While Dix and Frazier spoke in whispers, Marie craned her head trying to hear them. She could only hear bits and pieces, but she made out the words Pahrump, RL Associates, and Robert Laurin. She resisted any temptation to acknowledge that she was associated to them or knew who or what they were. She assumed they were just fishing for a reaction. None of it meant much to her until the guy talking to Dix said Robert Laurin was gunned down. That caused a reaction she wasn’t quick enough to disguise as her lip furled and she snapped her head to look right at the two men huddled in the corner. Every fiber and feeling in her body made her believe it was not her Robert who was dead. But, when she allowed herself to look down at the photo on the floor her heart stopped. The one and only man who'd ever loved her, and she loved back, was dead.
She watched as Dix bent over and tried to cover the image of the man on the piece of paper. She needed to do whatever she could to protect herself now that she was alone. Denying everything had worked in the past, so she decided, once she gathered her wits again, to dismiss everything she’d heard and seen.
“Who the fuck is that guy?” she asked Dix.
Dix grabbed the photo and folded it so she couldn’t see the image. “What guy?” he replied. He placed the image in the folder and turned to walk away.
“Where are you going? The great Bill Dix isn’t gonna take a shot at interrogating the Praying Mantis?” She used the name she knew Dix would bite on. She had already developed an escape plan, but she hoped to get something she could use to locate and kill Dix when she was free. Or better yet, kill him during the escape.
“Oh no, I’ve already got what I need. Besides, I don’t think I’d last five seconds with you during an interrogation or for that matter, anything. You’re gonna pay for what you’ve done,” replied Dix coolly.
“You don’t have shit! Fuck you, Dix. We’ll meet again.” She gawked at him. “And you’ll only know it right before I stick a knife in your heart,” she snarled.
“I doubt you’ll get that chance, but you’re not what or who I’m after. I’m off to watch the recording devices and your reaction as we talked about Robert Laurin.” Dix watched for a reaction and got none.
“I don’t give a shit about some Robert Laurin guy. He’s just another dead man, big deal. I’ve seen plenty of those in my lifetime,” Marie replied with a hiss.
“I bet you have, but in this case, this Robert Laurin fella, he isn’t dead.”
Her eyes flickered and she hesitated just enough to convince him the man calling the shots was in fact Robert Laurin.
He looked at her and shook his head in disgust. He wasn’t sure what her fate would be, but nothing on Earth would justify what she deserved.
“Fuck you!” she screamed and thrashed about in her handcuffs and leg restraints. She wanted to gouge his eyes out and slit his throat.
Dix left the room and headed to review the audio and digital recordings. He wanted to make sure he was correct before unleashing one of the largest manhunts the United States had ever conducted for one man named Robert Laurin.
Chapter 37:
Dix met up with Frazier to watch the video and listen to his quasi-interrogation of Marie. Before they hit play, he checked his phone and saw he had two messages from Pierre, one marked urgent. He stepped out of the room and called him.
“Hey Pierre, what’s up?”
“Yo, Dix, I’m glad you finally called me back. I think we might have a problem,” replied Pierre.
Dix thought, what else could possibly go wrong? “Speak to me, buddy, what’s the issue?” He braced for the worst.
“So I was able to get up on both phones, the one for the suspected supplier and the one that kept calling Marie. I believe the users of the phones met up about an hour ago,” said Pierre.
Dix nodded. “Okay, how’d you get that?” He assumed cell towers and possibly pings had something to do with it.
“I followed them through GPS coordinates and cell towers,” Pierre replied confidently. “The devices were within a few meters of each other somewhere off of Interstate 15 about twenty minutes outside of Vegas.”
“Ok, did you see who they were calling after they met up?” Dix hoped a lead was coming out of this discussion. He wanted to see the video and get going toward apprehending Laurin.
