Vengeance In Blood (Book 1), page 7
part #1 of Vengeance In Blood Series
“Detective, you will be assigned to us for as long as needed,” the director said, dropping the grin.
“Sir—”
The director held up his hand, stopping Kenneth. “If needed, I can get a presidential order to assign you to me. You are a law enforcement officer and fall under emergency federal powers spelled out in the Homeland Act. Now, I prefer if you did this voluntarily, but I will do what I must to assure success.”
Hearing that, Kenneth’s jaw dropped to his chest in shock. After a few seconds, he snapped his mouth closed. “Sir, may I have a few minutes with Agent Bentley? Not disrespecting you, sir, but I’ve dealt with him, and if he can assure me my caseload won’t reach the moon when I return, then I’m in. I’m sorry, but Major Kirk’s not the only asshole I’ve met in this endeavor and other times I’ve been ‘drafted’ by the Justice Department.”
The director looked at Harry and nodded then turned back to Kenneth. “That’s a good idea. It’s time for lunch anyway. Talk to Harry, and let him assure you. And Detective, if any member of this team ever shows you disrespect again, tell Agent Bentley to call me. I will take care of it personally.”
Standing, Kenneth said, “Thank you, sir,” as the others stood to leave. Kenneth grabbed his bag and walked out with Harry beside him.
“Man, you were made for this shit,” Harry said with a grin, but Kenneth just glared at him, stopped at the elevator, and pushed the down button a hundred times. “Don’t worry; I will make sure the other detectives are paid to cover for you,” he assured Kenneth as they stepped into the elevator. Locking Harry in his icy gaze, Kenneth just glared at him, not saying anything.
“Hey relax,” Harry said. “Where do you want to eat?” The doors opened. Kenneth walked out, not saying a word, heading to the parking garage. Knowing Kenneth was mad, Harry just followed him to his SUV.
“Keys,” Kenneth growled, holding out his hand. Harry handed them over, and Kenneth unlocked the door. Taking out his cellphones, Kenneth threw them in the seat along with every electronic he had. “Put your cellphones and every piece of electronic inside,” Kenneth told him. It wasn’t a growl, but it was still a harsh voice.
“I’m not bugged,” Harry said, taking out his stuff and putting it in the truck. Kenneth reached in his bag and pulled out a small black box with an antenna. Turning it on, he waved it around Harry then himself. Not getting any light, Kenneth turned it off and shut the door, locked it, then put the keys under the bumper.
“Follow me,” Kenneth said, heading to the stairwell and going inside. Looking around and not seeing cameras, Kenneth turned on the black box and didn’t get any lights. He turned it off and put it in his jacket.
“Ken, you need to relax. You just had the deputy director kiss your ass,” Harry said, grinning. Kenneth lunged at Harry, grabbing his jacket in both hands, slamming him into the wall.
“WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU GOT ME INTO, MOTHERFUCKER?!” Kenneth bellowed, spraying spit in Harry’s face. “DON’T YOU DARE SAY CATCHING KILLERS, MOTHERFUCKER! THE DIRECTOR JUST CALLED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF TELLING HIM WHAT THE FUCK HE WAS GOING TO DO!” The veins in Kenneth’s face and neck were bulging out as he huffed through pursed lips. “Harry,” he said in a lower, trembling voice filled with rage, “he just threatened me with a presidential order. He basically said I have no freedom. I had to do what he said. Now, if you fucking lie to me, I will bury this shit and destroy your career before I do. It’s not terrorist, but you have military on that task force. I fucking dare you to say it’s top secret because by the end of the week, you will have no career. Now, here is your one chance to tell me what the FUCK! is going on.” Kenneth let Harry’s jacket go as he seethed.
Shocked to the core, Harry looked at the man he thought he knew, more than a little afraid. He took a deep breath. “You’re right; it’s top secret, and they haven’t told me,” Harry said as Kenneth moved toward him. Raising his hands, he quickly added, “I said they didn’t tell me, but I’ve had some friends do some checking.” Kenneth froze, waiting.
