Mindfield (Sideways Eight Book 1) (35 page)

“Three days ago I was in Palm Beach, Florida, vacationing with my best friend Zoe Letterman.”

“Florida? Do you have documented proof? I won’t take the word of your friend.”

“I have plane tickets, meal and hotel receipts. Is that good enough?”

Charley and Murphy looked at each other.

“Hmm,” Murphy said, “your friend could be your accomplice.”

Exasperated Vega squealed, “What? Zoe? She’s in a wheelchair.”

Charley removed her phone from her pocket. She held it under the table and sent a text. Finished, she closed the application placing the phone face down on the table. Murphy peered at the cell phone and glanced at Charley.

“Coincidence or copycat?” Charley said as her cell phone indicated a message. She stood from her chair. “I’ll be back.”

Murphy studied Vega. Throughout the interview, she never stopped trembling. Pain and heartache painted on her face, she said, “Agent Murphy, I didn’t do this.”

His sharp blue eyes resonated contempt.

Charley reentered the room. “Dr. Vega.”

“Yes.”

“SWAT, Agent Murphy, and I are preparing to search your lake house property.”

Vega stood. Her mouth contorted as she crossed her arms over her body, clutching her elbows. “You won’t find anything. I assume I’m to remain in custody?” Tears dribbled past her cheeks.

“Sit. Down.” Charley jutted her finger at Vega after directing her attention to Murphy. “Time to suit-up, Agent Murphy.”

He stood from his chair and joined Charley, exiting the room.

Chapter 45

Olivia’s Vision

Belmont Bay, VA

Monday, 15 August - 11:30 PM

Murphy, Charley, and SWAT filed out of the armored personnel carrier in alternate single formation, prepared to enter the cabin twenty yards north. No lights glowed from the two front windows of the rustic waterfront structure nestled in the woods on Spruce Road.

“Murph, you wanna barrel this or go silent?” Greg said.

“Vega is in custody. Delaney should be alone.”

“How many of you have handled children in situations such as this?” Charley said.

Greg acknowledged Murphy’s poker pals. “All of us.”

“Excellent. Expect Delaney to be in a state of fear. Loud noises will cause her unnecessary stress and trauma. Let’s not be the cause.”

Murphy did a final weapons check on his shotgun. “What do you suggest, Char?”

“Remain calm, use an even tone when speaking. It’s your ballgame, Sean. SWAT is your expertise as are children.”

Murphy considered each member of the hostage rescue team. “As far as we know, Vega doesn’t have an accomplice. It’s still a possibility.” He instructed the men. “Please approach with care and caution. Keep your weapons ready, but unthreatening. Do not scare her.”

Charley turned a 360 to analyze the scene. Rigged to the dock, a billowing wave lapped the hull of an unkempt ski boat. A ripple formed as a single fish pierced the surface, flipped and dove back into the water. “Oh, man.”

Murphy sidled next to her. “What is it?”

Gnarled fingers of lightning streaked across the sky. Charley covered her mouth with one hand and signaled with the other across Belmont Bay. “Look familiar?”

Thunder belched and rolled, threatening to explode into torrential rain. On the opposite shore, a dull yellow glow lit in the distance. Crashes of angry lightening hovered, warning doom.

Tears formed in Charley’s eyes. “Olivia.”

Her sniff grabbed his attention. “What?”

“The unfinished painting in Olivia’s room.” Charley covered her face with her hands. “This is her last piece of art.” She spread out her arms. “It’s all here.”

Murphy considered the landscape. “How would Olivia know?”

Charley tightened her mouth, shaking her head. “I don’t think she did. But, we’ll never have the answer.” She hung her head. “I should have asked for the painting, given it to Scott Grae. He could have manipulated topography with overlays. Used the visual comparisons with the geographical database and identified the location.”

“You don’t know for sure.”

She faced him. Guilty tears filled her eyes. Charley’s mouth quivered. “This would have ended months ago. Olivia and the others would be here today.”

“Stop blaming yourself.” Murphy balanced the stock of his Remington shotgun on his hip, wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, gathered her close, trying to ease her contrition. “C’mon, let’s do this.”

Charley stepped back and wiped her tears. She readied her Sig Sauer P-226. “This is your show. Lead the way.”

In a diamond formation, Greg, Steve, Ted, Ethan, and Murphy surrounded Charley as they approached the front door.

“Do the honors, Murph,” Steve whispered.

