Josie Jones walked awkwardly into the visitation room as Joey stood resolutely watching her walk to the table.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." He replied, reaching out and handing her a brown paper bag. "I brought you some cookies."
Josie's normally tough demeanor softened as she took the bag and looked inside. "Chocolate chip. Those are my favorite. How did you know?"
"They're my favorite too; and, they were your mother's favorite when I knew her, so I took a guess." He replied.
Mentioning her mother resurrected a painful time in her life and also highlighted the confusion that she felt right now. She had never known this man, but here he was at a time where she was an outcast, wanting to be a part of her life. Why? She took a cookie from the bag and played with it in her hands, and then put it back.
"Joey…" she started.
"You said you had questions for me?" he interrupted.
She paused. "Many. I'm not sure where to begin."
"Just launch into them. It's okay if it is awkward. I will answer anything you ask." He said.
"Okay." She said looking at a little chocolate she had on her fingertip. "Why? Why did you abandon me? Why did you abandon my mother when she told you about me?" she asked.
"I didn't." he responded. "I never knew about you until you were about ten years old."
"What?" she asked.
"Your mother and I dated in high school, and then a little into our early twenties. I loved her. Would have given her the moon. She never felt the same about me. I'm not sure she was capable." He said. "I was going to go to college and she did not want me to go. I delayed it for a long time just to make her happy. We moved in together. I thought we would get married, but she was just toying with me. I don't really know what she wanted other than that I would work and provide for our home and she would take and give nothing in return. Finally, I woke up to what she was really about."
"How? How did you know?" Josie asked.
"I had been saving up some money. The car that we had was old, leaked oil bad, bad brakes, bad tires…really pretty bad all around. I was saving up some money for a down payment so that we could drive something nicer and safe. Not anything new. Couldn't afford that. But safer. I knew I had accumulated around $1000.00 in a metal box I kept under the bed. I came home one day to retrieve the money so I could go look for some wheels, and found out that the money was gone. She had been using it to supply a secret drug habit that I didn't know she had. When I found out what she had done, I confronted her about it. She looked at me and, with the coldest eyes I think I've ever seen, said it was my duty to give her whatever she wanted and that I should just get out because there were dozens of guys she could hook up that would be happy to give her things."
"That sounds like her. What did you do?" she asked.
"I left. I guess I knew for a while that there was nothing there, but her callous nature just snapped me out of it. I was heartbroken, but I still had enough self-respect to get out of there. So, I left, and I joined the army." He said.
"Did you go to Kansas?" she asked.
"I spent a little time at Ft. Riley, but then they deployed me to Iraq. I spent eight years there. Was honorably discharged. Met my wife while I was in the army. We got married shortly after I was discharged.
She was a wonderful lady. Strong. Smart. Beautiful. We had a good marriage.
I moved back to California and started a produce shipping business out of Mesa Verde."
"And finding out about me?" Josie inquired.
"One day, when I was in the city meeting with some suppliers, I ran into your mother on the streets. Her looks kinda shocked me. She looked a lot older than her years and was very hard looking. When she saw me, she was as defiant and proud as ever though. She mocked me and then cursed me for leaving. About that point, you walked up to her and handed her some money. She told you to go get in the car.
After you left, I asked her who you were, and she told me that you were the child I abandoned. I was stunned. She had never said a thing. Before I could ask any questions, she told me that I had better not get any ideas because you had a stepfather, who was really more like a father, and that he and his boys would not take kindly if I messed in your lives. I hadn't been married very long myself at that point, so I didn't want to rock the boat there, and I lied to myself trying to convince myself that she was telling me the truth. I guess I thought that maybe you were having a good life and I didn't want to disrupt it by suddenly interjecting myself into it. I should have known." He said.
Josie sat there for a second. "There was no stepfather. There were a lot of guys. Not at first. She didn't date anyone until I was about five. But then, as she got more and more on drugs and alcohol there were a lot of guys. A few tried to come after me, but I'll have to say she did protect me from them. I don't know if it was because she loved me in her own weird way, or because she was jealous, but they never touched me."
"Was your life with her rough?" Joey asked.
"Yeah. I saw things as a kid that no kid needs to see. She would take me to bars and I'd end up having to walk her home, or we would stay on the streets that night while she slept off a drunk. I stole some things when I was younger just to get some food for us. From about age 12, I pretty much ran the streets and did whatever I could to survive. Some guys tried to recruit me for their gang, but I stayed away from that stuff." She responded.
"You were smart." He said.
