Jobe: Alvarez Security Series (20 page)

Waldo grinned. He liked the sound of that. Jazzie’s interest was sharp as well.

Pushing a scrap of paper at them with a computer image and a name on it, Tito simply said, “Get her. Take Poco and one other you choose and get her. Then make her pay. All the way. Then deliver her to the Kings with a note that they can thank us for the gift.”

The men laughed, anxious to do Tito’s bidding. Jazzie watched him carefully. Getting this King’s girl out would give him a good chance to see how best to get to Gabby.

The next morning, Jazzie could not believe how easy it was. The young woman left the center, walking to the bus stop to go downtown. He watched her in her clean, job-hunting clothes, knowing she was trying to shake the image of the River’s off of her. Glancing to the side, he saw Waldo’s eyes glued to the girl’s ass.

“That all you think about? Fucking?”

Waldo grunted as his eyes never left the girl. “Hell, yeah. Nothin’ like sinkin’ my dick in some sweet pussy.”

“Who cares if it’s sweet as long as it’s pussy?” Poco called out from the back seat.

A bus pulled up, taking the others in line while the girl looked down at her watch. She was now the only one waiting for the downtown bus. As she stood, her hands nervously smoothing down her new skirt, she never heard the sound of soft footsteps behind her. Until it was too late.

*

“So where did
she go?” Mackenna asked Carla.

“I don’t know. Teresa was dressed and out of here in time to make it to the bus stop for her interview. But they called and said that she did not show up.”

Rubbing her temples, Mackenna shook her head. She had just gotten into her office when Carla gave her the news. “I’ve spent two weeks lining up that job interview for her.” Looking up at Rose, who had joined them, Mackenna said, “I’m going to have to let Teresa go if she doesn’t have a good reason for missing that interview. I’ve got two more girls who want into New Beginnings and I already have room for two of them since Selena left.”

“Well, I’ve got more news,” Rose said sitting down. “A couple of the other girls are nervous hearing that Teresa missed her interview this morning. They swear she was excited about it and they think something happened to her. I think Selena’s situation has them afraid of gang retaliation.”

Mackenna sighed heavily. “A week ago, I’d have told them that that was ridiculous. Now I don’t know what to think.”

The three ladies were quiet a moment before Mackenna looked up, shaking her head. “All right, enough about this. Let’s get to work. I’m calling the social worker and telling her to let the two new girls know that they can come on over.”

*

Two days later,
Mackenna was sitting in her DSS cubicle in the downtown office, having just finished a staff meeting. Calling her mom to check on her, she was glad to hear the happiness in her mother’s voice.

“Mom, I was thinking that we need to get back to our house,” she said tentatively. “I talked to the detectives this morning and they said that the house is no longer being processed as a crime scene, so I am heading over there now to check it out. I think we’ll just need to patch the holes and do a little touch-up painting. I made a call to our landlord so that he could make sure a window company came to measure the windows for replacement.”

She noticed the quietness of her mom. Biting her lip, she said, “Are you still there?”

“I heah. I know we nee ta ge back.”

Mackenna could hear the hesitation in her mom’s voice and knew that she was enjoying her time with the Delaros. “Well, we can’t move back until the windows are replaced and I’m sure it’s all secure. So if you’re happy, then there’s no reason to not stay with Joseph and Rachel for a little bit longer.”

“Oh, tha wou be lov-ly,” Penny said, the excitement in her voice evident.

After a few more minutes, they hung up and Mackenna sighed, knowing she needed to head to the house. She did not tell her mother that when she talked to the landlord, he was not happy that her job had ended up having the ramifications of a drive-by. In fact, he had indicated that he would prefer them not to move back in.
Now I may have to find another place to live that can accommodate mom.

Several hours later, waving to Jennifer, who was still in her cubicle talking to some friends, she walked to the elevators when her cell phone rang. Seeing Jobe’s name, she smiled as she answered.

“Hey, sweetie.”

“Where are you, doll?” came the clipped response.

“Well, hello to you too,” she joked.

“Sorry, but I need to come pick you up and need to know where you are,” he explained.

“What’s wrong? Is it mom?” she asked worriedly.

“No babe, but I need to get you now.”

Realizing that he would tell her when the time was right, she said, “I’m just heading out of the DSS building.”

“Stay there and I’ll pick you up out front in about ten minutes.”

“Okay,” she agreed, the uncertainty evident in her voice, as he hung up.

Hurrying to the elevators, she took one down and then waited until she saw the Alvarez black SUV pulling up. Without giving him a chance to double park and open the door for her, she rushed over and hopped into the front seat.

Jobe pulled into traffic, glancing at her, silent but knowing she had a million questions. “I appreciate you cooperating. This needed to be done in person and not over the phone.”

Licking her lips nervously, she twisted her body so that she was facing him. Silently waiting, but not patiently.

“Got a call from Shane. A girl’s been found and they think it may be one of yours. You missing someone and didn’t tell me?”

She blinked slowly, digesting what he was saying.
Picked up? Picked up for what? Is he talking about Teresa?

“Babe?”

Her eyes jerked back to his.

“Did you forget to tell me something? About one of your girls going missing?”

“Forget? I…I do have one of the girls who left, but sometimes they do that, Jobe. They don’t all stay, although most of them do and finish the program. But a few get some skills, some new clothes and walk out the door. I…and what do you mean forget?” she said, angrily. “I don’t report to you!”

