by S. K. Lessly
“I pulled up around the corner of the building to check the back, and I saw someone sitting in a van looking restless and edgy. That’s when I heard gunshots coming from the front of the building. I took this guy out in the van, drew my weapon and saw a car scream around the corner toward me. They started shooting at me, and I shot back but only was able to hit the tail light, and I think I got one of the tires…”
“How do you know you were too late?” Josh asked.
He then heard some people talking in the background, and Stanley responded muffled.
Stanley finally said into the phone, “I was able to lay eyes on her in the back of the car before they started shooting at me, and I had to duck for cover. This scene, Josh, was an operation gone badly, and this fuck up smells like the agency.”
“How do you know that?” Josh asked him just as Misty stood in front of him.
“Man, just looking at the fucking mess they left. You have to get down here… The locals are holding me here because I discharged my weapon.”
“Did you get a plate number…?”
“Partial, I already gave make and model to Junior before I called you. I’ll have more for you when you get here.”
Josh looked at a very concerned Misty and Jacks.
Josh said to Misty, “Call Junior, see if he’s located the vehicle Stanley gave to him.”
She nodded and pulled her phone out.
“What’s happening?” He heard someone ask, but he ignored it and looked at Jacks.
“Find Diane now!”
“Mind telling me what the fuck?” Jacks asked.
“Coop, Junior says no… He’s looked everywhere, and it’s like they disappeared.”
“Fuck!” Josh growled. “Stan, sit tight, I’ll be there in twenty minutes tops.”
“Sitting tight…” Stanley replied before he ended the call.
Josh knew time was of the essence, and he needed to get moving quickly.
He looked at Jacks. “Give me the keys.”
“Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Jacks, I don’t have time for this shit. Give me the fucking keys.”
At this point Josh’s patience was gone. Frustration and anger coursed through him with swiftness. He was seeing nothing but red and knew if Jacks said anything else he would rip his head clear off his body.
Jacks knew he was pushing it big time. He’d seen Josh like this before and knew he was close to losing control. He tossed him the keys.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Howard asked. “Are we too late?”
Josh looked at him and said simply, “Yes.”
The energy that once filled this room was instantly gone. Josh moved to the exit when Mr. Howard said to him, “Anything you need from me, it’s yours. I don’t care how much or what it is. I know the Bureau is limited on what they can do…”
Josh put his hand up to stop him.
He said, “I appreciate your help, really I do, but I don’t need it. I don’t work for the Bureau, and I have all the money and resources I need at my disposal. You just have to sit tight.”
“You can’t expect me to sit tight when my granddaughter is out there somewhere…”
Josh moved close to him and said, “Is that so? Seems to me you should be used to staying out of her life since you’ve been doing it for twenty– four years.”
“You son of a bitch. You don’t know shit about our family.” Marc seethed, and Josh looked at him.
Josh frowned. “Let’s get something straight. This isn’t some investment problem or situation where you can throw money at it and it’ll be fine. These are criminals, a fucking Cartel who could easily escape back over the border without detection, and we could lose our only opportunity to get her back. I will not let that happen so this is going to go my way and my way only. This is what I do and what I’m best at, so if you think for one second that I need anyone to help me get the most important person in my life back, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Josh walked up on Marc. “If anyone gets in my way or hinders my efforts to get her back, you will have me as a new enemy… and you don’t want me as an enemy.”
Josh turned to walk out when he felt a small hand on his arm. He stopped and looked down to find Kenya, the namesake of his woman staring back at him.
She said, while still holding on to him, “We understand completely, and we will not get in your way. But we love her and even though we made the mistake of keeping our distance that doesn’t mean we don’t care.”
Josh looked into her pleading brown eyes then at the rest of her family.
He took a deep breath and said, “I’ll try and keep you posted on what’s going on when and if I can. When I do find her, and best believe I will, I’ll let you know.”
He nodded at Kenya’s grandmother then looked over at his team.
As they heard the door close, Marc looked over to his father. “Do you still think it was a good idea to get him involved? I mean, did you see the look in his eyes when he left?”
Mr. Howard walked to the front window to watch Josh and his team speed off. He took a deep breath and said a silent prayer that Josh would find Kenya in time and that she was safe and alive. He did see the look in that young man’s eyes and knew someone would pay dearly for laying a hand on his granddaughter.
He turned and faced his family. His wife was right. They made a grave mistake keeping their distance from their grandchildren. But that would end now. No longer would he sit around and miss out on loving and being with his family.
Mr. Howard placed a calming hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “That man is the best chance Kenya has.”
“How do you figure that grandpa?” Mika asked.
“Easy, son, you said it yourself they looked to be very much in love when you would see them at the restaurant in the strip district. From watching the way he carries himself and how he talks about Kenya, I believe he is too, and that right there is a dangerous combination. A man like that being in love…” He shook his head. “That’s a danger within itself.”
