On Thursday morning at eight o’clock, Amanda and Megan arrived at her apartment complex, as her brother Burt backed a U-Haul truck up to the back door of the apartment building. A car with three of Burt’s friends parked in the alley.
“Sorry I couldn’t get a sitter,” apologized Amanda when Burt got out of the truck. “Wendy had to take her own kid to a doctor’s appointment this morning so I thought I should —”
“Are you kidding? I’m glad she’s here.” Burt looked at Megan and pointed to the truck and said, “There it is! This is the big truck your Uncle Burt is going to give you a ride in!”
Megan looked at the truck and her eyes widened with excitement. “That is a big truck!” she exclaimed. “And I’m going in it!” she squealed.
“You betcha!” said Burt. “But first we have to get it loaded.”
Everyone went inside the apartment at which time Amanda announced she had left the coffee pot out, along with a few mugs for everyone to use. After switching on the coffee pot, Amanda stepped into the living room.
“Hot and stuffy in here,” mumbled one of Burt’s friends, as he walked over and slid open the door to the balcony.
Amanda looked at the sliding door and her body started to tremble and she hugged Megan.
“What’s wrong, Mommy? Are you afraid of the bad man?”
“Forget about the bad man,” said Amanda, gently placing a hand on each side of her face to hold her attention. “We’re moving to a new place. Away from bad men.”
“Maybe you should take Megan and wait outside in the truck,” suggested Burt. “Really, you don’t need to be, uh, in here. We’ll be done in no time at all.”
“Yes, Mommy! The truck! I want to see the truck!”
Amanda swallowed and nodded in agreement. She knew she would not be able to keep her emotions in check. She turned to Megan and said, “Okay, honey. Let’s go see the truck.”
Megan shrieked with delight and raced out of the room in front of Amanda.
Burt watched them leave, then turned to his friend as they each picked up a box of kitchenware and said, “I’ll kill him if I ever find out who it was.”
“I’d be glad to help you,” swore his friend.
Jack drove to Surrey and parked in an urban area as directed by Virgil. Laura parked Virgil’s BMW behind them and walked up and opened the front door of
the SUV.
Jack looked at Virgil and asked, “Which building? You said it was an apartment in the back?”
“Not these ones,” replied Virgil. “The best way for me to find it is to walk from here and follow the same route she took. I followed her from about this point on.”
“Why did you pick her?” asked Jack.
“It was Sunday and she wasn’t with a guy, so I thought maybe she lived alone. Especially as she lived in an apartment. I figured if she had a house she would probably have a guy.”
Jack glanced at Laura and said, “If I take his cuffs off, do you think he will try to run?”
“Hope so,” muttered Laura.
By the look on Virgil’s face, Jack was confident he would not try anything, so he took the handcuffs off. They then walked down a sidewalk for a block before cutting across a playground and heading down a path leading into some alleys.
Eventually they came upon a row of apartment complexes and Virgil stopped. “I think her apartment is on the other side of that U-Haul truck.”
“You think?” replied Jack. “Keep walking. I want you to be sure.”
As the three of them approached the front of the U-Haul, Jack saw a young girl run around to the front of the truck, followed by her mother’s cry of, “Megan! Come back here!”
Jack crouched down in front of Megan to block her from running out into the alley and said, “Hi, there. Your mommy wants you.” As he spoke, he glanced over his shoulder at Virgil.
Virgil’s mouth was gaped open in panic. Then he quickly turned his back and pretended to fuss with the zipper on his jacket.
Jack felt the goosebumps rise on his body. He knew the young woman he heard calling for Megan was the victim.
Jack glanced at Laura and knew she had also clued in. “Take him back to the SUV,” whispered Jack. “I’ll distract her.”
Amanda was at the back of the truck when Megan first ran around the front, so she darted to the other side, expecting to see Amanda circle the truck. When she didn’t appear, Amanda reversed direction and ran back.
“Megan, don’t be hiding on Mommy. Come here!”
Jack stood up as Amanda rounded the corner of the truck. She hadn’t realized he was there and let out a scream, while grabbing Megan by the arm and taking a couple of steps backwards.
“I’m sorry,” said Jack, rounding the corner of the truck and gesturing with the palms of his hands, trying to indicate she had nothing to be scared of. He smiled apologetically and said, “I hadn’t meant to startle you. I heard you calling for your daughter and wanted to stop her from —”
Jack heard a low guttural curse as a man grabbed him around the chest from behind and tried to throw him to the ground. Jack responded as he had been trained, by clasping the attacker’s arms to his chest so the attacker couldn’t let go, while simultaneously taking one step forward and bending his shoulder over. The result was he threw the man to the ground while landing on top of him. His training had also taught him to follow up with a karate punch to the man’s solar plexus, throat, and groin.
Jack automatically delivered the first blow to the solar plexus, before realizing the smack he heard was the man’s head coming in sudden contact with the asphalt. A quick glance said he was already stunned into submission.
Jack had little time to ponder the situation or stand up before another man rushed at him. Jack responded by kicking his knee. As the second man spun sideways, Jack leapt to his feet and assumed a proper karate stance to face his new opponent who put up his fists.
