The Sharps Unleashed Page 5

  Everyone else takes their shots, and Andre groans in agitation, and says, “You guys are no fun. Come on, Sharp, you tell us a secret.”

  “I don’t have any that would interest you.”

  “Probably not. Ok, tell us about this case you have.”

  “Why are you so interested in my case, Brooks? ”

  “I’m not. I’m just trying to give you an easy subject to play the game.”

  “We already took the shots. No one wants to play your game, so move on.”

  “Y’all need to drink more. You’re no fun tonight.”

  “You know, you’re always a bit of jerk, but tonight you’re just annoying as fuck. What the hell is going on with you?” Andre laughs at Sandra and shrugs a shoulder. “I’m just in a good mood. Can’t a guy be in a good mood?”

  “Well, simmer down because I’m about to pistol-whip you so we can eat in peace.”

  The sound of an argument and struggle causes all of them to stand up and look around. Just as Robin is about to move, Andre storms away from the table, and yanks a man off of their waitress. The man had grabbed her by the ass and pulled in her in close and was trying to kiss her.

  “Hey, pal, mind your own business!”

  The man takes a swing at Andre, but Andre catches his arm, and pins him face down on the floor. He quickly cuffs him and reads him his rights while the man cusses Andre out and tries to get free.

  Andre rips the man up from the floor, and his partner, Officer John Glenn, helps restrain him as he continues to struggle against Andre. Since John has a good grip on him, Andre pulls his wallet out and hands the waitress his credit card.

  “Just in case my buddies leave before I get back, dinner and drinks are on me. I’ll come back for that later. Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, fine, thanks.” She doesn’t look fine, so he gives her a hug. “I’m sorry that happened.”

  “Thanks, Andre. Be careful driving after all of those drinks.” He pinches her chin with a kind, not lustful, smile. “I’ll be ok. You be careful with these assholes in here. See you in a bit.”

  After Andre and John leave, Robin and the rest of the officers sit back down.

  Sandra shakes her head as she grabs for her martini, and says, “Just as you want to hate the man’s guts, he does something like that.”

  Chapter Six

  Grace runs into the large conference room with several printouts and slaps the thin stack down on the table with a smile. A couple of agents jerk awake, and quickly try to look like they’re working while several others look up from the stacks of papers they’re pouring through, looking like they’re about to pass out.

  “We found them. Their IP addresses were bouncing off of multiple towers, but we were able to unscramble the encryption and we found them. I have exact coordinates and addresses for ten of the hackers.”

  “Finally! Johnson, get over here.”

  Hodgins picks up the printouts and starts skimming them before he passes them out to other agents.

  “Ok, get in touch with the local PDs and get a raid on these sons of bitches so we can get the hell out of here. Sharp, great work.”

  Grace plops down in a large cushy office chair with a broad smile and salutes Hodgins.

  “Thank you very much.”

  Grace sits back feeling accomplished, but also very tired. She watches while the other agents make the calls to send in SWAT teams to capture the small group of computer hackers they’ve been trying to bring down for over two months. The hackers have been breaking into the computer systems of hospitals all over the country, stealing patient information, and intercepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in patient bill payments. The money was going into an off-shore account, without any withdrawals, so the easy trail to follow was seemingly ending, which made it hard to determine if the hackers were in the US, or overseas.

  “Here.” Grace opens her eyes, and accepts the cup of coffee from her partner, David Harrison. “Thanks.”

  He sits down next to her and combs his fingers through his wavy light brown hair. He covers a yawn, and shakes his head, trying to snap his eyes into focus.

  “Fuck, I’m tired. Denise is going to kill me for being late again.” Robin looks at her watch and shakes her head. “Damn, it really is late. Robin is probably passed out by now.”

  “How’s she doing? Did she make a decision yet?”

  “She’s ok. She agreed to talk to Hodgins later this week, so I guess we’ll see what happens.”

  “She hasn’t told you her decision?” Grace shakes her head and takes a sip of coffee. “No, she’s still mulling things over.”

  “I can’t really blame her. Isiah and Robin had been through some tough shit together. They saved each other’s lives multiple times. You’ve probably heard this one before, but I’ll never forget that assignment they worked in Texas. It was before we were paired up, and before you met Robin. They were captured by drug cartel and tortured for hours, but neither of them would give up any information. After they fell unconscious, they were left alone. Robin woke up first, and she somehow was able to get loose. Isiah was out and wasn’t coming to. She was badly wounded, but she wouldn’t leave there without him. She used duct tape to tape knives to her elbows, wrists, and knees. Then she picked him up on her shoulders. With an AR-15 rifle in one hand, she marched out of there with him on her shoulders. She shot and killed when she had the distance to do so, and she lashed out with her arms and knees when they rushed her to try to take her down. With Isiah on her shoulders, and barely staying conscious from the amount of blood she lost, she slashed through a couple dozen armed men. She stole a Jeep and drove like the devil was chasing them. She made it to a hospital, called in the location for the operation so they could raid the compound, and then passed out. She’s a fucking machine.”

  Grace smiles as she stares at the steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

  “You know, she’s never told me that story, but I’ve heard it multiple times from other agents.”

