Chapter 20

Evie knocked on Callista’s door. Wilmer and Callista lived in a small quaint house in Port Isabel. It was well kept with potted palms and climbing bushes. Evie convinced Conrad and Pete to remain in the SUV and listen in, as she talked with the couple.

Callista opened the door and Evie got a whiff of spicy meat and baking bread. It was wonderful.

“Evie! What a surprise.” Callista held a dishtowel, wiping her hands. “Come in.” She opened the screen door wide.

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but…I have a problem.”

Callista hollered toward the garage where heavy clinking of weights could be heard. “Wilmer, Evie’s here!” She took a frying pan of bubbling meat and sauce off the burner, setting it on a trivet. “Is it Andrea?”

The anxious look on the woman’s face only served to reinforce Evie’s belief that Wilmer and Callista had no knowledge of Andrea’s kidnapping, and they were not involved. Evie hung her head. She really felt bad about lying to them both. “Yes, I’m afraid it is. Can we sit?”

A sweaty and pumped Wilmer stepped through the door and pulled out a chair for Evie. “Vut is wrong?”

“I really don’t know where to begin. First, I need to apologize. I’ve not been honest with you.” She studied the tablecloth. It matched the towel Callista still held. Her kitchen was so cute and sweet. It almost made Evie’s eyes water. “Andrea is not with her sister in New York.” She tried to look as apologetic as she could. She hoped they would believe her.

“I knew it!” Callista threw her towel across the kitchen. “She left him, didn’t she? I knew something was wrong when she was working out.”

“Da blue funk. Ya.” Wilmer shook his head. “She vas not happy lately.”

“How can we help? Where is she?” Callista was jumping in just like a good friend would.

“Is dat Conrad out dare?” Wilmer peered out the kitchen window through the lacy curtains.

“Yes. I asked him to wait outside until I could explain this mess. Please let me get through this…” Evie opened her arms in a pleading gesture. “You’re not going to like it.”

They both took a seat at the table and pushed the dinner settings aside.

“Okay. Go.” Callista put both elbows on the table and leaned in. “He didn’t hit her, did he? Cause I can have Wilmer—”

“No, no, no! For heaven’s sake, no. Andrea didn’t leave. She was kidnapped!” Evie waved away the idea that Conrad had abused his wife.

Calli jumped up. “What?”

Wilmer pulled his girlfriend back into her chair. “Let her talk, meine liebling.” His face had taken on a serious expression, quieting his girlfriend immediately.

Evie started again. “She was taken out of the club in a rolled-up rug, unconscious.” She paused to let the information sink in. “Yesterday morning.”

“Dat is vhy she miss our lunch!” He took Callista’s hand. “How do you know dis?”

“Security footage from the athletic store behind the club. Pete and Conrad got it from the store’s camera.” She nodded. “This is the part you won’t like.”

Wilmer encouraged her to go on with a wave. His face wore the expression of someone who already suspected something.

“Moto and your brother are involved. We have video of them carrying the rug.” She stopped again.

“So that’s why Moto disappeared. I knew something was up. And Keizer? He’s involved? You’re sure?” Innocent Callista was genuinely surprised. The shock on her face was real.

“I do not doubt vhat you say. My brother is not goot person.” He was shaking his head as he spoke. “And I know Moto falsed his papers. Mr. Dornbecker asked me to keep eye on Moto just last veek. Ya. Dis is bad. And Keizer is in it, ya?”

“Can we come in now?” Pete’s voice was buzzing in Evie’s ear.

“So, I take it you are not part of this?” Evie looked directly at Wilmer, then at Callista.

Both shook their heads, then Wilmer spoke. “Dis is very bad for me as vell. Do da police know? Vill I lose my vork permit? Ya.” Wilmer looked distraught, shaking his head sadly.

“No police. The kidnappers said they will kill Andrea if we contact the police. They want codes to Conrad’s new government project.”

Callista gasped and quickly covered her mouth. Tears welled in her beautiful chocolate eyes. “Oh no.” She squeaked out. “I bet Keizer heard me and Andrea talking about Conrad’s company.” Then her tears turned to confusion. “But we never talked about any project. She was very careful about what she said concerning his work. It was always just government stuff. I didn’t really care, I just liked to train with Andrea. Oh, my God. This is so bad. Did I cause this?” The tears were back, and Wilmer pulled Callista close, rubbing her arm gently.

“No, Calli-meine. Do not so fret. Vee vill figure dis out, ya?” He looked speculatively at Evie and then glanced toward the car parked outside. “Ya?”

