To demonstrate, he hefted Noah up and cuffed him.
“What are the charges?” Mayor Kinlan’s attorney asked.
“Possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute, possession of altered semi-automatic firearms, kidnapping, and sex trafficking to name a few, but I’m sure we’ll find some money laundering and misuse of campaign funds before we’re through with our investigation.”
The entire courtroom watched in shock as the FBI agents escorted the mayor and his son out through the front door in handcuffs. Then, the entire place exploded in chaos.
The judge beat her gavel until everyone quieted down. “In light of this new development, court is adjourned for today,” she said before disappearing out the back of the courtroom.
Still stunned, I stood there, unable to process what had just happened, and unsure of what to do next.
* * *
Link
Wasp picked the lock on the warehouse door, and I watched in awe. Not because I couldn’t pick a lock—I could—but because Wasp was damn fast at it. More than that, he looked like the type of guy who’d crush a lock in his bare hands, so seeing him at work with his tiny lockpick set got me every time.
“There,” Wasp said, turning the knob and pushing the door inward.
I slid my Glock out of its holster, clicked off the safety, and crept past Wasp. He entered at my back, closing the door behind us. We stood in the faint light from the windows, listening. Nothing. Fearing we’d hit another dead end, I started up my phone’s flashlight app and checked out our surroundings. Empty, dusty shelves. Not even drugs or anything at this location.
Wasp elbowed me and pointed to the floor.
Fresh boot tracks led through the warehouse. Keeping the light of my phone partially shielded, we followed the tracks to a set of stairs. Creeping down the stairs with our guns drawn, I heard voices beneath us. Turning off the flashlight app, I pocketed my phone and kept my Glock ready.
There was a light on at the bottom of the stairs. We stayed against the wall and crept toward it, listening.
“I said I was sorry,” Annabel said. “Why don’t you go get some peroxide and a bandage, and I’ll doctor up that wound for you.”
“Think I’m crazy?” a man asked. “I’m not coming near you. You’ll probably stab me again.”
“Stab?” she asked. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’ve done worse to myself with a sewing needle.”
“Don’t look at me,” a voice I recognized from Emily’s early morning phone call said. “I told you to stay away from the bitch. She’s pure evil.”
“What a horrible thing to say,” Annabel said. “I told you I didn’t mean to spill my tea on your lap. Old age makes one so clumsy.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Annabel was well in control of the situation.
“Think we should go in and save them?” Wasp whispered, obviously coming to the same conclusion.
Guns still drawn, we crept in.
Both her captors were playing on their cell phones when we rushed them. We had them on their stomachs, hands zip-tied behind their backs, before they even knew we were there.
Annabel watched the take-down with an amused smile and a giant shiner.
“Which one of them hit you?” I asked.
“The one I accidentally spilled my tea on,” she replied, pointing him out.
And I accidentally kicked the shit out of him.
Then I took both of their wallets and used my cell phone to snap pictures of their licenses. I turned both of them over, so they could see me and Wasp, and then we let them know how this was going to work. I now had their licenses. I could find them anywhere. I could find their families. I could destroy their lives. The possibilities were endless, really. They were going to forget where Annabel lived and never bother her again, or Wasp and I were going to make sure they were never found again. And unlike these losers, we knew exactly which type of chemicals to use to make that happen.
When I was convinced that they were suitably cowed, I released Annabel.
She accidentally stepped on each of their crotches on the way out.
