Chapter 19
NINETEEN
After walking through the terminal and the arrivals area, Clara handed Costa the van’s key fob and returned to the HSI office with Harkness. Costa and Linc remained in the arrivals area, watching the flow of traffic and plotting placements before Costa relayed information about the operation to the personnel directing traffic.
Once Kendra texted that they were back and parked in the central lot near the van, they headed there. Linc walked Costa to Malloy’s van and then met Kendra at his car.
“Where’s Mommy?” Jalen asked the moment Linc slid into the passenger seat.
“Her plane’s landing soon. We’ll hang out here until it’s time to meet her.”
“O-kay,” Jalen drew the word out. The last thing Linc wanted was to give him a reason to be disappointed.
“Something smells good. Besides you.” He leaned closer to Kendra.
“I brought you a burrito and drink.” She reached into the backseat and produced a bag.
The way he’d grown up, a woman providing him food earned his loyalty, especially that he hadn’t asked her to bring him something. “Thanks.”
“Coms check,” Harkness requested and waited for everyone to check in. “Their plane’s at the gate, and the doors are open.”
Linc’s adrenaline flowed. “Hey, J-man. I need you to use these.” He handed back the pair of headphones.
As he finished his burrito, he watched the clock numbers change over the next twelve minutes of radio silence. Waiting was always the hard part.
That Jalen hadn’t asked him how much longer for at least five minutes made Linc open the mirror on the visor. Peering behind him, he chuckled at Jalen’s closed eyes and open mouth. His head rested against the side of the booster seat as the tablet continued to play his show.
“It always amazes me how kids can sleep in some of the most uncomfortable positions.” Kendra placed her hand over Linc’s and gazed at Jalen. She wore a serene smile that reminded him of what Clara had said Kendra wanted for her future. Only now wasn’t the time to have that discussion. For now, he was content to sit and absorb her reassuring presence.
“I have eyes on the targets now,” Garcia reported.
Linc listened to her request passports from several travelers.
“How long were you in Mexico?” Garcia asked another passenger.
“Not quite a week.”
Hearing Bri’s voice felt like making it through a violent storm—only the calm could be the eye of a hurricane if they didn’t take down the high-level players running this operation.
“Was your trip for work or vacation?”
“Vacation.”
“It doesn’t look like you got much sun,” Garcia commented.
“I caught something. I spent most of the week in the hotel room.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Come with me for a bag check.”
“Why?”
The way Bri’s voice shot up in pitch, Linc didn’t need to see her face to know she was panicking.
“Just a routine inspection. Are you traveling alone?” Garcia asked.
“No. I went with a, uh, a friend.”
“Is he or she still with you?”
“She was with me until you pulled me over here. I think she’s waiting for me since she’s my ride.”
“This will just take a few minutes. Place your bag up here. Did you have any checked bags?”
“No, just this one.”
“Target subject is waiting and watching target two with Garcia near the phone store,” Patton spoke over Garcia. “And she looks nervous.”
“They both do,” Clara added.
The cloned burner of Malloy’s phone rang. Linc tapped his earpiece. “Fahey is calling me,” he reported in before he answered the call. “Yeah.” He exited the car to prevent the chance of Jalen waking up and calling him by name.
“We may have a problem,” Tawnya spoke lowly and rapidly.
“What now?”
“Security pulled her. They are going through her bag now.”
“She won’t say anything when we’ve got her kid.” Linc tried to keep Tawnya from panicking.
“Maybe not, but I can’t afford to have my name flagged in the system.”
Linc grunted. “For sure.” That was not going to be her biggest problem. “Give it a minute.”
“If they bring over a dog or take her for secondary inspection, I’ll need to make a fast exit. Are you close by?”
“I’m close.” If Tawnya would shut up, he could hear Garcia and Bri.
“Your brother got your message, and we know what you’re being forced to do,” Garcia spoke reassuringly.
“You do?” Bri squeaked.
“Authorities raided the house where Ms. Fahey’s partner held your grandmother. She’s all right.”
“What about my son? They had him and my friend.”
“They’re fine. They never found your son.”
“They did. I saw a video,” Bri insisted.
“Keep looking at me . She’s watching us. Relax and smile. Police made that video of him with your social worker,” Garcia said. “We’re going to let you through. Let Fahey take the suitcase, but under no circumstances are you to get in the vehicle with her. Do you understand?”
