Jacob's Grace

by C. P. Rowlands

“True, but closer to Canada than anything we’ve got. I’m hoping you’ll find how they feed north to the border. That’s a win-win for both of us.” Maddie swiveled her chair to a different monitor. “A large part of the problem was that they got organized on computers before we did, so we had to scramble to catch up. Here are the adults we’ve found that enable and manage this gigantic operation in Milwaukee and up north. They use men and women, working girls, pimps, and others. Trafficking includes security, transportation, even cosmetics, hair care, clothing, cooking, health care, everything you can imagine. You must have seen some of this working with the chief this summer, like that house you took down.” AJ nodded again and Maddie pointed at her computer. “Even a whisper goes on here. The hard thing is the children. When they bring them in they keep them for years. Honestly, years, but sometimes they escape or we find them. Here, read the first case.”

  AJ became absorbed in the carnage, lost track of time, and soon over an hour had passed. She shoved back. It was worse than she had thought.

  “More coffee?”

  AJ shook her head. “Do you have water? I’ve never read anything like this. What is this?”

  “Chaos,” Maddie said, handing her a bottle of water. “Enough for today?”

  AJ pulled in a big breath. “Yes.”

  “Let’s show Tag and Grace this network. If it goes well, I’ll explain my proposal for your team.” Maddie stood. “Want to take a break and step outside for a bit? There’s one last thing.”

  They walked out to the grassy area in the center of the complex, and the fresh air almost made AJ stumble. She took a drink of water to wash away the bad taste in her mouth and sank down on a bench.

  Maddie stretched with her hands above her head. “I know they call me Lightning behind my back at work, but fighting this is the only thing that keeps me sane. For what it’s worth, we’ve made quite a bit of headway in the last two years.”

  “You said there was another thing to talk about.”

  “That phone call I had at the restaurant earlier? Tag’s on-base Intel division discovered something in Afghanistan. One of her ex-Dragons is now an FBI agent on the East Coast, and Tag contacted her. They took it to the next level. That phone call was my chief informing me that I’ll be Tag’s contact here, but I don’t have all the information so I can’t tell you any more other than I’ll be working with her separately from your group.”

  AJ stared at her. “Will it interfere up north? Is she in danger?”

  “No to both questions. I want to talk to Tag first and will tell her that you know as much as I know, which is next to nothing. Only Pete, Charles, and Lawrence Kelly know about Tag.”

  “Can I let Tag know that you mentioned it?”

  Maddie nodded and AJ was sure that this was what Tag had been hiding. She held up her phone. “I need to text Katie about dinner tonight.”

  “Okay. Meet me over there at the residents’ craft store. Have you been there?”

  “I saw it when my CI was here, but I’ve never been inside. I’ll meet you there.”

  Maddie walked toward the other side of the wide green lawn, and AJ sent Katie a text to call. A few seconds later, her phone rang.

  “Hi, love,” Katie said. “Where are you?”

  “North of downtown.” Warmth shoved at the cold churning inside her. “How’s your schedule tonight?”

  “I’ve only got one more meeting and then I’m clear.”

  “Grace wants us to come over. Tag’s cooking.”

  “She’s out of the hospital? That’s good news. What time?”

  “Seven.” AJ watched some small birds at a feeder, trying to tuck a smile into her voice somehow. “It’s really good to hear your voice.”

  There was a moment of silence. “You sound…odd.”

  AJ closed her eyes, listening to Katie’s breath. “Love you.”

  “Me too. Honey, are you okay?”

  “Now that I’ve talked to you.”

  AJ disconnected and took a deep breath. Several young women played with toddlers on the grass, and she recognized some of them from Home Base. It took quite a bit of paperwork and money to be here, and she wondered about that.

  She remembered Frog here. Now she was up north, alone, except for Greg and Jeff watching over her. Could this get any worse? She thought of Grace. Of course it could get worse because Maddie was right. Parts of Grace’s life was similar to what she’d just read. She walked across the yard, heart aching.

