by Sydney Addae
“Angus?”
He looked at Tyrese. “Cyndy’s body had been in the box and thrown down the garbage chute, probably incinerated. There’s no other explanation. For a full body exchange, the only thing left of the child would’ve been skin and bones.”
“Shit.”
“It gets worse, but I need to inform Silas and Hawke of what I think happened first, and then we change the search.” Angus braced himself for Silas’ outrage.
Chapter 25
Jasmine walked into the nursery. “Renee, can I speak with you?”
“No, Mama,” Adam whined as he picked up the ball from the floor. “We’re playing with Aunty. Are you coming to play?”
“Not right now, maybe later,” Jasmine said.
The kids protest warmed Renee’s heart. “We’ll finish later.” Adam walked off, and then ran toward Lilly and her seven kids as they arrived a few seconds later.
“Hello everyone,” Lilly said, waving.
“Hi Lilly,” Jasmine said, hugging the smaller woman briefly. “Perfect timing, Adam just lost his playmate and started pouting.” They looked at him playing with Theo, Mason and Pierre in the corner.
“He’s not the only one who’s been pouting and anxious to come play. Those three asked every 10 minutes if it was time to go yet.” Lilly said, walking over to her sister, Rose. They embraced and Lilly picked up Ryder.
“See how quickly I’m replaced and forgotten,” Renee joked as she brushed lint off her pants.
“Join the club, happens to me all the time,” Jasmine said as they walked to the elevator.
Renee stepped in alone and then frowned. “You’re not coming?”
“No, this is something you need to do on your own. I’ll be here when you’re done.” Jasmine held up a hand to stop Renee from leaving the elevator.
“What’s going on Jazz?” It wasn’t like her sister to play games, especially wearing such a serious look on her face.
“You’ll see. Talk with you soon.” The elevator doors closed on Jasmine’s last words.
The giant had been at the elevator when the door opened and she stepped out. Rubbing her arms, she followed him down the concrete hall, wondering where they were going. Her sneakers caught on the smooth walk-way, causing her to lose her balance. Face on fire, certain she’d hit the floor, the giant stopped her from making contact.
“Are you alright?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes…yes, thank you.”
They continued down the hall, turned a corner, and then he stopped at a wall, fiddled with a keypad. A door opened and he stood to the side.
“What? You want me to go inside?” She tilted her head and hoped he heard the doubt in her voice.
“Yes, Ma’am. There is someone inside Mistress wants you to see.”
“What? Who?”
He shrugged and waited for her to enter. She pulled out her cell phone and called Jasmine. Her sister answered on the first ring. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Have you gone inside the room?” Jasmine asked in a calm tone.
“No, why should I?”
Jasmine sighed. “Go inside, take a seat, and talk. You’ll thank me later.”
“What?”
“Just go. Trust me on this. You need to do this,” Jasmine said, her voice soft but firm.
Renee closed her phone, thrust it in her pant pocket and stepped inside the room. The outer door shut with a snap. She spun around, stared at the metal exit and swallowed hard.
“Better let me out of here when I’m ready,” she murmured, and walked toward the two leather chairs further down against the wall. When she cleared the outer area she noticed three separate cells on the opposite side from the chairs. “What the hell?” Moving slower, she looked in each one and stopped at the last one.
“Mélange?” Renee shook her head and then looked again. It wasn’t a vision. Dressed in all black, looking better than ever, seated on top of a bunk was her lover. Unable to believe her eyes, Renee moved close to the bars. Of all the things she could imagine, this never registered. Questions flew wildly around her mind as she took a closer look at the steel cage. Mélange was imprisoned in her sister’s home.
“What are you doing here? And in there? What’s going on?” She reached for her phone to call Jasmine again.
“I followed you to West Virginia,” Mélange said in a cold voice, one Renee hadn’t heard before.
Her hand froze. “Followed me? Why?”
Mélange shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
That didn’t make any sense. Renee pushed the phone back in her pocket. “You’re not sure why you followed me to West Virginia from St. Louis. We’ll get back to how that sounds in a minute, why are you down here in this…this cell?” She looked up and around the steel bars and then back at Mélange.
“Ask your sister.” Mélange turned, her long hair brushed against the small of her back.
Renee swallowed hard. “I’m asking you.”
Mélange bent her head and looked the other way. “Asia attacked me.”
“What?!” Renee yelled and then calmed. Asia was a scary chick, but she didn’t attack people for no reason. Jasmine said she needed to talk with Mélange. Renee turned, sat in the chair, crossed one leg over the other, and stared. “Tell me what happened.”
Mélange looked over her shoulder. “Why? You’re not going to believe me, and in the end you’ll walk out of here and never look back. So let’s skip the inconsequential details. I’m no good for you. Your sister knows it, that’s why she sent you here so I could tell you that.”
The words lacerated Renee’s heart. Not again. Just when she hoped for a future with someone, she got kicked in the teeth. Pain throbbed in Renee’s chest, but she pushed it aside to find out what happened. If Jasmine thought she needed to speak with Mélange, there was a good reason.
