The McKays Box Set - To Kill For, Blood Sport, Hard Time & Gang Land

by A. J. Carella

  Kat picked up another box from the table. “Is this the receiver?”

  “Yes.”

  “But won’t they see the transmitter when you’re searched? Or pick it up when they scan you?” The question came from Jake this time.

  Kyle shook his head and smiled. “No. The glue has two functions. First, it holds the transmitter in place but second—and this is really clever—you put it over the transmitter and when it dries, it dries the same color as tooth enamel so unless you’re undergoing a dental exam it’s near impossible to spot. The glue also prevents it from being detected by scanners. I told you, think CIA.”

  “That’s impressive,” Kat acknowledged. “So what do we do? Wait until we hear something that we can use and then get the police?”

  “Yep. I’ll try and get close to this Alex guy and try and get him to talk to me. Once you’ve got enough recorded, you can bring in the cavalry.”

  “You’re making it sound very easy. You go in, he talks to you, and we come and get you.” Kat shook her head. “It’s not going to be that easy, you know. What if he doesn’t say anything we can use? What if they find out what you’re up to? There’s so much that can go wrong, I really don’t like it.”

  Kyle sighed. “Kat, we’ve been over this. There is no other way.”

  “I know.” She put the box she’d been holding back on the table. “It doesn’t mean I can’t worry, though.” She took a deep breath. “So now we just need you to get the job.”

  ***

  “So you’re sure you’ve memorized everything?” They’d gone over it a hundred times. Kat knew that he had; she was just feeling incredibly nervous.

  “Yes, Kat, I’m sure.” Kyle sighed patiently.

  In the time they’d had waiting for the parcel to arrive from Tara, they’d created a fake work history, complete with fabricated references, making sure that they paid great attention to the detail so that it would stand up to scrutiny. Their whole plan depended on this and they couldn’t afford to be sloppy.

  “Okay. Well, good luck.”

  “It’ll be fine, Kat. See you in a few hours.” Kat watched from the front steps as he drove off in her car.

  Eighteen

  “Are you absolutely sure about this?” Kat asked as she pulled her finger out of Kyle’s mouth. She was alone with him in her bathroom. “I know you’re doing this for me, and I know you want to help, but I won’t think any less of you if you decide not to go ahead with it.” And she wouldn’t. It was a crazy idea. She didn’t know what else they would do, but she wouldn’t hold it against him.

  “I’m sure, Kat. And besides, I’m not doing it just for you. I believe Jake. And if what he’s saying is true then there is something going on in that prison that needs to be investigated. You know me, Kat. I can’t just walk away from something like that.”

  She turned away from him and washed her hands in the sink before grabbing a towel and turning back to face him. “Okay,” she said, drying her hands. “Okay, let’s have a look.” She peered in his mouth as he opened it wide, trying to see where she had placed the transmitter. “Damn, that’s good. I know where I put it and I can barely see it.”

  “Good. That means it shouldn’t be spotted, then.” Kyle stood up. “Okay. Next we need to teach you to use the receiver.” He checked his watch. “It’s nearly lunchtime. Shall we have something to eat and then go through it after lunch?”

  Kat nodded. “Yep, I’ll cook something. God knows how long you’ll be going without a decent meal.”

  Kyle chuckled. “It’s not a Siberian gulag, you know, Kat. They will have food there.”

  “Don’t laugh at me. I’m worried, that’s all.” It was driving her crazy how lightly he was taking all this. Oh, she knew from when they worked together that even if he appeared relaxed on the outside it didn’t mean he was on the inside, but that was back when they’d had the whole LAPD to call on. Now they were on their own, and it would make her feel better if she thought he was taking is seriously.

  His next words told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. “I’ll be fine, Kat. I’m not going to do anything stupid or take any unnecessary risks. All I’m going in for is information. Once I have it, I’m out of there. I promise.”

