Deadly Defiance, page 14
“Wait—we have no idea where to look. Help us out here, Ricardo.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t get involved. I’ll talk to my father and try to convince him that kidnaping and murder will only make matters worse, but that’s all I can do without risking my own life. I’m sorry.”
The phone went dead. Paula reluctantly hung up the phone.
“Well,” Stan said. “I should have realized there would be a Mexican drug cartel involved. Smuggling in aliens is probably only a small portion of the business that goes through Alliance. I’d better call Agent Lot and fill him in on what we’ve found out.”
“I’m sorry, Stan. I should have been more persuasive.”
“No. You did fine. I think Ricardo will call his father and try to get him to let Jodie go. I doubt he’ll be successful, but when he fails he may call us with more useful information. In the meantime I’ll call Detective Besch and see if he’s heard anything from Rico.”
Paula nodded and went back to her office. Depression engulfed her as she contemplated Jodie’s desperate situation. She wondered where they’d taken her and if she’d been hurt. Normally, Paula wasn’t one to sit around when the shit hit the fan. She was a fighter. But today she felt helpless and was at a loss as to what they could do to find Jodie in the few precious hours that were left before she’d likely be killed.
Chapter 15
Leverage
Jodie sat in the darkness wondering what her kidnapers were going to do with her. She was shocked they had taken her. It wasn’t something she’d even thought was a remote possibility. She wondered how they’d discovered her deception so quickly. After thinking about it awhile she decided they had kidnaped her for one of two reasons. Either they had resigned themselves to the fact that Alliance Fabrications was history and wanted revenge, or they thought that they could use her as leverage to get the police and FBI to back off. Jodie didn’t think the FBI or the police would back off, so that meant she would probably die soon, if she wasn’t rescued or didn’t figure out a way to escape.
She wriggled her wrist and was pleased to find a little play. If she worked at it she might be able to get free. Even if she did get free, however, she doubted it would do her any good since she’d heard them lock the van’s door after they’d closed it. She sighed in utter despair. After a while she began to feel sick. It was hot and stuffy and difficult to breathe. She’d never suffered from claustrophobia before but that suddenly changed. Panic overcame her as she struggled to free herself, pulling and wriggling her hands and wrists as hard as she could. A jolt of pain from her wrist forced her to stop. She felt blood oozing out around the rope that bound her wrists.
She stopped to let the pain subside, then she worked the rope again. The blood was acting as a lubricant and it felt like her hands were gradually slipping free. Feeling a ray of hope for the first time, she worked the rope even harder, ignoring the pain and pungent smell of fresh blood. Finally, one hand slipped free. Had there not been a gag in her mouth she’d have let out a triumphant scream. Quickly she freed her other hand and then pulled the gag out of her mouth. Now her only problem was how to get out of a locked van.
In the darkness she felt along the floor and walls looking for some kind of lever or emergency exit door, but found nothing. She tried to lift the back gate but it wouldn’t budge. If she couldn’t get out of the van then her next strategy would be to surprise whoever came to get her. They would think she was tied up and wouldn’t expect to be attacked the moment the door was opened. Such an attack wouldn’t be a sure thing, of course. If there were more than one man she’d likely be overpowered, but if only one came to get her she felt she could probably overcome him simply because of the element of surprise. In the darkness she felt for the rope that had bound her. Once she’d found it she took a position near the back gate and waited.
It was difficult for Jodie to keep track of time while she was in captivity. It seemed like she’d been in there for hours, but she wasn’t sure. Surely they would bring her food and water soon, unless they’d already decided she must die and wanted her to suffer as much as possible. Eventually she heard footsteps and prepared herself for the fight of her life. She listened intently. Was there one man or two? She couldn’t tell for sure, but she thought it was but one. There was a click as the padlock was opened. Then the back door began to go up.
