by K D Michaels
“What the hell?” Sgt. Brocard, York and Cortez all said together staring at Diesel like she’d grown a second head.
“Seriously, look at him. With what we know about how the old man thinks, wouldn’t surprise me if the old man raped a woman of a different race, such as a black woman, Hispanic woman or someone from another country.” Diesel pointed out, reminding everyone of the Senator’s past.
“Shit, Diesel’s right. Of course, none of this showed up when he ran for congress, so she was either paid off, silenced like the wife, or was too afraid to come forward.” York agreed with Diesel on her assessment.
“Brody, what information about the mother can you find? It doesn’t show here who raised Jackson.” Sgt. Brocard asked Brody, in regard to the dossier that was done on Jackson.
“He was raised in foster care. In and out of homes until he aged out. No information on his biological parents. Seems all that was erased out of the system, including where he was born.”
Alvarez, Carter and Pratt all looked over at Gene at the same time in confusion. “Wasn’t me guys, nor was it anyone in our agency.”
“Well, you technically do if it’s someone who went to work for you.” Pratt answered before Alvarez and Carter could say anything, causing them both to look at her in surprise.
“True, but I can tell you he’s not one of ours. These two would know if someone in our agency had gone rogue. I’m not that old I wouldn’t remember someone named Jackson joining either.” Gene stared Pratt down as he answered her comment.
“Gene’s right. Nothing against Brody, but had this Jackson guy been one of ours, the information he did find, he wouldn’t have found that. He would have found a falsified background that would have been way more, should I say, implemented, than what he did.” Carter informed the room, reminding Pratt how her godfather works.
Breaking the stare down with Gene, Pratt then looked over at Carter and Alvarez and then nodded. “You’re right. But whoever did take out information on this, sucks ass.”
“What makes you think that?” Ian questioned, confused at her train of thought.
Diesel spoke up before anyone else could. “Why take out where he was born, where he was raised and who raised him, but not the fact he was in and out of foster care. They erased mention of the mother off the birth certificate, but not much else.”
York nodded, following along with Diesel’s thought process. “It’s almost like they want us to sympathize with the guy. No mention of the mother, no true mention of the foster care system other than he was in and out of it, no mention of the father, and no true mention of what he did after he aged out of the system. Making it seem like he had no choice but to turn to a life of crime and that’s bullshit!”
Carter looked over at York, watching her to see what she would say or do next. Ian and the rest of Trident Security looked up at her statement.
“You speak as if you have experience with the foster care system.” Alvarez said as if a statement instead of question.
Highlander and his SEALs looked at each in confusion before looking over at Alpha Squad who was giving each other a look as if wanting to step in and protect their teammate from criticism.
“Actually, Ms. Alvarez, two of my teammates grew up in foster care. The only reason you know about Pratt’s background is because this case touches a lot of it. Two grew up in the foster care system, one grew up as an outcast in the gypsy community, and three grew up in a tight knit family with one tight enough that they smothered them in a time of tragedy that made them leave home and rarely go back.” Sgt Brocard counted off on her fingers as she used numbers instead of names and didn’t look at any of her team members to give them away.
“Okay then, now, back to Jackson…how do we want to deal with this? I mean this guy is practically a ghost. He’s already proven he can get to us, even as tight as you have this place locked down without a brick wall taller than the buildings.” Diesel said, breaking the tension in the group.
Highlander coughed as he looked around the room to see the state of mind everyone was in. “Why not have Doc and Marco go to the hospital, check on this Asia guy, see, if anything, we can get anything out of his personal belongings.”
“Sounds like a good idea, Highlander. Marco, go with Doc, see if we can’t get his personal belongings, and an update on his condition. I’ll call Swift and see if she can’t meet you there at the hospital and help you with getting the cooperation of the medical staff.” Ian suggested to Marco, nodding towards Doc.
“We’re on it.”
Doc and Marco left the conference room for the hospital while Ian called Swift to have her meet them at the hospital. Once he hung up, Ian looked around the room and sighed heavily.
