The Missing Pieces

by H. S. Strickland

  “No, we know whose truck that is so you know I won’t be harmed.” I said, unstrapping my vest and laying it on the hood. I kept my gun in my pants, just in case.

  The closer I walked to Ryan’s truck, the more my stomach sunk. He wasn’t in the truck, but it was more than that. I knew now what this was. I knew why everything was clear of here. I knew why we were led here.

  When I saw Ryan’s gun on the ground, my stomach sunk farther. I felt like I was going to puke. This was not happening to me–to him. What had I done? I should have never gotten close to this case. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway because I was a selfish bitch.

  Zane jogged to me and told me something I already knew. The building belonged to the guy who was suspected of killing my parents.

  His fucking mother and ex-bitch were working with that piece of fucking shit. They knew everything about me and were probably going to tell Ryan. That wasn’t the problem though; his mother was going to take Ryan to Dexter so Dexter could get to me. This was a fucking disaster. Dexter wouldn’t let Ryan go, even after he got me. Dexter never let anyone go if they knew anything that could take him down, and now Ryan knew.

  “Do you have your laptop in your car?” I demanded to know as I passed Zane on the way back to the cars.

  “Yes, but what does that have to do with Ryan’s car being here?” He asked, catching up to me.

  “I’m going to be getting a call in a few minutes and I need you to trace it.”

  “Sloane, slow down for a minute and tell me what’s going on,” Zane asked, stepping in front of me to halt my fast paced steps.

  “Dexter has Ryan. Ryan’s mother and ex-bitch are fucking working with Dexter. Think about it. They can’t move a crack house in one day, especially while you were watching. Those bitches led us here, knowing Ryan would follow me. They got Ryan and Dexter will be calling me soon to trade Ryan’s life for mine. I want a trace on the call, and I want FBI down here now. I’m calling Mace and we are getting his guys down here as well. We need all the power we can get. In the meantime, get your laptop set up and ready for a trace. Call Boss and tell him we need guys here now.”

  I stepped around Zane and moved to my car to get my cell phone. I would be expecting Dexter’s call any minute now; depending on how long Ryan had been gone. I had no missed calls so I pulled up Mace’s phone number and hit the dial button.

  “Yeah?” He answered on the second ring.

  “Mace, I need you to trust me. I can’t give you an explanation right now, but I need you and the guys to meet me somewhere. I’ll text you the address,” I rushed out. I needed him at the warehouse as quick as possible.

  “Sloane, you need to tell me what is going on,” Mace said, his voice gravelly from sleep.

  “I’m pretty sure you’ve already figured out most of it, but right now I can’t give you the rest.” I said in a pleading tone. Right now wasn’t the time to tell him I was his dead sister.

  “Okay. Text me the address and I’ll call all the guys,” he said, sounding more alert than he was a minute ago.

  “Thanks Mace,” I whispered and hung up the phone. I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed to keep the phone line open.

  “Status, Zane,” I yelled over to his car.

  He appeared on the passenger side of my car and opened the door then folded his body in. He had the laptop open and ready for a trace.

  “Called Boss and he said that him and some other agents would be here any minute. I have the trace ready, just connecting it to your phone.”

  “Thank you, Zane.” I mumbled, mostly to myself, but I knew he heard me.

  I was so worried about Ryan. I hoped his mother had the decency not to hurt him. Farrah though, she was a wildcard. I believed that if she was going to score big for this, she would kill Ryan if she needed. I should have listened to my gut instincts about coming here. I should have never taken this case. If I hadn’t Ryan would be okay. He would be at home, or at work finishing paperwork. He would have been able to meet a nice, normal girl and have a normal life. I was the reason he was in danger. I put him in the position that he was in.

  Why was I so fucking stupid?

  I just had to be close to Mace. Had to see for myself that he was okay. Then I had to go in fall in love with Ryan. My actions were stupid and my judgment was off. I had tunnel vision. Only one thought–seeing Mace. My big brother. The brother that I wasn’t able to grow up with. He had a terrible life; he lost everyone he ever loved. Thank God he was able to love again. Thank God Araylia was able to bring him back to life.

