The TAKEN! Series - Books 13-16 (Taken! Box Set Book 4) Read online

  “I know; it’s why I wanted to prepare you.”

  “I’ve read the doctor’s book, this Jessica White; she’s very perceptive, so much so that I found myself wondering if she shared my gift.”

  “She can’t spot a serial killer on sight, but I bet her husband can.”

  Elena nodded.

  “Yes, they can spot their own, unless blinded by emotion.”

  “Or shared kinship, which is how Mitchell got the drop on him during their first encounter.”

  Elena tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair.

  “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  ***

  Later, at the house, most of the guests had departed with only close friends remaining.

  Among those present were George and Lena Carver, good friends from Georgia, they were seated around the dining room table talking with Jessica, Tyler, Kari, and Blue’s boyfriend, Ramón.

  He watched them from where he leaned in the doorway, sipping on wine. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned, he saw that Blue was handing him her phone.

  “There’s someone that would like to speak to you.”

  He raised a questioning eyebrow, but took the phone and spoke.

  “Hello?”

  “This is Jake Caliber,” said a gravelly voice.

  “It’s nice to speak to you again, sir.”

  “First, son, I want to say how sorry I am for your loss.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Caliber,”

  “Cut the Mr. Caliber stuff, according to Blue, you’re family, and I won’t have family calling me mister.”

  “I can’t tell you how pleased I was to learn that I was related to the Steeles; before that, I only knew that I was born a Gant.”

  “Blue says that you’re a Steele, and that makes you a Caliber too, and I’m calling to tell you that the Caliber Detective Agency as well as Caliber Investigations is here to help in the serch for Mitchell, and that we’re already on the job. If you need us, call.”

  “That’s very generous, thank you very much.”

  “You’re family, boy, never forget that.”

  “I won’t sir.”

  “Now I gotta go, but tell Blue to call more often.”

  “I’ll do that, and thanks again,”

  He handed Blue back her phone.

  “He said to call more often, and he also pledged his resources, was that your idea?”

  “It was.”

  “Thank you.”

  Blue stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re welcome.”

  “I saw that,” Jessica called over in a playful tone.

  Blue grinned at her.

  “What can I say, we’re kissing cousins.”

  CHAPTER 3

  The following afternoon, they entered the municipal building in the town of Dalton Creek.

  Jessica kept fidgeting at her clothes, a stylish pantsuit. The clothes were tight on her recently pregnant body, and in fact, were borrowed from Amanda, as Jessica’s old clothes no longer fit.

  “I have got to go shopping soon; I’ve also got to lose weight.”

  He held out his tablet and Jessica saw that it displayed an image of their children as they lay in their crib. It was a live shot from the nursery, and they could see that Gabby was sitting in a chair beside the crib, reading.

  Jessica smiled.

  “Thank God for this technology, otherwise I would have stayed home. Even so, I feel guilty leaving them so soon.”

  “I know, but I think it’s important that we make an appearance, and I want to know just how close they are to catching Mitchell.”

  Agent Dyer greeted them as they entered the conference room and they could see that things had yet to get underway. The assorted jurisdictions of police officers mingled with FBI agents, while drinking coffee and chatting.

  As Agent Dyer walked off, Lawson came over with Elena Colt and introduced her to them.

  When he shook Elena’s hand, he noticed a slight tremble, but chalked it up to her age, little did he realize that to her, he appeared as the predator he truly was, and not the civilized man most took him for.

  Elena smiled warmly at Jessica.

  “I enjoyed your book a great deal, Doctor. You have a unique insight into the predatory mind.”

  “Thank you, and we’ve supported your organization.”

  “I would very much like to spend time talking with you soon, can that be arranged?”

  “Um, yes, in fact, why don’t you drop by tomorrow morning, say ten a.m.?”

  “Excellent.”

  “I was planning on coming by tomorrow too,” Lawson said. “I’ll bring Dr. Colt along when I come.”

  Elena touched him on the arm. “Thank you, Tommy.”

  “Tommy?” Jessica said.

  “Oh yes, I’ve known Tommy since he was a boy,” Elena said.

  “Interesting,”

  Agent Dyer held up her hands and called for everyone to get settled, and Elena made it a point to sit beside Jessica at the conference table. When it was quiet, Dyer began the briefing.

  “Thank you all for coming, especially Dr. White and her husband, I understand that this is a trying time for you both, but you also have more one-on-one experience with the subject, Jeffrey David Mitchell than the rest of us combined.”

  “We’re here to help,” Jessica said. “Has there been any progress?”

  “Yes, we now know without a doubt that Circe Doyle was in contact with Mitchell via the Internet, and in particular through a ‘fan’ website that Ms. Doyle created for Mitchell. I would like to point out that despite her young age, eighteen, that Ms. Doyle is considered fully culpable alongside the Mitchells for the murders that took place here.”

  “Was there anything in her residence or among her possessions that might lead us to her?” Jessica said.

  “No, but we have uncovered several things that you and your husband may find disturbing, such as these photos.”

