Life of a Fool (London Brothers Book 2) (19 page)

“What can we do, but just be vigilant.  He’s coming.  I feel
it.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll kill him before I let him take her, Craig.”

“I hear you.  Same with me.”

I rubbed my hands down my face and said, “Let’s go find the
girls and enjoy the night.”  We walked toward the patio.  I paused just before
opening the door and turned to Craig and said, “I hate that motherfucker, and
all I want is ten minutes alone with him.  I hate this out of control feeling I
have.  I want him dead, dude.  I want to leave here and find him, but I’m too
afraid to let her out of my sight.  The need to protect her and that baby is
unfathomable.  I’m so overwhelmed with everything.  This baby thing has
ratcheted all this up several notches.  If he finds out she is pregnant with
his baby, he’ll stop at nothing to get to her.  You know it’s true.”

“I know.  I don’t envy your situation at all.  I hate to ask
this, but how are you handling the baby thing?”

“I love her.  You know I do.  I hate the circumstances, but
seeing how badly she’s wrestling with it, I can’t help but do what’s best for
her and love both of them.”

“I agree.”  Craig looked out toward the balcony and squinted
his eyes.  “Where the hell…”  He pushed past me and threw open the door.  Like
in a slow motion movie, I turned to see Keri laying on the wooden deck, blood
coming from her temple, and no Lori Ann in sight.  “Call 911!” Craig screamed,
then I heard him yell for the guys guarding downstairs. 

I was like a robot.  I grabbed my phone and dialed, speaking
in my clear “cop” voice, but scanning and panicking at the same time.  Where
was my girl?  “Craig, where is she?” 

Suddenly, Craig looked up from Keri and yelled, “OH FUCK!” 
My knees wobbled as my head caught up. 

“What…No, no, no, no!”  I knelt near Keri who was alive, but
knocked out.  She had blood coming from the side of her head and probably a
nasty concussion, but was alive.  “Keri, please.  Where is she?”

“She unconscious, Jason!” he yelled before looking back at
Keri.  He was touching her body, checking for other injuries, forcing himself
not to move her.  “My God, they could have killed her or taken her with Lori
Ann.”

“Shut the fuck up!”  I grabbed his shirt, lifting him away
from Keri.  “Help me!  He took her!  Help me, please!  You don’t understand. 
He’s going to let them hurt her.”

We could hear sirens coming as Craig snapped back and said, “Stop! 
Let me get my woman on the gurney.  This isn’t just about you anymore!  They
hurt her!” 

I sucked in a deep breath.  Even in my panicked state, I
knew he was right.  I patted his shoulder and mumbled, “I’m sorry.” 

Craig grabbed my arm and said, “We can do this.  But I need
to make sure Keri is okay.  Go downstairs and see why the fuck my guys didn’t
do anything.”

I turned and ran through the house, bolting out the door,
and found both young officers with bullets to their heads.  Dead.  I felt sick.
I had to find my girl.  That asshole had her, and he would stop at nothing to
make her pay. 

“CRAIG!”  I yelled, and he came running toward me. 

“DEAD!” 

“FUCK!  Okay, let me get her to the hospital.  Start with
the airports.  Now!  Call the others on the security team and get them headed
there to meet you.”

“Got it.”  I had to stop and concentrate on thinking like a
cop. 
Come on, man…think!  Use your training!
  I immediately dialed
Thomas, the oldest and most senior of the men we’d been using to guard the
place, told him to round everyone up, and get homicide over to our townhome.

“Yes, sir.”  He paused.  “Jason, what the hell happened?” 

I was already outside, my gun in my hand, as I looked
around.  “Looks like they were headed toward the door.  Both are lying
facedown, bullets to the back of their heads and guns were apparently drawn
because Jennings’ is still in his hand and Perry’s is about a foot ahead of him
on the ground. Dammit.  Whoever did this didn’t even take the time to pick up
their weapons.  I’m hanging up.  I need to photograph this and get the hell out
of here.  Hurry, Thomas!”

“Will do, sir.  We’re on our way.  Already contacted some of
the guys while we were on the phone.”

“Thanks, man.”  I hung up and took several pictures of the
scene before running to the truck I’d rented when we first arrived.  I was
focused on getting to the airport as fast as I could while playing out every
scenario in my head.  How could he have grabbed Lori Ann right under our
noses?  Had the guys not seen anyone snooping around?  Something was really off
about the whole situation.  Think, Jason!  Think!

