Chapter 13
Carter
Pulling back up to the station, I pull my Explorer into my spot. Taking a deep breath, I leave the car to the cool night air. Nick’s waiting for me as I walk in and toward my office.
“You get some chill and cool down time while you were away, princess?”
“Fuck off, Farzo.”
“Yeah….maybe not so much,” he says on a laugh.
“I'd love to tell you that the night will get better, but who the fuck knows how this is gonna shake down. HQ is calling him back in now. Appears Bobbie has had quite the day at work. Holly said he was pretty agitated when she saw him at a call she responded to earlier. Wouldn't talk to her. He went vigilante on a dad at another call, beating the guy within an inch of his life as he was apparently ‘protecting his partner,’” he says in quotes with his hands.
“I gotta say, man. This for damn sure isn't the Bobbie Badger I know. I'm a little worried about his state of mind going into this chat. I don't think my chat earlier made his day so hot.”
“I don't give a goddamn about his bad day, Nick, let's be perfectly fucking clear. I'm gonna question his ass any way I see fit to get some goddamn answers. If it's good cop, bad cop then so fucking be it,” I say looking at him straight in the eyes, just so he's crystal clear going in this that I'm not about to play around.
He just nods and grabs his coat.
“Let's go, sweet thang. Your ride or mine?”
“You drive, I need to gather my shit while we head there. See what I want to dig in first with.”
**********
Pulling up to HQ downriver, we are shown to an office for HR while we wait for this piece of work to return with his rig. I stand at the windows just taking in the city surrounding the area. How anyone can work down here every day is beyond me. But I guess most would say the same for all the time I spend in the heart of Detroit.
The HR guy, Britski, shows a big motherfucker into the office. I keep my shades on to cover my eyes as I watch him in the reflection of the window in front of me. The guy is about the same height as my 6’3” frame and almost as wide too. His head is shaved and he's in his uniform. He stands for a moment and assesses the scene before him before he walks to Nick.
Nick is sitting in front of the desk as he greets Bobbie. With Bobbie on the other side,
I feel his eyes biting into the back of my head as he is clearly wondering who the fuck I am, and sizing me up just the same.
“Nick, didn't think I'd see you so soon again today. What's up?” he asks as he stands glued in front of Nick.
“Hey Bobbie. Have a seat,” Nick says as he stands and moves his chair sideways to sit in front of the chair for Bobbie to sit down in. He comes in and closes the door as I catch his eyes move toward me again. I stand still facing the window, just testing the scene before I introduce myself. I'll let Nick make the introductions to this since he already knows him. Bobbie sits down in the chair, bringing his foot up across his thigh resting his hand on his boot.
“I appreciate you talking to us, Bobbie,” Nick says as he unbuttons his suit jacket and sits down leaning forward to face Bobbie, calm and casual, not any bit of what I'm feeling.
“Whatever I can do, Nick. Who's us?” he questions as his eyes again roam over to me.
I turn then and face them. Putting my hand in my pants pocket, I leave the shades covering my eyes. He doesn't need to see the flare in my dark storming in them right now.
“I'm Carter, I work with Nick in Homicide,” I say as I stare him down.
“Did you find out more about Lily?” he asks as he nods at me and then looks back to Nick.
“That's what we want to talk to you about, Bobbie. Just some questions. I don't want to take you off the road too long, I know you catch a lot of bad shit out there.”
“You got lunch today at Ram’s Horn,” I say interrupting them and cutting right to the chase with this little ass kissing game Nick has going on. I'm clearly losing my patience with this whole thing.
His eyes come back toward me and he shrugs nodding. “Yeah. Hunter, myself, and the 3rd rider who was with us today.”
“Why that one?” I ask.
“Why that what? That restaurant or that Ram’s Horn?” he says clearly dripping with attitude.
Alright smartass, let's fucking dance. “That restaurant. Specifically,” I say.
“Hunter wanted to eat there. He won't shut the fuck up about their coffee.” I only know who Hunter is from my brief with Nick. He’s his partner.
“At that specific restaurant,” I say glaring him down through my glasses, adding my other hand to my pocket.