When it was up far enough, Jodie launched herself on the man and pushed him hard into the fender of the truck behind them. As they were falling she looped the rope around the man’s neck and pulled it with all her might, trying to choke him. He grabbed the rope with his fingers and tried to pull it out of Jodie’s grip, but she held it tightly. He twisted and turned, trying to knock her off his back. She felt a crushing jab to her stomach, knocking the breath out of her, but she was determined not to let go. Finally, the man gave up the fight and collapsed onto the floor. Jodie didn’t think he was dead. At least she hoped he wasn’t. She had no malice toward him even though he was a thug. She checked for a pulse and was relieved to feel it. After dragging the man behind a forklift where he wouldn’t be seen, she scanned the warehouse for an exit.
Hearing voices coming, she quietly made her way toward the back of the warehouse where she could see a fire exit sign glowing intermittently. She prayed it was unlocked and not equipped with an alarm that would be tripped if the door opened. As she got to the door she heard shouting and figured her escape had been detected. Holding her breath, she pushed the door open and slipped out into the yard, closing the door behind her. Relieved that no alarm had sounded, Jodie looked around for a way to escape, but the yard was totally surrounded by a ten-foot chain-link fence with three strands of barbed wire above it. The only exit was through a driveway and parking lot on the north side of the building that led to the main entrance. There’d be guards that way, she was sure.
Frustrated, she searched for another way out. Her eyes fell on a van parked up against the fence behind the building. She wondered if it was operational or a piece of junk. It probably wouldn’t have keys in it, but Jodie knew how to hot-wire a car. Her brother had taught her that skill when she’d lost the keys to her own car one time and urgently needed to use it. In fact, it was so easy it was several weeks before she got a new key made.
As she was making her way to the old car, the back door to the warehouse opened and a man stepped outside. Jodie quickly ducked behind the van and froze. Two other men followed the first into the yard and they all began searching for her. Jodie felt another stab of fear as she calculated what to do. A flash of light from the parking lot caught her attention. Suddenly an engine started up and a vehicle tore around the corner of the building and accelerated toward her. The three men stopped their search and watch the approaching vehicle.
As the vehicle approached Jodie found herself bathed in its front headlights. In the spotlight the three men saw her and started to go after her. She ran but the red Jeep Cherokee pulled up between her and her pursuers. The door opened.
“Jodie! Get in! Hurry!”
It was a familiar voice, so Jodie didn’t hesitate. She jumped in and the Jeep took off, did a tight U-turn, wheels squealing, and headed back in the direction from which it had come nearly running down the pursuers. Jodie squinted at the man driving.
“Ricardo?”
He looked over and smiled at her. “Heard you were in trouble, so I came as fast as I could.”
Jodie just stared at him in shock. She couldn’t believe that he’d rescued her after she’d betrayed him. She felt ashamed.
As the Jeep headed for the main gate two men were attempting to close it. Ignoring them, Ricardo gunned the engine and crashed through the gates. Once on the main road he floored it until they made it into Grapevine where they were able to blend into traffic. Once Ricardo thought it was safe he pulled into a Holiday Inn and drove around the back, out of sight, and stopped to talk.
Jodie didn’t know what to say. They just looked at each for a long moment then Jodie sighed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan to use you to get to your father.”
“I know. When I first heard that you worked for Turner & Waters I thought I’d been set up, but when I thought about it, I realized you had just taken advantage of a fortuitous string of events. I’d have probably done the same thing if I’d have been in your shoes.”
“So, why did you rescue me? I appreciate that you understand I was just doing my job, but there was no reason for you to stick your neck out for me.”
“True. But I couldn’t let my father kill you. Not when I could prevent it.”
“Right. . . . Thank you. I knew you were a good person from the first day we met. Now I owe you my life,” Jodie said sincerely. “But what are you going to do now? Your father doesn’t strike me as the type who will be too forgiving.”
“No. He’ll never forgive me.”
“But will he try to kill you?”
