That was Yesterday
Chapter 19
It had been weeks and they were both noticing that little Katarina wasn't all that little any longer. She was growing like a weed. Kate was even starting to detect a personality. And Katarina was thankfully sleeping through the night most of the time. When she didn't was an exception instead of the norm now.
"What is this?" Rick was presenting her and since Katarina was in her arms, her too with a little something.
"It's a cupcake. I had to buy six of them since that was the way they came. Katarina is officially three months old today. Three months ago today we rushed you to the hospital to deliver our beautiful baby girl," Rick told her, his eyes sparkling with joy.
"Technically, babe, I was in labor all day long and she was born the next day," Kate corrected him since she remembered that day perfectly. Being in labor that long was something she wasn't soon going to forget. "But you're sweet."
Kate was long past being angry at him about his precious TV and sound system. She was even making love to him again. WITH a condom naturally. She was no where near ready to be pregnant again. But she did want him again so she was happy about that.
Kate sat up Katarina in front of her. "You want to blow out your candle?" Kate asked her. "You blow. Like this." Kate demonstrated how to blow out a candle. "Blow." Kate tried again. "I don't think so, babe. Maybe at six months," Kate shrugged. She blew out the candle for her. "YEAH!" Kate bounced her to get her smiling and happy.
A beep had Rick leaving them, and picking up the SATPAQ, and seeing what it said.
"I'll take her and go outside maybe. It's not that bad outside, actually. It's for you." Rick gave her the unit and took his daughter. "You want to come with Daddy outside? Can you say Daddy? How about Da Da?" Rick went outside.
Kate looked at the unit. "Katie?" Kate instantly smiled wide. They got to talk to Alexis a lot, Martha on a rare occasion, and Jim was almost as rare.
"Hi Dad. Rick took Katarina outside. She's 3 months old today." Kate mentioned to him even if it was technically the wrong day. But she'd had a cake and a candle so it was official now.
"You're doing great, Katie. Your mother would be proud of you. I'm proud of you. Rick is the right man for you and I'm glad you finally admitted it." Jim told her.
"Not you too?" Kate had been told by seemingly everyone that Rick was crazy about her and she always blew them off. She only admitted after he up and died on her.
"If I had pushed you, you would've done the exact opposite and made yourself miserable just to try and make yourself happy and failed miserably. Now you're married and have a baby girl. By the way, I need a picture." Jim only knew what they told him.
Sadly she knew he was right. She really was so very wrong back then. She was really lucky to be here. "Thanks for reminding me how stupid I was, Dad."
"That's what fathers are for. Just imagine what your mother would have said. Yikes!" He had been easy on her. Jo wouldn't have been anywhere near that delicate. She would have called her out on her stupidity.
"Yeah, she would have let me have it alright. "So how do you like Alexis's new place? I'm guessing that's where you are."
"It's white and wow,I mean white. Not exactly my style but she likes it so if she's happy. Did I mention it's white?" Jim said.
"I think I got that, Dad." Kate rolled her eyes. White wasn't so bad. Their kitchen was white. With spots of red nearly everywhere. The red grew on you. Like a fungus or something and they still didn't have a sofa.
"Is there anything in the news locally about Bracken?" Like had he been arrested? Had Rick's aliens abducted him and done experiments on him? Or maybe the FBI had finally done their job. She knew the CIA wasn't going to do shit!
"Sorry, nothing." Jim typed. Kate was ready to throw the damn thing, but didn't. "He'll get what's coming to him, Katie. He can't escape his destiny."
"Have you been watching Star Wars again, Dad?" Kate asked him since that didn't sound like him.
"I plead the 5th." Jim answered.
"That's what I thought." Kate tried glaring at the unit but it wasn't working.
"So how is work? Mine is still watching Katarina." Kate asked him.
"Busy as ever. Amazing how many people or companies can get into so much trouble and expect you to get them out of it. If they had asked us in the first place they wouldn't be in trouble." Jim in terms of having a job, was happy but it didn't say good things about the human race.
"Story of the human race, Dad." Kate was betting it would never change.
"What about you? Do you miss your old job? From what little I've learned you wouldn't like it." Jim had been brought up to speed on Gates.
"Miss seeing dead bodies? Miss finding out why people kill each other? Not a bit. Though I don't understand Gates. Why make the job harder?" Kate was betting it was because she came from Internal Affairs. Those guys assumed all cops were dirty. Guilty until proven innocent and maybe not even then.
"Alexis tells me the Mayor did eventually call her back. Guess he and someone else gave her notice. She has another 3 months to shape up or she's gone. Not sure what she's going to do now." He honestly didn't see her changing her attitude overnight. But he might be proven wrong.
"So she told us. Still, not sending any detective to a body site is really bad. The press gets hold of that and the NYPD will be crucified." A local story like that where the police didn't even care who killed you, was not going to go over well.