  Tiny bells rang when AJ entered the craft store. After the sun’s heat, the store was cool with subtle lights and a hint of incense. Maddie was talking with one of the girls behind the counter, and AJ walked down an aisle, needing something, anything, to distract her. A glint caught her eye and she bent over a jewelry display.

  A ring reminded her of Katie. Tiny, inlaid spring green leaves circled the silver band. Gold rimmed the edges. AJ motioned at one of the clerks and smiled when it shone in her hand. Spring was Katie’s favorite season. She checked the size. She looked up, right into Maddie’s smile.

  “Something special?” Maddie said.

  “It reminds me of spring. And Katie.”

  The clerk held up the ring. “A Door County artist consigns her work here. There are bracelets, necklaces, and more.”

  AJ held out her card. “I want this ring and it’s the right size. Do you have a nice box for it? It’s a gift.”

  “The artist makes the boxes out of real wood. You’ll love it.”

  * * *

  Maddie peppered AJ with stats all the way home. “The FBI estimates human trafficking is worth over thirty billion annually in the US, and involves over three hundred thousand victims taken into some form of prostitution—as I said, we call it slavery—every year.” She glanced at AJ. “Shocking, isn’t it?”

  “God,” AJ said and scrutinized the parking lot as Maddie pulled into the spot next to her agency vehicle. “Tag picked up the British Guardian on the plane on the way home. According to them, Milwaukee is a hub for human trafficking. Is there any truth to that?”

  “Honestly, I can’t argue because of the declining economy or high unemployment rate here. Industry has been leaving this state like rats on a sinking ship, all of which feeds our problem significantly.” Maddie rubbed her forehead. “I can’t deal with it nationally. It stops me from thinking straight, so I concentrate on Wisconsin.” She took a deep breath. “One more thing. We keep a few of our rescues at Hannah’s House, and I’m scheduled to see one tomorrow. We can turn Tag and Grace loose on the computers and then include them in the victim’s meeting. I’d like to see Grace in this situation, if it’s okay with you.”

  “I’ll see how she feels tonight. She won’t be in the field up north, by the way. She’ll coordinate the computers and our little group, so you’ll be dealing with her most of the time. Tag and I will work the town…and your Sam, if he’s a go. Chief Whiteaker, Bonnie, and the rest of the team will stay down here. Do you want a look at our plan when it’s completed?”

  “You’re offering? I have to fight for every piece of information I get downtown.”

  “That’s why Charles put us out there, away from the downtown offices.”

  Maddie stared out the front window. “The single thing Pete shared with me was how angry you were when you found yourself with a task force.”

  “I feel we’re doing a personal favor for a political friend, which is crap.” She changed the subject. “When can I meet Sam?”

  “He’ll be in town tomorrow and I’ll set something up. I’ll let you know.”

  AJ nodded and opened the car door. “Wait. Are you working on X-Girl?”

  “Absolutely, and I have a small team devoted to that victim, including my best profiler. Tell Chief Whiteaker they’re meeting with the Milwaukee task force tomorrow.”

  Maddie left, and AJ walked to the chief’s office. “Got a minute?”

  “How bad is it?” he said.

  “Worse than I anticipated…than we anticipa
ted.” She took the chair in front of him and slid out of her shoes with a sigh. “First, tell me about the Owens boys, and God, I need coffee.”

  “Jock found Robert’s gun at the Owens house. No prints although it’s been fired recently and the lab’s working on it. He’s got the kid in the hospital already.” He handed her a cup of coffee. “Still don’t know if Robert’s the shooter. Or the arsonist.”

  “Damn it,” she said, and then told him about some of the cases she’d looked at but never mentioned the computer rooms. He loosened his tie.

  “I may take up smoking again,” he said. “I didn’t know the girls from Home Base were there, and I don’t think Jock does either.”

  “I’ll call Charles to let him know Jaelyn’s expecting a call from him at Hannah’s House. Why don’t you and Bonnie go with us tomorrow and interview the Home Base girls. Grace, Tag, and I will stick with Maddie. When we have the team meeting here, you lead the Home Base part of the discussion. We’re going to have to stay tight on this one.”

