Chapter 9

Intel came rushing in from Washington D.C., as did the local data we'd been able to uncover. This particular drug trafficking ring wasn't a complicated one to take apart, but it was large with reaches that went beyond Southern California. Their tentacles stretched from coast to coast, and it was a good thing we had men on the ground in some of those other large cities.

We'd also assumed the drugs had come in via Mexico, but as the DEA had tracked an underwater submarine, we realized it had come from Colombia instead. These cartels had been very tech savvy in recent years. All of the equipment they used had been created to avoid detection. Sometimes it worked, but other times it did not.

This particular submarine last night was one of the times when it didn't. The men were taken in alive and questioned, most sitting in a cell awaiting possible deportation. I worked with other governmental agencies all the time, and I.C.E. was the most common. They were the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, and I had very close friends who worked with them. The US Coast Guard had also been involved in the seizure, and tens of thousands of pills were taken.

My fellow agents and I then pumped the men for information about the drop off, then had gone there ourselves. The sting had resulted in the arrest of over a dozen different men. The days of apprehending low level drug offenders were over. These men were part of an elaborate criminal organization, many of whose members filled the different jails throughout the state.

We'd questioned every single one of those detained, both from Colombia and here at the receiving spot. Most gave up themselves but protected their fellow brothers. It was only when they realized that those same men had also been caught did any of them start to talk. Most had completely different stories which meant I'd be here in California longer investigating the various leads. There was one in particular that I was most interested in.

"She takes the drugs and distributes themselves on campus and at different clubs,"one of the men had told me.

"I don't know her name, but I can describe her," another had said.

We'd gone down the list of those arrested asking about this mystery woman. Finally, one had decided to go into more detail. "She's a redhead who is about 5'8" tall. She has a slender build, pale skin, and blue eyes."

His description made me think about my own blue-eyed redhead, and it made me even more anxious to finish this part of the mission so I could return to Denver. "What's her name?" I'd asked the man.

"I'm not sure what her real name is, but she goes by ‘Gemini'."

Even now, it made me pause. That word was Shelby's safe word, but I knew she'd been in Denver for a while now, so there was no link. Sometimes things in life were simply coincidental. Sometimes things in life were also cruel. While I'd been running around Los Angeles with a severe case of the blue balls, it would figure that fate would find ways of reminding me about what I had waiting for me back home.

I'd waited so long to get with that submissive, and I had barely quenched my need for her at all. It would take more than a few hours of hot sex with the fiery siren to accomplish that, and it was something I was looking forward to doing. I could already imagine fucking her day and night for weeks or months and not tiring of her delectable body. Usually, I'd feel that way about women in general, but never before had I ever felt that way about a specific one.

There was a first time for everything, and this case only confirmed it. I was so used to chasing men when it came to drug trafficking, so it was a change of pace to actually have to investigate a woman as well. That sex was particularly cunning, and from what I'd been told, she looked the part wherever she went which narrowed down the age gap and gave us starting points to find her ourselves.

We'd even gone back to some of the less cooperative men and when presented with her name, they began to talk as well. Unfortunately, their information got us no closer to the redhead. Agent Barr had even suggested that they were purposely omitting things from their testimony regarding her and I had just shaken my head.

"They'd much sooner throw Gemini under the bus and back over her than give up another man,"I'd said, and it was still something I believed to be true.

A firm rapping on the door took me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to find Bob standing in the doorway. "You're a long way from the beltway, Warden."

"Careful, Bradford," my boss told me. "I'm here to make sure you guys don't muck this case up."

I arched a brow. "When have I ever done that?"

He huffed, then closed the door to my temporary office. "I kinda like these digs here. I think my office in Springfield needs to be updated."

I crossed my feet at the ankle as I pushed my chair away from my desk. "I doubt you came all the way over here to compare office furniture and wallpaper colors."

"You're right. I'm here in town on other business and wanted to see what you've been able to uncover for me."

"You mean that you actually work other cases. I'm wounded," I told him as I feigned upset. He shook his head at me, and I grinned before sobering my expression. "We're still looking for the woman."

