“This is the only way to keep Keiki out of the limelight. The captain is pissed it took so long to get that video from her.”
Voice match to recordings from their present op would identify Porter as the killer. If he pled guilty, that video would never be a source of contention.
“When Porter turns on his boss, we’ll have them all.” Coyote turned the binocular’s focusing thumbwheel and pursed his lips. “I think our undercover officer is a bit nervous.”
“Huh. Tucker can loosen her up. I don’t see any loopholes. You?” Nolan hadn’t been present in the latest debriefing, his priorities lay elsewhere knowing his partner would catch him up to speed.
“Nope. We’ve got this dead to rights, airtight. Which means your gut shouldn’t be setting you in a fit. Unless it’s Keiki herself? Or maybe the possible combination of Keiki and Tucker?”
“Fuck off. We’re finally gonna put this shit behind us.” Nolan exhaled as a communication received over his earpiece advised of a vehicle’s approach in turning off the highway.
“Showtime.” Coyote handed off the binoculars and picked up his rifle to follow the incoming vehicles through the scope. “I see Porter and a passenger. Can’t see passengers in the back due to window tint.”
Acknowledgment came in a murmured confirmation from another team across the meadow, also facing upwind.
“Leave it to the gator hunter to be a sharpshooter,” Nolan muttered.
“Hey, if you don’t hit ‘em just right, the smaller shot bounces off their skull. The larger stuff makes a mess.”
Below, Tucker and the doppelganger straightened but stayed together while Porter’s sedan skidded to a stop twenty yards away.
The two used as bait remained out in the open, leaning against the pickup. College kids wouldn’t have the tactical training or experience to take cover.
Porter stepped out of his vehicle, followed by three others. As expected, he’d come with backup.
At the same time, Tucker raised his head and took a stance in front of the undercover officer. “Afternoon, boys. Shall we wait for Harock to join us?” His hidden body camera offered a bird’s eye view of the car’s approach along with clear audio. The recorded conversation would be the evidence they needed.
“Who the hell are you?” Porter’s anger carried through the open space.
“Think of me as her manager or business partner if you want to make a deal.”
“My deal is with Harock. We don’t need you.” Porter palmed his gun, as did his subordinates.
“Aw, don’t be like that. Of course you do. You might have the list of our contacts, but you don’t have their trust. If we disappear or die like the girls, no one’s gonna deal with you.”
Two of Porter’s men pivoted to cover Harock’s entrance, his Mercedes rolling to a stop a short distance away. The man was smart enough to park in a position offering cover and distance between himself and intended partner.
“Harock’s on my side. I’ve got sights on him.” Coyote’s tone embodied the concentration of a tiger ready to pounce.
When Harock opened his door, he glared at Porter. “I don’t think we need guns to negotiate, do you?” His posture stiffened as if in preparation to move. “You need the tech of Harock Industries, both the drones and our ability to track our devices. Those two kids are part of the deal.”
“All right. But if you don’t keep them in line, I’ll take care of them the same way as the others. We aim to make money and expand our distribution with a safer drug.” With everyone present, Porter and his minions lowered their weapons but didn’t holster them.
Harock gritted his teeth in assessing his opponents, the need for revenge saturating his aura. One way or another, he wanted retribution against the monster who’d killed his little girl.
Nolan didn’t need a close up of the CEO to read his intent. “Damn it. Head’s up on Harock.”
When Porter turned his attention to the PI, Harock pulled a pistol from his suit pocket and raised his arm.
Before the CEO mogul could pull the trigger, the report of Coyote’s rifle filled the silence. Harock dropped his pistol and crumpled to the ground beside his vehicle.
“Harock’s down but not out,” Coyote murmured into his mic. “Repeat. Harock is down, and I no longer have a visual.”
Through his mic, Nolan heard another agent, located closer to the meadow’s entrance. “He’s holding pressure to his shoulder and trying to get back in his car.”
