Vegas Rain

by Rick Murcer

  Shifting in his seat, he glanced at the phone for the hundredth time, and the last painful look was greeted with the message he’d been waiting for.

  “I don’t know how you knew that, Sir, but you’re right. He’s not where he’s supposed to be. Here’s the address, according to the last GPS search. It was kind of tricky getting it because it looks like the main phone GPS chip was disabled. I don’t think he knows about the other one, the one hidden in the battery compartment. Anyway, that’s how we located him. I hope that helped.”

  “More than you realize,” he said to himself.

  With that, he memorized the address and started to put the phone in his pocket, thought again, and wrote out a lengthy text without pressing the send button.

  When the time was right, he’d send it. It was the least he could do, under the circumstance, providing he’d get the chance.

  After all, death and dying had a way of screwing up the most pointed of plans.

  CHAPTER-57

  “Stop. All of you. If you want to see Agent Mikus alive again, you’ll all stay exactly where you are. I know that you can hear me, so please don’t be so foolish as to assume I’m unaware of that fact.”

  Halting in his steps, Manny glanced to his left then quickly to his right. Sophie had stopped on a dime and Josh had followed suit. The agents and LVPD officers that he could see had also followed suit.

  The command by the killer wasn’t the only reason Manny had put on the breaks. He’d recognized the deep resonance filtering through Dean’s mouthpiece.

  How could he not? He’d heard it a million times in his head.

  Argyle’s voice was unmistakable. It had been from the first time he’d heard him. But how could it be him? Manny had already determined that this killer couldn’t be Fredrick Argyle, yet the sound of him speaking said he was wrong.

  He turned toward Sophie again and saw she was staring at him. Even at forty feet, he could see her own unanswered questions on her face. That seemed to be going around.

  Argyle’s voice wasn’t her only concern. Dean’s obvious capture was taking precedent in Sophie’s world, and he understood. Only too well. But they had to keep their heads and go with what they knew. Dean’s life, and maybe theirs, depended on it.

  He raised his hand in a gesture designed to help her calm down. She waited to respond, then finally took a deep breath and nodded toward him.

  The killer spoke again. “That’s better. It’s good to see that law enforcement can understand a simple command.”

  The full game was on. He could tell by the killer’s voice that he was excited, almost geeked. That meant he was ready for the climax of his charade. Whatever the hell that was boiling down to mean.

  Gathering his wits, he concentrated on the coming conversation.

  “What do you want, you warped prick?” asked Manny softly.

  “Come, come, Agent Williams, is that any way to talk to an old friend? As for what I want, we’ll get to that.”

  “We’re not friends. You’re a twisted murderer, and people like me are here to end you.”

  “Ahh. The classic good-versus-evil. Is that right, Agent?”

  Manny put his hand to his earpiece. It was delicate, almost unperceivable, but he’d heard something different in the would-be Argyle’s voice.

  “You finally get it,” answered Manny.

  “Oh, I get it. The trick is in the perspective, Agent. I’ve learned this is always the case.”

  There it was again. He frowned.

  “I’m sure you’re not here to debate morality and what that means, so I’ll ask again. What do you want?”

  “Stop!”

  Manny jumped, then realized what had happened. He scanned the room. One of the agents had begun to move toward the stairs leading to the upper level. The killer had somehow seen it.

  How? Where was he?

  “I’m not one prone to give a second warning. If any of you move before I tell you to, the next message you receive will tell you where to find Agent Mikus’s head. Are we clear?”

  “We get it,” said Manny.

  “Good. I’d hate to spoil the upcoming party.”

  Before Manny could respond, Sophie did.

  “Listen, you son of a bitch, if you harm him, hell won’t be safe for you. Do you get me?”

  Her tone was controlled but intense.

  “Agent Lee. I see the rumors are true. You have a special place for Agent Mikus in your heart, yes?”

  “That’s none of your damned business, you freak,” she answered.

