Hotwire

by Cindy M. Hogan

  My heart sped up, and I felt my face burn. I tipped my head down in hopes of hiding it from him. Stupid physical response! It had been too long since I’d felt someone’s lips on mine, and a part of me longed to feel it again. I pushed my mind to the girls and scanned the room in vain for them again. Still, no one else had returned yet.

  Once the song ended, he escorted me off the dance floor. He bowed and walked away. Someone touched my arm from behind me. I turned, thinking it was one of the other Ambassadors, but it wasn’t. It was Jericho. Jericho was back? I searched the room for the girls in one wide sweep of my head. That’s when I noticed all three of the guys from the auto shop were missing. I found Mikado, but no girls. They were nowhere. My heart rumbled in my chest. Where were they? Were they being cigged, whatever that meant?

  “Looking for anyone in particular?” Jericho’s husky voice called my attention back to him. “Maybe I can find him for you and introduce you.” There was laughter in his voice as he captured my hand in his. “But until then, how about we dance?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he moved me onto the floor and gently placed his hand on my waist. Yet again, a song from another era played. His breath was minty, and his fresh-smelling cologne caught me off guard. This guy had just slapped a tiny girl across the face. How could he now seem so normal, so likeable? I resisted the urge to pull away from him.

  “No. I was just wondering where the bathroom was.” I smiled at him. “I think I drank too much punch that last break. Maybe we can dance later.”

  “It’s to your left,” he said, pulling me crisply to him. “I’ll take you there after this dance. That is, if you can wait that long.”

  “I think I’ll manage,” I said as the music started. This was my in with Jericho, and I thought I had better take it, despite the heavy feeling in my gut. He was an incredible dancer, his execution flawless, hitting every step. No circles for him. When the music stopped, he held me in our last pose for the requisite three seconds, he pulled me out to his side, as if he had been dancing for a crowd, and he bowed, first to the imagined crowd and then to me, still holding onto the tips of my fingers as he did. I didn’t know professional ballroom dance etiquette, but it seemed I should bow back, so I did.

  He stared at me, like he was waiting for me to congratulate him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I extracted my hand from his and said, “Thanks for the dance,” before turning to go to the bathroom.

  He seized my hand as it fell to my side. “Didn’t you enjoy the dance?” he asked, his eyes probing mine.

  I felt my hand turn slick with sweat. “Of course,” I said. “I always love a good dance.” I was careful not to give him one ounce of praise for his dancing ability, even though it had been exceptional. I tried to extricate my hand, but he held tighter. The music started to play.

  “Let’s try this again,” he said, pulling me to him.

  I didn’t try to hide my distaste of his forcefulness. I yanked my hand from his. “I’ll have to catch you another time. I have a date with the bathroom, remember?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I seem to remember you saying you could wait.”

  I put my tongue in my cheek, rolled my eyes, and looked away from Jericho. He grabbed my hand and my waist with a suaveness bordering on surreal and gracefully led me about the floor. If I thought there was an ounce of genuineness in this guy, I’d have been tempted to fall for him. But I knew him. I’d seen who he truly was. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  Once again, at the end of the dance, he bowed to the non-existent crowd and then to me. I did a deep curtsey. His face was flushed from exertion, and he looked at me expectantly once again.

  “Thank you for the lovely dance,” I said. “Now, may I go to the ladies room? I’m afraid I simply can’t wait a moment longer.”

  He moved in close. “Most girls would wait for me.”

  I moved in closer, my lips next to his ear. “I am not most girls.” I whispered it, my heart hammering in my chest. His arrogance offended me, and I needed a moment to collect myself before I hit him. I knew I needed to get close to him, but I wanted it on my terms. And I really wanted to get in touch with the crew to find out about the girls.

  He chuckled before I could move away from him. “No, you most certainly aren’t.” A look of curiosity played across his face. The music went back to popular rock music. This deejay loved to do sets of music in threes. As I moved, I thought I heard crying on my earpiece. I focused on it as I walked, picking up speed.