“The suspected supplier’s phone made and received quite a few calls right after the devices met up. The other phone remained on, but did not make or receive calls or texts. Then the supplier’s phone stopped communicating with the network while the person we believe is ordering your assassin around headed back into Vegas.”
“Oh man, that can’t be good. Send the coordinates of the devices at the time of the meeting to Frazier and me. I’ll have him send some marked units to the area and see if they see anything useful,” he thought a moment, “Also, where’s the other phone now?”
Pierre refreshed the computer screen and the network searched for the device. Eventually a location was plotted on Google Earth and it caught Pierre off guard. “Dix, that device is right outside of where you’re at!"
“Are you sure?” he thought maybe the system glitched, which happened from time to time.
“Yes, it’s within a few meters of the building you’re in right now,” replied Pierre in a panic.
“All right, keep tabs on the phone and send me every update you get. We’ll develop a plan and see if we can locate the device right after I shore up a loose end,” he replied with newfound enthusiasm. He started walking to the rear of the office to observe the video of Marie. I hope Laurin is the guy we want.
He walked back into the room with the video and audio equipment. He could see Frazier watching the footage while checking a text on his cell phone.
“Right there,” he pointed to the monitor. “She purses her lips when we mention Pahrump, RL Associates, and Robert Laurin,” Frazier said to Dix. Dix watched the video and saw the same thing. They fast-forwarded the video to the part about Robert Laurin being dead.
Marie spun her head and her eyes slightly bulged at the mention of his death. “And right there her body language clearly suggests she knows him. If you ask me, I think we need to do everything we can to find Robert Laurin, and the sooner the better,” Dix said.
Frazier nodded and turned on the computer next to him to put together a BOLO for Robert Laurin.
While he typed, Dix updated him about what Pierre had told him about the two phones allegedly meeting up and how one of those phones was showing to be near their location now.
Frazier stopped typing. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I’m not sure, but we need to assume someone knows Marie is here and may try to free her,” replied Dix.
Frazier shook his head. “You think someone will attack the Federal building in broad daylight for one broad? That seems extreme to me, pal.”
“I know, but this group has already shown they’ll do whatever they want whenever they want. Someone connected to this case is right outside the building based on the phone records. I sure hope I’m wrong, but we—” Dix couldn’t finish his statement as the rumbling of the building and a loud explosion caused him to fall to the floor and roll over to cover and retrieve his weapon.
He scanned the area to see what damage had occurred and tried to assess what just happened. He could see Frazier was shaken, but on his feet. They ran out of the room and down the hall to the main office area. They stopped short once they realized the windows had been blown out and part of the building had disintegrated.
“Buddy, we gotta get Marie and get the hell out of here,” Dix said to Frazier as they ran to the makeshift interrogation room. They made it just in time to see a six-man team escorting her through the halls and down the stairs to the basement.
Frazier looked at Dix. “That’s been handled, we need to get out of the building and find the people responsible for this attack!”
Dix looked at Marie and felt even six trained men weren’t enough to handle her, let alone handle whoever wa
s coming looking to free her.
Marie felt his stare and turned to see the concerned look on Dix’s face. She blew him a kiss as the team whisked her away through the door to the stairs. He shook his head. Think, Bill, think. Get out or follow?
“They’re here for Marie. We gotta assume they know where she’s headed and what our response will be based on this attack. I’m not going out through the front door,” he turned to sprint toward the stairs, “I’m following her.”
Frazier looked confused. As Dix’s statement sunk in, two loud explosions shook the building again. They came from the area toward the basement. Suddenly Frazier realized Dix was right and they needed to prevent someone from freeing Marie. If she escaped, plenty more bodies, including his and Dix’s, would follow.
They ran as fast as they could to the stairs and paused before going in. They nodded at each other and swung the door open. Dix went right, Frazier went left. Working their way down to the basement took awhile, but when they got there, it took them a few seconds to process what they saw.
