Suspicion At Sea (22 page)

“The Department of Justice?” Justin questions, also noticing the monogram.

There is an email pulled up that is dated 2010. I sit in the chair in front of the desk, one hand over my mouth and my gun in the other hanging limp from my rubbery arm as I start to read the email.

March 4, 2010

Department of Justice

Victor Allen

How is our asset on the ground?

March 4, 2010

Deputy Director Carl Parson

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Asset is in a dead spot. Need a female agent.

March 6, 2010

Department of Justice

Victor Allen

Assumed prefers dark hair, dark skin, petite. Please advise if there is an agent that fits this profile.

March 7, 2010

Deputy Director Carl Parson

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Special Agent Ellie Marks, lacking motivation. New information will be given soon.

March 7, 2010

Department of Justice

Victor Allen

Agent needs placed ASAP, your orders are to do whatever it takes.

This is the last of the emails in this file. I click out of it, my finger on the mouse searching other files. I see one that is marked Agent Marks. When I click on it, there are pictures, so many pictures. My parents' crime scene, me at their funeral. Some from afar, some close up. Flipping through the pictures, there are more and more. Even ones with me on the island. Me lying on the lounger on the deck of the B&B, me walking, Justin and I the day on the beach when he carried me into the water.

I turn in the chair, not able to view anymore and see the same looks of horror and shock on Justin and Cody's faces.

“Was I a fucking pawn?” I don't get any answer back because both boys standing in front of me drop to their knees. I don't have time to react when I feel the sharp sting hit my chest. All I see is a darkness moving in front of me before my world goes black.

Chapter 46

Justin

I awake like I just had the worst nightmare, but can't remember it. I try to move my arms, but I can't. Lifting my head, I am in a chair with my arms tied behind my back. The room is dark, but I can tell it's a very large room.

“Ellie!” I yell out my first instinct. I fight my restraints as my eyes adjust to the darkness. Next to me is another chair with someone passed out. Stretching my neck as far as I can, I see a smaller shape in a chair next to them. On my other side are two more chairs, all with other people in them. I can see well enough to know that they're all out, their heads down lying off to the sides, not moving.

The more I look the more my eyes focus. Next to me is a woman with blonde hair.

“Suzy,” I call out when I realize my sister is tied up next to me. She doesn't stir. I hear a loud moan coming from the seat to my right.

It's the moan of a man waking up. I can see well enough now, my eyes having adjusted to the darkness.

“Cody, wake up, Cody,” I speak in a softer tone.

“What is going on?” He groans as his head lifts and he fights against his restraints. He starts to panic as he realizes he is tied to the chair.

“Cody, look at me.” Him thrashing in the chair still half-conscious will just wear him out.

He turns his head toward me and I know his eyes haven't adjusted to the lack of light.

“Justin?”

“Yes, I need you to calm down and let your eyes adjust. Who is next to you?” I have to know if the smaller person in the chair next to Cody is Ellie. He turns his head toward the next chair.

“Ellie, oh my God, Ellie.” His voice gets louder as he tries to get her attention, but she doesn't stir.

“What happened? The last thing I remember is being at the B&B.” Cody turns to me for answers. I'm just as in the dark and as tied up as he is.

“I think we are in a hangar. Suzy is on my left, she is out also. There is one more next to her, but can't make him out,” I explain what I know so far, which is not very much.

“Were we tasered?"?”

“Tasered with a kick. I don't know what the fuck we were,” I answer, my fingers trying to feel the knot that has my wrists tied. “Can you get out of your ties?” I ask, as I feel one of my knots starting to loosen up. Cody doesn't answer, but I see him out of the corner of my eye struggling with his.

“Well, well, well, look who's awake,” comes a booming voice in the darkness followed by the lights being turned on. It blinds me for a second as the brightness is such a contrast to what we were just used to. I see a figure walking toward our row of chairs.

“Fausto,” Cody spits when the man gets close enough to see. I now see that we are in an airplane hangar, with a small jet in it.

“This feels like Christmas morning to me, boys.” Fausto Alverez, or as I knew him, Alejandro Cortez, stands before us, his face beaming as he looks from Cody to me. He is in his late forties with jet black hair. It is longer and is combed back with hair gel. He looks just as slimy as I remember him.

Cody grunts, knowing just as well as I do that we might all die today, which makes me all the more determined on my knots, working them with my fingers gently so it is not obvious to the man in front of me. Cody is not being so subtle. He is fighting at them, his arms moving, and rocking back and forth in his chair. Fausto watches him with amusement.

“Awe, now, Agent Reed.” Fausto shakes his head at Cody as he takes steps closer to us. “Such an amazing day and so worth the risk coming here. I have the man who killed my brother.” He outstretches his hand to gesture toward Cody. “The man who killed my son.” Now his attention is on me. “And the wife of the man who stole from me.” He walks to Suzy, putting his hand under her chin lifting her lifeless head.

“Get your fucking hands off her,” I yell as loud as I can. He keeps his hand cupped under her chin turning to me with a greasy smile on his face.

I now see four men moving behind Fausto, and I recognize one of them. He was out in front of Suzy's house leading the pack of motorcycles.

“Oh, and your sister, too,” he laughs as he gets more excited. “And over here we have the other man that Jade fucking McGill stole from.” Fausto drops Suzy's head. It falls, her chin hitting her chest. I have to say I am really glad she is unconscious right now.

