“That doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Draegan said. “I talked to this Mr. Jones long enough to know he’s well spoken and intelligent. I don’t see him running around with any of the Vance brothers.”
“Did Heather indicate why she thought they might be involved?” Allister asked.
“As if we’d need to ask,” Draegan said, stepping into his condescending role of self-appointed boss. Whenever there was an emergency, Draegan became the point guy. “Bane, can you get Jims or Toms Vance on the line?”
“Already tried. We were sending guys out to interview Toms. Get this. The warden said Toms was unavailable, sick in fact. He’s quarantined now, some sort of suspicious flu.”
“What the fuck?” Allister’s veins burned with his rage. “You call that warden up personally and let him know that we don’t care if Toms is on his deathbed. Then you drive out and talk to him.”
“Toms will see you or die in that hellhole,” Draegan said in a threatening voice.
Allister guided their sedan in and out of traffic. “Where the fuck am I going?”
“Right now you’re driving into the thick of things,” Markie pointed out. “Pull over and wait for Harley.” He held his head high and looked around as if he were seeing the world through a child’s eyes.
“Harley is in front of us, Markie!” Draegan shook his finger at the windshield. “For the love of God, please try to pay attention.”
“That’s right. Take it out on me. I can handle it. It’s because I’m the one you love the most.” He smirked at Allister. “Over everyone.”
“Good grief,” Allister muttered. “Go ahead, Bane. We’re listening.”
“I have Ryan’s and Harley’s group on conference now. Listen up, fellas. We have Miami PD working with us, but guys, you need to split up. They’re in a white stretch Mercedes limo, newer model. We’ll get a better description to you as soon as we have it but I don’t think it will help. He’ll dump the car.
“Try to think like this guy. Any idea where he might take them, what he might want?”
“No,” Draegan replied.
“Come on! Think!” Bane shouted, clearly concerned for all the women but too close to the situation as one of Serena’s lovers. “Did anyone talk to him? Did you see anyone with him? What tipped him off? How did he know the women would be alone?”
“I don’t know,” Mac replied. “The gals didn’t suspect anything. We made a last minute decision to send them ahead of us.”
“Which means he must’ve overheard us on the plane and improvised at the last minute,” Bradley pointed out.
“If that’s the case, that’s good,” Bane said. “It will work in our favor if he’s planning as he goes. Anyone talk to him for any length of time?”
“Allister sure did.” Markie turned to the window and dabbed his eyes. “Come to think of it. This is your fault, Allister.”
“Just this once, I do not want to hear you and Allister squabble!” Harley yelled. His voice ricocheted through that cell phone with a reverberating quality to it.
Harley seldom raised his voice. He wasn’t one to show his emotions but when the news had come in about the women, Allister had witnessed his brother’s love for Sable. He’d looked downright defeated.
Draegan faced Markie. “Blame won’t help anyone right now.”
“Information will,” Bane reminded him. “Draegan, concentrate. We need a street or hotel or—”
“He said something about gambling and going to the Bahamas.”
“That’s too easy. He’s not headed to Nassau, much less a casino. With security cameras and tight surveillance in play, there’s no way he’ll take that kind of risk. From what Heather said when she talked to Justin, they left the airport and were on the expressway. We’ve alerted the coastguard on the chance he tries to flee by boat, but we believe he’ll stay right there in Miami. Anyone can get lost there. Allister, can you tell us anything at all?”
“Nothing,” Allister muttered, kicking himself for not going with his gut. He’d known all along that something was off with that creep. Now it all made sense. He’d yet to meet one Vance brother who didn’t give him the heebie-jeebies. “Any chance this guy is related to the Vance boys? Did they have another brother tucked away somewhere?”
“Hang on, Allister,” Bane said.
Draegan shrugged. “I don’t see a connection between the Vance family and this guy. He’s too polished.”
A lot of commotion resounded in the background. Draegan seemingly strained to pick up something but then shook his head and peered at Markie. “We need to keep this line open for Bane. Text the others and tell them to split up and keep their eyes open. Bane was right. They’ll probably ditch the limo.”
Markie fired off texts. Allister fought the wheel, avoiding an accident and then shot out of the slowing traffic. Draegan gripped the handle above his head. “Watch where you’re going, damn it!”
“Guys, it’s not good.” Bane was back on the line.
“What is it?” Markie leaned forward.
“Damn it, Allister. Pay attention,” Draegan grumbled, rolling his fingers forward in a quick rotation and then jabbing his index finger at an open lane. “What do you have, Bane?”
“The picture Serena sent was helpful. We know who we’re dealing with now and this guy probably realized what we’d find when we ran the photo. He just didn’t care.”
“Why wouldn’t he—” Allister stopped talking. His vision blurred then and his heartbeat slowed. Rage settled in his veins like a festering infection. “Who is he, Bane?”
“Seth Parkinson,” Bane replied. “He’s been on the FBI’s Most Wanted for over a decade. Interpol wants him, too.”
“The question I should’ve asked then is what is he?” Allister already knew the answer.
