Forced Move (Michael Cailen Book 2)

by Mel LeBrun

  “I'm going to call Kevin,” Josh continued. “Knowing him, he's probably going to charter a plane or helicopter to come see her. I'll ask if you can tag along. I'm sure he'll say yes.”

  “Okay,” she said between sobs.

  Josh felt torn apart listening to her cry so hard and not being able to do anything for her. “It's going to be okay,” he tried to comfort her.

  “Please tell her I'm coming,” she cried.

  “I will. I'm going to call Kevin now. I'll call you right back after.”

  “Okay.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Josh.”

  As expected, Kevin chartered a private plane for him and his two daughters to New York and hired a car to drive them to the hospital. He kindly allowed Jinx to come along.

  While Josh was on the phone with Jinx, giving her the flight information, Michael opened the door to the room and flagged him over.

  “What is it?” Josh said anxiously as he lowered the phone.

  “Could you please get her father? Give him a hat and a quick lesson on avoiding cameras.”

  “Is she okay?” Josh asked, concerned.

  “She's asking for him,” Michael answered. “She's getting agitated that he's not here.”

  “I'll get him now.” Josh said goodbye to Jinx and hurried to get Jeff.

  Martin walked in as Josh was walking out. After giving Martin a brief update, Josh continued outside while Martin went in to see Jessica, posing as her cousin.

  Michael looked up as Martin stepped in the room.

  Martin held out a bag with a change of clothes. “How's she doing?”

  Michael relieved him of the bag. “In and out.” She was currently out again.

  Martin walked to her bedside. “I guess her father is coming in?”

  Michael nodded.

  “Should I leave?” Martin asked.

  “Only if you want to.”

  “I'm not worried about him,” Martin said as he sat in one of the chairs.

  Michael changed out of his blood stained clothes and resumed his post sitting next to her. They both sat quietly while she slept. A nurse came in to check her vitals. The disturbance was enough to wake her. She smiled when she saw Martin. Then she turned her head to Michael.

  “Where's my father?” she asked.

  “He's coming.”

  She closed her eyes again.

  “Kev is coming with the girls and Jinx,” he added.

  Her eyes opened wide. “No.” She looked greatly distressed. “You can't let him near my father.” She tried to sit up.

  Michael gently pushed her back on the bed. “Don't try to move Jess.”

  “You can't let them meet.” Her voice was weak and she spoke with great difficulty.

  “I'm going to handle it Jess. Don't worry about it.”

  Unable to protest further she closed her eyes. In a few seconds, she was asleep again.

  Michael knew her condition could deteriorate at any moment, but the fact that she was talking was a good sign. He felt hopeful that she would pull through.

  A knock came on the door and it opened. It was Josh. Martin was about to leave so Jeff could come in when Josh asked Michael to step out. Martin stayed behind instead as Jeff entered the room and Michael went out to talk to Josh.

  “What is it?” Michael asked.

  “We ... have a problem.” Josh hesitated to tell him. “The courier is dead.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Umm ... pretty sure Jeff killed him, but he won't admit it.”

  Michael stood speechless. Without the courier, they had no way of knowing where the five flash drives he was carrying were supposed to be delivered. The sale would be compromised and Meier would cancel it. They wouldn't get the video recordings and Jessica's getting shot would be for nothing.

  “Strangled or suffocated would be my guess,” Josh continued. “Neck isn't broken and he wasn't bleeding.”

  Michael ran his hand down his face, not believing what he was hearing. He hadn't thought the day could get any worse but here it had. His anger and frustration slowly boiling over he had to fight to control his temper.

  JEFF STEPPED quietly over to the bed. Jessica was sound asleep again. Martin sat watching over her.

  “And who are you?” Jeff asked him.

  Martin looked up at him. “Nobody.”

  “You're Josh's brother.” He guessed.

