Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
When he woke in bed next to Kendra, Linc only wanted one thing more than to stay right there. What he most wanted motivated him to ease out from under the covers without waking her or Jalen. Before he even dressed, he checked his phone. No message from Clara yet, but it wasn’t even seven a.m. Waiting would make this a long day.
He had breakfast underway when Jalen wandered into the kitchen.
“I have school today?” He climbed onto the bar stool and started spinning in circles.
“Not today. It’s an Uncle-Linc’s-in-town holiday.” As much as he banked on Bri being home today, he didn’t want to get Jalen’s hopes up. “We’ll go see Grams at the hospital later. First, we’re having breakfast—with orange rolls .”
Jalen stopped spinning, his mouth and eyes opened wide. “They’re my favorite!”
“I know.” Bri’s too. Hopefully, she’d get to have leftovers tomorrow. “We’ll also have bacon and eggs.”
“ Cheesy eggs.”
Linc laughed. Could this kid be any cuter? It would suck to have his nephew’s life turned upside down.
Kendra joined them a few minutes later. She’d already dressed and had on a touch of makeup.
“Water in the pot is hot if you want tea.”
“You’re spoiling me.” She added water and a tea bag to the mug he’d set out, then came to his side and laid a hand on the small of his back. “What can I do to help?”
He leaned in and kissed her. “That’s a start.” It was hard to tell if she blushed, but her bashful smile was a nice way to start the morning.
His phone finally rang as he pulled out his semi-crisp bacon from the skillet. “Did you get my message about finding Tawnya’s car at the airport?” he asked Clara.
“Yes, we were already on that. I wanted to see if it would be okay for me to come by and fill you in on the plan for today.”
“Of course. We’re about to eat breakfast.”
“I’ll be there in less than ten minutes. I haven’t eaten yet because I’ve been working on this case,” she added.
Kendra shook her head. Laughing she grabbed more eggs. She cooked Jalen’s eggs and added cheese.
By the time Clara arrived, Jalen had finished his food, and Linc had set him up with the iPad and noise-cancelling headphones so they could discuss the plan without him picking up on their conversation.
Clara devoured an orange roll and a piece of bacon before she sat. “It looks like Malloy will survive. He’s conscious, and we have him under guard. The hospital staff have all been informed not to let him have access to any telephones or computers.”
“Has he given any information?”
“We haven’t questioned him or pressed charges yet because he may ask for a lawyer. If he does, whomever they work for will get word. We want to get Bri back safely first.”
“Smart,” he concurred. Any big crime organization would have lawyers who’d report back that the police had Malloy. That would put Bri in even more danger.
Kendra slid a plate of eggs and bacon to Clara.
“HSI located Tawnya’s vehicle. They’ve got a long-range tracker on it, and they’ll have someone in the lot eyeballing it. They will not let Bri get in the vehicle with her,” Clara assured him. “You’re right about needing to be at the airport, along with Jalen. And it’s best if Kendra comes too. However, while you can use the app to impersonate Malloy over the phone, you can’t pass in person. HSI has an agent who’s about the right size and coloring. He’ll drive Malloy’s van and get Jalen out if necessary. In addition to planting the tracker and letting Bri know not to go with Tawnya, their agent will slip Bri a button cam so we can see and hear what’s going on after she gets through security. That’ll help us know how to react.”
“I’m impressed with your planning for contingencies,” Linc stated.
“Glad to hear you approve. HSI tends to be the best of the best at what they do.” Clara winked at him. “When you retire from the military, maybe you’ll consider Homeland Security as an option. You’d make an excellent police officer, though here might be a little tame for you.”
“I’ve got another eight years left before I’d consider retiring.” He decided to put that on the table in case she intended that as a hint of a way to get her family’s approval.
“We’ve got a couple of hours, but I’d like to get out to the airport early to get an overview of the layout and where we need to be. Hopefully, their last flight is on time, but you’ll want to bring some things to keep Jalen occupied.”