"Yeah. I was. I didn't think so. But, when I met Enrique and had a normal love relationship for the first time, I found out. I hated myself before that because I had never been taught I was worth loving. Enrique taught me that." she said.
"Enrique sounds like he was a good young man." Joey responded.
"He was. He was kind." she replied. "We were…we planned on getting married when Seri was a little older. I wanted her to be my flower girl. Dumb, I know."
"No, it's not dumb." Joey said. "She's your little girl. That's a special day."
"What happened with your wife and kid?" Josie asked.
"They had driven into Los Angeles to go visit her family. I had to work. On the way back to Mesa Verde, some drunk crossed the center line and took my heart away. They were both dead upon impact." He replied.
"I'm sorry." she said. "It sucks losing someone you are close to." she looked down and fidgeted nervously with her fingers on top of the table.
"Yes. It does." He replied, reaching forward his hand and covering her hands with his.
She looked up at him as her eyes filled with water. "So, we pretty much got robbed."
"Yes. Josie. We did." He said. "But, there is nothing to say we can't start now."
Josie smiled as a tear ran down her face. "You're right. There's nothing to say we can't."
Leland Stottlemeyer informed Jonathan Carter about the ominous text and Carter immediately shifted into alarm mode.
"I will activate our operatives in Beirut. Do we have any idea where he is now?" Carter asked.
"I don't know. Ambrose is the one who heard from him." Said Leland.
"Let me conference him in." said Carter.
A few moments passed and Ambrose picked up the phone.
"Ambrose…Monk." He answered.
"Ambrose, this is Jonathan Carter. I'm on the line with Leland Stottlemeyer. We understand you heard from Adrian."
"Yes. He has that listening device turned on. I can hear everything." Ambrose responded.
"He still has it on?" asked Carter.
"Yeah. He's been talking to Rossi,and Campen just walked out to him." He replied.
"Any Idea where they are?" Carter asked.
"They are at some bookstore in Zahle. Guy who works there is named Jaheem Saliba. He's the middle man who gets the stuff from the looters. Wait…" Ambrose said. "...Campen has suggested that they go make another run before it gets dark."
Leland said, "Don't go, Monk."
"Adrian is telling them that he is really too tired to go and that he and Luca need to return to the hotel." Ambrose said.
"Great!" said Carter. "Get the heck out of there, Monk!"
"Campen is responding…oh no!" said Ambrose.
"What? What is he saying?" asked Stottlemeyer.
"Oh…this is not good…Campen just called him 'Adrian Monk.' He ordered him and Luca out to the truck and said they were going to take a ride. Leland! You've got to do something!" said Ambrose, getting very upset.
"Ambrose, buddy. Settle down. We're going to do everything we can." Said Leland.
Carter interjected. "I need to hang up and call my resources in Beirut. They may have some people in Zahle too. It's a big city. I'll be in touch. Keep listening Ambrose. As long as you can. Any information you can pick up, text it to Leland."
"Will do." Said Ambrose nervously. "Get my baby brother out of there!"
Adrian and Luca were told to put their hands out in front of them as Jaheem duct taped their wrists together. He reached around Luca's waist and removed a firearm from a holster he had tucked by his side. Then he pointed the gun at the two men and had them climb into the back of an SUV.
He got into the driver's seat and Campen slid into the passenger's seat as the car took off and began heading North.
"Where are you taking us?" Adrian asked in his normal voice.
Jaheem and Campen were silent.
"You know the jig is already up." said Luca. "We're on to you."
"You've got no evidence of anything." said Campen.
"We know that Carlisle's the guy." said Adrian.
This revelation made Campen very quiet. He hadn't expected that they knew this much. He had to think.
"Listen, if you're willing to testify against Carlisle, it may go easier on you. You add a double-homicide to your crimes though and there is no hope." Adrian said.
"Shut up!" said Campen angrily. He pointed a gun at Adrian he ordered him to sit back in his seat.
Everything was quiet for the next forty minutes. Finally, Adrian spoke up. "There's the sign to Baalbek. Is that where you are taking us?"
Ambrose took note and texted Leland who informed Carter. Carter's operatives in Lebanon were already heading in Adrian's general direction but were at least an hour behind him, and nightfall was approaching.
"It would be fitting if you just sorta dropped us off at the ruins. We came here for ruins, you could sorta maybe drop us off there…" said Adrian.
"Shut up!" ordered Campen.
After a few moments of silence, Jaheem spoke up.