****
During the car ride to Kenya’s old apartment, Josh didn’t utter a word. His cell phone rang, and he picked it up not speaking a word. He heard Junior tell him that he didn’t find the make and model of the car on any of the cameras around the city. He started searching the database for the plate number, but Josh didn’t stay on the line to hear what else he had to say.
Everything that he learned tonight, and a few things he had Junior look into for him, went through his mind. It was jumbled at first, before everything became clear. He knew and understood the situation he was walking into, and also got in the right frame of mind to handle it. He had his story straight to feed to the locals, confident that Stanley didn’t utter a single word while he waited for his arrival. Misty and Jacks knew not to say anything either once they got on the scene.
Once he pulled up to the police tape, he parked and the three of them rolled out of the vehicle and headed to the trunk. Josh popped the trunk and they grabbed three FBI jackets and vests then headed to the crime scene.
Josh looked around until he found Stanley sitting on his GTO being interrogated by some man in a suit.
When Stanley looked up and saw Josh coming, he said something to the man in front of him, and he turned as well.
The moment Josh got close enough, the detective turned beet red in the face, “Do you mind telling me what the fuck you are doing running around shooting guns in my residential areas, running an unauthorized operation without the police knowing about it? Now I have a dead body, a supposed kidnapping and a street that looks like a war zone.” The detective pointed a long finger at Josh. “You best believe I’m filing a complaint against you and your team. What kind of operation are you running?”
Josh showed the detective his identification, saying, “This isn’t our operation, detective…”
“Isles,” the man offered.
“Detective Isles… Stanley is on my tea
m; however, he wasn’t here on duty. He actually lives in that building. Whatever went on here had nothing to do with us. But since hearing what happened, I think it has everything to do with us now.” Josh looked over at Stanley. “Would you mind telling us what happened from the beginning?”
Stanley explained to the detective and Josh how he came on the scene, leaving out the guy he found waiting around the corner and the real reason why he was here.
“And why did you discharge your weapon?” The detective was then joined by two others also dressed in suits with pads out.
Stanley shrugged his shoulders. “I heard the gunfire around the corner, so naturally I drew my weapon. When the car came around the corner, they probably saw I had a gun and started shooting. I took cover then returned fire. I hit the taillight and I think a tire, but I can’t be certain. I fired three shots though.”
Josh reached in his jacket pocket for a pair of gloves. He signaled for Stanley to hand over his weapon. He then checked the chamber, found it was empty then released the clip. He nodded and showed the detectives.
“Looks like only three bullets are missing.”
Misty grabbed a bag from her own pocket and passed the open bag for Josh to place the gun inside.
“Well, we’re going to need that for testing,” Detective Isles added, but Josh didn’t pass the bag over.
“We’re not giving the PPD an FBI agent’s service weapon. We’ll have our lab hold it, and if you need to test it for anything you can contact them. Now can you tell us who was abducted and why?”
Josh stayed silent listening to the detective give him absolutely nothing. They didn’t have any witnesses see who they put in the car, just that someone was snatched off the streets. The only witness they had is dead.
Misty was impressed as she watched Josh stand there and listen to the report from the detective. The patience that he was exuding, she hadn’t a clue where he got it. She knew him and knew that he was dying to go into action, but he had to play the role.
However, once the detective gave up and just told Stanley to make sure he’s available if they need him, Josh waited until the cops moved before his anger was unleashed.
Josh turned his back from everyone, balled up his fists and was about to smash it on top of the hood of his car, but Misty came up next to him.
“From what we’ve learned, we have a lot of ground to cover and no leads, so think about that before you go all Rambo on this city.” She looked over to Jacks. “Have you located that bitch yet?”
Jacks frowned. “No, she won’t answer my calls, but I know where she is.”
Josh took a few deep breaths as Jacks and Misty went back and forth deciding whether Diane was a bitch or not. Considering what had just went down here, he would have to side with Misty on this. Josh turned to Stanley.
“Tell me what you didn’t tell the police.”
Stanley nodded and started, “So remember I told you I came up on a van right before the shooting started? Well, I think this van was supposed to be the backup getaway vehicle. I also think they expected company. I don’t know if they got tipped or if it was an inside job, but they seemed to have everything planned, you know. The CIA team that was here either lured Kenya here or followed the guys that took her. Anyway, the moment the shooting started, my guy in the van perked up, but he sat idle. So they weren’t planning on coming back to get inside the van right there. No, he was probably going to meet somewhere, maybe further down the street on a different block. Definitely nowhere near the street lights where cameras could pick them up.”
Josh nodded and thought a moment, then remembered something Stanley said over the phone. “You said you knocked one of them out. Where is he?”
Stanley smiled. “Oh, he’s tied up in the trunk of my car.”
Jacks moved close to Stanley and said through his teeth, “Are you insane? The moment he starts screaming the locals will hear him and take our only lead out of here, and you too if the guy can finger you.”
Stanley simply smiled. “Seriously, you think I’m an amateur? The guy is passed out with no chance of waking up to make any noise.”
