Betrayed (A CORE Sector Novel Book 1) Page 8

  "Did you get the plate number?"

  "No. The driver was ready to go as soon as the man jumped in the backseat."

  "Well, maybe we can find out something from my contact in the morning."

  26

  FRANK AND JON stepped out into the damp weather that had become synonymous with the city since their arrival two days earlier. A biting chill surrounded them as they both pulled their overcoats tighter around themselves. They were meeting an old CIA operative they'd worked with over the years at a quiet cafe on the outskirts of town.

  The operative handed them a folder, nothing fancy about it, no confidential letters stamped across the front. Frank looked puzzled for a moment.

  "You were expecting something else?" his friend asked.

  "I don't know what I was expecting," Frank said as he opened the file. The picture in the front showed a burned car with a dead body in the front seat. He flipped past the photo to find a newspaper clipping. The dead woman had been identified as Charlotte McDougal. The two witnesses were Gavin and Alva Daniels. The hairs raised on the back of Frank's neck. Why would they identify Charlotte as dead, when Gavin, her lawyer, knew exactly where she was. Was this his way of keeping her safe and hidden? If so, then exactly who was the dead body in the car?

  Frank handed the file to Jon, "We didn't have access to these photos. It's getting more interesting."

  Jon flipped through the contents, "Yeah, but it also opens up more questions, doesn't it?"

  "It sure does."

  The operative spoke up, "Well you can see there's mention of a Gavin Daniels in the article, but we haven't found where he's practicing law."

  Frank looked up, "Really? He's not a lawyer?"

  "Oh, he's a lawyer. His credentials are up to date, but he's not listed in an office anywhere." He paused as he shifted in his seat, "What records we've found of him have been sealed."

  Frank looked up from his coffee, "Sealed? Who sealed them? What does that mean?"

  "It means I'll keep digging and see what I can find."

  Frank rubbed the stubble on his chin as he looked at Jon, "I don't think I've seen this many dead ends in one case."

  Jon took a sip of coffee. "I have to agree. I don't know what's up, but it can't be good."

  "Who can have that many secrets?"

  The CIA guy chuckled.

  Frank looked at him. "Could he be some secret service in this country?"

  "I didn't get to dig that deep on short notice but I'll see what I can find out." He said as he stood up. "I have some other business to tend to. I'll call you later at the hotel."

  Frank and Jon both stood and shook the man's hand, "We appreciate your help. Take care of yourself."

  "Always."

  Frank and Jon sat back down as the waitress refilled their cups.

  Jon fidgeted in his seat. Frank could tell he was uneasy about something, "What is it, Jon? You might as well spit it out."

  Jon thought for a few seconds before looking at Frank. "What if all this is a wild goose chase?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "What if Charlotte knows more than she's telling? It wouldn't be the first time a woman suckered us in to help her out when she was in the middle of the whole thing."

  "True, Jon, but I do know someone did try to kidnap her. I still have the bruised knuckles." He held his hand up.

  "But we have no idea who's side that guy is on." Jon let out a breath, "Hell, we don't even know how many sides there are at this point." He looked at Frank, "I'm not liking this."

  Frank cocked his head to the side, "You can go home if you want."

  "That's not what I'm saying, Frank. You know I'm in this for the long haul."

  "But?"

  "But," he looked out the window before looking back at Frank. "We're just DC cops, Frank. This may be way over our heads."

  A concerned look crossed Frank's face. "You may be right, but we're damn good cops. We can deal with this."

  "I'm a damn good cop." Jon grinned, "You're a damn good novelist." He waited for Frank's reaction.

  "Now wait a damn minute, I was a good cop."

  Jon laughed. "I knew that one would get you." He took a sip of coffee, "You were a damn good cop, Frank, but you've been living the cozy life for over a year."

  "Hey, I've stayed in shaped."

  "What about your cop instinct? Hell, you didn't even want to deal with the Lawler shit. You know that'll be waiting when you get back home."