Evie pointed to her ear. “They are asking if they can come in now? Conrad and Pete. Is it okay?”

“Of course. We have to help!” Callista leaned toward Evie and spoke loudly, punctuating each word with a pause. “Please. Come. In. Now.” Then she jumped up and went to the door.

Conrad, Pete, Wilmer, Evie and Callista wouldn’t fit in the tiny kitchen, so they all took seats in the somewhat larger living room. Evie led the introductions.

“Wilmer, Callista, this is Peter Newcastle, Conrad’s partner in the company. You all know Conrad.” She turned to Wilmer. “They’ve heard everything we’ve said.” She pointed to her ear bug again.

“Can you tell us anything about your brother, or Moto, that will help us find them, or Andrea?” Conrad sat on the edge of a flowery couch, his hands gripped together. The tension showed in the protruding veins and white knuckles of both hands. “We had Moto, but he got away after fingering your brother.”

“Dis explain a lot. Keizer has been very secretive lately. Possibly because I have asked him to leave soon.” Wilmer was thinking. “He spoke about big deal soon. Could dis be da ransom?”

“They don’t want money. They want information about one of my projects.” Conrad sat forward.

Pete pulled him back. “Down, boy. These two are helping.”

“Yeah!” Callista chimed in. “Keizer kept saying he would soon have a chunk of money to buy a ranch in Argentina. He didn’t want to go back to Germany.” She looked into the kitchen where three place settings had been shoved to the side. “He didn’t come back for dinner tonight, and Keizer never misses a meal.”

“That makes sense.” Pete snorted. “Moto got away and knows we are looking for him and Keizer. They’re probably hiding somewhere with Andrea. We have to find them before…” He paused before saying the obvious. “Any ideas how to find your brother?”

“He goes to a bar up by the Holiday Inn and Suites. It’s a German place. Serves really heavy beer.” Callista looked toward Wilmer and he nodded her on. “Keizer’s an alcoholic.” She whispered, embarrassed as if she’d had something to do with his character foibles. “Wilmer pays his tab.”

Evie, sitting next to Callista, gave her a tight hug. “It’s okay, Calli. It’s not your fault.”

Both women knew that, but the confirmation hug between the two women was comforting anyway.

“Vait! Keizer has papers hidden under his bed. I find them looking for drink. I don’t like him drunk around Calli. I don’t trust him.”

Calli look strangely at Wilmer. “He’s never been inappropriate, Wilmer.”

“Goot. I would have to kill him. Brother or not.” Wilmer got up and headed down a hallway. “Come, come.”

Conrad and Pete followed Wilmer while Evie stayed with Callista.

“Evie, I swear Wilmer has nothing to do with Andrea’s kidnapping.” She whispered.

“I believe you, Calli. Really. And I felt so bad about lying to you. I hate that, but they threatened to kill Andrea if we told anyone.” She hugged the perky trainer. “Cat’s out of the bag now.”

Calli’s perpetual enthusiasm got a shot in the arm and she hugged Evie back.

“We have to rescue Andrea. The club wouldn’t be the same without her.” She frowned. “I wouldn’t be the same without her. She was the one who convinced me to go for my dreams. Me and Wilmer. She talked business and gave us design ideas. She’s so smart. I—”

“We’ll figure this out. And protect Wilmer at the same time. He’s a trooper.” Evie reassured her. “And cute as the dickens!”

That comment brought a smile back to Calli’s face.

“What about your relationshipee, huh?” Simon’s voice came over the ear bug and Evie laughed.

“My boyfriend just made a joke.” Evie pointed to her ear bug. “He’s at Pete’s, doing some checking on his mega-computer. He’s a techy kind of guy.”

Callista leaned close to Evie’s ear. “Hello. How. Are. You?”

“Fine, thank you, Miss Callista.”

Evie spoke the words for Simon out loud. Callista clapped her hands. “This is so James Bondish! Can I have one?”

“Don’t have any more, or I’d give you one.” Evie would never have given Calli an ear bug to follow all of their communications, but it didn’t hurt to let her think it would have been a possibility.

Conrad and Pete emerged from the hallway, followed by Wilmer.

“Anything?” Evie was hopeful.

Pete held up a couple magazines. “Porno. Candy wrappers. Two empty bottles of some kind of German beer, and a couple receipts for…” Pete read the pale type. “a Shell gas station up island.” Pete shrugged.

