Chapter 17: The Main Event

"He's moving," Jello reported.

"Tracking," Billy responded looking at his GPS device.

"Better go," said Kat kissing her husband and Angela before exiting the SUV into the alley behind the target's townhouse. The SUV took off immediately, driven by Joseph. Gina and Josephine also shared the ride.

"About the right timing, Boss," said Joseph.

"You think Mr. Jones will be there in person?" asked Gina.

"He might be heading to the office to pick up the feed," Billy shrugged.

Dick "Bones" Jones ended up being more than likely the head honcho or at least one of the heads of the PC. Every transaction seemed to find its way to his computer. In his mid-forties, tall and skinny with a paunch and unruly red hair, he was a nerd of the highest order, even garnering a nickname from a Star Trek character. A computer genius specializing in surveillance and security technology, he'd used it to hide himself and his psychotic and lucrative business as well as creating the technology to make it happen. He may have used early contacts while in government service for the State Department to meet potential clients: diplomats and politicians and wealthy owners, bringing his cruel entertainment to those who could afford it and who shared his selfish perversity. Being a major geek, Billy and Jello doubted he brought in the original clients who spread the word. They figured he had a partner, a face man, a charmer. The e-mail address they'd sussed out held no clue who this might be. Contact between the partners must have been separate and even more deeply hidden. Thus Kat's skills in entering the home undetected and giving Jello safe entrance to search through Bones' office became a necessity. The fact that Bones had gone to the dark side with his security and surveillance genius made him especially hated by those two as well as many others of the FITZ with similar skills.

"He's not heading to his office," Billy noticed. "He's headed to the Beltway."

"The airport?" asked Joseph.

"That'd be my guess."

"Molly, have Anthony hack into the Airport Hilton's computer. Find out who reserved a room about the time the PC received notice of the location for picking up Leena."

"On it, Boss," said Molly. "But we're talking two days."

"They needed to set up the room just as much as we did."

"Right. So three days on the reservation and adjoining rooms."

"Smart girl," said Billy.

"You mean smart for a girl?"

"Sorry."

"Boss, you want us to close in on the airport?" asked Calvin.

"Stay put. We're not sure yet. Jello?"

"I'm not in yet," said Jello.

"That's good because I need you to contact any of your friends near the Beltway entrance."

"We have the trace on Bones' car."

"What if he's heading somewhere else like meeting someone like his partner and he rides with him?"

"Of course. I'll make some calls and transfer the frequency of the trace."

"Sweetheart?" Kat whispered.

"Yes Lover," Billy answered.

"I think it's secure."

"You think?"

"There are a bunch of locked doors: three upstairs and probably a door to the basement. I hear a television on behind one of the upstairs doors and voices, female voices. His own little harem?"

"Makes sense. Give Jello a couple minutes then let him in."

"I'm going to spend it in Bones' office."

"Okay."

"Boss," said Gina, "he's heading the wrong way on the Beltway."

"Jello?" Billy said.

"Yeah I heard. I'll let my friends know."

A couple minutes later. "He's exiting," said Joseph.

"Posh suburb?" asked Gina.

"I hope so," Billy answered.

A couple more minutes. "Gated community up ahead," said Joseph. "He's ... taking a right into a less posh suburb. He's parking."

"Pass him," Billy ordered. "Jello, your man there?"

"Yep."

"Have him watch the gate and record any cars exiting. Josephine?"

"Yes boss," Josephine answered from the back seat.

"Have Angela fix up a dart with a transponder. Aim for the back bumper or the license plate of whatever car picks him up. You're our best shot."

"From the car?"

"See the hedge on the corner across from where he parked?"

Josephine nodded. "Mask?"

"You get seen, you look like a school girl maybe a little on the punk rock side with your black jeans and jacket."

Using a tiny piece of the gum she had quickly chewed, Angela attached the tiny device to the head of the tiny dart and loaded it into Sam's peculiarly designed gun.

"Got it so it's all even on there?" asked Billy.

"As even as possible," Angela shrugged.

"Aim inches high and at the center," Billy suggested. Nodding, Josephine pocketed the gun in her black windbreaker pocket and planted a quick kiss on her best friend Angela's mouth before bouncing out the door silently.

"Green Jag sedan," Joseph reported as he watched it take a left into Bones' road.

"It's the one, Billy," Josephine whispered.

"Got the license," Jello reported.

"I hit it just left of the plate," Josephine reported.

"Cool," said Billy. "Keep your distance, Joseph."

"Of course, boss," Joseph replied, driving around the block to pick up his darling, dangerous Josephine after the Jag took off with Bones inside.

A few minutes later, following the Jaguar exiting off the beltway and heading to the airport, Gina giggled. "Peter Pecker?"

"I think it's pronounced Pekar," Molly accenting the last syllable, "but whatever. Something called an image consultant."

"State Department?" asked Billy.

"Yep, same time as Bones. Married with two kids in their teens, a boy and a girl, attractive and blonde like their parents. Political Science and Journalism degrees from Georgetown. He's definitely the face of PC."

"I don't get it," said Billy. "They meet face to face with the clients?"

"Think about it, Boss," Joseph responded. "They have to keep the operation as small as possible. Who can they trust in such a dangerous and disgusting enterprise? And the client won't squeal. I mean they're raping a child and it's obviously on tape."

"Not both of them though," Billy figured. "Bones gets the feed in the neighboring room. He's strictly behind the scenes."

"Adjoining rooms rented to a David F. Kelly," Molly reported.