“It’s a small group of smart individuals, and they have developed a new drug that makes them super strong and faster than you can ever imagine. I’ve seen a surveillance video from Spain that would blow you away. They move faster than you can follow with your eyes. It’s like they disappear, but if you go to slow motion, you can see them running. Then holy shit are they strong. I watched one rip a car apart with his bare hands. He ripped doors and tires off like he was ripping paper out of a notebook. The defense department wants to study the drug. Now, before you ask, the group in Spain got away when the raid started. They killed an entire platoon of Navy Seals and didn’t lose a single person.”
“A drug?” Kenneth asked, searching Harry’s face for a lie.
“That’s what I found out; I swear on my life.”
Kenneth turned around, put his hands on his hips, and walked in a circle. “Harry, this shit is more than I wanted.”
“Ken, I swear I’m sorry. They told me to solve the problem when it hit my door here in LA. The OIC (Officer in Charge) in Chicago—the special agent lost everything. He was fired and his career ruined. You were the only person I knew that had a chance to solve this for me. I’m sorry. I should’ve used my agents, but I knew where that would go.”
“Is my home bugged?” Kenneth asked.
“Not that I know of.”
“If it ever is, I’m through. I will put my badge down, and I can’t be called up unless a state of martial law is declared. My home is my castle, and I talk to myself and my dogs to get my thoughts in order so I can work,” Kenneth said, stopping but looking away from Harry.
“I understand, and I’ll let it be known,” Harry assured him.
“Let’s go eat,” Kenneth said, walking out the stairwell door.
Chapter 5
Riding in Harry’s SUV, Kenneth sat staring out the window as they pulled into his subdivision. Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye as he pulled into Kenneth’s driveway and put the SUV in park. After Kenneth had walked out of the stairwell, he still hadn’t said another word to him. “I’m sorry again, Kenneth,” Harry said.
Opening the door, Kenneth stepped out then turned back. “You didn’t have a choice, and to be honest, I would’ve done the same thing. You have a wife and daughter to worry about, not including your stupid dog,” Kenneth said, grabbing his bag.
“I’m not going to lie, Kenneth. I really thought you would do your thing and run after these guys for a few months then catch them. That’s why I wasn’t really worried about the threats to my career. If I could, I’d tell the director to let you off the team and take my chances,” Harry said, looking straight ahead.
Throwing the strap of his bag on his shoulder, Kenneth shook his head and didn’t look at Harry. “I talked to the director about the OIC in Chicago—about how he was fired. He told me he wasn’t fired; he was downsized; then, the IRS hit him, wiping out his savings. The director said the OIC and his family was living in section eight housing, and he was working as a security guard in a local supermarket.” Kenneth turned to his friend. “Harry…” Harry slowly turned to look at Kenneth. “They destroyed him to make a point. If they would’ve killed him, his family is taken care off. This way, they destroyed his reputation and hurt his family.”
Harry nodded. “I know, Ken. I was told almost those exact same words by the director. But shit, I’m not going to lie. When he told me, I wasn’t afraid. I’ve seen you take down some of the hardest cases I’ve ever heard about and in record time. So I just dragged you in,” Harry said with a sigh.
“They were counting on it,” Kenneth said, shutting the door and heading to his front door.
Rolling down his window, Harry stuck his head out. “What?”
Kenneth turned around. “They knew you would call me,” he said. “Tell them I want an SUV like yours but with true off-road capabilities,” Kenneth said with a smirk.
“One will be here in the morning,” Harry said, smiling as the window rolled up.
No sooner than he opened the door, Kenneth’s welcoming committee charged out. Reaching down, Kenneth loved over both dogs as he heard Harry pull out and drive off. “I don’t want to catch them, Harry,” Kenneth said softly, “but now, I have to.” He looked up at the sky then let out a long sigh. “I need to go to the cliffs soon,” he said, looking down. As he walked inside, Bonnie and Clyde bounced around, letting Kenneth know they didn’t mind if he loved on them some more. A small figure on the hillside across from his house slowly made her way back to the road. Then, when the sun sank below the horizon, Besseta vanished.
Inside, Kenneth put his stuff down and took his jacket, shirt, and tie off. Kenneth dropped to the floor in his t-shirt. Bonnie and Clyde jumped on him, giving him some love. Finally, both dogs just lay on his chest, and with Kenneth feeling much better, he lay there, going over what he knew.
