Godsend 8: The Value of a Woman (Godsend Short stories Series) (3 page)

“Once you contact Mr. Oates and let him know what type of appointment you want, he’ll check his list then ask you to make your payment at the front desk of whichever Hiatus your appointment will be at.”

“Who owns the Hiatus hotels?”

Pete said, “This network is run by Ryan Madison, but I’m told the three hotels are in somebody else’s name. Ryan and the owner work real close together. That’s the rumor.”

Etceterra had learned enough. It was time to call Echo and Kiandra.

ON PAPER, ARTHUR STANTON was the owner of the Hiatus hotels. But the 47-year-old white man was paralyzed from the waist down and had been for the past nineteen years. Echo and Kiandra knew that the disabled man was being used merely as a stand-in and future scapegoat for Ryan Madison, which is why Echo hadn’t wanted to waste time on a paraplegic. But Brian had insisted.

They were sixty yards from Arthur’s ocean view  home in Oxnard, California. Echo, Kiandra, and Arthur were twenty yards from a dramatic cliff, seventy-three feet above the Pacific Ocean. Echo said, “You been living in that fancy-ass house and move around in this high-tech wheelchair for, what, five years?  But I bet you never saw this cliff from this close.”  He was standing behind the man’s wheelchair, holding it by the chair’s handlebars. Echo’s right hand was wrapped in an Ace bandage due to excessive swelling and two jammed knuckles.

Kiandra looked back at her Escalade, which was useful for its high-beam headlights right now, at 10:41 at night. She shook her head at the sight of the thick rope that lay stretched out from where they stood all the way to her SUV.

Echo said, “Wanna see what’s on the other side of the cliff?”

Arthur said “No. I’ve told you everything you wanted to know. Please take me back inside.”

“So, you  know nothing about the Echelon Escort Service?  Why the fuck did you claim your name was Dale Oates when I called?  You’re hiding behind the name for a reason.”

“I always do that whenever I receive calls from a blocked number.”

“I hate to send your ass flying if I’m wrong.”  Echo used his left hand to pick the end of the rope up from the ground. He gave it to Arthur. “Hold this.”

Arthur said, “What’s it for?”

“I’m about to send you on the ride of your life. The other end is tied to our truck. If you can hold on after I get your airborne then the cliff god was looking out for you, and you probably wasn’t lying to me.”

Kiandra said, “Wait. Let me make a call first to check on something he told us.” 

Echo said, “You keep forgetting we can’t get a signal.”

“I’m going inside to use his  landline. I’ll call Agent Ergan on his prepaid throwaway.”  She hurried off, thinking she might save the life of a handicap.

Echo said to Arthur, “You think you can hold onto that rope?”

“No. I’m sure I won’t be able to hang on.”

“Well, in that case you’ll be responsible for your own death, not me. The cops gonna either think you committed suicide or was trying to get in the Guinness book for first cripple mountain climber. Cliff climber. Whatever.”

“Hey, I’ve been totally honest with you guys.”  They talked for three minutes more.

Echo said, “I know you can’t fuck nothing while you’re paralyzed from the waist down, but do you get excited when you eat pussy or lick a woman’s ass?”

Arthur said, “Of course. I still have emotions. That sort of thing cheers me up.”

“When was the last time you licked on a woman?”

“Nearly a week ago.”

Echo said, “Good. Now give me her muthafuckin name and number. If she works for Echelon, I’mma -”

“Echo!”  Kiandra was sprinting. “We gotta go!”

Echo watched her, wondering why she would use his name. “Cops here?”

She arrived slightly winded. “No. Brian wouldn’t answer, so I called Etcet. He’s stuck in a room with a 13-year-old girl. He thinks a couple of men working for the Echelon took Brian.”

“Took him where?  What the fuck you saying?”

“Brian is missing, and two hotel men searched his truck. Etcet was checking the third floor while Brian went to the front desk.”

Echo looked out at the ocean, gritting his teeth. The crease between his eyebrows was not an accurate indication of how angry he was.

