Chapter 6 – The Pace Quickens

Arriving at the warehouse, Jack coordinated with the local police officers. He was short-handed and didn't like the situation, but didn't have time to bring in other agents. Securing the perimeter, teams waited for Jack's command before entering the building.

Weapons drawn, Jack made visual contact with Samantha before radioing for the support teams to move in. The duo took the lead going in the main entrance. Working silently in perfect tandem, they systematically cleared each area before finding the main cache of weapons near the center of the warehouse.

One by one, the various search teams radioed they found no one and no trace of Jennifer. Jack holstered his weapon and as he looked through several open crates. "There are enough weapons here to start a small war. I'm seeing a little bit of everything…AK-47s, AR-15s, Tech 9s. Shit! Here are some RPGs! I'm going to get ATF over here right away."

Samantha called him over. "We have blood on this table and chair. Look at this." Using the tip of her pen, she held up a bloody scarf. "I'll get the lab guys over and see what they can tell us."

Jack nodded his concurrence and cursed his cell phone. "I can't get a signal in here. I'll go make the calls outside. See what else you can find."

Searching the area and taking notes, a police officer called. "Agent Spade, you might want to come take a look at this." Joining him near a back wall, Samantha followed his pointing finger and blanched. There she saw Jack's business card stuck to the wall with a hunting knife stabbed through the center.

"No one touch the knife before we can print it" she commanded, but the tightness in her stomach made her move quickly outside to find Jack. She saw the card as a blatant threat and he had to be warned.

-xxxx-

Jack would have nothing of Samantha's concern on the ride back to the office. The more she tried to get him to step back, the more belligerent he acted. He could sense her anger rising and didn't want to put a wet blanket on the camaraderie they had shared all day. But, he had never been one to back down from a threat and he wasn't about to start now.

Trying to lighten the mood, he looked over at her glaring out the passenger window. "Hey. Sam, come on. Don't give me the cold shoulder." She refused to look at him, so he reached over and squeezed her arm. "Please look at me."

Stopped at a light, she finally swiveled her head his direction, but kept her body postured away from him. She fought the burning sensation on her arm where his hand lay.

Fighting the urge to laugh at her tough-guy act, he said, "Look. Wilkinson's threats are nothing. Believe me. I've been threatened by much tougher acts than that with a lot more at stake."

Taking the bait, she relented, "Oh yeah? By who?"

He broke into a huge smile. "A dark two-headed snake named Maria!"

"Jack! Shame on you!" But she couldn't help but join in his laughter. Tempering the levity, she said, "Seriously Jack. I have a feeling this guy isn't intimidated at all by your gold shield. Just promise me you will be careful…okay?"

Giving her a quick wink and smile, "You got it Sam. But you and Viv have to promise to back off the Mother Hen routine. Deal?"

She nodded her head. "Deal." But Jack couldn't read her mind that told her Viv's concern and her concern came from a very different part of the heart.

-xxxx-

Danny and Martin were still out when they reached the office, causing Jack to toss a few choice words in the direction of the ADA's office. Luckily, the NYPD brought in Charlie Novak for questioning and took Jack's mind off his short-handed situation.

Standing in the corner of the interrogation room with his arms crossed across his chest, he watched Samantha go to work on the young man.

She sat across from him and smiled easily, trying to put the nervous teen at ease. "Charlie, what can you tell us about Willie and your sister?"

He squirmed in his chair, but responded, "I don't know anyone named Willie. What does this have to do with Jennifer?"

Samantha just watched him for a bit, gently turning up the heat.

"Look Charlie, we can do this the easy way or the tough way. You haven't been at school the last couple of days, but plenty of people confirmed you've been seen with Ralph Wilkinson. Matter of fact, they tell us you introduced Jennifer to him and they were dating."

She slid a picture of Wilkinson across the table and watched Charlie get a little pale as the sweat started forming on his upper lip.

"Now, when is the last time you talked with your sister?" Charlie snapped his head up saying, "You mean you don't know where she is?"