“No!” cried Amanda, from where she was kneeling and hugging Megan close to her chest. “Burt! It’s not him,” she exclaimed, looking down at her brother lying on the ground, before turning her attention to the other man. “It’s not the guy! This guy has a beard. The man who attacked me didn’t. I screamed because I hadn’t seen him until I came around the truck. He startled me.”
Jack saw the second attacker slowly lower his fists while Burt moaned and tried to sit up.
“He’s not the bad man, is he Mommy?”
“No, sweetie. Uncle Burt just thought he was.”
Amanda’s attention focused on the back of Jack’s jacket. It had ridden up and rested on the top of the pistol stuck in his holster. “He’s got a gun!” she gasped, pointing at Jack.
“I’m a police officer,” said Jack.
“Oh, fuck,” moaned Burt, holding the back of his head and gazing up at Jack.
“Mommy! Uncle Burt said a bad word!” said Megan.
“Everyone take it easy,” said Jack. “I’ll show you my identification.”
The second man took a step forward and looked at Jack’s badge and identification card before nodding at Burt and Amanda.
“I didn’t know,” said Burt, still struggling to sit up.
“It’s okay,” replied Jack. “You likely have a mild concussion. Don’t move for a moment and let me have a look at you.”
Jack knelt beside Burt and gave his head a cursory examination while introductions were made. Jack then moved his fingertip from side to side in front of Burt’s face and told him to focus on it.
“I think you’re okay,” said Jack, “but I’m no doctor, so watch yourself. If you’re feeling sick, get it checked out.”
“I’ll be okay,” said Burt, slowly getting to his feet. He looked at Jack and said, “I’m sorry, but you don’t look like a cop. I heard my sister scream and I thought you were attacking her.”
“Don’t worry about it,” replied Jack. “I think you got the worst of it.”
“Yeah, I got a heck of a goose egg already,” replied Burt, rubbing the back of his head.
“You may want to put a bag of ice or frozen vegetables on it,” suggested Jack.
“I’ll see how it goes.” Burt stared at Jack a moment and added, “You’re obviously here working undercover because of my sister. I hope I didn’t blow it,” he added, glancing around.
“Ah … no, I’m actually here because of another investigation,” replied Jack.
“Another investigation?”
Jack nodded.
“You do know what happened with my sister, right?” asked Burt.
Jack looked at Amanda and their eyes met. He could see the pain and grief in her eyes and on her face. His instinct told him to lie and say he knew nothing about it, but his conscience wouldn’t let him. “Yes, I know about it,” he said softly. “I am so, so sorry.”
She nodded in response.
“Mommy, I want to ride in the truck,” demanded Megan.
“After it is loaded, sweetie. Maybe in an hour.”
“Then let’s go play in the park. Can we? Huh? Can we?”
“That might be a good idea,” suggested Burt. “Why don’t you take her there. When we’re done, I’ll come and get you.”
“Actually, I’m going in that same direction. I’ll walk with you, if you like,” offered Jack.
Amanda took Jack up on his offer and after saying goodbye, they walked together up the alley. There was little conversation between Jack, Amanda, and Megan until they arrived at the park.
“Come here often?” asked Jack.
“Quite a bit,” replied Amanda. “Usually on my way home from work.”
“That’s nice. Family time is important.”
She glanced at Jack and asked, “Are you married? Do you have any kids?”
“Yes to both,” said Jack. “We have two boys. Steve turned two last month and,” Jack smiled, holding his hand lower than waist height, “his big brother, Mike, is three and a half.”
Amanda cast another glance at Jack’s appearance. “Your job must be kind of stressful.”
“It can be.”
“At least you have a partner to share things with. You’re lucky.”
“Are we lucky, Mommy?”
“You and Megan have each other, too,” interjected Jack.
Amanda caressed Megan’s hair and allowed herself a genuine smile for the first time since her attack. “Yes, sweetie, you and I are lucky, too.”
Megan smiled in return and ran to climb inside the plastic tube.
Jack was about to say goodbye to Amanda, when she asked, “You said you were here because of another investigation, yet you knew about me?”
“Yes,” replied Jack, silently wishing he had listened to the instinct he had earlier not to admit he knew about the attack.
“Does this other investigation … well, maybe you can’t tell me,” she said, looking furtively at Jack. “I was wondering if it was at all related to what happened to me. You know … the same kind of thing? Maybe the same guy?”
Jack took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “The man who attacked you might be connected to some other bad guys. These others are not involved in attacking women, but I think one of them knows the man who attacked you.”
“So if you catch them, you might find out who attacked me,” said Amanda, hopefully. “Maybe let the other guy off to give up the name of who attacked me. Isn’t that how it works? Or is that only on TV or something that —”
“No, that is often how it works,” said Jack.
“So these other guys … what are they suspected —”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say any more than what I told you. Even what I did say was more than I should have.”
“I understand. I won’t tell anyone.” She put her hand on Jack’s sleeve. “Please, promise me you will catch him. I live in absolute terror every moment, knowing he is still out there.”
Catch him? He’s sitting in my car right now… Jack took a deep breath and clenched his jaw as he fought to keep his emotions in check. If I had any guts I would tell you the truth …
“It’s okay,” whispered Amanda compassionately, as she patted his back. “I can see you are doing your best. That is all I can really ask.”