“I can help with that,” Kendra offered.
“I sent Bri’s driver’s license and passport pictures to HSI, but forward me any recent pictures you have, and I’ll pass them along. I’ll be back at noon. The van only has the driver and passenger seats, so we’ll need to take another car. Thanks for the food,” she said to Kendra.
“Thank him. He did most of it.”
“He cooks too? What’s your MOS?”
“His what?” Kendra eyed Clara like she’d said something dirty.
“Military occupational specialty,” Linc explained. “Engineer and anything to do with computers.”
“Those are opposite ends of the spectrum,” Clara commented.
“What can I say? I’m well-rounded.” He shrugged.
“I bet you are.” Clara grinned. “Maybe we can double date so Derrick can meet you. We can go to the shooting range and then to dinner.”
The shooting range wasn’t exactly what he had in mind for a date with Kendra, but if he passed muster with her cousin, that wouldn’t be bad. “I’ve got a while left on this deployment, but after that, sure.”
Linc took Jalen to the playground and made him run around for an hour to expend some energy, though it didn’t guarantee he would nap later.
“I packed some snacks and his backpack with his things, so he won’t have to come back here. I also downloaded a couple of episodes of his favorite shows onto my tablet to keep him from getting too bored,” Kendra told Linc after they returned.
That she’d also cleaned up the kitchen and bathrooms, washed sheets, and had them in the dryer was the kind of optimism Linc needed. “I haven’t said anything about Bri coming home today,” he told her. “If I did, he’d ask a million times how much longer. And I don’t want him disappointed if there’s a glitch.”
Linc went back to the garage and moved the booster seat back into his car. Then he retrieved the goldfish crackers from Dev’s seat and floor. He’d add a car wash and tank of gas to the list of things he owed Dev. For two guys with opposite backgrounds, they’d clicked from Dev’s first week joining the Bad Karma team. Linc and the rest of the team hadn’t known then that Dev came from a very wealthy family. But he worked as hard as any guy on the team. Smart as hell and, being an adrenaline junkie, up to any challenge.
This team was the best Linc had ever worked with due largely to Chief Lundgren’s leadership. Linc could lose his spot if he had to stay here for Bri and Jalen for an extended period. Being transferred to another team wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, but it would suck because this was more than a team—they were his family, not by blood, but by choice.
He went inside the house and dumped the crackers into the trash. Since he wouldn’t leave for a couple more days, he’d have time to come back and clean out the fridge, take out the trash, and do whatever else needed to be done later.
Clara knocked on the door a few minutes before noon. “I got word their flight landed in Atlanta. They have about a three-hour layover. An undercover HSI officer is keeping an eye on them to make sure there’s no handoff there. We’re ready to roll.”
Linc picked up Jalen’s camouflage backpack. “J-man, we’re going for a ride.”
“Back to Beckham’s house?”
“Not today. But maybe later this week, we can go to the park.”
Before getting to the airport outside Raleigh, an airliner passed low over them on the highway.
“Are we here to get Mommy?” Jalen strained against the seatbelt holding him in his booster seat to peer at the plane.
Linc knew better than to lie. Jalen might have some learning issues, but there was no doubt in Linc’s mind that this kid was smart. “We are. But her flight doesn’t get in for a while. Miss Clara and I have to go to the airport, and you’re going to stay with Miss Kendra. Then we’re going to surprise Mommy. I need you to be good and not ask how much longer every five minutes.”
Clara turned into the cell phone lot and motioned for Linc to pull alongside her. Kendra lowered the window.
“I’m not sure how long this will be. Linc, you can ride with me, and Kendra can take Jalen somewhere for lunch.”
“Good idea,” Linc agreed.
“Park in the central lot between the terminals when you get back,” Clara instructed Kendra.
He got out of the car to switch places. As they met at the front of the car, he handed Kendra his keys and pulled out his wallet. “Let me give you money for lunch.”
