Buried Innocence - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery - Book Thirteen (Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery Series)

by Reid, Terri

  There was a quick wave of surprised murmurs as local law enforcement heard that something as diabolical as a child pornography source was within their borders. Chris allowed them a moment and then called them back to order. “I’d like to give some time to the person whose investigation has led us to the best lead we’ve had in years,” Chris said. “I’d like to introduce you to a former, decorated, Chicago police officer and now a law enforcement consultant, Mary O’Reilly Alden.”

  Mary sent an apologetic grimace towards Chief Chase. “I’ll mention something to Chris, too,” she murmured before walking to the front of the room, leaving a slightly astonished chief of police in her wake.

  “Thank you, Chris,” she said when she got to the front of the room. “I’m going to just take a quick minute to give you an overview of the situation. We have a couple who have posed as a minister and his wife. Several independent sources will testify that these two have been culpable in the re-homing or underground adoption of a number of female children. We know of at least two situations where the child has been used in a live web stream of a pornographic nature and then, during the broadcast, murdered. These snuff films are not only illegal but also brutal and unconscionable. Our source tells us that there is a barn behind the main house that has been converted to a high-tech film studio. We are hoping there is some evidence out there including computer hard drives, DNA evidence and props for the films. We also have information that many of the children have been buried in the woods behind the barn. So once the area is secure, we should bring in forensics to identify the bodies.”

  The room was totally silent, each man and woman reaching into their training and experience to mentally prepare for the raid. They had no idea exactly what they would be walking into, and they didn’t want to be surprised.

  “Are there any questions?” Mary asked.

  Chief Chase raised her hand. “Who are your sources?” she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

  Mary met her eyes, understanding the challenge. “I’m sorry,” she said evenly. “Because of the risk involved with this case, the names have to be kept confidential.”

  Chief Chase kept her eyes trained on Mary and shook her head slightly enough that Mary knew she wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but for the sake of the assignment, she wouldn’t say anything else.

  Chris stepped up, gave everyone a copy of the address, an aerial view of the property and divided the group into two teams, one that would go into the house and the other into the barn. “Once again, I’m grateful to you for your willingness to work with the FBI on this raid,” Chris said. “I’ll be lead car, followed by Chief Alden from Freeport. My car will lead Team A to the house; Alden will lead Team B to the barn. Be alert, be smart and be safe. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Forty-six

  Mary and Bradley hurried to their car only to find Chelsea Chase waiting next to it. “I’ve got a number of my guys going out on this raid,” she said. “I need to know if this is another one of your psychic games.”

  “It’s not a game,” Mary replied seriously, “and I would never put law enforcement agents in jeopardy without good cause. I get that you have an issue with me, and that’s fine. But right now, we’ve got a job to do. If you’re not comfortable with the raid, pull out now. Just let Chris know.”

  “I’m not pulling out,” Chief Chase said. “I’m just not going to let you get my guys killed.”

  She abruptly turned away before Mary could respond.

  “She’s doesn’t like you very much, does she?” Bradley calmly asked.

  Mary shook her head. “No, we’re okay,” she said as she climbed into the cruiser. “But I think I pissed her off when I took that last filled long john.”

  Bradley chuckled softly. “Really? Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, actually, I’m better than okay,” she said. “I’m ready to kick some butt.”

  Bradley pulled the cruiser out of the parking spot and pulled up behind Chris’s vehicle. “Don’t let her bother you,” he said. “She doesn’t understand what you do, and that frightens her. And she doesn’t like feeling that way.”

  Shaking her head, Mary sat back in the seat. “I’m not letting her bother me,” Mary admitted. “I actually admire her. She’s worried about her officers, and she’s willing to confront me so they’re safe. I can respect and admire that.”

  Chris pulled out onto the street, and Bradley followed. Mary peered into the side mirror to watch the caravan of vehicles follow them down the streets of Galena. “We’ve got a good-sized group. There’s got to be eighteen of us,” Mary said. “Don’t you think this is overkill?”