  Martin made no reply. Jeff decided it didn't matter. He turned his attention to Jessica instead. She was sleeping peacefully and he didn't want to wake her. He sat in the chair next to her and gently squeezed her arm. Michael then came in the room and Martin left. He stood in the corner fuming over what Jeff had done but not wanting to say anything around Jessica.

  She breathed deep, just half-conscious. “Daddy?”

  He quickly stood. “I'm here honey.” On the verge of tears, he stroked her hair. Seeing her in that condition and hearing her call him Daddy nearly made him break down.

  She opened her eyes to see if it really was him and then closed them again.

  Still very weak, she struggled to speak. “Is Mom going to be mad at me?”

  Tears fell from his eyes and he fought to keep control. “Mad at you? No, Honey. She's not going to be mad at you. Not at all.” He wiped the tears and looked up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and continued. “She's going to be so happy to see you, she's not going to care about anything else.”

  Listening in, it was near impossible for Michael to remain unaffected. Yet he wiped the tears away, trying to keep up the appearance of being strong.

  “If I die,” she continued. “Tell her I'm sorry.”

  That was about all the two men could take. Jeff burst into tears sobbing uncontrollably. Hearing his little girl talk about dying was more than he could handle. Michael broke down silently. Unable to stand he crumpled to the floor, weeping quietly.

  “You're not going to die, Jessie,” Jeff said to her. “You have too much to live for.”

  “I'm sorry,” she whispered with the last of her strength.

  “No, sweetie. You have nothing to feel sorry for. It's me who's sorry.” Unable to control himself, he wept as he spoke. “I was a terrible father. I still am. I'm so sorry, Jessie.” Clutching her hand, he buried his face in the bed as he shed bitter tears.

  Jessica was asleep again. After a few minutes, Michael stood up and regained his composure. He let some more time pass before asking Jeff to step outside for a minute. Jeff reluctantly left his daughter's bedside.

  Kevin had arrived with his two girls and Jinx. They were in the waiting room when they came out. Kevin was just a few years older than Michael. A little taller than Jessica, he was slightly heavyset with thinning blond hair and blue-gray eyes.

  Kevin's daughter's were Lauren and Emily. Lauren, the older, had just turned nine. She had long, straight, light brown hair and blue-gray eyes like her father. Emily was seven with honey-colored eyes and hair like her sister. Their mother died giving birth to Emily. Jessica was the closest thing to a mother that they had. And the girls just adored Michael.

  “Michael!” the girls squealed in unison. They ran to him, hugging him tightly.

  “Hi girls.” He patted their heads.

  “Is Jessie okay?” Lauren asked. Both girls looked very concerned.

  Kevin had only told them that Jessica wasn't feeling well and they were going to visit her in the hospital. He didn't think they should know the extent of her condition.

  “She's doing all right,” he told them. “She's resting right now.”

  “Can we see her?” Emily asked.

  “Maybe later, if your dad says it's okay,” he replied. “Right now I have to go outside for a minute. I'll be right back.” He looked over at Kevin. “Can you sit with her?”

  Kevin nodded. “Of course.” He glanced at Jeff then back at Michael, wondering who he was.

  Michael turned to Jeff. “Outside.”

  Jeff thought Mich
ael just wanted to talk to him outside the room. He had no intention of going outside the hospital.

  “Whatever it is, you can talk to me here,” Jeff replied.

  Michael had no patience for him. Using a pain compliance technique used by law enforcement and the military, Michael twisted Jeff's arm behind his back. Stifling a cry of pain, Jeff demanded that Michael let go of him. Without a word, Michael calmly walked Jeff outside. Due to the excruciating pain Michael inflicted when he resisted, Jeff didn't have much choice but to comply.

  Michael escorted Jeff out to the parking lot. When they got near the truck, Michael checked to make sure no one was around. Finding the coast clear, he turned Jeff to face him and promptly struck him with all his might.

