by Robin Mahle
“Scarborough needs you?”
“One of the men we spoke to the other day has just been killed. Agent Scarborough wants us to get back to Richmond.”
Hawes returned to view the monitors and waved an arm at Kate. “Go on, then.”
Nick was talking on his cell and pulling on his coat when Kate arrived at the field office. She spotted him and followed him along the hall. His pace was quick and she had to jog to keep up with him.
Agent Jameson approached from one of the conference rooms. “You heard what happened?” he asked Kate.
“Yeah. Agent Scarborough asked me to come down. We’re heading back to Richmond. You coming?”
“Right behind you.”
Nick turned to the two of them. “That was Detective Garrett. His people are at the scene now.”
“Do they have any idea who might have killed Petrovich?” Jameson asked.
“No one’s talking.” He glanced at Kate. “You ready to go?”
She nodded. “Have they checked for surveillance footage yet?”
“The bar’s security cameras were disabled. He’s got his team checking any other cameras in the area. Someone found out that we talked to the guy. I’ve already asked Garrett to check on Bjuric; make sure he and his family are okay.”
“What about the little girl?” Kate asked.
“Don’t know yet. We’ll find out when we get there.”
The hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bar was gaining attention from the people in the nearby shops and local markets. And the later it got, the larger the crowd became. Most were probably on their way home from work and either frequented the bar or lived nearby.
Just as Nick pulled on scene, a local news truck followed right behind them. The three got out of the SUV and approached Detective Garrett, who stood outside talking to a member of his team.
“I’ll let you handle that.” Nick pointed a thumbs-up in the direction of the news van.
“I don’t want them to know the FBI is here. Why don’t you guys go inside? I’ll take care of this.”
As soon as the three crossed over the police tape, one of the local officers immediately approached. “You can’t be in here.”
Nick figured the guy was protecting his territory and understood that, but he pulled out his badge to make his own assertions. “Special Agent Nick Scarborough, FBI. Detective Garrett asked us to come inside while he deals with the media. He’s out there, if you want to ask him.”
The officer stared at Nick’s badge, then glanced at Kate and Dwight. “These two with you?”
He nodded.
“Okay. What do you need to know?”
“Has the victim already been taken by the coroner?” Nick took the lead and headed toward the bar area.
“About an hour ago. Clean shot to the head. It was a large caliber semi-automatic pistol. Ballistics has the bullet and casing now. Looks like it was a .50 caliber Dezzy.”
“Jesus,” Jameson replied.
Kate wasn’t familiar with the nickname, but assumed because of the large caliber size, the gun was intended to make a statement.
Nick eyed the hole in the back of the bar. “So, we’re talking wanna-be gangster?” Nick asked.
“Wanna-be or is a crime boss, would be my guess.” Detective Garrett walked inside and approached the agents.
Nick turned around. “Like maybe in the upper echelon of a trafficking ring?”
“Maybe.”
“What about Bjuric? Is his family safe?” Kate asked.
“We found the young girl and the mother, but not the brothers.” Garrett replied. “I can only hope they went into hiding and aren’t already dead. Something like this is going to spread around the community fast. If those boys aren’t lying low yet, they will be soon.”
“I’d like to have my team run background checks on Petrovich’s family and Bjuric’s too. Also, Petrovich identified James Corbett, but we still don’t have a name for his cohort. We didn’t get any hits from our database either. What about any other video from these cameras?” Nick glanced at one camera tucked away in the far corner above the bar. “If they were disabled, that means they were operating at one time or another. Anyone search Petrovich’s home yet?”
“My guys are up there now.”
Nick surveyed the bar. “Assuming this location, this community, is the hub of the operation, and I’m beginning to suspect that it is, why would Corbett and his partner have come here asking about the local talent? Wouldn’t they have already known? There’s no question in my mind that whoever killed Petrovich is linked with these guys—and that he’s local.” Nick turned to Garrett. “Why would they tell Petrovich anything or ask him any questions that might lead someone to believe they were looking for a particular type of girl?”
“Maybe they were recruiting?” Garrett replied.
The detective might have been onto something, Kate thought. But perhaps recruitment on a different level. “Julian Petrovich probably overheard a lot of interesting conversations,” she began, “and was probably aware of any new people coming in or had at least been made aware of the happenings in the neighborhood. Maybe these guys were looking to recruit him? Have him help scope out the targets?”
“Što vam je rekao? Petrovich?” What did Petrovich tell you?
Gregor’s hands were bound and his face bloodied. He recognized his surroundings because he’d been in this diner many times before, but never in this position; sitting on a metal folding chair inside the storage room where they kept the canned goods and condiments. “Ništa, kunem se.” Nothing, I swear. His cousin Julian had told him nothing except what he said to the FBI. He didn’t think Julian had anything to tell. None of this was supposed to be happening. He was going to be killed for opening his mouth. Why hadn’t his brother stopped him? Why hadn’t he told him? Now it would be up to Toma to decide if he was to live or die and only his brother could save him now.