Murphy lifted his knee, and with tremendous power, his tactical boot breached the door, shattering the wood. From the rear of the cabin, a child screamed in terror.

Charley readied her weapon. “Vega is a consummate liar.”

The combination living room and kitchen housed three doors on the back wall.

Murphy moved his hand to the right. “Ethan, Steve, take the far right door. Ted and Greg, the middle door. The size indicates it’s a bathroom.”

They signaled okay and took position.

“Charley, we’ll take the left.”

In position, Murphy called the order, “Go.”

The first two teams barged through their targeted entrance. Seconds clicked by, two sets of voices called, “Clear.”

Murphy and Charley caught the cries of a child behind their door. He placed his hand on the doorknob and dipped his chin. “You take the other side of the door. I’ll take this one and open it gradually in case she isn’t alone. If she isn’t, and we go in full assault, her life is in danger. If someone is with her, they have nothing to lose.”

“Okay.” Charley pressed her back against the wall on the left side of the door. He offered the ready signal. She concurred. He released the lock, the door creaked as he pushed it open.

Charley peeped around the corner and smiled.

Murphy pointed at his eye.

Charley winked.

Outfitted in a green and yellow dress with a royal blue belt, curled into a ball, Delaney hid under the antique iron twin bed.

“She’s dressed as Mulan and tied to the bedpost with a long lead.” Charley wet her throat to soften her vocal tone. “Delaney, my name is Charley. We are here to take you home.”

“I wanna go home,” Delaney wailed.

“Are you alone, sweetheart?” Murphy said.

The child peeped from under the bedrail as her cries twisted her tiny face. Her eyes veered to the right. “Hurry.”

Murphy tilted his head around the doorframe. “Delaney, we have weapons, but we will not hurt you.”

The other men took post behind them.

Murphy raised his chin and swallowed deep. “May we come into the room?”

“Yes,” Delaney squealed, her eyes shifted right. “Hurry. Oh, my gawd, hurry.”

Charley rounded the corner, holstered her weapon, and extended her arms out to Delaney. The tiny girl scurried from under the bed, pushed from her knees to her feet and bolted towards her. The rope jolted Delaney back, and she plummeted onto the floor.

“Help me,” she squealed as tears flooded her face. “Watch out,” Delaney screamed as her petite hands grabbed for Charley. Desperate for safety, her fingers begged as she struggled to her feet. “Help me.” She bawled.

Charley rushed to her.

“Charley, stop,” Murphy roared.

In one swift move, Charley scooped the girl off the floor into her arms, as three quick bursts of gunfire blasted. Struck in the back, the bullets tore into Charley, and she ragdolled into mid-air.

Delaney wailed, screaming high and shrill, flailing her arms and legs. “Help me.”

Charley’s arms wrapped around the girl, her full weight crashed onto the child, pushing her into the mattress, shrouding her.

Out of the corner of his eye, Murphy saw the barrel of a small weapon aimed in Charley and Delaney’s direction. He furled around the doorframe, racking the shotgun.

Schklikt, klikt. Boom.

One step forward without hesitation.

Schklikt, klikt. Boom.

Left foot forward with determination.

Schklikt, klikt. Boom.

The reverberations blanketed the room. The girl’s screams grew louder. Flooded with the sounds of the shots and the shrieking of the girl, Murphy shook his head. His eyes narrowed, his lips tightened, his stare cold and barren. A center mass hit, a woman slammed against the wall, grabbing her abdomen. Her eyes rolled back, her mouth gaped open as she slid down the wall to the floor, a .45 caliber handgun slipped from her fingers.

“Holy shit, she looks like Dr. Vega.” Sweat drenched his flushed face as Murphy rushed to Charley, lying motionless on top of Delaney.

The other men forced their way into the room and crowded around the dead woman, hiding the bloody body from Delaney.

Murphy sat on the bed, leaned over, shielding Charley and Delaney. With his fingers, he moved Charley’s hair from her face. Her eyes closed, he choked. The young girl shook, whimpering, as her hand crept to Charley’s, clutching it. Her tears dampened the blanket.

Murphy placed his hand over Delaney’s. “It’s over, sweetheart.” The girl continued to cry.

He placed his head on Charley’s, wrapping his arms around her and Delaney. “No, please, no.” His eyes stung as his body trembled.

A low guttural sound released from Charley’s throat, she stirred, and whispered, “Is he dead?”

