Snapped: An Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Book 1

by Sutter, C. M.

  “Bingo,” Tam said. “Saddle up, people, we’re heading out. Is that the last stop before the airport?”

  “It is, ma’am.”

  “Great work, Mike. Text that address to our phones and call the storage facility to make sure someone is on-site to allow us through. We need the number of her unit and any videotapes they may have. I want them up and ready for us to look at.”

  “I’m on it, ma’am.”

  “Okay, let’s roll!”

  Chief Boardman called out to the remaining officers to secure the house and keep it under surveillance. The agents climbed in their cars and peeled out, en route to the All-Store facility with the chief, in his cruiser, leading the way.

  With heavy traffic ahead, the officers engaged their lights and sirens. They didn’t have time to waste. The three cruisers arrived at the facility twenty minutes later and squealed to a stop at the gate. Agent Tam slammed the shifter into park and exited the vehicle. She approached the guard shack and spoke to the person inside the small booth. She asked for Jordan Taylor’s unit number. The guard checked the log of rental units.

  “Nobody under that name has a unit here, ma’am. Are you sure you’re at the right facility?”

  “Yes, I’m sure, damn it. She’s a tall blond woman that drives a 2009 dark blue Accord.”

  “Yeah, okay. That’s Angela Gates.” He checked the log again. “She’s in Row C at the far end, unit 66.”

  “Is this facility monitored with video?”

  “Sure is.”

  “Good. I want the tape for the last twenty-four hours up and ready before we leave this facility. Do you have keys for each unit?”

  “Nope. Everyone secures their space with their own lock and key.”

  “Good enough. If it’s locked, you’re going to hear a gunshot. If there’s anyone here other than us, I want them ushered out for their own safety. Close this place up and don’t let anybody in until we’re done here. Understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He lifted the gate, and Agent Tam returned to the car. “Follow me,” she yelled out as she climbed in the cruiser and sped down Row C.

  They reached the last unit in that row, private and snugged in against the chain-link fence. The agents and Chief Boardman exited their cars and approached the overhead roller door. J.T. put his ear against the metal and held up his hand. Everyone fell silent as he listened. He shook his head.

  “Nothing, there’s no sound inside.” He tugged on the handle and the lock. They weren’t budging. He looked from face to face. Agent Tam nodded the go-ahead. “Okay, back away.” He pulled out his sidearm, shielded his face with his forearm, and took aim. With one shot, he blew the padlock off the latch. J.T. grabbed the handle and lifted the roller door.

  They found the blue Accord parked inside.

  “No wonder the BOLO hasn’t hit. The car has been hidden away in this storage unit. Get that trunk popped,” Boardman yelled out.

  With his arm stretched to the latch under the dash, J.T. gave it a pull, and the trunk lid opened.

  Dave looked in and let out a relieved sigh. “It’s empty.”

  Tam jerked her chin at Bruce. “Go back to the guard shack and have him pull up the surveillance tape. She’s using another vehicle, and I want to know what it is right now.”

  Bruce jumped in the cruiser and sped back to the guard shack. He returned fifteen minutes later with the necessary information written on a sheet of paper.

  “She’s driving a white van, boss. The footage was grainy, but the grille emblem could be the Chevy logo. It had limousine tinted side windows too.”

  “Okay. Did you get the plate number?”

  “No plate on the front, and I couldn’t see below the back doors.”

  Tam growled under her breath. “All right, I’ll look at the video myself later. Right now I want everything in this garage gone over. We need to know if Agent Monroe has been here or not.”

  “Boss, check this out,” Dave said. “There’s bloodstained zip ties and a makeshift toilet back here in the corner. Jordan must have camped here overnight.”

  Boardman piped up. “Those zip ties are probably our best evidence of Jade being here.” He poked his head into a garbage bag wedged in the corner. “Empty water bottles, granola bar wrappers, yep, I’d say this is where they hunkered down.” He huffed and planted his hands on his hips. “I believe I just found our murder weapons.” He tipped his head to the right. “There are several dozen broken cinder blocks stacked against this back wall.”