“I don’t think he knows anything. If he does, he won’t be talking to the FBI or the police anytime soon. I’ll keep him close to me, Toma. He doesn’t need to end up like Julian.”
“If it hadn’t been for Gregor, Julian would still be alive. That kid didn’t deserve to die for your fuckup.” Toma looked at Gregor. “Now I’m just supposed to let you go? You think my boss is going to be okay with that?”
A tear fell from Gregor’s eye. “No.” His voice sounded scratchy from a dry throat.
“There were cameras in the bar. Were they recording?” The man who was speaking was scarcely older than Gregor himself.
“No,” Toma began. “They weren’t working, at least not when I walked in. I checked.” He leaned against one of the steel shelving units. “Kovac wants another three for him by the end of the week. Can you do that?”
The young man, wearing an oversized basketball jersey of the Charlotte Bobcats, looked to Gregor, wiping his brother’s blood from his knuckles. “What about him?”
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided.”
“I told you, brother. No policija.”
He understood now why Vito hadn’t wanted him to go with those FBI agents. He was a part of it and now Gregor was too, whether he wanted to be or not. He closed his swollen eyes and, in his thick Croatian accent, he replied, “No more policija, brother.”
The trainees lined up along the mats inside the gymnasium, wearing gloves and headgear. The instructor paired them off and the rounds were about to start. The purpose of boxing was to get the agents used to taking a punch and how to react when it happened. They’d also have to wrestle one another for forty-five seconds until one of them managed to get the other one down on the ground, hands pulled behind their backs.
There was no discrimination here. With only seven women remaining in their class of thirty-two, there would be no special treatment. They were expected to fight against another trainee and it didn’t matter if that trainee was a woman.
Will and Kate were teamed up once again for this round of training. He hit his glove
s together like a boxer and turned to Kate. “How’d it go the other day in Richmond?”
“I was only there for a few hours, but Scarborough and Jameson are coming back today. I’ll know more later. They’re checking for any surveillance video from public safety cameras, but I don’t know if they came up with anything. Scarborough had me running on a piece of evidence I found in one of the drop houses, so I spent some time with Forensics, but nothing yet.”
“Caison, Reid, you’re up.” The instructor blew his whistle.
“I’ll take it easy on you,” Will said, walking out onto the mat.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I can hold my own, Caison.”
Kate wanted him to take the first swing, but wasn’t sure if he would. Someone needed to, though, because this was no game. This was training and they had to do it because it could save their lives someday. She could hear her breath echoing in her ears and the heat from it bounced off the chin guard and into her eyes. She blinked first and then stars filled her eyes.
He’d taken the first swing and struck her across her left cheek. It stung, but it was the shock of the blow that caught her off guard. She’d have to strike back. A right hook to his chin and Will stumbled back a few steps. Kate cracked a small smile.
He struck again. This time, it felt as though he was trying to take it easy on her, and it pissed her off. She nailed him in the gut and Will doubled over, but only for a moment. She could see him smile and shake his head. It was on now.
Two minutes and the whistle sounded and both stopped to catch their breath.
“Okay, Hicks and Goldman, you’re up,” the instructor said. “Good job, Reid. Caison, good defense.”
They stepped off the mat and removed their headgear. Kate wiped away the band of sweat and the hair that stuck to it from her forehead. She still breathed heavily, but not from physical exhaustion. It was the image of Hendrickson’s boot striking her head the moment Will’s glove made contact that caused her pulse to rise and her breaths to deepen. She looked away from him, afraid he would see in her eyes what she felt in her head—fear.
“You all right?” Will asked.
“I’m fine. Are you?” She tried to brush it off. If something like that happened to her in the field, would she be able to get past it? Would it slow her reaction times, like what Hawes suggested was happening during her ops drills? If it did, it could cost her her life or that of another agent. This was a problem and one she was ill prepared to handle.
“You got a pretty mean right hook, I’ll give you that.” He rubbed his chin.
“Yeah, well, I’ve had some practice.” Kate revealed a nervous grin.
Another round and they were up again. This time, no headgear allowed. The reasoning behind the technique was for the NATs to understand how to react rationally if he or she was hit. The shock of a bare-knuckled blow could throw people off. She could personally attest to that. Her concern now was that another vision would surface. She was frightened by the idea that she could no more control them than she could have controlled Hendrickson in the first place.
Recalling Nick’s words that not all agents were faced with daily life-threatening situations, she closed her eyes for a moment to clear her thoughts. Who the hell would want me for a partner?
When the whistle blew this time, she understood what was required of her and knew that she wouldn’t get a third chance. Failing this and struggling with ops training would find her on the way out.
Her eyes opened and she moved in to strike first. An effective blow, Caison stumbled back after she caught him with an uppercut to his ribs. He doubled over and quickly lost his footing. Caison face-planted onto the mat and struck his nose with a resounding thud.
She reached for his arm to help get him to his feet. “I’m sorry, Will. Are you okay? Caison? You all right?”
The instructor looked at him with only mild concern.
“Fine. I’m fine.” He held his bleeding nose and stepped off the mat.