“I am sorry dere is not more. Keizer’s clothes are gone.” Wilmer sat next to Calli who leaned into his arms. “Vhat else can vee do?” Evie could clearly understand why Wilmer wanted this situation resolved as quickly and quietly as possible. He had a lot at stake.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know.” Evie waved him off. “But we can check out the gas station before it gets too dark. Maybe the clerk will remember something. Keizer can leave an impression on people.”

Callista had the ill graces to snicker. “Big impression. Big, big impression.” She grabbed her belly and shook the imaginary fat.

Wilmer swatted her hands down but chuckled and kissed her ear.

They were so cute together.

“Sit tight. Let us know if Keizer comes back.” Evie scribbled her phone number on a scrap of napkin. “Whatever you do, do not let on you know what is going on. Master Moto’s real name is Henry Mikamoto, and he killed a couple cops in New Orleans last year. I have no idea how he got to Texas, or mixed up with this kidnapping, but he’s extremely dangerous.”

One more woman-comfort hug and the team was back out in the SUV.

“Once Moto gets to Wilmer’s brother, I’m sure Keizer won’t go back to the house. He’d know better.” Conrad was on the comm. “Simon? Any chance you can find some connection, anything we can use?” He headed across the causeway to South Padre Island. “We’re going to check out the Shell station.”

“Already on it.” Simons voice was neutral and flat.

Evie mouthed; he’s in the zone.

Both men in the SUV smiled back at her.

****

Conrad couldn’t believe his luck in bringing Major Gastineau on board, but her boyfriend was a gift from the Tech Gods. Evie was a wonder as an operative. She was smooth and calm as a cucumber. Simon was a cross between Abby Shuto, Cable McCrory and Bill Gates rolled into one. And he came with his own jet and Godzilla in orange sneakers!

The Shell gas station also hosted a convenience store that sold, among snacks; medical supplies, sunscreen and day-old, over cooked hotdogs, beer, and wine. The attendant for the station couldn’t remember any particular customer, but the storeowner could, and did!

“Yeah, it’s that fat German guy that comes in about every other day. Buys a couple six-packs and complains about American beer.” She wiped her hands on a stained apron behind the hot food case. “Usually walks, but sometimes he gets gas in this old-fashioned Beemer. He was in here yesterday. Got two corndogs and two six-packs. Paid cash. Counted out the pennies right down to the last cent.” She gulped black coffee out of a horribly stained ceramic cup.

“Do you remember which way he would walk?” Pete turned on the charm just like a pro. Conrad watched Pete play his role, thinking the entire time that he would have made a very successful con man, if he hadn’t teamed up with Conrad and founded GST. He was slick. Again, for the hundredth time, he said a little prayer of thanks for such great and diversely talented friends.

The woman belched like a trucker and leaned toward the window. She pointed down the side street next to the station. “That-a way.”

“You, my dear, are an angel of deliverance. Thank you.” Pete slid a C note under the greasy napkin holder on top of the hot food case and winked at the woman. What? Did Pete just walk around the world with hundred-dollar bills in his pockets? Conrad smirked.

While the woman’s face wore a certain stunned look, her hands deftly snatched the bill from under the holder and stuffed it in her back pocket, making sure the gas attendant did not see a thing.

Outside the store, and out of hearing, Conrad commented, “So how do we want to handle the surveillance on this street? Moto knows all of us now. If he happens to see us moving in, he’ll take off. He’ll dump Keizer for sure and possibly kill Andrea. I don’t doubt he is capable of it in a heartbeat.” Conrad leaned against the SUV, his head hanging like a beaten puppy.

“Guys, you there?” Simon’s voice sounded excited over the comm.

“Yep, go ahead, Simon.” Pete responded first.

“You guys are on the corner of West Kingfisher and Padre Boulevard?”

“Yes, why?” Conrad touched his ear to listen more carefully.

“Cause I just found video footage of an industrial style van pulling into an old auto garage/warehouse at the end of West Kingfisher. Around the time Andrea would have been nabbed, two individuals unloaded a large long object. About ten minutes later, one individual emerged and drove the van back to the South Padre Athletic Club. If I was a betting person, I’d say I just saw Andrea’s kidnapping. Thank you, Homeland Security and ICE.”

“Wait, Simon? Are you on my computer?” Pete was wondering how many firewalls had been violated for Simon to come up with the footage, and if Homeland Security was already tracing the IP address, right back to Pete’s computer.

“Not to worry, Peter-meister. A tracer has been activated and is on the fourteenth IP skip. They only have a hundred and,” he paused letting the calculator on the screen catch up, “seventy-five to follow. Should take the government Peabodys another hour and a half to find my IP, which I bounced off the DQ free wi-fi. By then, I’ll be long gone.” Simon was chuckling as he spoke. “So down the block to your left. Toward the mainland. It should be on the right, tucked behind some over-priced condos. Looks like there is a metal fence around the place.”

