Alpha mike foxtrot, p.6
Alpha Mike Foxtrot, page 6
part #3 of Witness Protection Series
“My turn?”
“Another few minutes,” Monique replied then took a moment to lean on the window ledge.
Just outside the building, Monique’s horse, Storm Cloud, grazed within the fenced generator area. Her horse remained saddled and carefully stepped around his reins while grazing.
Monique frowned and sighed. “He’s right there,” she muttered. “We just need to get out of this damned cell.”
“Your father will come for us,” Colleen assured her friend. “Thunder went home, I know he did. Your father probably has half the Bureau searching for us.”
“I know,” Monique sighed, although she appeared defeated.
Colleen suddenly perked up and looked at her friend. “Someone’s coming,” she shouted in a whisper.
Monique jumped off the mattresses. Colleen grabbed the mattress on top and threw it onto the first bunk. Monique grabbed the second mattress and tossed it onto the other bunk. Monique replaced the hoof pick to its holder inside her boot and both girls jumped on the first bunk together, placing their backs to the wall. The outer door opened and Tremaine, the man with the excessively large nose, entered. He placed a paper bag through the small opening in the bars on the floor along with two bottles of water. He straightened and glared at them.
“The boss said to feed you,” Tremaine muttered. “If it were up to me, I’d let you rot in here.”
They waited until he left before jumping up from the bunk and hurrying for the bag and bottled water. Colleen eagerly opened the water and drank several swallows. Monique opened the bag and peered inside. They exchanged looks.
“Think we can trust eating it?” Colleen asked.
Monique removed the professionally wrapped sandwiches and two bags of chips. “I don’t think they’ve been tampered with,” she replied and handed her friend a sandwich.
They returned to the bunk and tore the wrapping off the sandwiches. Both attempted to eat slow but had a difficult time controlling themselves. They only had a bag of pretzels and an apple each over the last two days. Thankfully, the faucet in their cell worked. After letting the brown water run a few minutes, it eventually cleared and seemed drinkable.
“What do you think they intend to do with us?” Colleen asked between mouthfuls of sandwich.
“I’m guessing they don’t know what to do with us,” Monique replied. “That’s probably why they locked us down here.”
Colleen groaned and shook her head. “I hope your father finds us soon.”
The girls had just finished eating their sandwiches when they heard a commotion within the security office. Both girls sprang to their feet and stood near the bars, hoping to hear the intense argument. The outer door was unlocked. Both girls returned to the first bunk and sat close together. They were fearful after hearing the loud, angry voices. Tremaine and Hoffman entered the holding area and paused before the bars. They could hear someone else within the security office. Monique and Colleen looked at the two men. The girls attempted a calm appearance, but both were now shaking.
“Hats off,” Hoffman ordered from the cell door.
Monique and Colleen exchanged bewildered looks then removed their cowboy hats. When they looked back at the two men, Tremaine took their picture with his cell phone. Just as quickly as they had entered, they had left, slamming the outer door. Both girls slowly moved off the bunk and approached the cell door.
They heard low male voices in the security office followed by a loud, “Son-of-a-bitch!” The unfamiliar male voice then started shouting softly. “Do you know who that kid is?” he demanded. “Her father is a fucking fed!”
The voices continued to shout as the men left the security office. Their voices could be heard into the hallway. Monique and Colleen exchanged looks.
“That’s either good or bad,” Monique announced nervously. “They’ll either abandon us here and hightail it to the Mexican border or dispose of us as fast as possible.”
“Dispose?” Colleen suddenly gasped. “You mean--?”
Monique frowned and nodded. “If they intend to kill us, they won’t wait long.”
She removed the hoof pick from her boot. Both girls grabbed the mattresses and piled them in front of the window. Monique began chiseling at the bars with a sense of urgency.