Billy chuckled and shook his head. "What's funny?" asked Gina.

"DeForest Kelly. It's the actor who played Bones on Star Trek."

"You really are a nerd, honey," said Kat.

"Rooms 413 and 415," Molly finished.

"Two floors down exactly," Billy noticed.

"Uhm..." Kat made herself known again.

"Go ahead darling."

"Bunch of things. He's got three girls, mid teens, all blondes with petite tight figures and all wearing cheerleader outfits."

"Someone treated Bones badly," Billy figured.

"The oldest said there had been another girl, but she disappeared while they slept and the youngest appeared soon afterwards. William, I found a bill for a cell phone under the name David Kelly, all paper unlike the rest of his bills, and Jello says it has the cannibal family's phone number."

"Shit. I wonder how many used them."

"Somehow the cannibals buried the logs," said Jello.

"Shit. We'll have to go at it from the other side, from the calls to them."

"There's more," said Kat.

"Just a second. Miko? The assholes are turning into the motel."

"We're ready, boss."

"Is Constance with you?"

"Yep. She's nervous but fine."

"The goons?"

"Sleeping on the plane. The stewardess too. One of the goons proved a little more resilient; pulled out a gun, but I pushed Constance onto the floor and managed to kick the gun out of his hand. Thanks Gina and Joseph."

"You're welcome," they both replied.

"So, yeah, that didn't make Constance any less nervous, but she's fine like I said. Harry gave Jordan a small pistol with a shoulder holster during the flight Jordan showed me discreetly of course."

"Good. Okay Kat."

"Jello?" said Kat.

"I found two girls downstairs, Billy, both of color. One's deep ebony and the other's a mix of Asian and Native American. Both are remarkably beautiful and we found them both naked,"

"Peter's predilection," Billy guessed.

"He'll want Leena, Boss," said Joseph.

"Start the sex tape, Anthony. It's time we spoke with Sam."

The tape being played in the adjoining motel room began with the music, introductory to a porno movie. Sam knew to take a bathroom break soon afterwards.

"I'm here," said Sam quietly, sitting on the commode. "Jordan too. He's making sure I don't do anything naughty."

"They have rooms two floors down," Billy informed him. "It looks like the head honchos are running it. Two guys in their early forties."

"No one else?"

"Don't know yet."

"They had the family at the slave house in L.A. aim the cameras," said Joseph. "Bones, the techie partner must be able to adjust the cameras as far as focus and zoom from the next room."

"I should get back," said Sam. "I hate having Leena alone with the prick."

"Fine. Just ... Leena's the type the face of the organization likes. I think he'll negotiate for her."

"Maybe I can get Jordan back his money," said Sam. "I know, Jordan. Just kidding."

"They're heading in, Sam," said Billy.

"What about the good Congressman?" asked Sam.

"He's holding up the bar," Martha told them. "I'm watching him down shots and stare at his phone. Miko suggested I come down here with Nancy."

"It'll probably be a few minutes for the nerd to set up and Peter Pecker to negotiate."

"I'm flushing, Boss. See you later." Sam returned his ear clip phone to the back corner under the sink counter and reentered the motel room with Jordan. "None too soon," he thought noticing Leena's relieved look and Henry's close proximity to her. Her see through harem dress borrowed from Miko didn't help.

"Calvin, head to the airport," Billy commanded. "How soon can you get here?"

"Half hour?"

"Okay. If the Congressman's still in the bar, have Randy meet Angela in the lobby. I want them to look like horny teenagers and I want them to enter the elevator with the Congressman. And Angela? Show him some skin to tease him. Are you cool with that, Angela?"

"Sounds like fun," Angela giggled exiting the SUV.

"We're on our way, Boss," said Calvin.

"Gina, Anthony has you arriving yesterday," said Molly. "Room 410."

"Okay," said Gina, leaning over Billy and kissing her husband before exiting the vehicle.

"What about me, Billy?' asked Josephine.

"Flirt with the Congressman with your eyes, Josephine and then join Martha and Nancy."

A couple minutes after she headed into the motel, Billy left Joseph alone in the SUV, telling Molly, "You have command."

"You look familiar," said a star struck Josephine to Congressman Brewster. "Are you like a senator? I watch CSPAN religiously. I love the rhetoric, especially when it's so confidant and spoken by strong, handsome men."

"I've been on a few times," the Congressman smiled, studying Josephine's lithe body in a tight t-shirt and jeans. "I'm Congressman Brewster."

"Of course. You're a big shot on the Ways and Means committee."

"Very good, young woman. I'd buy you a drink, but you're a little young, aren't you?"

"It's so unfair. I'm like way more mature than some dorky twenty-one year old."

Brewster chuckled. "You're not here on your own, are you?"

"I wish. No, I'm looking for my stupid parents. Fucking lesbians adopted me. It's so unnatural."

"Sorry to hear that," Brewster said. "How do you manage?"

"Oh I'm pretty savvy politically. I know when to keep my disgust to myself."

"Very wise," Brewster smiled.

"I'd get a beating for sure if they could read my thoughts, probably from some dyke friend of theirs looking like some fucking lineman for the fucking Bears."

"You're from Chicago then?"

"Yep. My moms brought me here on vacation. At least they listen to me about my desires. I mean watching sessions and stuff and just being in the heart of American politics, not my sexual desires." She winked and touched his thigh. "They'd be hurt probably if they knew those, wanting me to follow in their disgusting ways."