Hearts on Fire 6: Healing Sophia(23)
“That’s the gist of it. This is deep shit, too. And, by the way, there are four other agents who seem to have a personal connection to this guy Frederick Price, who also know and have had dealings with Scaggs,” Cody told him.
“Holy fucking shit. You guys just busted open a huge investigation. I mean I have to gather all this evidence and pinpoint Mateo’s location, Jack Bank’s location and Frederick Price’s location so we can plan a simultaneous raid. But fuck, who the hell do I trust?”
“Jeremy,” Cody said, “I have someone in the government you can trust. Someone you can meet with right away. I just want you to know that I’m sorry I initially tried to talk you out of this. These men involved are badass. They should be dead, never mind behind bars. We’ll get everything together, and then I’ll talk with my contact and see what reaction I get.”
“I appreciate that, Cody. I also have the feeling that this job might just be my last one. I’ve had it with all this double-spy shit and not knowing who you can trust and who isn’t trying to protect this country and the citizens. It’s bullshit.”
“I hear ya. Let’s move our asses on this. If Frederick Price in in the States and associated with Mateo and this Castella guy, then Sophia could be in danger,” Cody told him.
“We should head to Treasure Town. We could be of assistance,” Cooper added.
“You would find any excuse to visit Treasure Town. You’ve been wanting to move there for years,” Don told him.
“Like you haven’t wanted to too?” Cooper replied.
“Let’s get all our evidence together tonight, let Cody make the call to his contact, and set up a meeting. Then tomorrow we’ll head to Treasure Town,” Jeremy said, and they all agreed.
Jeremy prayed that this case was coming to an end and that Mateo and his crew of organized shits was going down. If all went well, he could personally deliver the news to Sophia and her men that Mateo and Deavan were no longer threats to their lives and their futures.
* * * *
Sophia awoke with a fright. The faint smell of smoke had her jerking up in bed. It happened so fast. Her eyes darted to Lew. His eyes wide open, but he wasn’t moving. He looked at her all-serious, but it was as if he was paralyzed. Someone grabbed her arm, jerking her upright.
“We’re running out of time,” the man said to her. She didn’t know who he was, but in an instant, she figured it was someone working for Mateo.
She jerked her arm free.
“No. Get away from me,” she screamed and jumped on Lew, but he didn’t move. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“Lew. Lew!” she screamed, and he just stared at her, eyes wide and moving to the side.
“He’ll be no help to you. Will be burned to a crisp after the shit I injected in him. Now come on so you can get dressed,” he yelled at her and grabbed for her hair.
She swung her fist, making contact with his face. She was naked, and it didn’t even matter. All that mattered was Lew.
The man struck her hard, and she fell against Lew. She cried as she grabbed on to his shoulders, shaking him, trying desperately to wake him up. But then the man grabbed her by her hair and dragged her from him as Lew grunted deeply and growled but was lying still.
She tried fighting the man who held her. He shoved her hard against the wall.
“I can drag you out of here naked. I don’t really give a fuck. We leave now, or the other three will die, too. I’ve got men at their jobs. Their boat is rigged to explode if necessary. Now fucking move it. Sophia,” he yelled, and she quickly grabbed her panties off the floor and then stepped into a skirt and tank top that was in the top drawer.
She didn’t even get to grab shoes as he took her by her wrist and dragged her from the bedroom. One look over her shoulder and she could see Lew still wasn’t moving.
She feared for his life, for Gideon’s, Andreas’s, and Cerdic’s lives. Mateo had found her, and she was as good as dead.
It was dark outside, still early morning, and she remembered the guys complaining about having to leave at four thirty to get to work for five in the morning. They’d wanted to stay in bed with her and made promises of spending the night together and not having to work until Wednesday next week.
The tears streamed down her cheeks as she saw the fire on the side of the house. It was small but would spread fast. What if Lew stayed paralyzed? She tried pulling from the man before they reached the car. “He’ll die. He’ll burn to death!” she screamed at him. The door to the back seat opened, and she cried out in terror.
“Get in the fucking car, Sophia. We have a long trip ahead of us. The plane leaves in thirty minutes.”