“He would if it weren’t for my mother. That doesn’t mean I’m home free. There will have to be punishment.”
Jodie groaned. “You should come with me to the FBI. If you help them prosecute your father they’ll put you into a witness protection program.”
Ricardo shook his head. “No. I couldn’t testify against my father and brothers.”
Jodie understood Ricardo’s dilemma. Nobody wanted to hurt their own family. She couldn’t push him now, she thought, but eventually he’d have no choice. If he wanted to survive, he’d have to testify against them.
“You can stay at my place for a while. My boss has arranged for 24/7 security. That will give you time to decide what to do.”
“No. You don’t know the people you’re up against. They’re not going to let a little security cop stop them from getting their revenge. It’s a matter of pride and reputation.”
“So, what do you think your father’s next move will be? Obviously, he’s not going to play by the rules.”
“No. He’s never been one to worry about the rules. My guess is, now that he’s been exposed, he’ll disappear and set up shop somewhere else.”
Jodie thought about that a moment. “What about the plant? He’s just going to abandon his business?”
“The fabrication business is just a front. It doesn’t make any money. In fact, it loses money. He uses it to provide a way to launder his money from all his illegal ventures.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yes, you wouldn’t believe the insane amount of money he makes trafficking in workers and drugs. Half the people who come across the border are mules for his drug inventory in addition to being a lucrative commodity themselves.”
Jodie shook her head. “I’d heard a lot about that type of thing, but I never really appreciated how real it was.”
Ricardo laughed. “Yeah, you got a nice dose of reality tonight, huh? How are you, by the way? Did they hurt you?”
“No. Just tossed me around like a sack of potatoes, but nobody beat me up or anything.”
“You were lucky. I think they took it easy on you because they weren’t sure what to do with you. I heard talk they were trying to get the FBI to back off in exchange for letting you go.”
“Really? I doubt the FBI would go for that. It would be a bad precedent.”
“Yes. That’s why I came to get you. I knew they’d kill you the moment they figured out the feds wouldn’t go along with their exchange.”
“I better call Stan and tell him I’m okay. Would you drop me off at my office?”
“Sure,” Ricardo said as he looked longingly into Jodie’s eyes. Jodie leaned in and their lips met. They kissed long and hard until Jodie pushed him away.
“We can’t do this now. Maybe when this mess is all over.”
Ricardo sighed and then started the car. They drove to Highway 121 and took it to I-635. Soon they were closing in on North Dallas and the office building where Turner & Waters was located. Ricardo parked in front of Jodie’s car. He got out and they kissed one more time before he left. When he was gone Jodie rushed into the building security office and asked the guard to escort her to her office. The guard was a little surprised by the request but acquiesced. She told him what had happened, so he checked and made sure nobody was waiting for her inside. When all was clear she went to her desk and picked up the telephone to call Stan.
“Stan?”
“Jodie? Where are you?”
“Back at the office. Ricardo rescued me.”
“Oh, thank God! I’ve been so worried about you. The FBI is searching the city for you.”
“That’s why I called. You can tell them I’m fine.”
“They’ll want to talk to you.”
“I know. I’ll wait here for them.”
“Are you sure it’s safe? I’m sure they’re pissed off that you’ve escaped.”
“It’s okay. I alerted security and I have a Glock in my bottom drawer. If anybody tries to mess with me, they’ll regret it.”
“You have a gun in your drawer?”
“Yeah. I had one in my car but the cowards grabbed me before I could get to it.”
“All right. I’ll call Agent Lot right now. I’m coming, too. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
Jodie hung up the phone and then opened her bottom drawer. She pulled out the Glock 17 and admired it. Once she checked and made sure it was loaded, she fell back into her chair, relaxed, and recalled the evening’s events. Her mistake was not having her gun on her person. She vowed never to let that happen again.
There was a knock on the door. She grabbed the gun, stood up, and walked slowly down the hall to where she could get a look at who was knocking. It was Agent Lot, so she rushed over and let him in.