“Not necessary.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll put it on your tab.” She gave a playful wink and smile before getting in the driver’s seat and closing the door.
Linc climbed into the passenger seat of the van. Clara’s smug smile made him keenly aware she had been watching them.
“So, how much sway does Grandma Ruby have?”
“You mean when it comes to her feelings about family members getting involved with military men? You know that saying, she’s a force to be reckoned with ?”
That didn’t sound good.
“You know ordnance. Sometimes you diffuse the bomb. Other times you do your best to dodge them.” She drove into the central lot. “Kendra’s a people pleaser, but she’s realizing it’s time to make herself happy.”
“What type of guys does she date?”
“Since I’ve been with Derrick, the only one I’ve met is Marcus. And I wouldn’t say he was her type.”
“Why’s that?”
“He was—boring. Very career and money focused.”
“What kind of work did he do?”
“He’s an attorney. Personally, I think he liked showing Kendra off to his law partners since she was younger and, frankly, out of his league.”
She might be out of Linc’s league, too, though she didn’t make him feel that way.
“You’ll need to leave your weapon in the van. You aren’t allowed to carry firearms into the airport.”
“I’ve got my Marshal credentials.”
“You’re not here as a Marshal. It’s a courtesy they’re letting either of us be involved.”
He removed his weapon from its holster and placed it in the glove box, which Clara then locked.
She carried a bag with her as they walked to the terminal.
“How’d they meet?” Linc probed further.
“He represented a family in an adoption case, and they worked together. She accepted his dinner invite because he went the extra mile for the family. Then, he invited her to a children’s charity event fundraiser. The kind of thing she wouldn’t say no to. He was high bidder on several items in the silent auction. Since she was his date, he invited her to join him at one of the finer restaurants in Fayetteville. He also won the auction for a week’s stay at someone’s timeshare in Cancun, which I think he strategically bid on.”
“Because he invited her to go with him?”
“He waited until they’d been going out longer, but yes. He claimed he bid on it because she’d commented on how beautiful it looked, and he thought it would be a great way to celebrate his fortieth birthday. I think she felt pressured to go. Not only by Marcus, but he’d won Grandma Ruby over, and she convinced Kendra that his wanting to take her on a luxurious trip showed how committed he was.”
It sounded manipulative to Linc, though it could be a bit of jealousy. They entered Terminal Two, and Clara texted to inform HSI they were there.
“Marcus started talking about marriage. She wants to get married, but she wants kids, and, at his age. he doesn’t. So, she ended things. Expensive houses, cars, and trips aren’t what appeals to Kendra. Seeing how you are with Jalen? Now that’s another story.”
Clara clearly meant it as a compliment. However, as much as he wanted to date Kendra, maybe he shouldn’t waste her time. He couldn’t give her the things she wanted either. It’d be better to put his cards on the table rather than wait. Maybe then it wouldn’t feel like she rejected him.
A man wearing plain clothes approached. “Detective Lowe?”
“Yes, and this is Staff Sergeant Lincoln Porter. He’s been assisting us since learning his sister was being held and forced to be a courier.”
“I’m Officer Harkness. I’m sorry she’s going through this. However, it looks like she could be one of the lucky ones. Follow me.”
Lucky? Linc hoped so.
Harkness swiped his badge at an unmarked door, punched in the keypad code, then led them to a private security screening area. Upon producing her credentials, Clara passed her weapon through. It was probably best that Linc didn’t have the temptation of being armed. Besides, he didn’t need a firearm to restrain Tawnya.
Inside a small conference room, Harkness introduced them to the other HSI officers detailed to this mission.
“Officer Garcia will pull your sister for secondary inspection.” He pointed at the petite officer who looked like a high school student.
“The plan was to pass your sister a button camera with a mic. However, that’s not going to work. Our officers in Atlanta took this.” Garcia slid them a picture of Bri pulling a suitcase. “There are no buttons on her top. Fahey might well be watching and notice her putting on or suddenly wearing a necklace.”