  “You’d better make sure you’re careful. I didn’t follow you all the way to London to help you rescue the love of your life just so that I can watch her bury you.” Not waiting to hear his reply, she turned and walked out of the bathroom.

  The others were in the living room but she wanted to be by herself, so she went straight to the kitchen and started making lunch. She couldn’t be angry with him; he was doing all of this for her and her family, after all, but it felt all wrong. All her life, she had tried to do the right thing, in her personal life and in her career, but this time she was deliberately breaking the law and it was not a comfortable feeling.

  Nineteen

  This was it. Kyle sat in Kat’s car in the employee lot of the prison. He needed to have a car to travel here every day, and rather than go to the expense of renting one, Kat had told him to use hers. His first shift started in half an hour and he needed to get going, but he was just taking a minute to calm his nerves. Despite the confidence he’d shown in front of the others, there was a chance that the transmitter would be discovered. If it was, he would face all sorts of federal charges, not to mention the fact that they would undoubtedly find out about Jake and his current whereabouts. Checking his watch, he realized he was running out of time and he couldn’t be late on his first day. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the car and walked towards the employee entrance. He didn’t yet have his I.D. so he had to wait while they verified he was expected before allowing him access to the building.

  He wasn’t alone as he stepped through the door into the room on the other side. There were about a dozen men and women milling about, waiting for their turn to go through security.

  “Hi, you must be the new guy.”

  A hand appeared outstretched in front of him. It was attached to a forty-something man who was smiling at him, exposing crooked teeth. “I’m Phil.”

  Kyle took the hand. “I’m Kyle, good to meet you.” Kyle surreptitiously looked him over. This wasn’t the guard that Jake had told him about. Apart from the fact he was too old, this guy obviously took care of himself. There was no sign of any thickening of his waist, despite his age, and his torso underneath the t-shirt he was wearing looked firm.

  “The warden has assigned you to me for the first couple of days until you know your way around. Any questions, just holler.”

  “Thanks, Phil, I will.” The line for the body scanner had been shuffling forward as they talked and now it was his turn. His insides roiling, he stepped through, half expecting the alarms to sound. But nothing happened. As he exited out the other side, he let out the breath he’d been holding and tried to not let the relief he felt show on his face.

  “Okay, follow me.” Phil appeared smiling at his elbow. “I’ll show you where the lockers are and then we’ll go and get you a uniform.”

  Kyle followed as Phil led him through another door which led deeper into the prison. The noise was louder here and the sounds of the prisoners shouting and doors clanging shut put him on edge.

  “Here we go.” He followed Phil into another room filled with rows of lockers. “You can have this one.” He opened an empty locker close to his own.

  “Thanks.” Kyle slipped off his jacket and hung it from the hook on the inside of the locker door. “You worked here long?”

  “Too long, my friend.” Phil chuckled. “Sorry, shouldn’t try and put you off on your first day, should I! Ten years this year.”

  “I guess you’ve seen a lot of changes, then.” Kyle may well need an ally in the not-too-distant future and it was worth trying to find out if Phil was one of the good guys or not.

  “Yeah, a fair few, and not always for the better.”

  “Really? Like what?”

  Kyle could see from th
e frown that appeared on Phil’s face that he’d pushed too hard, too soon. “Look, do you want to do any work today or not?”

  “Of course, sorry. Just trying to get the lay of the land.” Kyle closed the locker and set a combination. “Let’s go.”

  Twenty

  He couldn’t relax. Usually, working on the classic car he was lovingly restoring helped him unwind but today for some reason it hadn’t worked so he’d grabbed himself a beer from his fridge and was now sitting on the deck at the back of his house. He needed a break. Thinking about it, he was surprised to realize that he hadn’t had any vacation time in nearly two years, not a single day. And it was starting to tell. With Kat coming back to town, hunting for Jamie and then with everything that had happened with Daniel, it was hardly surprising that he was feeling tense. A few days away was what he needed. Time to relax completely.

