Recruit

by R. D. Brady

  Because Jen had the distinct feeling, there was absolutely nothing to be hopeful about.

  CHAPTER 18

  Jen drove down the darkened street, chastising herself. Why the hell hadn't she checked in on Charlotte? She'd let her go under her watch.

  She clenched the steering wheel, guilt eating at her. Her eyes scanned every person on the sidewalk. Come on Charlotte, where are you?

  Jen made a right. They'd been tracing and re-tracing all of Charlotte's haunts for two hours. Jen had personally inspected over six drug dens. Each place had made her skin crawl a little bit more.

  They'd stopped once for a snack and some drinks. While Lou was waiting for the food, Jen had put in a call to Detroit PD asking them to put out a BOLO on Charlotte. But nothing had come through there either.

  Jen wasn't sure what else to do. She had security in the hotel on alert to call if Charlotte showed up.

  Maybe she should call Danny to see if he could tap into the city's cameras - do some sort of facial recognition search. Although Jen was pretty sure the areas Charlotte was most likely to go to would not be known for their high security.

  Lou's voice cut into her thoughts. "She's done this before, you know - run off. She'll be back. It'll probably only be a couple of days or something."

  Jen nodded, but didn't say anything, knowing it was Lou's nerves, not her logic talking.

  Jen's phone beeped and she looked down. Her gut clenched - Detroit P.D.

  Jen pulled over and put the car in park. "Lou, I need to take this." She stepped out. Closing the door behind her, she answered the phone as she stepped away from the car. "Agent Witt."

  "This is Officer Connolly with DPD. My sergeant said to give you a call. I have a body here that might match the BOLO you put out."

  Jen looked over at the car. Lou's gaze was focused on her. Damn.

  Turning her back to the car, Jen walked a little farther away. "What was the cause of death?"

  "Throat cut. Pretty deep. Guy wasn't taking any chances."

  Jen closed her eyes. No. "Can you send me a picture?"

  "Sure thing."

  A few seconds later, her phone chimed. Jen clicked open the text. Charlotte's pale face stared back at her, a few splashes of blood across it.

  Jen closed her eyes. Damn it, Charlotte. Why didn't you just stay in the hotel? She opened her eyes and let out a breath. "Yeah. That's her."

  The officer made a couple more comments about claiming the body and making an official ID but Jen tuned it out, trying to figure out what she was going to say to Lou. Finishing up with the officer, she turned to the car. She still didn't know what she was going to say.

  But as she caught Lou's eyes through the windshield, she realized she wouldn't have to say anything.

  Tears streamed down the girl's face.

  Lou already knew.

  CHAPTER 19

  Jen sat next to Lou on the edge of the swimming pool at the back of the hotel. Their feet dangled a few inches above the water. Jen hadn't let Lou identify the body, even though Lou had demanded to see Charlotte. Jen would take care of that. Lou didn't need that image in her head.

  "My Mom loved to read," Lou said. "Little Women was one of her favorite books. That's where I got my name."

  "And Charlotte Bronte for your sister."

  Lou nodded, giving Jen a watery smile. She wiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. "Charlotte use to write these great stories. She'd leave them for me and Mom to read. I'd wake up some mornings, and there'd be this little present next to my pillow. In my favorite, she wrote about these two sisters who were girl detectives who uncovered a dog stealing ring in the city. It was really good."

  "She stopped writing?"

  Lou nodded. "Yeah. When Mom died, she stopped. She never wrote another story. She never did a lot of things again. My sister died that night too and this stranger came to live in her place."

  "I'm really sorry, Lou."

  Lou shrugged, trying to sound tough. "I always knew it was going to end bad for her. But I kept hoping that maybe my sister would come back. She did a little when Grandma died. She took care of me. I thought-." She shook her head, biting her lip.

  "You thought she'd stay that way."

  Lou took a shuddering breath. "Yeah. But then she lost her job, hooked back up with her old friends, and like that," Lou snapped her fingers, "she was gone again. When that happened, I knew my sister was really gone. I'd never see her again."

