Wind Storm (The Gathering Storm Book 3)

by Marlow Kelly

  The victims weren’t just women, and it wasn’t all about sexual exploitation. Hundreds of thousands of people were also trafficked for forced labor, domestic servitude, child begging, or the removal of their organs.

  She faced him, her hands on her hips. “At least tell me what you’re doing.”

  He rubbed his eyes and then continued to stare at his laptop. “I’ve accessed the Syndicate network. The members are listed by email and code names only. Lucy is sexgoddess, all one word.”

  “Yuck.”

  He nodded to show he agreed with her assessment. “I’m using her info like a key to a map to help figure out the names of the other Syndicate members. I have a hunch they are all connected through the Global Democratic Coalition.”

  “You’ve abandoned the idea of kidnapping Lucy?”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, took an exasperated breath, and said, “No, but I want to give Finn a list of the Syndicate’s members. That way, if anything happens to me, he can still take them down.”

  The words “if anything happens to me” hung in the air like a thought bubble in a cartoon. She stared at him but couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Every cell in her body turned to ice at the notion of him dying. She’d felt the same way when she’d watched Portman drive into him. She couldn’t let him throw his life away. There was no hope of a future for them as a couple, but she wanted him to live.

  He turned his attention back to his computer, dismissing her, not noticing her agitation.

  Which was not a surprise given the fact that he was emotionally compromised and closed off. Normally, she would trust his judgement, at least in operational matters, but he felt responsible for Nadie and Ava and would do anything to make it right. She suspected that, in his mind, losing his life in an attempt to save them was preferable to living without them. Arguing with him would be counterproductive. First, he didn’t want to hear what she had to say, and he had also been proven right too many times. It would be impossible for him to see that, in this instance, he was wrong.

  She swung back to stare at the PDE building opposite. Lucy was making an awful lot of money from the Sun Down Hotel. Sinclair had a gut feeling that the establishment, in the rundown part of town, was a piece of the puzzle. Her experience had taught her that law enforcement agencies needed evidence, and her instinct wasn’t enough. Besides, if she were wrong, she would be wasting everyone’s time.

  Because the case was local, Jake had been assigned to assess the situation and determine whether further investigation was warranted. She had no idea if he’d made a determination or if the Sun Down Hotel and the brothel in Jake’s case was the same place.

  She headed for the door. “I’m going to grab a shower. I’ll be about half an hour.” She could have told him the truth, but she didn’t want him to worry.

  Michael didn’t look away from the screen. He just said something unintelligible and waved a hand, dismissing her.

  Huh. She shouldn’t have bothered lying. He wouldn’t even notice she was gone. She left the conference room and headed along the hallway, checking each office door.

  The first two were bolted. She crept past Finn’s and tried the last room on the floor and was relieved to find it unlocked.

  “Have a phone, have a phone…” She repeated the mantra under her breath as she searched the space.

  There wasn’t much. Just a locked filing cabinet and a cord that ran from the wall into a desk drawer. She opened it and was relieved to find a telephone. Lifting the receiver, she was ecstatic to hear a dial tone. She punched in Jake’s number.

  Her partner answered on the first ring. “Hello.”

  “I need some information.” She knew she was being rude but didn’t care.

  “Sure, what do you need?” he growled. His raspy voice was a symptom of his smoking habit.

  “There’s a hotel on the east side, the Sun Down. Is that the place you were investigating as a brothel?”

  There was a moment of silence and then the faint sound of a puff, telling her he’d just taken a drag of his cigarette. “How’d you know?”

  “Just a hunch. I need all the information you have on it.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the break-in?”

  “I really can’t say.” Why she was hedging, she didn’t know, but telling him everything seemed wrong. Besides, she had no idea why someone had broken into their office, and given the circumstances, it wasn’t high on her list of priorities.

  “I’ll meet you at the Dumb Luck Café in fifteen minutes.” He hung up before she could tell him to come to the FBI offices. Fifteen minutes wasn’t much time for him to drive to the coffee shop. Maybe he was already close by.

  They’d been holed up at the federal building all night because Finn believed they were in danger, but did she really need special protection? Probably not. She’d been attacked in an attempt to get to Michael. Now that the bad guys had Nadie and Ava, they didn’t need her. If she couldn’t come up with another option, Michael would go after Lucy Portman. There was no way Finn would help, and knowing Michael, he wouldn’t drag David and Tim into anything illegal. Which meant he was on his own. No matter what happened between them, she had to save him. She loved him. She always had, which meant she had no choice.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Detective Mateo Ramirez barged into Finn’s office and collapsed into the vacant seat at his desk.

  Finn said nothing at the unannounced intrusion, but he did raise a questioning eyebrow in Kennedy’s direction.

  She joined them, standing to the side of his desk so she could see both their faces.

  Ramirez straightened his tie, which was a unique pattern that matched his suit perfectly. “I’ve been going over the break and enter at Child Seekers and want to talk to Sinclair Quinn about her schedule.”

  In the last year when they’d worked a few cases together, Finn had always found him to be honest and conscientious.

  “Why? Do you think she has something to do with it?” Finn asked.