Two transport vans had been blown apart and agents were scattered in the debris. Dix instinctively ducked behind a car for cover as Frazier dove to his right, trying to do the same.
Gunshots whizzed by Dix’s head, smashing the concrete near his face. It seemed there were at least two shooters because the sounds of the gun blasts were different. Dix looked over at Frazier and saw a shadow behind him.
“Frazier! To your right!” Dix screamed and pointed behind him.
Frazier spun around just as Marie grabbed him and put a gun to his temple. What was left of her handcuffs hung from her wrists and somehow her spiked adrenaline helped her swing Frazier around as a human shield.
Motion off to their left caught Dix’s attention. Several agents began flooding the basement and another firefight broke out just out front of the building’s garage.
“Well, well, Dix, looks like I got another one of your partners,” Marie said while Frazier struggled to get free from her grasp.
Dix tried like hell but he didn’t have a clear shot. “Let him go, this has nothing to do with him,” replied Dix. He scanned the area, but didn’t take his eyes off Marie. The firefight continued just outside the basement garage. Dix could hear sirens and couldn’t imagine what was going on out there. It didn’t matter, though, since his immediate problem stood directly in front of him.
“Fuck off, Dix. Here’s how this is going to go. Drop your weapon while I wait for my ride and I’ll let this asshole live.” She smiled and looked at the gate leading outside the building to the parking lot. “Or I kill you both and walk right out that gate to kill a few more agents on my way to freedom.” She had no idea what was going on, but she was sure Robert was trying to rescue her and by the sounds and looks of it, he was damn near close to succeeding.
“Can’t do that, Marie,” Dix responded. “Let him go, you don’t have to do this.”
She smiled. “I know, but I want to do this.” She looked out to the parking lot and she could hear the firing had stopped. She assumed whoever was trying to free her must have been killed or fled. She hoped it was some of Robert’s men and not him personally.
Dix wanted to take a shot to rescue Frazier, but it was too risky. He felt deflated and out of options. He had to save Frazier, but was fairly confident Marie would kill both of them as soon as he lowered his gun. It’s worth a shot, he decided. He began to lower his weapon and noticed a red laser on Marie’s forehead. Then two, three, four more lasers were on her. One crossed her eye and she looked down to see the lasers all over her exposed body parts.
“Marie, you don’t have to do this. Let me go, please, I’ve got a wife and kids,” Frazier pleaded with the psychotic assassin.
She smiled disturbingly and murderous intent flashed in her eyes. She decided she’d kill Frazier and as many others agents she could before they got her. There was no way out of the basement, and she was not going to rot in a cell for the rest of her life. She hoped she would see Robert in the afterlife.
Dix saw her demented smile first, and pulled his trigger. The round went right through Frazier’s arm and into Marie’s flesh. She didn’t flinch and trained her weapon on Dix while Frazier fell to the ground screaming in pain. The surrounding agents shot her numerous times, mutilating her body before it fell to the ground. They moved closer and closer to clear the basement of any further threats. What was left of Marie was handcuffed, and paramedics were summoned for Frazier.
“Dix you asshole, you shot me!” Frazier sounded pissed.
“She had made up her mind pal, she had a sick smile on her face and her finger was moving toward the trigger. Sorry I saved your damn life!” They shared a laugh while Dix tried to get an update from the other agents. He needed to know what the hell happened in the parking lot.
Dix made his way to the parking lot and was not prepared for what he saw. Several fresh craters remained where vehicles had been blown to bits. Debris, body parts, and broken structures were scattered across the lot. Several men were being treated for wounds, while others were being transported or worked on right in front of him. It looked like a damn war scene.
Dix watched for a brief moment and noticed one man seemed to be making calls and commands on the radios. He assumed this man was a supervisor. Dix jogged over to him.
“Hey boss, what’ve we got?” he asked the man.
The man paused for a second. “We’ve been attacked in broad fucking daylight and the son of a bitch broke our perimeter and escaped. That’s what we got!” the man replied obviously pissed off.
