Scorned and Abandoned (An Aaron Jaycynth Mystery)

by John Charles

  "What have you found?" asked Hank as he approached Robins.

  Robins was almost as thorough as Hank leaving no stone unturned. When he first saw the car hidden in the overgrowth, he pointed to footprints and asked that everyone stay clear until he could make molds and take pictures. He was angry that Hank and his team had walked in the area around the car. Their footprints had to be eliminated to find those of the kidnappers.

  As they rolled the car back out to the road, he found a piece of cloth hanging from a branch. Holding the evidence bag up to Hank, Natalie and Aaron, he said, "This looks like it came from a shirt or hoodie. It's too thin for pants. Does anyone know if Ethan or Kristoff might have worn a hoodie as they traveled?"

  Everyone looked to each other for the answer to Robins' question, when Aaron's memory flashed back to the conference room. "Yes, I remember Ethan was wearing a light hoodie this morning. He said it was too cool for short sleeves. He's only been here a little over a month and he felt cold compared to the Colorado summer."

  Natalie looked at Aaron with appreciation. She smiled and touched his shoulder. "Do you remember the color? Close your eyes and don't look at the material in Robins' hand. Picture the room and tell us what you see."

  Aaron followed her command, closed his eyes and recited what he saw. Then he said as his eyes opened, "It was light blue. I remember the color cause it complimented Ethan's eyes." As soon as he completed his comment, he felt the blush rise and color his face. He turned from the group to hide his reaction to his own comment.

  They knew he was gay and had no issue with his sexuality. Though he was accepted into the team, as anyone else would have been, he always felt a little different and tried to keep his personal life hidden. Now he made a comment that clearly showed his attraction to the firm's client. "I'm sorry. That was definitely out of line," he said as he looked back to the team.

  Hank's gentle laugh confused Aaron. At first, he thought Hank was laughing at him, then when Hank put his hand on Aaron's other shoulder he felt the comfort of a man who understood. "Aaron, we all have our ways to remember important details. At the agency, we were taught to remember names and other details by association. Some of us used animals, or important people as association points. Don't be ashamed that you used Ethan's blue eyes as such a point. It worked."

  Natalie, just to bust Aaron's chops said, "And now we know more about what turns you on." Aaron's blush deepened as he looked at her wondering how she could say such a thing. They all had a good laugh before continuing with the debriefing. The team presented the strip of cloth along with the mold of the footprint and hundreds of digital pictures that were taken at the accident scene. They had numerous shots of the road. It was clear that cars traveled over the debris after the accident. Kristoff's Cooper would remain in the garage until everyone was satisfied they had picked it clean of anything they could use to find the men.

  On their way out of the garage, Hank asked Aaron for an update on the traffic cameras. He knew that the cameras inside London's populated areas presented live views of most streets and all major intersections. He also knew the farther out from city center, the cameras thinned out considerably. That Aaron told him the images from cameras on the stretch of road, where they found Kristoff's Cooper, were sporadic at best was no surprise. He assigned Natalie to work with Aaron. "Find something - anything we can use to locate them."

  It had already been a long day and it was not over yet. Knowing that his team would spend the night working through the details, Hank called his favorite take out restaurant and ordered a full buffet for his staff. He then called Carol and told her he would not be home until very late, if at all. She had heard this so many times in their years together, she understood, reminding him that she loved him and would be there if he needed to talk.

  Aaron and Natalie picked up where Aaron left off prior to his trip to the garage. "I've been looking at the videos from six cameras. I found Kristoff leaving Andrews but have not found him in any other footage as yet." He guided Natalie through the procedure to look at camera footage and left her working at his spare computer.

  "This could take a while. You need to call anyone?" she asked with the same smile she had in the garage. Aaron looked at her, shook his head no, and went to work.

  They worked through the night and wondered if they would have something to show for their efforts the following morning. Natalie had gone over all the videos she could find without seeing Kristoff's car. She spotted numerous Coopers but couldn't find the one she wanted. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," she said at one point. "Is there an easier way to do this?"