Chapter Eight
The Cooper farm was fairly quiet in the late morning hour. Ross paced the length of the porch with his nose in Monique’s journal. He read in virtual silence, although his brows knitted periodically, suggesting something caught his attention. Donna and Marie sat on the bench together and watched him read from the journal, possibly wondering what he found interesting. Beck and Monroe talked with Uncle Dave out by the garage while Bogart sat on the porch railing across from the women and flipped through a photo album.
“You weren’t kidding,” Bogart finally remarked. “These girls love their horses.”
“They had Storm Cloud and Thunder since they were colts,” Marie replied gently. “The girls were--?” She glanced at Donna for confirmation.
“Eight years old,” Donna replied.
Marie nodded. “They spent every waking hour training those horses. Sometimes, I actually believe the horses know them just as well.”
“Huh,” Bogart snorted then grinned. “Maybe we should let the horse find them.”
All three looked at Bogart.
“What?” he remarked defensively while catching their looks. “You said the horse came back to the farm. The animal is obviously smarter than he’s being given credit.” Bogart shrugged and returned to the photo album. “Sort of like me.”
“Trust me,” Marie replied with little hope. “If you set that horse free, the only place he might go is to Donna’s house. It wouldn’t be the first time either horse has gotten out of his fence and took a walk. That’s usually where they end up.”
Ross lowered the journal and looked toward the paddock where the black horse stood by the gate staring toward the woods. Every so often he’d let out a whinny.
“Does he always do that?” Ross asked.
“What?” Marie questioned.
“Stare at the woods and neigh.”
“Sometimes at night, after Colleen puts him away, he calls to Storm Cloud,” she replied. “On a quiet night, you can hear Storm Cloud calling back to him.”
“He looks tense,” Ross remarked.
“I’m sure he is,” Marie replied. “He’s been locked up for three days without Colleen or Storm Cloud. Dave would disagree with me, but I think those horses miss each other and the girls when they’re gone.”
The helicopter was heard in the distance, catching the horse’s attention as well as those at the farm. Ross shut Monique’s journal and set it aside. As he walked off the porch, Bogart set the photo album down and hurried after him. Ross approached Beck and Monroe at the garage with Uncle Dave.
“I need a tracker,” Ross informed Beck.
“Yeah, sure,” Beck replied. “What am I attaching it to?”
Ross pointed to the paddock and the anxious horse that now watched the approaching helicopter. “I want you to attach it to that horse.”
“Damn!” Bogart cried out excitedly while grinning. “I knew I was right.”
“You aren’t right yet,” Ross reminded. “It may be a waste of time, but I’m willing to put a little faith in the horse.”
Beck nodded with conviction. “Yeah, sure. You’ve got it.” He hurried for his duffel bag near the porch.
As the helicopter landed, Ross headed away from the farm to greet Jackie and his men. Monroe and Bogart remained behind him. Zack and Kirk got out of the helicopter. Jackie was only a minute behind them.
“Anything?” Ross asked.
“We found the herd,” Kirk informed him with little emotion. “It’s like the lady said, the rangers are searching that area for the girls. We spoke with two of them. They haven’t found anything. No girls; no poachers.”
“Okay,” Ross replied while nodding. “I’m going to need Jackie in the air. Monroe and Bogart will go with her this time. Kirk and Zack, you’re with Beck and me. We’re going to commandeer Donna’s jeep.”
“What’s the plan?” Kirk asked.
“I’m hoping a certain horse can give us some answers,” Ross replied.
†
It only took Beck a few minutes to attach the tiny transmitter to the horse’s leather halter. The horse seemed unusually excited and danced around by the gate. Marie and Donna stood near the fence and watched with anticipation. They exchanged soft whispers about the horse’s rising excitement. It almost seemed as if the horse knew they intended to set him free. Jackie, Monroe, and Bogart returned to the helicopter and lifted off a few minutes earlier to keep from swaying the horse’s interest. Once the men were outside the fence, they stared at the horse with strange looks. The horse snorted and started trotting along the fence line near the gate. He’d then spin wildly on his hindquarters and trot in the opposite direction.