“Gotcha! Thanks Simon.” Conrad got into the SUV. “I’ll park around back of the station. Meet me back there for some insurance.”

“Insurance?” Pete shrugged at Evie who aimed a finger at the pretty boy and pulled an invisible trigger.

“Bang, bang. Thanks, baby. You are the Wiz.” She couldn’t see Simon, but she knew he was smiling at her comment.

She’d started calling Simon, the Wiz, when Ghost Wars hit one million players. The main character in Simon’s video game was fashioned after the real Ghost of Port Chicago, their Amee. Beautiful and blond, the heroine in the game, leads a planetary insurrection that expands across Simon’s fictitious universe. The more planets she gets involved in the rebellion, the more points the player wins, and the more difficult the levels of the game become. Each level adds more challenges and characters, as well as weapons and resources. The real Amee McGee was killed in the horrible explosion of Port Chicago in 1944 while awaiting a rendezvous with her love, Seaman Grandville O’Sullivan, Simon’s great-uncle. Stuck on the old naval base as a ghost, unable to move on, Amee haunted the place for decades, waiting for her rendezvous that never happened. Enter Evielynne Gastineau, Provost Marshall, latent medium, and army captain on her last assignment before separation from the military. Somehow, Amee activated Evie’s hereditary ability to speak to the dead, just in time to reunite a dying Grady with his love, as they moved on to the hereafter together. Since then, more than once, Evie had felt their angelic hands in her life. She and Simon both accepted their divine meddling as a part of everyday life, and death. How could they not? On that dock, months ago, they’d both been given a glimpse of heaven, a gift they could neither deny, nor forget.

As Conrad and Pete snuck down one side of the street, Evie took the other. Conrad had provided some pretty sweet firepower from a special compartment in the back of his SUV. Once a spec ops guy, always armed and ready! Conrad carried an FN 5.7 X 28 close to his chest. The small caliber handgun fired a high-velocity rifle cartridge that did significant damage. It wasn’t called the Cop-Killer for nothing. The round could pierce body armor and cinder block, yet it was light and incredibly accurate.

From Conrad’s stash, Pete selected his favorite for hurt-locker equipment; a Ranger Crossbow tricked out with a multiline scope and carbon 18 arrows. After Afghanistan, he’d given up firearms all together. Conrad was well aware they made his stomach turn. It was a small part of what they both had to deal with on a daily basis, leftovers from the sand box. Pete wouldn’t touch a gun, but he didn’t have to. The crossbow was a silent killer, with three hundred feet-per-second power. He and Conrad used to shoot competitively on an archery range south of Reynosa, on the Mexican side. That was before Andrea and the unexpected growth of GST.

Evie carried a Walther PPQ tucked into the waistband of her sweats and a couple extra mags stuck in each side of her bra. Apparently, bras were good for more than one thing, after all!

“Let’s get to it. Fifteen yards, to the right.” Conrad motioned to his position and moved from shadow to shadow, whispering into his comm.

“I got the back, but there isn’t much here. Couple of barrels and a port-a-potty. A really dirty port-a-potty.” Pete slipped over the fence with ease and not a sound. It had been several years since they’d needed their covert skills, but it still amazed Conrad how fast they could slip right back into play.

“Roger that. I got Rad’s six.” Evie was back in the sand box on recon. For Conrad, it was a good and bad feeling, all at the same time. The exhilarating feeling of impending danger mixed with the knowledge that this may be the last thing you do in the world, lent a kind of adrenaline high to the whole operation. But the flip side was intense fear that this might be the last thing you do in life. Or in Andrea’s life. Conrad swallowed his fear and focused. It was what a soldier did to survive, most of the time.

“Going in.” Conrad found a break in the fencing where two massive sheets of corrugated metal had rusted and separated in the marine environment. He bent one side back just enough to skinny through. Evie followed, watching every step. Silent as ghosts, they crept up on the building.

The old cement and metal place had seen better days. None of the outside lights were functional, many missing bulbs altogether. The yard was a maze of old car bodies, parts and rusted, unidentifiable metal junk. Old cable coils and pans full of some kind of dark, thick liquid dotted the ground. Various car doors and bumpers stood against one wall, while a leaning scaffolding precariously propped up more large truck parts. A stack of tires provided the perfect staircase to an upper window.

