A Heart Divided, page 27
The sincerity in his eyes made her heart melt, as tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know what happened with Brian. For you to ban him from the house, I know something happened. I love him, but not the way I love you. He’s my friend and your friend too. I’m so sorry about coming between you two. I miss you and him acting like you own the world.”
This time he wiped the tears from her eyes. “I saw you kiss Brian, but I also saw him try to push you away. At the time, I was so angry and frustrated with all that happened before, I couldn’t see straight. Now, I know he was acting like a friend. The thought of his or any man’s lips on yours would make me angry. I over reacted to the situation and made it worse than it was. Please forgive me for being an ass.” He kissed her.
They kissed with all the pent up frustration and passion of the past month. Releasing all the hurt and mistrust and restoring the love that would sustain them for a lifetime. “As the future President of the United States I proclaim the order of events for the night changed.” He stood, took her hand in his, and walked out of the office. “I’m making love to my wife all night long. Then we will discuss our future.”
Tracy raised an eyebrow at him as they walked up the stairs, “Well you are my Commander-in-Chief, but that makes me the First Lady. I run this house and I’m about to put a hurting on you.”
JD stopped and looked down at his once passive wife and laughed. “Hurt me baby—hurt me,” then ran the rest of the way up the stairs.
Chapter 17
The actions of the next day were intense. Everyone in the AG’s office was working on the preparation of documents for a special session of the Grand Jury. The indictments against Munford were being changed and his attorney had been notified. The more the story of James Harrison’s death unraveled, the more people within the Department came forward. Near the end of the day, the infractions by Munford were too great to number. The man would be lucky to see the light of day in his remaining lifetime.
The day was a busy one for JD, professionally, politically and personally. Because his father’s death was now a part of the indictments against Munford, he had to turn everything over to Calvin and Rossie to handle. After bringing them completely up to speed on things, he had a press conference scheduled to announce the additional indictments. That was the easy part of the day. He now had to take his father’s ring to his mother and tell her how and why her husband was taken away from her. Last on his agenda, was to go to Brian and apologize for his actions. If it took him all night, he was going to get his friend to forgive him.
It was after eight at night by the time JD was finished talking with his mother. He was on his way to find Brian when Samuel received a telephone call from his brother. Sitting in the back of the SUV, he glanced at JD, who sat next to him as he listened to the information.
“What’s going on?” JD asked after Samuel hung up the telephone.
“There’s been some activity around the weapons. Pull over Donnell,” Samuel said as he turned in the seat. When Donnell parked, he turned to listen as well. “From the description, it may be members of the Eagles. Joshua is sending over pictures.” The pictures appeared as they watched the blackberry screen.
“They’re dead?” JD asked.
“You know his philosophy—shoot, ask questions later.”
“No shit?” Donnell almost smiled.
JD’s mind wondered. “Joshua?” he asked knowing how Samuel’s brother liked to kill people. “We need to ask questions first. A weapons charge on Munford will seal the case.”
Another picture appeared and Samuel smiled. “He kept one alive for you.”
A relieved JD looked up at Donnell. “Get us over there. If we get the right answer, Munford will be behind bars by morning.”
Donnell turned around laughing and pulled back into traffic. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“We don’t have him yet, but damn if it’s not beginning to smell like a victory.” JD pulled out his cell and called Tracy. “Hey babe, it’s going to be late by time I get home. Give JC and Jasmine a kiss for me.
“I will. Jasmine is running a little temperature.”
“Anything serious?”
“I don’t think so. But I’ll keep her in bed with me until you get home.”
“Okay babe, I’ll see you soon.”
“Everything okay,” Samuel asked when he hung up the phone.
“Yeah. The baby has a temperature. You’ll find out about those real soon.”
“When is the baby due Samuel?” Donnell asked.
“Next month, if I can live through it.”
JD laughed, “Nothing humbles a man like a woman giving birth to their child. You realize there are things in this world that you cannot control. Like labor pains, or the things the woman you love calls you during them.”
♡♡♡♡
The report from Samuel was good. With any luck, they would be able to breathe a sigh of relief by morning. Brian sat in his office making notes on the events of the day wishing he were at the site where the action was. He had made up his mind earlier that this bull was going to end tonight. As soon as JD wrapped things up, he was going to clear this shit up, even if he had to whip his ass to do it. They’d been boys since high school, and he’d be damned if he was going to let something like this come between them. So what, he kissed his wife, hell JD had kissed Caitlyn before. Brian stopped writing, “Where in the hell did that come from?” He put the pen down, turned in his chair, and stared out the window. Over the last few years, Caitlyn had crossed his mind more than once. Since she disappeared, he had wondered time and time again where she was, how she was doing, was she married, did she have children? Why in the hell did she leave campus and him? This was the point where he would get pissed off and banished her memory from his mind. But just like before, she would creep right back in. One day he would find her and get the answers he needed to move on with his life.
“Hey.”
He turned in the chair to see Pearl walking into the office. “Hey yourself. Working late?”
“It doesn’t make sense to go home. The media is chomping at the bits for this story.”
“Let’s hope it ends tonight.”
