CHAPTER FIVE
While the girls chatted, taking care of the dishes and discussing dinner plans – always discussing dinner plans – the men gathered in the library to speak with the team back home.
“We sent two men to her apartment,” said Ham. “It was ransacked big time. The landlord already called the police when he saw her sliding door wide open and there was a sofa overturned. Police didn’t find any blood or anything but said the whole place was a disaster. They’re looking for something.”
“And the other flight attendant? Jerry?” asked Quinn.
“Dead. He was found dead in his car at the airport. Didn’t show up for his flight rotation and they got worried.
Said he was always on time. It looks like an assassination.
Shot through the windshield into the forehead.
We’ve got men trying to get into the employee lounge at the airport now to get to that bag.
We might have to get creative. Give us a little while. ”
“And Greg Jones? What about him?” asked Patrick.
“Alias. No Greg Jones that we can find anywhere with that description or age range. He sure as hell doesn’t live in Miami or hasn’t been a guest in Pensacola in the last few weeks.”
“Are we thinking smuggling?” asked Major.
“Possibly. At this point it could have been trafficking as well.”
“What makes you think that?” asked Quinn.
“The other guy, Jerry, didn’t live in a one-bedroom apartment on the beach. He lived in the penthouse of a luxury condo building on the beach. Place was easily worth two or three million. He had expensive artwork, luxury brand shoes and bags.”
“Handbags? April said he was gay,” said Adam.
“You’re showing your age, brother,” laughed Ham. “Many men carry bags now. Luxury, women’s handbags.”
“Are you fucking with me?” he growled.
“It’s true,” said Finn laughing at the older man. “I never saw a guy on the teams carrying one but there were a lot of other men in the Navy and in other branches that used them. To each his own.”
Finn shrugged and Adam just shook his head. He wondered if the large Italian leather tote bag his wife carried would work as his first aid bag.
“Don’t even think about it,” smirked Major. “I know what you’re running through your head. Your wife will kill you.”
“Listen, we’re still digging but someone wants something from that girl and when we look at her flight route, it seems pretty damn obvious. She may not know it but I’m going to bet she was carrying something back from Mexico and that Jerry had something to do with it.”
The men all stared at one another and then Ham spoke up again.
“Look, just keep the girl alive and safe. We’ll send whatever we have once we find it.”
“Should we come back there?” asked Major.
“Not yet. Unless you think you’re in trouble, just sit tight. They don’t know where the house is.”
“We can’t keep her locked up here forever,” said Quinn. “Sooner or later she’s going to want to go home. Besides, her grandfather was Colonel Tom Lewis. She’s one of ours.”
They could hear chuckling on the other end of the line and Patrick smiled at his son.
“What? He’s military and he was a friend to us, which makes her one of ours,” said Quinn.
“Son, you can think that all you want but we all know what’s really going through your mind. That girl is beautiful,” said Patrick.
“Beauty doesn’t make a perfect partner,” frowned Quinn. Finn laughed, shaking his head.
“No, but it sure as fuck helps to get things moving.” There was a knock on the door and Margo stuck her head.
“Hey guys, our girl is itching to leave here. She’s doing the ‘I don’t want all of you to be in danger’ thing that we all do before we fall head over heels in love with someone.”
“Not funny, Mom!” said Quinn. He walked past his mother and Margo winked at her husband.
“She’s really perfect for him,” she smiled.
“We know. We just have to get him to know it,” said Patrick.
“I think he does,” said Finn. “That’s what’s bothering him. He knew it the minute he saw her on the beach. I could tell.”
“Same,” smiled River. “Then again, I’m fresh off the love train.”
They walked into the massive living room, April seated in the corner of the sofa. Elena, Fiona, and Priscilla were speaking softly to her.
“I can’t allow this to harm any of you,” she said shaking her head.
“Nothing is going to harm us,” said Quinn. “Your best bet for survival right now is staying with us.” She stood suddenly toe to toe with him, craning her neck to look up.
“How do you even know there’s more danger? It might have just been a psycho date!”
“You know that’s not true,” said Quinn calmly. “You know it and we know it.”
“How? How would you know?”
“Because Jerry is dead.”
The others behind him groaned at the indelicate way he broke the news to her. He knew he’d made a mistake but it was done. She paled, her mouth open in shock. She swayed a bit and he reached for her arms to steady her.
“I’m sorry that my son didn’t find a better way to break that news to you,” said Patrick frowning at Quinn. He was still holding onto her arms, gently settling her back down on the sofa as he sat beside her.
