Chapter Twenty
Jake waited while Ruiz grabbed a pair of bolt cutters from the corner of her office, and then she followed him to his SUV. On the way to Florida Avenue, she called in the Emergency Response Team for backup and requested EMS at the scene.
“You keep bolt cutters in your office?”
“I’ve needed them before, and it’s easier to have my own than to find some when I need them.”
He was almost afraid to ask, “When have you needed them in the past?”
“Similar situation to this. A few times.” She looked over at him. “What’d the kid say about Luna?”
“After he claimed he knew nothing about her or her whereabouts, we told him he’d be charged as an adult and was looking at a long stretch in prison with men who wouldn’t take kindly to him harming a young girl.
That seemed to get his attention, but he says he had nothing to do with anything that might’ve happened to her. ”
“Sure, he didn’t.”
“The kid gave me the creeps. Said the nastiest stuff about women, raised by an incel father who was done dirty by a Stacy who married her douchebag Chad.”
“The custody battle between them was intense,” Ruiz said. “A search of our database brought up numerous calls for assistance from the mother, which led to a restraining order against the father that he regularly violated.”
“Why didn’t this come up when we did a search for him earlier?”
“It was filed under domestic incidents, which don’t show up during a routine search. He was held for three weeks at one point and told to stay away from her and his son, but he refused to.”
“How’d he end up with custody, then?”
“The kid kept running away from home and turning up with the father, so the courts finally gave the kid what he wanted.”
“That’s crazy.”
“The mother agreed. She filed numerous lawsuits against the District and the courts that never went anywhere because the kid was old enough to say he didn’t want to live with her.
The father demanded that all the charges against him be dropped because he was acting in his son’s best interests.
The court dropped the charges with warnings for him to stay away from his ex-wife and her new husband or face new charges. ”
“She might’ve been better off losing custody of that kid. He’s a real prize.”
“Who knows what he would’ve been like if he’d been raised by his mother instead of his incel father?”
“True.
“She was done dirty in this case.”
“I want to talk to her.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
“He says he hasn’t seen her since he was ten, but I spent thirty minutes with him, which was just enough time to see who he’s grown up to be under his father’s misogynistic tutelage. It’s truly horrifying.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Did you know about this incel culture stuff before this case?” Jake asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. I’ve read about it.
I believe it’s factored into some SVU cases where men took what they felt they deserved from the women who’d disdained them.
There was a double murder in Baltimore that was tied to an incel punishing the woman who rejected him. He also murdered her new boyfriend.”
“It’s so sick. They feel like they have a right to these women, regardless of whether they’re wanted or not.”
“They’re never wanted, which becomes the problem. Rather than look internally to figure out what would make them more attractive to women, they blame the women for all of it and often lash out with violence or doxing or other forms of harassment.”
“I can’t wrap my head around this.”
“It’s one of the many ways the internet has been a curse.
It’s given people with these sorts of grievances a place to find others who agree with them.
When they’re in an echo chamber with everyone on the same page, there’s no one to say, ‘Hey, what you’re saying is sick and twisted, and you might be the problem. ’”
“People say stuff online they’d never say out loud.”
“Right, and when everyone they’re saying it to agrees with them, it gives them permission to pursue these dark thoughts.” Ruiz’s phone buzzed with a text. “Emergency Response is in place and ready to assist.”
Jake’s stomach twisted with anxiety. “I’m so scared of what we’re going to find in that storage unit.”
“Me, too.”
After having dinner with the kids and going to bed early, Sam slept fitfully during the night.
At five a.m., she checked her phone to see if there were any developments in the search for Luna.
She’d received a text from Captain Malone an hour ago, saying they had a lead on her whereabouts and were following up, but nothing since then.
Thinking about what Luna might be going through had Sam wide awake and wanting to help if she could.
Moving carefully so she wouldn’t disturb Nick, she got out of bed and went into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her.
She called the number she’d been given to arrange Secret Service escorts after hours.
“Good morning, Mrs. Cappuano. This is Agent Quigley. How may I help you?”
“They’ve got you working the overnight shift, Q?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I need to go into work. Would you please arrange that?”
“Absolutely, ma’am. I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes?”