  I pushed my way to the edge of the dancers and into the serenity of the bathroom, hoping for some quiet so that I could hear. Three laughing girls exited a stall, the smell of alcohol wafting around them. Before leaving the room, the clank of a glass bottle hitting the bottom of the garbage can sounded in the room. I took a deep breath and said in a quiet whisper, “Stupid. Stupid. You cannot make Jericho your enemy.” At that very moment, I noticed Gina, standing over Karina in front of one of the sinks.

  Without a thought, I rushed over. “What happened?”

  “She just fainted and hit her head on the sink. I tried to grab her, but she fell too fast.”

  I had a choice. I could try to smuggle her out, which would have to happen through the bathroom window, or I’d have to have someone create a distraction so that I could whisk her away through some side doors.

  “I’ll go get help,” I said, standing and hurrying to the door. I scanned the room, considering my options—I could go to a teacher, but it would probably create a scene and quite likely cause serious trouble for both girls. I couldn’t risk it. My eyes fell on Carson. Would he help me create a diversion? Could I trust him? He raised an eyebrow at me from the dance floor. I would have to chance it. I didn’t think Gina and I could get Karina out of the window without hurting her more than she already was. I waved him over. By this time, Karina was propped up against the wall, looking haggard. I texted Jeremy that I needed a car.

  Carson came right over after apologizing to his group.

  “What’s up?”

  “Can I trust you?” I tilted my head to the side.

  “Of course.” He moved in closer and leaned against the wall just outside the bathroom.

  “I need you to cause a distraction so that I can get a girl out of the school without anyone noticing.”

  “A distraction? Why?”

  “Let’s just say that the administration wouldn’t be very happy if they saw this girl, and she really needs her scholarship.”

  “Oh, I get it.” He made a sign that he thought that the girl’d been drinking.

  “Can you help? I thought I’d sneak her out that door.”

  “It’s locked, remember?”

  “Don’t worry about that.” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Ah. You are a girl with skills. Nice!” He nodded his head in appreciation. “I know just the thing.” A glint shone in his eye.

  “Thanks.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “And could you cover for us if anyone asks about us and then sign us all out? I don’t want anyone to find out we left before the dance was over.” I gave him their names, and he nodded.

  “Give me five minutes. When you hear everyone start singing Happy Birthday, the way should be clear.”

  “Got it. Happy Birthday song.”

  I went back into the bathroom. Karina’s chin looked like it would need stitches, and a bruise was blossoming on her cheek. I moved in close. Had Jericho caused that cut or someone else? Did S-Dub hit her, too? I felt my eyes narrow, and I wanted blood. I hated that I couldn’t get it. The least I could do was help this girl.

  “We have our diversion.” I looked at Gina. “Now, Gina, we need to get her up and nearer the door. When we hear the Happy Birthday song, it’s time to move. We’ll go out the doors by the punch table.”

  She nodded.

  I consulted my watch. Two more minutes. We moved Karina nearer the door. When the song broke out, we helped Karina walk out. The entire student body and a
ll the teachers were at the opposite side of the gym singing to the principal. How had Carson known? Maybe they’d announced it at the beginning of school before I got there. Karina was light, and I could have helped her to the door on my own, but once at the door, I handed her over to Gina and took a bobby pin and opened the door in a few seconds flat. The students and faculty were still singing when we slipped through the door.

  As we approached my clunker car, which Jeremy had dropped off for me, I said, “I know it’s a beauty, but don’t worry, you can’t hurt it.” I chuckled just a little when I saw the piece of paper that read, Belgian Waffles or Bust under the windshield wiper. There was no question it was the right car.

  “At least you have a car.” Gina sighed.

  The two girls climbed into the backseat together. I guessed I’d be the chauffeur to the hospital. That’s when I remembered Laron. What would he do when he showed up at the school and they weren’t there?

  I pulled out my cell phone. “You guys want to call someone?” They shook their heads an adamant refusal.