  Aaron had felt the same as she. He suddenly remembered the Traffic Administration had recently bragged about their license plate recognition system used in the high congestion region. They had instituted a toll for all vehicles that entered any of the heavy traffic areas. To bill or verify payment of the tolls, they established a system to capture license plate numbers. Knowing he was on touchy ground with his request, he called the supervisor of Traffic Administration, identified his company and his situation and asked for their help.

  After keeping him on hold for over five minutes, they offered to assist in finding Kristoff's car. An hour later, Aaron and the wiz-kid support person he was assigned to, found the car and was able to track it through London out to the perimeter road and onto the North Thruway. From there they had little luck as the cameras only snapped pictures periodically to give headquarters an idea of road conditions.

  He was able to capture the details in a continuous video. The young man at Traffic Administration was extremely pleased that he was able to help and offered his services if needed in the future. Aaron entered his details into the Andrews contact database and offered his own in return.

  Hank called a staff meeting to bring the team up to date. Everyone had coffee and muffins as they watched the video. "He was clearly followed," said Natalie "and it looks like he made some turns to lose his tail. I wonder why he didn't call in for support," she voiced.

  Akerheart agreed and speculated that the tail seems to have turned off and left Kristoff after the third turn, "I bet he thought it was just a fluke."

  "Good work you two," said Hank as he sipped his coffee and looked at Aaron and Natalie. "I understand you drafted some outside help to achieve this?"

  Aaron was shocked that Hank already knew what he had done, looked to Natalie who shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was not me, than looked back to Hank. "Did I do something wrong, sir? Did I break protocol or something?"

  Everyone in the room looked at Hank wondering what would happen. Many of them had worked with Hank before and knew he never yelled. His method of command was soft subtle discussion. "No you didn't do anything wrong. In fact you did everything right, Aaron."

  "I planned to tell you when we finished. So how did you know?"

  "While they had you on hold, the senior member of the night staff called to verify that you did work here. They have our emergency contact information on file. When I asked what was going on, he gave me the details and said he would do what he could to help. For a newbie, here Aaron, you are starting to think like a spy."

  Everyone commented that what Aaron did was superb and offered compliments as well. Hank told everyone who wanted a break to go home, but to do so, on shifts so the team remained covered. "One more thing, people, while we have learned a great deal in the past twenty hours, we still don't have our boys back. We don't stop until we do!"

  Chapter 5

  The following day at the Tameron house was anything but normal. Hank added several strong bodied people to the security detail, which made the small manor home look as if the queen were visiting.

  Gabi and Robert hardly slept wondering what had happened to their son. "He is alive, Robert. I feel it in my soul," said Gabi as they cuddled trying to ease the other's pain. Their shared grief was shattered by a loud scream.

  Robert and Gabi jumped out of bed, when they heard the scream, grabb
ed robes and ran down the stairs, only to be stopped by one of the Andrews security guards. "I need you to stay upstairs until we find out what is happening," he said, refusing to move from the landing where he stopped the couple.

  When Robert began to argue, Gabi pulled his arm and said, "Robert, let them figure this out. Come back upstairs." He followed without another word.

  Akerheart and Robins had gone to the Tameron's house around 4 AM to relieve two guards, even though they, themselves, hadn't gotten much sleep. It was the norm for the Andrews family. They were stationed near the front of the house when they heard the scream. Running to the back with his gun drawn, Robins signaled Akerheart to call in. Akerheart pressed one button on his mobile that sent an emergency alert to the Andrews facility. Once again, he thought of how much young Aaron had contributed since arriving less than a year ago.

  When Robins and Akerheart got to the back door, they saw Isleta, the housekeeper, cradling a body in her arms. She was wailing almost incomprehensibly. They could barely make out "What have they done to you?" She repeated the phrase over again as they took up a protective position near the door.