“What are your other options?” Linc asked. The best of the best would have a plan B and C.
“We don’t want to attach anything to the suitcase that might get noticed. And since they took her phone, I don’t want to take the chance of Fahey seeing me slip Miss Porter a phone, especially when we can’t get video. Besides, the audio from inside her big purse is questionable. The new plan is for me to give her this camera pen to clip to the edge of her purse. We probably won’t get a great video of Tawnya’s face to get a read on her, but the audio should be good.”
“I’ll keep an eye on Fahey to see if she’s watching Garcia search Ms. Porter’s bag and how she reacts,” Patton, the plainclothes female officer who looked like a middle-aged tourist, said. “Fahey could panic and leave rather than risk getting caught. Though Garcia here doesn’t usually come across as threatening.”
“I love being underestimated by these kinds of people,” Garcia gave a big smile.
Linc nodded, breathing easier.
“Ms. Fahey doesn’t know that we’ve recovered Miss Porter’s grandmother or that her partner, Malloy, was shot during the rescue and is under guard in the hospital,” Clara informed the HSI officers. “We cloned his phone, and Staff Sergeant Porter created filters which have worked to make Fahey think she’s been communicating with Malloy and that he managed to abduct Miss Porter’s son. The sergeant needs to be looped in to best handle the call to facilitate trading Miss Porter’s son for the suitcase with the drugs.”
“I created a filter to mask my appearance so I would look like him. Fortunately, it’s been voice calls,” Linc explained.
“How do you know what he sounds like?” Garcia asked.
“We got lucky there because the Fayetteville PD had video from an interrogation we could use,” Clara answered.
“Do you have to type in what you want to say? Cuz that delay could be a giveaway,” Costa, the agent about the same build and who should pass for Malloy from a distance, sounded intrigued.
“AI has gotten very advanced. With the program running, it alters any voice to sound like him in real-time. Though you still have to be careful in what you say, “ Linc explained. “Word choices. Pronunciation. Talking too much or giving the wrong answer.”
“It’s scary,” Garcia said. “Someone claiming to be my cousin called my grandmother saying his wallet had been stolen on a trip, and he needed her to wire him money. He knew my cousin’s name, and she said it sounded like him. Fortunately, my grandmother was suspicious because we’d warned her about all these scams. She asked a question that he answered wrong.”
“That’s exactly why we want to limit the interaction as much as possible,” Linc added.
“Not a problem,” Officer Harkness assured them. “And you brought her son?”
“His social worker is with us as well.” Clara didn’t go into details about their relationship. “She took him to get lunch while we met with you. They’ll be back shortly.”
“I guess we’ll put all four of you in the van with Officer Costa,” Harkness said.
“It’s going to be crowded in that van. I’m happy to help with surveillance,” Clara suggested.
“I won’t turn down another pair of eyes when we’re devoting most of our resources to this case,” Harkness agreed.
Clara handed Costa the bag she’d brought in. “This is one of Malloy’s shirts and the ball cap he wore when he abducted Mrs. Feldman. If you keep enough distance, you should be able to pass for Malloy.”
“I hope so. I shaved for this.” Costa ran a hand over his face.
“He’s been needing to shave that porn star mustache for months now.” Garcia’s ribbing reminded Linc of his team.
“Let’s go do a walk-through.” Harkess led them to the door. “Where they’ll come in. Where we’ll take Miss Porter for the inspection. Then, you and Costa can plan possible exit scenarios. Officer Patton will proceed to the parking garage, watching for Fahey. I’ll be in a separate chase vehicle, and we’ll tail her to the drop off. Stopping drugs coming into the States is an everyday thing for us. This might not be a huge haul, but that they kidnapped an innocent elderly woman and went after a kid? This crew and whoever they’re working for need to go down.”
The other three HSI officers wore what Linc would call their mission-go faces. Together, they had this.