Conrad motioned to Evie in the sign language soldiers were used to. He headed up the tire stack as she remained on the ground, providing cover from behind an old truck bed.

“In position.” Conrad bobbed his head above the windowsill, then down again. The window was open, and apparently, he was in a good location. He raised his head for a longer period, motioning to Evie who translated the message to Pete.

“Rad says two people inside. One is Moto. He assumes the other is Keizer.” Evie crouched behind the box whispering into her comm.

“Roger that. Back door is locked. No entry here. In position.” Pete’s quiet voice responded.

Conrad sent another set of signals.

“One handgun. One rifle.” Evie suppressed a giggle. “Five empty beer bottles. This may be quicker than we think.”

Conrad rejoined Evie on the ground and huddled behind the truck box. “Moto is in bad shape. Keizer is just sitting. Let’s go on my three. You cover me from above.” Conrad was personally aware of Evie’s ability to shoot, and was confident she could handle the sniper duty tonight. “Pete, keep an eye on the back in case Keizer is a fast fat man.”

Pete responded. “Roger that…”

Evie climbed into position atop the tire stack and motioned to Conrad. “In position.”

Pete reassured. “In position. Still.”

Conrad snuck across the dirt yard, careful not to step on anything that may alert the two inside of what they were about to face. When he was next to the mandoor, he slowly tried the handle.

It was not locked.

“One…two…three.”

All hell broke loose.

Conrad threw the door open and rushed inside, gun drawn.

Keizer fell out of his chair and scrambled toward the back door. Finally gaining his feet, he unlocked the heavy metal door to find Pete with an arrow pointed at his nose.

Moto dropped his ice pack and reached for the handgun on the table in front of him. It went flying across the room as a well-aimed bullet from above, hit its mark perfectly.

Keizer let out a piggy kind-of-squeal and fainted dead away. His rotund body hit the floor with a sort of splat noise.

Moto stood stock still, hands frozen over where his gun used to be.

“Move and you die.” Conrad’s voice was dead calm.

Evie scrambled down from her vantage point and came through the door as Pete was emptying a beer bottle over the unconscious Keizer’s head. It had no effect. “Well, that went swimmingly.”

Moto mumbled under his breath. “Fuckin’ cunt.”

“That is my least favorite word in the world, sucker.” Evie cuffed Moto in the back of the head with her gun, sending him off his chair to the ground.

As soon as Moto was no longer a threat, Conrad ran in a frenzy looking for Andrea. “Andrea? Andrea? Where are you, honey?”

“I’ll remember that, sweet thing. Everybody okay?” Simon’s voice came over the comm. He’d been able to hear everything but had no visual on the situation.

“Roger that. Both down, thanks to your lady.” Conrad smiled at Evie.

“That’s my baby-girl!” Conrad could hear Bull, back at Pete’s place with Simon, cheer over the comm.

Conrad ran through the filthy place calling for his wife. “Andrea? Andrea?”

Pete secured the unconscious Keizer with zip ties from the side pocket of his quiver, and relocked the door then joined in searching the building as well. “Clear.” He announced as he checked the two rooms adjacent to the main shop. In the last small room, he paused. “Ah, Conrad, you might want to come here.”

Rushing to his partner, thinking the worst by the tone of Pete’s voice, Conrad froze at the doorway. The solid metal door stood open, but inside a bloody and tattered moving blanket lay crumpled on the floor next to two empty water bottles.

His heart stopped beating.

His lungs could draw no breath.

His gut twisted into one big knot.

Then the anger began to boil, and he came to life.

Dangerous life.

In four quick strides he was towering over a recovering Moto. “Where is she?” He viciously kicked the man on the floor. “What did you do with my wife?” He bent, shoving a fist into Moto’s face. Conrad was out of patience.

“Keizer…” Moto mumbled as he tried to stand.

Keizer Dembeck still lay in a dead faint by the back door. Conrad grabbed the small ice chest from the table and emptied it onto the fat man: water, ice, bottles, cans and all. Keizer came awake immediately, squirming and wiggling away from the cold and wet puddle surrounding him. He reached for a bottle and Pete stepped on his zipped hands. “Nah ah, buddy.”

Conrad grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled Keizer to his feet. “My wife? Where is she?” Conrad punctuated the last question with a punch to the gut. The gurgling noise warned him just in time to step back, as Keizer emptied the contents of his stomach on the floor. The smell of rotten fish and alcohol permeated the air.

Pete covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. “Jeeze-zuz Key-rist, what a pig.” he mumbled behind the makeshift gas mask.