His lips tightened into a thin line as he maneuvered them through the end-of-day traffic. “I’m trying to protect you, Mackenna. You have someone go rogue, I need to know that.”

“Why? That doesn’t involve you. Or Tony. Or the police. It just happens sometimes,” she retorted, pushing her hair back in frustration.

“When you’ve got yourself and your center in the sights of some gangs, then yes—it does involve us.”

She sat for a moment sulking, then realized how childish that was. Sighing heavily, she said, “Three days ago, I had set up an interview for Teresa Yanez. She had been with us for about two months. Fast learner, smart. She left us with a full breakfast in her, new business clothes on her, and she did not get to the interview.”

“Did you call the police?”

“No, because they won’t do anything,” she said in a huff. Seeing him cut his eyes over to her, she continued, “I tried that before, Jobe. These girls are over eighteen years old. They do not have to stay at the center or in the program. Most that do stay in are successful when they get out. Others leave and go back to the life.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes when she looked around at the buildings. “Where are we going?”

He pulled to the back of a brick building and she saw the words over the doors.
City Morgue
. Her gaze snapped back to his as she silently begged for his denial.

Sucking in a huge breath as he parked, he turned to face her. “Doll, I’m sorry. You’re the only one who can make a positive identification right now.”

“Dead? She’s dead?”

Shane walked out of the building and seeing them both in the vehicle, he started for the passenger door. Jobe hopped out and rounded the SUV, assisting her out.

“I…I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered.

He pulled her close, tucking her into his side as he shook Shane’s hand and gave a head nod to Matt.

“Baby, I’ll be with you every moment. I swear if there were another way, I’d do it.”

Thirty minutes later, they retraced their steps back to the SUV, this time his arms held her trembling body. He assisted her into the vehicle, buckled her in and rounded the front.

As they drove in silence, her numbness wearing off, she said, “Can you take me to Jennifer’s?”

He glanced to the side, willing to do anything and pulled out his phone, dialing Gabe. As soon as it was answered, he said, “Jennifer home? Can we come by?” “Yeah, Mackenna needs to talk to her. We’ve been at the morgue. One of her girls ended up here.” After a quick goodbye, he changed directions heading out to Gabe and Jennifer’s subdivision.

Pulling up to a neat, two-story house with a fenced in yard they turned into the driveway. Jennifer’s brother, Ross, was outside tossing a ball with Gabe.

“Jennifer’s inside, Mackenna,” he called out.

Jobe nodded and walked her up to the front door. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “I’ll be right out here, doll.”

Before she could nod, the door flung open and she was embraced in Jennifer’s hug.

“Mac! Oh honey, come on in.” Jennifer gave a small smile to Jobe and then shut the door after ushering Mackenna into the kitchen, seating her at the breakfast bar.

“Okay, Mac. I’ve got beer or wine. Or if you prefer, I can make a mean cocktail.”

Mackenna had to smile at her friend’s penchant for trying to fix everything. “I think this calls for wine. We’ll save the cocktails for a celebration.”

“Right,” Jennifer said, pulling out the bottles and glasses.

Lifting an eyebrow, Mackenna asked, “How much wine are you planning on us drinking?”

“Honey, that all depends on how much talking we’ve got to do. So start spilling!”

Moving to the living room, settling into the comfortable sofa, Mackenna began doing just that. She told her about the problems with the New Beginnings Center and ended with the trip to the morgue.

Jennifer listened carefully and by the time Mackenna got to the end, she was shaking her head in sympathy. “Oh, Mac. How horrible for you to have to do that.”

Lifting her gaze to her friend, Mackenna said, “You know, the morgue wasn’t even like in the movies. They had me sign in, fill out forms on how I knew Teresa and then they showed me a picture of her face. I was able to identify her from that and told them so.”

“Oh, thank God you didn’t have to actually see the body,” Jennifer said, leaning forward to grasp Mackenna’s hand.

Squeezing Jennifer’s fingers in response, she said, “Jennifer, is it all worth it? I thought so. I went into social work to make a difference. To help others. I was so interested in women’s studies and empowering women. The more I learned about how to assist women in moving from poverty to productive lives and then learned about breaking the cycle of gang women, that’s all I wanted to do.”

“You are doing that, Mac. You have to know you’re making a difference.”

“I’ve got one girl who was taken away because she was witness to a horrible gang crime and who knows what the safehouse will allow her to do to keep her studies up. I’ve got a girl who has now confessed to being pregnant by a gang leader, who may be the one behind the drive-by shooting of my house. I now have another one that was kidnaped on the way to a job interview and was killed, before being dumped literally at the door of a gang. And to top it off, I have two others that are now thinking of leaving because they are scared of retribution. And that was before what happened to Teresa!”

Tossing back the rest of the wine in her glass, Mackenna leaned forward and poured another drink. She looked over at Jennifer and shook her head. “Pretty pathetic, isn’t it?”

“Nope. Not at all,” Jennifer stated. “I see in front of me a tireless, active, fellow social worker who is burning out due to being in a high-stress environment.”

“Good God, you sound like one of our professors!”

“I know, but I now know that they knew what they were talking about. Almost fifty percent of social workers suffer from job-related stress and burnout. Look, Mac. You’re making a difference, but right now all you can see is the negative. Tell me, how many girls have you had go through the center and actually graduate to jobs outside the gang system?”