“Why did Asia attack you?” She paused as a thought wiggled to the front. Leaning forward she asked. “Do you know anything about Sarita?” No…Renee refused to believe Mélange would have anything to do with harming a child.
“No,” Mélange gritted out as she stood and faced her. “Why don’t you just leave, make this easier on everyone?”
“Everyone? Who the hell is everyone? I’m trying to understand what’s going on?” Renee’s hands curled into fists and then she relaxed them, one finger at a time. She refused to get angry like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Why?” Mélange spat. “Did your sister tell you to come down here and question me? I told them I don’t know anything about the child.”
Renee jerked back, unaccustomed to this Mélange who looked as if she could spit poison. How well did she know this woman? And why would Jasmine question Mélange about Sarita unless she thought she knew something? “Actually my sister didn’t tell me you were here. I didn’t know until I walked inside and saw you, so it’d be impossible for her to have me ask you anything.”
“Renee…” Mélange’s voice softened.
“And another thing, I haven’t raised my voice or snapped at you, don’t do that shit again. I’m not having it.” Remaining in the seat, in this room, watching someone she’d come to care for locked behind bars made her stomach clench. The bright lights cast shadows beneath the cot and highlighted the black strands of Mélange’s hair. The whole situation seemed so farfetched, so unreal, Renee scraped her nail over her skin, rather than pinch herself.
“You don’t understand.” Mélange’s shoulders slumped and she turned away.
“Talk to me so that I do understand,” Renee said, seeing slivers of the woman she’d come to know through the cracks of her hard veneer.
“There are things…things I can’t explain or share with you. But I had nothing to do with Asia or her child. I didn’t know she was missing until Asia mentioned it.”
“Why would she think you had something to do with it? Is that something you’ve done in the past? Taken children?” Renee held her breath.
Mélange’s head snapped up.
“What? No. How could you think I’d ever…?” She closed her eyes. “No. I’ve never taken children, but…in a previous job…” She snorted. “Hell, a previous life, I did things. Things that would make someone suspect I may have knowledge of whatever’s going on.” Her gaze slid across Renee and then focused on the wall.
Unsure what to say, or how much she wanted to know, Renee stared at Mélange for a moment. No question the woman was smart, beautiful, and based on what she just heard, deadly.
Mélange crossed her arms around her waist, looked at the floor and crossed her ankles. Renee studied people for a living and understood Mélange had shut down, but she needed answers. “Why are you in a cell? You told my sister you had nothing to do with Sarita’s disappearance, so why are you locked up like a criminal?”
Mélange shrugged.
Swallowing hard, Renee exhaled and placed her hands on her knees. “Tell me what things you did in this previous job.”
Mélange’s head snapped up and then she stared at the ceiling. Her lips moved but no sound emerged for a few moments. “Ask me something else, please, I beg you. Leave those memories buried, I don’t want to relive them, not now.” Slowly she turned and met Renee’s gaze.
The pain and sorrow Renee read in the dark depths of Mélange’s eyes stunned her. What the hell had Mélange done to cause such anguish? “Who are you? Tell me the truth…please.” Renee leaned forward in her chair.
“Mélange Williamson, the woman in love with you.”
Struck by the stark admission, Renee hesitated for a moment. “Is that why you followed me here?”
Mélange nodded.
Renee frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me you were, where? In town? We’ve talked every day and you never mentioned anything, why?”
“I didn’t want to pressure you or have you think I stalked you.” Mélange lifted her shoulder and turned aside. “Your feelings kept changing, I was afraid I’d lose you.”
“My feelings?! You were the one who couldn’t make up her mind, one day yes, the next day you weren’t sure. I’m not interested in anything like that and told you –”
“That’s over,” Mélange said in a rush. “Finished. I told you.”
Renee stared. “None of that explains why you’re in a jail cell…this isn’t normal…why does Silas even have one?” She pulled out her phone and called Jasmine.
“Renee?” Jasmine answered on the first ring.
“Yeah, why do you guys have jail cells in your basement? I counted three, what’s up with that?”
“Have you talked with Mélange?”
“Yes. Can you answer my question?” Renee pushed. Jasmine didn’t sound as if she wanted to discuss this.
“Not really, Mélange knows.”
“You’re my sister, I’m asking you. You I’d believe.” Renee didn’t look at Mélange or understand why Jasmine wouldn’t explain, unless…Renee had always wondered where Silas got his money, and the security here was over the top. This place was built to withstand a siege and the jail cells? Definitely a drug lord or something equally heinous.
“Jasmine, is Silas into something? Something that you can’t talk about?” Renee asked with some hesitation.
“Something like that,” Jasmine said, sounding relieved.
“Mama knows?” Was Jacques involved she wondered?
“Yeah, she knows,” Jasmine said.
Renee’s chest hurt with the knowledge they hadn’t shared with her. “Well, I’ll leave it alone. How long has Mélange been here?”
“A couple of hours,” Jasmine said.
“Why is she here? Can you tell me that?” Did she steal drugs from Silas? Betray his organization in some way? Was she scheduled for termination? Renee shivered at the idea.
“No, I can’t, but Mélange can. If you ask her a direct question, she can’t lie to you. She may not answer, but whatever she tells you will be 100% true. Does that help?”