Evie, securing Moto to the only sturdy chair in the place, groaned.

Keizer heaved several times before he could stand up, then looked around at the situation. He looked lost and Conrad knew it. If the team didn’t kill him, his brother would. Worse yet, Keizer’s contact might even take care of the fat fellow when he didn’t come through with the info. Conrad was sure Keizer had no way out.

Tears filled Keizer’s eyes. “She got avay.” He motioned to the tiny room where they’d kept Andrea. Or tried to.

“What do you mean, she got away? Where’d she go?” Conrad stomped into the room and dragged the bloody blanket out, shoving it in Keizer’s face. “If this is her blood, you’re a dead man.”

“I am dead man either vay.” Keizer hung his head, but looked sideways at Moto, who sat tied to a chair, his head hung low as well.

Keizer nodded toward his partner in crime and mouthed, “He shot her.”

Conrad’s head exploded! He raged at the man. “He shot her? Andrea?”

Keizer leaned against a metal pole, nodding pathetically toward Moto. “I try to stop him, but I am only…” he motioned to himself, as if to say; I’m a tiny, insignificant person. What could I do?

That got Moto’s attention, as his head snapped up and he spit, “No. He lies! He shot the bitch.”

Evie punched Moto in the mouth. “That’s my second most un-favorite word in the world.” Her right was a powerful comment on word usage.

Pete scratched his head. “He said, he said. I say we chain ’em both up in the yard with my pit bull. I get tired of buying all that dog food anyway.” He finished the sentence with a maniacal smile.

“Nein. You have to believe me. Dis gink kill her.” He made a gun with his fingers and placed it to his head. “Pooh in da head.” Keizer begged, wiping the vomit from his chin. “I would never hurt a voman like dat.”

“Gink?” Simon’s voice questioned over the comm. “Is that a German thing?”

Evie answered in a hushed voice. “Combo; chink and gook. Like the n-word for Asians, only worse.”

Bull’s deep chuckle could be heard next. “Just when I thought I knew all them bad words…”

Moto screamed at his partner. “Shut up, you stupid fuck.” He turned to Evie, pleading with the woman who might have a little more compassion than the men. Course, he couldn’t have been more wrong, but he didn’t know that. “That shithead was drunk. The woman got the door open somehow and ran. He shot her.” He licked his bloody lip. “Up on the bridge.” Moto nodded toward the channel.

Conrad grabbed Keizer by the neck, his big hand digging into the triple chin. “That right?”

Keizer nodded in the negative as Conrad began to squeeze.

“She fell off the bridge onto a garbage barge.” Moto shook his head in mock sadness. “She’s dead and so are we.”

Keizer’s face began to turn red and his hands flailed as his lungs burned for air that could not get past Conrad’s tightening fingers.

“Hey, Rad. Don’t kill the guy, yet.” Pete gently stayed Conrad’s hand, and Keizer fell to the floor, gasping for breath. “We need to know who’s behind this. These two idiots can’t have put this whole caper together.”

Evie came to stand next to Conrad. “Between the two of them, they don’t have a single brain to know about codes or your projects.” She spoke softly, putting an arm around her pal.

Conrad crumbled.

His life was gone.

Nothing mattered but his wife, and their love.

And that was gone as well.

Tears welled in the seasoned soldier’s eyes and he collapsed into Evie’s arms.

****

Pete had never seen Conrad like that and didn’t want to be an eyewitness any longer. It made him feel some way he didn’t like. His friend, his battle-buddy, his partner, Rad the Impaler had an Achilles heel after all. He hadn’t understood how tightly Conrad’s world was wrapped around his wife. Until today, he’d never realized the woman he considered an interloper, was actually the lifeblood of his friend. He dragged Keizer away from the scene, giving Conrad and Evie their moment.

“Sit.” Pete forced Keizer into the broken office chair and secured his hands and feet with more zip ties. He took out a coin and flipped it. “Heads, you shot.” He pointed at Moto. “Tails, you shot.” He indicated Keizer. “Hmmmm.” He took Evie’s gun and held it to Moto’s head.

A telltale smile crept over Keizer’s face that told Pete the whole story. But there was more game to play.

Moto squeezed his eyes shut and mumbled something in a foreign language. Pete kept the gun at the man’s temple. “Last rites, Moto?”