  Several other guards made their way to the service entrance crouching as if they expected to be assaulted from somewhere unseen. Akerheart stooped to look at the body in Isleta's arms. He froze in gut wrenching horror. There, in the arms of this small housekeeper was the almost naked and battered body of his coworker Kristoff. His moment of horror was short lived as his instincts took over. Kristoff had been severely beaten. His body was covered with lacerations, bruises, and rope burns where he had been tied while being tortured. Both eyes were blackened and shut from what looked like numerous punches to the face. He was covered in blood, some dried, much still oozing from his body.

  Then he noticed what Isleta was staring at. On his bare chest were the words "I Have Ethan." At first, he thought the words were written in paint or marker. Upon closer examination, he realized the words were burned into his flesh.

  Robins was talking to the dispatcher at Andrews while Akerheart did his best to keep their coworker safe. "We need an ambulance and EMTs now. It's Kristoff, and he's been badly beaten. Hurry!" When he finished his call, Robins immediately stepped into his combat training. Using his mobile, he took pictures of Kristoff's body. He managed to move Isleta's hands away so he could get several close-ups of the wording on his chest. He scanned the yard for any details that might lead to who dropped the body off during the night.

  Whoever delivered the body did their job well. No signs of tires or footprints were found. Even with security guards patrolling the yards, through the night, someone had managed to drop Kristoff's bruised and battered body at the back door. Their adversaries were professionals.

  Hank and Natalie met the ambulance at hospital where Kristoff had been rushed into emergency surgery. While in route, the EMTs found he had internal injuries, numerous broken bones, severe burns, and a fractured face. He was near death. Hank had seen many beaten bodies during his career, but none was as severe or as senseless as this. He had trouble imagining why anyone would do that much harm to one man. "I need to get to the house. Please stay with Kristoff until more of our people arrive. I want you outside the operating theater, in his recovery room, and by his side every minute. You don't even take a break to go to the loo unless one of us relieves you. Got it?"

  When Hank returned to the Tameron home, he was pleased to see the house surrounded by additional Andrews and other security people. Robins called in a favor from another local firm asking for help securing the house. As Hank entered, he could see Robert pacing the lounge. Gabi was sitting in a chair just staring into the distance.

  As Hank walked into the room, Robert approached anxious for news. "What's going on? We need to know."

  Hank sat down next to Gabi and tried to get Robert to sit, but he continued to pace as Hank explained everything he knew. "We've asked for assistance from another security firm to keep you safe. We are still looking for Ethan and have alerted the local police of the situation as well."

  Robert looked at his wife and said in a tone that evidenced his fear, "Do you still feel him? Is he alive?" Gabi nodded, saying nothing.

  "How is Isleta? Does she need to go to hospital?" asked Hank as he stood.

  "The doctor gave her something to calm her nerves. She is resting in her room," said Gabi. "I presume you want to speak with her," she said as she got up to escort Hank. As they neared the room, off the kitchen, Gabi said, "Be gentle with her she is special."

  Hank entered the room after knocking on the open door. Isleta was sitting in a chair trying to sip tea that Gabi prepared for her. "The doctor just left. He made me swallow some pills to relax my nerves. I am so scared. What have they done with our Ethan?" she cried.

  Hank sat in the chair next to Isleta. He gently asked if she could tell him what happened earlier that morning.

  It was a normal morning for her. She drove in, expecting to hear that Ethan was found and everything was okay again. When she got out of her car, she saw something on the ground near the back door. As she got closer, she realized it was a body. She screamed thinking it was Ethan. When she knelt down, she saw it was Kristoff.

  "When I pulled him to my lap I saw the writing on his chest and screamed again. Please find him Mr. Hank. Bring our Ethan home," she said and burst into tears again. Gabi was at the door to her room when Isleta broke down. She ran to her side and held her as Isleta cried.

