Chapter 25
Jack drove past the boutique and parked two blocks away. If it was a WITSEC building, it would probably have cameras surrounding the building. It probably had facial recognition too. If he was caught, he would be in a world of trouble.
Jack was still in his black outfit but had added a baseball hat. A hoodie would just make him stand out more in ninety degree heat. He pulled the cap low over his face and walked casually down the street.
The boutique came into view. It sat on the corner of the intersection with a small alley between it and the building next door. It had a large glass window facing the street with its name across the glass. It was a two story building with two windows above.
There was hardly any traffic going by. At this time of night on a Friday, people were at bars or clubs.
As he approached the boutique, he slowed to a stop to tie his shoelace. His gaze swept up and down the street looking for cameras. All of the lights to the building were off. Even the floor above was dark.
He straightened and walked past the building, casually looking through the window. He could make out a few mannequins dressed in different styles of outfits. He couldn’t make out more than a few shelves with clothing before he had to move on.
The front door was a simple wooden door with a handle lock and a deadbolt. Simple enough to break in, but would it be triggered on the inside?
Jack turned the corner and walked along the side of the building, catching sight of a camera along the roof line looking down at him. He kept up his casual pace, making sure to be looking ahead, and used his peripheral vision instead of looking around.
There was a driveway behind the building. It looked like it connected to the side alley he’d passed. There was one car parked there. He made a mental note of the license plate and kept walking.
Jack crossed the street and didn’t stop until he was a block away and turned the corner. Using a tree in a side yard as cover, Jack studied the building.
There was no movement, but he could see a light upstairs in the back of the building.
Someone could be living up there. A transfer location for selling intel.
It wasn’t the first one he’d seen. A shell company that buyers went to in order to buy information without meeting in the middle of nowhere.
It was safer. More secure and several escape options.
Breaking in would be suicide tonight though. He couldn’t see everything in the dark. He didn’t know how many cameras there were or what security the building had. Jack didn’t know how many agents were inside.
He didn’t know anything but the few cameras around the outside. Maybe he could tap into their server to see what they were seeing. It was too dark to be looking for it. He’d go during the day tomorrow. Scope out the inside and tap into their system.
Jack walked along the back streets and returned to his car and then headed for the bar.
He wasn’t surprised to see it crowded and loud.
Music blared over the speakers and finding a table was near impossible.
Jack ended up having to stand by the wall in the back.
It still gave him a clear view of the bar and all exits.
It didn’t take long to find Andrea. She stood out like a beacon. She raced table to table, writing down orders and bringing them back. She looked flush from running around, but she never got angry with patrons.
A few tried to cozy up to her, but she just stepped far enough away that they got the hint.
One reached for her ass and made him see red, but she was quick and smacked his hand away.
The guy held his hands up, and Jack could see the fire in her eyes from where he stood, but she didn’t say anything, only walked away.
He saw the other waitress Andrea had dumped on him the last time he was here. He made sure to stay in the shadows, so she didn’t see him. He didn’t know if she’d tell Andrea he was there, but he didn’t want to run the risk just in case.
His view became blocked when a woman stepped in front of him with a tray propped on her hip. The woman looked to be in her late-to-mid-thirties. Her hair was puffed up and slicked back, reminding him of the eighties style.
She had so much makeup on she looked like a clown. She also looked tired. Even in the bad lighting, he could see shadows under her eyes. There looked to be a bruise on her arm she kept trying to conceal. It wasn’t Jack’s business what had caused it, but his heart still went out to her.
“What can I get you?” she yelled.
He leaned forward and spoke loudly but not shouting. “Jack, on the rocks.” The woman nodded and took off.
A few minutes later she came back. “Cash or card?”
Jack held up a twenty. “Keep the change.”
The woman looked like he had just handed her a million bucks. “Thanks. My name’s Sherrie. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Jack nodded and watched her walk away, sipping his drink.
He’d lost sight of Andrea. His gaze searched until a woman who looked to be in her early twenties came up to him, grinding her body all over him.