“I have done many things.” His face seemed to relax a bit. “I shall be reborn as an insect to be punished for my transgressions in this world, and that which came before.” He shook his head sadly. “I had thought a longer life to atone…”

“Really?” Pete was more entertained than shocked. Moto was a Buddhist! After everything he’d done, he worried about his Karma and rebirth? “You have to be kidding. Maybe you’ll be reborn as gravel so people can walk on you daily, like you’ve walked on lives since you were old enough to take a step.” Pete poked Moto’s temple with the barrel of his gun.

“I do not practice as I should. My sister worries for my path to the Pure Land. And rightly so.” Moto figured he was about to die.

Keizer interrupted the last confessions of his criminal partner. “He lies! All lies! You must believe me. He did all of dis. He told me I could have money if I help. Vilmer is sending me home to Germany. I cannot go. There are people who vould kill me dere.”

Pete aimed the gun at Keizer’s nose. “There are people right here, who will kill you, jackass. Shut up.” He turned back to Moto. “So, how about some atonement right now. Tell me about this set-up. Who is behind the kidnapping and the request for classified information?”

Moto shrugged, all pretense gone. “I honestly don’t know. I did a job last year with my guys. It went down bad. Me and a couple of the guys got out, but most didn’t.”

“Yeah, yeah. The jewelry store. The cops. We know.” Pete kept the gun trained on Moto, but pulled a stool to the table, and perched on the edge.

“No, nobody knows.” More head shaking. “Most of my guys and my girl got away. At first. Then they started disappearing. My sister…” Moto choked.

“Holy moly, guys. You won’t believe this.” Simon’s excited voice was loud in all of their ears. “Henry Mikamoto’s gang all turned up dead, or parts of them anyway. Even the girl and her kid. Oh my God!” They could all hear Bull’s gasp as Simon continued. “Henry’s sister got a very special present from some unknown perp: hands in a box! Crap, that’s ugly.”

“Boss, get rid of those pictures.” Bull’s deep voice was more a command. “Before I barf all over your computer.”

Pete touched his ear bud. “That bad, huh?”

Bull’s response was one word. “Worse.”

Pete returned his attention to Moto as Evie and a recovering Conrad joined them at the table. “So, your guys got what they deserved and…”

“I got a burn phone. And a note. All of this,” his head swiveled, “was set up for me. I got orders. I followed the orders.” He nodded in the direction of Keizer. “He kept saying he needed money, so I got him to help. Bad idea, I guess.”

Keizer chimed in. “He lies. All lies. I am innocent.”

Conrad cuffed the German, knocking him into silence. “Go on.” The deadly tone was back in his voice and Pete cringed.

“My sister was never in our gang. She has kids. They told me they’d do the same thing to her and my nieces, if I didn’t do as instructed.” He shrugged again. “So I moved to Texas, South Padre Island. Got the job they said to with fake papers they sent me, and followed instructions.” He looked directly at Conrad. “Believe me, I’ve done some bad shit, but my sister and her family are innocent. They shouldn’t have to pay. Not that way.” Moto closed his eyes.

“Who shot my wife and why?” Conrad ground out between clenched teeth. His fingers worked the handle of his gun. Pete wondered if his buddy could maintain and not give in to his anger. Andrea was Conrad’s world and his life. If she was gone, he might just be capable of anything, including murder.

“Keizer. That shit-for-brains was drunk. Again. I still can’t figure out how she got that door open.” Moto was in full atonement form and talking as if it were a casual conversation.

“I can.”

Evie nearly jumped out of her skin. “Amee?”

Then she heard Simon’s voice in her ear. “Ah, babe, we have a…visitor.”

“Amee who, Evie? Who are you talking to? What visitor?” Pete was confused. One minute, Evie had been sitting still and quiet. The next she was jumping and talking about a woman named Amee?

****

“Ah, guys, I need a moment.” Evie removed her ear bud and stepped away from the group. “Amee?”

“Of course! Do you talk to other ghosts?”

“I didn’t know I could hear you anymore. I feel you sometimes.” Evie just had to think her conversation, and Amee’s words popped into her mind.

“I wouldn’t leave you alone. Grady and I keep watch over all our people. You must know that.” Amee’s tone was a little petulant.

“You helped Andrea get away?” Evie was amazed. She knew the ghost could move things if she tried hard enough, but this was the first time since Simon’s Uncle Grady joined her in heaven, that Amee had done something like open a door.

“It takes talent, and I seem to be talented.” Amee’s light-hearted giggle warmed Evie’s soul. She’d kind of missed the little ghost in the past few months

“And humble. So is Andrea with you?” Evie was afraid to ask the question, but needed to know.

“Evie, live humans cannot be here with us. It’s just for the ones who have passed. You know that. It’s just me, and my Grady.”

