Shadows and Light: The Complete Series, page 46
“Let the boy go. You don’t need both of us.”
“Nice fairy tale you have there in your head, Father,” he said laughing. “But you’re correct. I don’t have any use for the kid.” Yanking out the revolver from his waist, he pointed it at Danny. “You believe in heaven, kid? Your priest suggested I send you home.” The soundless bullet hit the wall half an inch from Danny’s left ear, spraying bits of drywall down on him. The child didn’t flinch or make a sound.
“Stop, I’ll do whatever you ask. Leave him alone.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Ivan grinned as he moved behind the camera.
• • •
A lone man sat in a parked car half a block from St. Luke’s Catholic Church. As soon as the target came out of the opened doors, his cell phone was in his hand.
“Jefe, she just left the church and is heading toward the school. What are your orders?”
“I want to know where she is every minute. Let me down, you die.”
Mendoza ended the call and paced his study. He had brought in his best people, but couldn’t relax. His craving would be satisfied when he saw her himself. Everything would be as it should be when he was with her again. He hit the number one on his phone and waited for the call to connect.
“It’s time. Bring the boy and priest to me. No mistakes, Ivan,” he said, his voice cold as steel.
• • •
Anthony sat pinned to the chair by two large men on either side of him. He watched as Ivan pocketed his cell phone. Mendoza just called but Anthony couldn’t make out the short conversation. One thing was clear. Ivan wasn’t happy. In fact, he appeared almost scared.
Clearing his throat, Anthony said, “It’s really tough working for a madman, isn’t it?”
“For a priest, you sure don’t know when to shut the fuck up, do you?” Ivan shot back.
“Your boss is losing it, isn’t he? I feel your pain. Been there ― done that. You have no idea what’s going on do you?”
Ivan took two angry steps toward the priest, gripped the collar in his fist, and yanked Anthony toward him. “I said shut the fuck up.”
Anthony just grinned. “Don’t take it personally. Elías Mendoza’s true nature is slipping to the surface, a new level of evil. He’s lost his focus, and you’re left in the dark. Maybe it’s time you move on where your very existence doesn’t depend of the whims of a madman.”
Ivan flung Anthony back onto the chair and switched off the camera. “We are taking a drive. I can have my men beat the crap out of you until you are barely conscious so I don’t have to deal with you, or you can just come along peacefully on your own. I’ll even allow you to help me with the kid,” Ivan said, pointing to Danny who hadn’t moved or made a sound since Anthony entered the apartment.
Anthony glared at Ivan. “I’ll help.”
“Well that’s real big of you. The kid doesn’t like me much.” He shoved his handgun back behind his back.
Anthony shrugged the men off him and approached Danny. The boy curled up on the sofa in a semi-catatonic state. Leaning down, Anthony touched his shoulder and said, “Son, it’s Father Anthony,” he said quietly. “I’m going to help you stand.” As Anthony placed his hands around Danny’s chest to lift him, the boy lashed out, his arm swinging in every direction. Anthony grabbed hold of his arms, but Danny fought harder.
“You need any help over there?” Ivan asked from across the room.
“No, I think you already helped enough, you sick bastard. Danny! Stop fighting me, son. No one is going to hurt you.”
Anthony knelt down and cupped the child’s face in his hands, forcing him to make eye contact. Danny winked. It was slight; so sudden, Anthony thought he missed it. But when their eyes met again, Danny’s lips curved at the corner and for a split second, a twinkle of mischief sparkled in his eyes.
“Why you clever kid,” he whispered in his ear. “Great plan, keep it up.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Children’s laughter and music drifted down the hallway. The sound usually had a calming effect on Jennie, filling her with joy. But today, every burst of laughter from the assembly in the cafeteria was another reminder of the dangerous situation her students and the entire school could be in because of her.
The tiny surveillance camera located in the vent almost directly over her was still in use. Mendoza haunted her. She could feel him, almost smell the sickening musk scent of his cologne.