“What’s on your mind, Boss Man?” Devon asked his brother.
“Something isn’t sounding right with all this. This Jackson character has stayed off the radar this long, why come up now?”
Several of the people in the room looked around the room at the others. Everyone seemed to agree with Ian’s assessment and wanted to know the answer which seemed to evade everyone.
“He surfaced when Red showed up into town.” Larry answered everyone’s unspoken question.
“Yeah, but she wouldn’t have been here if it hadn’t been for our bolo…”
“Fuck, Diesel is right! I really hate saying that lately…but she is right. We only came into town when the FBI called us about the bolo we had put out on Peter, Asia, Jennifer and Candy.” York sighed, looking at her teammates, one at a time.
“FBI thought they had Candy’s body, but it was Peter’s. Candy was arrested by Tampa PD, she’s now dead. Asia is now in ICU under an assumed name to protect his identity. Jennifer broke seven years of silence to taunt Pratt” Sgt. Brocard followed up behind York.
“But why? I’ve been divorced from Jon for ten years now. Cody is twelve, it’s been his choice not to have anything to do with Jon. Jon’s content with that especially since the slutpuppy he’s married to managed to spit out two boys.”
“Your connection to Tina and Dakota’s case.” Raso pointed out. “Candy wanted to get rid of Dakota because she was high school aged, almost eighteen. She couldn’t use her anymore to get what she wanted as the mother of the daughter of a fallen SEAL. Everyone knew who Candy was and what she was. They only tolerated the whore because of Dakota.”
“Ice is right…bitch…” Alpha Squad chuckled along with the men as Diesel groaned out the insult. “Candy’s ability to use Dakota was done. Tina was excess weight, an unknown when Dakota was taken. We got involved, and that set the rest in motion.”
“Doesn’t explain the fact that Jennifer and this Jackson fella has their sights set on my lass though.” Highlander told the women.
“Duh! She’s part of the team that’s taking their organization down. She saved Tina. She went after Candy. She was part of the team that took out the organization that’s been operational for years, the one that Tina was sold to.” Diesel clarified for Highlander.
“Jackson knows who I am. The Senator made sure he knew who I was to him. Jennifer has her own reasons for going after me.” Pratt pointed out to her husband.
“True, but Jackson never had you in his sights until we got close to finding Dakota.”
“No, Diesel, he had me in his sights the moment Jennifer commented that she wanted revenge for me killing her mother. He could have easily made Peter and Candy disappear, no trace of them and this whole shit would have been a cold case…”
“Nae lass, the SEALs wouldn’t have let Dakota remain missing.” Highlander advised his wife.
“Maybe not, but you guys would have either wound up dead in a mission, a training accident, a death made to look like an accident, or been framed for something to get you dishonorable discharged. Something that would have thrown you guys off the trail. Granted, they don’t know you and your team, Eddie or Pattrick like we do, but something would have happened to throw everyone off the case.” Raso pointed out to ever
yone.
“Maybe so, but it’s time we take the bull by the horn.” Pratt said, pulling out her phone.
“What are you doing Laura?” Larry asked, looking at Gene concerned.
“Put Jon on the phone, Crissy.” Pratt said into the phone, point blank without looking at anyone in the room, as she placed it on speaker phone.
“What the fuck for bitch?”
“Because I told you to. Now, either put him on the phone or I contact Metro PD and let them know about the escort service you’re running out of your home when Jon is deployed, then I call Jon’s XO and have him drug tested. I’m sure the Senator would have fun with that media field day.”
“Fucking cunt, it’s no wonder he divorced your ass.”
“Actually twatsyphillis, I divorced him. Now, enough foreplay, get dickhead on the phone. I know he’s not deployed, and I know he’s not working today. It’s Friday, he never works or does shit except sit on his ass and stroke the micro penis he has to some porn flick on the tv since your gigantic twat doesn’t do the deed anymore. Last warning before I make the next call.”
“Jon, the ex cunt is on the phone. She wants to talk to you. Get her the fuck off my phone.”