  “I’d rather have too many than too few,” he said. “And the more people around, the greater protection for you.”

  “Bradley, you need to concentrate on the job, not me,” she said. “We both know that if your mind’s not on the raid, it’s dangerous.”

  “Besides, I’ll be watching out for her,” Mike said from the backseat of the car.

  Both Mary and Bradley jumped. “I really hate when you do that,” Mary said.

  “So, how did the briefing go?” Mike asked.

  “Good,” Bradley replied. “But your old girlfriend isn’t too fond of Mary.”

  “Well, that’s understandable,” Mike said.

  “Excuse me?” Mary asked.

  “Well, it’s obvious she never got over me,” Mike said, “and her discovering that I’m hanging out with you is making her jealous. Really, Mary, I thought you’d see that right away.”

  Grinning, Bradley glanced over at Mary. “Yes, Mary, you should have seen that,” he teased. “I’m surprised she didn’t jump up and try to pull your hair.”

  “Mike, I don’t know if both you and your ego can fit in the backseat of this car,” Mary replied.

  “Good thing we’re almost there,” Bradley said, the teasing tone leaving his voice. “Okay, when we get out, Mary, I want you to try to make contact with Bill Patterson’s ghost. Mike, you stay with Mary.”

  “I’m guessing Bill will find me as soon as we’re on the property,” Mary said. “He said he’d keep an eye out for us, and I have a feeling he’ll be anxious to help.”

  “Okay, so once we’re in, see if Bill can show you some of those hidden panels he mentioned,” Bradley said. “I would guess that’s where the most damning information is going to be hidden.”

  Mary nodded. “Okay, where will you be?”

  “Covering you while you search,” he said, “and directing the other officers to areas in the barn you aren’t searching.”

  “Good idea,” she said. “So, I can have a conversation with Bill without worrying about freaking anyone else out.”

  The car in front of them slowed, and Bradley pressed his brake. He took a deep breath and looked over at Mary. “I love you,” he said, reaching over and grasping her hand.

  She smiled at him. “I love you, too,” she replied, squeezing his hand in response.

  “Be careful,” he admonished.

  “You, too,” she said.

  He turned the car and followed Chris into the driveway leading to the house.

  Chapter Forty-seven

  “Joey, get your ass out of bed!” Gigi screamed as she ran to their closet and pulled out a handgun.

  “What?” Joey muttered, sitting up in the bed and rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “A raid,” Gigi screamed, tossing another handgun on the bed. “We’ve got a bunch of cops coming up the driveway.”

  Immediately awake, Joey jumped out of bed and grabbed the gun. “How many?”

  “Looks like five, maybe six vehicles,” she said. “I can’t see how many are in each. What do you think I am, psychic?”

  “We’ve got to give up,” Joey cried. “We’re never going to be able to beat six vehicles filled with cops. We’d need an army.”

  Gigi went back to the closet, pulled out a semi-automatic rifle, slapped a magazine into it and then tossed another magazine on th
e desk. “We got an army,” she said. “Now get your chicken ass out of bed and be a man for once. There are 30 rounds in this rifle and 30 more on the desk. There’s no way they got 60 cops out there, so you’ve got plenty of ammunition.”

  “Listen, Gigi, we’re not Bonnie and Clyde,” he pleaded. “There’s no way we can kill a whole bunch of cops and get away with it.”

  She looked at him in disgust. “You know who my daddy is,” she spat. “One call from him, and we are sailing to Venezuela with a bank account full of money and new identities. We can set up shop anywhere we want. Now grab the gun.”

  He took a deep shuddering breath. “You sure?” he asked her, sliding out of the bed and picking up the gun. “You sure we can do this?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Have I ever been wrong before?” she asked.