“Perfect, thank you.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
That was a lot of ma’am in one conversation, she thought as she rushed through a shower and got dressed in jeans and a pullover sweatshirt.
He probably had supervisors listening to him.
She put her hair up in a clip, applied some moisturizer and mascara and declared herself fit for public consumption.
She was tiptoeing out of their bedroom when Nick called to her.
“Where’re you going?” He’d pushed himself up on one elbow.
“Into work for a bit. There’ve been some developments, and I’m awake. May as well help out if I can.”
“I thought you were taking a break.”
“I will, after we find Luna. I can’t bear knowing she’s out there somewhere… dealing with God knows what. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Be safe out there.”
Sam returned to the bed to kiss him. “I always am. Agent Q is taking me.”
“I wasn’t going to ask.”
“Look at us, making progress all over the place.”
His smile sent her off with a warm feeling inside.
No matter what might be upside down in her life, he was always the one who kept her right side up with his unwavering love and devotion.
She’d never forget him calling out to work as president of the United States to spend the day supporting her while Ethan was missing.
Thank God her nephew was back with his family and recovering from his ordeal.
She still couldn’t think about the many possible outcomes without her knees feeling weak.
So as she went down the stairs to meet Agent Q, she didn’t think about that so she wouldn’t fall.
The last thing she needed was another injury when her fractured hip had finally healed.
She felt out of sorts, off her game and emotionally exhausted, but she still wanted to be at work to help out if she could. Doing something about whatever was causing her anxiety always made her feel better.
“Good morning, ma’am,” Q said when he greeted her in the lobby. Even though she’d told him to call her Sam, he’d never do that when the ushers were around.
“Morning, Agent Q, and thank you, Harold.”
The older man helped her into her coat. “My pleasure, ma’am.”
At some point in the last few months, she’d become accustomed to the routine at the White House, having people help her into her coat and hold doors for her.
What would it be like, she wondered, to go back to real life without ushers and butlers and room service?
She’d miss the ushers, the room service and the other perks, and the kids would probably be ruined forever by these three years in the White House.
But what a way to go, she thought as she slid into the back seat of the warm SUV while Q held the door for her.
“Did you have to ask Vernon’s permission to drive me?” she asked when they were on the way.
He laughed. “No, ma’am. But I’m sure he’s being told as we speak that we’re on a rogue mission without him. This is Agent Lewis, by the way.”
Sam leaned forward to make eye contact with the young agent. She had dark hair and eyes and a serious look to her. “Nice to meet you, Agent Lewis.”
“Likewise, ma’am.”
“Do we need to tell Agent Lewis the rules of the SUV and refresh your memory as well?”
“No, ma’am. I mean, Sam. I told her we’re on a first-name basis in the SUV.”
“Excellent.”
“What’s your first name, Agent Lewis?”
“Vivian, ma’am.”
“Ah, I love that name. I might’ve named a daughter that if I’d had one the old-fashioned way.”
“It was my grandmother’s name.”
“It’s a lovely name. Do you go by Viv?”
“That’s what my family calls me. You should feel free to do so as well.”
“Thank you.”
“I can’t believe we’re supposed to call you Sam,” Lewis said, smiling back at her.
“Well, you’re not supposed to, but I like to keep it real when it’s just us LEOs on the job, you know?”
“It’s an honor to work on your detail. I respect what you’re doing, keeping your job while serving as first lady.”
“Am I serving as first lady, or do I have an amazing staff that makes it seem as if I am? Hmm…”
The agents laughed.
“The new photos of you and the kids are really nice,” Q said.
“Mr. Fenty did an amazing job of making us look good,” Sam said of the White House photographer.
As they chatted, Sam sent a text to Malone. Couldn’t sleep so coming in. Any news?
He didn’t reply right away, so she hoped that meant they were in the midst of rescuing Luna. She was on pins and needles as they drove through the start of rush hour in the capital city.
On the way to the storage facility, Ruiz had tracked down the owner, called to wake him up and told him what they needed. He was waiting for them when they arrived and shook hands with Jake and Ruiz as they introduced themselves.
“Normally, I’d want a warrant, but I’m not going to require that in this case.”