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“Yeah, I’m not going to let that happen.” He stood up, pulling a set of plastic zip ties out of his back pocket. “I figured you were going to be difficult, so let’s get you up. I’m going to take you into custody. Baby, go get the ball gag out of the glove compartment, will you?”
“Sure. Seth said to remind you that the rendition cells we keep in Afghanistan are all full, but he thinks there’s one in China.”
“I never said anything like that,” sputtered Seth.
“I’m warning you. The two of you need to leave before my husband gets home. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. His colleagues will put you in jail,” said Janine.
“Baby, she thinks you’re arresting her and going to take her to the people he works with.”
“Seriously?” Brock asked, sounding seriously deranged, but in a fun sort of way. He turned back to Janine. “You think I’m taking you to the cops? That’s cute!”
Janine threw a pillow at Brock and made a mad dash for the door, but running in stilettos was difficult at best. Brock caught and subdued her easily, slipping the zip ties around her wrists. “See baby girl, that’s why I don’t think you should wear stilettos.”
“But Miley wears them.”
“Yeah, but Miley is a mutant freak.”
“Watch it!” Miley growled.
“Want me to get the ball gag?” asked Alicia.
“Nah, Janine’s not going to scream, are you Janine? She doesn’t want her high-falutin’ neighbors to know there’s anything wrong.”
Grabbing her upper arm, Brock headed for the door. They opened it to find a small group of local police with weapons drawn.
“Let her go, Wickersham,” said one.
“Alicia, get behind me. Directly behind me.”
“I said, let her go.”
Alicia slid past by Janine and Brock. “Gentlemen, let’s be reasonable. I’m from around these parts. I know that you guys aren’t inherently corrupt, and my guess is that there are some of you to whom I turned for help that regret not doing so.”
Several of the men couldn’t meet her eyes and stubbed the toes of their boots along the ground as they lowered their guns.
“That’s what I thought. You don’t need to feel guilty. I’m alive and fine. I think Ewan and Janine here probably didn’t tell you that I’m alive and that they’ve known for at least several weeks.”
“I don’t know either of these people,” said Janine.
“Janine, the jig is up. We have a recording of everything that was said, so it’s probably best if you retain legal counsel and make the best deal you can. We both know Ewan’s going to throw you under the bus the first chance he gets.”
“As for the rest of you,” said Brock. “You should know that I’m with Cerberus. I can tell by the way the color drained out of your faces that you know who we are and our reputation. Alicia and I are not here alone. Why don’t we all just chalk this unfortunate incident up to a lousy morning and call it a day.”
“He was kidnapping me. He was going to use some kind of torture device on me,” hissed Janine.
“That’s not true,” said Alicia. “He was going to use a ball gag on you. It won’t hurt you. It’ll make you drool a lot, but it won’t hurt you.” A number of the cops smiled sheepishly. “I can see by your faces that several of you would have paid good money to see that. I wanted to know why Janine and Ewan chose me for their little scam and exactly what they were planning. I guess none of us is getting what we want this morning.”
She brushed past them, followed closely by Brock. “You were brilliant,” he said, walking directly behind her. She wondered why until his hand connected with her backside. “But the next time I tell you to get directly behind me? You get there and stay there until told otherwise. Got it?”
“Yes, Daddy. I’m sorry. I just thought I could de-escalate the situation…”
“And you did, but you do what you’re told, or you don’t go out in the field again.”
Once inside the SUV, they watched the cops cut Janine loose and escort her back inside the house. Just before she disappeared through the door, she glanced back over her shoulder and smirked at them. She thought she and Ewan had them beat. She was wrong.
“You look troubled,” Alicia said.
Brock nodded. “I am. How did those cops know we were there? There’s no way the neighbors called, and I didn’t see any obvious visual or listening devices. Seth? Can you check it out?”