  My phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at the caller id and saw that it was private. I knew it was Dexter. He had Ryan. I turned my eyes toward Zane to make sure everything was ready. He nodded his head toward my phone, telling me to answer.

  “Hello?” I answered, knowing damn good and well that this bastard had Ryan.

  “Well hello my dear, it’s nice to hear your voice again,” Dexter sneered. He clearly wasn’t happy to be dealing with me again.

  I shuddered. Hearing his voice brought back every memory of the night my parents were murdered. I remembered every detail like it happened yesterday. I remembered the smell of the gun power after he shot my parents in the head. I remembered hanging from the window, waiting to fall into the arms of another killer, but instead fell into the arms of the man that saved me. For years, he saved me. He was more than just a boss after I joined the FBI; he was a father figure, which was something I needed especially after watching my parents being murdered, and having to fake my death.

  “I would say the same, but we both know that would be a lie,” I snarled.

  “Enough with pleasantries. I assume you know why I have called you?” He asked. I imagined he was sitting in a chair, smoking a cigar and sipping some scotch. This was normal, everyday business to him.

  “You have Ryan,” I stated. There wasn’t a point in beating around the bush and not accusing him of having Ryan. This would be over a lot quicker if I wasn’t dicking around.

  “Aren’t you a smart girl? Yes I have your man. And I’m sure you already know what I want for you to get him safely.”

  “You want me in exchange for Ryan,” I stated in a bored tone. I didn’t want to break down in hysterics because I knew it would give him great pleasure. That was the last thing I wanted. He was already pleased at getting me. He hadn’t seen me in 16 years and had been looking for me just as long. He was finally going to get his chance at killing the only witness that could tie him to a double homicide. Lucky for him he didn’t know that I was an agent with the FBI or that Ryan had friends that were highly trained ex-military.

  “Correct!” He yelled, gleefully. I thought I might have heard him clapping in the background, but I couldn’t be sure. I honestly thought this guy was psychotic.

  “Where are we meeting?” I asked with impatience.

  “Right, the meeting place. I will text that address to you. You have an hour to meet me there, and if you bring company I will kill your blonde man,” Dexter snickered. He was so getting a kick out of this.

  “I’ve been on the run for 16 years, do you really think I have anybody to bring with me?” I said snottily. I wanted him to believe that I was truly alone, that way he was caught off guard when I showed up with a team of trained men.

  “Ah, yes, I seemed to have ruined your life. I suppose it’s fair though, considering you have ruined mine as well with your disappearing act,” he snarled.

  I had to grit my teeth so I didn’t ruin everything by cussing him out for everything he was worth. He knew what he was doing, testing me. I wasn’t going to fall for it. I looked to Zane and silently asked if the trace was complete. He nodded his head yes, and I felt my body sag in relief. You would think this fucker would have realized that I was stalling so we could get a trace.

  “Well if you would have left my parents alone, this wouldn’t be happening. Now, text me the address and I’ll see you in an hour.” I hung up the phone and
threw it at my dashboard with anger.

  The gall of that stupid man surprised me. I flew out of the driver’s seat of my car and paced around the empty parking lot, trying to reel in the anger. I couldn’t have my emotions in the way of this extraction or it would go wrong. Zane appeared at my side, but didn’t say anything. He knew that if he said something that I was likely to go off on him. Over the years, he had learned when to say something to me and when not to. This was one of those times to not say anything.

  I saw headlights coming from the top of the parking lot, and knew that it was Mace with the guys or it was Boss. The closer the vehicles got the more I was thinking it was Boss with a shit load of agents. Four SUVs pulled up beside my car and Boss filed out of the driver’s seat a minute later. I couldn’t help but to rush to his side. During this case I hadn’t seen him once and it was hard on me.