“It’s like he knows something is up,” Beck remarked and eyed Ross. “Maybe we should wait in the jeep.”
Ross nodded. As the three men headed for the jeep, Ross looked back at Donna and Marie.
“Once we’re in the jeep, open the gate,” Ross informed them.
Both women nodded. Ross hurried to join the others in the jeep. Thunder snorted loudly and bolted along the fence line, spinning wildly. Donna and Marie exchanged nervous looks. Marie took a deep breath and headed for the gate. Thunder charged the gate and nearly crashed into it. Marie cried out with surprise. The horse suddenly squealed and reared up. He wanted out! Marie took a deep breath, unlatched the gate, and hid behind it as she pulled it open. The black horse galloped through the open gate and ran down the driveway. Kirk put the jeep into gear and drove after the horse, maintaining enough distance so as not to chase it. Beck fiddled with his tracker while the helicopter flew above at a safe distance, also following the horse. It only took Thunder five minutes to reach the Harris farm next door. The running horse was neighing excitedly the entire way, his head held high and his tail flumed behind him. The jeep pulled down the driveway and stopped at a distance. All four men groaned softly.
“Marie was right,” Ross muttered. “He just came back to Donna’s farm.”
The black horse pranced around outside the barn while snorting. He then trotted into the barn while neighing excitedly. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he trotted out of the barn, stopped, and neighed loudly with his head high in the air. He snorted and sniffed the air. The only sound was the faint sound of the helicopter overhead in the distance.
“So much for that,” Beck remarked. “At least we didn’t waste more than half an hour on that.”
The horse suddenly took off down the driveway and headed for the woods. All four turned in the jeep and watched with surprise.
“That’s not the way to the Cooper farm,” Zack informed them.
“Track him,” Ross ordered then looked at Kirk behind the wheel. “Go, go, go!”
Chapter Nine
The helicopter flew high above the trees over the game land. Jackie piloted the helicopter with Monroe in the passenger seat alongside her. Bogart rode in the back and kept watch with binoculars. The black horse ran through the path in the woods and crossed a clearing, startling the herd of wild horses. The horses jumped around and watched the running horse. A few attempted to follow, but they soon gave up chase.
“Echo one, do you have eyes on jackrabbit?” Ross’s voice came over Jackie’s headset.
“Echo one?” Monroe muttered and glanced at Jackie. “Who’s echo one?”
“Who’s jackrabbit?” Bogart asked, equally confused.
“Copy that, gold leader,” Jackie replied into her headset.
Monroe and Bogart exchanged dumbfounded looks then shook their heads in unison.
“He’s holding his current course and speed,” Jackie informed Ross.
They followed the horse for nearly half an hour. He was starting to slow his pace, growing tired. All three suddenly straightened in their seats and looked ahead in the distance.
“Ross, we have an old ghost town up ahead,” she announced into her headset. “The horse is heading straight for the town.”
They could see the jeep closing in on the horse then drop back, so not to frighten him. Thunder trotted into the ghost town and neighed loudly. There was no response. He stopped in the middle of town with his tail flumed and his head high. Thunder snorted loudly and listened. An unkempt man, looking a bit like a hillbilly, walked out of one of the more sound buildings, startling the horse. He smiled at the horse and talked softly to him while approaching.
Jackie kept her distance from the air. “Ross, there’s someone in the town. He’s approaching jackrabbit.”
The man caught the horse by the halter. Thunder suddenly squealed and reared up in the air. He immediately leaped forward, bowling the man over. The horse took off through town.
“He ran from the man,” Jackie informed Ross. “I think he scared jackrabbit.”
“Keep eyes on the horse,” Ross replied. “We’re going to talk to the guy and search the town.”
“Roger, gold leader.”
The man now covered in dirt straightened and brushed off his pants. He looked to the sky and saw the helicopter passing overhead. The jeep drove through town and skidded to a stop almost behind him, startling the man. When he saw the four intimidating men get out of the jeep with their handguns drawn, he smiled almost nervously.