“Yes. At that specific restaurant. He even picked the booth. Nick, what the fuck kind of questions are these?” He says turning back to Nick with a scowl. He's getting antsy now and clearly starting to lose his cool a little with my questioning. He doesn't like me. I don't give a flying fuck. I'm here to do my goddamn job, I don't quite care who the fuck he is.
“Take it easy, Bobbie,” Nick says putting his hands up in a take it easy gesture.
“Carter got brought in to work with me on the case.”
“Wait, you said Homicide?” he says looking now between the two of us trying to piece it together now. “What the fuck happened to Lily, Nick? Is she dead?”
“She is,” I say as I take my shades off and place them in my inside breast pocket of my suit jacket, staring at him hard. “And someone else.”
“Fucking shit, who? Nick?” He looks back at Nick, sitting up a little straighter in his chair, his boot thudding to the floor.
Nick just sighs for a moment before answering him. I know this shit with Cindy isn't easy on him either. And now questioning his friend about it on top of it.
“Cindy.”
“Fuck you! Is this some kind of fucking joke, Nick? I just saw her. I just fucking saw her.” He starts to shake, trembling a little as his face is getting redder.
“It's not a joke, Badger,” I say to him in a mocking tone. I'm done with this party. Time to go to work.
“I have witnesses that saw you exit the restaurant with the victim. Those same witnesses all had stories that put you leaving the restaurant in a hurry not long after.”
“We got a fucking priority call, of course we left in a hurry.”
He settles back a little, leaning back and planting his ass on the desk with his hands down on the surface as he faces me.
“Why did you leave the restaurant with her?”
“Nick, this is starting to sound a lot like you're accusing me,” he says glaring back toward Nick.
“Bobbie, they're just questions. We have to follow every lead, it's just routine shit, man.”
“Do you want a lawyer?” I question interrupting Nick.
Nick gives me a glare while pursing his lips. He clearly doesn't like the way I'm handling this. I don't give a shit.
“Are you charging me with something?” he shoots back to me fully charged.
“Nope,” I say with a little extra emphasis on the ‘p’ sound.
“Then we're fucking done,” he says as he starts to stand up. Nick reaches out to him but my hand is faster. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I give him a little gentle nudge to sit his ass back down.
“Not quite.”
His head goes to where my hand just touched him and he stares me down. Clearly he wants to put me in my place. I just want to laugh. I’d welcome a good brawl right now after the day I've fucking had. He sits his ass back down and I continue.
“Do you make it a habit of attacking your patients?” I ask glaring him down right back. He starts breathing harder.
“I didn't attack the guy,” he says back to me on an automatic response. He just glares at me squinting his eyes. I just nod my head and give him a slight condescending smile.
“Well, I'm glad we both know exactly who I'm talking about.”
He gulps. “I had no choice.” His face pales and he swallows a few times, his Adam's apple bobbing as he does.
“Oh, I'm sure. That's what I heard. Protecting your partner and all,” I say crossing my arms across my chest and staring him down. “Big guy like you, protecting your smaller partner from a skinny meth head with no weapon all hopped up on shit. I can see that. That first shot probably would have put him out,” I say giving him a little smile with the sneer of my lip. Got you, fucker.
He just stares at me.
“But it sounded to me like someone was trying to teach him a lesson, Bobbie,” I say squinting at him.
“So, you either hit him like a semi splatters a deer on I-94, or you just kept swinging.”
“What are you trying to say?” he smarts back.
I just shrug and shift my stance a little. “Just saying, seems a bit overdone.” I stare him hard in the eyes. Come at me, you fucking twit, let me lay you out. I catch myself and get smart, breaking the eye contact with him as I rap my knuckles on the desk a few times.
“Your boss said you had a rough call last night. He was gonna send you home.”
He just stares at me, his chest rapidly rising and falling as his breathing increases.
Nick interrupts just then. “Carter, that's enough for now,” he says coming over to Bobbie from his seat.
“That have something to do with your daughter,” I goad.