  “Only as much as it was her information the perp was after, and the timing is curious.”

  “How so?” Kennedy folded her arms and scowled at Finn.

  “Her plane touched down at five. I’d give her and her partner”—he checked his notebook—“Jake Cox, thirty to forty-five minutes to collect their luggage and get through the airport. They split up in the parking lot. She drives to Granite City. Let’s say she’s done her grocery shopping by six-thirty.”

  “And she was jumped before seven. Where are you going with this?” Kennedy spoke before Finn could say anything.

  “Child Seekers in Granite City is run out of a small office at the back of a church.” Ramirez shifted in his seat, getting comfortable.

  “I thought it was a big outfit.” Kennedy pointed to Finn’s notebook, silently telling him to take notes and at the same time reminding him she was in charge.

  Ramirez shrugged. “They are and they aren’t. They’re a non-profit that devotes all their money towards operational costs. They have a lot of dedicated volunteers, a couple of paid administrators. Agents like Sinclair and her partner are paid employees. Although, I’m glad I don’t have to live off her paycheck.”

  Finn smiled. “That bad, huh?” He knew Sinclair wasn’t about the money.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “You were figuring out the timeline,” Kennedy said, drawing him back to the subject at hand.

  “Yes.” He shook his head. It wasn’t like him to get distracted. “I was thinking why break in and go through her files? Given her instruction and Child Seekers own guidelines, the only thing I can come up with is that the perps wanted to know what time her flight landed.”

  “That was in her records?” Finn scribbled down the information.

  “Yep.”

  “How close are you to narrowing down the time of the robbery?” Kennedy dragged the chair from her desk over and sat in it.

  Ramirez, once again, checked his notes. “The volu
nteer who does their office work, a very nice woman named Amy, left at five-thirty. The crime occurred sometime after that.”

  “That’s cutting it a little close, don’t you think?” Finn couldn’t see someone breaking in just to see what time Sinclair arrived back in the country, and then within an hour, attacking her in an alley. It could have happened, but it didn’t feel right.

  Ramirez shrugged. “It’s just a theory. Tell me about this Syndicate? We didn’t get into it in Tate’s office.”

  “What we know is sketchy, and what I’m going to tell you is just my opinion—”

  “Our opinion,” Kennedy corrected.

  “They’re a powerful group of businessmen who are behind multiple crimes. Michael Papin secured proof they exist and handed the evidence over to the FBI.”

  Ramirez shifted in his seat. “The feds are investigating?”

  Finn took a deep breath. Kennedy gave him a knowing look. How much did he want to tell?

  Kennedy inhaled and then said, “The Department of Justice is compromised. The evidence Papin acquired was stolen, witnesses have been killed while in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, and they have Finn’s personnel records.” The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth.

  As soon as she finished talking, Finn knew she’d made the right call.

  “Fuck me.” Ramirez uttered the curse under his breath.

  Finn nodded. “Exactly.”

  “This powerful group of businessmen, are they international?”

  “I think so, but that’s just a theory, not fact. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering why they’re showing up in a backwater like Granite City, Montana.”

  Finn stared at Ramirez and then switched his gaze to Kennedy. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

  There was a knock at the door, and Sophia Reed burst in without waiting for an answer.

  “The desk sergeant told me you were here.” She clutched Ramirez’s hand.

  “You’re shaking. What’s happened?” He hugged her, holding her in a way that suggested the pair were an item. Their relationship had come to light after they’d been taken hostage during a bank robbery. Ramirez stepped back. “We should probably leave.”

  “No, Ethan wanted me to give them a message.” The pretty dark-haired lawyer met Finn’s gaze.

  “Ethan?” Ramirez snapped.

  “The same man from the bank robbery.” Finn’s heartbeat thundered in his ears as an icy chill inched down his spine.

  “That freak came to see you?” Ramirez’s skin flushed, and the veins of his forehead bulged.

  She nodded.

  “This guy needs to be stopped. He’s targeting her.” The detective thumped Finn’s desk with his fist.

  “Take a seat.” Finn pointed to the chair Ramirez had vacated just minutes ago.

  Ramirez ignored his suggestion. His rage was apparent in his wide stance, his fisted hands, and the way he clenched his teeth. But his hold seemed gentle as he urged Ms. Reed into his vacated chair.

  Her face was pale and her movements jerky. She was obviously terrified. Everyone in law enforcement knew, respected, and feared her. She was the top criminal attorney in Granite City. Finn guessed her to be in her mid-thirties. She looked like the kind of woman who would be more at home driving her kids to little league, which generally worked in her favor because people tended to underestimate her. She was tenacious in her defense of her clients and had grudgingly earned Finn’s respect.

  It was unlikely Ramirez’s temper would subside anytime soon so Finn might as well interview her now. He reached for a notepad and smiled at Ms. Reed. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

  Kennedy cleared her throat and locked her gaze on Finn, as if silently urging him to keep to their agreement and allow her to take the lead. He acknowledged her with a nod. “Special Agent Morris is running…” He almost said interference but stopped himself. “Acting as liaison in the cases we talked about yesterday.” Damn those words were hard to say. He wanted to tell her to back down. Instead, he clamped his mouth shut.