  Finn took a swig of his beer. Could he take time off when he’d just been promoted? He thought about the department’s current case load. Apart from Jake McKay’s escape from prison, there was nothing major going on. And the only reason the escape affected his department was because Kat and Jamie lived in their jurisdiction and they were his only family.

  The more he thought about it, the more the idea appealed. His grandfather had built a cabin on a lake about two hours’ drive from Brecon Point. After he’d died, it had passed to his father and then to him. He hadn’t visited it in years, and it would probably need a fair bit of fixing up, but he’d never been afraid of hard work. It would be perfect. The most senior deputy now that he’d been promoted was Phil. Phil would never set the world on fire, but he was steadfast and reliable and knew his job. The department would be in safe hands with him for a few days and if he was needed urgently, he could be back in a few hours. His mind made up, he grabbed his cell and called him. After giving him instructions on a few things that needed following up while he was away and telling him to call if he needed him urgently, he terminated the call and sat holding his phone, debating whether he should call Kat and tell her his plans. Irritated with himself, he mentally shook himself. What on earth makes you think she cares? This was exactly why he needed to get away; he needed to put some distance between them, needed to time to think.

  It was late but he decided he didn’t want to wait until morning before setting off. Feeling energized for the first time in weeks, he went indoors and straight up to his bedroom. Taking a large bag from his closet, he threw several pairs of jeans and t-shirts in it along with clean underwear. He wouldn’t need much; he wasn’t going for long and it wasn’t as if he was going to be entertaining while he was up there. He’d left all his fishing equipment up there the last time he’d visited and it would still be in working order, if a little dusty. Taking the bag downstairs, he grabbed coffee, milk, and bread from the kitchen. There was a store not far from the cabin but it wouldn’t be open now until the morning. In less than fifteen minutes, he was ready to hit the road. Checking that all the windows were shut and locked and that the garage was secure, he pulled the front door closed behind him and threw his bag into his truck before climbing behind the wheel. He had no idea why he’d waited so long to go back to the cabin but now that he was on his way, he couldn’t wait to get there.

  Twenty-One

  It felt strange wearing a uniform again. He hadn’t worn one since he’d been a patrol officer and he hadn’t liked it much then either. It was getting close to eleven p.m., the end of his first shift, and he still hadn’t met the guard that Jake had described. It wasn’t surprising, though. It could well be that he was simply on a different shift and it may take a few days for their paths to cross.

  He’d spent the shift following Phil around and taking in as much as he could, staying alert for signs of anything unusual. He hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary, though, and the shift had passed without incident. He’d watched Phil closely and everything he’d seen pointed to him being one of the good guys.

  He was hanging the spare uniform he’d been given in his locker, ready for his next shift, when he saw him. There was no mistaking that this was the guard that Jake had told them about. He was about five feet eight inches tall and, unlike Phil, he clearly wasn’t bothered about keeping himself in shape judging by the way his belt was straining to keep his stomach in check. But that wasn’t what made him so sure; it was the fact that this man had a beard and, like his hair, it was a bright shade of red. As luck would have it, it appeared that his locker was only a few down from his own. The guard wasn’t paying him any attention so, shutting the door to his own locker, he took a couple of steps closer to him and, putting a big smile on his face, stuck out his hand.

  “Hi, I’m Kyle. I started today.”

  The guard glanced at Kyle over his shoulder and grunted an acknowledgement before turning his attention back to whatever he was doing in his locker.

  “You must be on the night shift,” Kyle pushed, trying to strike up a conversation.

  “Hey, Phil, looks like we’ve got ourselves a genius here.” He ignored Kyle and shouted over to Phil as he appeared from around the corner.

  “Ignore him. He’s always grumpy when he’s on nights,” Phil told Kyle, laughing. “So, how did you enjoy your first shift?”

  Kyle turned away from the guard; he’d pushed enough for one day. “It was great.” Actually it had been as boring as hell but he couldn’t tell him that. The whole day had been spent with Phil showing him around the facility and teaching him the procedures. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to try and identify the prisoner who Jake had told them about.