“I’m telling you, this one’s been a total pain in the ass this whole time,” Tawnya grumbled. “She must be freaking the hell out. She’s packing up her suitcase, and the agent is inspecting her purse. They’re letting her go, but this feels off.”
Invisible spiders swarmed all over Linc’s body. “This might be this agent’s first day on the job and our lucky day.”
“You might be right. The agent doesn’t look old enough to drive. She’s got the suitcase and coming this way. I’ll see what she says.” Tawnya ended the call in time for him to make out Garcia’s voice through his earpiece.
“I didn’t tell her I planted a tracker in the suitcase or about the pen mic. I was afraid she might give it away as nervous as she was.”
“Good call. Tawnya’s already suspicious,” Linc said. It was ironic that the police were successfully keeping Bri in the dark about what they’d hidden in the suitcase, whereas she’d figured out Tawnya’s plan. That’s karma for you, Tawnya.
“What happened?” Tawnya’s voice came through the pen mic with only a little distortion.
“She said it was a routine bag check,” Bri answered.
“What did you tell her?” Tawnya continued her interrogation.
“They’re moving toward the exit,” Officer Patton reported.
“I just answered her questions. I guess she decided I didn’t fit their profile because of the length of stay and because I bought my own ticket in advance. You’re smart there.” Bri didn’t make it sound like a compliment.
Tawnya snorted.
“I’ve done my part and got your precious drugs through security. Now, I want my son, or I walk back to that nice agent and tell her the truth.”
“You do that, and you may never see your son again.”
“If you hurt him, you’ll wish we never met.”
Tawnya gave an ominous, hollow laugh. “Don’t threaten me. And don’t even think about calling the police. My people know where to find you.”
“I just want my son and my grandmother and to never see you again.”
“We’ve got your son outside.”
“And my grandmother?”
“ After we deliver the suitcase.”
A text popped up on the cloned phone.
Bring the boy. We’ll be at zone five
Leaving the parking deck now
Linc texted back.
“Wait here until I contact you,” he said to Kendra before getting out and unbuckling a groggy Jalen.
“Are we going to see Mommy now?”
“We are. We’re going to ride in this van.” He opened the sliding door, set Jalen inside, and then climbed in.
His team usually brainstormed their missions, with Chief Lundgren having the final say. Only they weren’t here. They’d faced dozens of dangerous missions where they couldn’t control factors.
He should have thought this through better. Make Bri come to the van and have Costa and Malloy shove her in. But if Fahey saw Costa, that could tank things as much as Jalen divulging Linc was here.
What if they messed this up, and Tawnya didn’t lead them to her bosses? Would they target Bri? Even Jalen or Kendra?
This had to work.
Linc stayed low and out of sight as Costa entered the arrivals area.
“I see them. Passing them now.” Costa navigated around cars stopped in the middle of the lane to pick up passengers, parked at the curb, and then climbed into the back of the van.
“He’s going to get you out,” Linc told Jalen. “When you see Mommy, I want you to run to her and give her hugs and kisses.”
“Big hugs!”
Costa held onto Jalen as they exited the van, and Linc got into position to watch out the dark tinted back window.
“Jalen!” Bri’s cry came through Linc’s earpiece. Jalen either heard or spotted Bri because he took off running.
Linc’s vision blurred as Bri abandoned the suitcase and dashed to scoop Jalen into her arms. The sound of noisy kisses warmed his heart.
“I missed you, Mommy.”
“I’ve missed you so much, baby.” Bri’s voice broke, and she choked on a sob.
Costa didn’t waste any time getting back in the van.
“Aww, isn’t this sweet?” Tawnya said in that nasally tone that grated on Linc’s nerves. She gripped a suitcase handle in each hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Bri went into bitch mode.
“Are you going to walk to my house from here?”
“I’ll get a taxi or borrow a phone to call a friend. A real friend. Because I’m sure as hell not putting my son in the car with you.”
“What about your things?”
Linc couldn’t determine if she meant Bri’s belongings in the suitcase or Regina and Kendra.
“Nothing in there means anything to me. Just take your crap and go. But if you or your kidnapper friend lay a hand on me or my son, I’m going to scream so loud that every cop in this area is coming down on you. We are done.”
“What about your grandma and the social worker?”
“Make the delivery and let them go, and you won’t have to worry about me.”
“We’ve got to move.” Costa edged into the line of cars exiting the airport.
Linc slid into the passenger seat and watched out the sideview mirror as Tawnya raised a hand as if signaling them. When Costa kept going, she released her grip on her suitcase and pulled out her phone.