He looked down at her bloody wrists. “Jodie! Are you all right?”
“I am now. It’s been a rather rough evening, though.”
“Should I take you to the hospital? Those cuts look pretty deep.”
Jodie shrugged. “I guess it might not hurt. I don’t want to end up with a bunch of ugly scars.”
“Okay, let’s go. You can tell me what happened on the way.”
They left and drove a few blocks to Medical City Hospital. While they waited for a doctor Jodie filled in Agent Lot and his partner on what had happened. Lot asked her if she could remember where she had been held and she gave him rough directions.
“You’ll need to ride out there with us to make sure we raid the right warehouse. I’ll get a SWAT team assembled while you’re being patched up.”
Jodie nodded as a nurse came to take her to an examining room. A few minutes later a doctor was examining her wounds.
“How did this happen?” the doctor asked.
Jodie explained how she’d been tied up and had no choice but to do what it took to get loose. The doctor grimaced at her explanation.
“Well, I’m going to have to call in a plastic surgeon. If we’re not careful you’ll have some pretty ugly scaring. These wounds are quite deep.”
“Can you give me a temporary fix for now? I’ve got to show the FBI where the kidnapers held me.”
The doctor frowned. “I suppose, but you better go visit the plastic surgeon in the morning. This isn’t something you should put off. We’ll clean it up and make sure it doesn’t get infected. Then we can put a temporary bandage on it that will do until morning.”
Jodie smiled. “Thanks, Doc.”
When they finished bandaging her up, Jodie left with Agent Lot and they headed toward Grapevine. Jodie was feeling tired so she closed her eyes.
“I’ll get you home just as soon as I can,” Agent Lot promised her. He was obviously very concerned about her.
“So, do you have any idea where Ricardo is?”
“No, he’s hiding from his family. He didn’t say where. He won’t help you find them, though. I tried to convince him to, but you can understand why he wouldn’t.”
“Sure, but if we find him he’ll have no choice.”
Jodie sighed. “If you do, promise me you won’t hurt him. He didn’t have anything to do with his family’s business.”
“It will be up to him, but we will certainly give him every opportunity to cooperate.”
They backtracked the route Ricardo had taken after he rescued Jodie. When they rounded a bend in the road Jodie recognized the warehouse where she’d been held.
“There it is!” she exclaimed.
Agent Lot got on his phone and advised his team that they’d identified the location. They all stopped a few blocks away to assess the situation. Fear stabbed at Jodie as she remembered being bound, gagged, and dragged into the warehouse. A shiver went down her spine.
Agents in SWAT gear began pouring out of big vans, quickly surrounding the building. Then the convoy proceeded up to the entrance and stopped in front of the unmanned gate. Agent Lot got out and went to the chain that secured the gate. He motioned to one of his men, and he came over with a thirty-inch bolt cutter. The chain was cut quickly and the vehicles proceeded into the almost empty parking lot. Soon the agents were poised to enter the building and when Agent Lot gave the signal, they swarmed inside.
As Jodie expected, the warehouse was empty. She could imagine the chaos after she’d made her escape. They must have known time was short for an evacuation of the premises. Inside she noticed all the trucks had gone and the place was deserted. Agent Lot walked up to her.
“How many vehicles were in here when you escaped?” he asked.
“Dozens. The warehouse was full of them.”
“What kind of trucks were they?”
“Cargo vans and medium-size delivery trucks. The one they put me in was a van, and I memorized the license plate. It was XPT 429.”
“Jeez. I can’t believe you had the presence of mind to remember a license plate number,” Agent Lot said.
“It was an easy license to remember. XPT is the abbreviation I use for expert witness. And 4/29 is my mother’s birthday.”
Agent Lot shook his head. “Okay. Anything that works. I’ll get an APB out on that license number and maybe we’ll get lucky.”