He explodes off the desk toward me, wrapping his fists in my suit jacket and shoving me back toward the desk. Fucker was cocking his arm back to swing on me when Nick jumped into action and grabbed him from behind in a bear hug, locking his arm back and dragging him back off me.
“Bobbie!” Nick yells as he drags him backward. “Calm down!”
Bobbie jerks out of Nick's hold. “Don't fucking talk about my daughter. You don't know shit about me!” he yells at me as I smooth my jacket down and just remain cool as a cucumber. I knew I'd get to him. Took a lot less than I thought, actually.
“I'll know a lot more soon,” I say stepping up to him going toe to toe. Staring him dead in his cold eyes I say, “You’re free to roam for now, specifically on Nick’s good graces, but I just want you to know you're in my world now.” Eat shit, you fucking asshole.
“I'm the guy they bring in to catch the ones who think they're invincible,” I say staring him down and giving a little smack of my gum just for emphasis. “I always get ‘em, because they make mistakes.”
He just stares back at me.
“They always make mistakes,” I say as I step back and button my suit jacket back up. “Every so often, someone gets stupid and makes my job easy. I like that you're leaning that way.”
Nick steps in then looking between us, ready to keep him from jumping at me again.
“Don't go far, Bobbie,” I say as I put my shades back on and leave the office with a shit eating grin on my face.
I finally feel like I got somewhere today, and it feels fucking good. Nick lagged behind a little as he followed me out. Turning around, I see him standing in the doorway just shaking his head. This clearly didn't go the way he thought it would.
He comes out to meet me at the car, still shaking his head with a smirk at me over the roof of the car. “You feel better, fucktwat?” he asks me on a raised eyebrow.
“Much, thanks,” I say on a wide face splitting grin as I duck down into the passenger side of his car.
“Take me back to the station, Nancy. I've got a girl to see about a mustache ride.”
He just laughs out loud and swings out of HQ heading back to our neck of the woods.
I left that HQ feeling lighter than I had in days. It's time to get home to my Starfish, I'm gonna lose myself in her for days.
On the drive back, Scott calls. He's been called to work all weekend and can't hang out at his place with us. I still need to meet with him somehow. I gotta get this shit hammered out. Too many cases are stacking and none of them are getting solved. This is not how I fucking operate. I'm the guy that can get ‘em done.
This is a new element for me and I don't like it. I'm a fish out of water on my own investigations and someone is out to make me look like a fucking asshole.
We decide we need to meet tomorrow at some point. I don't care where I have to meet him honestly. I'm done with the hiding game, clearly whoever is involved has made sure they're already two steps ahead of my every one step. They already know who I'm making plays for. I just need Scott to know something they don't. I need him as my underdog in this.
Nick’s phone is next.
“Damn man, we got too quiet for a bit clearly,” I say on a joke.
“It's Chantal.”
He answers in the super sweet whipped ass man voice. “Hey sweetheart, we’re on our way back to the station. I'll be home soon.” He suddenly slams the brakes on the car and pulls over. His eyes are wide as he opens and closes his mouth looking at me and then the road. “Okay baby, try and relax and stay calm like the doctor told you to do,” he tells her soothingly.
He pulls the phone back looking at me, “Chantal's water broke.”
My eyes widen to match his. “What the fuck are we sitting here for then? Drive the goddamn car!”
He throws the car on speaker as he hits back on the road. We aren't far from the station and this evening traffic is decently light.
“Nick…..I'm so scared,” filters through the speakers of the car.
“I know, baby, I'm trying to hurry. I'm so sorry...I'll be there. Just sit and try and breathe.”
“Hey Chantal, I'm gonna try and get Andrea over to you. She can run you to the hospital until Nick gets there. We don't want these sweet little nieces of mine born on your floor at home,” I interrupt, trying to put some humor through to her.
She lets out a small laugh. “You would say that, Carter. I don't want an ambulance, I'll wait for Andrea. Just tell her to please hurry, I'm cramping a little bit, but it's tolerable right now.”
“Hold tight, baby….I love you...I love you so fucking much,” Nick says to her on a choke.
“I love you,” she whispers. “This is one of those times I wish my mom was still around,” she chokes out.