  “I think perhaps it is. But we can discuss that in, let’s say, two hours. That’s all the time you’ll have.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Manny.

  A moment later, his phone beeped with a text message from Dean’s phone. He looked down and saw an address in North Las Vegas scroll across his screen.

  “No more talking. No more questions here. The address you’ve received is where you and the rest of the BAU will join me. Only the four of you are invited and you will come alone, unarmed, no phones or any other GPS devices. Oh, and no companions from the LVPD or the FBI are allowed. This party is by special invitation only. If I sense anyone other than your sad team . . . well, you can guess what Agent Mikus might look like when you finally recover all of his parts. Are we clear?”

  “Perfectly. We’ll be there,” said Manny.

  “Oh. I know you will, Agent Williams. I know you will. I want to thank you for finding a way for us to meet. I so enjoyed the opportunity you afforded with this ridiculous attempt to, how do you say it, draw me out? Oh, and one more thing. If anyone leaves their current positions in the next five minutes, I’ll know and be forced to end Agent Mikus’s life. So, please stay put.”

  “We will.”

  The next sound he heard was a grinding crunch as the killer crushed Dean’s microphone.

  As he stood his ground, helplessly, Manny looked at the address again, the killer’s voice echoing in his head.

  Manny had been wrong. Dean was now in the killer’s grasp, and they’d played right into his hands. Manny’s plan hadn’t worked and now they were all in danger of never seeing home again.

  As guilt and frustration simmered during the last seconds of the killer’s instructed imprisonment, Manny wondered how he could have been so wrong.

  CHAPTER-58

  Dean felt the leather strap close around his left leg and felt the cold buckle as it was drawn tight. It was the last of his limbs to be bound after he was forced to sit in the hard chair. The tight gag had been removed, but the dark blindfold was still in place. He had no idea where he was. Not that it would matter much. It wasn’t like Las Vegas was a town he knew well.

  His current surroundings did seem a bit cooler than the ride and offered a smell much like a cement slab in a basement or warehouse. He wasn’t in any sort of mainstream building, of that he was sure. He found little comfort in that, however. Secluded like he feared he was could never be good.

  For the hundredth time, he wondered how he could have been caught so unaware of his surroundings. One moment, he was watching Sophie put the casino crowd into the palm of her hand from his perch on the balcony; the next, he felt the gun on the back of his neck.

  “Do exactly what I say if you want to live,” his kidnapper had said. Dean complied. He didn’t want today to be the day he died.

  He’d then been bound, had his microphone and earpiece removed along with his power pack, forced into the green laundry cart, and covered with dirty, smelly linens. Ten minutes later, he was wheeled into the back of a van or truck and driven to this location, wherever that was.

  His captor had not only managed to terrify him into silence, which seemed prudent with a gun at your head, but had also exposed him to his only real phobia.

  Dean could only imagine the millions of germs that were at work on his skin and hair at that very moment.

  He shivered.

  If the killer didn’t end his life, the microbial a
ssassins he’d been exposed to most assuredly would.

  The only noise he’d really heard, once relegated to the cart, were the sounds of the road and some traffic. He’d actually felt them more than heard those sounds because of the position of the blindfold wrapped around his eyes and head. The cloth had covered his ears as well.

  It was a good move, and he’d have done the same thing.

  Good God, he was thinking like a serial killer.

  The hand on his shoulder caused Dean’s stomach to clench with surprise and jolt in agony at the same time. The pain from the man’s grip was brilliant. He felt like his collarbone had been crushed.

  “Welcome, Agent Mikus, to my humble abode. I trust you’ll find the accommodations acceptable.”

  “Would it matter if I complained to the manager?” he gritted through his teeth, determined not to let the killer see him sweat.

  The man laughed as his grip eased. “No, I suppose it wouldn’t. But I appreciate your concerns.”

  “Do you?” asked Dean.