  Frank looked down at his hands as he laced his fingers together. He knew Jon had a valid point. "Well, I've been writing for the past year. It may not be in the field work, but it does keep your mind sharp."

  "And what about you not wanting to deal with Gabe?"

  "I don't know, Jon. Maybe I was having some kind of gut feeling that something else was more important."

  "You mean Charlotte."

  "I didn't know exactly, but that seems to be what it was." Frank stood up and grabbed his coat. "We should get back. I don't want to leave Charlotte for too long."

  Jon grinned. "You are falling for her aren't you?"

  Frank took in a deep breath. "I'm trying not to."

  "Yeah buddy, good luck with that." Jon threw some cash on the table and they headed towards the door.

  27

  CHARLOTTE GLANCED at her watch and paced the room after Frank and Jon left. She knew she needed an excuse to get out, so she could get away and get to the bottom of this herself. Gavin told her not to trust anyone. Yet, she'd spent the last few days with these people. They were law officers. If she couldn't trust them, who could she trust?

  She stopped and stared out the window as she rubbed her arms. There must be a way.

  "Don't worry," the voice behind her said, causing her to spin around, "the guys will find out something."

  She looked at Sharon. She didn't want to let on she had her reservations about the whole ordeal. Could the woman see right through her? She was a trained professional after all.

  Sharon placed two cups of coffee on the table as she sat on the sofa. "Come sit down and tell me why you're so worried this morning."

  Charlotte hesitated, afraid she'd given herself away. She slowly walked over to the couch, picked up a cup and sat down. The warm liquid soothed her. The aroma took her away from her worries for a moment. She sat the cup down and fidgeted with her watch.

  Sharon reached out and touched her shoulder, causing her to jump. "I'm sorry. I know you're on edge. I can't imagine what you've been through."

  Charlotte looked at her. The concern in her eyes spoke volumes. She didn't like being so untrusting of the woman. The story in her eyes said she could be trusted, but Charlotte had been through so much. She was afraid to trust herself at this point.

  She sat back on the couch. "How long have you known Frank and Jon."

  Sharon pondered for a moment, "Gosh, I guess it's been about fifteen years now."

  "Did you meet through police work?"

  "In a way. They both saw something in me." She smiled. "They took me under the wing and taught me everything I know. I'd give my life for them both."

  "Sounds like you guys are close."

  "Very. I grew up with older brothers, but we were a completely dysfunctional family. These guys, they've always been there for me. Closer than brothers, you know?"

  Charlotte shook her head, but she had no idea. She'd been an only child and never really had any close friends, other than the McDaniel's. She wanted to confide in her new friends and let them help her, but she was so scared. She thought for awhile. She knew it was time to start trusting. She'd already lost the life she knew, what else did she have to lose at this point?

  She took in a deep breath and asked a stupid question. "Can I really trust you guys?"

  Sharon sat up and rubbed Charlotte's back to soothe her. "It's been really hard for you hasn't it? I know what it's like to not know who you can trust. Before I became a cop I was a bad kid. Out on the streets, lost." She laughed, "That's w
hy I'm so good at undercover work in the bad parts of town. It was my home for so long."

  "I had no idea. I'm sorry."

  Sharon waved her hand in the air, "Oh I've moved on. In fact, it was Frank who busted me the first time. It was only petty theft, but still, he took it upon himself to become my guardian-like savior." She made quote marks in the air as she said it. "I went to the police academy because of him. I guess that's why he and Jon took me in when I started on the force."

  Charlotte sat back on the sofa. It wasn't really the answer she was looking for, but she didn't want to continue to pry.

  Sharon noticed her words had not had much effect on Charlotte. She looked over at her, "Frank likes you. A lot."

  Charlotte had a puzzled look on her face. "What brought that up?"

  "Well, usually the person saying trust me is the one you can least likely trust. Instead of telling you that, I thought I'd try the honest approach. He has something for you. I've never seen him act this way around anyone and there's the way he looks at you. A man doesn't look at a woman like that unless he's willing to die for her."

