Undercover in Six Inch Stilettos (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Psst…Mrs. Mills? Can you hear me?”

Cyndi’s head snapped up. She looked around the small clearing, but didn’t see anyone nearby. Roxy, Rafael, and Johnny had disappeared into the dark a couple of minutes earlier.

“Who’s there?” she whispered, scanning the area again.

“In your ear.”

Oh, crap!
She had long since forgotten about the microphones attached to her body.

“What took you all so long?” she demanded, looking around to make sure she hadn’t called attention to herself. The camping area was empty and quiet.

“It took a good hour for anyone to realize you were missing. When you didn’t turn up to pick up your daughter, your husband pulled the surveillance videos in the area and caught someone climbing into the back of your car. We tracked you to First Landing State Park, but that’s as far as we got.”

Leaning her head down as far as she could toward the mic on her chest, she whispered, “I drove to the part of the park where the campsites are. It’s a dirt road. The campsite is in a clearing in the woods. Not a regular one. That’s all I can tell you.”

“We’ve got officers searching the park. Just sit tight.”

She glanced down at the ropes and chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. You ever seen those old cartoons where the damsel gets tied to the train tracks?”

“Yeah?”

“That’s me, only I’m tied to a tree. I keep waiting for someone to bring a torch and light me on fire or something.”

“Not gonna happen, Mrs. Mills. It won’t take long to get to you. Do you know your kidnapper?”

“Kidnappers. And, yes, I know them all.”

“Wow, really?”

“They are from the club: Roxy Feathers, who was in my car, Johnny the bartender, and Rafael the bouncer. They’ve got some sort of human trafficking gig going on. They’re waiting for a van to arrive and take me away to my new life.”

“No worries, Mrs. Mills. Your husband found that van. Those dudes aren’t going anywhere but jail…maybe a quick stop at the emergency room first.” She heard a burst of laughter in her ear.

“Is Jason okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine. Hell bent on finding you. We let him know we re-established contact, and he is probably burning the woods down as we speak in his effort to get to you!”

“Tell him to be careful.”

“No worries there, ma’am.”

Cyndi heard a rustle in the underbrush. “Someone’s coming!”

“Hang tight. No one is getting you out of this park except us.”

Johnny stepped into the clearing, followed by Rafael, who was cursing up a storm. “Where the hell are those buffoons? Can’t count on anyone to get a job done anymore! I should have stopped for the van myself!”

Roxy’s raspy cough, accompanied by the smell of cigarette smoke, made its way through the dark. “I’m sure they’ll be here soon. It’s the middle of the night, so where they gonna go?”

“Who the hell knows? I got a deadline to make.” Rafael kicked at a rock and sent it skittering into the fire pit. Sparks jumped into the air, lighting the night like a thousand tiny fireflies. Cyndi watched as one of those tiny sparks settled on the tent and started smoldering. Johnny plopped down in the same chair she had been tied to earlier while Roxy stood by the fire, puffing on her Lucky Strike.

“What I wouldn’t do for some vodka right now.”

“Shit, Roxy. That all you think about? Booze and cigarettes?” Johnny sneered.

“I like sex too.”

“You sure you ain’t a dude?”

“Come on, Johnny, you of all people know this ain’t no dude.” Roxy gestured to her crotch and boobs.

“Whatever.” Johnny jumped up and started pacing. Rafael pulled out his cell phone and started texting someone.

Cyndi hoped they would continue to forget about her long enough for Jason to find her. She let her head rest against the rough bark of the pine tree. A bright flash of light caught her attention, and she whipped her head up again.

“What the holy hell?” Roxy whipped around, eyes wide.

“The tent’s on fire!” Johnny squealed.

“You numb-nuts!” Rafael yelled. “Who the hell set the tent on fire?”

The flames grew quickly, fueled by whatever had been stored inside, and licked at the branches of the pine trees above it. Cyndi could feel the heat on her skin as the fire spread quickly around the clearing, jumping from pine tree to pine tree. But, oh no! She was tied to one of those pine trees.

“Help! Someone untie me! Johnny!
Please!
Untie me!” She struggled against the ropes, but it seemed the more she tugged, the tighter Roxy’s knots grew.

“Let’s get the hell outta here!” No one paid any attention to her as Rafael ran into the woods with Roxy and Johnny close on his heels.

“Help me!” she screamed.

“Mrs. Mills!” The voice in her ear sounded worried. “What’s happening?”

“The woods are on fire! They left me! Those sons of bitches left me here!”

“One of the officers radioed in. They see the smoke! Please try to stay calm!”

Two trees over from her, dry pine needles burst into flames. “You want me to stay calm?”

“It will be okay! No one here wants to answer to Officer Mills if something happens to you. They will get there!”

“They’d better!”

From somewhere in the dark, she heard shouting, followed by a barrage of gunfire. That sent her into another fit of trying to escape her bonds. As she pulled at the ropes, she kept one eye on the burning trees and yelled into her chest mic. “What happened? I heard shots! Is Jason okay?”

