by Allie Adams
First Response
First Response
Midpoint
FIRST RESPONSE
TREX Adventure 2
By Allie K. Adams
A TREX ADVENTURE
FIRST RESPONSE
Copyright © 2013 by Allie K. Adams
First E-book Publication: October 2013
Cover design by Celia Kyle
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Allie K. Adams
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This Ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This Ebook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Allie K. Adams
www.alliekadams.com
TREX'S MISSION STATEMENT
Tactical Retrieval Experts (TREX) is a privately funded agency independent of law enforcement, military, or any governmental restrictions. Our focus is on tracking and retrieving objects. Simply put: we find things. Employing highly-trained agents with extensive experience in covert operations and unlimited resources, we will find anything and with guaranteed confidentiality. No matter the circumstances. No matter the danger. Call on TREX—we find what's been lost.
ONE
“Congratulations, Special Agent Spencer Allen.” Dan Weber, Spencer’s Special Agent in Charge at TREX, shook his hand. “You are now the field lead of TREX Team Two.”
Spencer caught a glance from his mentor over Weber’s shoulder. Gabriel Lyons grinned and nodded as Spencer accepted the position Lyons just vacated. “Thank you, sir.”
“Your first official duty as team lead is to buy the first round,” Gessler, TREX Team One’s field lead, spoke up. He slapped Spencer on the back. “I like top shelf shit so I hope you brought enough cash.”
“Sorry,” Lyons said. “He’s already got plans tonight.”
“I do?” Spencer looked at him.
Lyons nodded. “You’re meeting Sally for a drink. Remember?”
Oh, shit. That was tonight? Spencer thrust a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to meet anyone for a drink and had already rescheduled twice. His life was just fine without the complications of a girlfriend. Hell, without the complication of even dating.
But Lyons insisted on setting him up on blind date after blind date in the hopes he’d find the perfect one hidden in a stranger. If he didn’t go, Lyons wouldn’t leave him alone until he rescheduled. Again. Why she hadn’t already moved on was beyond him. Couldn’t she take a hint? He didn’t want to go on this goddamn thing.
“Fine,” he growled and already dreaded it. A dark bar. Awkward conversation as they struggled to find something in common to talk about. He’d promise to call her and then promptly lose her number, trash it, or whatever. If she insisted on getting his number, he’d accidently transpose a couple of the digits.
“I want to go.” Gessler volunteered. “If Allen needs a wingman, I’ll be there for him. If this Sally isn’t into the wild haired, growly, takes-life-way-too-seriously type, then I’ll take her off his hands.”
“Why don’t you take the date for me,” Spencer offered and even nodded.
Lyons butted in. “Nice try. You’re going out with Sally. She’s great and is in to the same things you are.”
“How is that possible? I don’t like doing anything.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Lyons barked at him like a father. That was Gabe. He treated Spencer like a son, which didn’t bother him in the least. Until now. “You’re doing this. I don’t like to see you so lonely.”
“I’m alone, not lonely. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?”
Spencer narrowed a glare at him. Yes, goddamn it. There was a difference. One gave him the freedom to come and go as he pleased, not having to answer to anyone. No commitments, no promises he’d eventually break, whether intentional or completely out of his control. Being alone just made everything easier.
That did not make him lonely.
“Does Sally have a sister?” Gessler teased. “I’m lonely, too.”
“Back off,” Weber barked. Gessler gave him the finger and stepped away. No one else dared talk to the SAC or do the things to get a rise out of him the way Gessler did, but he could get away with it. Those two had been best friends since they were sperm. “We have a find I need you to head up.”
Hell, yeah. His first mission as lead. Or find, as TREX referred to their ops. Spencer gave his SAC a nod. “I’m in.”
“I haven’t even told you about it.”
That didn’t matter. Spencer couldn’t wait to get his ass into the field and find whatever had been lost. Besides, it got him out of his blind date with… He’d already forgotten her name. He turned to Lyons and gave him a half-assed shrug. “Sorry, Lyons. I have to work. Tell Sandy maybe next time.”
“It’s Sally,” Lyons growled.
Spencer didn’t care and turned his attention to Weber. “Let’s do this.”
Weber’s lips twitched. “Good man, Allen. Let’s head to my office.”
Spencer followed Weber out of the meeting room, down the stairs into the belly of TREX’s headquarters. Spencer hated HQ. Not only was it an hour’s drive from his place, it had way too many suits in it and reeked with the stench of bureaucracy.
He preferred to work under the radar, which made him the perfect field agent. Sneak in and sneak back out without ever being detected. If anyone found him out, he’d ask forgiveness after the fact. His dad had lived by that mantra up until the day he died in the line of duty as a TREX field agent, and Spencer followed in his footsteps.
He just hoped it wouldn’t end the same for him. If he did, he’d go out knowing he served his country proud and didn’t ruin the lives of anyone in the balance. He had no wife. No kids. His death would be mourned by his brotherhood, by the team he called his family, but he wouldn’t leave behind a true family. No widow to cry herself to sleep over his loss. No kids to forget what he looked like.