  Jeff fell to the ground dazed. Climbing on top of him, Michael held him to the ground by his throat. Pinning one arm to the ground with his knee, his free hand holding the other, Jeff was incapacitated.

  “You think this is some kind of joke?” Michael growled.

  “What are you talking about?” Jeff asked bewildered by Michael's behavior.

  “If we don't deliver those flash drives to the buyers, what do you think Meier is going to do?”

  “We can deliver the drives, Michael.” Jeff tried in vain to free his arms, but Michael's strength was overpowering.

  “How are we supposed to know where to deliver them when you killed the only man we could ask?” he snarled through clenched teeth as he squeezed his neck.

  “I know ... who the ... buyers ... are,” he choked.

  Michael eased his grip. “How do you know that?”

  “He told me. Right before I killed him.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I convinced him I would let him go if he did.”

  “And then you killed him instead.”

  “He shot Jessica. You would have done the same,” Jeff replied indignantly.

  “No. I wouldn't.” Michael released Jeff and stood up.

  “I've seen you kill.” Jeff slowly got to his feet. “You killed my guards.”

  “That was different. They were a threat to her safety. This ...” Michael shook his head. “This was revenge. He posed no threat.”

  Jeff shook his head and looked away. He thought of all people, Michael would understand and even agree with what he did. “You're not the man I thought you were.” An undercurrent of disgust could be detected in his tone.

  Michael just glared at him. “Thank God for that.”

  Jeff huffed. “Michael, it doesn't have to be this way. We both want the same thing.”

  “I don't think we do.” Michael turned and walked away.

  Chapter 23

  Michael was briefing Josh when Jeff returned to the waiting room. His battered face the obvious result of Michael's anger. He sat away from the others. On account of knowing who he was, Jeff was ostracized. Only Kevin and the girls were unaware that he was Jessica's biological father. Michael would have to tell him.

  Jinx and Martin were keeping Lauren and Emily occupied while Kevin, their father, sat with Jessica. After bringing Josh up to speed with what he learned from Jeff, Michael joined Kevin.

  Jessica was asleep. Kevin sat pensively holding her hand. Michael tried to push his emotions away as he gazed down at his wife, clinging to life.

  “What happened?” Kevin asked without turning his eyes away from her.

  Michael took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He explained who Meier was, told him about Katie's abduction and Jessica being attacked while he was away and of their subsequently being kidnapped. Michael hesitated, unsure how to broach the subject of that being Jessica's father in the waiting room. He had to though. He couldn't risk Kevin inadvertently saying something he shouldn't in front of Jeff.

  Michael breathed heavily and glanced at Jessica. “Before I continue, you have to promise you'll keep your cool.”

  “What is it?” Kevin asked impatiently.

  “It's for Jessica's sake. Do you understand?”

  “Just spit it out, Michael.”

  “Turned out to be Jessica's father who kidnapped us.”

  “What?!”

  “While Jess was working for the CIA, she decided to see what became of her parents. Her curiosity got the better of her and she hacked into her father's computer to spy on him. She had no idea what he was involved in. Turns out he launders money for Meier. When he discovered his computer had been hacked, he hired someone to track down the hacker, not knowing it was his daughter. He found Jess and everything was set in motion.”

  Kevin sat speechless as Michael related the story.

  Michael continued, “Not sure what he had planned for us, but he recognized Jess immediately. He kept us prisoner for a few days, not wanting anyone to know she was his daughter. Then he helped us escape.” He reached out and stroked Jessica's hair. “You know Jess, though. She couldn't leave it alone. She wanted her father to pay for what he had done. For his part in Meier's crimes.”

  Michael recounted how it all went wrong. The failed sting operation, her father's threat to imprison Jessica, how he agreed to help them catch Meier, how they tracked the courier and how Jessica got shot pursuing him.

  “Where is her father now?” Kevin asked.

  Michael looked in his eyes. “In the waiting room.”