Losing her mom was hard on her. She was her caretaker while she was sick. Those fucking cancers don't waste time, and they don't care who you are. She was all Chantal had before us. Now, we're her family.
I pull my phone out and call Andrea.
“Hey handsome,” she answers on the second ring.
“Hey yourself, beautiful.”
“You coming home to lose yourself?”
“Well, that was the plan, love. It seems our nieces want to meet the world.”
“Omg….omg really? Where is she? What's happening?” she says in rapid fire with all the questions she can think of.
“She's at home. Nick and I are still on the road heading back to the station. We aren't far, but you're closer. Can you take her to the hospital? She doesn't want an ambulance, she wants you, baby.”
“Okay, I'm on my way. Omg let me throw some jeans on and grab my shoes.”
“She's on her way, Chantal,” I say out loud so she can hear me.
“Thank you, Carter.”
We pull in to the station and I hop out quick so Nick can go meet them at the hospital.
“Oakhill, sweetheart?” he asks to make sure where he's going.
“Yes….ugh… woo…..I… I already called Dr. Shin, he's expecting me and already there.”
I peek my head back down through the door. “Good luck, man. I'll be there soon. Go take care of your girl,” I tell him rapping my knuckles on the roof.
“I'm about to drive like Bo fucking Duke,” he says on a small laugh. He's nervous. I don't blame him.
“Andrea just got here, babe, I'm gonna hang up and get there. See you soon?”
“You know it, don't go having those beautiful babies of ours without me now.”
“I'll try…” Her voice sounds strained and clearly Andrea is about to have her hands full.
“Drive safe, Bo Duke,” I tell him as I shut the door.
Swinging home real quick, I change my clothes since I'll be hanging out at the hospital waiting for the arrival of the twins. A suit isn't so comfortable for that. Walking to the front door, I see a teddy bear on the porch. Picking it up, I see its head is hanging off, just barely still attached. What in the ever loving fuck? I look it over, turning it this way and that looking at its white fur and little bow tie that's still attached to the neck area. A rolled up piece of paper falls out and hits the porch.
Leaning down, I pick it up and unroll it. A handwritten note written in red and all large capital letters is across the 8x10 sheet of paper.
THE MIGHTY STARFISH-
NOT BROKEN ENOUGH
I’M GOING TO ENJOY
THE SWEET REDEMPTION
BACK FOR WHAT I LEFT BEHIND
MINE
A cold sweat runs over my body. Only one sick fuck would do this. He was in prison only this morning.
Did he? No….no fucking way.
I pull my phone out and call Andrea. I need to make sure she's alright. Something is most definitely not right.
“Hey handsome,” she says on the second ring.
“Beautiful…. are you okay? You're still with Chantal?” I ask in a panic.
“Yes, pulling up to Emergency now. You okay? Your voice is shaking, Carter.”
I sigh a huge breath of relief. “Yes, of course,” I say clearing my throat. “Just ran home to change my clothes and heading toward the hospital. You at Oakhill?”
“Okay, yes, I'll see you here. Can you grab me a sweater please? I forgot one at home in my rush to get out. It's always so cold in hospitals. We are at Oakhill Dearborn. See you soon.”
“I'll grab it and be on my way. Hey, Starfish?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. See you soon...muah.”
Hanging up, I run in the house and change. Going in the closet, I grab one of my hoodies for Andrea that I know she loves to wear. I'm back down, locking the house, and heading out fifteen minutes later. I shove the teddy bear and the rolled note in the back. I'm taking it to be analyzed tomorrow. I'm taking no chances where she's concerned. Not ever again.
The drive to Oakhill is about twenty-five minutes if I take Telegraph Rd, hopefully I don't miss anything. I want to welcome my godchildren as soon as I’m able. I just hope Nick is okay. He was a nervous wreck when he left.
The drive down Telegraph is pretty clear. Passing over each road is eating up the miles the closer I get to Michigan Ave. My phone starts ringing and I pick it up on the steering wheel. It's Holly.
“Hey Holly,” I answer.