He was just fucking fine being alone. It made it easier for everyone.
Weber unlocked his office and pushed open the door. Once Spencer joined him, he tossed a manila envelope his way. “We’ve been requested to find a lost item. Take a look.”
Spencer tore open the envelope and pulled out the contents. When he settled in on the subject of the find, he shot a look at Weber, shocked TREX would be brought in on something like this. “You want me to track down and retrieve a missing girl? What threat is she to our nation’s security?”
“She isn’t,” Weber said and opened a folder in front of him. “But she’s the daughter of a TREX agent and he’s worried about her.”
“So let the TREX agent deal with it.” He shoved the contents into the envelope and tossed it onto Weber’s desk. “She’s over eighteen and has a right to not check in with daddy anymore.”
Weber pinched the skin between his eyes. “Don’t bust my balls on this, Allen. I’m not exactly happy about it, either. It is what it is. Take the mission.”
“It’s a bullshit mission.” Spencer practically spat. Why would TREX assign him something like tracking down a spoiled kid on his first find as team lead? Did they really have that little faith in his ability?
“Take the fucking mission.”
With a sigh, Spencer reached over and grabbed the envelope back. Pulling the c
ontents out, he sighed again as he studied them. “This will take me all of a day. Tops. Is this what I get for earning my stripes enough to get to a field lead?” He lifted the material.
“Like I said. It is what it is. Sometimes we don’t get the choice of our missions. This find will ground you as a lead. It’s a no-brainer. Easy in and out. One quick flash and grab and you’re solid.” Weber sat back in his chair. He shrugged, like that made Spencer feel any better.
“Fine,” he grumbled and slouched in the chair. “Read me in.”
“Subject’s name is Tanya Sullivan.”
Spencer stiffened as he shot Weber a glance wide with shock. “This is Sully’s kid?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You know him?”
“Everybody knows Jim Sullivan. The guy has cleaned more scenes than anyone. Not only is he there for everyone else no matter the time of night we call him, he’s a hell of a nice guy.”
“What happened to having this TREX agent deal with it?”
Spencer stood and went to the door. He knew better than to take that bait. “I’ll report in when it’s done.”
“Pick your partner on this one.”
“I’ve already got one.” He left HQ and drove north, knowing where he wanted to start. Seattle’s underground district had a hell of a lot of movement in sex rings. A missing female. Attractive. Not a minor. Any kid of a TREX agent would know better than to sneak off, which meant it had to have been prompted by something.
Or someone.
Spencer parked his SUV a few blocks away and quickly changed into the suit he kept hanging in the back for occasions just like this. Once he had the proper jewelry—diamond rings, diamond studs in his ears, and a genuine Rolex, he climbed out of the vehicle and straightened his tie as he scanned his surroundings.
He nonchalantly made his way to the seedy entrance of the Emerald Club and hesitated outside the door. To the casual passerby, the stained door looked like the back entrance to a restaurant’s kitchen. Or to a bar. Only those aware of the club knew what this door opened to.
An underground sex ring.
Spencer only knew about it after partnering with the state’s special victim’s unit at the SBI. The minute they brought down one club auctioning off doped-up women to the highest bidder, two more popped up. If anyone had anything on a missing girl mixed up in the ring, it would be his contact, Agent Wayde Davis. Davis practically lived at the club as he protected his partner while she worked to track down the leader of the sex ring.
He knocked and waited. It was early for the real traffic to hit, meaning Spencer really had to play the part. The last time he was here, he was Spencer Worthington III, a man with more money than sense. The door opened and the beefy Jamaican, Guy, poked his bald head out.
“What you want?”
“I’m Spencer Worthington III.”
“You tink dat means shit to me?”
Spencer held up the wad of cash and Guy’s eyes widened. “I think it does.”
Guy glanced over his shoulder and then grabbed the cash. “Dis way.” He opened the door and motioned for Spencer to enter. He did and descended the stairs into the dark pits of a club that reeked of stale cigarettes and body order. It was eerily silent with only a few patrons on the floor, the stage empty. By day this place was just a dive bar feeding men watered down drinks. The real fun started after the sun went down. Once he spotted Davis and vice versa, he knew he was in.
“I got it, Guy.” Davis approached and gave the tall black man a nod. “He’s with me.”
Guy growled and stormed off.
“Is that guy always pissed?” Spencer asked.
“Yes.” Davis held out his hand and Spencer took it. “How in the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you in close to a year.” He jerked his attention around before leaning closer. “No one warned me you were coming. You aren’t here to hijack my case again, are you? It irritated me last time that your agency had the balls to even try. This time it’ll piss me off.”
Of course it would. Spencer got it. If the roles were reversed, he’d feel the same way. “I’m looking for a girl.”
Davis grinned. “Aren’t we all, buddy?”