“Hey, baby, wanna dance?” She reeked of alcohol and teetered in her porn star heels.
She wore a skin tight dress that left nothing to the imagination.
Jack wasn’t interested. Not even when he’d been less choosy with his bed partners would he choose a woman like this.
“No thanks, sweetness,” he declined politely when he really wanted to toss her away. The only woman he wanted grinding on him like he was a stripper pole was Andrea.
“Your loss.” She shrugged and moved on, probably looking for another partner.
Jack shook his head at her and scanned the crowd, looking for Andrea again. There in the corner. She was leaning over to talk to some college-looking girls.
Something pulled his attention from Andrea toward the front door. Three guys walked in and fanned out standing shoulder to shoulder. They wore similar black jackets and blue jeans. They didn’t look like bikers, but they were tough looking. Like criminals.
They didn’t appear happy as they scanned the occupants. They were clearly looking for someone. They stepped away from each other and went off in different directions. Right, left, and middle.
The one who went right headed straight for the bar. He leaned over it to say something to the bartender. They nodded and started making a drink. The man turned and surveyed the crowd, trying to look like he was blending in but failing in Jack’s opinion.
Jack caught Andrea weaving through the crowd, her tray held above her head so she didn’t hit anyone as she made her way to the bar.
The guy who had gone through the middle raised his arm in the air. To anyone else, it might look like he was air pumping to the music, but the other guy noticed, and like sharks in the water they were on the move. Weaving through the crowd heading straight for Andrea.
The one already at the bar noticed her and sidled next to her. Andrea didn’t look happy about it. The man leaned in close to her and started talking to her. Whatever was said wasn’t nice. Andrea looked pissed and tried to walk away, but the man grabbed her wrist.
Andrea jerked her arm free and turned around only to be surrounded by the other two.
Jack pushed off the wall ready to run across the bar and risk exposing himself to put a stop to it when he noticed someone else join the group.
Thick white letters read ‘STAFF’ on his shirt.
It was one of the bouncers. He must have noticed Andrea in distress as well.
The guys backed off and allowed Andrea to pass. Jack leaned back against the wall, but he was feeling anything but relaxed. Who the hell were those three guys?
Jack pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of them. It wasn’t the best quality due to the low lighting, but it should be enough to run them through the database.
“Can I get you another one?” Sherrie the waitress came by a short while later. He had finished his drink but still held the glass.
“No, I’m good, but thank you, Sherrie.” He handed her his empty glass and continued to watch Andrea. He moved around the bar, so he didn’t look like a creeper staring at her all night. The men who’d cornered her had left and hadn’t come back.
Jack moved through the bar and found the manager’s office. The guy was helping behind the bar, so Jack knew he had a small window of time to check out the security footage.
Jack logged onto the computer—it wasn’t hard, the guy had his password written on a notepad in his desk—and found the surveillance system. It monitored all corners of the bar, around the outside of the building, and looked out into the parking lot.
Jack backed up the footage to where the guys showed up and watched.
He watched them park. He zoomed in trying to read the license plate, but it was just far enough away that it couldn’t be read.
They walk across the lot with determined strides and exited a few minutes later.
They seemed to be arguing amongst themselves before one of them called someone.
Jack wished these surveillances had audio to know who this guy was talking to. They all piled into the car, and he watched it back up and leave. He put in his flash drive and downloaded the video to analyze later.
He should call Barry. He was better at all the computer stuff. Jack was decent but nowhere near Barry’s skill level.
Jack left the room the way he’d found it and slipped back into the bar, no one the wiser. He stayed a few more hours, but as the crowd started to thin out, he knew it was time to go. He’d be easy to spot if he stayed to closing.
With one last lingering glance, Jack slipped out with a group of couples all slug over each other giggling and darted off toward his car.
Come tomorrow he needed to get some answers.
He couldn’t keep believing the best of Andrea.
He had to start getting aggressive and figure out what she was hiding.