  After my parents were killed he was the one at the bottom of my window, waiting to catch me. He was the one that was by my side the entire time I was growing up in Witness Protection. He would come to the house where I was every chance he got, which was often. When I told him I wanted to join the FBI he pulled the strings to get me in, and he was the one that taught me everything I know. He was the father I never got to have. I was blessed to have gotten another father figure. Most people don’t get that second chance if their dad dies. They don’t have anyone to lean on after a tragedy like that. I had Boss, and later down the road a ton of FBI agents that I could lean on. I was very lucky to have the people I did.

  I shoved through the throng of people, and wrapped my arms around Boss’s shoulders, squeezing him tightly to me.

  “Ooomp,” he grunted out.

  “Sorry Boss, I missed you,” I told him, easing my grip a little, but not much.

  “Missed you too, girl.” He kissed the top of my head and patted my back lovingly.

  Zane came up behind us and slapped Boss on the shoulder. “Glad to see you’re doing well, Boss.”

  “Glad to see you’re still in one piece, boy,” Boss grumped at Zane.

  “Come on, girl, we have work to do,” he told me tenderly.

  I stepped away from Boss and felt the realization of why he was here slam back into me. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe, I felt like a stack of boulders were sitting on my chest, constricting my airways. I was wheezing, trying to take in a fresh breath of air when Zane scooped me up and sat me down in a seat. He crouched down and gently guided my head between my legs.

  “Breath for me,” he whispered, “in and out.”

  I did as I was told, breathing in and out slowly until I had my breaths under control.

  “You good to go, girl?” Boss asked, somewhere beside me.

  I nodded my head and stood slowly, so I knew that I wouldn’t fall and pass out from getting up to quickly.

  “Let’s get to work,” I said, rubbing the back of my hand over my forehead.

  “Zane, I need an updated map of the building we are going into. I need the entire layout so we can cover all exits.”

  “Already have one pulled up for you,” Zane replied.

  They walked over to my car, where Zane had his laptop and began talking strategy. I was focused on the three vehicles that were pulling into the full parking lot. The SUVs stopped a little ways down from where we were stationed and all the guys filed out. Mace was the one I was looking for so I looked through the crowd of FBI agents and found his green eyes, so much like mine.

  I quickly walked toward him and rushed into his arms, much like I did to Boss. He enveloped me briefly before pulling me back by my shoulders and looking at me. He had a ton of emotions flowing through him, anger, sadness, hurt, but most of all love.

  “What’s going on?” He asked on a pained whisper.

  “Ryan has been kidnapped,” I murmured, terrified of his reaction.

  His face morphed into a mask of anger. So much anger that I took a step back and nibbled on my bottom lip in worry. I was afraid that he was going to lash out at me.

  “Who the fuck took him?” He roared.

  I flinched, but answered. “His mother and more than likely ex-girlfriend,” I answered.

  “Why the fuck would they take him?” He questioned.

  “Because they owe someone money, and that someone, Dexter, wants me. They took Ryan to Dexter. Dexter called me and wants my life in exchange for Ryan’s. We’re supposed to meet in an hour, but we traced his call and we’re going to the place where the call was made.” I explained the entire dreaded situation. Well not the entire situation, I didn’t tell him about most of my involvement.

  Mace blanched. His face drained of color and his mouth hung open.

  “You’re the reason he was kidnapped?” He finally asked after a minute or so.

  I took another step away from him because of the force of that blow. What he said fucking stung like a bitch. I nodded my head anyway.

  Cade stepped in and whispered something in his ear. Whatever Cade said made Mace take a step back as if he took a blow himself. Zane and Boss flanked my sides and told us everything was ready to go and that we needed to head out now so we would make it in time.

  Mace kept looking at Zane the entire time Boss was talking and I knew he was going to make the connection soon.

  “Sloane, who are all of these people?” Cade asked.

  “These are FBI agents; they will be assisting us with getting Ryan back and arresting Dexter and his men.” I swept my arm out to gesture to the 20 FBI agents walking around, getting geared up.

  “Who are they?” Mace nodded his head to Boss and Zane at my sides.

