Carolina Rain

by Rick Murcer

  Rhodes, the lone female, still somewhat of an enigma, had served in the army. Peppercorn was a psychopath, Garcia was a hardened military assassin. Garity and Max had passed the psych exams to get into the Bureau, so they were relatively normal, so to speak. Each was assured if they volunteered for this project they’d get the call to be agents. Both had jumped on it.

  After three weeks, Argyle had realized that certain drugs were more effective in controlling the subject’s moods and they were left open to more severe behaviors. Eventually, he discovered he could talk them into practically anything. He’d used classic therapeutic theories, including some of the ones he’d been ridiculed for. Combine those therapies with high-powered drugs that significantly reduced resistance to self-will, and he’d stumbled onto the ultimate method for controlling another’s mind and actions.

  Argyle had been ecstatic over the research and wanted to publish it as a path to redemption among his peers but the government coordinator of the project had other ideas. He ended the project and demanded that Argyle turn over all of the research notes. Apparently, Argyle had complied, but not entirely. By the time the coordinator realized he’d been duped, it had been too late. Argyle had embarked on his new profession, and Peppercorn was dead. The others seemed to be functioning well, so there didn’t appear to be a reason to be concerned—until Max had apparently been contacted by Argyle and turned into a cognitive, willing zombie, a situation Manny had figured out. Max had admitted to it in the face of the evidence. Then came Garity and his act. That was the end of the story as far as Bureau or US Marshal records indicated. Until now.

  The elevator reached the fifteenth floor, and the doors crawled open. Josh motioned for the others to follow. It was still unbelievable that he was here, in this building, to arrest the man, the coordinator behind all of this. It hadn’t truly registered what the man was capable of, all that he’d done. Walking down this hallway cured that dilemma.

  The coordinator must have contacted Garcia and worked out a money deal to take out everyone who had been involved in the project. Argyle was already dead, so that left Rhodes, Tucker, and Garity. The other name on the list, C.J. Chilton, was reported missing in Iraq two years prior so that left Garcia, Rhodes, and the coordinator.

  Then there was one.

  Manny’s ability for deduction, combined with that extraordinary intuition, had set this wheel in motion. Argyle, of all sources, had helped to put the final nail in the coffin. Without that disc, Josh wouldn’t be here now. But who knew for sure. Manny always said that your sins would find you out; maybe he was right. Either way, he was glad Manny was on his side. It wouldn’t be long before this dirty piece of laundry would be cleaned, folded, and put away forever.

  There was still the question of what had been in all of this for Argyle. Probably revenge, but it wasn’t like they could ask him.

  Josh straightened his tie, then knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  He swung the door open and walked to the desk. Glancing out the window, he marveled, once again, at the view from the large window. Washington, DC, was a beautiful city. Josh sat in one of the chairs facing the man behind the desk.

  “Ahh, Josh. I’ve been expecting you. And as always, you’re right on schedule.”

  “Unlike your organization, we like to be on time. But, of course, you knew we were coming, right?”

  “Certainly. I have an eye or two in the sky myself, you know.”

  “I suppose you do. You know, when we opened that disc and saw your face, we were all shocked. But I think Sophie would have killed you. She hit the computer screen so hard, we had to get another one to print the rest of the file.”

  “She’s a good agent and I like her, but she’ll have to learn to control that temper, yes?”

  “Maybe, but I think I would have let her kill you. I don’t suppose you care to tell us why you did what you did?”

  The man shrugged, folded his hands, and leaned forward. “I guess it won’t do any harm. I’ll keep it short. This project had gotten out of hand and, in my mind, was dangerous. Since I had full discretion, I ended it. In our line of work, that means getting rid of the loose strings. That’s what happened, with William’s help. He killed Argyle, Chilton was gone in Iraq, so that left just a handful. Now they’re all gone, and I’m sitting here.”

  Josh felt his anger rise, but kept it in check. “Then why try to kill Manny? That makes no sense.”

  “Oh, but it does. When I met him, I realized that someone like him could bring this broken project back on me, eventually. It would have been just a matter of time before our paths continued to cross and he’d help to find me out. The fact you’re here proves my point. But after two attempts to kill him, I was about to make a third, but I found out something that I thought was a done deal wasn’t and—how shall I say it?—I had a change of heart.”