Murphy gasped, raising his body. “Charley?”

She opened her eyes, smiling. “Good work.”

“Your vest. Oh, my gawd.” Murphy rose and balanced his hip on the edge of the bed, sitting sideways. His eyes met the ceiling, murmuring a silent prayer.

“Type three ballistic armor with double plates.” She unwrapped her arms from Delaney and pushed with her hands, her back against his chest. “I saw the gun barrel.”

Murphy slipped his arm around her waist and buried his face into the side of her neck and hair. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

Charley placed her hand over his. “I had to protect her.”

Murphy held her tighter, pressed his lips to her ear, whispering, “You ever do something like that again, I’ll shoot you myself.”

“I’m okay. I’ll have a helluva bruise, but I’m fine.”

Her breathing labored, Murphy released her, taking the child’s hand. “Hello, Delaney, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sean.”

Delaney rose from the bed and curled against Charley. “Can I go home now?”

Charley peered at Murphy. “Would you cut her ties?”

Murphy removed his knife from the sheath attached to his utility belt, showing it to the little girl to reassure her.

“Thank you.” Delaney clung to Charley. “Can we leave?”

“Soon.” Charley hugged her as the cord slipped from Delaney’s discolored wrist.

“Char, go look at the woman and tell me who she looks like.”

She rolled her shoulders, flexing her back. “What?”

He shifted his head towards the dead woman, through clinched teeth her murmured, “Go look at the body.”

Charley released Delaney, stood and trudged over to the men masking the body. One hand on Steve’s shoulder, the other on Greg’s, she parted them, stepping between them. “What?”

Delaney nudged into the safety of Murphy’s lap. Her tears subsiding, she sniffed, and patted him on the shoulder. “Thank you.”

Murphy hugged her. “My pleasure.” He closed his eyes, sighing with relief.

Charley furrowed her brows, knelt on one knee, and examined the dead woman. “She looks like Dr. Vega.”

“Told ya,” Murphy said.

Bewildered, she grabbed her phone from her back pocket, frantically tapping the phone to call Doobie. After the third ring, he answered.

“Doobie, are you with Dr. Vega?”

“Yes.”

“Ask her if she has a sister.”

“Hold on.”

Charley tapped her foot as she awaited his answer.

“Char, brother, no sister.”

“This is weird, Doobie.” Charley preceded to give Doobie a rundown of events. Confused, Charley stared at Murphy and Delaney. “We… Sean… shot and killed the suspect. She resembles Rochelle Vega.”

“She denies having a sister, just a twin brother.”

“All right, we’ll be in soon.”

“Who’s Rochelle?” Delaney looked at Murphy.

Murphy rubbed Delaney’s back. “She’s a psychologist we know.”

Delaney pointed towards the body. “Cause her name is Rogina.”

“Rogina and Rochelle. Someone is lying,” Charley said.

Delaney tugged on Murphy’s sleeve. “Do I still get to go to the castle?”

Murphy and Charley’s eyes met.

“What castle?” Murphy said.

“Rogina told me today I’ll go to the castle tonight after dinner.”

“Where?”

Delaney’s finger waved toward the ceiling. “The one way up in the air.”

Murphy hoisted the two of them from the bed and bellowed through the open door. “Ethan, take Delaney into the living area. Agent Faraday and I need to inspect the body.”

Ethan entered the room, taking the girl from Murphy, and carried her from the room, shielding her eyes from the gruesome scene.

Charley removed her tablet from her cargo pocket to memorialize the crime scene. After snapping many photographs and video, she and Murphy stooped next to the body. “This makes little sense. I have to give it to you, Sean. You were right. The killer was a woman.”

His eyes tightened as he rolled his lips. Murphy grabbed the hem of the woman’s skirt and shoved it to her hips. Charley smacked his hands. “What are you doing?”

In a tone foreign to her, his deep relentless voice lowered. “I know what I’m doing. Call it male intuition. Something here isn’t right.”

Charley sat on the back of her legs as he finished moving the hem of the skirt above the woman’s hips. “I knew it.”

“A man, dressed as a woman. How did you know?”

He pointed at his neck. “Adam’s apple.”

Charley lips tightened with disbelief. “Guess we’re both right. Kinda.”

“Is he a transvestite or transgendered?”

Charley’s hand hovered over the man’s chest. “One way to find out.” She placed her hand over his heart. “Yep, small breasts. He’s taking hormone replacements.”