  “Good, glad you enjoyed it. Tomorrow will be a bit more fun. You’ll get the chance to be a bit more hands-on.”

  “Sounds good. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Grabbing the bag that he’d put today’s dirty uniform in, he nodded his goodbyes and made his way outside. He had to pass through security again on the way out but he wasn’t worried this time. If it made it through once, it would make it through every time.

  Twenty-Two

  Kat looked at the clock above the fireplace. It was nearly one a.m. Kyle should be back soon. As they’d agreed, they’d carried on their usual day-to-day activities as normal, not wanting to arouse anyone’s suspicions. Daniel had gone to school and Jamie had gone to work for a few hours after Kyle had left for his first shift. Thankfully, it wasn’t unusual for her to work from home so she’d been able to stay and look after Jake. Since Daniel had become a part of their lives, her hours at work had become very erratic to say the least, and these days she spent more time at home than in the office.

  “He’s fine, Kat, you know that,” Jamie said, catching her looking at the clock for the hundredth time that hour.

  Jamie seemed a lot more relaxed than she was. “I know. I can’t stop worrying, though.”

  “Jamie’s right, Kat.” It was Jake’s turn to speak. “We may as well have been there with him, that audio was so good.”

  The transmitter had worked like a charm and they’d been able to hear everything that had been said throughout Kyle’s shift.

  They all heard the distinct sound of a key in the front door and leapt to their feet, rushing out into the hall.

  “God, am I glad to see you.” Kat felt the relief course through her as the front door opened and Kyle appeared. “Any problems?”

  He smiled. “No, none. It went exactly as planned.” He closed and locked the door behind him. “Who’s going to make me a coffee? Then and I’ll fill you in.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jamie volunteered and headed off to the kitchen.

  “Come on, let’s go and sit down.” Kat led the way into to the living room.

  “So, what did you find out? Did you find the guard? Did see the prisoner Jake told us about?” She peppered Kyle with questions as she sat down.

  “Kat give me chance to sit down, will you?” Kyle chuckled.

  “You haven’t started without me, have you?” Jamie asked as she walked into the room carrying the coffees on a tra
y. Setting it down on the coffee table, she took a seat on the couch next to Kat and facing Kyle, who sat on the chair.

  Kat tapped her foot impatiently as Kyle reached forward and took a cup of coffee from the tray before taking a sip. “Well?”

  Kyle sighed and put his cup back down. “Okay. To be honest, there’s nothing much to report and you will have heard most of it anyway.”

  Kat was disappointed as she listened to him describe what he’d seen and what he’d felt, adding depth to what they’d already learned from listening in. What did you expect? That he’d come back and say that he’d cracked the case? she chided herself. “So, we’re no closer?”

  “No, not yet. It’s not going to happen overnight, Kat. You need to give me a few days. But I will say this.” He looked at Jake. “I believe you’re right. Something is definitely going on there.”

  “Thank you.” Jake gave him a small smile.

  “Okay, well I suggest we all get off to bed and get some rest.” Kat stood. “It’s another long day tomorrow and none of us can afford to be exhausted.”

  “I’ll go up in a bit. I need to unwind,” Kyle said as they started to leave.

  Kat smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder as she walked past on her way out of the room. “Don’t stay up too late.”

  Twenty-Three

  The cabin was exactly as he’d left it, though as he got closer, he could see that the elements had inflicted some damage to the exterior. Pulling his truck in to the space just to the side, the scratching noises on the body of the truck told him that the vegetation had grown considerably since his last visit and he made a mental note to come out tomorrow in daylight and cut it back. Pushing open the door and grabbing his bag from the passenger seat, he stepped out and walked round to the front of the building, pausing to take it in. The quiet enveloped him as he stood there, wrapping itself around him like a blanket. It wasn’t silent the night air was filled with sounds of the wildlife all around him, but it was lacking any man-made noises.