“Carter….Carter, where are you right now?” she's yelling and crying.
“I'm on Telegraph, about to come up on Michigan Ave. What's going on? Everything okay?”
“I'm on 94, there's a huge accident Carter…..Mass Casualties. We need all the help we can get. It's bad, Carter, so bad!”
“I'm coming now. I'm on my way. Hold tight, okay?”
“Hurry, Carter…..Bobbie and Hunter…..”
“Bobbie and Hunter what?” I ask as I slam the accelerator down harder.
“I don't know if they'll make it. They were the first car and it's all a chain behind them,” she says breaking into hysterics. “I see smoke….holy shit, flames! I'm taking the 94 entrance now.”
I'll see you in a minute,” I yell, as I off-road it from the entrance ramp and across the lanes. I hang up as I take the break across the field to get to the wreckage. Pulling up, I'm in awe. No less than thirty cars are involved and all are gridlocked and smashed. There are a few stretchers and other responders arriving as well. I pull up to where I see the overturned ambulance and see Holly standing there. A minivan is on fire and all I hear is screaming as I park and jump out of my SUV.
My God!
I run over to Holly, as she is trying to compose herself and tell responders where help is needed. Everyone seems to just be jumping in to help.
“Holly, what happened?” I ask as I jog over to her. I can feel the heat from the flames of the van and they seem to be working on someone on a stretcher close by.
“Hunter was driving the rig with Bobbie and their 3rd, Sara, in the back. A truck came out of nowhere and cut them off. The speed they were going and the truck playing chicken caused him to lose control. The rig flipped and rolled. Sara was killed on impact and thrown around the back. Bobbie and Hunter were talking after and were okay. Shaken up, but seemed to be okay besides some bumps and bruises. The catalyst here was a result of the traffic all hitting each other in a massive pile up one after another,” she says visibly shaking.
One of the guys goes jogging past her and toward the burning van.
“Hunter! What are you doing?” she starts yelling as he goes diving into the van. “Oh my God, what is he doing?” She's screaming and jumping up and down in the median between the east and west bound of I-94.
He emerges moments later with a little girl in his arms and doesn't make it far before dropping to the ground. It's then that I see Bobbie out of my peripheral vision, he's running over to his partner clearly concerned.
A screaming mother is holding her baby as a paramedic runs over to Hunter on the ground. Holly runs to them both. I'm fast on her heels and feeling fucking helpless against all the surrounding chaos. We make it over to them and Bobbie starts to stagger as Holly is talking to him. He looks up at me but he can't seem to focus on anything. He's going down and I can see it coming. I run over to try and grab more assistance and call Nick to tell him where I am. He needs to keep Andrea with them until I get there. I don't want her home alone with the gift I found on the porch earlier.
“Nick, hey, I'm on 94 and it's mass casualty here.”
“What the hell is happening?”
“Accidents everywhere, all smashed into the other. Is Andrea still there with you? I don't want her leaving until I get there okay?”
“Carter, I haven't seen Andrea since I got here. Chantal said they took her back and Andrea was in the waiting room. I just went in to get her, Chantal wants her in the delivery room. She isn't there man.”
What the hell does he mean she isn't there? “She should fucking be there, Nick!”
“She's not here, Carter. Thought maybe she went home.”
A cold chill runs down my spine. “Alright I'm gonna call her and see where she went. I'll keep you posted.”
“Okay man, we are here. Chantal is hooked up and in the delivery room here and we are just waiting.”
“Give her a kiss for me. I gotta go,” I say hanging up and immediately dialing Andrea.
As I'm pulling my phone to my ear, it starts ringing. It's Scott. “Hey man,” I answer.
“Carter, where are you? I'm heading toward the accident on I-94 now.”
“I'm here and it's a fucking mess. You on duty?”
“Yeah, traffic is locked up but I'm almost there. Hang tight and I'll see you in a few.”
“I'm in the median. We need major help man, call in whoever you can.”
“Will do.”
I call Andrea. It just rings and rings picking up on her voicemail. I don't like the feeling rolling through my gut right now. Not coupled with the fact that we had an unexpected present at our house. I'm gonna be sick. I try again and again. No luck. It's not like her, not at all. Something’s not right.