She sat at her desk and swallowed the acid that churned up into her throat. Her heart skipped a beat every time the heat rattled through the old vents or footsteps echoed in the hallway outside her door. She glanced up at the wall clock. Only thirty-three minutes before the final bell. Even the constant ticking of the wall clock mocked her. Jared’s presence was the only thing keeping her from jumping out of her own skin. He communicated with her through an ear mic, but she couldn’t speak to him.
Mac McNeil, the task force lead agent, insisted she stick to her normal routine. Mendoza had to believe she was vulnerable. Noah was doing his part by pretending to be Jared while keeping up with his own routine. As Jared’s identical twin, it was imperative that he played both roles without a glitch.
She glanced at her laptop and added another grade to the spreadsheet. Working with the school’s grading program was just the kind of mindless task she needed to pass the time. Jared’s tech guy fed a line into the system that detected when Mendoza’s men monitored her activities. He could then trace the connection back to Mendoza’s main computer. One more intrusion she had no control over.
“I’m right here, Jennie,” Jared said, quietly in her ear. “Why don’t you take something for your headache? Eating something will also help. It’s almost over. Just a half hour and the kids will be gone.”
She rose and moved to the small refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of water and half a sandwich. She opened her purse, shook out two ibuprofen tablets into her hand, and swallowed them down. Sitting back at her desk, she ate two bites of the sandwich and placed it back in the sandwich bag.
“Mac needs to brief you on a new development. He has a direct line into your laptop and will appear on your screen. Don’t acknowledge him. Any questions can be typed into the box at the bottom of the page. It’s kind of like an instant message program. The communication is completely secure. You’ll need to leave the grading application open in case Mendoza’s men become too curious. Just keep inserting the grades while Mac talks. Are you okay with this, Jennie? Just signal me that you understand.”
Jennie tapped her pen a couple times as they had prearranged.
“Mac will be on your screen in five seconds.” Jared counted down preparing Jennie so she didn’t react when the face appeared in front of her.
“Hey, sis.”
A man whose eyes were the same hazel shade as Mary McNeil’s, with the same rough chiseled features as his brothers, appeared on her screen. His smile was warm, friendly, and exactly what Jennie needed at the moment.
HI MAC, NICE TO MEET YOU.
“You’re doing great, Jennie. You don’t have to look at me. I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances.”
ME, TOO.
Jennie focused on the stack of assignments in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she could tell that Mac was talking to someone off screen. After a long pause, Jennie couldn’t help typing,
WHAT’S HAPPENED?
“After Mendoza tried to blow one of my best friends to smithereens Wednesday night, we’ve taken your theory to heart. We posted agents around areas you frequent and watched for any signs of his men. Early this morning, one of the agents noticed a man walking away from your school. It has taken a while, but we have found something. I’m going to bring up the image. Please try not to react.”
A moment later, Jennie’s heart landed in her stomach. She had never been in the subbasement of the building, but she knew what one looked like. All the ceiling joists were rigged with the same kind of explosives she saw wired to Raúl.
AM I SEEING WHAT I THINK I’M SEEING?
“Yes, Jen,” Jared answered softly.
WHERE?
“Under your wing, but that’s enough explosives to take out the entire building and some of your neighbors,” Mac answered.
Jennie’s breath got caught in her throat. She had never felt so helpless. Don’t let him feel your fear. Don’t give him the satisfaction. Breathe. Several moments later, she typed,
CAN YOU DEACTIVATE IT?
“Yes, but it’s going to be a little tricky. It’s attached to a cell phone. We are attempting to decode it.”
WE NEED TO EVACUATE THE SCHOOL.
“If we let on that we know, Jennie, Mendoza may call the cell. We can’t take that chance,” Mac tried to explain.
“Jennie, please breathe,” Jared interrupted. “I won’t let anything happen to you or the kids. You told me you trusted me,” Jared pleaded.
Jennie couldn’t sit still another minute. She rose and moved to the far corner of the classroom. Aware she was being watched, she lowered herself to the floor, and picked up one of the research books from the bookcase under the window. Flipping it open, she took several deep breaths and tried to calm her beating heart.
“We can deactivate it. But I don’t think Mendoza plans to use it,” Mac said, feeding into Jared’s mic.