“This one is the daughter of a friend.”
Davis dropped his smile and transformed into the hard SBI Agent Spencer needed right now. He nodded for Spencer to follow him over to an area against an outside wall, not too far from another exit. The gloomy green neon glowed from the sign above them, creating an ominous look in the otherwise dimly lit room.
“This is a blind spot. Deaf, too. The owner, whoever the fuck he is, isn’t smart enough to figure that out. Tell me about this friend.”
Spencer wasn’t about to lean up against the dirty wall in a ten-thousand dollar suit. He worked at his sleeves, rolling them up to show off his Rolex, making sure everyone attempting to spy on them knew he had money and wasn’t afraid to use it. It was his cover whenever he had to go deep into Seattle’s underground sex club scene. “TREX. His daughter is barely legal. The file mentions something about her wanting to get into modeling.”
Davis nodded and shoved his hands into his jeans. “I’ve heard that angle. Some guy approaches a pretty girl in a shopping mall, parking lot, or where ever. He flashes a business card and swears she has what it takes to be in front of the camera. He promises a photo shoot. She shows. He drugs her. Boom. She’s on the stage at one of these shit holes, being auctioned off to the highest bidding asshole.”
Damn it. That’s exactly what Spencer was afraid of. He pulled out Tanya Sullivan’s photo and lightly slapped Davis’s hand as he placed it in his palm. “Has she been in here?”
Davis kept it at his side, hidden from anyone else’s view, as he studied the photo for close to an eternity. Finally, he sighed and nodded as he tucked the picture in his back pocket. “A couple nights ago. She was really out of it.”
“Who bought her?”
“A regular. He’s harmless for the most part. From what I’ve been able to gather, he’s a sub and wants the woman to be his Dominatrix. That’s why he’s always in here. Most of these women willing—or unwilling, for that matter—to be auctioned off are not the domme type.”
“Has she been back?”
Davis sighed and shook his head. “Sorry, dude. I know what that usually means.”
So did Spencer. “Thanks. If you see her again…”
“Tell you what. Let me make a few calls and do some snooping at tonight’s auction. I’ll have my partner plant the bug in Guy’s ear that you’re looking for a sweet little blonde like that one and see what comes up.”
“I’ll try some of the other clubs.”
Davis shook his head. “Don’t start poking around just yet. That’ll be a trigger to lock her down. Let me do my thing first.”
“I need to be doing something,” Spencer growled and clenched his teeth. He hated waiting on someone else.
“Take the night to get a game plan in place then. Trust me on this. These people are tight. Word will get out you’re looking for her and whoever has her will disappear. If he doesn’t disappear with her, he’ll leave her body for us to find and she’ll become another statistic. Give me tonight. If I come up empty, you can do your TREX thing. Deal?”
Reluctantly, Spencer nodded. “Deal.”
TWO
Where in the hell was his backup?
Spencer plastered a smile on his face as the woman insisting that she buy him a drink talked his ear off about her cats. She was supposed to be a six-foot redhead, according to Lyons. Unless Spencer grew an additional several inches, there was no way she cleared five-foot-eight, even with those ridiculous fuck me pumps she had on.
“And then Chloe, that’s my little calico…”
Spencer scanned the bar, planning his escape. This blind date was a disaster. The minute he found Lyons, he’d strangle the bastard for putting him up to this.
His gaze snagged on a woman he immediately recognized, sitting in a corner booth. She played with the
brim of her wine glass, tracing it with slender fingers. Why would the head of the search and rescue agency TREX contracted with be alone in a bar? This bar, in particular. Most of the patrons were either TREX or ex-TREX. The CEO of a privately-funded civilian agency didn’t fit either bill.
He decided to find out. “I’m sorry,” he interrupted the cat lover. “I’m allergic to cats.”
She dropped her jaw as if he’d just called her fat, ugly, and told her he’d slept with her sister. “Well, then. I guess we’re done.”
“Thank you for the drink, Sandy.”
“It’s Sally,” she corrected, ice dripping from the look she gave him. She spun on her heel and stormed off.
Spencer made his way over to the booth, stopping in front of it. “Hi there.”
“I’m not—” she stopped abruptly when she glanced up at him with the most incredible pale blue eyes he’d ever seen. “Hey, I know you. Aren’t you…?”
“TREX,” he finished for her and took a seat.
“Have a seat.” She motioned with her hand, sarcasm sharpening her tone.
“I’m Spencer.”
“Kat.”
“What’s that short for?”
She watched him, caution swirling in her expression. “Why?”
“I just had a bad experience over cats. I’d rather call you by your full name.”
“But only my grandfather calls me Kathryn.”
Kathryn. He liked it. It fit her. Feminine. Pretty. No, not just pretty. Stunning. “That’s a great name.”
Color splashed her pretty cheeks and pulled the blue out in her eyes. Her red hair enhanced, well, everything. God how he loved redheads. “Thanks. Look, I’m not really in the mood for company right now.”