A police cruiser comes barreling toward us, stopping just in front of where I stand. Scott jumps out. He's looking around and taking in the scene as he starts to radio for help from the radio on his shoulder. Dispatch responds a little muffled but there are multiple cities now responding for help with the situation. I just hope the casualties are minimal. Whoever started this is clearly not here.
I try and call Andrea again. Hopefully it's just on silent in her purse since she was at the hospital. She's pretty courteous that way. Still no answer. Just her voicemail again.
I start walking in circles and pacing. I'm not any help to anyone here, yet I don't even know where to start to find her. Nick will let me know if he sees her at the hospital. She wouldn't miss this, she wouldn't miss the babies being born. I try one more time.
The phone clicks….it's silent for a moment until a voice that's deep and isn't Andrea's answers. “Well...well...well Carter fucking Avery. What a pleasure it is to talk to you.”
My blood runs cold and my anger spikes. I have to play this cool because he clearly has Andrea.
“Trent, I wasn't aware you were out,” I answer calmly.
“Oh, and here you are missing my homecoming celebration! It was clearly rude on my part not to invite you. I'm truly sorry about that. But I've got my girl here. She's a little tied up at the moment,” he says on a small cunning laugh.
Scott must sense my conversation as I pace the median with my hand to my forehead. I look up to him with nothing short of fear in my eyes. He pulls out an earphone piece and walks over to me quickly. Handing it to me silently, I put it in the phone and hand him the other ear piece as I keep Trent talking.
“Where are you?” I respond on a shaky breath.
“Oh, don't worry buddy, I'll be taking good care of her. She and I have some loose ends to tie up after all. I hope you got the present I left for you today.”
Scott looks up to me with questioning eyes.
“Trent, let's talk. Tell me what you need and what you're into and I can help you,” I try pleading.
I'm so scared right now I'm trembling, but I'm trying not to show it.
Scott looks up to me and nods. He drops the ear bud and quickly walks to his cruiser as the radio starts talking again. It's silent on Trent's end and I don't like it. More responders have pulled up and are running around. I'm helpless all the way around with this scene and wherever Trent has Andrea. It's not a good feeling, I don't like when my control is dampered.
“Can I please talk to Andrea?” I ask Trent.
“She's not really awake yet. She'll be so glad to see me, won't she? I'll bet she's missed me something crazy the last couple years I was locked away,” he laughs out. He's clearly lost touch with reality.
Scott starts running back over to me nodding his head. I don't know what he's doing but he's obviously level headed enough to have a plan sorted out.
“Listen buddy, I'm gonna run,” Trent says back down the line. “But I'll call you back when she’s roused, maybe we can FaceTime. That sounds like fun. You won't want to miss out on this.” The line goes dead and I drop to my knees in the grass, the evening dew soaking into the knees of my running pants.
“Listen Avery, I know you're a mess in your head right now, but I need you to stay level with me. We're gonna find her and get her out. It's my last fucking weekend on the streets and I'm going out riding hard. I need your help man. I've put an APB out on Zito and Andrea. Just was told Trent was released late this afternoon into the custody of a detective. He was released to none other than Edward Rowenski,” Scott tells me as he kneels down in front of me. Now he has my attention.
“Ed hasn't been seen since this morning. Lance at the station said he was at Oakhill, his mom was in intensive care,” I say confused and getting a whole lot pissed off.
Scott nods. “He was, but I'm told his mom passed away this afternoon. Lily Merriam-Beecher.”
It’s all starting to click together now.
Ed’s mom, she's Holly's neighbor that was attacked this morning. Who the fuck knew about this little tidbit? That's something pretty damn huge.
“When Nick questioned Bobbie Badger earlier, he said that Lily had a grandson living with her and he was nowhere around or to be seen at the time of the call.”
Scott’s brows furrow together. “Does Ed have any kids? A wife?”