“Yeah.” She took a seat in front of his desk and crossed her legs.
“What would the good doctor say about you trying to entice me?”
“Get over yourself,” she smiled. “I am not trying to entice you.”
“What do you call sitting in front of me with those long legs I just happen to remember the feel of very well.”
“I call it your loss and his gain.” They smiled, “You and I was just something to past the time. Something to distract you from your friends’ wife or Caitlyn.” Brian sat back in the chair. “I never knew which one it truly was, but after the other night I’m sure you know it’s not Tracy.”
“Why you in my business? Doesn’t the doc keep your mind occupied?”
“Leave Theo out of this. I’m here as your friend. I don’t know all of what went down, but I do know you would never do anything to hurt JD or Tracy for that matter. One of you needs to man up, apologize, then move on.”
“You finished with the lecture?”
“I guess so,” she said as she stood to walk out.
Brian watched the sashay of her hips. “Hey,” she stopped and turned. “Tell the doc he’s a lucky man. And stop wearing those swing dresses around me.” Pearl smiled, turned around in the middle of the floor allowing the sway of the dress to show off a good portion of her thighs. “Get out,” he smiled as she was leaving. His cell phone chimed, “Thompson.”
“Boss, we have a situation at the house. Ryan has gone silent in pursuit of a figure on the lawn of the neighbor to the right. I’m moving through the house to secure the perimeter.”
“Location of Tracy and the children.” He said as he stormed out of the office.
“The house is secure. The family is in the bedrooms. This could be nothing boss.”
“Too much happening tonight to take that chance. I’m en route to your location. Meet me in the pool house in seven minutes.” Brian placed a call to Samuel. “What’s your status?”
♡♡♡♡
Brian hung up his blackberry as he stood in the pool house. Something didn’t seem right. Magna wasn’t there and Ryan was not answering their cell phone. He parked one street over and walked through the neighbor’s house Magna mentioned. Scanning the outskirts of the property things seemed a little too quiet. Walking around the back to the pool house, he checked every monitor, closely scrutinizing each as he watched the feed. He saw a motion on the screen as he scanned pass one. He quickly returned to it. The hedges on the far end of the neighbor’s yard moved. It was a still night in September, there was no wind. His concentration stayed on that monitor. There it was again, a movement from the house next door. Brian flicked on the house monitors. He quickly scanned to the rooms to get a location on Tracy and the children. A movement from another monitor caught his attention. A male figure was dragging a body behind a bush. Another, male body emerged from the back end of the neighbor’s house. Brian immediately jumped into action, pushing the panic button alerting the police department, then he grabbed the portable handheld to keep a track of the intruders.
Reaching the door of the pool house, he peeked around to make sure no one could see him. Staying low and close to the hedges, he walked along the back patio, through the basement door and up the back staircase. Knowing, Tracy and the baby were in the master bedroom, he went there first. He slowly opened the door and quietly closed it behind him. The lights were low as he walked over to the bed. Tracy and Jasmine were asleep and if he was lucky the baby would remain that way. He placed his hand over Tracy’s mouth and she jerked awake startled and swinging. “Tracy. Tracy. It’s me Brian.” Her eyes roamed widely until they reached his. Then she bit his hand. “Ouch.” He pulled his hand away shaking it from the sting of the bite.
“Why are you sneaking around the house scaring me half to death? And where have you been?”
“Shh,” he put his finger up to his lips. “Grab the baby and come with me.”
She did as she was told. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
“Try to keep the baby quiet. Someone’s on the premises and I don’t think they are friendly.” They walked into JD’s closet to the back wall. Brian pushed the clothes aside and put his hand on the security pad. The light turned green and a panel of the wall slide up. He picked Tracy up with the baby in her arms and placed her in the opening that resembled a laundry chute. “When you reach the bottom, move to the far corner of the room and stay close to the wall.”
“Okay,” she said with fear in her eyes.
“I’ll be right behind you.” He reassured her. Not wasting another moment, he pushed her head down and watched as she and the baby traveled down the soundproof chute. He then climbed into the chute, hit the panel on the wall to close the slide down behind them. His feet hit the floor of the basement with a thump. Remaining motionless for a moment, he listened to see if there was any indication that someone heard him. Secure they were undetected; he looked at Tracy, “Let’s go.”
“We can’t. JC is still upstairs.”
“I’ll come back and get him.”
“No. Go get my baby and bring him now,” she cried.
He grabbed her around the waist. “Tracy, I have to get you and Jasmine to the safe room. Then I’m coming right back to get JC. I don’t have time to argue with you about this. Hold on to Jasmine.” He clamped his hand over her mouth, picked her up, and carried her kicking and mouthing what he was sure were very choice words at him. He felt the tears drop on his hand, but knew this had to be done. They reached the pool house undetected. He sat Tracy down just as the baby began to whine. He put the code in the door for the panic room, then placed both of them inside.
“My baby is in there. Brian, you left my baby in the house. Don’t let anything happen to JC Brian, please—go get my baby.”
