Slack Page 3
I exhaled. I didn’t have time for this crap. Just ten minutes ago she was interrogating me again about Joaquín. And now, she thought we were sisters. It was just too much for me.
Joaquín was gone now. Locked away in prison for life, never again to taste freedom. I had lost the one sibling who I truly loved. And to this day, I still struggled with believing he had done what he confessed to doing to me. And to Julián. I had accepted Joaquín was sick. But sometimes, late at night, after Grant and Julián were fast asleep, I would walk outside and stare at the moon. Joaquín and I used to sneak out of our home at night and go to Mt. Tam and stargaze. We would tell scary stories and dream about how our lives would be when we were older and had children of our own. To be clear—not children together, but our own children.
These days, the brightness of the moon brought tears to my eyes and a longing in my heart. Because Joaquín is in a windowless cell. He gets one hour of daylight each twenty-four hours. And it was only when the sun was out, never when he could see the moon. He will never gaze at the moon again, our moon. My son will not grow up with Joaquín’s kids for he will never have any.
And every night I ask why.
But some questions don’t have answers.
Ashley, who was never known for her ability to let things go, harped. “Well, we are going to deal with this. We can do it the easy way or the hard way. Give me your DNA sample, or I’ll get one from your hair. I’ll compare mine as well. If we aren’t a match, I’ll let it go. But, Mia, I have to know what happened to my sister. You understand, right? Missing someone? Not knowing if they are dead or alive?”
Fuck. I did. She didn’t have to pull the missing person bit on me. “Fine. I’ll contact Roma. He did the DNA for me with Joaquín and Julián. Just give me some of your hair.”
Her eyes lit up. “Perfect. Actually, can you have him run one more test?”
“Fuck, Ashley. Whose? I’m not going to be running random DNA profiles of everyone your paranoid mind suspects of being involved in some kind of illicit crime.”
She reached into her purse and handed me a lock of long brown hair.
“Sienna’s.”
Oh fuck, now I felt like an asshole.
“Sure, but why? The police and FBI are handling the case. And I’m certain Sienna is Mitch’s kid. They look like twins.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that at all. But we both know how the police and FBI, and even NCIS, take forever with DNA testing. I just want us to have her profile on file, in case, I mean if . . .” Ashley’s eyes welled up.
I knew what she was about to say. What neither of us wanted to say or to admit to ourselves, or to Mitch. That we may never find her.
After an eternity, Grant and Sam finally emerged from the ride. Grant had bought him a Buzz Lightyear stuffed animal. He was almost the same age as Julián, and they were great friends. I couldn’t bear for Sam to blame himself for what happened to his sister. Sam had been with her. Seen her walk away with the Jedi. He was the eye witness. We needed to get him to remember everything without scaring him.
Grant kissed me on the cheek.
I whispered into his ear so Sam wouldn’t hear me. “Any word from Mitch?”
“Nope. Let’s take Sam back to the hotel room and wait for Mitch’s call.”
I relayed my conversation with Grant to Ashley, and she agreed to the plan.
We slowly walked toward the entrance, Ashley trailing behind Grant, Sam, and me. Finally, when we were about to leave, Sam pointed at some guy with wavy brown hair, a blue T-shirt, and khaki board shorts walking near the exit.
“That’s the guy who was talking to my sister.”
What the fuck?”
Grant immediately knelt down next to Sam. “Are you sure?”
“Yup! Hey, where’s my sister?” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Oh no. I didn’t want the guy to get spooked. Grant, Ashley, and I shared an intense glare.
The guy must’ve heard Sam because he sprinted toward the exit gate.
But he was no match for Grant.
Grant gave chase and darted after him, with Ashley a few steps behind him as I clutched Sam by the hand and ran after them.
The dude had already left the park, but I could see Grant in the distance. My husband finally caught up to our suspect and tripped him.
Grant stood over him as Ashley, Sam, and I caught up to him.
“Sam, are you sure? Look at this guy.”
Sam stared at the man. “I’m sure. Where is my sister?”
The guy’s hands began to shake. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A group of policemen walked toward us.
Grant said to the man, “Tell them everything is fine, or I’ll slit your throat. I’m a Navy SEAL, you motherfucker.”
Damn, Grant. Way to keep it on the down-low.
The man nodded, a look of fear gracing his face.
Grant greeted the officers. “Officers, how can I help you?”
“Is everything alright here?”
“Yup,” the man squeaked. “I just tripped. And this man helped me up.”
One officer eyed Grant. “Okay, have a nice day.”
Man, these security guards were pathetic. No wonder Sienna was so easily kidnapped.
Once the men were out of view, Grant stood over the guy. “Where the fuck is Sienna? I’ll give you one chance to tell me before I torture you. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
The guy’s entire body was shaking now.
“I don’t know. I swear.”
Grant grabbed him by the balls.
“Well, you better fucking remember. Her father is a SEAL, too. We won’t just kill you, we’ll torture you to death. Tell me what you know.”
Sweat dripped off the guy’s face. He couldn’t be older than twenty. And he wasn’t with Sienna now.
