Every Breath You Take (11 page)

“Lexie and I are going to ‘rest’ before the meeting this afternoon.” He grinned at Brady and Tiffany who were linked in each other’s arms their faces lit with excitement. “I’d tell the Lt. Colonel to finish up any last minute details, but from the look on his face and that of Major Anderson, looks like the ball is in your court, Peter.”

Peter huffed. “One more reason for me to find a woman as sexy and outrageous as these two.” He added with a sigh, “If that is possible.”

Master Wan gave him a thoughtful look. “Don’t settle for anything less, Peter. You would never forgive yourself. You are a fine man, an honorable one.”

Peter watched the two couples heading out the door. At the sound of Lexie’s shrieks and Jake’s resounding laughter, he shook his head with a wry grin.

“Tell me, Master Wan. Am I still honorable if killing is my business? And that I enjoy blindfolds, hand cuffs and the back of a crotch rocket as much as the Big Guy does?”

“Indeed. On all counts. Although your choice of profession and your ‘proclivities’ insist that like Jake and others I know,” the elderly man added with a wink, “finding the right woman is imperative.”

Peter watched Master Wan walk away with a lilt in his step. Peter wondered if he could ever emulate the elegant man’s model. It was an inspiring thought. Hmm, being a world class killer
and
finding a woman who was his equal? A heady goal to aspire to—indeed.

Chapter 10

Jake watched the elevator numbers tick off the floors as they rode to the top of the Government Center. He looked from one to the other of the team appraisingly then focused on Lexie.

“I’ve been thinking about those cracker-jack instincts of yours, Darlin’.
And
the critical questions you raised yesterday about how the killers got the names of the girls.”

He was quiet for a moment then tossed out a challenge.

“Chew on that fact for a moment, everyone. Think about it. We’re the only ones who knew the girls names. And we sure as hell didn’t tell anyone, correct? The only way the killers could’ve gotten their identities is from men so high in the ‘need to know’ chain that nothing is secret to them.”

Brady’s eyes widened. Pressing his lips in a thin line, he nodded and gave an appreciative grunt.

“Such as the men we’re gonna be meeting with in the next three minutes?”

Jake’s lip quirked up in a satisfied smile.