“Damn it, Mac, just give her a minute,” Jared ordered. “Close your eyes, sweetheart; breathe through it. If I can’t see your face, no one can.” Several moments later, Jennie placed the book back on the self and returned behind her desk. Swallowing the sob in her throat, she began to type.
SORRY, I’M FINE NOW.
“Don’t apologize. You’re dealing with this better than most experienced agents would.”
“You’re wasting your breath, Mac. Nothing you say is going to make her feel better about any of this. Just give it all to her so we can get a minute alone,” Jared roared into the mic.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
“We think that Mendoza will contact you before you leave today. We don’t think he plans to meet you at the school. The neighborhood is too confined to allow for an easy escape. We need you to be ready for anything, Jennie. He’s not going to make the contact easy on you.”
I UNDERSTAND.
“The agents on Father Michael and Father Anthony both reported that the men made recordings. We figured Mendoza will use the recordings to convince you to do what he asks. If that doesn’t get your attention, he will show you the school.”
ARE THEY OKAY?
As she typed the message, her hands trembled. She held them in her lap.
“Yes. Father Anthony was just placed in a car with Danny moments ago. Your godfather is still in the hangar at the airport in Rome. My agents have them in sight and will not lose them.”
DANNY?
“Jennie, someone is accessing your network. Ending transmission.”
Mac’s image disappeared. Glancing at the column of grades, Jennie quickly entered several more As and Bs. She could play their damn game, too. You are not winning this time, you stinking bastard!
“Jennie, Mac’s coming back on in five seconds,” Jared said softly. Jennie could feel the concern in Jared. This was killing him. She had to hold it together because it was going to get a lot worse before it got better. Mac’s face reappeared on her screen.
“You’re incredible, Jennie. If I knew Jared wouldn’t kill me with his bare hands, I would try talking you into working for us,” Mac said, smiling. “To answer your question about Danny, he appears a little worse for wear, but he’s alive and Father Anthony will do everything in his power to keep him safe. Do you have any idea what Mendoza wants from you?”
IT’S A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR REVENGE. IT’S MORE THAN THAT.
“How about your feelings,” Jared interrupted. “What do you feel he wants?”
It took a couple moments before Jennie could type in her answer.
MAKE ME PAY FOR THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER. TO POSSESS ME, OWN ME. I HAVE BECOME AN OBSESSION TO HIM, BUT HE HATES ME FOR IT. HE KNOWS I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU; BETRAYED HIM. THE HATRED I FEEL IS VERY STRONG. HE’S WATCHING ME, I FEEL HIS PRESENCE; HE’S CLOSE. WE ARE LIKE A TRIANGLE, JARED. YOU ARE CAPABLE OF FEELING HIM, TOO.
“You told me last night that we canceled him out. How are you feeling him now?”
NOT THE SAME THING. THAT FEELING WAS LIKE A CREEPY SHIVER YOU GET WHEN YOU WALK BY A GRAVEYARD AT NIGHT. THIS IS DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW HOW I FELT YOU AS SOON AS YOU ENTERED THE HOSPITAL THE OTHER NIGHT? IT’S LIKE THAT — HE’S PHYSICALLY VERY CLOSE TO ME, AND THE ANGER RADIATING FROM HIM IS VERY STRONG.
“Jennie, we have had our profiler working on this for a while now. We think Mendoza needs you for some reason. Have you ever put together one of those 3D puzzles?
YES, I LOVE THOSE.
“Think of Mendoza’s empire as a 3D tower puzzle. The puzzle has sections that piece together to build a strong structure that can continue to expand as long as you have puzzle pieces to build. Mendoza’s organization enlarges the same way; hundreds of little companies combined with other companies that build a very impressive empire. Each piece or section is completely autonomous. If we take down one entire section, that’s all we get. None of the sections appear to know what the other sections are doing. Mendoza is quite a genius to be able to manipulate an organization as large as his while keeping every section in the dark. But then there’s you, a tiny section in the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit. Your pieces are just a little off. The only way the entire structure can hold the weight of section after section placed on top of each other is if all the sections are structurally strong. Are you following this, Jennie?”