“Some of the officers caught up with your kidnappers. Officers are all fine, although some dude in women’s underwear might have a reason to wear them for real now…”

“Oh my God! Someone shot Johnny in the…in the…”

“Yeah, they shot him in the nuts!” Another burst of laughter filled her ear. Those guys were sure having a lot of fun while she was about to die!

“He won’t care! Is someone going to get me out of here?”

“Mrs. Mills!” a voice called from out in the smoke.

“Here! I’m over here!”

Two officers bearing Virginia Beach Police Kevlar vests on the outside of their clothing rushed toward her. One grabbed a knife from his hip pocket and started slicing at her bonds. The other started pulling at the ropes. “We’re gonna have you out of here in a jiffy, ma’am.”

A loud crash sounded as the first tree to catch fire dropped one of its massive branches to the ground. Brush and leaves and pine needles went up in flames, spreading sparks and burning leaves all through the clearing. Fire trailed straight toward them. The first officer cut the final rope. The second scooped her up in his arms and took off into the woods.

Smoke swirled around them. The sound of forest animals fleeing the area sounded like thunder in her ears. All she could think about was Jason and Harper and how close she had come to never seeing them again.

Cyndi held tight to her rescuer. The three of them exploded out of the woods into a rainbow of flashing blue, red, and yellow lights. Cops swarmed the area as fire fighters rushed to get water into the burning area. Helicopter blades sliced through the air, and they were bathed in the brightness of a spot light. Cyndi searched the crowd for Jason, but he was lost in the sea of faces. If he was even out there. He could have been anywhere.

The officer carrying her approached an ambulance and placed her on a stretcher. To the EMT he said, “Check her feet. No shoes. This is Mills’ wife. I’m gonna radio him now!” With that, her two knights in shining Kevlar disappeared into the chaos.

One of the EMTs—a young man probably barely old enough to buy a beer—gingerly examined her cut and bruised feet. “This looks like it hurts.”

The other EMT elbowed him. “What the hell you thinking, dumbass?”

“I’m just saying…”

“Not everything that comes into your head has to come out of your mouth!”

Pushing the younger medic out of the way, the obviously more experienced one started pouring saline solution over her aching feet. “I’m sorry it’s so cold, ma’am.”

She offered up a wan smile. “That’s the least of my worries tonight.”

He eyed her knowingly. “Yeah, I bet it is.”

“Cyndi!” From somewhere out in the chaos, she heard her name.

“Over here!” she yelled back. Jason responded with the special whistle they had taught Harper to help her signal them for help if she ever got separated from them in a crowd. She responded, and in seconds Jason was there in front of her.

“Jason!” Her husband wrapped his arms around her and held her close. All of the anger and sadness of the past week disappeared in an instant.

Jason kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her lips. He repeated over and over, “I thought I’d lost you.”

“It takes a lot more than some crazy stripper and psycho cross-dresser to take me away from my family!”

“We caught them, Cyn. Caught them all. The dude in the bra was singing like a canary all the way to the hospital.”

“I’m sorry, Jason.” The tears fell as her husband held her tighter.

“No, Cyndi. I’m sorry. I hate the way I treated you.”

Cyndi kissed him, long and hard, right there in front of everyone. If not for the coughing and throat clearing going on around her, she might have completely forgotten where they were and taken him right there on the ground.

“Um, Mrs. Mills, we really should take you to the hospital and get you checked out.”

She looked at Jason, suddenly fearful of being separated from him. “It’s okay, Cyn. You go on ahead. I’ll be there in a little while. I just want to head up to the precinct and have a little talk with our suspects before they head down to booking.”

She nodded and let Jason put her back on the stretcher. “Don’t be long.”

He leaned in and kissed her again. “I won’t. I promise.”

As the doors closed on the ambulance, she saw Jason disappear into the smoke. She might have enjoyed her night undercover, but it hadn’t been worth almost losing her husband.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Cyndi?”

“Hmmm…?” She opened her eyes slowly. Jason stood by the bed, smiling down at her.

“There’s someone here to see you.”

After her ordeal in the woods and a day in the hospital, she must have looked a fright. The nice pain meds the doctors had prescribed to ease her aches and pains had her feeling pretty good, though. It didn’t really matter what she looked like. Sick people had an excuse to look bad.

“Who?” she managed to ask through parched lips and a smoke-irritated throat.

“Why don’t you look and see?” Jason stepped aside, and Cyndi forced her sleepy eyes to focus on the young woman that stood behind him.

She looked familiar, but then she didn’t. She smiled at Cyndi, her big brown eyes moist with unshed tears. “I hear you are quite the hero.”

“Jade?” she croaked out.

The girl smiled and nodded. “Your husband said you’ve been searching for me.”

“You disappeared…and the blood…”

“Johnny and Roxy kidnapped me like they did you. Rafael sold me to some rich guy out west. After you brought down their business, he set me free in exchange for me keeping my mouth shut. Which of course I didn’t—I got straight on a bus and came back here. My first stop was the police. Your husband here found me at the station and grilled me until I cracked.” She laughed and tossed her smooth, straight hair over her shoulder.