  Jen felt helpless and guilty. Charlotte had been killed and Jen hadn't even known she was gone.

  Lou swiped at her tears. "I mean it's stupid, right? Charlotte's barely known I was around for the last few years. So I don't even know why I'm crying."

  Jen watched Lou out of the corner of her eye. Lou was trying to be strong. Jen knew that mindset, because it was hers. Pretend nothing was wrong. Don't let anyone in.

  She also knew that Lou felt like her world was falling apart. Jen hesitated for only a moment. "You're crying because she was your sister. You're crying because you love her. You're crying because her death means the sister you grew up with, the one you loved, is really not coming back now."

  Lou looked over at Jen, her bottom lip trembling. She nodded slowly. "Yeah."

  The silence stretched between them. Jen wished her own Mom was here. Not her biological Mom because even when she was around, she wasn't exactly affectionate. But her adopted Mom. She'd know what to do. Martha Witt always seemed to know what someone needed.

  She would hug Lou and tell her everything would be all right. And when Jen's mom hugged you, you believed her. She had a powerful hug.

  Jen didn't have that power and right now she'd trade all her other skills for the ability to make this one girl feel less alone.

  Jen had asked her Mom once why it was that people seemed to respond to her so well. Her Mom gave a little laugh. 'It's simple honey. People can feel caring. And everyone can use a little more love in their life.'

  Jen reached over and pulled Lou into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Lou," she said, her heart in every word.

  Lou went stiff at first. Then she turned into Jen's embrace. Lou's shoulders began to shake and then she cried so hard, Jen worried she'd break in two.

  Jen hugged her tight, wishing she could do more - and blaming herself for not getting Lou and Charlotte out of Detroit sooner.

  Lou sobbed in Jen's arms like her whole world was ending.

  And Jen had nothing to say to that grief.

  Because it was true - Lou's whole world had changed and the new one she was had just stepped into was scary as hell.

  CHAPTER 20

  Jen closed over the door to Lou's bedroom, not wanting to shut it the whole way in case Lou needed her. Lou had cried herself out at the water. She'd been as pliant as a doll since then.

  Jen hated that Lou was going through this. She hated that she hadn't been able to protect Lou from Charlotte and Charlotte from herself.

  Jen blew out a breath and then pulled out her phone. She'd give anything to talk to Laney right now.

  But she knew Laney was with Jake and those two had gotten very little time alone in the last few months. She and Henry had decided to keep them out of this particular mission if they could. They had enough on their plates. And if Jen called Laney, Laney would on a plane out here as fast as she could manage.

  No - calling Laney wasn't an option.

  Jen looked at the clock and knew Henry had a conference call with Japan in a few minutes. She could call Kati but she was worried about how Kati was handling all of this. She wasn't used to violence and superpowers. Jen didn't want to add any more worries onto her.

  So she flipped a mental coin and then dialed.

  Her brother Jordan Witt answered in a few seconds. "Little sister. I was just thinking about you."

  "Good things I hope."

  "Always. I was going to see if you wanted to meet me and Mike for dinner tomorrow." Mike was Jen's other brother and Jordan's twin. They were identical fr
om their athletic, six-foot frames to their pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

  Jen smiled. "Love to, but it'll be a bit of a trip for you both. I'm in Detroit."

  "Detroit? What are you doing there?"

  Jen quickly filled Jordan in on the situation with Lou. She took a water bottle from the mini bar and slid down the wall, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "So now, this poor girl is alone. And she just had her whole world torn apart."

  Jordan was quiet on the other line for a beat. "I'm guessing this is cutting a little close to home."

  Jen let out a breath. "I'm trying not to let it, but when I see her, I see me - I mean, I had you guys. She doesn't have anyone."

  "From the way you're talking, I'm thinking she's got you now in her corner. Which I guess means she gets the rest of us, too." He paused for a few seconds. "What about whoever killed her sister? Any leads?"