"Haven't seen it in the news yet so it's still buried. But stories like that have a way of leaking. Have you decided on coming back when or if you can come back?" Jim was curious. If they stayed he had a reason to go wherever they were.
"We haven't talked about that much. It's actually kinda nice here. Better than our first place. Rick is even almost done with his book. In fact go find Alexis for me, please, Dad." Kate waited in case Alexis wasn't sitting right next to him.
"What's up? If you need money I have a lot now." She had sold the loft so she had millions now.
"No money. Rick is close to being done with his book. We need to think of a way to get it to you so you can take it to Black Pawn." When they got money from that they wouldn't ever need money from Alexis ever again.
"I have been thinking about that. Haven't reached a conclusion yet. The trick is sending to a place no one knows about and won't ask where it came from yet I can still get it before they open it for me." Alexis didn't know of such a place yet.
Her problem was even if they didn't put a return address on it, whoever shipped it will have a stamp showing where it came from. Worse, it came from a different country so it had to go through Customs.
The messages they were doing were different. They didn't have an attachment and couldn't have an attachment. So something else needed to be done.
"Just keep thinking and we'll do the same. …I have to go. Stay safe. Bye, Dad. Love you." Kate was suddenly needed elsewhere.
"So how do we get Rick's book to Black Pawn?" Jim asked Alexis since the topic had come up and she was sitting right next to him now.
"I don't know. Anything physical means going through Customs. It will be tagged where it came from. It won't give anyone an address but it will give a country. Something for them to start with." Alexis hadn't found a way around that yet.
"A US Senator. I mean I know they're all crooks. Insider trading. Learn something from a closed door meeting and act on that information long before anyone else does, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
"But killing people to accomplish something? What does he hope to accomplish? Or hoped since he's somewhere in Serbia now." Jim still didn't get that. He definitely wasn't a US Senator now. His political career was over.
"What did your wife learn that got her killed?" That was Alexis's big question.
Jim had an idea. "You know if one of us took a trip, say a vacation. A cruise maybe. They ship it to that place and Customs tags it, we pick it up, open it, and throw away the box or whatever, or even burn it. Then bring it home on the same cruise ship; that might work."
"Dad puts it on one of those flash drive cards and it comes home with the luggage and no one knows. Not bad." Alexis liked it. "Now where do we send it to and what name do we use? It can't be one of ours. We can't even begin to risk either of our names." Alexis needed to think.
"Where do cruise ships go? Caribbean, Bahamas, Canada maybe. Mexico, Panama Canal. Get off and take a taxi and go back to the ship and no one knows anything," Jim said.
"It can't be me. I've already been on one vacation to go see Dad and Kate. If I do it again I'm going to be followed. …I could ask Lanie. Except she would ask a gazillion questions that I can't answer." That only left one person in her mind and she stared at him.
"I don't think I like that look," Jim said warily.
"She's your daughter and Canada's really close. Rent a car, drive across the border, and find a place to send it to. Come back with the address and I'll send it to Dad. Then you go back across to get it and bring it back. Simple." Alexis liked it.
"Simple for you." He was doing all the work.
"Go rent a Post Office Box under, say your company's name with you as the representative. Dad mails it and you drive up in roughly two weeks and get it. The question is do you have to go all the way to Montreal to find a Post Office Box or would a much smaller town right on the border have one? Don't move." Alexis got up to get her laptop and was soon back.
"Canada Post. There is one in Toronto. That's not too far. It's just across the border. It'll take you about eight hours. Canada Post. It says you can get one for personal or business. You just need an ID and fill out a contract and you can pay in cash.
"I'll give you the cash. I'll even get you a hotel room in Toronto so you don't have to drive for sixteen hours. And I'll give you the cash to rent the car. Rick and Kate could use the money." Alexis dangled a carrot in front of him.
"You sure you want to be an ME? Sounds to me like you should try FBI, CIA, or maybe the diplomatic Corps." Alexis certainly knew how to sell things.
"Please." This used to work when she was little on her dad so she tried her puppy dog eyes on Jim. She hadn't tried them on anyone for a while now let alone on Jim.
"You can turn off the eyes. I'll do it." The things a father did for his daughter. Besides if he didn't Jo would kill him if they ever met again.
Alexis squealed like a little girl, set aside her laptop, and hugged him. "Thank you. I'll get Dad to tell me when he's done and we can set up a date."
A key in the front door had Alexis grabbing the unit, jumping up, and racing to her room to put it away. Lanie was still out of the loop and it needed to stay that way.
"Jim! This is a nice surprise." Lanie took a peek in the kitchen. "Are you planning to eat out with us?" She was glad Alexis was keeping tabs on him. These two had lost so very much.
"I would love to." Jim could use the company. Though getting a chance to talk to his daughter who wasn't dead had him in a good mood. Even better was the fact that she was married and had created a family for herself.
-.-. .- ... - .-.. .