  “Of course. This isn’t, as they say, my first rodeo, Agent. I’m fully aware of your position. The question is, it seems, are you? Do you know what your future holds?”

  “Not entirely. But I’d venture a guess that you think you do, right?”

  “I don’t think, Agent. I know.”

  Dean felt the killer’s breath on his face. “You and the other people who’ve caused my life to be the most miserable existence on this God forsaken rock are going to pay for what you’ve done. I’ve had no real peace, and before that can ever happen, you must all die—and die in what many would consider a horrible death.”

  “That end will satisfy you? It will fix whatever wrong you think you’ve suffered? Is that right?” asked Dean. His anger was rising along with his fear. Not just for him, but at the horrible contemplation of Sophie dying gruesomely.

  “Oh yes. It will. Then I’ll be free from my own personal demons, as Agent Williams would say.”

  Slowly, Dean had been putting pressure against his bindings. Breaking them would be an effort in futility, so he stopped.

  “What demons would those be?”

  “Do you care, Agent? Would it matter to you?”

  “No, I guess not, but I’m curious as to what turned you into what you are.”

  The crushing grip returned, this time to both shoulders. Dean cried out. He had not felt pain like this. He wondered if he might pass out.

  The next second, the killer was at his ear again, squeezing harder. “Oh, you’ll find out, Agent. You’ll find out.”

  Suddenly, the pressure eased from his shoulders. Before Dean could fully grasp why, he felt something strike the side of his head, and then Dean’s world went dark.

  CHAPTER-59

  “We’re ready to wrap this up, Chloe. I’ll call soon. I promise.”

  Manny hesitated, then sent the text. He hated not telling her what was going on, but it would only worry her more.

  Watching to make sure the text went, he then handed his phone to Agent Kim Wilkins. She nodded without speaking, only her eyes had no such compunction. Her disapproval of the BAU’s next action was off the charts. He understood why, but this was Dean. He was one of their own. They had to go to him, no matter the risk. Besides, if they refused, the killer wouldn’t stop with killing Dean. More innocent people would die until he got what he wanted. He’d simply find another way to get the rest of the BAU where he desired.

  To hell with regulations. It was time for this to end. It helped that Sophie, Josh, and Alex were all in agreement.

  He moved aside as the other three handed their weapons and phones to Agent Wilkins, then they stood in a semi-circle, facing each other.

  His gaze lingered on Sophie’s face. His ex-partner was doing an uncanny job of holding her emotions in check. Her face was stoic, alert, and then he saw something else. She was pissed. Her anger issues had been well documented over the years, but this was different. She hadn’t wanted to delve into a relationship with Dean because she wasn’t ready and the memories, if not the pain, of her first two broken marriages had forced her into a cautious approach to anything that resembled a relationship. Yet, Manny knew that her heart had been Dean’s for the taking, almost from the beginning. Now she was faced with a different kind of breakup.

  That might not bode well for his kidnapper, if she got a chance to express her displeasure. But it could work in reverse if she didn’t keep it together.

  “You’re okay, right?”

  She looked at him, took a deep breath, and nodded.

  Alex and Josh, almost on cue, did the same.

  Brave people.

  He’d read once that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it. Manny wasn’t sure about the others, but fear and he were having a conversation.

  Well, if this is the day you die, Williams, I can’t think of a better group to do it with.

  Turning to Agent Wilkins, he caught her full attention with his eyes. “Kim, I must have your word that no one follows us or tracks us in anyway. This maniac has technology enough to scramble the source of phone messages and calls, so that makes camera security child’s play. He’ll know if we try something that he ordered us not to do. Got it?”

  “Manny. You know what the manual says about what you’re doing. I mean how many more times do I—”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass about the manual,” said Josh, pointing at her. “This is my damned unit, for now anyway, and we’re doing it this way. So don’t interfere. Just do what you’re told.”

  Agent Wilkins put her hand on her hips, scanning the four people standing in front of her. Manny saw that she was going to object again, but instead she stopped, turned on her heel, and headed for her SUV.