The situation suddenly cleared for Samantha. "No Charlie. We don't know where she is. She's been missing for a couple of days now. You don't know where she is either do you Charlie? That's why you've been out of school. You've been looking for her too haven't you?"

Jack was impressed at Samantha's ability to quickly assimilate the situation. Walking forward, he leaned on the table. "Charlie, we think Willie has Jennifer. We think Willie is involved in a weapons smuggling ring. We found this at a warehouse filled with weapons." Jack slid a plastic bag over in front of Charlie.

Charlie saw the bloody scarf and his lip trembled immediately. "Oh Jesus. Oh Jesus. He'll kill her. If Jen saw those guns, he'll kill her. He's crazy. I swear. I didn't know what he was into when I introduced them. He seemed like a nice guy and treated her good. She's the only family I have. She's a wonderful person. You gotta find her. Please!"

Samantha took over. "Charlie, look at me. You're positive this is Jennifer's scarf?"

Charlie nodded furiously, "Yeah. I gave it to her for her birthday last year."

Samantha glanced quickly at Jack. "Charlie. It is very important you tell us everything you know. You have to help us if we're going to have any chance of getting your sister back alive."

Charlie hung his head. His voice trembled as he said, "Willie has ten men that are always around. They're all involved in this big gun deal. He hangs out at a vacant office building or another warehouse out by the airport. It's right near the runway. Jen wasn't at the warehouse with the guns?"

Samantha shook her head. "No, we searched the entire building. No one was there."

Jack asked, "Where do you think they are, Charlie?"

The young man wiped sweat from his brow. "Usually, most of them are at the office. Only a few hang out at the big warehouse. Willie gave strict orders not to hang out around the guns so we wouldn't draw too much attention. But Agent Malone, they are supposed to start making deliveries tomorrow."

Jack and Samantha looked at each other and instantly calculated the urgency. At the latest, Willie would find out his stash was gone in the morning. If Jennifer was still alive, she wouldn't have a chance after that. They had to move on the office building and the other warehouse now.

While Charlie was drawing a map of the two locations, Jack arranged for backup. He was cussing the timing of having Viv, Danny and Martin all out at a critical moment when Martin walked into the office. "Hey Jack. Casolaro cut me loose for the day. What is going on?"

"Good. You're back. We've got to move now. Charlie gave us two locations. I'm lining up backup. Since you're available, I'll send Sam with a big team to the office building. You and I will go to the warehouse. Get ready. We go in thirty minutes."

Completing the phone calls, Jack took stock of the situation. He wasn't at all happy with sending Samantha without another team member, but he had no choice. He hoped no one would make an issue out of overkill, but he lined up a team of fifteen agents and officers to go with her…he had to…it was Samantha.

After Jack briefed the support unit, he caught Samantha in the garage. She was total business as she slipped on her flack jacket and double-checked her pistol. Something was different between them these past days. It was as if they both had crossed an imaginary line drawn in the sand. At first he had thought it was just him, but he knew her too well to misread that poorly.

And now, he was personally responsible for sending her directly into harm's way, in the path of possibly eight armed and ruthless men. His stomach knotted at the thought.

He walked up and tried to smile. "Sam, I'm sorry to send you on your own. I just think it will be best with the big support team. You stay back and direct them. No need to play hero. Promise me you'll be careful, okay? I'll see you back here in a few hours."

She looked at Jack and saw concern in his eyes well beyond that of merely her supervisor. She saw right through the huge team he was sending with her while he and Martin were going alone, but she didn't say a word. Jack would always protect her if he could, and she liked the feeling it gave her.

As she looked at Jack, she got a strange feeling but pushed it aside. Something made her reach out and brush her fingers over his hand resting on the car door. "I'll be through my search before you reach the warehouse, so I'll call and give you a report. I'll be fine Jack. You and Martin watch your back." As she slid into the driver's seat, she smiled, "Drinks are on you this evening at happy hour."

He watched her drive away and wave at Martin as she headed for the exit. His thoughts were jumbled as he tossed Martin the keys. "You drive so I can man the phones."

tbc