“Some man paid me ten thousand dollars to get her. Told me she was his daughter and his ex had taken her away from him. I then handed her to him. She seemed to know him. She called him grandpa.”
Grandpa? What the fuck?
Sam, who had been quiet, now spoke. “Oh, Grandpa? I saw him at Disney too.”
“Your grandpa, Sam? Your mommy’s daddy? Or your daddy’s daddy?”
“Neither. He was just a friend of my mom’s.”
Chills jolted through me. April was in a coma. I didn’t have a clue what we were dealing with.
I only knew one thing—this was not a random kidnapping. Sienna was targeted. Just like Julián had been.
5
Ashley
April. What in the world had that woman been up to? Sleeping with Paul. Bringing weird men around her children. Doing drugs. Was she evil? Or was she framed?
I had to find out.
I knew I had been called off Paul Thompson’s case.
But I also knew that I didn’t always follow orders. Okay, make that I often didn’t follow orders. What could I say? I was a rule breaker.
Grant pulled the guy into a sitting position. “Say goodbye to the sunshine, asshole. You are about to spend the rest of your life locked up in prison.”
The guy whimpered, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. One bad decision could ruin your entire life.
Grant stood guard over the guy I and texted Mitch. A text I didn’t want to send.
Me: We found the guy who took your daughter. But we don’t have Sienna. We’ll bring him over to the gate for the FBI to deal with him.
Instead of a reply text, my phone rang.
“What? How do you know?”
“Sam recognized him. Grant ran him down, and the guy admitted he gave Sienna to some old guy who said he was her grandpa. Even Sam said he had seen this ‘Grandpa’ at Disney. Do you have any idea who he is?”
“Grandpa? No, what the fuck? So, she was targeted? It wasn’t some random kidnapping?”
“Doesn’t look like it, Mitch. Tell the cops to meet us at the gate.”
“I’ll go with the
m. I’m not letting this motherfucker out of my sight.”
The call ended, and my heart wrenched. This entire nightmare reeked of conspiracy. A target. A plot.
And I still couldn’t help but suspect the Se7en Deadly SEALs.
This wasn’t about Tiffany the stripper. Or Julián. Or Sienna. Or Mia. Or Paul. Or fuck, even Joaquín.
What was I missing?
“Mitch will meet us by the front gate.”
Grant pulled the guy up from the concrete. “Let’s go.”
The guy’s shifty eyes scanned the crowd, probably searching for a way to escape. What he didn’t realize was that he didn’t have a chance of running away from the three of us.
I turned to Mia. “Grandpa. That’s odd.”
“Agreed. How creepy. I’m sure there is video surveillance, and we can get a picture of this guy. And then Sam can help us identify him.”
I nodded and inhaled a deep breath. I couldn’t hold back my suspicions. I had to go there. “What about Julián? Did he ever mention a grandpa?”
Mia shot me a vicious look. “Just stop. I don’t know what you are implying. This is about Sienna, not Julián. Leave my son out of it.”
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to start something with her. Not now. There was too much at stake.
We approached the gate, and the cops immediately took the guy into custody, but all I could focus on was Mitch, standing there with a corded neck and his nostrils flaring. He looked like a lion that was about to attack, but unfortunately, all that rage would do nothing to bring Sienna back.
Mitch got as close as he could to the guy before officers restrained him. “Where’s my fucking daughter? Who did you give her to?”
The guy remained silent. I opened my arms and approached Mitch, who readily accepted my hug.
“Mitch, this is at least a good lead. But we don’t have much time. I assume April is still non-responsive?”
“Last I heard. What the fuck? I knew she was shady, but I never, ever thought she would endanger our kids. Ever.”
“Right, you said she was a good mother.”
“Show’s my judge of character.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, stop. Don’t do that. You met her in high school. How could you know any better? This is not your fault.”
His lips trembled, and I kissed them despite myself.
He kissed me back, but this kiss wasn’t full of lust. It was tinged with longing and vulnerability.
I knew that he wanted me here. That he begged for me to come, but I didn’t feel like I could help him here. I was a mess with kids, and Mia was watching Sam. Grant had Mitch’s back. My strength was not here. It was in research.
Then like lightning, an idea hit me.
“Mitch, give me the key to April’s house. Let me go now. Sam said that ‘Grandpa’ was a friend of his mom. There has to be a clue there. I won’t mess up anything. Please, we can’t wait on the cops for this.”
Mitch didn’t hesitate. He reached into his pocket and slid a key off his keychain. “Alarm code is my BUD/S class number. I’m sure you know it from my file.”
Of course, I did. Damn, these SEALs were so lame about their BUD/S class number. Most of them had it tattooed on their chest like a brand.
“Got it. Are you sure I’m okay to leave? Do they want to question me?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Go.” He kissed me again on the forehead. “Babe, thank you.”
A warmth radiated through my chest. Did Mitch give me butterflies?
Nope. My attraction to him was physical. That was it. And this, well anyone would do anything to find a missing child, especially an NCIS agent who had a missing sister.
“No worries. Call me if there are any updates.”
I walked over to Grant and Mia. I didn’t want to lie to them. Well, especially since Mitch knew where I was headed. But I didn’t want either of them to accompany me.