  "No. A junkie gets killed and the cops aren't exactly pulling out all the stops to track down the doer. It'll probably never be solved. But I'm going down to the DPD tomorrow."

  "You'll find them. I have faith. But what's the plan with Lou?"

  Jen looked over at the closed bedroom door. Even without the super hearing, she could hear Lou's cries. Apparently Lou hadn't been quite as cried out as Jen had thought. "I'm getting her out of here. As soon as possible."

  CHAPTER 21

  Henry pulled to the side of the road a little before the entrance of the hotel where Jen was staying.

  What am I doing? He thought for the umpteenth time since he'd made the rash decision to come visit Jen.

  He'd been in Toronto when his conference call to Japan had been cancelled. He thought he'd swing by and visit Jen. But now he worried about how that would look. What am I going to say? I was two hundred miles away and decided to stop by?

  He rubbed his hands over his face. What was happening to him? He was known for his ability to make quick decisions - to read situations with unerring accuracy. And yet when it came to Jen, he'd turned into an infatuated schoolboy.

  He put the car back into drive. Well, I'm here. Time to do this. He pulled back into traffic.

  A few minutes later, he'd left the car with the valet and was in the elevator on the way up to Jen's room.

  As he walked down the hall, he realized he probably should have called first. He paused and looked back down the hall. Should he head back downstairs and then call?

  Henry shook his head. If Jen saw him right now, she'd tell him to get his act together. He smiled at the thought and continued down the hall, now anxious to see her.

  Taking a breath he knocked on Jen's door, feeling the familiar tingle run along his skin.

  "Who is it?" Jen called.

  "Um, it's Henry."

  "Henry?" Jen undid the bolt and the door swung open.

  "Um hi. I was nowhere in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by."

  Jen looked at him for a moment.

  Henry paused, seeing the strain on her face and the unshed tears in her eyes. "Jen? What happened?"

  "Oh, Henry, I think I messed up." Jen stepped forward and Henry closed his arms around her as her tears fell.

  Henry rested his chin on the top of her head. Yeah. Coming to see her was the right call.

  CHAPTER 22

  The next morning, Jen dropped Lou off at school. Jen had tried to talk her out of going but Lou insisted. She said she had an AP review she couldn't miss.

  "Who was over last night?" Lou asked when Jen pulled up in front of the high school.

  Those were the first words she had spoken in over an hour.

  Jen looked over at her confused and then realized Lou would have felt Henry enter the room. "My friend, Henry."

  Henry had stayed for a few hours last night and they had talked the whole time. There was something about Henry that made Jen feel safe - and something more that she didn't want to dwell on right now.

  She'd told him everything about Charlotte and Lou. And he'd listened. He hadn't given her advice or told her what she should do. He just listened and asked what he could do to help. She knew he wasn't just being polite. Anything she wanted, he would make happen.

  As he asked, she realized there was one thing she wanted: her brother Jordan here. There were only a handful of people Jen trusted to watch Lou. And Jordan was at the top of that list.

  Jen wouldn't be able to watch Lou at school and follow up on the investigation into Charlotte's death. Jordan had been a Navy SEAL for years and had gone to work for the Chandler Group when he'd decided to leave the service.

  Henry picked up the phone immediately and found someone to take over for Jordan on his current assignment. He'd be arriving later today. Henry had also arranged for a Chandler operative to be stationed outside the school until Jordan arrived.

  Then Henry had had to leave. They had stood awkwardly in the door, saying good night. But then Henry's phone had rung and he'd had to answer it. He'd headed down the hall with a look Jen couldn't quite read. - Remorse maybe? Regret?

  "Oh," Lou murmured, looking back out the window.

  Jen glanced over at her trying to come up with something to say and failing.

  Lou reached for the door handle.

  "Are you sure you're up for this?" Jen asked, needing to try again to keep Lou home.

  Lou nodded, not looking at her. "Yeah. I'll see you later."