  “How can you let that savage near her?” Kevin said angrily. He knew more than Michael the effect her abusive father had on her as a kid. He spent years trying to undo the emotional damage that had been done to her.

  “This isn't my choice.”

  “You should have just killed him.” Kevin turned away, disgusted.

  “What is with you people? I'm not killing Jessica's father.”

  “The world would be a better place,” Kevin insisted.

  Michael couldn't help but be amused at his reaction. There were so many similarities between Kevin and Jessica, Michael found it hard to believe sometimes that they weren't related.

  “His name is Jeffrey Bowen. I don't think I need to tell you that he has a temper. But you need to understand that it goes a little beyond that. He's connected. If he learns that you helped hide his daughter from him for the past 14 years, your life will be in danger.”

  “You think he'd kill me?”

  “In a heartbeat,” Michael resolutely answered. “I would prefer if you just don't talk to him at all.”

  Kevin nodded. “I understand.”

  “Good. Now I need your help.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I need you to decrypt a flash drive we took off the courier.”

  Kevin gave him a look. “You're still going through with that?”

  “What would Jess want me to do?”

  Kevin knew the answer to that question. Sighing heavily, he shook his head. “Do you have her laptop?”

  “It's in the truck.”

  “You know her password?”

  “Yes.”

  “I'll see what I can do,” Kevin reluctantly agreed.

  JINX AND Josh took over sitting with Jessica while Michael brought Kevin to the truck. Michael opened the back door and grabbed the laptop bag off the floor. The sobering blood smears on the backseat were hard to miss. He handed the bag to Kevin and offered him the front passenger's seat. Michael slipped in the driver's seat while Kevin started up the laptop.

  “Is that the courier in back?” Kevin asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “He's really out huh?”

  “He's dead,” Michael bluntly informed him.

  Kevin suddenly no longer wanted to be in the vehicle. He sat quietly, terrified that there was a dead body just feet from him. Michael punched in Jessica's password and the system loaded up. He entered a few more passwords giving Kevin access to programs and files he would need to use.

  “Jeff killed him.” Michael felt compelled to tell him that. He didn't want Kevin thinking that he or Josh had murdered the man.

  “Right. Well. How about we just decrypt this drive so
I can get away from the decomposing corpse in the back.”

  Michael handed him one of the flash drives. Kevin pecked away at the keys. After only a few minutes he declared there was nothing he could do.

  “What do you mean there's nothing you can do? You're as good as Jess. You can do it.”

  “No, Michael. I can't. And neither can anyone else. They used an AES-256 cipher algorithm. The kind the military uses. The only way to decrypt this is to have the key.”

  “There has to be a way.”

  “Well, sure. If you had a couple dozen super computers and a few hundred years to spare you could probably brute force hack it.”

  Michael ran his hand down his face. “We did all this for nothing.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  “The plan hinges on being able to read what's on that drive.”

  “We still might be able to.”

  Michael gave him a look. “You just finished telling me it's impossible to crack.”

  “The buyers have the key.”

  Michael shook his head. “Buyers are high profile. If anything happens to them, Meier will call off the sale.”

  “I'm not saying we interrogate the buyers. I'm saying we hack their computers.”

  “How?”

  “I could put a virus on the drives that would give us access to their computers once they connect it.”

  “Wouldn't their anti-virus pick that up?”

  “There are some pretty nasty viruses out there and I happen to know most of the programmers who made them. I'm sure we could break into at least one of them.”

  Feeling uneasy about that option, Michael shifted in his seat. “Is there a way we can do it without tampering with the drives? I don't want to tip them off.”

  “If I knew who the buyers were I could see who's vulnerable.”

  “I'll get you the names.”

  “I can't work with a dead guy, Michael.”

  Michael stared blankly out the windshield. “I'll take care of it.”

  Kevin looked over at him. “You okay?”

  “You can go back inside,” Michael responded, still lost in his thoughts gazing out the window at nothing. “Stay clear of Jeff.”