  He gave a little snort. “Talking to downtown makes you paranoid, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, and another thing. Maddie said to tell you that she has a small team working on X-Girl, including her best profiler. They’ll be talking to the Milwaukee task force tomorrow.”

  “That’s good news. I’ve been hoping they’d help that new task force.”

  AJ’s arm was healing, but it hurt right now. She picked up her shoes and padded across the hall to her office for ibuprofen. The closest she’d ever been to anything this big was the undercover assignment in Los Angeles. It had broken her, but she wasn’t broken now. She was angry. She set the little wooden box on her desk, opened it, and held the ring. Smiling, she anticipated the moment with Katie, and then, with a deep sigh, leaned forward and called Charles.

  * * *

  AJ’s bones ached with stress all the way home. Charles had urged her to talk to Grace, something she didn’t want to do. She parked, surprised to see Katie’s SUV already in the garage. Lively violin music floated by her as she opened the door and walked up the steps through the kitchen to the deck. Barefoot, in a Milwaukee Brewers T-shirt and cutoffs, Katie was playing something AJ didn’t recognize, but it was happy music and it made her smile. She waited until Katie lowered the violin. She cleared her throat, and Katie turned just as AJ put her arms around her.

  “Play some more,” AJ said, her mouth against Katie’s ear.

  “That’s an old Civil War tune my grandfather used to play.” The lowering sun outlined Katie, and the slight breeze tousled her black curls. “Um, we have time before dinner. How about a shower? Together.” Katie pushed closer.

  AJ slid her hands under the T-shirt and pulled in a quick breath. Katie was braless. She slid her hands down into the cutoffs. “You’re commando,” she said breathlessly, her entire body tightening. Jesus, she wanted her.

  Laughing, Katie pulled her into the house, leaving clothes all the way down the hallway with groans and laughter. Fully in charge, Katie pinned her against the wall, her warm mouth and fingers tracking every single sensitive inch of AJ’s skin. Completely aroused, AJ could only hear their ragged breathing but managed to get them to their bed. They shared a final shattering climax that left them both breathing hard. Katie rested her head on AJ’s bare stomach, slick with sweat and sex, her breath tickling her skin.

  AJ was so relaxed she felt seconds away from sleep. “Your mother is going to kill you. You threw my suit on the floor.”

  “No. She’ll just make you another.” Katie pushed herself up to an elbow, her hand drifting across AJ’s hip. “When we talked today, I swear I felt your skin against mine. Is your arm okay?”

  “I think it fell off when you threw me on the bed.”

  “Ha. We threw each other.”

  AJ gently pushed curls back from Katie’s face. “I love you,” she said. “Wait a minute. Don’t move.” She scrambled up and over Katie, searching for the gift in the kitchen. Katie was propped on the pillows when she came back.

  “I found this today,” she said. “For you.”

  “The wood is beautiful,” Katie said, running fingers over the deep reds and browns of the wood shaped like an apple. A faint gold shone under the colors. Katie opened the top and her eyes widened. “Oh…”

  “It said your size. I get to put it on you.” Katie held out her hand, and AJ slipped it on the ring finger. “I thought of how you love spring—”

  Katie shoved her back, stretching out on top of her. “It’s beautiful. I love you so much.”

  “It’s hopeful, Katie, and—” AJ saw tears in Katie’s eyes. “Wait, don’t cry.”

  “It’s only happiness, sweetie.” Katie curled up and held her hand out, admiring the ring.

  “See the leaves?” AJ leaned over her. “You like it?”

  “So much I can’t even talk about it.” Katie sat up. “You sounded odd on the phone.”

  “This damned assignment is going to kill me. I just know it. We were at Hannah’s House today—” AJ stopped. She couldn’t talk about it. “I saw part of what I’m going to do up north.”

  Katie studied her. “I know you can’t tell me things. We’ve been through this before. Say what you can.”

  “It’s really ugly.” AJ’s stomach twisted again. “Margaret Hershey is the FBI special agent in charge I’ll be working with. Could we have her here for a meal? She said she met you at a volunteers’ luncheon at the bank.”