  “That is just one of the many reasons I want that woman back in this bureau. Sharp, get out of here. Great work tonight. All of you, except Johnson and Hildred, go home. We’ll hang out for confirmation of the arrests and I’ll let you know when we have these bastards in custody.”

  Grace doesn’t have to be told twice. She’s exhausted and missing her wife. She quickly gathers her brief case, and sprints across the parking lot to her car.

  It’s close to midnight, so the roads are pretty deserted, allowing her to make it home in no time. As she pulls into the driveway, she finds the house completely dark, except for the porch light. She’s quiet as she enters the house, and steps lightly up the stairs.

  Grace walks into the bedroom, and quietly tiptoes to the bed, where Robin is asleep on her stomach with her arm hanging over the edge of the bed, and her face barely on her pillow. Grace smiles and brushes her wife’s hair off of her face. Robin startles and sits bolt upright, grabs Grace, and throws her down on the bed. It’s not till she’s straddling Grace and cocking her fist back to punch her that Robin comes to her senses and relaxes her arm.

  “Damn it, Grace, I almost… Sorry, are you ok?”

  Grace smiles and sits up, wrapping her arms around Robin’s naked frame. She kisses Robin between her breasts and looks up at her wife’s beautiful blue eyes glowing in the dark.

  “I’m fine. I’m sorry I’m so late again.”

  “It’s ok. Are you hungry? Did you eat?”

  “We ordered sandwiches, but I’m starving.”

  Robin gives her a kiss on the lips and pulls her up from the bed. Robin slips into a robe and her slippers, and they go downstairs to the kitchen.

  While Grace grabs a plate and a fork, Robin pulls containers from the fridge. Grace leans against the counter and watches as Robin dishes up some grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables to heat in the microwave for Grace.

  “So, how’s the case?”

  “Great. We made ten arrests tonight in four different states – Hodgins sent the confirmation just as I was pulling up to the house. I’m not the lead investigator on the case, so thankfully I won’t have to travel for the interrogations and trials.”

  “That’s good. I’m not ready for you to leave town again.”

  Grace smiles and pulls Robin into her arms. She gives her a kiss on the lips and combs her fingers through her silky long straight black hair.

  “So, are you saying, there are times you’re ready for me to get out of town so you can have the house to yourself?” Robin laughs and shakes her head. “No, never. ”

  The microwave dings, so Robin grabs the plate for Grace, and leads her to the dining room.

  “What do you want to drink?”

  “Some wine would be great.”

  Robin nods and returns to the kitchen. She opens a fresh bottle of white wine and pours two glasses.

  “Thanks, babe. So, I was thinking, how about we get away this weekend? We could go up to my uncle’s cabin in the woods and just get away from everything.”

  “That sounds nice, unless this is your way of telling me you’re going to be leaving again soon.” Grace smiles and shakes her head. “Not that I’m aware of. We’ve both been working hard on some complex cases, and I just thought it would be nice to get away, just the two of us.”

  “I bought the supplies today to fix the hole in the wall I made, but I guess I can do that one night after work. Yeah, getting away would be nice. Ok, let’s do it.”

  Grace smiles and leans over to kiss Robin.

  “Great. This chicken is really good. What did you put on it?”

  “I mixed some chipotle, maple syrup, onion powder, and salt, then grilled it over some oak chips.”

  “It’s amazing. I’m sorry you went through so much trouble for dinner and I wasn’t here to eat with you.”

  “Babe, it’s fine. It comes with the job. We’ve both had to miss dinner plenty of times because of work.”

  “I know. I just want you to know that I really appreciate you – everything about you.” Robin’s face pinches in confusion, and she scoots her chair closer to Grace. She takes Grace’s hand and kisses it for a moment. “Babe, is everything ok? Did something happen?”

  “No, everything is fine. While we were waiting for Hodgins to release us, and while the other agents were calling in for the arrests to be made, the subject of your Texas case came up. It’s just…” Grace looks down at her plate for a moment and takes a deep breath before meeting Robin’s eyes. “You are so fiercely strong and dependable all the time. You’re a legend in the bureau for being, and I quote, ‘a fucking machine’. I guess I just want you to know I appreciate that you’re willing to let your guards down with me and show your humanity.”

  “Do you remember that one time you found me in the bathroom at work with my face under the faucet?” Grace smiles and nods as she caresses Robin’s cheek. “It was why I had the nerve to ask you out.” Robin laughs a little and kisses Grace’s hand. “I was that intimidating before?”

  “Your always cool calm collected mannerism and badass reputation turned me on and terrified me at the same time. Seeing you kind of freaking out made me realize I had a chance to win you over.”

  “So, if you hadn’t found me in the bathroom freaking out, you never would have asked me out?”

  “I was losing the battle to control my desires for you, so I would have eventually asked you out if you hadn’t asked me first.”

  “I wanted you really bad too. I was actually really glad you had found me in that moment. I needed someone I could be weak with for a moment, and I wanted you to be that person.”

  “You weren’t weak. But I really love that you’re willing to show me that side of yourself. Robin, I just want you to know, if you decide not to go back to the bureau, I’m not going to think you’re weak.”