Linc answered the call. “What’s going on?” he played dumb.
“She’s not cooperating on coming with me. Where are you going?”
“Traffic cop was coming. You got the suitcase?”
“Yeah, but?—”
“But nothin’. Get out of there. I’m not risking sticking around. Make the delivery. Pack up and get out of town—and the state.”
“This is worse than Nashville.”
Costa smacked the phone from Linc’s hand and laid on the horn. “Asshole driver,” he muttered loudly for no apparent reason. He waved Linc off when he reached for the phone.
“I can’t hear you,” Costa spoke loudly. “Some asshole about sideswiped me. Can’t reach my phone. Talk to you later.”
Once the screen went black, Linc picked up the phone and checked that the call had ended.
“Her mentioning another city smelled like it could be a trap to verify she was talking to Malloy. Didn’t want to risk it.”
“Smart move,” Linc concurred.
“You said the program would mimic anyone’s voice. I took you at your word.” He turned left and circled back toward arrivals.
“I’m tailing our subject to the parking deck,” Patton reported.
The loud smack of kisses coming through his earpiece allowed Linc to draw in his first full breath in days. Bri was home. She was safe.
“Are you all right, sweetie?” Bri asked. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”
“I wanna go home wif you, Mommy,” Jalen said.
“Me too. I need to figure that out.”
“Let me know when we’re clear to approach Bri before she gets in a taxi,” Clara requested.
“Fahey’s at the elevator. You’re good to go,” Patton said a minute later.
“Excuse me, Miss Porter. I’m Detective Lowe.”
“Detective? I don’t have any drugs on me. I swear. They hid them in a suitcase, and?—”
“We know. And that you were forced to bring them. We got the message you left on your grandmother’s phone.”
“Is my grandmother she really safe?”
“She was dehydrated and shaken up, so they kept her in the hospital overnight, but she’ll be fine.”
“Thank God. And Kendra Andrews? She’s my?—”
“Kendra’s fine. They didn’t get her or Jalen.”
“But I saw video of them.”
“We filmed them so you’d cooperate to get you out of Mexico. Tawnya’s partner never found them,” Clara assured her.
“I thought—” Bri choked on a sob.
As he listened, Linc’s gut twisted into tight knots. Had Bri not seen Kendra wearing his necklace and gotten the message? His plan hadn’t worked, and he’d added to her stress with her thinking Jalen was in danger. As Costa entered the arrivals area again, Linc scanned the passengers, looking for Bri. When Costa pulled to the curb, Linc opened his door and exited before the van came to a complete stop.
“Uncle Linc!” Jalen called and waved an arm.
Bri spun, her mouth dropping open just before Linc reached her. “You’re here?” Her voice wobbled. He wrapped his arms around her and Jalen, and she clung to him. “How’d you know?”
He loosened his hold on her slightly. “I got your message. When I couldn’t reach you, I got worried and took emergency family leave.”
“I can’t believe you’re here.” She raised her face and stared at him with damp eyes.
“Your brother filing a missing person’s report for Mrs. Feldman aided in our investigation,” Clara said. “He wanted to fly down to Mexico to find you himself.”
“I would have gone if I’d had any idea where to find you.” He brushed away her tears with his thumb.
“I was going to tell you when I called. But Tawnya—” Bri’s eyes widened, and her head jerked toward the parking deck. “You need to stop Tawnya.”
“Two Homeland Security officers are tailing her to the delivery,” Clara assured her. “We’ll get her, and, hopefully, the people she works for.”
“Good.” Bri exhaled, then took another deep breath. “Before I could tell you what was happening, Tawyna came in, and I had to hang up. I was going to call you back because I knew you’d know what I should do. I pretended I didn’t know they’d switched the suitcase she’d lent me with an identical one, but she overheard enough to know I’d figured out their plan. When we went to the pool, she not so accidentally knocked me into the water while I had my phone, so it died.”
“You were smart to get hold of hers to call,” Linc said.
“I called Grams to warn her, but Tawnya caught me. It went downhill from there. I didn’t know if I’d even see you again.” She kissed Jalen who played with the lock of her coppery brown hair that had escaped her hair clip.
“If it weren’t for your brother, we might not have had any idea what was going on or how to get you back here,” Clara said. “I will need to get your statement, but that can wait until tomorrow. I imagine you need some rest, and it would be better to make sure we get the details straight. And you’d probably like some time with your son and to check on your grandmother.”