“Yeah.
Those
men.”

~~~

“My God, Alexis, you are more beautiful every time I see you, if that is possible!”

Commissioner Roberts’s suntanned face glowed with appreciation. He reached for Lexie’s hand and drew her into the room. A wall of glass overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge stretched the full length of the ornate conference room. Lit with sunshine, the sparkling blue harbor below and the landmark stretching across it contrasted with the ugliness of the mission they had come to discuss.

The seven men seated at the mammoth table all leapt to their feet at their entrance. It didn’t surprise Jake that every one of them was staring at Lexie as though they’d seen an apparition.

Lexie was a phenomenon. Her mane of thick blond hair, bright dark gray eyes and show stopping body had become a familiar sight in San Francisco’s halls of power. Her scintillating red sheathe and trademark five-inch high-heeled shoes were just one more reason that all of the men were staring at her glassy-eyed.

Jake hid his smile watching the powerful public leaders jostle one another seeking her attention. The press corps had named his glorious woman
the
Blonde Barracuda.
For good reason. Lexie was as feared as she was admired. No one who lived in the public eye wanted to be on the wrong side of Alexis Beloi. The press couldn’t get enough of her physical beauty, rapier wit, and passion for her cause. With a single telephone call, Lexie could gin up evening news television coverage on every channel, often as the lead story. Almost singlehanded, she had forced the ‘city fathers’ in the law enforcement and political arenas to deal with the hideous reality of the exploited women in the District. The anxiety on the faces of the influential men hosting the meeting confirmed Lexie’s power.

Jake waited until Police Commissioner Roberts and ICE Commissioner Spellman and the others had paid homage to the superstar, before he acknowledged Brady and introduced Tiffany. Brady was well known from previous encounters and exchanged pleasantries with each of the attendees. The men’s eyes widened when Jake introduced Tiffany. Jake grinned at their astonishment. It was bad enough that Lexie had totally wowed them, but Tiffany was a wonder in her own right. Her fire-red hair twisted on top of her head complemented her black business suit. But no matter how professional her intent, the mid-thigh pencil skirt and fitted jacket couldn’t hide her voluptuous body. Like Lexie she chose to wear stiletto high-heeled shoes that showed off her gasp-worthy legs.

“Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet our new partner, Major Tiffany Anderson. Major Anderson worked with Col. Schaefer and me on several missions. She has spent the last two years on assignment in Korea. Major Anderson is an expert on the Korean syndicate responsible for the international sex trade that emanates from Korea. Major Anderson recently retired from active duty and to our delight agreed to join our firm. She is a valuable member of our team, as you will all discover.”

Craig Spellman’s sallow skin took on a brighter hue. While the rest of the men greeted Tiffany politely, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed why he wasn’t known for his aplomb. He looked from Lexie to Tiffany and guffawed.

“I can say one thing for you, Gardner. You sure as hell have an eye for pulchritude.”

Jake allowed a slight smile to cross his lips.

“I presume there are other reasons, Commissioner, that you are willing to pay our outrageous fees. But, don’t be misled. The evil men we are pursuing have every reason to fear Major Anderson as much as they do Alexis, Colonel Schaefer and myself. You might want to keep that in mind, Craig. And for the record: our fees have doubled given the situation we now face.”

The rail thin man with a slightly greenish tinge to his pale face glowered. Jake knew how much the Commissioner disliked hiring “consultants.” It annoyed Spellman that Jake didn’t have to follow the rules and didn’t answer to him or anyone else—as far as Spellman knew. The fact that Jake’s team was paid at rates ten times what a government employee would make—even one at Spellman’s level—rankled the pompous official. The man who ordered Spellman to hire Jake and Brady headed up the Department of Homeland Security that oversaw Spellman’s bailiwick. The senior Cabinet official also happened to have served on Jake’s Special Forces squad in Somalia.

When the word came down from Washington to hire Jake and his company, Spellman could do little more than complain about their fees. Like many public officials Spellman knew that the only way to make money in a government job was to cultivate powerful friends and then leave government service and become a consultant. Spellman made no secret that the arrangement galled him. Jake had never understood why his fees bothered the Commissioner as much as it did. Spellman was astonishingly wealthy. Most people assumed it was his wife’s wealth that kept him living in luxurious surroundings. Jake hadn’t weighed in on that issue, but he had forensic accountants reviewing the Commissioner’s financials.

Peter Kim rose from the table with the rest of the officials when Jake and the others entered. None of the men at the table knew Peter’s real identity or that the District 4 Councilman was a key part of Jake’s team. In public Peter and the team had a cordial relationship. In that the hideous murders had taken place in Councilman Kim’s District, it was assumed that he would be present at the strategic session.

Peter was a rising star in his own right. No one in the public arena wanted to be on the wrong side of the urbane Councilman. He’d been handpicked by the Mayor to take a seat on the City Council representing District 4, the hotbed of the illegal sex trade. The Mayor had appointed Peter to fill the seat of the only other Korean member of the Council when Chang Yi became ill. Although he’d never confirmed it, now that Jake knew Peter’s real identity, Chang Yi’s ‘illness’ seemed auspiciously timed. Jake chuckled to himself. Someday he would ask Peter if he had a hand in the sudden malady that forced former Councilman Yi to retire.

~~~

Commissioner Roberts opened the meeting by addressing Lexie.

“Alexis, the cruel murder of the three young women has horrified all of us. The city is shocked. I offer you my condolences. I know that you worked personally with the victims. I am sorry. I want you to know that none of us blame you for what happened. Although, I’m confident in retrospect you wish that we could turn back the clock and undo the damage caused by the event you engineered.”

Lexie managed to choke back her shock. She’d been wracked with guilt for the last three days. But long conversations with Master Wan and Jake along with hours in the dojo had helped her focus her grief. While she would never forget the terrible murders, she knew in her heart that the animals who tortured the young girls were responsible for their deaths and that feeling guilty wasn’t useful. Instead she was more determined than ever that they would take down the hideous enterprise that ordered the murders and were responsible for the exploitation of thousands of young women in their city. But Commissioner Roberts’s cutting, careless words tore at a scab that had barely begun to heal. Lexie sucked in a deep breath trying to respond professionally. Jake beat her to it.