  Lou slowly got out of the car, closing the door behind her. She walked up the steps of the school and disappeared through the main doors without looking back.

  Jen watched the other students go in and out the doors. Jen slammed her palm into the steering wheel. Damn it.

  She felt useless. Lou was grieving and there was no way for Jen to prevent her from feeling that pain. She'd just have to get through. This morning, Jen had brought up leaving town but Jen wasn't sure Lou had even heard her. Jen had dropped the topic, promising herself she'd talk to Lou this afternoon and make sure she understood the need to leave.

  The only thing she could really do for Lou right now was find out who'd killed Charlotte. At this point, they weren't even sure she had been killed by a Fallen. After all, murders were not that uncommon in Lou's neighborhood. Charlotte's death could just be a horrible coincidence.

  Shaking herself, Jen put the car back in gear, glancing at the clock. She'd need to move.

  CHAPTER 23

  It might not be related, Jen reminded herself as she pushed through the doors of the Detroit Police Department fifteen minutes later. The smells of BO and urine were now joined by the dual smells of vomit and bleach.

  Even lovelier, Jen thought as she headed to the front desk.

  Unlike last time she'd visited, this time she had to wade her way through about a dozen people adding to the noise and smell of the place.

  The sergeant at the desk, though, was a much more efficient one. She handed a paper to an officer behind her, took notes on a citizen leaning forward who was complaining about the kids who'd tagged his garage, and held up a finger at a woman who kept trying to get her attention. Even with all that chaos surrounding her, the sergeant spied Jen when she was still a few feet away. "Agent Witt?"

  Jen stepped to the desk, flashing her badge with a nod.

  The sergeant nudged her head to the right while she reached under the desk and buzzed her in. "They're expecting you down in surveillance. Third door on your right."

  "Thanks." Jen headed past the desk and into the bullpen behind, leaving the sergeant to her juggling act.

  The bullpen was also a beehive of activity. A couple of officers nodded at her. A few uniforms just straight up checked her out.

  Jen ignored them all as she made her way down the hall. She knocked on the closed door of the surveillance room.

  "It's open," yelled a male voice.

  Jen opened the door and was faced with a room jammed with electronics equipment. Old keyboards and towers of electronics Jen couldn't identify were stacked on top of each other like some homage to old technology. Racks o
f other equipment and boxes of wires encircled the room.

  Jen carefully made her way through the maze. "Um hello?"

  A short man with a slim build in his forties appeared from behind a tower of what looked like jumbled wires. "Hi there. You must be Agent Witt. I'm Juan Riley."

  Jen raised her eyebrows at the name.

  He smiled. "Mom's from Puerto Rico. Dad's family is from Dublin." He waved her forward. "Come on back. I've got you cued up."

  Jen smiled following him back. Juan was not what she'd expected. He was pretty friendly for an electronics guy. She'd picture someone who barely got out of his cave. Actually she realized with a start she was expecting someone like Dr. Dominic Radcliffe, the brilliant agoraphobe who worked for the Chandler Group. Maybe Jen was the one who needed to get out more.

  Jen followed Juan to a long table pushed against the back wall. A monitor sat there with black and white footage paused.

  Juan sat down and gestured to the chair next to him. "Have a seat."

  Jen did, nodding toward the monitor. "That the grocery store?"

  Juan nodded. "Yeah. We got lucky. They actually have a working security camera. Most places just put the cameras up for show. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet."

  "All right. Let's see what we've got then."

  "It's cued up for around seven. The prelim on the vic suggests she died around 10:30." Juan pressed play.

  Onscreen, the picture remained the same. Apparently, the grocer wasn't exactly busy. "I'll fast forward," Juan said.

  He hit another button and the time clock in the bottom right began to roll forward faster. Three people entered the store and left, but obviously none were Charlotte.

  "Hold on," Jen said as a woman stepped into the frame.

  Juan ran the tape at normal speed and Jen got her first good look at Charlotte. She was stumbling a little.