“He’s a hired gun, Allister. And boys, he’s at the top of his field. We’ve never been close enough to catch him. If you’re on his tail now, it’s because he wants you there. He’s playing with you.”
“Or leading us into a trap.” Ryan’s heavily accented voice filled the line.
“I hope he leads us straight to his fucking door!” Allister would be happy to walk right through it, kill the bastard dead, and let the cops ask questions later.
“You need to get your ass to Miami, Bane.” Draegan stated the obvious. “In the meantime, start talking. Tell us everything we need to know about this guy.”
Markie clutched the headrests. “How can we beat him at his own game?”
“That’s just it, boys,” Bane said, true sorrow in his voice. “We’ve always been a few steps behind him. Other than a picture or two here or there, we’ve never caught up with this guy. He gets in and gets out. He does clean work, vanishes for a few years, comes back, kills again, and—”
“And?”
“Give him a chance, hon,” Markie said, tapping Draegan’s shoulder.
“And he prefers to take jobs like these.”
“What do you mean?” Allister asked. “Explain that!”
“He likes group kills, Allister,” Bane explained. “With a price per head, he can get in and out and then disappear again. He only shows up on our radar when the price is high enough.”
Draegan stared at Allister. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Price couldn’t be much higher if he’s been contracted to take out most of Trouble.”
“That’s what we’re working on now,” Bane said. “You worry about finding everyone down there. We’re on lockdown here.”
“You listen to me,” Allister said, barely able to breathe, much less speak. “You go over the mountain and talk to Toms Vance. You see whoever you have to see. Pull whatever strings you have to yank, but you see Toms and you make him understand. If he doesn’t call off this hit, if he doesn’t stop this thing from going down, you tell him I will make it my dying promise to—”
“Allister, I can’t go in there making threats. Clearly the warden is in his back pocket. I’ll go see h
im, yes, but then I’m hopping on the first plane out of here and—”
“Don’t,” Draegan said, cutting him off.
“What?” Markie looked perplexed. “Well of course he’ll come. We need him here, darlin’. He’s the only one who can help right now!”
“Draegan’s right.” Allister hated to admit it, and they would feel the heat without Bane there, but he could do more from Tennessee than they could in Miami. “You know how things work, Bane. Tell us what to do.”
“Right now, just keep your eyes open. Watch for suspicious activity. Look in every car you pass.”
“They could be anywhere by now.” Markie immediately jerked one way and then the other. He rose to his knees and peered out the back window.
“You do realize we’re in Miami, right?” Draegan asked.
“Yeah, buddy. I know where you are and I’m sick over it. Miami PD is swamped. The only chance we have right now is if you guys hit a stroke of luck or maybe receive a ransom call.”
“What are the chances this guy will make a ransom call?”
The line went quiet.
“Bane?” Allister yelled. “What are the chances?”
“Slim to none, with better odds on none.”
“How often has he requested ransom, Bane?” Mac asked.
Allister swallowed. He didn’t want to hear the reply to that one.
“To our knowledge, he’s never abducted anyone and negotiated terms or asked for ransom. He’s never placed the first call. We believe the calls and texts that came in after the women were abducted may be the only leads we’ll have. He may have allowed the limited communication. It makes sense that he would. From what we can tell, he likes recognition for his kills. Maybe he wanted you to know he has our women. In all likelihood, he’d want you to think he’s coming for the rest of us next.
“Men, you need to prepare yourselves. I don’t think a call will be placed. As of this moment, we’re assuming the worst. We believe we’ve already received the only communication we’ll have with Seth or our women.”
“Then if that’s all you have to go on, you analyze the fuck out of those leads and get back to us!” Allister screamed. “Somehow, some damned way, we’re tracking this motherfucker down.”
“I’m pulling for you, men,” Bane said. “And I’m praying for all of us.”
Chapter Eight
An hour later, the limousine slowly pulled into a crowded neighborhood. Houses were practically on top of one another. One yard overlapped another, making it difficult to tell where one lawn ended and the other began.
Trashed cars lined the street. Garbage was strewn on the sidewalks. Stray, malnourished cats ran from one fast food wrapper to another. Obvious drug deals were going down on every corner.
It was as close to hell as Ellie had ever been.
At the end of the street, they took a left and then a right. Ellie never saw the first sign.
“What is this place? The roads aren’t marked,” Serena pointed out.
“This guy has thought of everything,” Sable said quietly, seemingly memorizing each and every home they passed. “They took the signs down.”
“Why would they do that?” Serena asked.
“Because these people are on this guy’s payroll,” Heather replied.
“Agreed. This is one of those neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone but no one knows anything when the cops arrive,” Sable said.
“Kind of lets us know where we stand, huh?” Heather looked at Ellie. “Doesn’t get much worse than this. Does it?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Why are you asking Ellie anything?” Serena glared at Heather. “If the Vance brothers are behind this, you’re responsible. You’re the one who should be answering questions. You knew the Vance nuts. You lived with them for a while. You sought them out. Didn’t you? Don’t answer that.
“Draegan told me the whole story. You were writing a book, wanted to get up close and personal with your subjects. Tell me something, Heather, was it worth all this?”
“It’s not helping anyone to cast blame,” Sable pointed out.