Lexie looked up in time to see Jake eyeing the suave police commissioner. Even before Jake spoke his fierce expression wiped the smug look off the Commissioner’s face. Jake’s voice was cool, but no one could miss the dangerous edge underpinning his words.

“Would you like to explain what you meant by that remark, Commissioner?”

A dead silence met his words. Commissioner Roberts frowned, clearly not accustomed to being reprimanded or having to explain either his words or his actions. He visibly swallowed then glowered at Jake who returned the hard stare with one of his own.

Roberts hesitated then said, “Look, Jake, no one admires Alexis more than I do. You know that and so does she. Cynthia and I respect the hell out of her. Christ, she teaches our children. Samantha and Donald think she’s Wonder Woman. They have posters of her all over their rooms.”

Jake persisted. “You didn’t answer my question, Tom.”

Using the Commissioner’s first name in this professional setting was an intentional affront. The Commissioner had purposefully tried to assert his authority when he called Jake by his first name. Now Jake returned the favor.

Silence settled over the table as the two powerful men faced off. The Commissioner blinked first.

“All right, dammit. That was a thoughtless remark. I apologize, Alexis. I know you are broken up over what happened. We all are.”

Lexie shrugged and didn’t respond. While Lexie may have accepted the Commissioner’s forced apology, Jake made it clear that he did not. He swept his gaze around the table focusing on each of the attendees. When he spoke, the dangerous edge had sharpened.

“Let me be clear, Tom, with you—and everyone at this table. Three days ago, three innocent young women were tortured to death. This happened on your watch, Tom, and yours, Craig. In addition, the rest of us at this table are also responsible. Not for what we did, but for what we allowed to go unaddressed for far too long. The one person at the table who did not let the issue lie is Alexis Beloi. With the help of Dan Rourke, Mark Peterson, and Peter Kim, she refused to be put off by the powerful officials who were content to ignore the problem until the public spotlight shone on them.”

Craig Spellman pounded on the table.

“Dammit, Gardner, are you saying that none of us did anything about the brothels until Alexis and Councilman Kim staged that publicity stunt? And before you answer that, can you deny that it was that publicity that killed those girls?”

While Lexie and Peter were perfectly capable of responding to the querulous man, the formidable expression on Jake’s face stopped them both.

Jake sat quietly for a long moment then blew out a soft puff of air.

“That remark, Craig, is what my Uncle Bobbie Ray would call lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut. As for me, I’ll chock it up to your embarrassment at your department’s inability to make a dent in the illegal prostitution travesty that is running rampant under your nose. I might add, Craig, that the reason my team and I are here, earning extraordinary fees, is because Washington considers your efforts dismal at best.”

Jake held up his hand when Spellman flushed beet-red and sputtered in outrage. Jake included Roberts in his hard glare.

“Listen up, both of you. Lexie and Councilman Kim precipitated the first real movement in this despicable arena to date. Not only do we have the Mayor, the Governor and the national and international press focused on the plight of exploited women in San Francisco but we have a standard bearer for the cause. Alexis can’t walk out the front door of her Center without being accosted by eager news people begging for an interview. They want to know in her words what the ‘powers that be’ are doing about this crime. In the event that you don’t know it,
you
, gentlemen,
are
the ‘powers that be.’

“Far be it from me to threaten any of you, but in a couple of well-phrased responses to the press who are eager to find scapegoats, Lexie can have you wishing that you’d stayed under the porch instead of trying to run with the big dogs.”

Radiating power, Jake upped the ante further.

“Finally, our team agreed to come to this meeting for one reason. I want to hear from each of you in detail what your organizations are doing to solve these murders.”

Commissioner Roberts broke the pregnant silence, conceding to Jake’s potent authority.

“As you know, Jake, Dan Rourke is the finest Vice Captain we’ve ever had and Mark Peterson is a close second. The SFPD is at your service specifically under the leadership of Captain Rourke. Whatever resources Dan needs are his for the asking. He wants it, he gets it yesterday.”