“She was one tough interrogation!” Jason laughed as well.

“You look beautiful. You always do but…different somehow.”

“I had to clean up my act. I’m going home, Cyndi.”

“Home?”

“To see my mom.”

The tears came without warning. “I’m so happy for you, Jade.”

The younger woman leaned down to hug Cyndi. “Do you think my mom will still recognize me?”

She reached up and pushed a stray strand of hair behind the younger woman’s ear. “Absolutely. A mother always knows her own child.”

“I heard about Lola.”

Cyndi’s eyes watered up again. “I know. I’d almost convinced her to go back to Hawaii, but then Johnny…that rotten bastard.”

“She was a sweet girl. Everyone loved Lola. She’s part of the reason I decided to go home. I don’t want to end up dead next time.”

“I’m so glad, Jade.”

She nodded to Jason and flashed a grateful smile at Cyndi. Jade then gathered her composure and headed out of the room. At the door, she stopped and turned. “Someday I hope to have a husband as amazing as yours, Cyndi. Knowing you has shown me that there’s another life out there I was meant to live. I’m forever in your debt for what you did to stop them from harming other girls. I wasn’t the first, but I am so glad to be the last.”

“Take care, Jade. Keep in touch, I can’t wait to meet that man you are going to find.”

Without another word, Jade exited the room and Jason moved to her bedside. Pushing the blankets out of the way, Cyndi patted the bed beside her. Jason perched gingerly on the edge, looking uncomfortable.

“It’s okay, J.J. You aren’t going to hurt me. I am achy, but nothing’s broken or bleeding.”

He reached up and touched her cheek. “I can’t believe I almost lost you.”

She took his hand in her own. “But you didn’t. I wasn’t going without a fight. You can always count on that.”

“I know, but it never should have gotten that far. I am such a stubborn ass sometimes. If I hadn’t gotten jealous…”

“It’s all right, J.J. I think I would have been really upset if you hadn’t gotten jealous. I was pretty hot on stage, you know.” She smiled and patted his hand. Jason laughed, but his eyes were smoldering.

“Yeah, I know. Too hot. I wanted to jump up there and take you right on the floor. Then I realized, if I was feeling that way, then all those other guys must have been too. That’s when I lost my focus. I should have left when you did, instead of sticking around trying to prove something.”

“There was no way you could know, J.J. I worked there for months, and I had no idea the sort of operation they were running. Never had anything out of the ordinary happen until Roxy faked that seizure. I figured Johnny knew more than he was saying, but not that much.”

“Well, I can’t ever go through that again. Thinking I had lost you forever…” Jason dropped his head, refusing to look at her.

“You didn’t lose me, and we cracked the case. They can’t hurt any more girls ever again.”

He looked back up at her with a half-smile. “That’s true. You were pretty awesome as a crime fighter.”

She laughed. “Yeah, it was fun while it lasted, but I am done for a while. How’s Harper?”

“You know, getting spoiled by her grandparents.”

“Good. I can’t wait to see her tomorrow.”

Jason looked at his watch. “I’m heading over to pick her up in a few minutes. I brought you your laptop in case you were bored. I know how hard it is to sleep in the hospital.”

“Thanks, J.J. You’re the best.”

He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She watched as her husband left the room before working her computer out of its carrying case. It had been days since she checked in with her girls. It was early, barely eight in the evening, but if she were lucky she might catch one or two of them.

The computer hummed as she entered the social networking site and sent out her usual greeting.

Cyndi: It’s eight o’clock…do you know where your husbands are?

Five minutes passed before anyone responded.

Angela: Cyndi! How are you?

Cyndi: Achy, but living.

Jessy: I hear you are quite the hero!

Cyndi: I wouldn’t say hero…

Diana: It’s all over the news the way you broke that slavery ring wide open.

Jessy: A local hero, all right!

Cyndi: It was pretty scary out there in the woods, but I have to say, the rest of it was fun.

Angela: LOL I knew it!

Jessy: Are you planning on doing it again?

Cyndi: I don’t know. It was exciting, dancing at the club, but it put my family—my daughter—in harm’s way. It might be best if I leave the crime fighting to J.J.

Diana: Well, at least someday you can tell Harper about the night you went undercover as a crime fighter. It might buy you a few cool mom points when she is an angry teenager!

Cyndi: We’ll see about that later. LOL Hey, girls, I am pretty beat. I think I’m gonna log off now. Don’t forget about that dare you all are supposed to be working on.

Angela: All right, lady. You get some rest and take care of yourself.

Diana: Talk to you in a few days.

Jessy: We are proud of you! Talk to you soon.

As the computer logged off, Cyndi considered the last twenty-four hours. She’d sort of enjoyed the whole
Murder, She Wrote
experience. Playing undercover spy was a bit of a turn on, especially knowing Jason was a part of it. They might have to engage in a little role playing when she was feeling better. Hopefully, those six-inch stilettos were still in her car.