“Oh, hey,” he announced, “you guys must be lost.”
Zack and Kirk took flanking positions on either side of the street, causing the man to look nervously around.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” the man announced defensively. “I’m just passing through myself.”
“Glad to hear,” Ross remarked while grinning. “That means you have no problem with us looking around.”
“Uh, problem?” the man fumbled. “Uh, no, of course not. Have a look around. Take your time.”
Kirk and Zack were already entering the buildings on either side of the street. Beck walked past Ross and the stranger, heading for the next building up ahead. Ross paused by the man and grinned almost sadistically.
“So how did you get here?” Ross asked.
The man stared at him a moment then pointed down the road. “I have a four wheeler. Some friends and I are taking the day to explore the valley.”
“Oh?” Ross announced cheerfully. “Let’s meet these friends.”
The man uncertainly led him to the next building. Ross glanced down an alley, hesitated, and turned. He walked along the alley with the man now following him.
“The guys are this way,” the man announced.
Ross ignored him and stopped at the end of the alley. A large panel truck was parked behind the larger building. Within the truck was stock fencing.
Ross indicated the truck while studying the man. “You always take a truck full of stock fence with you on your rides?”
“That?” he questioned. “That’s not ours. That was here when we got here. Come, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”
Ross followed him through the back door. They walked along a rickety old hallway and approached the front room of the building. The man spoke to Ross as he passed through the doorway. Ross drew his weapon from his concealed shoulder holster.
“Here,” he announced. “These are my friends.”
Ross passed through the doorway and immediately kicked the man hidden to the right of the door and aimed his gun at the man hiding on the left. None of them were armed, but it was an ambush all the same. The man he was following raised his hands in the air and appeared alarmed.
“They didn’t mean any harm,” he quickly announced. “They’re just a little untrusting.”
“Yeah?” Ross demanded then grinned. “Me too.”
He motioned with his gun, waving the three men to the nearby table. They were the same men who had been herding the horses three days earlier. The men took their seats and stared at Ross.
“We’re looking for two missing teenage girls,” Ross announced. “A blond and a brunette. Have you seen either of them in the last three days?”
“Teenage girls? Out here?” the first man suddenly asked. “No, there haven’t been any girls out here. Why would teenage girls be out here?”
Ross nodded. “Assuming you’re telling the truth, you have nothing to worry about,” he announced casually. “Of course, if I find any trace of those girls in this town, we’re going to have ourselves a good old-fashioned western lynching.”
“I swear,” the first man announced more quickly. “We haven’t seen any girls out here.”
†
Blake Harris entered his office with little enthusiasm while sipping his coffee. He collapsed behind his desk and allowed his head to fall into his hands. He refrained from groaning. The events of the last few days had clearly taken their toll on him. It was possible he hadn’t slept since his daughter’s disappearance. He finally straightened, took another large swallow of coffee, and attempted to get on with his day. Blake sorted through the mail on his desk then hesitated when he saw a letter sized envelope with bold typing on the front and the Bureau’s address as the return address. Blake stared at the envelope a moment longer then carefully took it by the edges and sliced it open with the letter opener. He dumped the letter and a photo onto the desk. When he saw a crude printer copy of his daughter and her friend in a photo on plain paper, he nearly grabbed the letter without thinking. He hesitated and quickly removed a pair of latex gloves from the drawer. He carefully opened the letter with a tweezers and his pen. Blake’s expression shattered as he stared at the crudely typed letter in all caps.
It simply read: If you ever want to see your daughter and her friend again, all evidence in the Roderick files must never see a courtroom. When Justin Roderick goes free, so will the girls.
Blake stared at the letter for several minutes or longer before he jumped to his feet. Without hesitation, he placed the letter, the photo, and the envelope into a plastic evidence bag, removed his gloves, and hurried from his office. Blake rushed from his office and nearly collided with two agents. Both men were startled by his hasty entrance into the hallway.