  Ramirez stared at him. Surprisingly, the announcement had shocked him enough that he was distracted from his anger. “Why?”

  “I’m too emotionally involved. Michael Papin is a friend.” Finn stepped out of the way, allowing Kennedy to take his chair.

  It wheeled away from the desk. She dug her toes into the carpet to prevent it from rolling and then lowered the seat so her feet were flat on the floor. Then she gave him a dead-eyed glare that suggested he not smile or laugh at her predicament. He stared back, using his best poker face.

  Kennedy picked up a pen and addressed Ms. Reed. “You saw Ethan Moore?”

  Ramirez banged the arm of the chair. “I swear—”

  Kennedy held up her hand in a halt motion “You’re a detective. You know how this goes. You are emotionally involved, too. There’s obviously a relationship between you two.”

  Ramirez paced to the window and then turned to watch, distancing himself from the conversation.

  “This has to be informal. We’re not on the case,” Kennedy said to Ms. Reed. “Why’d you come to us?”

  “Ethan told me to talk to Special Agent Callaghan.” Ms. Reed’s voice was low but audible.

  Kennedy made a note, focusing on her job. She didn’t look at Finn, but he knew she had to be wondering what the hell was going on. Once she was done, she said, “Let’s get the info, and then I suggest Ms. Reed files a report with Captain Tate.” She gave the detective a pointed look.

  Ramirez nodded. “Okay.” He seemed to be over his initial outburst.

  “And detective…” Kennedy poked the air with her pen. Her back was straight and her muscles tense. Everything in her body language said don’t-mess-with-me. “We need Ms. Reed to be able to tell us what happened. Normally, I’d ask you to wait outside, but as this is an informal setting, I will let you stay as long as you don’t interrupt or interfere in any other way.”

  He gave a terse nod and crossed his arms, leaning against the window.

  Kennedy smiled at the attorney. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  The words rushed out of Sophia Reed’s mouth. This wasn’t the restrained, controlled lawyer Finn was used to seeing in the courtroom. Her hands moved as she talked, emphasizing every detail. The more a subject moved, the more likely it was they were being open and honest. Despite her fear at finding Ethan Moore in her office, she was able to recall the smallest detail. Which was impressive and explained, in part, why she was so successful in her chosen career.

  Finn had questioned her when Ethan Moore had committed a bank heist a month ago. Afterward, Ethan had provided her with proof of a criminal conspiracy to commit arson. Moore’s motive remained a mystery to this day.

  Ethan had obviously latched onto Ms. Reed as some sort of proxy. Maybe it wasn’t so surprising that he had a special interest in her. She was smart and posed no physical threat to him. She was the perfect person to use as a go-between.

  “Let me get this straight. Moore is protecting Nadie and Ava O’Connor until we can rescue them, and they’re being held at the Sun Down Hotel.” Kennedy stared at Finn. “Isn’t that the place Sinclair mentioned?”

  Finn pictured a map of the town in his head. “Yes, she noticed it. I also have to wonder if the criminal conspiracy and arson Ethan uncovered in the bank heist was actually about protecting the area in order to keep the Sun Down Hotel from being discovered.”

  Sophia Reed cleared her throat. “He didn’t mention that, but he made it clear the two women were to be sold. I don’t know when, and he didn’t say.”

  Finn silently cursed. This whole thing was a lot darker than he imagined. He’d thought they were waiting for the Syndicate to contact them to make an exchange. Which in itself was bad enough because he knew they would kill Michael and probably his mother and sister, too. He also found it hard to believe that Ethan was protecting Michael’s family until the Sun Down Hotel could be raided. There was a g
ood chance this was an elaborate trap.

  “Did he say why he was sharing this information?” Kennedy must be thinking the same thing.

  Sophia Reed gripped the hem of her jacket so tight her knuckles turned white. “Our conversation wasn’t a cross-examination. He said what he had to say. And to be honest, I was too scared to ask any useful questions. But he did say he doesn’t rape people and he doesn’t hurt children. He just kills.” She shrugged. “Maybe for him it crosses some sort of line. He did stop that robber from hurting me, but I always assumed he’d used me as a distraction because he killed both his partners. Even the young one who was never a threat.”

  There was no doubt in Finn’s mind that she was telling the truth. When she explained the details, she talked with her hands. But when she talked about Ethan, she clamped onto her clothing with a vice-like grip, which was an understandable nervous response.

  “Just to confirm,” Kennedy said, going over the account, looking for any inconsistencies. It was standard practice to question a witness more than once, not because Kennedy didn’t believe her, but it paid to be thorough. “Michael Papin’s mother and sister are being held at the Sun Down Hotel, and they are to be sold—”

  “Has anyone seen Sin— Did I hear you say sold?” Michael stood at the door, balancing an open laptop on one arm.

  Finn cursed under his breath. “Haven’t you heard of knocking? You do not have the right to burst in.”

  His friend’s gaze flickered from Ramirez, to Sophia Reed, to Kennedy, and then settled on him.