  “Take pictures of everything, Dave, especially those blocks, and get a count on them too,” Tam said.

  J.T. paced the garage and scratched his two-day stubble. “Okay, they’re in a white van, and Jordan could be using it as their temporary living quarters. Damn it. She could be anywhere. Hasn’t anybody found the husband yet?”

  Nobody spoke up.

  “She could be long gone if she caught wind of the news broadcasts,” Tam said. “Chief, what’s your gut telling you?”

  “It’s telling me to check that video myself and see if there’s any identifying features on that vehicle, then we need to get a BOLO out for it. I don’t care if every white van in the state is pulled over and searched. Let’s put that info on the digital freeway signs too. After that, we have to update the news stations to include a white van with the information about her.”

  “Okay, people, keep searching this unit. Chief Boardman and I are going to the guard shack to review that tape.”

  “Hold up.” J.T. knelt on the floor at the right rear side of the car. “Check this out.”

  Tam turned. “What do you have, Agent Harper?” The group rounded the car and peered over J.T.’s shoulder.

  Scratched into the cement floor with what looked to be smears of blood mixed in were the letters JM.

  “JM, Jade Monroe.” Tam pointed several inches to the right. “See that small gravel stone with blood on it? That’s probably what she used to etch her initials with. The blood smears make sense if those zip ties in the corner were around her wrists at the time. They were likely cutting into her skin.” Tam pushed off her knees and stood. “There’s biological evidence here, meaning we need forensics on-site.” She barked out orders before she and Boardman left for the guard shack. “Call everybody that’s available from the forensic team. We need them out here now. Get a picture of those initials too. This is turning into a shit storm faster than we can keep up.”

  Thirty minutes later, a group of officers, agents, and forensic specialists were gathered at the storage garage. The BOLO had been issued to law enforcement statewide, and the digital freeway signs flashed the alert to watch for a white van with black-tinted side windows.

  Chapter 40

  I watched as Jordan turned up the television and took a seat on the couch ten feet to my left.

  “What’s the plan, Jordan? Who is the woman lying here, and why did you attack her?”

  “I have my reasons, none of which is any of your concern.”

  “She could die. She needs medical help.”

  “Nah, she isn’t going to die until I say so. The time isn’t right yet but probably tomorrow.”

  I scooted closer to the woman. Her back faced Jordan, and she opened her eyes as if to tell me she was still conscious.

  I gave her a thin smile then addressed Jordan again. “What’s her name? How do you know her?”

  “That’s Jeanie, my oldest and dearest friend. We’ve known each other since high school.”

  “I don’t understand why you attacked her, then.”

  Jordan crossed the room and knelt at my side. “Here’s the deal, Agent Monroe. Shut the hell up! If I want to play the twenty questions game with you, I’ll let you know. Until then, it isn’t in your best interest to get on my nerves. Got it?”

  I nodded. Jordan pushed me aside and sat between us, blocking my view of the injured woman.

  “Wake up.”

  Jeanie remained motionless. Jordan stood and rounded the corne
r to the kitchen. I heard the sound of cabinet doors banging and then water running.

  “How are you holding up?” I whispered.

  The injured woman was the only glimmer of hope I had since she wasn’t tied up, but I couldn’t ask her to put herself in more danger. She had already sustained serious blows to the face, plus she was no match for Jordan, who outweighed her by fifty pounds.

  Jeanie gave me a slight nod then closed her eyes—Jordan was returning.

  I rolled onto my back so I could keep my eye on Jordan. She stepped over me with a glass of water in her hand and knelt in front of Jeanie.

  “Wake up.” She waited a few seconds and then stood and threw the glass of water in Jeanie’s face.

  The woman gasped and cried out, as if in shock.

  “That’s what I thought, faking it. Ice water is a little startling, isn’t it?”

  Jordan slammed the glass to the floor, and it shattered only inches from both of our faces. She turned toward the TV when more breaking news came on the local station.