  I parked in front of the emergency room doors and turned the car off.

  “Oh, you don’t need to come inside with us. We’ll be just fine.” Gina reached for the door and opened it.

  “No. It’s okay. I’ll stay. I want to.” I opened my door. “And don’t worry about getting back to the dance to sign out. Carson is taking care of that.”

  “Really? Thanks for that. But, seriously, we’ll feel bad if you stay. Go.” She started to climb out. “And we do need to get back. My uncle is picking us up outside the school, and he’ll kill us if we don’t show.”

  “But how will you get back in time? I’ll wait.”

  She didn’t miss a beat. “There’s a hole just around the corner, and we’ll hurry and make it back. We couldn’t impose. Besides, we don’t know how long we’ll be here. Go. Really.”

  “Emergency rooms take forever. You might want to call your uncle.” I held out my phone.

  She pulled one out of a little purse and waved it. “I’ve got it covered, and if it looks like they are going to take forever, I’ll call him.”

  “I don’t know.” I pictured the subway entrance they were talking about. It was safe enough, I guessed. I had helped Karina get the care she needed, but had I also made the deeper connection with the girls that I’d hoped for? Would staying with them create a greater bond or weaken it? That was the question.

  She gave me a look that said stay put as she helped Karina out of the car and said, “Thanks. We really appreciate it. Drive safe.”

  Her look told me it all. They didn’t want me to go with them. I hoped they wouldn’t just leave and not get medical attention. It was out of my hands, and I’d done my best. What would Laron say? They’d never make it back to the school in time. Emergency care was anything but quick. Anxious to find out what really had happened to the girls after they drove away in the stolen car, I sped away to the brownstone. It occurred to me as I drove home that I could no longer hear anything the girls said. Had the bug somehow been damaged or had it been turned off?

  Chapter 9

  Jeremy and Ace were waiting for me in the kitchen when I got back to the brownstone. Ace had his laptop out and was typing away, but Jeremy was just sitting there, staring thoughtfully out the window.

  “So what did you find out? What happened?” I asked, taking a seat.

  Jeremy turned to me slowly, seeming reluctant to let go of whatever he had been thinking about. He cleared his throat. “They drove the cars to two different locations,” he said. “Just on the street—right out there for anyone to see. Of course, no one but our agents was around. A couple of professionals were there to meet them, and once the kids jumped out and headed for the subway, the guys whipped through the cars, swapping out the VIN numbers and license plates and, I’m assuming, putting fake documents in the glove box. And searching for trackers. They found the one Halluis put on the Camry and removed it. I stuck around the girls, listening to their feed. Would you like to listen to it?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “We got a conversation between Jericho and whoever is calling the shots. It wasn’t S-Dub. We didn’t get an ID on the guy, but we need to get to him,” Jeremy continued.

  “Let’s hear it,” I said.

  Jeremy looked at Ace, who had angled his eyes up to the team leader for direction. Jeremy nodded at him, and Ace started the playback.

  “Yes, sir. We did all the cars, but we had a problem with the girls. I’m not sure they’re going to cut it. Do you want me to continue with them?”

  “I don’t have time to worry about new recruits. If you have to spend all day with them to get them properly trained, you do that. It’s your responsibility. Make it happen.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The man hung up, and Jericho did too. He swore colorfully.

  “Let’s listen from the beginning now.” Jeremy’s hands briefly clenched as he uncrossed his arms and put his fingers on the edge of the table. Ace started the recording from the time the girls couldn’t get the cars started, and we all listened.

  I flinched, listening to S-Dub hit Karina after they’d delivered the cars. “I should give you a little lesson, too, but someone might ask questions if you’re both a bit banged up.”

  I assumed he’d been talking to Gina.

  “Come by the shop at 5:30 to get some more practice in. Idiot girls. I don’t know why he insisted I bring you on.”

  There was some silence on the line until it sounded like they climbed into a car and started to drive.