"How hard can it possibly be?"

"It's like a needle in a haystack," I responded.

"Has immunity or a plea been offered to any of these men?"

"I'm letting the local authorities deal with that. I.C.E. is also involved."

"Of course they are. Watkins and Kane from the D.C. office are thorns in my side, and have been for decades."

I didn't know Kane, but I did know Ronald Watkins and had actually worked with him back in San Antonio just a few weeks earlier. "I have no problems with them. It must be your endearing personality."

Bob chuckled. "You might be right. It doesn't help that he caught me with his wife about eight years ago."

"You didn't," I said, then realized the last thing I wanted to talk about was the sex lives of those two men, both of whom were old enough to be my father. Thinking quickly to turn the topic back to the task at hand, I spied the folder of sketches that were created of Gemini. "I've managed to get all of this from those willing to talk to me."

Bob opened the folder, then began to flip through them all. "What do you make of these?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "Not a hell of a lot of anything. They're all so different from one another that trying to pinpoint which is more accurate is a job in itself."

"Yeah, there's not much to go off of here. It looks like you and the others will have your work cut out for you."

"I know. We've been to nearly every nightclub and campus in the city. It's harder to get favors from people you don't know. I'd fare much better at this in Denver."

"I know, and trust me when I say that I want to get you back there as soon as possible. You've been working nonstop for months, so you're due for some time off. This case is very unique though as it involves–"

"It involves the sons and daughters of those who grease the pockets of many agencies including the very one that you and I work for. I've been around Washington D.C. enough to know there are those that abuse the powers of others."

"Quite jaded with a suspicious mind, and at such a young age," Bob pointed out.

"If you remember, my grandfather was a State Senator back in the day. He'd even thought once or twice about running for the presidency. I can speak for my entire family when I say that we're glad that never came to fruition. He took a hard stance on guns and the NRA killed any shot he had at running before a campaign could even start."

"I do remember him. I think he used to play golf at the same course as my father."

The elite always stuck together so that wasn't a surprising admission. "He fit in better on hole seven than he ever did at the Capital."

"He was a good man, and I know he'd be very proud of both the man and agent you've become."

"Thank you," I responded, then picked back up the folder. "I think my work here in California is almost done. Another couple of days and I'll be ready to return to Colorado. There's not much more I can do on the ground here."

"Agreed, so I'll sign off on it. Before you do return home though, I'd like you to question some of the men again. The Colombian ones are clueless, but those here seemed to know her well enough. Someone is not giving us anything, and we need to identify who it is, then threaten to throw the book at him."

The tactic was a common one, and I nodded instead of verbally responding. Bob got up from my desk, then noticed the other folder lying there in front of me. Before he could even ask, I picked it up and handed it over.

"These are all the pills seized from the sub. Most are the standard ones, but if you look at the last page, it looks very similar to what you described was found at a few of the crime scenes."

"Have they been sent for analysis?"

"Yes, and we're hoping to get the results back soon. It's likely to take a few more days. I will take care of any follow up on that once I'm back home."

"Speaking of Denver, there has been an increase in the number of accidental overdoses, and I need for you to figure out if any of these involve the same drug."

"Will do. I imagine it's probably an issue in most big cities by now."

"It is which is why it's even more urgent that we find out what we're working with and we get those responsible for distribution locked away."

"Agreed."

"I think I'll keep Barr here in Los Angeles for a while longer. Loundes can return to Denver with you by week's end."

"Okay."

Bob handed the folder back to me. "I also wanted to let you know that you're doing a great job, Bradford."

"I appreciate it."

"Just keep me in the loop of any progress, and we'll talk again soon."

"Will do," I assured him, then watched as he left my office.

Once he fully exited, I pulled out my cell phone and immediately went to the Delta Airlines website. It wasn't long before I had a return flight booked. Before I could think of leaving though, I had a few more things to wrap up here. Grabbing my keys, wallet, and cell phone, I got up and exited the office as I went in search of Loundes or Barr.