The Italian was rich.  He had high-paying friends.  He
wouldn’t fly into the Denver Airport.  No, I needed to look for private
airstrips.  He had to be at one of them.  I called Thomas back.

“Yes, sir?”

“Thomas, I need you to tell me where the private airstrips
are around here.  I don’t think Antonio would’ve flown into DIA.  Too risky. 
Send two guys there, and you and the others help me search the private strips. 
Do you have people you can call to check manifestos for private planes coming
and going out of all these?”

“I’ll get someone on it now.  I already had Hooks checking
DIA.”

“Good.  Thanks.  Now tell me where I need to go?”

“I’d say start with Denver Centennial Airport.  It’s the
most popular airport for private jets, and it’s just busy enough that he might
be able to fly in and out without being noticed.”

“Good, now give me directions.”

“Are you already on 36?”

“Yes.”

“Good.  Keep going south until you hit I-25 South.  Take
I-25 until you see CO #197 or Arapahoe Road.  Turn left.  Then take a right on
Peroria Street.  Just follow the airport signs.”

“Thank you, Thomas.”

“You’re welcome.  And Jason?”

“Yeah?”

“We all care about her too.  How could we not.  She’s pretty
incredible.”

I felt a huge lump form in my throat, and I didn’t know if I
could even respond, but I forced out a “thanks, man.”

“And, don’t panic, Jason.  It will take you about thirty
minutes to get there.  But I have two officers who live west of Aurora, and
they are on their way now.  They’ll get there before you and start searching.”

“Thank you.  That helps.  I just can’t believe he took her
right under my nose.  FUCK!”  I screamed as I hit the dash of my truck.

“I know.  But we’re on it.  We’ll find her.”

“I appreciate your help, Thomas.  I need to call Craig.”

“Sure.  Bye.”

I ended the call and tapped Craig’s number.  “Anything?” he
asked when he answered.

“No.  But I’ve got people spread out looking.  When my brain
kicked in, I remembered to check the private airstrips around here.  Thomas
directed me to Centennial south of town.”

“I’m glad someone’s head is thinking.  This is bullshit! 
That bastard knew we wouldn’t be at our best if he crippled us like this.  I
mean, fuck, man.  He shot two of my guys and hurt my girl?!”

“I know.  I’m sorry about Keri.  How is she?”

“She’s okay.  Probably going to have a major concussion, but
she’s alive.  I should be grateful they didn’t shoot her.  They could have…easily.” 
I heard the emotion in Craig’s voice as he spoke.  He was struggling, and I
nearly lost it myself because my Lori Ann could be dead for all I knew. 

I felt bile rise in my throat, but forced it down and said, “Gotta
go.  I need to concentrate.”

“Okay.  I’m searching all around the townhouse for clues.  I’m
going to stay here and see what I can find.  The homicide team arrived a few
minutes ago.”

“Yeah, that’s good.  You didn’t go to the hospital with
Keri?”

“The paramedics are still here with her.  They are friends
of mine and are taking good care of her.  I told them the situation, so they’re
going to stay with her at the hospital until I can get there.”

“Craig, you don’t have to…”

“Shut up, Jason.”  He interrupted.  “Lori Ann is
my girl
too, and I feel sick this happened with us standing twenty feet away.” 

“Thanks for saying that.  I’m trying not to lose my shit
right now.  I. HAVE. TO. FIND. HER.  He can’t have her back, Craig.”

“I know.  Just focus on being the bastard detective that we both
know you are, and you’ll know exactly what to do.”

“I’m trying, but damn.”  The lump was back.  “She fucking
predicted this.  We did too.  If he finds out she’s pregnant…”

“Don’t think about that right now.  Focus on getting to that
airstrip.  I’m going to make a few more calls.  Keep me up to date.”

“You’re right.  Gotta go.  Exiting now.” 

“Stay safe.”

“You too.”

We hung up, and I focused on my directions to the airstrip. 
Just as I was turning onto Peroria, my phone rang. 
Thomas.

“What’s up?”

“Hey.  My guys are there.  Blue sedan parked in the first
public parking you’ll see on your left as you enter.”

“Thanks.”  I hung up and spotted the unmarked car.  I could
see two guys sitting in the front seat.  I parked two spaces over and jumped
out, heading for them.  Both climbed out and extended their hands.  These guys
weren’t part of the security team.  No, they were older…maybe my age.  “Jason
London.”