“What the fuck do you want? You’re getting the child support like clockwork since you have that fucking shit taken out of my pay. What’s wrong princess, your fucking stud not taking care of that frigid cunt like a real man?” Jon Harris sneered at Pratt through the phone.
Pratt placed her hand on Highlander, keeping contact with him before laughing heartily. “Wow, Jon, still having issues that I upgraded in husbands I see. Don’t worry. Joe handles me very well, and reeves the engines for me. Does way better than you ever could.”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Tell your brother, Jackson to meet me at the Covenant in one hour, or I go to the media about his connection to your family.” Pratt ordered her ex-husband after Ian wrote down the name of his club on a piece of paper.
“Who the fuck is Jackson?”
“Don’t play me dumbass. You forget what I know apparently. If you really want to play dumb, then call your sperm donor and have him give the message to Jackson himself. The Covenant, one hour. I’m sure he knows where that is and has been salivating to get his grubby ass into that place. This is one and only chance to do so. Toodles dickless wonder.”
Pratt hung up the phone and looked over at Ian. “Okay, why the Covenant? That’s your club and it’s your prize possession, besides this place. Family not included since that’s a given no matter what.”
“It’s controlled. My guys here at Trident Security, they know that building inside and out. Carter and Alvarez know that building inside and out. You’re protected and we’d know if anyone is trying to sneak in without you knowing about it.”
“That’s going to be a guarantee. We can bank on him having Jennifer with him.” Pratt rubbed her hands together and looked at her husband. “I want you with them. You cannot be in the room with me. They will use you against me and Joe, I can’t let you be a target. I’m not asking you to stand down, but I want you with his guys somewhere in that building.”
Highlander stared at Pratt for a few moments before nodding. Looking over at Ian, Highlander stared him down. “I want my wife protected at all costs. Whatever it takes. My guys will assist yours. Since this is your place, you lead this operation.”
“She’s not going to be unguarded or unprotected. I’m going in with her. I’m an unknown, I own the place, so it won’t be an issue to be there with her. You have my word.”
Highlander stared Ian down for several minutes before staring at his wife for a beat. Walking up to her, he grabbed her nape and kisses her hard and quick. “You keep yourself safe. Whatever it takes, you come back to me.”
“You’re stuck with me, ace.” Pratt winked before leaning up on tip toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.
13
Ian stood behind the bar, pulling a beer out from the cooler. “Want one? Might help you calm down a bit. You’re a nervous nelly right now.”
Pratt chuckled as she stopped moving her leg up and down. “Glass of ice water, with lemon if you have one available.”
“Got a cold bottle of water, that good? We don’t do the glasses of water here. Makes it harder for the women to be roofied by guests that visit.”
“Sure, that would be perfect. Nice move on the bottles though, makes sense. Wish more places did that. Granted it’s hard to do with alcohol though.” Pratt took a sip then tapped her water bottle with Ian’s beer bottle he had yet to take a drink from.
Pratt knew that Ian wasn’t going to drink the beer. She figured he opened it to give the appearance as being laid back and not giving a damn when Jackson showed up, if he showed up.
Five minutes before the time to meet, Jennifer walked in with an unidentified male, looking smug as she stared Pratt down, ignoring Ian. Jennifer walked right up to Pratt, glaring into her eyes, until the male touched her shoulder as if to pull her back.
“Stand down, Jen. No need for hostilities at this time. We are here for a civilized conversation, aren’t we Detective Pratt. Tell me…” The man said as he sat down in one of the chairs at the table nearby from where Pratt and Ian were standing. “Why have you not taken your husband’s last name?”
“Because…it’s none of anyone’s business?” Pratt answered, making it sound like a question instead of a statement.
“Ah, a feisty one, that’s for sure. Too bad my brother didn’t know how to properly kill that fire you have burning. Me, on the other hand, I have fun with that kind of thing. I love to keep it simmering while I slowly burn it out of you.”
“Hmmm let me guess, you’re one of the bastard sons of Senator Nations Harris, Jackson Stephenson, if that’s even your real name.” Pratt smirked at the man, seeing his eyes flare when she identified him.