“Yes. Thank you. Thank you. I can’t believe this nightmare is finally over.” Her body sagged into Linc’s.
He dialed Kendra.
“Is everything all right?” she immediately asked.
“Went down without a hitch. You can pick us up in zone five.”
“Thank goodness. See you in a minute.”
“I’ll let you know how things wrap up.” Costa returned the van keys to Clara. “Trade you.”
Linc removed the camera pen attached to the top of Bri’s purse, removed his earpiece, and handed them to Costa.
“What’s that?” Bri pointed to the pen.
“A recording device, so we could listen in. Officer Garcia clipped it on when she checked your purse. And she planted a GPS tracker in your suitcase to make sure we don’t lose it or Fahey and can locate who she’s taking the drugs to,” Costa answered.
“You don’t know how relieved I am that you figured this out and are here.”
Kendra parked Linc’s car at the curb and got out. She rushed to Bri, and the two embraced.
“I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know how you got dragged into this.”
“The school called me when your grandmother didn’t pick Jalen up, and they couldn’t get hold of her or Linc. Fortunately, your brother arrived and got my message. He’s been taking excellent care of Jalen, hasn’t he?” She rubbed the boy’s back.
“Uh-huh!” Jalen nodded emphatically. “Uncle Linc built me a blanket fort. He made me pancakes and cheesy eggs. And I have a new friend, Beckham.”
They’d done it—together. “Kendra was a big help with him, and if she hadn’t called her cousin, Detective Lowe here, to make searching for Regina and her car a priority, we might not have found her.”
“We make a good team,” Clara said. “I’ll even put in a good word for you with Ruby.”
“For a job with the police?” Bri asked wide-eyed.
“No. I’ll explain later,” Linc said with a shake of his head.
“I was stupid to go to Mexico with a drug smuggler I thought was my friend. Will this affect my custody?” Tears brimmed in Bri’s eyes, and she hugged Jalen tighter to her side.
“No. You haven’t been my client for well over a year now. I don’t need to report any of this. Besides, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Kendra assured Bri.
“She’s right. They took advantage of you,” Clara chimed in. “We have reason to believe they’ve run the same scenario out of different cities, and they know who to target and what works to convince you. There’s a third partner who’s down in Mexico right now. Authorities there are keeping an eye on him and hoping to discover their supplier to take down that arm of the organization.”
“I can’t believe they’d pay for airfare and a week at a luxury hotel just to smuggle a few pounds of drugs into the States.”
“There’s a pretty steep profit margin,” Clara stated. “Depending on the type of drugs, they can cover that cost ten to twenty times over. If someone doesn’t know they’re carrying, there’s a much higher probability of getting through because they won’t act suspicious and draw HSI’s attention. Plus, they’re not paying the carrier a fee, so it’s a trade-off.”
Bri shivered. “I don’t even want to think about what happened if someone else figured it out or got caught. Tawnya kept threatening to turn me over to some woman, Inez, who, um . . .” She cut her gaze to Jalen and didn’t finish.
“We know. That’s why we made the video and let Tawnya think they had Jalen, to get you to agree. We alerted authorities there so they’d let you through security,” Clara explained.
“Didn’t you see Kendra wearing my necklace in the video?” Linc pulled out the cord with his half-heart.
“No. As soon as I saw Jalen, I started crying. Everything was blurry.”
“I thought you’d see the necklace and know I was here. Kendra was trying to tell you that we knew, and you’d be okay.”
Bri shook her head. “I missed that. When I thought they had Jalen, agreeing to smuggle the suitcase was my only option. Don’t tell Grams I wouldn’t agree when I knew they had her.”
“I’m sure she would understand, but mums the word.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“Do you want to ride back to Fayetteville with me?” Clara asked Kendra. “If they go to the hospital, they’ll probably take Mrs. Feldman home.”
“Good idea.” Kendra made eye contact with Linc as she placed his car keys in his hand.
“I’ll touch base with you later.” He refrained from kissing her in front of his sister for now. He didn’t want to get into details about a romantic relationship developing while trying to find and rescue both her and Regina.
“Bye, Jalen. I’ll see you again soon.” Kendra touched Jalen’s back, her fingers lingering there.
“Let’s take your mommy home, J-man.” Linc took Jalen from Bri’s arms.
By the end of the night, the people behind this smuggling operation could be under arrest, and Bri could put this nightmare behind her.