  “You make sense, to a point. But he’s only one man.”

  “A very special man and you know that better than most. True profilers see what the rest of us don’t. I knew that from the moment we met.”

  “Granted. What caused the change of heart?”

  The man behind the desk laughed. “I won’t tell you what changed my mind, but I’ll tell you why. I need him alive to do what he does.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Figure it out, agent. I’m done talking.”

  “Just one more question. Why didn’t you run? You don’t really think you’re going to get away with this kind of thing?”

  The slow smirk forming on his large face unnerved Josh.

  “Get away with what, Agent? Where’s your proof of anything?” He bent closer. “You have a disc that a crazy, dead man put together and some circumstantial information in classified files that the government will never allow to be used as evidence. You got nothing else, MON.”

  “We’ll see. Let’s get to it.”

  Josh motioned to the four agents, and the huge man stood from behind the desk and put his hands behind his back.

  “US Marshal Braxton Smythe, you’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder and withholding evidence in twelve federal murder investigations.”

  CHAPTER-55

  Jen kissed him on the cheek, then did the same to Chloe.

  “G’night you old fogies. I got school tomorrow, but, like, only twenty-nine more days.”

  Manny stood up from the sofa and hugged her. “Not that you’re counting or anything.”

  She giggled. “I’m counting all right. Then I’ll be off to college before you can blink.”

  “Don’t hurry that along any faster than you need to,” he joked, only it didn’t really feel all that funny. His baby would be a college freshman in five months. That felt wrong on a thousand levels.

  She laughed again and skipped down the hall toward her room. Manny was pretty sure she wouldn’t be sleeping. Instead, she’d be texting, emailing, and talking on her phone half the night. Now that was something he was okay with. She’d earned the right to make her own decisions.

  Chloe pinched his backside and then pulled him back to the sofa, right next to her.

  “Still a great ass, for a man whose kid will be goin’ to college shortly.”

  “Thanks, and that ain’t all I’ve got.”

  “Really? Care for a little show and tell?”

  Pulling her close, they kissed and there it was. The electricity that had been there from the day they’d said hello.

  “You keep kissing me like that and I’ll have a heart attack, or something,” she said.

  “Something?”

  “I might go into a kiss-induced coma.”

  “Can’t have that until we’re done fooling around.”

  “I see your point. Better get your pants off. It’ll be for a good cause.”

  He laughed. “It would indeed.”

  They grew quiet, just sitting on the couch. In their home. With each other. Not in some damn hotel room trying to figure out what’s next or who
killed who and eating bad food to boot. Just home, like they actually held some semblance of a family.

  “That was good work yesterday. I’m still shocked that Braxton’s in jail. I can’t believe he did what he did,” said Chloe.

  “I’m still trying to get my mind around it too. But it all followed, especially when you think about why he said he was in North Carolina. It didn’t make total sense that he’d been sent in to snoop around in military affairs.”

  Chloe nodded. “You know, when I saw his picture on that screen, my first thought was to kill him. It didn’t take a genius to see he was the one who tried to have you killed, twice.”

  “That’s true. And from what Josh said, he would have kept trying except that something had changed in Braxton’s personal agenda. The next time, maybe we wouldn’t have been so lucky,” said Manny. “But let’s not worry about any of that now. Tomorrow, or maybe next month, okay? Besides, I want to focus on the task force that’s set to begin the testing on Anna Ruiz. It’s a week or two out, but I think she might hold a key no one else does regarding why serial killers do what they do. I want to hear what she has to say.”

  She kissed him again. “At least I’ll have you here until then. Still, I feel bad for Sophie. She had a special kinship with Braxton.”

  “True, but she’ll recover. We all will.”

  Braxton. Manny wanted to truly shake off what the big man had said to Josh about needing Manny to do what he does. What the hell did that mean? It was time to follow his own advice. He wasn’t going to think about it. Not now, not tonight.

  “That’s not what Sophie says, ya know,” continued Chloe.

  He refocused on his wife. “Sophie’s’ usually right. But maybe not here. Speaking of her, did ya know her and Dean were going on an official date tonight?”

  “Really? Where to?”