Simultaneously, the female officer and Tucker took up a shooter’s stance as the PI stepped aside.
Coyote fired another shot close enough to Porter’s thugs in warning.
At the same time, the SWAT leader announced their presence via megaphone from the tree line on the meadow’s other side.
Both Porter and his men froze in assessing their options. The underlings dropped their weapons and raised their hands first, each glaring their hatred as they condemned Tucker and the undercover officer to a slow and painful death.
Once the cuffs had clicked in place, rights were read, and suspects seated behind cages of patrol cars, congratulations and a few back slaps dispersed much of the tension. Harock was transported via ambulance to the hospital with an officer in attendance.
The operation had gone off without a hitch, yet Nolan’s gut churned. In counterpoint to his expectation, no one died.
Operations rarely go this smooth. “I’m gonna call Keiki.”
Coyote snickered. “See if she has some new fashion statement ready to go. I liked the multicolor, but maybe something a little tamer would better suit your complexion.”
“Jesus. I’m never gonna live it down.”
“Never.” Tucker picked that moment to join them in conversation.
“Not a word, man. Not a word.” Nolan turned away in hopes of a more private talk. To his dismay, both Tucker and Coyote followed, their comments and chuckles filling his mind with promises of revenge.
“Aw, hell. She’s not answering her phone. I know she’s been glued to it since we left.” Nolan disconnected and checked the app. “Damn it. It shows her still at the apartment at Carolyn’s. Do you think she found your tracker, Nick?”
“Possible, but I doubt she’d be searching for anything now, not while waiting for news,” Tucker replied then checked his own cell’s screen.
“Doesn’t feel right,” Coyote murmured. “Let’s go check.”
“Tell them where we’re going, Tucker.” Anxiety pinched Nolan’s throat and tightened his chest as he turned to rush through the woods to Coyote’s truck. His partner remained tight on his heels.
“Maybe she’s taking a shower or something.”
Platitudes didn’t disperse rising tension. “She’d answer if she could. Keys, I’ll drive. You call and leave a message. She won’t consider your voicemail an intrusion.”
Coyote flipped the keys across the hood and tucked his rifle back in its case before dropping into his seat.
Nolan drummed his fingers on the console. “You’re getting slow in your advanced age, gator man.”
“And your itch for a young lady is making you cranky.”
While the jibe hit home, Nolan didn’t flinch as he gunned the engine and slewed on the dirt road’s sharp turn. When he reached the highway, he stomped the accelerator.
“Try her phone again, Coyote. See if she answers.” Fifteen minutes separated them from settling his nerves. He needed to see her in one piece, studying one of her devices or playing with Horace in the backyard.
“Still no answer. Maybe she went to see Carolyn and forgot her phone. The tracking device isn’t that specific.”
Nolan shook his head, telling his partner to shut up without uttering a word. “Call Tucker.”
Silence during the drive served up a number of possibilities, all farfetched, yet deadly nonetheless.
When the truck skidded to a stop in a small nook seventy-five yards from Carolyn’s driveway, nothing looked amiss in passing. “There’s anoth
er access to the apartment through the home’s second story, but it’s hidden in a closet.”
“You take that. I’ll go up the stairs around back.” Coyote suggested as he slid out of the vehicle and bolted into the woods.
The smallest clicks of the door’s closing reverberated in Nolan’s mind. A foghorn would sound quieter.
She wouldn’t leave her phone behind. It didn’t seem possible Porter’s boss could associate Keiki with the current address in so short a time. It would’ve taken too much digging since there were no legal connections between himself and Carolyn.
Each step on leaf litter or small branch blared proof of his passing. Walking through woodland areas without making a sound was a myth perpetrated by daydreamers and Hollywood directors.
At the edge of the tree line, he approached the home from the bedroom side. His key unlocked the back door while the porch kept him hidden from view if anyone stood at Keiki’s window. No squeak or rasp gave away his presence.