Remembering Mélange’s recent declaration of love warmed Renee. “Not really. I’m not going to be involved with criminals, you know that.”
“Criminal? What makes you say that?” Jasmine asked, sounding confused.
“The jail cell.”
“Oh, I’ll have him open those so the two of you can talk. As far as I know, she’s not a criminal.”
Renee opened her mouth to stop Jasmine and then closed it. “Okay, I’ll talk with you later.” She disconnected and placed her phone on the arm of the chair. A few seconds later the cell door slid open.
Mélange looked across the room at her, but didn’t move or uncross her arms.
“Did you work for Silas in his organization?” Renee asked, ready to get to the heart of the matter.
Mélange laughed and then spoke. “No, never.”
Renee frowned. Had Mélange interfered with Silas’ operation in some other way? “Why did he lock you up?”
Mélange straightened and walked toward Renee. Every cell in her body stood at attention as the lovely Asian came forward, stopped and sat in the chair next to her. She covered Renee’s hand with her own.
Renee closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of their connection. Nobody could feel this good and be all bad. Moving her hand, she inched it away from beneath Mélange’s. They sat in silence for a few moments.
“You’d have me bare my soul to you without hope that you’ll accept me afterward. Why would I do that when the results will be the same if I tell you nothing?” Mélange whispered, her voice cracking.
Renee placed her smallest finger on top of Mélange’s hand. Mélange stared at their hands for a few seconds, then lifted her gaze to meet Renee’s. “Just tell me one thing, is my sister’s life in danger?”
Mélange frowned. “Not that I’m aware of, what makes you ask that?”
“Just, she can’t tell me anything, and this place has jail cells and all these people work here and the security, it’s like some kind of fortress or something.” Renee swallowed hard. “So I thought…”
“What? That someone wants to hurt her? Or your nephews and nieces?” Mélange sounded confused.
“Yes,” Renee whispered as every mafia movie she’d ever watched rolled across her mind.
“What are you thinking?”
Renee hesitated. If Silas was involved with something illegal, it’d be big. But she couldn’t see Jasmine with a criminal, no matter how much she loved the man. And she knew for certain her sister loved Silas in a way she’d never loved her first husband, Davian. None of the dots connected, she didn’t know what else to think.
“Is Silas involved in organized crime?”
Chapter 26
Countdown clock: 41 hours remaining…
Silas, Jacques, Asia, Hawke, Tyrese, Tyrone, Jasmine and Angus sat in the conference room in the lower level while a team of KnightForce trainees continued the search for Armin Bret. Another team returned to the trash and recycling plant to search for the remains of Cyndy Bret. Another team coordinated the search for Velris Fresm’s vehicle. Others continued monitoring the news for anything remotely related to the case.
Silas slammed his fist on the table. The wood cracked but didn’t break. “Someone else has not one, but two chameleon bracelets and used them against us,” Silas said, after Angus explained to everyone what he suspected.
“Goddess, help,” Asia whispered and then covered her eyes with her palm.
Hawke’s grip tightened on her other hand. The big man didn’t speak, but his fury and anguish whipped through his link with Silas.
Silas acknowledged the emotion with a slight nod.
“It fits, answers the unexplainable,” Angus said into the stunned silence.
“I sensed her in the building, tried to find her,” Jasmine said. “On some level I was able to connect with some part of her.” A small monitor sat on the table next to her with a live feed of Renee and Mélange. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but checked every now and then to make sure Renee remained calm when she discovered Mélange’s dual nature.
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“Whereas I was unable to sense her at all,” Hawke said. “I searched for my blood and there was no answer.”
“Perhaps they added a blood dampener to the bracelet,” Angus said.
Hawke nodded. “Yes, that’s possible.”
“So they placed a chameleon on Sarita?” Tyrone asked.
“Yes,” Silas said, sounding more confident than before.
“How’d they control her? Is that something you can do?” Tyrone asked Angus.
“Not something I’ve ever done, but doesn’t mean it can’t be done,” Angus said. “After snapping the bracelet on Sarita, it could be activated by a remote.”
“A cell phone?” Tyrese asked.
“Yes, that would do it,” Angus answered.
“Did we order a copy of Trant’s phone log?” Tyrese asked Angus.
“Let me check,” Angus said. A few minutes later he smiled. “We didn’t, but Mope has it, he’s looking into it now. At least we can confirm our theory.”
“We can do more than that,” Hawke said. “When you use a remote, there are ways I can track and trace the device to a certain point. We can unravel more information about this person.”
Silas nodded, glad to see Hawke overcome his rage and participate. They’d need him and Asia on board to track down this new threat. “Do it,” Silas told him.
“Not only did this person use a bracelet, but to go so deep La Patron and I couldn’t detect them, a collar was used also,” Asia added.
“Yes, I agree,” Silas said. It still stung that he’d been deceived in his own house. When Angus told him his theory, Silas couldn’t speak past the anger choking him. As much as he appreciated the benefits of the chameleon, he always feared it falling into the wrong hands. The added benefit of being undetectable made it the ultimate weapon for his enemies. They had to find a way to neutralize it and for that, Hawke needed to be on board.