Not able to make progress, Kenneth got up and changed then went swimming. He did laps with two heads chasing him through the water. When he was done, Bonnie and Clyde bounced out and shook off, looking up at him and panting, wanting to know what was next. “You better dry off better than that,” Kenneth warned, picking up a towel. “I’m not kidding, guys. You’re not going inside wet.”
They didn’t know what he was saying, but they knew he was talking to them, so they started bouncing around in excitement. “You two are pitiful,” Kenneth said, knelt, caught Bonnie, and dried her off then Clyde.
Kenneth worked out in the gym then headed to the kitchen and fixed supper. As it was cooking, he went to his bag and pulled out the black box with an antenna and turned it on. After he turned off the wireless and other transmitting devices in his house, the lights went off. Feeling better, he turned the black box off and went to finish supper.
He always had a fear a suspect he was investigating would somehow get a bug near him and stay one step ahead of him. That was why he swept his house, car, and office at work regularly. Paranoid, yes, but practical he always assured himself. If he was paranoid before, now, he wanted a tin foil hat.
After supper, he walked in his office and looked around. His massive desk sat in the center. The wall on the right was a massive dry erase board, and the left wall was a massive cork board. Both were filled with information on this case. Walking past his desk, he lifted the blinds and looked at the house across the street lit up by the landscaping lights. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, he lowered the blinds and turned to see Bonnie and Clyde sitting at his feet, looking up at him.
“Yeah, I’m paranoid,” he told them then turned to look at his desk. “No, I’m going to bed. I can’t think straight,” he said, walking out. Bonnie and Clyde heard “bed” and took off like bolts of lightning toward the bedroom.
The front and back walls of his office held shelves of books. Kenneth grabbed a book on computer design and headed to his room. Walking in, he found both dogs sitting in the middle of the bed, waiting patiently for him. Not able to help it, Kenneth smiled as he climbed in bed, and they ran up and dove under the covers. Trying to forget about the day, Kenneth opened the book.
Hearing bells and the dogs barking, Kenneth sat up, knocking the book off his chest. Light was coming in through the window, but he was trying to figure out where the bells had come from when he heard the doorbell ring. Climbing out of bed, he realized it was morning and headed to the door to find Bonnie barking wildly. They wanted the bell ringer bad.
Looking out the peep hole, Kenneth saw a man in a suit. “Damn, they don’t waste time getting in your shit,” he said, reaching up to turn the alarm off. He looked at his watch. “Six is just a little early to derail my life,” Kenneth said, opening the door.
The man was looking away but turned upon hearing the door open. “Detective Kenneth Terrell,” the man said, holding up a clipboard, “I need your signature for the SUV, sir. You need to inspect it and report any defects you find. Your fuel card is in the center console, sir.”
Blinking, Kenneth looked in his driveway to see a new SUV with oversized tires and a front brush guard. Another one with regular tires was sitting behind it with a man behind the steering wheel. “Whoa,” Kenneth said, taking the clipboard. Seeing the typical government property form, he signed and handed the clipboard back.
The agent held up two sets of keys. “Thank you, sir,” he said as Kenneth took them. Without another word, the man spun around and left, climbing in the other SUV.
Watching the SUV pull out, Kenneth shook his head. “Beware the gifts given by those you don’t consider friends. They may be buying your soul,” Kenneth said then looked down at the keys. He smiled, seeing a dealer sticker still on one. Looking down at the dogs, they were standing beside him, growling at the road. “Those are my words of wisdom for the day,” Kenneth declared, looking away from the dogs. “Let’s see what they brought.” Kenneth walked over to the SUV with Bonnie and Clyde in tow. It was a brand new Suburban with running boards, almost blacked-out windows, and large brush grill on the front. Opening the door, he saw the light control box and two police broadband radios.
Stepping back, Kenneth mumbled, “If this wasn’t a government vehicle, those windows would get me a ticket.” Bonnie and Clyde sniffed the tires. “Come on; let’s fix some breakfast,” Kenneth said. The dogs shot for the door of the house.
As Kenneth was fixing breakfast, an idea to take his mind off work and relax came to him. Reaching for his cellphone, Kenneth found Harry’s home number and pressed it to dial. “Hello,” a sleepy voice answered.