  “Some cage fighting event in Grand Rapids. She thought it would be romantic.”

  “That’s our Sophie. I sure hope Dean knows what he’s in for,” laughed Chloe.

  “I think he does. And, in his own way, he’s ready for her.”

  “Oh, and that’s not the only date going on tonight.”

  “Do tell.”

  “Mum and Gavin are having dinner and going to a hockey game.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know about that one. Must be spring in Michigan.”

  His wife moved closer, reaching for his hand, started to speak, then stopped.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Do you really think Mum is all right?”

  “She willingly agreed to the psychological interviews, which was huge. The blood tests showed no trace of the drugs that Argyle had been playing with in her system. So, yes. I think she’s fine. Besides, Gavin will tell me if there’s something out of kilter. But there won’t be.”

  “Of course, you’re right. I just worry.”

  “I get that. So what else is on your mind?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You tell me.”

  Chloe didn’t answer. Instead she sat up and reached into her pocket and closed her hand around something, then leaned within six inches of his face. “I-I don’t know how to say this other than to say it.”

  “That always works,” said Manny, feeling a little uneasy.

  “Okay. Here it is. I’ve not, well, hit my period the last two months. I thought I was just stressed and I wanted to make sure . . . so I got one of those kits.”

  For one of the only times in his life, Manny’s brain stopped racing. He was totally focused on Chloe. He had to be.

  “I was so nervous that the first thing I did was pee on my hand. I hit the target the next time and here is the result . . . Dad.”

  Standing, he ran his hand through his hair, walked to the end of the room and sprinted back, dropping to one knee. “You’re telling me you’re pregnant, right? I mean I get stuff, but I’m not sure what you’re . . .”

  Chloe kissed him. He stopped jabbering and felt the calm and the joy mingle together to speak to him like few things had.

  “Yes, Special Agent, we’re going to have a little Williams,” she answered, her face radiant.

  Over the years, he’d shed tears for lost victims and their families, including his own. He’d felt deeply and fought to keep control in the most difficult of times. It was the only way he could do his job the way it needed to be done. But all resistance, at least tonight, was gone. The tears flowed, and he’d be damned if he tried to stop them.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asked, regaining a bit of his poise.

  “It’s soon enough, don’t ya think?”

  “It is.”

  “Manny. Are ya okay with it? We didn’t actually talk about kids.”

  He kissed her again, then ran his hand over her stomach. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t think of a better way to keep us young. I may do the happy dance again.”

  “That makes me happy. But I’m worried about being a good mother, already,” she said.

  “You’ll be a great mother. The best.”

  She hugged him again and then stood up. “I’m going to bed and you’d better come with me. I’ll be gettin’ fat soon, and you’ll wish you’d spent more naked hours with me.”

  Making love, talking about the future, and falling asleep with the mother of his unborn child was the best offer he’d had in years. How could he turn that down?

  ********************************************************************

  Manny’s cell phone rang. It rang again. He groaned, blinked, and then quickly picked it up, leaving the bedroom without looking at the screen. Once in the kitchen feeling more awake, he looked down to see that Alex was calling. One-thirty-two in the morning. He knew Alex would only call if it was important. Damn. He hated these calls.

  “Hey, Alex. Is everything all right?”

  “Depends on your perspective, I guess. Anyway, I did what you asked and had that body exhumed.”

  “Thanks, but could this wait until tomorrow?”

  “I-I don’t think so. I just got the email from the company who performed the exhumation and there was a problem.”

  Switching hands, Manny was now fully awake.

  “What kind of problem?”

  “The kind that makes this job just stupid.”

  What are you telling me?”

  “The body is gone.”

  Manny felt his pulse pound in his temples.

  “What did you say?”

  “You heard me. Argyle’s body is gone.”

  Thank you for reading Carolina Rain . . .much appreciated!

  Come talk to me at rickmurcer@gmail.com I’d LOVE to hear from you, as always.

  The next Manny Williams Thriller will be out in the spring. Vegas Rain is already in the works. My next project, however, will be my first attempt at a police procedural-horror with lots of action, and, horror. Berserker should be ready in January, 2013.

  Thank you, again, for helping with my dream of a lifetime . . . to write.