“Yes. I’m sorry, April. I didn’t want to tell you that way. We just found out. Our team found out. He was found dead in his car at the airport. He was late for his scheduled flight and they started calling for him.”
“Oh, damn,” she muttered. “I need to call them. I was scheduled for a flight this morning.”
“Wait,” said Quinn. “Did you not have flights Tuesday or Wednesday?”
“No. I was scheduled to take a five-thirty a.m. to Miami today and then I had a layover and then was headed to Cancun tomorrow morning.”
“He knew,” whispered Finnegan. “He knew your flight schedules.”
“No. No, that’s not possible. They change all the time and only the airline knows whose taking which flights.”
“Isn’t that interesting,” frowned Major. The others all giving him a knowing nod and stare.
“I’m sorry but how is that interesting? This is my life we’re talking about.
My career. I’ve been on these short flights for six years now.
Since I graduated from college. My goal was to one day be on the international routes to Europe.
That will never happen now. Never. The airline is very strict about this stuff and they’ll fire me. ”
“If it’s what you really want to do, we’ll make sure you keep your job,” said Elena. But April was just shaking her head in frustration.
“I need to call them. My phone. I don’t know where my phone is,” she said looking around her. Quinn stepped forward handing his own phone to her.
“Use mine.”
“Thank you,” she said touching his hand as she took the phone. She stepped into the foyer to make the call and his father and the others raised their brows.
“Well done. They won’t be able to trace it and we’ll be able to hear the conversation,” smirked Patrick. They all tapped their comms, heard a few clicks and then a woman on the other end of the line.
“He’ll be with you in a minute, April but be prepared. He’s not happy.”
“I’m not happy either,” she said in frustration.
The team tried to remain calm and casual in the living room but at some point during the wait, April must have started to become frightened.
She walked toward them, tears in her eyes and took a seat next to Quinn.
He reached for her hand, hoping to give her courage.
Suddenly, someone was on the other end of the line.
“I don’t know what your damn excuse is, Lewis but you’re fired.”
“Mr. Harvey, please sir. Hear me out. I was kidnapped. Injured. I had no way of coming in. I was just found this morning in San Diego.”
“San Diego? I’m supposed to believe a kidnapper took you to the west coast’s playground? I’m not stupid Lewis. I don’t know what shenanigans you and Jerry were up to but I don’t need that kind of heat on my airline.”
“If I recall, it’s not your airline,” she said suddenly feeling brave. “It belongs to a conglomerate. You are the human resources manager in charge of pilots and flight attendants only. I’ve done nothing wrong and if you attempt to terminate me, I will sue you.”
“How dare you!” he snapped. “The only reason you got that damn job is your cute little ass looked good in the uniform.”
That one comment did April in. She was a good flight attendant. Good at what she did and always good with the passengers. Drunk, crying, loud, obnoxious, wanting a fight, screaming babies, it didn’t matter. She handled it. To be told she only got the job because of her figure hurt.
“I got the job because I speak three languages and have a degree in international studies. I got the job because I scored the highest anyone has ever scored on the testing. I got the job, and kept the job, because I’m good at what I do.
You want to fire me, fine. Fire me. But when all of this is done, the world will know what happened. ”
There was utter silence on the other end of the line. She still was unaware that they were all listening to the call. Finally, Mr. Harvey spoke.
“Where are you, April? Really. Your number isn’t appearing on my caller ID.” She stared at the men who rolled their fingers, trying to get her talk more.
“I told you. I’m in San Diego. I’ve-I’ve reported the incident to the authorities.” It wasn’t a lie, she thought. These men and women seemed to be authorities of some sort.
“Where in San Diego? I’ll have someone from the airline come out to get you.”
“Come out to get me? I’m not a dog, Mr. Harvey. I can find my way home when I’m ready and when I think it’s safe. Besides, San Diego is not a normal route of ours. You wouldn’t send an entire plane for me.”
“Well, beyond Jerry’s death you should know that your apartment was ransacked. The police are looking for you, April,” he said in a sing-songy voice. “You’re in trouble young lady.”
“I’m not in any trouble,” she said defiantly. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“We’ll see about that, April. Jail is no place for a girl like you. Your grandfather isn’t here to protect you any longer.” The line went dead and she stared at them.
“He said…”
“We know,” said Quinn. “I’m sorry, April I should have told you. My phone is connected to a communications device in all our ears. We didn’t want you to be worried about anything. The conversation was taped, so now we have what he said and we can analyze that.”
“What the hell is going on here and who are you people? Really.”