“Anyone get a look at the guy?” Dix wanted to help and remembered he had the photo of Laurin in his pocket that he’d let fall in the interrogation room.
“We all saw the son of a bitch, I looked him in his eyes and all he did was smile. Then he threw four grenades at the cars blocking the entrance.” He motioned to the craters in parking lot. “And you see what’s left of them over there. Asshole drove away and some units gave chase. They all ran over spike strips the piece of work laid out and were disabled too!”
Dix unfolded the piece a paper from his pocket and showed it to the supervisor, “Is this the guy?”
The supervisor studied the photo for less than two seconds. “Goddamn it, that’s him. I want a BOLO out on this asshole ASAP!” He looked at another agent. “Get the helicopters in the air and every able bodied cop or agent in the area to respond!”
Dix stood in the parking lot trying to figure out what to do next. Frazier would make it, but he had to go to the hospital to get the bullet wound treated. Petersen was ordered to stay at the hospital by his physician so he couldn’t come out to help. For the first time in a long time, Dix felt alone. He had his team nearby, but they weren’t there with him. None of the men running around in front of him knew him either. He felt overwhelmed and wondered how the hell they’d ever find Robert Laurin again. He considered giving up, but then suddenly recalled that Pierre could track the phone they all now believed belonged to Robert Laurin. This ain’t over yet, he thought with a greater sense of urgency.
Chapter 38:
Robert Blass, aka Robert Laurin, finished collecting the items he needed to try to rescue his lover, Marie Roy. The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to be with her. He even considered how he just might marry her even though he swore he’d never wed again after killing his last wife.
After killing the supplier and stashing his body in the trunk of the supplier’s car, he’d lit it on fire and started to roll toward the hospital where Marie was being treated. On the way, he was tipped off by an informant that she’d been treated and moved to the main federal building. It meant two things to Blass: one, she wasn’t hurt that badly to be released already, and two, she was fucked because she’d landed herself in federal custody. Blass thanked his informant and dialed the number to a janitor he knew at the federal building.
“Hey man, you know if they brought some hot broad into custody recently?” Blass aske
d the janitor.
“That depends, you paying a c-note again?” the janitor replied.
Blass chuckled. He would have paid ten thousand for this information, but the idiot janitor only wanted a hundred dollars. “Sure thing.”
The janitor nodded. “Yup, red headed lady with big tits and a nice ass. She’s here, but they’re watching her extra close.”
Blass nodded. “Yeah, that’s my Marie. Keep eyes on her and try to send me information on where she’s being kept. I’ll throw in ten thousand dollars if you come through.”
“Ten thousand! Are you shitting me?” The janitor had to cover his mouth to make sure he didn’t bring attention to himself.
“I need everything, and I need it in less than thirty minutes.” Man, I hope he can pull this off.
Blass had piqued the janitor’s interest. Ten thousand dollars was a ton of money and he decided he’d take it. “Will do, I’ll text you before thirty minutes.”
Blass had been inside the federal building as a visitor several times. He’d also been there as a contractor when the funding was approved to expand the building and add an underground secure parking lot. However, he needed to figure out Marie’s exact location if he had any real shot of freeing her. Although he’d made up his mind to hunt down and kill Bill Dix earlier, now all he wanted was to free Marie and flee the country, together. Eventually Dix will get his.
He had filled his car with plastic explosives, grenades, fully automatic firearms, ballistic vests and full body armor, spike strips, and a rocket propelled grenade launcher. The armor-plated vehicle also had bullet resistant tires. He had spent a lot of money having the vehicle made, but it was perfectly designed for a high-risk operation where a lot of bullets were going to fly. An attack on the federal building in the middle of the day was one such mission. But he could not stand the thought of being away from Marie another moment and he needed to feel her body against his.
Sin City Assassin (The Bill Dix Detective Series Book 3) Page 16