“She’s right,” Ellie chimed in.
“No, Serena is right,” Heather said softly. “If this has anything to do with the Vance brothers then it’s my fault.”
“Don’t do that,” Ellie said, wishing they’d stayed with their men or at least brought Markie along. Markie was the one in the bunch that everyone underestimated. Then again, even Markie couldn’t help them if an entire Miami neighborhood was ready to provide a cloak and hide them. Ellie tapped the window with her fingernail. “We’re stopping.”
Heather said, “If I just hadn’t gone there…if I hadn’t been so damned curious about the rumors and—”
“Well you know what they say,” Serena drawled. “Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong can cost you. Too bad we all have to pay the price.”
“Serena, please stop,” Ellie said. “You don’t mean it and accusations won’t help any of us. We all came from troubled backgrounds. So maybe the Vance brothers are behind this, but what if they aren’t? None of us should throw stones because they might be hurled back in our direction. We’ve all made bad choices in life. It’s how we rise above them in the end that matters.”
“And what if we don’t get that chance?” Serena fired back. “The way that man looked at us….” She thinned her lips and her eyes watered. “He’s an animal. I’ve seen men like him before.”
“We’ll stick together,” Ellie promised. “We’ll stay strong. We’ll get out of this. Just believe.”
* * * *
Their captor made them wait in the car. While they were there, several of the street thugs circled the limousine. A few peered in the back as if they thought they could see beyond the tint. Some of them made obscene gestures and remarks.
Ellie and Sable swapped knowing glances while Heather fidgeted and Serena stared straight ahead. After a while, the driver and Seth—if Seth was actually his name—returned.
Both back doors opened. The driver grabbed Heather and slung her over his shoulder. Seth pulled a weapon on Ellie. “Let’s go. Just you. Now.”
Ellie reached across the seat. She gently squeezed Sable’s hand before doing the same to Serena. “We’ll all be fine.”
“Don’t make me ask again.” The gun was cocked. “Step out of the car.”
“Why not go ahead and get it over with?” Ellie turned her focus to the crowd of ten or twelve young men lining the driveway. “Are any of you remotely aware of what is going on here?”
“They’ve been paid well,” Seth said, nudging her with his weapon. “They won’t talk and they won’t befriend you. Keep walking.”
“How can any of you stand there and do nothing? Act like men! What kind of sons of bitches are you!”
A young man walked up to her then, sporting his gang colors. Jiggling his shoulders and smirking, he said, “You hit that right, girlfriend. We’re all sons of bitches. That’s why we ended up on these streets protecting men like him when they want to have their way with women like you!”
The crowd cheered. Ellie gulped.
She was pushed forward and Heather was released to walk on her own. The driver and Seth didn’t treat them with respect. They handled them roughly until they were behind closed doors. Once the world outside was behind them, they seemingly changed their demeanor.
Their tight expressions relaxed. Seth removed his jacket and hung it on a coat tree. The driver placed his cap there as well.
“What are you going to do with our friends?” Heather asked.
“You should worry more about what we’re planning to do with you,” Seth told her, opening the first door on the right. “In there.”
The exterior of the home suggested a rundown shack or crack house but the small room had apparently been professionally decorated. A massive walnut desk took up most of the space. There were four leather chairs directly in front of it. Knickknacks lined a bookshelf along with vin
tage books showcasing their tattered bindings.
“I admire you, Ellie,” Seth said, accepting two bottles of water from the driver who reappeared then. He handed one off to Heather and another to Ellie. “Your friends were apparently eager to pull one another apart and you rose to the fore. A man could use a good woman like you at his side. You’re a leader. It shows.”
“What kind of leader blatantly lies to those who are looking to her for advice?” she asked, twisting off the plastic cap and taking a drink.
Seth sat on the corner of the huge desk. “A good one.” He waited a moment and then added, “But I’m not sure you lied to them exactly.” He swung his gaze to Heather. “Did she lie to you intentionally?”
Heather glanced at Ellie. “No. She would never do that.”
“I told them everything would be okay and that we’d stick together, but you separated us.”
“You’ll see them one more time. I may be hired for my expertise and skills but I’m not entirely heartless. You’ll have an opportunity to say your farewells.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Oh come on, Ellie. You and I aren’t that different.” He paced the floor. “People like us, we all have reasons for what we do. We’re the kind of people who contemplate those reasons before we act, think about them before we take a leap. Take you, for instance.”
“What about me?”
“You sleep with four men. Was that a conscious decision or did you just fall in bed with them and decide it was comfortable enough to remain a while?”
Ellie noticed Heather beside her, clenching her fists and resting them on her knees. Seth seemed amused then and looked pointedly at Heather. “No comments? She sleeps with your brother, from what I’ve heard.” He didn’t give Heather a chance to respond. Instead, he bent down and hissed at Ellie’s ear, “Yes, you always know what you’re doing. Don’t you, Ellie?”
“I’ve made my mistakes.”
He frowned. “So you’re saying Allister, Bradley, Ryan, and Derek were mistakes?”
Trouble in Miami [Trouble, Tennessee 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7