  Charlotte's mind was reeling. That wasn't the answer she was looking for either, but there was truth in it. Had she missed the signs? Could he really have true feelings for her? "He was a cop, he's just protecting me."

  "No way. There's more to it. If he was just a cop, he'd still be in Maine letting the authorities handle this."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I know the man. I'm not saying he was a rule book cop all the way, but he followed the rules. If he didn't have a personal stake in this there's no way he would have come this far. He would have called in some big guns and kept his happy ass at home writing his books." Sharon raised her eyebrows, hoping she'd gotten through to Charlotte. She'd noticed Frank's affection for her the night they walked into DC Metro. Frank had helped a lot of women in his time, but this one had apparently gotten his attention on a deep level. She knew Charlotte was scared and afraid to trust anyone.

  A knock on the door broke her concentration. Sharon checked her watch. It was a little early for Frank and Jon to return, but it was possible their contact didn't have any information. She glanced back at Charlotte as she headed towards the door. She looked into the peephole and saw a bellhop. "It's a hotel employee." She called over her shoulder, her tense muscles started to ease a bit. She removed the chain from the door and turned the knob. Before she could react the door flew open, pushing her backward.

  Three men in business suits entered the room and closed the door behind him.

  28

  FRANK AND JON hadn't said much on the ride back to the hotel. As the elevator doors opened on their floor, Frank turned to Jon. "I can't shake the feeling that something's not right. We haven't learned a damn thing since we arrived."

  They stepped out of the elevator. "I know. Like I said, this may be over our heads."

  Frank placed his keycard into the slot and opened the door to the suite. He saw Charlotte and Sharon sitting on the sofa. Both had concerned looks on their faces. He rushed into the room, "What's wrong? What happened."

  A man's voice behind him said, "Come in gentlemen. We've been waiting for you."

  Frank whirled around. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" Frank's anger apparent in his voice.

  The man looked at Jon and motioned for him to come in from the entryway. Jon hesitated but complied.

  "They won't hurt me, Frank, it's okay. You need to hear what they have to say."

  Frank turned to look at Charlotte.

  "My name is Bryce Armstrong," the man said. "Please sit down," he insisted, "no harm will come to you. I'm not armed."

  Frank looked around at the other two men, he recognized the one he'd punched earlier. The black eye was a little too obvious. "What about those goons."

  Bryce smiled, "Well possibly. They are my bodyguards. But I assure you, we are not here for that type of confrontation. We have a serious matter that needs to be addressed."

  "Yeah, like why you're trying to kill her."

  Bryce looked perplexed, "I assure you, we wish no harm to Ms. McDougal."

  "Then you want to explain that escape at the fairgrounds, asshole?"

  "Ah, that," Bryce paused, "That wasn't us."

  "Well, who the hell was it? She's been scared out of her wits ever since."

  "I'm truly sorry about that. He's been dealt with."

  "Uh huh," Frank said, "I bet he's at the bottom of a river somewhere."

  "Mr. Temple, that's not how we deal with things."

  "I've read case files about your "so-called" little society. You do whatever it takes."

  "I do admit we sometimes go around the law, but what we do is simply take care of matters that the police cannot. They are tied by legal bounds, we just bend them to take care of problems. I promise you, those methods are only used in dire circumstances."

  "Two wrongs don't make a right," Frank snapped back.

  "Touche'," replied Bryce, "but, as you say in your country, the means often justify the end."

  "How about we stop playing word games," Jon spoke up, "and get to what the hell you want?"

  "Indeed, Mr. Scott. We'd like this taken care of quickly." He motioned for his men to stand by the door as he took a seat across from Charlotte, Frank, and Jon. "Our, society, as you call it, consists of some very wealthy and powerful men."

  "We know that part," Frank said, "get to the real point you're trying to make."