  “This is Boss, he pretty much raised me.” The two men shook hands, Mace looking at Boss with a mix of emotions. “And this is Zane, a friend and colleague of mine.”

  Zane stepped up to shake Mace’s hand, but Mace didn’t move. He stood stock still with an emotionless face. He didn’t reach for Zane’s hand, only standing still with an ashen face.

  “I know you,” Mace whispered.

  Zane dropped his hand and nodded his head. I watched as Mace’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with the force of his swallow.

  “You lived two houses down from me. I used to come over to your house and ride bikes with you,” Mace continued.

  “Yes,” Zane confirmed.

  “I hate to break up the reunion, but we have to leave now if we want to make it before Dexter leaves.” Boss told us, patting me on the back.

  “We need an FBI agent to ride with each of the guys so they can be briefed on the plan. Zane, Mace, Boss, and I will be riding in one car together,” I said, clapping my hands together to get everyone in motion.

  We had pulled up the slightly newer warehouse about 15 minutes ago. Zane and Boss already knew the tactics, but Mace and I had to be filled in on the way here.

  Zane, Mace, Boss, and I would take the main entrance. The rest of the guys were to cover the other four exits. When they were given the all clear via headset they were to come in and start hand cuffing everyone. If something were to go wrong the FBI agents were to come into the building cautiously. One agent was to stay at the exits at all times in case someone tried getting out. We were all going to be wearing small ear pieces so we could hear one another. I couldn’t wear a vest because it would alert Dexter of other presences. We had the element of surprise and we had to use that to our advantage. I was going to find Dexter by myself, but Boss, Zane and Mace would be behind me in the shadows. Our purpose was to get Ryan out of there as safely as possible. Boss wanted Dexter alive so he would be put on trial. I agreed. As much as I wanted to kill the bastard myself, it would be way too easy. He would likely die in prison, but at least he would die where he was supposed to. I was to use lethal force only if it was necessary.

  The four of us put in our ear pieces and looked at each other one last time.

  “Get Ryan out of there,” Mace told me, giving me a pointed look. I only nodded. I knew what I was doing. We all did. We had done this so many times; I couldn’t c
ount on my fingers and toes.

  “Is everyone ready?” Boss asked over the headset.

  A chorus of ‘ready’s’ came over my ear piece and we moved out of the truck. We all closed our doors silently and stealthily moved toward the door. When I reached the big, dingy red door I stopped and gave everyone a minute to get into position.

  “Positions?” I asked over the headset.

  Everyone gave me the all clear, so I opened the door as quietly as I could. It was hard to make sure the door didn’t squeak or squeal with my entrance. The damn thing needed some WD40. After the door was safely opened I walked through and heard of bunch of mice running from me squawking. A small light to my right guided my path and soon I came upon Dexter, Ryan, Ryan’s mother, and Ryan’s ex-bitch. Ryan was chained by his wrists to a pole overhead; Dexter was sitting in a chair about ten feet in front of Ryan. Ryan’s mother was off to the side, glancing around nervously. Farrah was standing next to Dexter’s side, holding a gun.

  I looked back at my guys and told them, “Farrah is a wildcard. I don’t think she has any humanity left, therefore would shoot anyone of us without hesitation. Get a clear shot on her, and keep it. I don’t want her ruining this.”

  The three of them nodded, aiming their guns a little higher. I gave them the signal that I was going in.

  I stepped out of the shadows with my hands held high so they didn’t suspect I had a weapon.

  “I decided to come a little earlier,” I said softly so I didn’t spook Farrah and make her fire a round.

  Dexter’s head whipped around to me, and when he saw me in the flesh a wicked, sadistic grin came over his face.

  “Oh dear. I’m not sure how you found me, but you are more than welcome to join the party early,” he grinned at me.

  “Give me Ryan, and then you can have me,” I told him, cutting to the chase.

  I didn’t dare look at Ryan. I was worried my emotions of seeing him chained up would make my calm façade crumble. The plan needed to be executed perfectly, so I had to remain calm and collected.

  “Oh now why would I do that?” Dexter sneered at me, walking a little closer.