flat. “You’re lucky in one way. The FBI is awfully busy at the moment with its own scandal. But I promise you that soon, some of us will descend upon your office en masse. You can be sure we’ll find whoever was protecting organized crime in your city…unless you figure it out first. The uproar won’t be nearly so bad for you if you’ve already made an arrest. Otherwise, you’ll look clueless, unless, of course, you have to make a quick trip to Rio. I hope that’s not the case.”