Chapter Seven
Cliff
We still haven’t heard anything from the kidnappers, and it is driving me crazy. What is their game plan, and why have they still not contacted us?
Derrick and his guys at Seals and Bounty have made progress on the files that Derrick took to them yesterday, but no one gave any red flags that would cause them to go after Charlotte.
At noon, Charlotte’s son Thomas walks in the door.
Immediately, Sue runs and gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Charles follows suit. I went to shake his hand and introduce myself, and had to look twice at this young man because there was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Hey Thomas, I am Cliff Shepherd, your uncle’s best friend and Captain at LAPD,” I said extending my hand.
“Mr. Shepherd, it’s nice to finally meet you.
I know all about you, and you are even my mother’s first true love!
It’s okay; I am a grown man, and I understand life!
I want to go up to my room, put my things down, and take a shower.
When I come back, I would like to meet with you all first and then with everyone else working the case,” Thomas said.
“Okay,” I told him.
Charles shook his head, and Sue said she would go make everyone lunch.
Forty-five minutes later, Thomas comes downstairs and into the living room. He looked at everyone and then turned to Charles.
“Uncle Charles, can you go grab Aunt Sue? I want to talk to you before we sit down and have lunch with everyone. Sorry, everyone, my name is Charles Fitz, and I am Charlotte’s son,” Thomas said.
“Yes, I can go get her. Where do you want to talk?” Charles said.
“Let’s meet in the sunroom off the back of the house,” Thomas said.
“Okay, see you in a minute,” Charles said.
“Mr. Shepherd, can you come with me?” Thomas asked.
“Please call me Cliff, and yes,” I said as I walked towards him.
When we were all in the sunroom, Thomas said, “There is something that I need to tell you guys, and I need you to listen to everything before asking a lot of questions that I may not be able to answer. You all know that I worked in intelligence for the Marines, and my medals were earned while in Afghanistan. About three years ago, because of my military service and the company my father built, I was approached by the CIA with an offer to end my military career and work for them. I still had eight months left on my current enlistment when they approached me. They gave me four months to decide if I wanted to work for them or re-enlist. After a lot of thinking and debating within myself, I took their offer. I kept it a secret because I knew Mom would go crazy about my decision. Now, for the most difficult thing I have to say, and it has been killing me since I got the call. Mom’s kidnapping is more than likely about my current assignment and has nothing to do with the company. ”
Charles just stared at Thomas, and Sue’s mouth dropped open. It was obvious that they were in shock. While I didn’t think it was my place to speak first, it looked like neither of them was going to say anything.
“First, it seems like that was a good career move for you and something that you thought long and hard about. Second, while I don’t understand why you have kept it a secret this long, I am sure you have your reasons.
Lastly, what do you mean by ‘your current assignment may be the reason your mom has been kidnapped?’” I asked.
“Thank you, Cliff. I can’t give any details about the assignment.
I can tell you that it is a joint mission with the FBI and NCIS.
Wolf’s SEAL team is working alongside NCIS in their part of the mission, which is why he knew exactly who to call to get me here.
He called NCIS, and they went to SecNav, from there to the CIA.
The CIA has discussed my mom’s kidnapping with the FBI, and they are also going to work the case as a top priority,” Thomas said.
Finally, Charles decides to speak.
“I am at a loss for words right now. I can’t believe you left the Corps and didn’t say anything, and then you joined the CIA and again said nothing.
You know your mom would be proud of you.
She wouldn’t be mad at your choices. And now to think that she could have been more on alert of danger if you just would have said something, even if you couldn’t tell her any details.
If she would have known you were in the CIA and on a mission, she could have been more aware of her surroundings,” Charles said in anger.
Sue then grabbed Charles’ arm and looked at Thomas and back to Charles and said, “What’s done is done.
Thomas, I am sure, feels guilty enough without you adding to it.
Let’s all keep it together and work with Cliff, Derrick, Hill, and the FBI to find her and bring her home safely.
That’s the only thing we can worry about right now. ”
“You are right, Dear,” Charles said. “There is no time for us to be at each other’s throats. We need to find your mother.”
“I agree, Uncle Charles, and I am so sorry. Aunt Sue is right, there is nothing you can say to make me feel any guiltier than I feel right now,” Thomas responded.
Then we all headed back into the living room, where Derrick and Hill were waiting. Thomas filled them in on everything he had told us. Derrick stepped out of the room and called his partners and filled them in on what they could do now since there are no leads for them to work.
When Derrick came back, he informed us that he would stay on and do anything he could to assist, but the rest of the guys would only assist if needed. There wasn’t anything they could do without any leads.
Now, all anyone could do was wait on leads from the FBI or CIA, which meant following Thomas’s directions.
Two hours after Thomas had arrived, the house phone rang. It was a woman asking to speak to Thomas.
When Thomas got off the phone, he looked at everyone and said that it was the kidnappers with their demands.
“Please understand that is all I can tell you. I have to contact my boss and the FBI agent assigned to the kidnapping with the demands. Once I have anything that I can tell you, I will,” Thomas said, and then he walked out of the living room and headed to the back of the house.
My assumption is that he was headed to the sunroom and right now I am pissed. I started to go after him, but Charles grabbed my arm and shook his head. I let out a gruff huff to let him know I was not happy with that decision, but I stayed where I was.
Twenty minutes later Thomas walked back into the living room and said, “The FBI is tracing the call back and the CIA is aware of the demands and are coming up with a plan.”
Derrick said, “Anything you need from the rest of us right now?”
Thomas replied, “Not yet, but the CIA and the FBI are aware of you and your partners. Wolf also spoke very highly of you guys with the CIA and FBI. SecNav has pushed for your team to be involved in the rescue with the lead of the FBI. The CIA will include you in the plan. Cliff, you and I are too close to this, so we are only going to be there for moral support for Mom when they find her. We cannot engage the kidnappers due to us most likely shooting first and asking questions later.”
Detective Hill said that from this point he would go back to the precinct and help if we needed him.
From the rest of the day, we are playing the waiting game. The CIA said they would have something together in about six to seven hours. That would make it sometime in the middle of the night.