“And who is this juicy specimen?” Jennifer drooled looking at Ian, finally.
“Someone who would rather put a bullet in your head than fuck you.” Pratt smirked as she continued to stare Jackson down.
“Bitch!”
“You keep saying that as if it’s a bad thing, Jennifer. Now, sit down and be a good little twatsnifflingpussy and let the adults talk.”
Ian walked from around the bar and took a bar stool next to Pratt, not taking his eyes off Jackson as he moved. The two men stared each other down ignoring the women, until Ian sat next to Pratt, touching shoulder to shoulder.
“Jen, sit down, now!” Jackson ordered when she started towards Pratt after her statement.
“Nice play contacting Jon to reach me, Laura. Now, I’m here.”
“Eh, you didn’t exactly leave your number. A little rat told me who you were, I know how daddy likes to teach his boys everything, so I called baby brother to deliver the message.” Pratt shrugged, smirking at Jackson.
“Now that I’m here, what is it going to take to get you to leave Tampa and leave this nonsense alone? You’re never going to find Dakota.” Jackson raised a hand, in a whatever gesture.
“Leave Tampa? Fuck that, you promised me I could kill her, take revenge for my mother!” Jennifer screeched.
“Aww Jackson here didn’t tell you? You see Jennifer dear, I’m untouchable thanks to daddy dearest. Anything happens to me, all of daddy’s deepest, darkest secrets come to light. Any other little bastards that daddy has doing his dirty work in the dark, like little Jackson here, becomes public knowledge. Daddy’s run as a Senator is over.”
When Jennifer looked over at Jackson, who was glaring at Pratt as if he wanted to end her right then and there nodded, Jennifer screeched. “That’s if he ends you, not me!”
“Eh potato, pah-tato!” Pratt shrugged, looking over at Ian. “Pretty much same coin or something like that?”
Ian smirked at Pratt as he nodded. “So, since you didn’t bring Dakota with you, I would assume you sold her since these ladies here were giving you grief?”
“No, Dakota i
s mine. Has been for the last three years. Granted, she was a spirited little minx, but she eventually learned who the master was. I’m sure you know how that goes Mr. Sawyer. I mean, after all you are a Dom who owns one of the most exclusive clubs in all of Tampa, hell in all of Florida for that matter.”
“Being a Dom doesn’t mean disrespecting woman or owning them. There is a huge difference between what I am and what you are.”
“Eh, potato, pah-tato, as the detective here just recently said. The lifestyle is all the same. Women need to be dominated. Controlled. Held to an order, which is provide the heirs and do as their masters tell them. We allow them to do whatever they want, it causes chaos, a chaos that man cannot put up with. A disruption to order.”
Pratt looked over to Ian, pointing her thumb towards Jackson, “He really believes this new world order bullshit his daddy sells.”
Ian chuckled until he saw Jackson shift in his seat. Standing up, Ian moved to stand closer to Pratt, suspecting that Jackson or Jennifer had something planned that wasn’t going to end in a good way.
Pratt noticing Ian’s move, watched Jennifer and Jackson a little more closely. “I’m curious about something though, this little dynamic you have here with each other. Since this whole shenanigan started, it looks like Jennifer is in love with you, but yet, you’re not fucking her. You went after the younger pussy, now don’t get me wrong, Jennifer is still a young pup, but not as young as Dakota…”
“Fuck you!” Jennifer snarled at Pratt, sitting on the edge of her seat.
“You’re funny, Detective Pratt. I have to admit my father and brother left out that part in their description of you.” Jackson clapped as he laughed at Pratt’s taunting.
“Well, I like to call it as I see fit. I mean, she’s been following you around like a puppy. Sings your praises and has even mentioned a time or two that Dakota’s time is limited. I am crazy about my friends and my bosses, but I wouldn’t go that far for them. Sing their praises, yeah, if they have a new date, or were being considered for a new position, but not to someone I’m about to kill though.”