  Dyer picked up a remote and aimed it at a monitor that was sitting atop a table. When it came to life, there was a photo of him apparently taken while he was out running. That photo was followed by others of both him and Jessica. Jessica shopping, visiting her doctor, a photo of him entering the dojo he worked out at, another of him buying bagels.

  “She’s was following us around, spying for Mitchell,” he said.

  “Yes, there was also a letter from Mitchell instructing her to buy a handgun. We think he might have originally been grooming her as an assassin, but then decided to seek revenge himself, despite the risk it entailed.”

  “Have you found the gun?”

  “No, in the letter, Mitchell tells her to hide it someplace where her father won’t discover it, but we believe that she may have it with her. We searched that house and found no weapons.”

  “Has the website yielded any clue to their current location?” Chief Dent asked.

  Dyer motioned towards an agent seated beside her.

  “Agent Smith can best answer that,”

  Dyer sat as Smith rose. Russ Smith was in his fifties with graying temples and a bald spot, and his hands moved constantly as he spoke.

  “Good afternoon everyone, now, to answer the question, yes, we have learned one major fact from studying the Mitchell and Doyle interactions via the website, and that is that we are certain that he was communicating from the state of Texas. I also understand that he has ties there due to the activities of his late father, known as Billy Gant. Gant ran a gang of mercenaries that worked primarily across the continental United States, although until recently he and his gang were believed to have been half-myth. However, we now know that Gant and his gang did exist, and that the gang does still exist, and if we locate them, we’ll possibly find Mitchell and his cohorts.”

  Chief Jacobs spoke up.

  “How were they able to operate for so long without drawing attention?”

  Smith pointed at the young Chief of Police.

  “Good question, and we think th
e answer is that Gant and the men that worked with him were more of a family than most gangs. They’re the last remnants of a cult started by Gant’s father, and as such, they must operate with a touch of fervor. That worked in their favor for years, but with Gant’s death, things must be coming apart. These murders prove it. Look how much heat is suddenly being focused on them, if I had to guess, I would say that Mitchell has made enemies inside his father’s organization.”

  ***

  At that very moment, in Texas, Jeffrey and Hanna were returning to the compound where Billy Gant’s mercenaries resided, with them was Circe Doyle.

  They were in a motor home, with a car in tow. It enabled them to travel without having to stop at motels, where they might have been spotted.

  As the three of them climbed out of the vehicle, a man burst out of the door of another motor home, a large one with an awning opened on one side. There were eight other trailers lined up beside that one, and their roofs were either painted beige or covered with camouflage netting, which from the air blended in with the surrounding desert.

  The man exiting the main trailer was Wade Cully, the late Dave Cully’s son. He was broad-shouldered and tall, with long dark hair and a beard, he also wore an expression of pure hatred.

  “Mitchell, you one-eyed son of a bitch, do you have any idea how much you’ve fucked things up?”

  Jeffrey smiled at him.

  “I got revenge, Wade, revenge for my father’s death, and your father too.”

  “You don’t get it, do you? By killing those women you’ve made yourself public enemy number one. You and that bitch of yours have your faces plastered all over the damn TV along with that dumb ass groupie.”

  Circe stepped forward, she was a petite blonde who wore her hair shoulder-length, and her freckled face and clear blue eyes spoke of innocence.

  “They know that I’m with Jeffrey? Oh, that’s so cool; oh my friends must be so jealous.”

  Wade gave her a look of disgust.

  “Where do you find these whack jobs, Mitchell, the nut house?”

  “Hanna and Circe follow me without question because they understand that I know what I’m doing. My so-called brother killed our father, and that had to be avenged.”

  “About that, I thought you were just going to kill your brother, not his mother and some nurse,”

  “Our plans had to change, but I’ve only begun to bring that man pain.”

  “What you’ve begun is a shit storm, and it’s headed our way. That’s why things are about to change.”

  “Like what?”

  “You’re out. From now on, I lead.”

  Jeffrey shook his head.

  “I’m the one with the Gant blood, not you.”

  “Billy Gant was the last of his kind, you’re a Mitchell.”

  “My father made it clear that I was to be considered a Gant.”

  “Billy’s dead, and if you don’t turn around and get the fuck out of here, you’re going to join him.”

  Jeffrey charged forward and got in Cully’s face.

  “My father treated you like a son and this is how you betray his memory, by leaving us to fend for ourselves?”

  “Mitchell, my respect for Billy is the only reason you’re still breathing, now git, and take those two crazy whores with you.”

  As Jeffrey and Wade argued, Circe grabbed a cell phone that was sitting atop a table and hid it in her pocket. Jeffrey had made her leave her laptop and phone behind, but she knew that she would die if she couldn’t brag to her friends about being with Jeffrey Mitchell.

  Jeffrey searched the faces of the other mercenaries.

  “You men agree with Wade? Are you going against my father’s wishes?”

  Although few of them would meet his eye, he could see that Wade now controlled them.

  He turned and walked back towards his vehicle, as Hanna and Circe followed. Just before he climbed into the motor home, he spoke to Wade.

  “He’ll find you.”

  “Who? The cops? They won’t find us; we’re hunkering down here in the desert until this mess blows over.”