YEAH, YOU JUST CALLED ME THE WEAKEST LINK.
“I guess I did. But that’s exactly what you are to Mendoza. He’s famous for ripping out sections of his organization that don’t pull their weight and replacing them with ones that do. He should have taken care of you years ago. I don’t mean to sound cruel, but that’s the kind of man we are dealing with.”
I KNOW.
“Mendoza’s attachment to you has lasted more than fourteen years.”
ALL I FEEL FROM HIM IS HATRED!
“The attachment is need. He’s not capable of love, but he has to have you close to him.”
MAC, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?
“Did you know your mother grew up only a couple houses down from Mendoza?”
NO.
“That’s not surprising. It’s not in our file either. It was assumed Mendoza went after your father because he was the arresting officer on Arturo Mendoza’s file. But when we discovered who you were, we began a deeper search into your father.”
AND?
“It seems there was a kind of friendship between your mother and Mendoza throughout childhood. Then your father came into the picture.”
It took a moment for what Mac said to penetrate. Jennie’s heartbeat hammered between her ears and her lungs emptied of air as if someone had just sucker punched her. She slammed her eyes shut as she bit down on the inside of her mouth and swallowed the sob.
“Jennie, breathe, sweetheart,” Jared whispered in her ear.
Taking in a calming breath, she nodded. After opening her eyes, she set her hands on the keyboard and began to type.
MY GOD! WAS MENDOZA JUST WAITING FOR A REASON TO KILL MY FATHER BECAUSE IN HIS SICK MIND, MY MOTHER BELONGED TO HIM?
“It’s only a theory.”
AND I’VE REPLACED MY MOTHER? HE KEPT ME ALIVE …
“It’s more than that, Jennie.” Jared’s voice came out in a raw whisper.
The meaning behind Jared’s words roared inside her head. Every muscle tensed at once.
JARED, ALL THIS TIME HISTORY WAS REPEATING ITSELF. IT’S JUST NOT OUR HISTORY.
Jennie dropped her hands in her lap and shut her eyes tightly.
“There is no way you could have known,” Jared’s voice came out in a hoarse whisper.
It took a long time before Jennie could bring herself to type again.
HE MUST HAVE SENSED OUR CONNECTION WHEN WE FIRST MET IN HIS STUDY. HE WENT AFTER YOU, HURT YOU, CARVED THE SAME CROSS …
Jennie’s hands began to shake so badly, she yanked them from the keyboard and placed them in her lap. Blood pounded through her head as rage crashed down on her like a tidal wave.
BUT IF HE HAD SOME CREEPY FIXATION ON MY MOTHER, WHY DID HE KILL HER?
“The profiler believes he killed her in a fit of rage,” Mac said. “Since you look so much like the girl he once knew, he couldn’t kill you. The hatred comes from the fact that … ”
I HAVE MY FATHER’S EYES. THAT’S WHAT HE SEES WHEN HE LOOKS AT ME.
“You, your mother, and father were all warped together inside a madman’s head for years. Then you saved his life. Here was this kid who was scared to death but put it all aside and saved the life of the man who brutally killed her father and mother.”
I DIDN’T KNOW THAT AT THE TIME.
“But Mendoza knew. And, you ran off without asking for anything in return. That kind of humanity has been severely lacking in Mendoza’s life. The only other person Mendoza ever gave a damn about was his father. He had a bizarre case of hero worship for the man. Somehow along the way, he transferred that devotion from his father to you. His organization is coming apart at the seams. He needs you by his side to restore it. He can disappear under a rock somewhere and start over, but he can’t leave you. He can’t do it without you.”
MAC, I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.
Jared interrupted before his brother could talk. “He’s coming for you, Jennie, and you’re going to have to use that knowledge because I’m not going to be able to … ”
Jared trailed off, but Jennie heard the words he couldn’t say.
“What Jared is trying to say, sis, is that when Mendoza comes for you, you’re going to be alone. If we show our hand and try to prevent him from taking you, or if Jared tries to accompany you, he could react by — ”
