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Ben Jackson
Chicago, Illinois
Ben ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He pressed a button on his desk phone, signaling his personal assistant in the other room. They were both here late wrapping up the previous assignment’s paperwork. Ben rubbed the weariness from his face. He’d just returned from the east coast. A US senator had been caught with his pants down. Literally. A local reporter had photographs of the exploits. Ben had been called in to clean it up before word got out. The senator’s platform of family values and religious fervor would crumble under his feet if his exploits were revealed. Ben paid off the reporter with money and intel on a House Representative. The reporter was more than happy to pad his bank account and still get a story. Unfortunately for the representative, the information was false and the photos were faked. He would have to resign in a cloud of scandal before the truth would be revealed, but Ben’s client would be safe. Until the next time his urges overcame him and he picked up another young man for a night of hanky-panky. With the reporter on the senator’s scent, there would be a next time. And another payoff. Thank goodness the senator has a very rich wife, Ben thought. His services weren’t cheap, either.
“Yes, sir.”
“Get the jet ready. I need to fly to Vegas, ASAP.”
His assistant ended the call without another word spoken. Within the hour, Ben would be wheels up and headed out. He quickly changed out of his suit and into jeans and a button-up shirt. He rolled his sleeves up before slipping into a pair of leather loafers.
His transformation was complete. Now he could blend in with the throngs of tourists running through Las Vegas. He pulled his duffle bag out of the closet and double-checked the contents. Along with a gun, extra ammunition, and a knife, clothes for different occasions filled the rest of the space. Ben checked the side pouches for his passport and a wad of cash. He ran his hand along the underside of the bag. The secret compartment was secure, carrying another passport—with a different name—and even more cash. He zipped it up and secured the bag before tossing it by the door where he’d be able to grab it on his way out.
Back at his desk, he sent out emails to associates to hack any camera feeds in the hotel where Gray was kidnapped along with flags for his passport or airline tickets. Ben thought flagging the passport was a stretch but wanted to cover his bases.
On a hunch, he asked for any information on private planes flying out of Las Vegas shortly after the time of the kidnapping. It may be like trying to find a needle in a haystack with the number of personal flights in and out of Las Vegas, but it was worth a shot.
Lastly, he pulled a file from his desk. He’d been compiling the information on Grayden Michael Thomas since he met the man years ago. He planned to study it on the plane again although he had every word memorized.
Ben shut down his computer and grabbed his bag. He left the office and headed to the airport. He now had a four-hour flight to make his decision.
Did he help Regan actually find Gray? Or, did he only pretend, leaving Regan single?