Inside, Carolyn startled at his sudden appearance. Nolan held his finger up in a cautioning motion.
Carolyn whispered. “I heard Horace barking a few minutes ago, but he stopped, so I didn’t go over. She’d said she wanted to lie down and wait for your call.”
The murmured words sent another chill down his spine. Pointing to her small parlor, he sent her on quiet steps to relative safety, miming her locking the door.
He took a deep breath.
Padding up the stairs, he headed to the spare bedroom and blind entrance to the apartment. Common sense dictated two exits. Now more than ever, he was glad this one was relatively hidden.
The barrel of his gun trembled until determination shored up his reserve with knowledge of her innate strength. Slight intermittent floorboard groans had given away his presence, so he shoved the door wide then stepped in and to the left.
In one glance, he surveyed her entire space. The bedroom was empty, as was the living room and kitchen. Pieces of a broken lamp lay in front of the couch. Coyote entered the kitchen.
His partner’s look of disgust indicated another problem.
Nolan stepped forward to see his dog on the kitchen floor, lying flat out.
Coyote crouched to touch Horace’s chest. The dog didn’t stir with light pressure applied to his shoulder. His silent and still nature remained a mystery with no visual evidence of injury, until he used his handkerchief to remove a dart from the underside of the dog’s neck.
“Damn. They came prepared. He’s been tranqed. I’m guessing Keiki let him outside when he barked. They shot him then carried him up after snatching her.” “Porter’s boss has her now.” Nolan looked around. “How’d he find her?”
“Maybe with this.” Coyote picked up Nolan’s cell phone off the floor, which had been taken after thugs knocked him unconscious and dumped in the woods. “How many times have you called Carolyn?”
“Damn. Probably once a week. They’ve been running down my contacts until they found her.”
“Which is why it took them a while. Don’t beat yourself up over it, Nolan.”
“That doesn’t tell us where she is now or why they took her. They’ve got to know we have Porter.” Nolan nodded toward the broken lamp. “She put up a fight.”
“Porter’s boss is probably counting on him keeping his mouth shut, or providing a permanent solution before we can get a statement. Think about it. Without Keiki’s testimony or Porter’s admission, tying him to the drug ring will be difficult at best.”
“He’s protecting Porter. It was his backup plan.” Nolan prayed they hadn’t found the device and disabled it. For once, he was glad the apartment remained a little chilly. “I don’t see her jacket. The tracker is in the lining. Check your app while I call Tucker.”
Coyote retrieved his cell and pulled up the app. “Her tracker’s active.” Studying his cell’s screen, he elaborated, “She’s heading south on Route 23. We didn’t miss them by much.”
“Let’s move it.”
Coyote’s flicked his glance to the dog, stalling him before pushing to his feet.
“Carolyn will call a friend to take him to the vet.” En route to the truck, Nolan updated Tucker and Coyote reported the situation to their captain. From there, information would be coordinated.
“Call vice. See what Bitner can find out about the cartel’s county holdings, if there are any known. Maybe they’re going to Philly.”
The flicker of light filtering through overhanging branches failed to keep pace with Nolan’s escalating heart rate. He’d been the one to tuck Keiki away in the countryside. Having her taken from him once again was unbearable. No wonder she has little faith in cops.
“Hey, she’s stationary. They’re not going far and not taking her to the city.” Coyote tapped his screen. “I’ve got coordinates.”
Nolan glanced at the phone. “It looks like they’re stopping in the middle of nowhere. Fuck!”
“They won’t kill her until they figure out what she knows.” Coyote reasoned then relayed information to their chief.
“They won’t know we’re following.” Nolan thought of all the crime scenes he’d witnessed. Not many homicides took place in their remote locale, but they’d all been through the same training, all seen the after effects of torture during their classes. “If they’d wanted her dead, they wouldn’t have taken her away.”