“Let’s not leave it to chance,” Josh replied, feeling a new burst of energy at the idea of getting answers to this mess. Josh turned to Misty. “Call Junior and have him send the team out here. Maybe we’ll find some trace evidence and maybe we won’t, but we need to at least keep up the façade that we are. Now let’s move this meeting to a more secure area. Stanley.”
Before they walked off, Misty quickly reached in Josh’s car and took Kenya’s purse out before anyone noticed. Josh wasn’t worried about anyone finding out this was his car. If they ran the plates, the name of the owner would come back as Summer Dean. He managed to get Junior to alter the paperwork showing she had ownership since the day the car was purchased.
Chapter 19
Joshua
Music blared from his headphones as Josh pounded the treadmill, punishing his legs as he moved, forcing his lungs to take in and blow out air slower than at the rate his heart was pumping blood through him. This was the only thing he could do while he waited for his team to find some trace of where Kenya was. He didn’t want to leave his apartment building, just in case he needed to pack a bag and move quickly in the event they found where she was.
However, it’s been eight hours and nothing. They found the car that the cartel drove a few miles from Kenya’s apartment, but it was abandoned and vacant of prints. They had no idea what direction they left in and where they were heading.
Throughout the night he’d worked his team nonstop looking for her. Josh watched as Jacks and Misty interrogated the Mexican that Stan found in the van, but they were getting nowhere. The tactics that they’d used in the past weren’t working. The son of a bitch was even smirking at them, egging them on to keep going. He had no plans to talk to them. But Josh knew he was running out of time; that Kenya was running out of time.
Josh waited a beat for Misty and Jacks to walk out of the room before he walked in. The prisoner was sitting in a chair with his wrists and ankles tied down. His eyes watched Josh as he put down a box he carried in.
Josh didn’t address the prisoner as he pulled out the contents of the box. There was a tray close to him, and he removed each item slowly and placed it on the tray; a blowtorch, pliers, Ka Bar Military knife, and a glock.
Josh finally turned and looked at the man in the chair. He didn’t know his name or what part of Mexico he was from nor did he care. He had information he needed, and he would stop at nothing to get it.
He said to the man, “Pick a number from one to six.”
The man looked at Josh then at the table with the items he placed on display sat. Josh knew he counted four items, but Josh gave him six numbers to choose from. The man looked back at Josh and said nothing.
Josh added, “Yes, you only see four items, right? You’re confused. Here, let me help you out. Yes, there are four items to choose from, however, there are many different things I can do with these items. Some of the items I can use together, which is why I need for you to pick a number from one to six. This will let me know which of these items you want to be tortured with.”
The man smirked and said in heavily accented English, “You are full of shit. You cannot use any of those items on me. I want a lawyer.”
Josh nodded. “Ah, well that ‘I want a Lawyer’ shit doesn’t work when you are considered a terrorist. You’re a threat to National Security; therefore, I can do what I want with you… So I’ll ask you again pick a number.”
The man was still smirking. “I am no terrorist.”
“You are what I say you are,” Josh replied. “Pick or I’ll pick for you.”
The man laughed and shook his head. “You will have to pick for me.”
“Fine.”
Josh grabbed the glock, cocked it and walked toward the prisoner. He placed the gun right above his kneecap and pulled the trigger.
The scream that came from the man erupt
ed throughout the room. Josh, knowing the room was sound proof, just watched as the man writhed and tried to move from the chair.
When the man’s cries finally turned to whimpers, Josh said, “Let’s start with easy questions, okay? What’s your name?”
The man still whimpered, and Josh moved the gun to his other knee.
“Hector… My name is Hector.”
Josh moved the gun back and smirked. “See how easy that was…” Josh put the gun down on the tray and looked back at Hector. “So, Hector, I’m going to ask you some questions, and the more honest you are, the better this will go. Tell me about the kidnapping.”
Hector kept whimpering as the tears kept rolling down his face.
Josh looked at him and closed his eyes.
“Listen, Hector, I have no patience for the bullshit. Before, you had the balls of a fucking elephant, now you’re acting like a pussy. We can do this one or two ways. I can torture it out of you, and make no mistake I have no problem doing that. I can then end your life quick or drop the rumor you are helping the federal government. You know, maybe take down some big shipment you guys have and say you told us about it. Maybe even take some pictures with you then drop your sorry ass off on their front lawn for them to dispose of you.” Josh grabbed the gun again and went over to the knee he shot. He grinded the gun in his wound, and Hector screamed again. Josh yelled, “Or you can help me out now, and I’ll spare your life. I’ll send you somewhere else, anywhere you want, give you some money and that be that. But Hector, don’t lie to me. I don’t have time for this shit. The woman I love is out there somewhere, and I need to find her.”
Hector shook his head frantic. “I don’t know where she is…” he kept repeating what he said in Spanish and Josh, Spanish being one language he knew fluently, waited until he was done before he asked another question.
“Tell me then what you were supposed to do once they grabbed her. Were you the getaway driver?” he asked in Spanish.
Hector nodded…
“Okay, and where were you supposed to take them after they got into the van?” Josh asked him, still speaking in Hector’s native tongue.