“Grant, give me your keys.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “Never. And why?”
I shook my head. “Mitch is allowing me to go to April’s house. To see if I can find something about Grandpa.”
Mia’s face lit up. “Oh, that sounds like a brilliant idea. I’ll go with you.”
That was a hard no. “Nope. I’m going solo. You need to watch Sam. Grant, keys. Now. No time to waste.”
Grant tossed his keys to Mia, and I could feel my anxiety take over. “I can watch Sam. I know him better than Mia does—I was there in the hospital when he was born.”
Fuck. He had me. But more importantly, Grant’s insistence that I brought Mia demonstrated a deep truth—these SEALs only trusted their own. And I was an outsider.
I wasn’t going to fight this. This was about Sienna, not my ego.
Even if I did have to be trapped in a car with Mia for five hours.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s go. But I’m in charge.”
Mia knelt down and bid Sam goodbye. And then she stood up, and Grant kissed her like he was leaving for deployment. Damn, those two needed to get a room.
We took the shuttle to the car. Mia sat in the driver’s seat, and I reluctantly sat next to her.
“Grandpa? That’s so weird. I wonder who he is?”
I rolled my eyes as the car left the parking lot. “Whoever he is, he’s a creeper. And April knew him. What’s your take on April? You knew her well.”
Mia shrugged her shoulders and settled on some Latin pop station. “I mean, I didn’t know her too well. She was older than me and could go to bars. I met Grant when I was just seventeen. April and Mitch already had kids by then. We just had different lives. But she and Mitch were always hot and cold. Always off and on. It was drama all the time.”
I nodded. That gave me nothing. I didn’t want to talk to Mia any further—not until I had something more to go on.
I zoned out to the Latin pop and watched the landscape change from Southern California greenery to barren desert.
A few hours into the trip, we stopped at a gas station. We perused the exciting dining choices. I picked a Slim Jim and a Red Bull, while vegan Mia chose Chile Picante corn nuts and an iced coffee.
As we got back into the car, Mia’s face turned into a sad smile.
“What?”
She sighed. “Oh, nothing. Grant and I stopped here on our way to get married.”
Ah, the memories. “Yeah, that shocked me. Last I heard before that, he hated you.”
“Well, he had every right to. But Vegas really changed everything for me. After we got married, on the way home to San Diego, Grant told me something that changed my life.”
My interest piqued. “What was that?”
“That Joaquín had been there on the night of the party where I was raped.”
“Right. That must’ve been devastating for you.”
Her mouth twisted. “Well, I didn’t want to believe it. I still don’t.”
My breath slowed. “You don’t still think he’s innocent. Come on now. He confessed. He kidnapped you. And your son.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s not that.”
“What, Mia. What is it?”
“Well, Grant told me that April had told Mitch that she had seen Joaquín at the party that night. Just weird because now we know April is shady.”
What the fuck—
My breathing accelerated. “Wait, Mia. Stop. Only April saw Joaquín? Mitch didn’t? And you don’t remember anything?”
She shook her head. “I remember taking a drink. I didn’t see my brother. I remember waking up to having Mitch stand over me. I plunged my heel in him. But no, I don’t remember Joaquín. Of course, I didn’t. I’ve tried to recapture that memory even through hypnosis and still, nothing.”
“Did Mitch see Joaquín?” I couldn’t even believe the implications of this question.
Mia shook her head. “No. Not at all. He saw someone with Joaquín’s height and build run past him wearing a hoodie. And Joaquín confessed so . . . it is what it is.”
“Pierce. What are you up to now?”
“Nothing. Hey, look. I need you to do something for me. Can you get me the log of the SEALs on base in Yuma on the night Mia was raped?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Uh, Mia is in the car with me. She just wanted to check what time Joaquín left Yuma.”
“Sure thing. Hold on. I’ll pull it up.”
After the most agonizing wait, Meeks spoke into the phone. “Weird. We have no record of Joaquín leaving the base that night. But I’m sure he had it doctored.”
My spine chilled, but I didn’t want to let him in on my suspicions. “Yeah, I’m sure he did. He’s smart enough to cover his tracks.” But logs weren’t maintained by SEALs—they were done electronically. “Hey, can you tell me who left?”
“Sure can. Your buddy Mitch left, and, a few minutes later, Paul Thompson exited. Joaquín was on base the entire time.”
“Got it.” My voice cracked. “Thanks Meeks.”
Paul Thompson.
Paul Thompson left after Mitch.
Paul Thompson raped Mia.
Then why was Joaquín lying and saying he did it? Why would he confess to a crime he didn’t commit, go to prison, and ruin his relationship with his sister?
I didn’t know, but I would find out. All I knew was that against all odds Mia may be right.
Joaquín was innocent.
Stay tuned for Storm - Episode 10 in the Se7en Deadly SEALs Saga.
About the Author
ALANA ALBERTSON IS the former President of RWA’s Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters. She holds a M.Ed. from Harvard and a BA in English from Stanford. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, she lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and five dogs. When she’s not saving dogs from high kill shelters through her rescue Pugs N Roses, she can be found watching episodes of Cobra Kai, Younger, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.