“Oh, you can send your people to wake me up, but you sleep,” Kenneth said, putting food on the kitchen table.
“Kenneth?” Harry asked.
“Yes, Harry,” Kenneth replied.
“You do know its six thirty, right?” Harry asked.
Kenneth laughed. “Yes I do. Thanks for the ride, Harry. You do know I was kidding, right?” he asked as he fixed Bonnie and Clyde some food.
Harry jumped, sitting up in his bed. “You mean they already delivered you one?” he almost shouted, waking his wife up.
“Yes. At six,” Kenneth chuckled.
Harry gave a soft chuckle. “Damn,” Harry said, rubbing his eyes. “Well, how is it?” he asked, getting out of the bed.
“It still had the dealer sticker on the key. It will do just fine.”
Harry sighed and smiled. “I trust you didn’t call to rub it in my face your ride is better than mine?”
“No, Harry. I need to relax my brain so I can attack this information again. I’m missing something, and I don’t know what.”
“Hey, you take all the time you need before jumping in the trenches,” Harry offered. “You just did a marathon stretch, so time off is a great idea.”
“Oh, I’m taking only a day or two to relax then jump back in and solve this mess,” Kenneth said.
“You going to the cliffs?”
“Yeah, that usually works. I figure walking the beach and woods will get my mind back on track,” Kenneth said, sitting down at the table.
“Shit, if I wasn’t flying to Washington today, I would bring the family with you. Mickey and his family going with you?” Harry asked.
“Nah, I’m only taking Bonnie and Clyde. Washington?” Kenneth asked.
A yawn sounded over the phone. “Yeah, I have to fly back with the assistant director to report to the boss. I should be back in three or four days, so just take it easy till then. Have to agree; the cliffs would relax you. I love it when you take us.”
“Don’t think I’ll need that long, but okay. Harry, you know you can go there without me, right?” Kenneth said, wanting to ask more questions, but something stopped him. “When I dive back in the case, if I figure something out, I’ll let you know.”
“Hey, you be careful going alone. Bonnie and Clyde can’t pull you from the water.”
“You too, Harry, and tell the family I said hello.”
“Will do. See you soon,” Harry said and hung up.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Kenneth started getting ready. When Bonnie and Clyde saw him get their leashes, they ran around in circles, barking. “Hey, will you two stop?” Kenneth asked, shoving some food in a backpack. They didn’t listen and continued as Kenneth gathered a few more things.
When he grabbed the stuff to start loading into his Jeep, he stopped and looked at the keys to the new SUV. “Fuck it,” he said and grabbed them. Opening the door, he carried the stuff to the SUV and hit the unlock button, and the rear hatch slowly opened. “Well, I wonder how much my soul cost them?” he asked as he threw his gear in then headed back to the house. For the rest of the day, Kenneth cleaned the house and organized the files on his dining room table until dark then took the dogs with him to bed.
Rising early the next morning and with the gear loaded, Kenneth locked the house and armed the alarm. He opened his door of the SUV. “In,” he said, looking down at Bonnie and Clyde. One at a time, they leaped into his seat then climbed over the console and curled up in the passenger seat.
Kenneth climbed in and started the SUV. “Let’s get going,” he said, backing out.
***
Several hundred miles away, Besseta was leaning back on a backpack, sitting and looking over the Pacific Ocean. Sitting on the small cliff, there was a small, barren parking lot off the small road winding up the coast just off to her right. That was the area she was watching.
None of Kenneth’s friends had social media pages, but their wives and kids did. She could tell who was close just from the pictures. Several pictures were from the parking lot she was looking at. Thanks to the modern world, cellphones posted where the picture came from. “It used to be real hard to find out things like this,” she said aloud. She didn’t know when or even if Kenneth would come here, but she wanted to see this place.
After hearing Kenneth say he was going to the cliffs the day before, she knew she had to move and slowly came up with a plan. Besseta went and bought some gear and a mountain bike. Granted, she could run much faster. She still passed cars on the highway with ease on her bike last night on her trip here. Before she left, she found a man who wanted to “have some fun,” so she was content for a while.