Deavan. Oh God no!
* * * *
The call came into the firehouse, and immediately multiple engine companies headed out to the beach house. Jake got the call and the information from Chief Martelli as he was getting up and preparing to head to the department. His heart started to pound immediately, as he feared the men after Sophia had found her.
He got on the phone and tried calling Lew then Andreas.
“Hey, Chief, what’s up?” Andreas asked, sounding happy. There was no way he was near the house. How was he going to tell him what was going on?
“Are the others with you? Are you near your house?” he asked as he got into his car.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong? Gideon and Cerdic are with me. We’re at work.
“The beach house is on fire. The call came in a few minutes ago, and I’m on my way. I tried calling Lew and got no answer.”
“Oh fuck. We’re on our way. We left them in bed at around four thirty or so.”
“I’m almost there,” Jake said.
“Jake?” Andreas sounded panicked and angry.
“I know, Andreas. I fucking know. Let’s hope that they’re okay. If not, then you’ll need to be here, and we’ll get in touch with Jeremy ASAP.”
As he hung up the phone and headed toward the road leading to the private area of land and the two beach houses, he saw all the lights and numerous fire trucks. Their friends had gotten there quickly, and the fire was being put out. He saw multiple men carrying out what appeared to be an unconscious man. Was that Lew?
He quickly got out of the car and ran over.
“Is everyone out? Where is Sophia?” he asked Eddie, Lance, and Billy as they placed Lew down onto a stretcher. They covered his naked body, and Jake saw his eyes were wide open and he could barely move.
“He’s like paralyzed or something,” Hal said to him.
“Sophia wasn’t inside. We did a complete sweep of the house,” Billy told him.
“Sophia.” Lew said her name, all muffled and low.
Jake moved closer.
“Where is she? Did he take her, Lew?” Jake asked.
“Did who take her? What the hell is going on?” Hal asked.
“Hey, we found this on the floor.” Eddie Martelli said as he brought over a syringe wrapped in toilet paper.
“Fuck, they drugged him to get to Sophia,” Jake said as his deputies arrived.
“What do you need us to do, Sheriff?” Deputy Ronnie Towers and Deputy Turbo Hawkins were there at his side.
“I need you to scan the neighborhood and see who is up and if they saw any vehicles leave this entryway.”
“Where is Sophia? What’s going on?” Andreas yelled as he, Gideon, and Cerdic arrived.
“They shot Lew up with something. Sophia isn’t here. We can’t find her,” Jake said.
“Fuck!” Cerdic yelled out and ran his fingers through his hair as he began to pace.
“I’m sending my deputies to ask the neighbors if they saw anyone or any vehicles. We’ll find her,” Jakes said.
“We have video surveillance, cameras everywhere, and installed more when we had to start watching over Sophia,” Gideon said and then looked at Lew.
“Find her,” Lew said and was beginning to move a little. Cerdic stayed with him as Gideon, Jake, Andreas, and the others ran to their house and the surveillance camera room. Ten minutes later and they had a make of a car and the description of two men. It was a shock when Jeremy and his brothers arrived on scene, armed and ready to intervene.
“Fuck! We’re too late. Jesus, did you stop them?” Jeremy asked the gathered men.
“They got her. What the fuck is going on?” Andreas said, and then Gideon handed the papers with the photos over to Jeremy.
“That’s one of Frederick Price’s men,” Jeremy said to them. Gideon handed him the other one, which was a little blurry.
“Oh Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Jeremy exclaimed and ran his hands through his hair.
“Who the hell is it?” Jake asked.
“That’s fucking Deavan. He’s the one that believes she belongs to him and Mateo. He’s the one from that night,” he said to Andreas, Gideon, and Cerdic.
“I’m going to kill these motherfuckers,” Cerdic stated aloud.
They heard a roar and then men curse as a stretcher tipped over. Jake and the guys hurried to Lew, who was growling and trying to fight through the shit they’d injected him with. His face was red, his fists at his side as he forced himself up slowly from his knees to a standing position.
“Jesus, Lew, I don’t think you can force it out of your system that fast,” Paramedic Johnny Landers told him.