  “Not the cops, my brother, he’ll track you down while looking for me.”

  Wade laughed as he gestured at the men standing around him, men who numbered more than a dozen.

  “Let him come; I think we can handle him, and the cops can’t prove shit against us, besides, it’s you they want.”

  Jeffrey smiled.

  “My brother killed Billy, killed his own father. What do you think he’ll do to you?”

  Wade’s smile faded.

  “Get the hell out of here before I change my mind and kill you.”

  And with his one good eye, Jeffrey sent Wade a wink.

  ***

  At the house, Jace walked onto the back porch and saw Maggie quickly lay something on the floor at the side of her chair.

  He sent her a grin.

  “You don’t have to hide that can of beer from me, I ain’t your keeper.”

  “I thought you were Gabby or Dr. White.”

  “Gabby is upstairs with the babies and the doc is hanging in the kitchen with Amanda, speaking of which, are those two knocking boots?”

  Maggie laughed.

  “Knocking boots?”

  “Yeah, you know what it means?”

  “I know what it means, and yeah, they’re dating.”

  “Man, that old and still gettin’ it on, the doc must be a stud.”

  “Or he’s taking a little blue pill,” Maggie said, giggling, and Jace laughed along, but then he looked serious.

  “Hey girl, that beer, you don’t have a problem, do you?”

  “No, but I came out here to think about my mom, about what my life is going to be like without her, and, well, lemonade wasn’t going to work.”

  “I hear you, and I’ll leave you alone if you want?”

  “No. Come sit down, and anyway, you’re my bodyguard aren’t you?”

  “I guess, until they catch Mitchell,”

  “They say that he was actually going after Jessica and the babies, but changed his mind and went after our mom instead, is that right?”

  “Yeah, and how twisted must you be to go after a pair of babies?”

  “I could kill him for what he did to my mom, and I’ve never hated anyone before in my life.”

  “He’ll pay, one way or another, you can count on that.”

  Maggie smiled sadly, and then reached down and grabbed another can of beer.

  “Here. I wouldn’t have drunk it anyway; one seems to be my limit.”

  Jace popped open the can and took a sip.

  “If Gabby finds us now, we’ll both be in trouble.”

  Maggie studied him.

  “You like her don’t you, Gabby?”

  “She’s cool.”

  “She’s very pretty.”

  “Yeah, but it ain’t like that, besides, she’s got a boyfriend and is way out of my league.”

  “Your league? What do you mean by that?”

  “I... got a history, what they call baggage,”

  Maggie pulled her feet up into the chair and rested her chin atop her knees.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Jace told her. He told her about robbing the bank with his uncle, and about the outcome of that day, afterwards, he kept talking, opening up to her and telling her about his home life, about his alcoholic mother and abusive father. When he finished, he swallowed the remainder of his beer down in one gulp.

  “Shit, Maggie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laid all that crap on you.”

  “No, I’m glad that you did; now I know you better.”

  “You mean that now you know I’m a felon and can steer clear of me, hmm?”

  “No, that’s not what I mean, and hey, Jace, how old are you?”

  “I’m nineteen, but twenty is headed down the road fast.”

  “I’m only sixteen; do you think that makes me still a kid?”

  “Nah, you ain’t a kid, and the hell
you’ve been through this week would mature anyone.”

  “So... once this is all over and Mitchell is caught, would you, I don’t know, maybe go see a movie with me?”

  “On one condition,”

  “What’s that?”

  “You help me hide these beer cans so your brother don’t kick my ass for drinking with you.”

  Maggie smiled.

  “It’s a deal.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Louisville, Mississippi, 5:17a.m.

  Kathy Jessup awoke with a start as a strange sound roused her from sleep.

  She lived alone above the garage of a home owned by an elderly woman. The woman was off visiting a sick daughter and so no noises should be coming from the house.

  She looked around her small apartment but didn’t bother to put on a lamp. Near the bed was a window with a view of the house, and she could see that it was dark and quiet over there.

  When she heard no other sounds, she decided that it must have been a noise from the street that woke her, and she snuggled back under the covers and closed her eyes.

  That’s when her door burst open and the man came in.

  Kathy sat up, startled, then, remembering that she was in her silk nightie, she yanked the cover to her chin.

  “Oh God, please don’t hurt me.”

  Hank Doyle walked over and stared down at her.

  “I thought that you would like it if I hurt you. Isn’t that why you like Jeffrey Mitchell, because he likes to hurt women?”

  “Jeffrey? What do you know about Jeffrey?”

  “I know that he’s traveling with a girl named Circe, and I know that you can get in touch with Circe because you’re in that sick fan club of Mitchell’s.”

  Kathy shook her head and her dark curls swished back and forth. She was nineteen and made her living from home, as an artist for a greeting card company.

  Doyle watched her and thought that she was good-looking. Good-looking and crazy, just like his Circe.

  “I’ve never met Circe. It’s not like we’re friends or anything.”

  “But you can help me find her, can’t you?”

  “You’re Circe’s father, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I’m Hank Doyle and I need to find her.”

  “Are you going to rape me?”

  “I’m not a rapist; I just need to find my daughter.”