  “Now what?”

  Glass shards lay within reach of Jeanie, and her hands were free. This was my only chance to make a move while Jordan was preoccupied. I tipped my head to get Jeanie’s attention. She followed my eyes to a large piece of glass only five inches away. I nodded and rolled to my side. She slipped the piece of glass between my clasped hands.

  Jordan leaned forward. Her elbows rested on her knees, and her face was propped between her open palms. Her attention was focused on the television. The anchorman spoke about the latest developments in the case.

  “The FBI and local PD have shared new developments in the Jordan Taylor investigation. Authorities believe the woman is driving a white van with blacked-out side windows. Do not approach any vehicle fitting this description. The woman may be armed and dangerous, and the FBI has reason to believe she is engaged in a hostage situation. Law enforcement is reaching out to the public. Please call the tip line at the bottom of the screen if you see anyone fitting Jordan Taylor’s or this vehicle’s description.”

  She turned toward me and glared. “This has escalated to a hostage situation because of you.”

  I knew it was coming and braced for it. She crossed the gap between us in two strides, and I was on the receiving end of a hard strike to the ribs. I tried to pull my knees to my chest to protect my body, but she was too fast. I grunted in pain as she gave me a second hit.

  “I’ve had enough. It’s time to release a little anxiety.” Jordan opened her backpack and pulled out a length of rolled paracord and the duct tape.

  This wasn’t going to turn out well, and I had to hurry. My hands, hidden from view, worked diligently to cut through the zip ties securing my wrists. I felt the slippery, sticky wetness of blood as I sawed through the plastic cuff with the shard of glass. I knew I was cutting into my own flesh with every attempt, but I continued on.

  Jordan kicked the remaining slivers of glass, and they skidded across the floor. She grabbed a chair from the kitchen and placed it next to Jeanie then leaned over her and snickered. “Ready?” She yanked the woman up by her hair and pushed her down on the chair.

  Jeanie flailed and tried to break Jordan’s grip, but it was useless. She was punched in the side of the head and fell silent.

  I yelled out as a diversion, “Jordan, leave her alone. Focus on me. I’m the one you’re angry with.”

  “I’m angry with everyone. Don’t worry. You’ll get your turn.”

  Jordan grabbed the red paracord and wrapped Jeanie tightly in the chair.

  “You’re lucky I’m holding off until tomorrow to kill you, or I’d be wrapping this entire roll of tape around your head right now.”

  I watched as Jordan tore off a six-inch strip of duct tape and placed it over Jeanie’s mouth. If Jeanie’s nose was actually broken, her airways were already constricted. I didn’t have a lot of time.

  With the job complete and Jeanie restrained, Jordan took a seat and flipped the TV stations. She leaned to the side and pulled the ringing phone out of her back pocket and checked the screen. She stood and grinned before leaving the room. “Don’t go anywhere, guys.”

  This was my chance. I felt the plastic ties snap as I pulled my hands in opposite directions. I had no idea how many seconds or minutes I had left before she would return. I needed to hurry. With the bloody piece of glass, I sawed at the ties around my ankles, willing them to break loose. I heard Jordan talking from a room down the hall as I cut through the plastic. I broke free of the final restraints that held me back and jumped to my feet. I heard her say goodbye, then the sound of footsteps got closer. I had two seconds—maybe three—to find something to disable her with. I grabbed the first thing I saw, a decorative wooden statue, and swung. She teetered, probably with surprise more than pain. I saw her lunge, then I felt my head bounce off the floor.

  Chapter 41

  Jordan tossed the drugged and unconscious agent into the back of the van. Jade Monroe had proven to be too much trouble to keep around. She was a distraction that served no purpose, and Jordan needed her focus to be on the last two people on her list. After that, she didn’t care what happened.