The owner and his family were out so they could talk freely. "You know these people. Their boy is full of questions," Jackson mentioned and wasn't questioning him.
"I know this family. Our payment includes food and she's not bad. Thanks to our money they're out buying food they don't normally buy for them and us," Jean told him since he was obvious.
"Our guy doesn't get out much, I've noticed," Jackson stated.
"No, he doesn't. According to my friend he bought the owner out by offering almost three times what it's worth. It's a nice house. There's even a pool in the back that you can only use for a few short months around here. He's also all alone. He doesn't eat out. Doesn't spend his money. Comes into town to buy groceries and goes home again. No one has seen anyone else, ever," Jean said.
"I haven't either. The pool isn't covered but is operational and he must be paying someone to care for it since I've seen someone," Jackson pointed out. "The city comes out to read how much water he uses and how much power he uses. He does own a car." Jean nodded.
"He could be anywhere in the house at any time of day so going in is out. He could have weapons everywhere, though based on my research he doesn't even know how to use one. He refuses to get his hands dirty." Jackson was disgusted with this guy.
Jean shook his head. "He knows who he wants out of the way so he hires someone to do his killing for him. Standard. But tell me, do United States Senators normally work this way? A politician anywhere that is found to have hired people to be killed isn't going to last long."
Jackson shook his head. "He's stupid. His killers are a weak link for him. If they talk his political career is over. So unless he was finally going to get his hands dirty he was doomed from the start."
"No offense," Jean raised his hands at him, "but he might miraculously get the drop on you if you go in there alone." And he was going in there alone. Jean wasn't here for that or what he did after he had him.
"None taken. I'm thinking his car is the weak link. Either after he comes out of the house. Along the route or after he has his groceries. I'll handle that part. What I need from you is a remote place to take him. Something with a roof. It could be anything so long as it's remote and no one uses it." Jackson waited impatiently for him to answer.
"I can handle that" Jean nodded. "There are abandoned buildings of all types all over the place. Most are going to be simple sheds that no one uses any longer."
"It's enough. If it's too remote I may need your help to carry the live but unconscious body, then you can watch my six," Jackson asked him and watched him nod his agreement.
"One thing we need to see if we can answer first is how is he contacting the outside world. Is he stupid enough to use the landline? Is he using a simple cell phone if this place has coverage? Is he using a satellite phone? The trick with a satellite phone is that this house will block the signal if he is inside, but his car isn't a barrier. Internet, maybe." Jackson asked him since they still had work to do.
"Serbia doesn't hate Americans. They only hate American politicians. NATO in particular," Jean said. "They aren't going to come rushing to rescue him. They'd rather string him up by his balls. But Bulgaria is close and can be reached easily."
"He may think he can call for help," Jackson noted. "I'm more concerned that he can call someone in the States to have someone killed. I found four but what if he has more?
"That's why after I have him I need you to search the house. Computer, notebooks, simple pieces of paper. Even after I finish with him I may have more work ahead of me."
Jean nodded. "If they find out he's dead they'll follow their last order. I can handle that. Just don't shoot me when I show up," Jean teased him.
Jackson smiled at him. "Would I do that to you?"
"No holes in my body." Jean pointed at him and laughed.
-.-. .- ... - .-.. .
"Honey, I'm home!" Kevin called since he knew Jenny hated when he used that word.
"I'm going to burn this!" Jenny called back at him but kissed him when he showed up.
"I have news." She might not like this bit of news but he had warned her it was possible.
"Gates found a way to call you and wants you to come back?" Jenny shared her first guess since she knew what her husband could tell that woman.
"Thankfully, no. But Javi and I are going to New York City tomorrow and we might be facing Gates if she's still there." Kevin and Javi weren't happy about it but it was part of their job. They didn't work in just Buffalo. They worked in all of New York State.
"Why?" She knew he might leave and go to another city but did it have to be that city?
"The 12th is short homicide detectives," Kevin tried to explain.
"Two to be precise," Jenny pointed out.
"The Police Commissioner called us for reinforcements. They're spread too thin at the moment and get this. They had a dead body and Gates didn't send a single detective to the site." Kevin knew his wife knew that was really bad.
"And she still has her job?" Jenny didn't understand that part.
"We'll each have a dead body to investigate and once we're done we'll come home. So we may both be gone for a few days," Kevin informed her. "Not the no-detective-dead-body. That was three months ago. We have totally new ones."
"Just don't let that woman walk all over you this time," Jenny told him.
"We're from the Attorney General's office and she's just her precinct. We can order her around if we want to." Kevin was almost looking forward to that. He just wasn't big on ordering women around even if it was Gates. He knew Javi had no such problem and was likely going to tell her what she could do with herself if she got pissy.
"Good! Dinner in fifteen. Just enough time for a shower for you." Jenny kissed him and watched his ass head for the stairs. She loved her husband. Now he just needed to not be gone too long and come back home to her.