His partner had enough sense to remain quiet for the drive despite Nolan’s intermittent interjection of profanity or possible outcomes. Neither of them could guarantee Keiki still drew breath. “If they drugged her too, she may not be awake yet, and therefore unable to answer questions.”
She might be buried alive if they want her to suffer.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“How’d Tucker get here before us?” Nolan pulled in beside the PI’s pickup. Desolate country roads driven didn’t bode well for his girl.
She’s not my girl. Yet.
“Likely, he was already on her trail while we were sneaking through the woods,” Coyote murmured.
The PI leaned against his tailgate, maneuvering some kind of controller. He’d seen their approach and nodded.
“He’s got a drone doing surveillance.” His partner slipped out and sidled up to watch the screen over Tucker’s shoulder.
“Back up will be here within fifteen. Glad you two could make it.” Tucker concentrated on the screen.
Nolan edged closer to see. “Head count?”
“Four inside and two on perimeter checks. They haven’t made a full sweep yet, so I don’t know their timing.” A gentle manipulation of the controls offered a different view sweeping the countryside. “She’s unconscious. I think they drugged her.”
The drone hovered lower over the treetops to disappear behind a thick trunk when a black-clad gunman passed. “Don’t worry, this machine’s real quiet, compliments of our girl.”
“What’s the inside look like?” Nolan ignored the PI’s comment of familiarity.
Intricate maneuvering of the device existed outside his bailiwick. In her apartment, he’d noticed her controller far exceeded anything he’d seen on the open market.
“As best as I can tell—clear span. One room is walled off and has a window. It’s closed and too high for me to gain access.” Tucker tilted his head to the side. “Coyote, get the other drone off the front seat. I have a plan.”
“O—kay.” Coyote looked to Nolan, who merely nodded.
“Listen, guys, if we wait till the Calvary arrives, she’s dead. You know it as well as I do.”
“Coyote and I can remove the two perimeter guards, then go in.”
“Good. There’s one man, who I assume is their boss, in the room with her now. If you can take down the guards, I’ll provide a distraction when the time comes.”
“How?” Nolan wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“With Keiki’s other drone. It’s bigger.” Coyote smiled as he held up the other device. It should be heavy enough to break glass, or at least get their
attention.”
The drone appeared similar, except for the barrel underneath with what appeared to be a receptacle capable of holding a small payload.
“I heard one of them call their boss Theo. We’ll let him think this is loaded with the same drug used to kill Shelly. He might suspect one of his men of pulling a double cross. At the very least, it’ll cause confusion, a distraction.” Tucker settled the larger drone on the tailgate.
“There’s nothing in that thing, right?” Nolan pointed to where the machine could hold cargo.
“No. Of course not. But they won’t know that. I suggest you get going. You both still have your coms?”
“Yeah.” Since they hadn’t made it back to the station, both detectives were prepared.
“Let me finish showing you the lay of the land. I’ll keep in touch with both, but I will only have eyes on one.” Tucker looked to Nolan, who pointed to Coyote.
“I’ll take the south side, the land is flatter. Coyote, you’ll need advance warning before taking your man on the north.” Nolan wouldn’t admit it, but his approach would take less time and put him in position sooner.
Both detectives palmed their guns and headed out.
Each tick of time projected another scenario where Nolan failed to protect his witness. In his heart, he recognized she was so much more.
As promised, the PI kept them informed of the guards’ positions while making their way around the perimeter.
Nolan ducked down to let the first sentry pass unscathed. Coyote wasn’t yet in position.
It’d be the one free pass given today.
The building squatted in the center of a small clearing with a twenty-yard buffer of unkempt grass.
According to the PI, the next guard’s approach would occur in less than five minutes. It was the longest wait of his life, filled with missed opportunities and accusing silences.
A small deer trail leading around a pine tree provided cover and would offer the shortest approach to the personnel door. He gauged the timing and judged his distance, controlling his breathing when again hearing the scuffle of boots through weeds.
A Critical Tangent Page 26