"There is no money in just dropping you off. Nor is there money in killing you." he said.
"What are you going to do with us?" asked Luca.
"You'll fetch a pretty price for us in Qaa." said Jaheem. "Good money for Westerners there."
"So, we're heading to Qaa?" asked Adrian.
"No." said Jaheem. "We can't be seen in the city. We are meeting someone in the mountains near Qaa."
"Jaheem, stop talking." Said Campen.
"What's the big deal?" asked Jaheem. "They aren't going to be our problem for long."
"You don't get it." Said Campen. "They know. The States probably know. We're done."
"Yeah, but with the money we get…" said Jaheem.
"You really think a few hundred thousand dollars will be able to help us disappear?" said Campen.
"Around here, yes." said Jaheem. "Don't worry, Doug. We had this planned as our contingency. It will be okay."
Ambrose sent the latest information to Carter, who decided that ground forces weren't going to be enough. He chartered a helicopter out of Beirut and pointed it in the general direction of Qaa. Since they were on a main road, they should able to be spotted easily, so long as the helicopter arrived before night. Unfortunately, night was coming quickly. The further they drove, the more interference Ambrose was getting in the signal. Finally, all he heard was silence.
"Adrian! Adrian! Say something so I know you can hear me! Adrian!" Ambrose said in a panic, as Heather wrapped her arms around him. He bowed his head and began to weep for fear.
As the sun began to set in the West, Jaheem suddenly made a right hand turn, just outside of Ras Baalbek, about 5 miles south of Qaa. They were headed towards the Mountains. As they drove, the road became rougher and rougher. By now night was upon them. Anxiety whelmed up within Adrian and even Luca was beginning to sweat.
Back home, Leland felt helpless, wracking his brain and kicking himself for not making it clearer to TK how truly sensitive things were, he then thought of a worse thought. Natalie. What was he going to tell Natalie?
He stood up from his desk and walked past Carlisle's office to head to the condos. Carlisle was not there, and it was just as well. If Leland had seen him, at this point, he might have done something that would have wound up landing himself in prison.
As the SUV bounced and jostled against a dirt road, the four men sat in silence, climbing the mountain in the dark. Finally, Campen started talking - no taunting - Adrian and Luca with tales of horror about what awaited them.
"You know, the guys we're giving you to are the kind of guys you see on TV who publicly execute their prey." He said. "At least if I go down, I'll get to go down knowing that this was how you died."
"You're sick!" said Luca. "You won't get away with this."
Doug laughed. "Too bad you won't live long enough to see if that's right."
Adrian's fear factor began to escalate to the point that he began to feel himself wanting to disassociate. He had to stay lucid. How he wished he could reach the phone in his pocket.
As they reached the top of an incline and began to go back down to the other side, Luca got an idea. His hands ached due to the tightness of the duct tape, but he about kicked himself that he hadn't thought of it before. They had tied his and Adrian's hands in front. Adrian and Luca were both behind their kidnappers. He elbowed Adrian and motioned to him that they should reach over the seat in unison and use the tape to strangle their captors. If nothing else, maybe they could cause enough of a stir that they could break away from the car. Death awaited them in any other case, so it was worth a shot.
Back at the condo, Natalie answered the door and about collapsed when she saw Leland's face. He was pale and more somber than she had ever seen him.
"Adrian! Is Adrian okay?" she asked.
Leland bit his lower lip and asked, "Can I come in?"
With that, she started to become hysterical. "Oh no! Something's happened? What?! Is he okay?" she said pacing.
"He's alive." Leland said. "For now."
For the next half hour he struggled to keep Natalie calm as he explained the danger that Adrian was in and how they were trying to address it. He wanted to give her hope, but he was having a horrible time holding out hope himself. This was bad. It was really bad.
On the count of three, Luca and Adrian reached over the back of the seats and used their duct taped wrists to catch Jaheem and Campen by surprise.
It worked, a little too well.
Jaheem immediately lost control of the car and began to swerve on the mountain road.
Campen tried to reach for his gun but it fell into the floorboard.
Finally, Jaheem's left hand directed the steering wheel straight over a fifty-foot embankment. The car rolled, slamming Adrian and Luca into the roof and back down into the car - finally ejecting them both from the vehicle altogether.
As the car continued to roll, it hit large rocky spot and burst into flames.
Finally, the car exploded into a huge fireball that lit up the terrain all around them.
Adrian had witnessed it as it occurred, but his body hurt too much to even try to move at that point in time, so he just watched the fiery display before finally losing consciousness.