  “I know, baby, and I appreciate that. Give me a kiss.”

  Grace places her hands on the sides of Robin’s face and pulls in her into a kiss. With their mouths sweet from wine, their lips and tongues glide together in a slow soft tumbling. As Grace pulls back, she gives Robin a kiss on her lips, cheeks, and forehead.

  “You should eat now.”

  “Ok. Tell me about your day.”

  Chapter Seven

  Robin pulls down a narrow private dirt road with trees lining both sides, and after about a quarter mile, the thick forest thins and opens up to a large ten-acre dirt and gravel lot. The property is dotted with a couple of single-wide mobile homes in disrepair, a wood paneling rancher with a tin roof, dozens of broken down vehicles, farm equipment, and several big-rigs.

  Robin turns the cruiser around to face the exit, and parks closest to the ranch house. They release the snap clasp securing their pistols in their holsters for faster access, just in case things go south, and they exit the cruiser.

  A man wearing only a pair of baggy and holey jeans walks out of the house scratching the thick patch of curly gray hair on the center of his chest and his large beer gut while chewing a toothpick.

  Robin and Eric stop about fifteen feet away from him, and the man takes a seat on the front step of the porch. He pulls the toothpick from his mouth and points at them with it before sticking it back in his mouth.

  “You’re far from town. What can I do for you?”

  “We’re looking for a few missing big-rigs that may have been through this area.”

  Robin tells him the make, model, and year for each rig they’re looking for, and the man stands up shaking his head .

  “You’re looking for a needle in a haystack. You know how many of those rigs are in the area right now? You looking for flat beds or cargo?”

  “Cargo.”

  “Well, those are fewer, if they didn’t dump the trailer.” He stretches and yawns before scratching his chest again and starts walking around the side of the house. “I just acquired one. You can check it out and see if it matches what you’re looking for. The thing has a busted axle and radio, so it’s useless till I can fix it.”

  Robin and Eric share a hopeful glance at the news that the radio is busted.

  The property is basically a large junkyard and it takes them five minutes to reach the truck. They check the tag against their records and come up with a match.

  “Well, Mister…”

  “Clifton.”

  “Mr. Clifton, I hate to tell you this, but this is one of the stolen trucks we’re looking for. I’m going to have to call a tow truck to have it impounded. How did you acquire the truck?”

  “Goddamn it, I knew I shouldn’t have trusted those damn Gleason boys. They came by two days ago wanting to make a trade.”

  “What did you trade?”

  “A backhoe. A damn good backhoe that I put a lot of work into. I want my machine back. You going to get it back?”

  “Do you have anything to prove ownership of the backhoe?”

  “Of course not! Business around here is usually done with trades, like this one. We don’t mess with paperwork. I have a title for the truck, but I don’t have a title for the backhoe. ”

  “It will be harder to prove you own the backhoe then. You can take them to court, but there’s a good chance you’ll never get it back.”

  “Son of a bitch!”

  “Was there anything on the truck when you received it?”

  “No, it was empty. It smelled like hell though. I had to leave it open to air it out. Smelled like a damn cow farm.”

  “Manure or fertilizer?”

  “Probably more like fertilizer.”

  “Can you get me the title you were given for the truck?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll be back.” As he stomps off, he mumbles, “Sheep fucking Gleasons. I’m going to stick a branding iron up their asses.”

  They wait till Mr. Clifton is out of hearing range, and Eric says, “They’re only out of prison for three days, and already their pulling some shit.”

  “Well, their scam is going to help us locate those other two rigs and find out what the hell is going on. The axles on these things are pretty damn strong, and to break one is not easy. They had to be traveling on a road not intended for such a large and heavy vehicle. That will help us to narrow down our search radius even more. I want forensics to scrape that cargo hold and tell me exactly what they were transporting.”

  “You think they’re making bombs with that fertilizer?”

  “It’s possible. That much fertilizer would wipe the entire town off the map. If that’s what they’re doing, they’re not working alone. The Gleasons aren’t smart enough to make bombs or pull off any organized crime for that matter. We need to call in for the tow truck, and I want every Gleason brought in for questioning.”

  Eric pulls his phone out and calls in the order for the tow truck and the arrest for the Gleasons while Robin walks around the truck, inspecting it for other clues. As she’s crouching down to look under the cargo hold, Eric walks over and crouches down with her.

  “That’s sawdust.” Eric points to the dust on the tire axles. “They had to have brought this into a saw mill or lumber yard.”

  “This is logging country. There are over twenty sawmills and lumber yards in operations, and a couple dozen more that are abandoned. I guess we’ll start with the abandoned mills first.”

  “Hey! You still out here?”

  Eric and Robin stand up and walk around to the other side of the truck.

  “Ah, here’s the title. You arresting those Gleasons?”

  “Yes, and a tow truck is on its way to pick up the truck. If you decide to go to court to get your backhoe, having a witness who can testify that they know you owned it will help.”

  “Oh, I have several of those, and you best believe I’m bringing those assholes down for this.”

  “Here’s my card. If you have any questions, or you happen to see or hear from them, call me. Thank you for your time.”