It struck her like a bolt out of the blue. “Andrea’s alive! She’s not with you!” Evie shouted out loud.

Three heads swiveled in her direction at the pronouncement.

Evie ran back to the table and shoved her ear bud back into her ear. “Simon, could you hear Amee?”

“Nope, but Uncle Grady gave me an earful. Andrea’s alive, right?” Simon had a bit of a hitch in his voice.

“What are you two guys talking about?” By the look on their faces, Pete was now very confused, and Conrad was right behind him.

“Evie?”

Simon came over the comm. “Hang on a minute, guys.” Everyone could hear the rapid fire of the computer keys being assaulted by one fast typer. “Holy crap!”

“What?” Conrad looked at Evie then at the floor, touching his ear bud. “What’s going on?”

It was Simon’s turn to shock the hell out of Conrad and Pete. “Andrea is alive, folks.”

Bull’s cheer drowned out the rest of Simon’s explanation.

“Wait. Come again…” It was Pete’s turn to press his ear bud deeper into his ear. “Did I hear you say Andrea is alive?”

“Bull, shut up, man. Only one of us can be heard at a time.” Simon was still punching the keys, but slower now.

“Sorry, boss. Look.” Bull shouted through the comm again. “There she is!”

Without any kind of visual, Pete and Conrad were losing patience. “Where?” Conrad stood and began pacing. Evie was trying desperately to figure a way out of her little slip, without having to explain she could talk to ghosts who were feeding her intel. They would never believe it.

“On a garbage barge, crawling around. It’s headed out to sea.” They heard more tapping. “At 17:45 yesterday, Andrea was alive and moving.”

“I gotta get back to Pete’s. I gotta see this.” Conrad was on his way out of the garage and headed for the car stashed behind the gas station at the end of the block.

“Evie, go with him. I’ll take care of this mess.” Pete circled his head with his finger. “Go! Take care of our guy. He’s messed up right now.”

“What will you do…” Evie didn’t want Pete to murder two men.

“Go. I got a handball friend who can help. Go!” Pete waved her off after Conrad.

“Roger that.” She grabbed her gun, leaving Pete’s bow behind, and sped out the door after Conrad. “Thanks, Amee, Uncle Grady.” The only response she heard in her mind was a simple sigh and a deep chuckle, the one she remembered from the hospital where Grady lay dying, over a year ago.

She caught Conrad as he fired up the SUV. She hopped in and buckled up before the mad man at the wheel tore out of the station, and down the highway.

“Slow down, Conrad, or you’ll spend the night in the stockade, not at Pete’s place.” She touched his shoulder.

“Who’s Amee?” His eyes focused on the road, glancing right and left, watching for police cars.

“Amee?” Evie tried to play dumb. The interchange between her and her little ghost took seconds, but she truly couldn’t remember what had happened in just her brain, and what she may have said out loud.

“You said, thanks, Amee. Who were you talking to?”

Evie let out a deep sigh. “Long story. Once we get Andrea, I’ll explain everything. What we need to concentrate on now, is finding her. She is alive, Conrad. Believe me when I tell you that.”

Conrad swung into the underground parking at Pete’s warehouse. “Deal.” He jumped out of the car and hit the elevator button. “Come on, you piece of junk.”

The doors swung open almost immediately and there stood a smiling Bull. “Ready and waiting. Get in.” As soon as Evie’s feet crossed the threshold, Bull slammed the gate up, and hit the tenth button. “You are not going to believe what the boss found.” He chuckled and clasped his huge hands in front of him.

“What Bull? What?” Now it was Evie’s turn to be impatient.

Bull just stood there, a finger crossed his lips. “Lips zipped.” He mumbled through closed lips. But immediately the smile returned. Bigger than ever.

Conrad was the first to burst out of the elevator as if he’d been ejected by a cannon. “Whatcha got, Simon?” Four strides and he stood next to the computer geek.

Simon turned the screen so Conrad had a better view of sixteen still photos. Evie caught up and stood just behind Conrad. A little grainy and pitted, the photos tiled the screen. Each one showed Andrea’s progress from falling off the bridge to being dumped with the garbage, recovering, making a raft out of floating debris, swimming toward an island, going ashore and finally lying on the beach.

Conrad slammed his fist into the desktop, rattling the keyboard. “That’s my girl!”

For the first time since they’d arrived, Evie felt a sense of relief and something close to success. Andrea was alive and now they just had to find her little island. She patted Conrad on the back as she watched tears fall from her friend’s rugged face.