Kate noticed a few other trainees showing some unease for his plight. However, it hadn’t been her strength that brought him down, just his two left feet.
“Again, I am so sorry, Will.” Kate helped him put his gear back in his bag.
He pulled the tissue away from his nose to check and see if it had stopped bleeding. “Hey, no problem. You were just taking out your aggressions. I get it.”
He was piling on the guilt, all right. “I—I wasn’t…”
Will laughed. “I know. I’m just giving you shit. The least you can do is buy me dinner.”
“Sure, but you want to go out in public looking like that?” Kate pushed open the gym door for him and followed behind.
“Maybe you’re right about going out in public. How about we just grab some food from the cafeteria and hang out in your room again? We can go to my room, but you know what Lancaster’s like. He’ll give me shit about this for the rest of the night.”
“Hang on.” Kate reached for her phone as a call came in. “This is Reid.”
“Kate, I’m still in Richmond,” Nick began, “but forensics came back on that earring you found at the house. Jameson ran the DNA sample and got a match. An unidentified woman was found in Virginia Beach last week and the case was entered into CODIS. It’s the same woman who was there at that house. We’re heading to Virginia Beach shortly to talk with local police there. She was discovered behind a laundromat. Local cops think it was overdose again, but are fairly certain she was moved after her death.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Kate asked.
“No. I got it this time. But if this is the break that I think it will be, then I’ll let you know and we’ll go from there. Right now, I think you need to stay put. But, Kate, if you hadn’t found that earring, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Thanks, Agent Scarborough.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I know something.” He ended the call.
“Something happening with the investigation?” Will asked.
“I think so. We might be getting a break on this case after all. Another woman was found dead, but this time, we know she was one of the kidnapped victims. We just need to find out who she is.”
They reached the dormitory. “So, we heading out for food, or just up to the room?” Kate asked, her thoughts still on the girl in Virginia Beach.
“Let’s just grab something from the cafeteria. I’ll hit the Marine Px and pick up some brews first. How about I catch up with you in say, half an hour? I’ll just meet you at your room.”
“Sure. Sounds good. See you then.”
She’d wanted to be there with Scarborough. She wanted him to say, “Meet me in Virginia Beach.” But they both knew that she could only do so much. The more she thought about this latest development, the more concerned she became about the rising toll of bodies.
As she walked to the building’s entrance and showed her ID to the guard, she hiked the four flights of stairs to her room. Another woman had been found dead. Yet another woman in a string of deaths all related to a human trafficking ring. And they still had no idea where the leader was or who his partners were.
Kate reached her room and dropped her bag on her bed. She checked the small mirror on the desk and noticed her left cheek was a little red. Pressing lightly on the raised lump, she looked at the scar on her temple. She pulled her hair over to conceal it.
Will had arrived and now stood outside with his hands full. “Here. Let me get that for you.” She grabbed the paper bag and peeked inside. “You managed to get this past the guard?”
“He took one look at my face and said I looked like I needed a beer, so he let me on up.”
Kate smiled and stepped aside to let him in. “You want an ice pack for that? I think I have one in the mini fridge.”
“No thanks. I’ll survive.” Will opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice. “Here. I just picked this up on the way.”
“Thanks.” Kate popped open a beer and took a big drink.
&n
bsp; “How’s it been without Munoz?” He sat down on the former roommate’s bed.
“Okay, I guess. She sent me an email last week saying she was sorry for not telling me first. I don’t blame her. It must have been hard leaving her kids and husband.”
“Yeah. Well, they told us from the very beginning that not all of us would make it through.”
“I know.” Kate took another swig out of her can of beer. “I just didn’t think it would be her. I mean, with her background. But then, I still may not yet survive this.”
“You will. I know you will.”
Kate could see that while he believed she would make it, perhaps it wouldn’t be of her own doing. “You think Scarborough is going to make sure I pass, don’t you?”
Will cast his eyes toward the window. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Well then, why don’t you spit it out?” Kate felt a growing sense of irritation.
“Look, Kate, I’m not trying to start an argument here. I believe you are more than capable of passing this program. You’ve already proven your abilities… in more ways than one.” He stopped for a moment. “I’ve read a little about you. I know some of what you’ve been through.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t too hard to find.” It had only been in the past couple of months, since the end of the Branson trial, that the media attention finally died down.
“It’s just that I think Scarborough feels responsible for making sure you pass. For making sure you get everything you want because he knows firsthand all the shit that you’ve been through. I mean, you’ve lost a hell of a lot, Kate. I was in Iraq and I saw men die, but I didn’t lose my childhood friend or the person I loved.”
Kate had a hard time listening to anyone else talk about them. She could hardly talk about them herself. Her heart dropped into her stomach, but she pressed on. “So you think Scarborough is going to do whatever he has to do to see me through the Academy?”
“I think he’ll help you if you need it and he’ll make sure you know you’ve got a safety net. I just don’t think you need it.”
She set down her paper plate. “Excuse me for just a second.” Rising from the bunk, she began walking toward the bathroom.