“Hey, man.  I’m Tyler Rivers.  This is…”  I shook Tyler’s
hand.

“I’m Frank Meyer,” he interrupted as I reached for his
hand.  “Thomas has us up to speed for the most part.  I’ve contacted a friend
here at the airport and so far there’s no suspicious flights, but he’s still
looking.  Thomas said the plane would have come from San Diego, right?”

“Shit.  Yes, that’s right.  Fuck me!  Here I was looking for
an obvious flight from Italy, but in my panicked state I totally forgot the
bastard was just in California.  Thanks.  So anything?”

“There were fifteen flights that left a private airstrip
around San Diego within the last week.  Most were headed somewhere else.  But
three of the planes flew to the Denver area yesterday.  If it were me, I wouldn’t
want to be on the ground too long.  People start to notice you more.  So, I’ve
got a few people looking into where the three landed and which of the planes
are looking to take off today.”

“I can’t thank you guys enough for dropping everything and
helping.”

“Hey, no problem.  We take care of our own.  That’s why we’re
here.  And by the sounds of this asshole, we’ve got our hands full.”

“Yes, we do.  I need to get my head in this, but damn…I know
we are working against the clock here.  We can’t let him get Lori Ann out of
the country.”

“Yeah, but we don’t need to chase phantoms all day either. 
So, let me call our guy back that’s here at this airport and see what he knows,”
Tyler said as he worked his fingers across the screen of his cell phone.

“He’s right.  I know it’s hard to sit, but we don’t have
much more to go on,” Frank responded.  “You sure she didn’t have her cell phone
with her…anything that might give us a signal.” 
My God, where was my
fucking brain!

“Fuck.”  I rubbed my hands down my face.  I was losing it.  “I
doubt it.  We were just home, about to have dinner with friends, but I haven’t
even checked.  What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Hey.”  Frank put his hand on my shoulder.  “We understand. 
You’re a human being, not just a cop, and this is your woman.  Hell, I can’t
believe you’re as focused as you are, considering the situation.  That’s why we’re
here.  Now.  What’s her number?”

I handed Frank my cell phone and he looked up Lori Ann’s
number, then called headquarters and told them the number and asked them to
locate it.  “What about the asshole?  Happen to have his number?”

“No.” 

“Thank, Mark,” Frank said as he ended his call.  “He’s on
it.” 

My phone rang right as Frank was about to hand it back to
me. 
Craig.

“Please tell me you know something,” I barked.

“As a matter of fact, I do.  On a hunch, I walked to the
little deli that’s across the street at the corner and asked if they had a
surveillance camera, and miracle of all miracles, they did.  It only records
for forty-eight hours, then erases.  So thank God I thought of it now.”  He
paused.  “Anyway, I saw two men…neither of them was Antonio.  What I’ve seen so
far is that they were lingering around the area at least since yesterday,
hiding in shadows where they could.  I looked at the last several hours and
didn’t see anything too interesting until…”

“Until what?”

“As soon as the girls walked out onto the balcony, I saw the
one of the men suddenly step out, gun in hand.  My guys immediately threw their
car doors open, guns drawn, walking toward him.  Then, the two pops from
behind…silencer on the gun.  Guy One was a decoy to draw them out.  He turns
back and the two of them stand at the bottom of the balcony.  One throws
something up, and I can see a rolled up sort of ladder start to come down.”  He
pauses.  “Jace, it looks like that ladder was already there.  Maybe they put it
in place a few days before, hoping no one would notice.”

No.  I knew what he was seeing.  “Craig, that is the fire
escape ladder attached to the balcony.  It was locked, though, with zip ties
and not easy to get to from below.” 

“So that was already there?  What the hell?”

“I’d considered removing it, but was afraid she and I might
need it to escape, or our security boys might need it to get inside if there
was trouble. I didn’t anticipate someone climbing up the fucking building to
get to us, especially when we had guys posted outside.  Pretty obvious if
someone was climbing the side of the building.”

“Damn,” Craig groaned.  “From the tapes, Lori Ann pushed the
first guy off the ladder, but the second was right behind him.  Keri stepped up
to help, but he knocked her out with the butt of his gun.  Lori Ann bends to
look at Keri, even glances at the fucking doors where you and I are doing
absolutely nothing before he hits her in the head and lifts her over his
shoulder, hauling her down the ladder.  It was so fast.  I can’t believe we
didn’t hear anything.”