  “She might have. I coordinated one this summer. Is this someone I can talk to if I need to reach you?”

  “Absolutely,” AJ said. “Let’s take a shower and tell me about your day.” She pulled Katie up against her. “Promise me one thing.”

  “What?” Katie leaned back, her face still serious.

  “You’ll wear underwear tonight.”

  Katie tossed a grin over her shoulder and wiggled her naked body as she walked away. “Maybe.”

  She heard the shower begin in the bathroom, and walked down the hall, picking up their clothes. “And we don’t have the shooter yet,” AJ whispered at the floor.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Shortly after AJ and Maddie left the office, Tag reminded Grace of the doctor’s orders to rest. “I can barely stand up,” she said, handing Tag a list. “Will you do the shopping?”

  Tag wandered through the nearby monster-sized grocery store, soaking up the smell of fresh produce and fruit. The huge meat selection stopped her in her tracks. She took her time with the shopping. Even waiting in line had been a kind of joy. On the way home, she stopped at a roadside stand for fresh corn on the cob from a local grower. They talked for a while about his in-city farm, something she’d never seen in Milwaukee.

  Her phone rang as she returned. Much to her surprise, it was Maddie notifying her that she’d be her contact in Milwaukee over what they’d found at the base in Afghanistan. She didn’t have all the information as of yet so they’d have to talk later.

  Ice crawled up Tag’s spine. What they’d discovered in Intel had been verified. Would America understand or even pay attention to this new information? AJ was right. The nation’s temperature was boiling.

  She focused on the groceries and began to put them away in Grace’s well-organized kitchen. She had looked forward to cooking a meal and concentrated on a tossed salad. Afterward, she changed into jeans and a T-shirt and then headed outside to clean the grill. She worked until she heard music from the kitchen.

  Grace, barefoot, swaying to violin music, was setting the table. She looked much better, and Tag could smell her shower soap.

  “Great music.” Tag absorbed the sight, her heart tumbling into a little free fall.

  “That’s Katie playing.”

  “She plays the violin?”

  “Oh, does she ever. She won a competition with that one. The song’s over four hundred years old.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Tag gathered what spices she needed. “Hungry?”

  “Starving, and the sleep w
as just what I needed.” Grace’s light rose tank top and white shorts draped her body deliciously.

  Tag deliberately turned away and glanced at the clock. It was past five o’clock. “Are Katie and AJ timely?” If they were, she should start the ribs now.

  “Most of the time, but last spring, after AJ’s surgery and Ariel’s death, things changed. Once we get up and running, she’ll change.” Grace arranged salt and pepper shakers beside salad dressings.

  “I’ve heard about her martial arts skills.”

  “She pushed me into my black belt.” Grace laughed a little. “I pushed back, but she kept challenging me, and it was worth every minute.”

  Tag rummaged for meat tongs. “You said you’ve known her four years?”

  “It was my first job out of Cyber Crime, chasing drugs up from the South. Jock was with us too. I had to learn about the drugs and the people who used them as I went. Crazy.” She placed salad bowls on the table. “Did you read our so-called meth manual? Parts of this state are flooded with it.”

  “Yeah, last night, trying to keep Bonnie awake. I also read the new task force notes. Where’s the rest of the assignment?”

  Grace gave a frustrated sigh. “That’s all we know, Frog and the girls. The Bureau is usually clear about a task force, but not this one. It’s driving us crazy.”

  Tag took the ribs outside. This group had worked together a long time. She felt their respect and trust for each other, and she sensed Grace did not trust easily. Tucking her Dragon necklace into her T-shirt, she thought about the women she’d commanded. They’d been close like AJ’s group. Their loyalty to each other had been unbreakable until that day that had shattered them forever.

  She tossed a pinch of salt into the barbecue sauce and added brown sugar and chopped peppers. Grace knew much about her, but she knew little about Grace, other than what she’d seen here. She drew a line at using computer skills on coworkers or friends. A lot of women had pursued her, but Grace certainly wasn’t one of them. Still, Bonnie had said Grace was interested yesterday at the hospital.