  She glanced up at the security cameras and saw that the cars were nearly to the end of the drive. “Okay, I’m going to run over to the barn and grab the vendor list and the hard drive. The rest of the stuff is expendable,” she said. “You meet the company. I’ll take the tunnel, so I’ll be back and forth as fast as I can.”

  “You hate that dark tunnel,” Joey said.

  “Yeah, but this time, it’s the safest and the quickest way to get over there,” she said, and for the first time that morning, a slight smile appeared on her face. “And if I’m lucky, a cop or two will be in the barn so I can get a little target practice in.”

  She looked down at the gun in her hand and then back up at Joey, an entirely different look in her eyes. Grabbing the second gun on the bed, she stuffed it into the pocket of her robe. “This is going to be a great morning,” she said. “Now, let’s get the furniture arranged before I leave.”

  They walked over to the large overstuffed couch. “We need to drop this onto its back,” she said, “so you can hide behind it and fire at them when they come through the door.”

  “But won’t they be able to see me?” he asked.

  “We’ll turn the lights off,” she said. “You’ll have the advantage. Now help me with this damn couch.”

  The couch dropped, and Joey knelt behind it, the rifle next to his shoulder and his eye at the viewer. “I’m ready, Gigi,” he said. “I’m ready for some action.”

  “Yeah, for the first time in your life,” she muttered.

  “What?” he asked nervously. “What did you say?”

  “I said you look good,” she lied. “And you are going to take them all down. Just aim at the doorway and keep shooting. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Gigi quickly turned off all of the lights in the house and moved to the kitchen. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she repeated. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good. I can hear them coming, so go, Gigi. Go now,” he called and he rested his finger against the trigger.

  Grabbing a flashlight from a hook in the kitchen, Gigi opened the pantry door and went to the far end of the small, closet-like room. Pushing on a hidden panel, the back of the pantry popped open to reveal a set of stairs. She turned on the flashlight, stepped down onto the first stair and pulled the door closed behind her.

  The air felt cool and smelled of wet dirt. Grabbing onto the handrail, she pointed the flashlight so it only pointed down and continued down the short flight of wooden stairs to the beginning of the tunnel. Once Gigi could feel the damp earth against her bare feet, she shined the flashlight around the space, shuddering at the exposed roots that seemed like fingers reaching out from the ground to grab her. The barn was nearly thirty yards away.

  She hated the feeling of dirt all around her, closing her in. It felt like she was in her own grave. She hesitated for a moment, and then she heard a volley of gunshots from behind her and realized she had to hurry. If she and Joey were going to escape, she needed to get their records from the barn. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and started to run towards the doorway on the other side of the tunnel, the doorway that led into the barn.

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Bradley drove past Chris’s car and the house to get to the barn. He waited until the other two cars in his group joined him, and then they all got out at the same time. Chief Chase climbed out of the car next to them. Bradley nodded to her and all the others in the group. “Weapons drawn,” he whispered. “We don’t know what we are walking into.”

  Mary adjusted her Kevlar vest, pulled her revolver from her holster and fell into line with the other members of her team. She hated the fact that Bradley led the way into the barn, but she realized that was one of the responsibilities of being the team leader. Bradley waited until everyone was ready to go in before giving the nod to proceed. Mary held to the back of the line and covertly looked around.

  “Looking for someone?” Chief Chase asked her.

  Mary nodded. “Well, if you must know, I’m looking for a dead contractor who is going to show me where he built the hidden panels in the barn,” she replied.

  Shaking her head with disgust, Chief Chase moved around Mary. “You are certifiable and you don’t belong here. You’re going to get someone killed.”

  Mary looked around again, searching for Bill. She couldn’t believe he wouldn’t show up. The rest of the team had already entered the barn and begun the search. She couldn’t wait for Bill any longer. Moving towards the barn, she suddenly she heard a volley of gunshots coming from the house. She turned around, weapon drawn, and faced the house. Mike appeared next to her. “You need to get into the barn,” he said.

  She shook her head, focused on the house. “They’ve got return fire in there,” she said.