  Bryce looked at him graciously, "Yes, perhaps without so many interruptions?" he looked at Frank, but Frank couldn't read his expression. The man was in total control. "What we do is help one another build strong financial portfolios. We have the best accountants, the best stock brokers, and others in the financial industry. We share our information freely with one another and this helps us to grow financially."

  "So, you basically do inside trading?" Jon asked.

  Bryce looked at Jon Scott, irritated at another interruption. "No, we merely take the information on what's trading best and use it to our advantage."

  "What's this have to do with Charlotte?" Frank asked.

  "I'm getting to that part," Bryce replied. "Harlon was a member of our organization."

  "Yeah, know that part," Jon interrupted.

  "There's no way my grandfather would have been involved with such a thing as what you men stand for," Charlotte said.

  "Ms. McDougal, what kind of man was your grandfather, to you?"

  "He was a good man. The sweetest man to ever live. He was good, and kind, and caring. He would never hurt anyone or take from others to get his way."

  "Yes, he was. It was a great honor knowing him. He was that man. We are not a den of thieves nor are we a band of mercenaries or murderers. Yes, at times we've been commissioned to take care of matters such as those, but I promise you, your grandfather was not part of that section of our organization."

  Charlotte listened to the words carefully. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "If your organization is so great, why did my grandfather never mention it?"

  Bryce sat up in the chair and clasped his hands together with his elbows on his knees. "We do have a secrecy clause, especially for new members, but Harlon had been with us long enough that he could've informed his family. Unfortunately, his untimely death prevented him from doing so." He looked over his shoulder at the younger man holding a briefcase. "Alec, show Ms. McDougal the papers."

  Alec Brodie stepped forward, opened the case and fished out some papers. He handed them to Charlotte. Frank leaned over closer to her to inspect them too. She stopped to read an insurance policy. She looked up at Frank. He saw the numbers too. Their jaws went slack.

  "I assume by your faces you're looking at the insurance policy."

  "Yes." Charlotte stammered out, "but this can't be. I had no knowledge of this."

  "That's why we've been trying to track you down."

  Charlotte looked confused. "I thought you were trying to kill me. Gavin sai
d people were after me because of the novel I published last year."

  Bryce and Alec exchanged looks.

  Frank took notice, "What's going on?"

  Bryce pondered the question and how much to reveal. He didn't trust many people, but something told him these were decent people. He knew their background in law enforcement and they had traveled halfway across the world to protect this woman, the granddaughter of one of their own. "We had suspected Gavin was behind all of this, but we couldn't outright accuse him of it."

  Charlotte gasped, "What do you mean he's behind all of this?"

  Bryce rubbed his chin. How could he tell her she'd been lied to and played from the beginning? "Apparently, he's lied to you from the beginning. He staged your death, sent you to the United States as some ruse."

  "Why?" Charlotte shrieked. "Why would he do that?"

  Bryce took in a deep breath. "Because if you look at the insurance policy closely, he gets all the money if there's some reason you can't."

  "That's absurd," Charlotte said as she thumbed the pages until she found the clause with Gavin's name listed. "But, he has plenty of money. Why would he want to steal from me and Grandfather?"

  "We've looked into his finances recently and they aren't as good as they should be. He's made some bad financial decisions and has a lot of discretionary spending that can't be accounted for."

  "I want to speak with him," Charlotte said defiantly. "My life has been a living hell for the past nine months and if he's behind this I want to know why. Surely it's not just the money."

  Charlotte began to sob and shake. Frank put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh Frank, this is such a nightmare."

  "It's okay. We'll get to the bottom of it."

  Bryce stood up and walked around the chair he had been sitting in. "I suggest you let us take care of it."

  Frank and Charlotte both looked up, fear on their faces.

  Bryce waved his hand, "No, I don't mean that way. Let us deal with him legally. We can clear your name and," he paused to find the right words, "get you back to life, so to speak."

  "Can I go home?" Charlotte looked hopeful.