  The sun had dipped beneath the horizon a half hour earlier, and she was almost at her destination. Sheldon Lake State Park closed at five o’clock daily, and there were far fewer visitors during the cooler season. She was sure she’d have the park all to herself. Jordan turned in and saw the heavy chain secured across the driveway—a good sign. The park was buttoned up for the night. She shifted into Park, got out and lowered the chain then returned to the van and drove through. Once she cleared the chain, she got out and secured it across the driveway again. She continued on. Jordan knew this park well and the vast wetlands within it. Nobody would come across Agent Monroe anytime soon or even think to look for her there.

  The walking paths were wide enough for vehicles to use and zigzagged throughout the enormous park. Jordan followed the main road that passed the environmental learning center then turned off onto a path that led deeper in. She continued beyond the picnic tables and fishing piers then entered areas that the public seldom saw.

  She killed the engine, got out, and opened the van’s back doors. Agent Monroe lay passed out on the floor and would likely be asleep until morning. Jordan had given her the last dose of Methohexital she had. With the flashlight in one hand and the agent flung over her shoulder, Jordan followed a deer trail until the soggy ground made the hike too difficult. She dropped Jade on the mucky surface.

  “There,” she said as she shined the flashlight toward the ground. The wetland’s tall grasses and reeds concealed Agent Monroe, and she was well hidden within them. “I don’t even want to know what kind of critters are going to be checking you out tonight.” Jordan gave the agent a final look before walking away. She was sure that would be the last time she’d cross paths with Jade Monroe.

  Chapter 42

  The agents sat in the command center at the downtown police department with the chief and a squad of fifteen officers and detectives. All of the tip line calls that came into the FBI field office had been diverted to the police station, where they could all work together as a team. So far, at six o’clock, none of the calls had resulted in viable leads.

  The command center consisted of a long table in the middle of the room and a bank of telephone and computer stations against the east wall. A large map of Texas hung on the south wall, and another map, the same size, but of Houston, hung on the west wall.

  Dave, Bruce, and two detectives tapped computer keys, looking for something that could lead them one step closer to finding where Jordan and Jade might be. J.T. and five officers stationed themselves at the phones. Tips were pouring in, and every one of them had to be checked out.

  Sheriff’s department deputies, along with the state patrol, watched the interstates, state highways, and country roads. Every white van, whether it was registered in Texas or somewhere else, was pulled over and the occupants questioned.
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br />   “Tomorrow is day two, and we don’t have a damn thing.” J.T. was beside himself with worry. “We’ve found where they’ve been, we just don’t know where they are. The freeway signs are doing their job, but Texas has 1,400 white vans registered in the state, and there are hundreds more passing through.”

  Dave pulled up every pharmaceutical company in the state and printed out the name, location, and phone numbers. There were forty-seven, and every one was closed over the weekend. They had no idea where Kent Taylor worked or if he even worked for a company that was based in Texas. No phone or tax records for Jordan or Kent had been found in the house during the search that morning.

  “The IRS could help us. They can pull up Kent Taylor’s latest tax return and tell us where he works.”

  Agent Tam chimed in. “That’s true, Bruce, but only with a court order and certainly not on a weekend. No matter what, that would still take time that we don’t have.”

  J.T. hung up the phone. “An elderly lady”—he looked at his notes—“Edith Smart, who lives on Lincoln Street, just called. She said she watched the news and recalls seeing a white van parked across the street earlier today.”

  “Anything else?” Chief Boardman asked.

  “Only that it was there for about a half hour, then it was gone. She said it had a missing hubcap on the back driver’s side. Where’s Lincoln Street from here?”

  One of the detectives stood and jabbed his finger at a spot on the Houston map. “Right here.” A red push pin indicated where the police department was located.

  “How far is that, ten minutes away?”

  The detective nodded. “Yeah, about that.”

  Tam looked at Boardman. “Did the video at the storage facility show a missing hubcap?”

  “I didn’t notice. I was too busy trying to figure out the van’s make and model.”

  “Bruce, do you recall seeing a missing hubcap?”

  “Can’t say I do, boss, but I’ll call the storage facility and have the guard take a closer look at the footage.”