  Hank stood, looked at the two women sharing their grief, and walked from the room without another word. On his way to the office, Hank called the Andrews, U.S office. He explained what had happened, and asked them to put security around Robert's daughter Kailey who lived in Colorado.

  His second call was to Aaron. "Sorry to get you out of bed. I know you spent the night at the shop, but I need you to get back as soon as you can," he said as he drove. "Do you want me to pick you up?" Knowing that Aaron would want to know why he had to return only two hours after leaving the office, Hank said, "Something has happened and I'd rather not tell you over the phone."

  Aaron declined the ride saying he could probably get there faster if he took the tube. "I'll be there in half an hour if that's okay."

  Hank agreed, closed the call and said to no one, "Where are you Ethan? Give me a clue."

  Chapter 6

  Aaron could see by the look on everyone's face that something bad had happened. Before he could find out, Hank walked in. "In the conference room," said Hank in his 'This Is Business voice'. Aaron knew better than to ask the question shouting in his mind. He followed Hank. "Sit down Aaron." Aaron felt as if something was very wrong.

  The dispatcher walked into the room seconds after Aaron sat; looking worse than the others did when he entered the office earlier. She handed Hank a stack of papers and a cup of coffee to Aaron. She never did that before - his nerves were on edge now.

  Fearing the worst, Aaron sat bolt upright when Hank said, "We found Kristoff this morning." He then pushed the stack of papers to Aaron's side of the conference table.

  On top was a print of one of the pictures Robins had taken earlier. It was the one of Kristoff's branded chest and his extremely battered face. Aaron took one look at his friend and co-worker, put his hands to his mouth, turned and vomited into the wastebasket next to the door. Hugging the small plastic container as if his life depended on it, he asked, "Is he dead?"

  "Almost," said Hank in a hushed voice. "Almost, but no he is not dead." Someone wanted to deliver a message and used his body to do it. He got up and walked to the side of the room where Aaron remained on his knees hugging the wastebasket. Putting his hand on Aaron's back, he said, "Go wash up. I need you to check the GPS chips and see if any have moved. Also, we have to get to hospital. Natalie is standing guard while Kristoff is in surgery. We need to be there the moment he opens his eyes. Bring your laptop with you."

  Aaron managed to get to his feet and barely made it to the loo when his stomach revolted again. He felt as
if someone had punched him in the gut. After washing his face and rinsing his mouth several times, he checked on the tracking chips. To his surprise, all of them had moved and continued to do so as he watched the tracking screen. He called Hank and asked him to come to the lab.

  "This chip is in Ethan's gym bag. These are in his trainers, and these are in Kristoff's trainers. They are spread all over the country side and all moving again." He looked at Hank and said, "It's as if all their belongings are being worn or used again. I wonder if the people who have them have any idea they are being tracked."

  On the way to hospital, Hank asked Aaron if he was okay and if he could listen to more about Kristoff. Aaron said he was not sure if he could handle any more gore. When Hank said, it was important; Aaron agreed to listen and try to control his stomach.

  Hank explained that the wording on Kristoff's chest was not made with a marker, "It looks like someone used a hot soldering iron to write the words. If you look at the picture, you can see the irregularities in the letters." Aaron said he would look at the pictures later when he had a wastebasket nearby. Hank smiled at his answer, "It's okay to have that kind of reaction. I'd have wondered if you didn't. Kristoff will need you to be strong, so you have to get a grip on your emotions before we go into his room."

  Aaron nodded, crossed his arms on his chest, and sat quietly as Hank drove to hospital. When they arrived, he looked at Hank and asked, "Do you think he was awake when they branded him? Won't he ask about Ethan?"

  Hank looked straight ahead, thinking before he answered Aaron's question. "I am guessing that Kristoff was awake when they tortured him. What you have not seen are all the other marks on his body, which indicate this was an act of pure torture."

  Aaron felt as if he might vomit again and opened the door to get some fresh air. "What happens now? What will happen to Kristoff? And will they do the same to Ethan?"