Chapter 63

Present – Thom – Looking for Inga

Susan was pissed as hell at me but it wasn't totally my fault since she'd been flirting with me the whole time I'd been here. I was more than a little shocked that Jennifer fired her (damn prudish woman!) and something that Susan said bothered me when she questioned why Jennifer still let me stay at the cabin.

I took out my phone again, tried to call Inga and once again she didn't answer me. I left a voicemail, "Inga this is Thom, listen I'm sorry about the misunderstanding between us. Please give me a call when you get this."

I look at my watch and notice it is time for the Hogan's alley shooting contest. I wander toward the Hogan's alley and I'm shocked when no one is there. I decide I need to go find them and see if they're forfeiting the contest.

Present – Jens – In the control room

I'm rear and elbows deep in this fricken Trojan horse virus when Thom interrupts me, "Jennifer, I guess you forgot about the shooting contest."

I know what the old fart has done to Inga (remember she told me, plus I caught him with his pants down) so I glare at him and let him have it, "Thom! After what you've done to Inga, you're on my permanent fecal roster, so get the heck out of my control room. In fact, now that Linus is back, we don't need you as a liaison with the TSIFFTS so get the heck off my property."

Thom glares and swears, "That's fucking fine with me, but you're making a big mistake!"

I counter, "Not as big of a fricken mistake as you made with Inga. Goodbye and good riddance to your rubbish."

Thom leaves and I get back to work on the virus until I'm interrupted again.

Linus walks up and announces, "Jens, I talked to the sheriff and have some important information so we need to have a team meeting immediately."

I take a look at the Trojan horse virus, add a few more files to the computer that's infected with it, smile at Linus and reply, "Let me get on the intercom and gather the forces."

I make the call on the intercom, and Linus finally asks, "What are you working on?"

I grin at Linus and explain, "Stacy Summers placed a Trojan horse virus on our computer system, so I just uploaded pictures of our wedding and honeymoon to aggravate her."

Linus suggests, "Did you try to decompile it to change its function?"

I grimace and reply, "Natch, but every time I try to decompile it the blasted virus morphs."

Linus responds, "Too bad I'm going to be busy with the team otherwise I'd crack that virus for you."

I reply, "Well it will be here when you get back. Let's get to the meeting so we don't make everyone angry."

We head into the conference room where Linus takes the platform and begins...

Present – Linus and others – Team meeting

The sheriff was a wealth of information. I even discovered (more by accident than by intent) that Ben and he had been best friends in high school and I fathomed they were still good friends.

Everyone arrived, I took the platform and began, "Thanks for coming. I talked with the sheriff and discovered that some of the inhabitants of this house have been taken by a huge sex trafficking ring."

Liz immediately asks, "Linus, we're all here so who has been taken?"

I remind Liz, "Did you forget about, Mira, Ira, Alexi, Safia, Yasmeen and Zarika?"

Liz audibly gasps, "Sorry, I did forget about them. I wondered where they went."

Jens interjects, "With what they've all done, especially Miranda, Yasmeen and Zarika, I can't help but feel that they have gotten what they deserved."

I glare at Jens and counter, "Jens, I'm disappointed in what you just said. No one, not even that group, deserve the tortures they are currently enduring. If you don't have anything constructive to say then please keep quiet."

Jens sticks out her tongue at me and I continue, "Now Jens, this might interest you so pay attention. The sheriff accidentally let slip that he and Ben were best friends in high school and from what I gather they are still close..."

Jens interrupts, "Linus how do you know that?"

I continue, "Because the sheriff appointed Ben a deputy before Ben left to find the hostages..."

Jens practically explodes, "What in the fricken-fracken heck is he doing looking for those girls???"

I glare at Jens and declare, "If you'd stop fucking interrupting me I could finish. Now are you done or do you want to keep up with the interruptions?"

Maria moves beside Jens and they begin to whisper so I continue, "The sheriff assured me that Miranda's baby is not Ben's. He knows because Ben almost kicked his ass when he asked Ben about it. He told me Ben wants to find them to prove that Miranda isn't carrying Ben's baby."

I wait for Jens to interrupt but when she doesn't I resume, "So, if we can find these sex traffickers, we will probably find Ben."

Jens finally comes to her senses and apologizes...

Son of a sea biscuit! I feel terrible now for my actions toward Miranda, however I'm still not ready to forgive the two brats who burnt down the cabin.

I apologize to everyone, "Sorry about my attitude towards Miranda..."

Daddy (since he's now not around the bad influence of Hammer and speaks real English again) interrupts, " ... Jennifer, no one can blame you for your reaction to what Miranda did..."

I silence him by holding up my hand and continue, " ... No Daddy, you're not right. I had a chance to believe Ben and I didn't. Now I'm paying the price. Thank you Linus for your work to discover all this information without any help from the rest of us. Now that we know where Ben is likely to be, I would like for Linus to lead our team in finding the location of the sex traffickers and help Ben to take down the jerks."

Jack asks, "Linus, do we have any idea where these bastards are?"

Linus shakes his head and replies, "That's the one thing I haven't been able to figure out. The sheriff knew that Ben was hot on their trail but he has no idea where he is."

I reply, "Well, it makes sense they would be somewhere in Denver. Linus could you contact the TSIFFTS and have them watch for Ben's truck?"

Linus asks, "Hey, where's Thom, it would be better if he did this."

Even though I don't mean too, I blush and answer, "I fired Thom and now he's no longer part of this team."

Jack didn't notice my blush so he asks, "What the hell did you do that for?

Masha leans over, whispers in his ear and he continues, "Forget that question."

Linus says, "Well, with Thom being gone, I'd better renew my TSIFFTS contacts and get them looking for Ben's truck. Does anyone else have other ideas on finding Ben?"

Gretchen looks around the room, raises her hand and asks, "If Jens doesn't mind, I can see if I can access the traffic cams in Denver to look for his truck."

I know what Gretchen is doing isn't legal so I reply, "None of you heard Gretchen mention that."

Everyone quickly agrees that they didn't hear Gretchen make a sound and the meeting ends.

I do have hope that we can find Ben and I can help him rescue Miranda. My action would go a very long way in fixing the big mistake I made...