“Don't know much about him to be honest. But heard he has a kid. He doesn't talk about his personal life and I've never seen him with a wife, just a younger girl at the Charity Gala on New Years. Oh my God, of course it's all starting to make sense now Scott. He had a young girl with him that clearly didn't want to be there. Is he in on this whole trafficking going on? Was she one of the girls?” I rapid fire my questions and thoughts out loud to him.
“I'm setting up a silent headquarters right here amongst the chaos. They won't think we are planning and strategizing our way in. I just hope they are on my turf so I can help,” Scott tells me quickly and runs back to his cruiser.
I'm standing here pacing and constantly looking at my phone. I hope he calls again so I know something.
Scott comes back my way talking into his radio on his shoulder. He shuts it off as he approaches me.
“When I said I wanted to talk to you, it's because I have some information I'm hoping will work in our favor right now,” he says as he stands in front of me looking around to see who may be listening.
“There's an Oakland County Detective undercover right now in the trafficking. He’s embedded deep and no one has had contact with him in a few weeks. His name is Sam Spencer. When I say he goes deep, I mean he goes all the way with building trust and doing whatever’s necessary to keep it.”
I just nod my head to him taking it all in and spinning it around. Hope blooms in my chest with this new information.
“I saw him a few months back,” Scott continues. “He came to my dad’s bike shop in downtown Dearborn when I was there working on my bike. I had just bought a drone to use out at our new place and he asked if he could borrow it.”
“Was he undercover then? When he came out to see you?” I question.
He nods his head. “I'm assuming so. He had a young girl with him in a Hummer. I gave him my drone then and haven't seen or heard from him since. Actually didn't think about it until now. I'm just praying that son of a bitch is as smart as his reputation proceeds him and he uses it now,” he says deep in thought.
“What do you think he would have wanted with the drone?” I ask.
Scott just shrugs. “I don't know. He was in quick and said he'd have it back to me as soon as he could. Was using it for some surveillance he said when I gave it to him. I tried to make it quick. No one would have known either of us are cops. He was dressed down and in leather, a beard grown out, and a beanie on his bald head. I was in my coveralls with a do-rag on my head covered in grease from my bike.”
All I can do is nod my head as the wheels continue to turn. My phone goes off making us both jump. It's Nick. “Hey man,” I answer quickly.
“Any sign of Andrea yet? She check in with you?” he asks.
“No man. But when I called someone finally answered. Trent has her, man. Somewhere between dropping Chantal off and now, she was taken. By who, I don't fucking know,” I tell him.
“How’s Chantal holding up?” I ask quickly.
“She's hanging in there like a champ. Got some drugs in her and feeling no pain right now. She's sleeping so I stepped away to call and check in. It's gonna be a long night here, brother, but even longer for you.”
“Yeah, I have Scott here and he's put out calls and an APB. Just hope I can get to her before he does something I'm afraid he'll do,” I say releasing breath.
“You'll get her, man. I know you will. She's your world and no way Carter Avery is going to let anyone stand in his way when it comes to his girl,” he tells me firmly.
It's what I needed to hear from him right now because I'm feeling a whole lot helpless at the moment. “I'm gonna run, man. I hope he calls me back soon or we get a location so we can get her out. I'll check in when I know more. Keep me up to date on your end too. I need some good right about now.”
“Stay positive, Carter,” he tells me as I hang up.
Scott's looking at his phone when I walk back over to him. “My drone has a camera I can access from my phone here. Let's hope that Spencer uses it somehow and if he's with them, we can see where the surrounding area is,” Scott tells me as he keeps checking for the camera to be in action.
I feel hope bloom a little more and I’m so glad for this small piece of technology that just may be what we need to save this day….and my Starfish.
“No one has any new information yet for us. But Carter, whoever it is you pray to….start praying now. We need a win for the good guys, man.”
I just nod my head and look to the sky, hoping and praying for some guidance and answers. I need them right about now and I'll never ask for another goddamn thing again if I can get her back safely.
Ambulances are pulling away all around us and fire crews are here putting out fires and rescuing people from their cars. It's still a fucking mess out here and I'm just thinking this was done with purpose. Keep the county and surrounding areas busy so no one is looking for Ed, or Trent.