The tears streaming down her face couldn’t be helped, no matter how much it tore at his heart. “I’m going right now. Stay here. I’ve alerted the police. Do not open the door unless you hear my voice. Do you understand?”
She nodded as he closed the door and heard the automatic lock click. Brian checked the monitors before moving back towards the house taking the same route. He looked back as soon as he entered the house. A figure walked by the opening, but if you did not know the door was there, you would have no reason to look that way. Now there was a bigger problem. The intruders were closer to entering the interior of the house. Time was of the essences. He took the back stairs two steps at a time and made his way to JC’s room. Grabbing the child out of the bed he made his way across the hall to the master bedroom, walked into the closet and closed the door. JC opened his eyes to see his uncle Brian. “Hey lil man. We going to play a game okay.”
“Kay,” a sleepy JC nodded.
“I need you to be real quiet all the way to the pool house. Okay. Can you do that for me man?”
JC nodded, “Where’s Mommy?”
“She’s in the pool house with Jasmine.”
“Jazz.”
“Hmm hum,” Brian replied as he tucked JC under him and climbed into the shoot. “Hold on lil man.” He reached the panel, the wall closed and down the chute, they went. It would have been a fun ride if the situation wasn’t so serious.
When they reached the bottom just JC began to giggle. “Do it again Uncle Brian—do it again.”
“Shh. Remember we are playing the quiet game.”
JC put his fingers to his lips just as Brian had. He couldn’t help it, Brian smiled at the boy and for the first time in his life, he wanted one. “You look like your daddy—do you know that?” JC bobbed his head up and down. “Okay, let’s go find mommy.” Placing the boy tightly against his chest, he checked the exit to make sure the way was clear. He watched as a figure walked through the patio door with a semiautomatic weapon. Another man with a similar weapon followed from the opposite side of the house. If he were alone, he would take both out. But, he had JD’s son and it was his job to protect him with his life if necessary. Squeezing the child to make sure he was securely in placed he opened and stepped out of the underground door. Taking the three small steps up, he stayed close to the hedges leading to the pool house. Just as he took the next step, the last man to walk into the house turned and looked directly at him. They both raised their weapons at the same time. Brian’s shot rang out first taking the man down. The other man in the house ran to the door and raised his weapon. Brian let off another round as the man took cover. Hearing shots from the front of the house, Brian, took off towards the pool house; a round of gunfire rang out. The first shot hit his shoulder, he continued to run. The second shot hit his side, he continued to move, but at a much slower pace. The third shot hit him in the back. That shot sent him to the ground. His body fell on top of JC who cried out. “Shh, lil man. You have to be quiet.” The pain surging through his body was becoming unbearable, but Brian had to stay focus. “Uncle Brian needs you to pull your feet up.”
“Kay.” JC did as he was asked. He tightens his hold around Brian’s waist. “I can kiss your boo-boo--make it better.”
Brian smiled as he tightened his hold on JC and pulled his weapon closer to his side ready to squeeze the trigger at the footsteps he heard approaching. He turned to pull the trigger and saw Ryan standing over him with two guns in her hands firing into the house. Brian lowered his arms and the gun fell to the ground. He heard loud voices and gun-fire. He smiled thinking the cavalry is here. The last thing he felt was JC’s little fingers touching his face. “Kiss and make better Uncle Brian,” he kissed the child’s fingers as his eyes closed.
♡♡♡♡
They had what was needed to close the case on Munford, permanently. After all that he had learned of his father’s death in the last twenty-four hours, JD was close to jubilant. The man had changed his life ten years ago and now, he was finally getting it back. With Munford put away, he and Tracy could finally live in peace. No more secrets, or security day and night. They could live a somewhat normal existence. JD watched, from behind the police tape, as investigators continued to review the crime scene. Four body bags were on the ground near the rental truck that housed the weapons. Joshua had left the scene once the interrogation of the lone survivor was over. A smile appeared on his face as a thought suddenly hit him, next week was Tracy’s birthday, and he knew exactly what her gift would be.
“This is the way a evening should end.” Samuel joined JD at the SUV, “The bad guys in cuffs.”
“Or body bags,” JD grunted. “We have one more to take in. And I want the pleasure of reading the charges to his face.” In the distance, JD heard one of the detective’s pager go off.
“You deserve it JD. That’s for sure,” Samuel said as his cell phone rang.
Donnell was walking in their direction, smiling. “You got to love this. I want to be the one to bring Munford in,” he said, then pulled out his cell phone that was ringing.
The sounds of multiple pagers resonated in the area and JD stood shell shocked for a moment. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the time Tracy was beaten. He turned to Samuel just as he looked over at him. JD pulled out his cell and pushed a button. “Come on baby, pick up.”
Samuel jumped in the driver seat of the SUV and was pulling off as JD and Donnell hoped in. “A silent signal was received from your home, two minutes ago.” Samuel said. He wasn’t sure if JD heard him. “Officers are en route.”
“Ryan is not picking up,” Donnell added.
“Neither is Tracy,” JD franticly pushed another button. “No answer from Brian.”
Samuel frowned as he pushed another button. “Joshua, give me a location on Munford.” He waited, “Good, stay on him.”