  “Mary,” he said, standing in front of her. “They have enough backup. They should be fine. You’ve got an assignment.”

  Mary hesitated for a moment.

  “Mary,” Mike said. “We need to find the hidden panels.

  She nodded and stepped backwards towards the barn, her eyes still on the house. “Okay, let’s go.”

  When she crossed the threshold of the barn, she saw Bill waiting just inside the door. “Come on,” he said, pointing to a corner of the barn. “The hidden panels are over here.”

  Mary looked around the barn. The other members of the team were systematically searching the other side of the room. There would be sixty feet between her and the areas they would be searching, plenty of room for privacy.

  Running, Mary followed Bill to the far end of the barn where a room had been constructed near one of the corners. “This is the control room,” Bill said. “It’s where all the computer stuff is, and it’s also where the panels are hidden.”

  Mary reached down, her hand clasped on the doorknob when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “What are you doing?” Chief Chase asked.

  Where the hell did she come from? Mary wondered.

  “I’m searching this room,” Mary replied, fed up with the chief’s treatment. “And I don’t have the time or inclination to explain my actions to you. So, if you’ll excuse me…”

  Mary started to twist the door knob open when she heard a soft click from the area just past the room. “Bill?” she called.

  “Damn it, Mary, I forgot about the secret panel,” he cried. “Someone’s coming through.”

  “Down!” Mary yelled, dropping down to the floor.

  “Why?” Chief Chase asked. “Did one of your dead friends—”

  A six foot panel popped open, and Gigi jumped out, her gun drawn. “Die!” she screamed as she jumped into the light. Chief Chase started to turn, but it was too late. Gigi had picked her closest target, and the chief was in her sights.

  Mary watched the chief’s eyes widen in shock when the bullet hit. Its impact knocked her forward past Mary and into the outer wall of the control room. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. Mary turned to see Gigi raise her gun again, aiming it across the room at another officer. Without thinking, Mary raised her weapon and fired. The shot crashed against the side of Gigi’s gun and tore it from her hands.

  Gigi glanced over at
Mary, studied her momentarily and then dashed back into the tunnel.

  Mary looked back over her shoulder and saw the smear of red blood on the white enamel wall left by Chief Chase as she slid to the floor.

  “I’ve got her,” Mike yelled.

  Mary got to her feet. “I’m going after her,” she yelled to Mike, her police training kicking in. “I can’t let her get away.”

  She dove into the tunnel, sticking close to the wall, and started following Gigi.

  “Mary,” Bradley yelled from the entrance. “Mary, are you okay?”

  She turned and could see his dark silhouette in the opening. A shot rang out past Mary and ricocheted off one of the support beams near the exit. “Get down!” she yelled.

  “Mary!” Bradley called.

  “Bradley, I’m fine,” she yelled back. “Get out of her line of sight. Chase has been shot. She needs an ambulance, ASAP!”

  The tunnel curved slightly, and Mary was enveloped in darkness except for the bobbing flashlight of the woman she was following. “Stop! Police!” Mary called. “We’ve got you cornered.”

  Another shot ricocheted wildly and struck another beam. Mary hugged the dirt wall and continued down the tunnel in the dark.

  “Mary, it’s Bill,” the ghost called.

  She couldn’t see him, but she her skin chilled at his presence. “I can hear you,” she whispered.

  “You got to get out of here,” he said. “We never finished this tunnel. We only put in a couple temporary supports. The ground is too unstable. It’s sandy soil, and with the echoing of the gunshots, it could come down at any moment.”

  “I can’t let her surprise the guys on the other side,” she said.

  “Then make her come back,” Bill suggested. “Shoot out her flashlight. This side is closer, and she don’t like being in the tunnel.”

  Mary moved to the middle of the tunnel, making sure there was no light behind her, and aimed for the far edge of the flashlight. Taking a quick breath, she squeezed the trigger and fired. A moment later the tunnel was completely dowsed in blackness.