  Jericho swore every other word, calling the girls all sorts of horrible names. “If you embarrass me like that again, I’ll have to really hurt you. If you think what happened today was harsh punishment, you haven’t seen anything, yet. After school, I’ll need to see you in the shop. Be ready to work and no more excuses.”

  “Was Mikado still there?” I asked.

  “He was,” Jeremy said.

  “So we lost the car again?” I leaned back in my chair.

  “Actually, thanks to Halluis’s sweet shadowing ability, he stayed with them on his motorcycle.” Ace leaned back in his chair as if he were responsible for Halluis’s greatness. “Followed them all the way to a shop in Sunset Park.”

  “Where’s Halluis now?” I asked.

  “Last we heard, he’d done a perimeter check, and the place didn’t seem big enough to hold a bunch of cars. But they could be underground. He was going to try to find a way inside. He should check in soon, and then we’ll know more. I’m betting he finds the car, drives the thing out of there, and we can be done with this whole business.”

  “That would be sweet. I really don’t want to be anywhere near Jericho again if it can be helped.”

  That’s when Jeremy’s phone rang. “Yes?” After a minute of him listening intently, he sighed and said, “All right, come on back, then.” He hung up.

  “That was Halluis,” he said, rubbing his hand over his tired face. “There wasn’t anything at the shop—just the cars they took tonight. Definitely no Mercedes 300. It’s probably a temporary storage location, not where they’re keeping all the cars.” He bit his cheek and looked at his feet.

  Ace grumbled a curse. “So we got nothing tonight?”

  “Well, not nothing,” I insisted. “We learned a lot about how the gang works, and who’s really going to be valuable. I realized tonight that those two girls would get me nowhere. I need to either go after Shareweather or one of the boys. Neither of which is appealing.”

  Jeremy shook his head slowly. “I don’t think Shareweather is the answer. I think he’s just a hired hand, a grunt really. He’s not the one calling the shots, and he’s not likely to lead us to anything really useful. Sure, he’s Jericho and Mikado’s direct supervisor, but there was someone more important that Jericho was talking to on that recording.”

  “You’re probably right,” Ace said, his head down. “When I was looking through Shareweather’s f
inancials, it appeared that he makes a significant deposit to his account every four weeks. And it appears he makes an even bigger deposit to an off-shore account that same day each month. They probably pay him per car each month. He may not even know exactly who he is working for.”

  “Lackeys like him rarely ever meet the important people,” Jeremy added. “It stands to reason that if Jericho is able to call this person, whoever it is, he must have an in with the real organization.” He pushed through the recording and pulled up the call. The voice on the other end was no one familiar. Certainly no one we’d been tracking at the school. “Ace, could you go to Division HQ to work on isolating the voice on the phone for us?”

  Ace nodded.

  “Can we take a break for a second?” I asked. “I’m starving.”

  “All right,” Jeremy agreed. “We should probably wait for Halluis to get back before we move on, anyway.”

  I stood up and started raiding the fridge for something more substantial than the party fare I’d eaten at the dance. I settled on making myself a giant sandwich and had just finished polishing it off when Halluis arrived. We filled him in on our discussion, and he immediately jumped in with his opinion.

  “Unfortunately,” Halluis looked at me directly, “it sounds like Jericho is the one you’re going to need to get to know. Sure, you still want to see if Shareweather will notice you enough to recruit you, but then you’ll just be a peon.”

  Jeremy turned his head away and stifled a groan that only I seemed to notice.

  “Ah,” Ace said, setting his elbows on the table and leaning forward. “I think you’re on to something. Christy can easily get Jericho’s attention as a girlfriend and then weasel her way in from there.”

  “Easy is a relative term, you know,” I said, stiffening. I could probably get him to like me, but I didn’t want to. “He’s so creepy and disgusting. I’ve never met anyone as arrogant as he is. You should have seen him at the dance. He—”

  “Sounds like you already have caught his attention then,” Ace said, grinning. “Our little girl, turning heads and making waves.”