“Victor Allen. Department of Justice, head of the task force, oh, and also working for me.” Fausto laughs even harder. “The asshole got greedy when Jade stole his payday and tried to dangle what I want most in this world in front of me.” He leans in, talking to the unconscious man next to Suzy. “Thanks to his undercover agent, who is more loyal to me than him, I knew just where to find him.” Fausto pats the tall, muscular man on the back.

“Sebastian?” Cody speaks up, talking of the man who is now walking closer to us.

“Yeah, brother. All along I was undercover next to you, but when LDR fell apart I found myself in a very precarious situation. Let's just say that being a double agent pays a hell of a lot better than being a good boy.” Sebastian laughs with Fausto and turns to him. Fausto lifts his gun, shooting Sebastian right between the eyes, blood splatters hitting Fausto in the face. The bang of the gun is deafening in the hangar as I watch Sebastian fall in a heap on the floor.

Laughing even more hysterically, he pulls a white cloth from his back pocket, wiping his face. The need to get out of my restraints is even greater. My whole world is in this hangar and in the hands of a mad man.

Fausto's laughter ends abruptly as he looks down at Cody and me. “You can never trust a man like that,” he says coyly and with no remorse, motioning for his guys to take Sebastian away. “But, alas, he did bring me the sweetest present of all.” Fausto's eyes travel past Cody to my Ellie, who is starting to stir a little.

“I will kill you. If you touch one hair on her head I will kill you so slowly you will beg for death.” My jaw tight, my words stern as I deliver my warning.

“Oh, but she is the love of my life. How shocking to find out that she was alive and well after I spent the last year mourning her death. Another reason Sebastian had to die, he knew she was alive the whole time,” Fausto says, walking slowly past me and Cody to stand in front of Ellie. Her head is lifting as she wakes up. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I am more vigorous on my knots as I have gotten one loose. I don't know how Cody is faring, but his jaw is tight and I can see he is fighting with his knots with every ounce of strength in him. He, too, is watching Fausto who is watching Ellie slowly wake up.

Fausto leans in, putting his hands on either side of the chair, “Wake up, angel,” he whispers close to Ellie's face.

Cody's chair comes off the ground with a loud thump as he tries to get up. I'm fighting my restraints so hard that I feel the wetness of blood as the ropes cut into my wrist. I grit my teeth to stay silent, letting Cody take the attention off me.

“Oh, give me a break. Now you care? You didn't seem to care when my brother was having his way with her.” Fausto turns his head toward Cody. “What kind of man allows that?”  Fausto stands straight, but still gazes down at Ellie.

Chapter 47

Ellie

I hear his voice as I start to come to. I stir at first when I hear Cody close by, not knowing what is going on, and then hear Justin yell to get his hands off someone. Feeling my hands tied, I keep my head down.

I search my mind and remember the email and pictures then the sting of something hitting me. I feel someone lean into me and keep my eyes closed.

“You don't care for her
Agent
Reed,” I hear Fausto shout. Cody is struggling next to me, also tied up.

“I swear I will kill you just like I killed your brother,” Cody roars, goading him.

“Do you really think I give a shit about my brother? You did me a favor, his days were numbered. He used this angel as a human shield. You killed him too fast. I would have tortured the life out of him for days.” Fausto's voice is cold and harsh.
“But I have her now. I'm taking her away to my country where we will be married, and she will have many of my children.” I get so queasy. Still not completely sure of the situation, and not sure of what I'm waiting for, I open my eyes keeping them down.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Cody struggling in a chair.

“You love her so much you had her knocked out and tied up,” Cody yells, frustration in his voice.

“Oh, the guy who did this is dead. Not a hair on her head was to be harmed,” Fausto breathes, and I feel him come closer. His hand brushing down my head, he takes strands of my hair in his fingertips. I sense him getting closer and want to kick with all my might, push him away. Without knowing the whole situation, I don't think making a move right now is a good idea.

“Don't agonize, she will be well taken care of. So much better than either of you could,” Fausto says, so close I can feel his breath. Just then there is a loud bang in the distance. I sense Fausto moving away and hear his footsteps as he starts yelling at someone.

“Ellie, wake up please,” I hear Justin's voice pleading with me, his voice a loud whisper.

“I'm awake.” I lift my head slightly to see Cody and Justin in the chairs next to me. Suzy next to him, passed out, and a man next to her who I don't recognize.

“Oh, thank God.” Justin stretches his neck around so he can see me around Cody.

“What are we going to do?” Cody asks, still desperately struggling with his restraints. My arms are aching, and my shoulders feel weak from being tied behind my back.

“I'm free, what about you?” Justin says, his arms still behind his back so they don't know.

“Not yet,” Cody grits his teeth. His shoulders go up and down as he battles to free himself. Mine are so tight I can't even move my wrists.

“Ellie, if it comes to it, go with him. He won't hurt you. If you fight it will make him angry,” Justin instructs. “He is very unstable right now, and not much could set him off.”

Justin turns his head to see if anyone is around. There is a group of men on the far end and all have guns. This is bad. How are we going to get out of this? I try to calm my breathing so I can think. Even if I go with Fausto quietly, he will kill the rest of them.

“I'm not going with him,” I breathe, now struggling with the rough ropes that I feel cutting into my skin.