  As she opened the door, she whirled toward Manny. “You’ve got three hours. That’s it. And Josh, I don’t give a shit if you are in charge. I’ll do what I have to. And in the event you think I’m being a complete company dweeb, don’t forget that Dean and I have a hell of lot more history than I have with any of you. Do you get that?”

  Josh looked Manny’s way, then he nodded to Agent Wilkins. “Fair enough,” he said.

  “I just hope you know what the hell you’re doing.” She climbed into her vehicle, started it, and then drove to the other end of the parking lot, where she parked facing away from them.

  “Guess she doesn’t like our plan,” said Alex.

  “We have a plan?” asked Josh, showing a tight smile.

  “As ill-conceived as it is,” said Manny.

  “Anything we need to talk about?” asked Josh.

  “I have one more thing,” said Alex. “I got one more email from the lab in Lansing about the hairs we found in the casket back home. Not just the one, but all three.”

  “And?” asked Manny.

  Alex stroked his chin. “I just wanted to tell you I was wrong. The DNA from them wasn’t in the database.”

  “What in the hell are you bringing that up for now?” asked Josh.

  “I’m not sure. Other than to tell you this killer hasn’t made any mistakes, so we need to walk into this with our eyes wide open, okay?” said Alex quietly.

  “And you’re nervous, right, Dough Boy? Don’t worry. I’ve got your ass,” said Sophie, trying to smile.

  “Yeah, there’s that. And you’d better.”

  Reaching over with his right hand, he gave her arm a squeeze. “All for one, right?”

  She nodded. “Something like that.”

  “Anything else?” asked Josh.

  “Yeah. I want to remind you that no matter what you heard at the hotel when Dean was taken, this isn’t Argyle. He wants us to think that he is. When we talked about the copycat situation back in Michigan, we weren’t really sure. And there are still questions about why the killer is doing this the way he is, but it’s not Argyle. The videos we’ve seen, the fact he didn’t kill the two detectives at the FBI building, and the way his voice is a little different proves i
t,” said Manny.

  “You’re sure, right?” said Josh.

  “I am. He’s just too different in his approach. His mission is much more defined. If we go in getting that confused, we could have a very short visit.”

  “Sort of like the devil you know is better than the one you don’t,” stated Alex.

  Shifting her feet, Sophie stared at the ground, her hands clasped in front of her so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

  “Again, are you okay?” Manny asked.

  “Hell no. I know you think we need this information, except I don’t. I don’t care who this prick is. I’m going to take him out,” she said through her teeth.

  “You’d better care who he is, Sophie. You’d better. If you go in there with your emotion running your motivation, Dean’s as good as dead and so are we, get me?” he snapped.

  She answered without looking up. “I freaking get you. It’s just not that easy for me. I’ll be fine. Okay?”

  “We all feel the same way, Sophie. We do,” said Manny.

  “I doubt it. But like I said, I understand. So, can we do this?”

  “Okay. You’re right. Enough talk. We’ve gone over everything. We’re as ready as we’re going to be,” said Manny, trying to sound confident.

  He wasn’t sure it worked, not even for him.

  “Then let’s get to it,” said Sophie.

  She led them to the other black FBI-issue SUV. They stepped inside, then Sophie brought the engine to a roar and sped out of the lot, heading north.

  While they made the drive in silence, he watched as the dark cloud that had rolled in from the west suddenly released its contents.

  Sophie turned on the wipers, flipping the moisture away.

  As he watched the Vegas rain hit the windshield, it was impossible for Manny’s mind, no matter how hard he tried, to escape the notion that death was going to touch the BAU.

  And more than once.

  CHAPTER-60

  Fifteen minutes later Manny, Josh, Alex, and Sophie stood at the front door of the office of a rundown building that doubled as an entrance to an outdated warehouse stretching back toward an older subdivision some three hundred feet.