Chapter 3 

Going in blind was an understatement. Special Agent Hurst told her six teams, but Nickie had no idea how many men that meant, if they had notified the Louisville Police captain or what her role was in all of this.

A crackle over the intercom was followed by an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 487 with service from Rochester to Louisville. We are currently next in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air in approximately three minutes."

She'd given Duncan shit about riding commercial coach, but when was the last time she'd had to? The air smelled like it had been recycled from the last sixteen flights, and the temperature felt like eighty humid degrees.

Only four feds were on board. That didn't make up six teams. They sat up about ten rows. Her seat was in the middle of the plane next to a mother and her toddler. Her partner sat in the far back next to two teenagers with their noses in their tablets.

She messed with the twisty air thing over her head as her phone signaled a text message. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw the text was from Duncan.

The stewardess announced, "Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones." Swiping her phone, she read.

Landed in Atlanta. Four-hour layover.

She started to respond when another stewardess stopped at her seat, cleared her throat and said, "Ma'am. Please."

Ma'am? Nickie wasn't old enough to be a ma'am, but she smiled and stuffed her phone back in the pocket of her slacks anyway.

The mom next to her shook up some concoction in a bottle. It smelled horrible. Powder, cardboard, fake milk something. Nickie must have been staring because the mom said, "So her ears won't pop on takeoff." Oh, the sucking. Or was it a special ear-popping-protection formula? How would Nickie ever learn this stuff?

Duncan was in Atlanta when he should be in on Operation Belmont Stakes with her. Or she should be on her way to Peru with him. Her partner should be setting up the witness protection location for the bastard Officer Parker, not sitting behind her with strange teenagers.

Everything was backasswards. She placed her head on the headrest as the plane took off. The kid happily drank from the baby bottle while she stared at Nickie like she was an alien. Nickie closed her eyes until they leveled out.

"Excuse me, Detective."

The voice was close and made her jump.

"I'm with the gentlemen up front." Polished shoes, white shirt, tie. As if she couldn't tell. "Mr. Hurst would like to speak with you."

Ah, she'd been summoned. "Coming," she said and unbuckled her seat belt.

The spot next to him was empty. She assumed it was vacated by the dude who delivered her summons. Maybe he would become best friends with the mom and her kid.

Hurst wore the same thing she always saw him in, which was the same as every special agent she ever met. "Good morning, Detective."

"Mornin'."

He tilted his head to her and spoke low. "Base is set up at the racetrack."

"They won't be at the racetrack."

"Yet. We will be reviewing the plan of action at base."

"Since I wasn't privy to the preview or the main view, I guess I should ask what the view is and what you want me to do."

He rotated his large shoulders in the seat and faced her. "Do we have a problem, Nick?"

"Nope." Yep. "Just want to be helpful and all that." She lifted a boot and set her ankle on top of her knee.

He leaned in and whispered, "We have sixty-five men on the ground, plus the six of us en route."

That's seventy-one. Did she hear him right? She wanted to hate the feds. It was practically in her job description, but seventy-one? She tried not to get her hopes up.

"Your informant will be—"

Her left eyelid twitched. "Slippery Jimbo will be taking part in the operation?"

"Yes. He's been instrumental actually. Says he's visiting family. He was hanging out at an OTB when a man in a mock turtleneck and black pants offered access to child porn."

The muscles in her face dropped. Mock turtleneck and black pants. That was the MO of Fu Haizi. She stuffed her hands beneath her thighs to keep them from shaking.

"You gotta admit, Nick. James fits the physical profile of a slimy pedophile."

And the personality of slimy all around. She shifted in her seat. "I'm trying not to like you. You are a fed, ya know. Then, you have to go and say something funny like that about Slippery Jimbo."

He laughed. It was surprisingly girly. "Yeah. Back at you, Nick. We're not sure of locations or how many hubs, but we have enough men for up to six teams. I'd like it if you'd guide that part of the base meeting, then take charge as leader of one of them."

"Have you involved the local LPD?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Will they be included?"

"No, but they will be allowed on-site."

That earned him an eye roll. "It's not a lot to go on," she said.

"We'll go into more detail in the secure location on the ground. Honestly, you're the most qualified and ready for this, Nick. I need you. The children need you."

So much for not liking him.

* * *

Duncan wasn't sure about Internet access or power where he was going, so he used the airport power and Wi-Fi. His office manager had a few questions that needed to be answered before he boarded the flight to Peru.

He checked his phone again. No response from Nickie.

He sighed and scanned his surroundings. Hundreds of people bustled around him, most of them waiting in line at the hot dog stand across from the terminal. The scent of the grill was almost as distracting as the absentee text message from his wife.

He sent the final email to his office manager, then decided to take full advantage of the hot dog stand with a loaded foot long. His stomach growled as he opened a search engine on his tablet. Lima, Peru, was clearly one of the voids on the map Andy had created. The same map Hurst made a copy of via the camera in his cell phone, making his Nickie not at all pleased.

He checked his phone for the fourth time. Nothing. Searching for a map of the casinos in Lima, he noted there were dozens. Since casinos bred Fu Haizi types, he and his brother were looking at a potentially extensive search.

His brother sat next to him and nudged his arm as they waited. "What's the matter?" Andy asked.

He craned his chin a fraction of an inch. "What makes you think something might be the matter?"

"You're grinding your teeth."

Ah. "My wife and I have an agreement to communicate when flying without one another. Her flight should have landed over an hour ago."

"I get that," Andy said. "But she's kinda doing something big right now."

"Which apparently makes me grind my teeth."

"Point taken, man."

Duncan had an eidetic memory. Generally, it was annoying. Sometimes, it was terrifying. Today, it was perplexing. He knew the voice that spoke behind him. The voice wasn't only in the same airport, but in the same terminal, which meant the man was headed to Peru as well.

Closing his tabs, Duncan straightened in his seat and turned. Jess Larsen did a double take as well. He continued his conversation with the young woman next to him, then stopped altogether. He turned back to Duncan and pulled his chin toward his neck. "Duncan Reed?" he said.

Standing, Duncan walked the few aisles to him and held out his hand. "Yes. It's good to see you, Mr. Larsen."

"Please call me Jess. You're on this flight?"

"I am." He took Jess's hand and shook as he turned a shoulder to expose Andy. "My brother and I are investigating a possible lead in Lima."

"I'd love to hear about it. Please, sit," he said and gestured to the seats next to the young woman. "This is Bella, my fundraising and development intern."

Duncan took the hand of the woman who couldn't have been more than twenty-five. Her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look younger yet. Bella nodded and shook his hand.

"How is Nickie?"

"She is well, thank you. She's involved in an operation today."

"A bust in the States," Jess said. "Excellent. You can tell she loves what she does."

"Yes and no," he said. "The FBI confiscated the case. She is now a subordinate."

"Ouch."

"Yes. That seems to happen often. They are allowing her assistance for today's operation, but she has little knowledge of the plan. It doesn't sit well with her." It felt good to talk about it.

"Allowing or using her assistance?" Jess said.

"Exactly."

"So, Peru," Jess said.

"It seems to be a location used by the international wing of Nickie's Fu Haizi."

"She is determined."

"She is. And thus, more frustrated that the case has been taken from her."

"And yet, here you are."

Duncan smiled at that.

"It's one of the reasons we work internationally," Jess explained. "We have more freedom and less bureaucracy. Where are you staying?"

"I actually have no idea."

"You're traveling to Peru blind?" Jess pulled his chin back again. "Really? We have room. I can show you around."

A wave of relief covered Duncan. He nodded. "We would be most grateful."