Kiandra said, “And Dale Oates is the person who sets up every Echelon appointment.”

That was it. Echo gripped the handlebars and began running toward the cliff with Arthur.

Arthur was pleading something, but the shaky, bumpy ride was distorting his words. He had a super grip on the thick rope then quickly wrapped it around his right wrist two and a half times.

Echo stopped eight feet from the drop and watched as Arthur and the wheelchair disappeared.

Arthur wasn’t hollering; that only happens in the movies. As he became separated from his wheelchair, fully airborne, he closed his eyes and brought the rope closer to his chest.

Kiandra saw the long rope speeding across the ground. The end of the rope shot past her, trying to catch up with Arthur. She smiled when she heard the wheelchair crash.

Echo began trotting back toward the Escalade. “How far is San Diego from here?”

She was keeping up with him. “A three-hour drive.”

“Fuck!”  When he made it back to the Escalade, he got in the driver’s seat and said, “As soon as you get a signal, call and get Etcet on the phone again.”

BRIAN WAS IN the hotel’s huge supply room. The area was neatly organized with shelves of clean linen and laundry toiletries; boxes stacked against a different wall, each containing flat-panel television sets; and ten white laundry carts near the boxes.

Brian was on the painted cement floor and in pain. As he lay on his belly, wrists and ankles tied together behind his back with a jump rope, one of the Echelon security guards stood near him. Brian had a black eye, a couple of knots on his head, several face bruises, and some sore ribs.

Eddie, the guard, pressed the side of Brian’s face to the floor with a boot. “I can promise you, when Mr. Madison arrives, you’ll wish you had talked to me. He don’t take kindly to strangers asking about Echelon.”

Brian wondered whether Etcetera had put two and two together. He closed his eyes when the man applied more pressure with his boot.

“Your ID says you’re Private Investigator Keith Ergan, but a few computer searches say your service don’t exist. Tell me who sent you and why, and I’ll let you go. You have my word on that.”

Brian said, with a twisted and half-opened mouth, “When Ryan Madison gets here, I’ll tell him my story. You wanna kill me right now, so I know I’m dead if I tell you about the rival escort service that sent me.”

Eddie removed his boot from Brian’s face and took a step back. “You’re forgetting one thing:  My partner was really going to kill you until I stopped him and sent him back on floor patrol. You should have more faith in me.”

Brian rolled over on his side and said, “Your partner Hank just happens to be a stupid man. You knew you would score more points with your boss if you could get him some useful information. Besides, killing me would leave your boss pissed, with a lot of unanswered questions. Another rival spy could show up tomorrow and the next day. You can’t kill one a day forever, draws too much heat on the business.”

Eddie looked at his wristwatch. “His flight from San Francisco will be in soon. You better pray that you can score some points with him as well.”

AFTER ETCETERRA had recorded Pete Garland’s full confession, he then forced the 60-year-old to post an online manifesto that revealed his pedophilia. This was done on the laptop found in Pete’s suitcase. Etceterra pushed Pete’s head with the top of the silenced gun. “You did good, Pete. Now, go to the bathroom and wait for me.”

The young girl was still sitting next to Etceterra on the bed, and they both watched Pete walk hesitantly to the bathroom.

Etceterra said, “Close the door and turn the shower on.”  When he heard the water running he said to Veranda, “Do you know that what Mr. Garland was doing to you was wrong?”

She nodded affirmatively.

“You said you’ve been here with two other men before. Do you know their names?”

“Yes, sir, but not their first names.”

“That’s not going to be good enough.”  He got up and looked out the window again. Brian’s stolen Explorer was still there, more than two hours later. He walked back to the girl and squatted down in front  of her. “Veranda, Mr. Garland has to be punished for what he did to you. You understand that?”

She nodded again.

“But I want you to make a decision here. Do you want me to kill him or do you want me to shoot him between his legs so that he can never do that to another child?”

She shrugged. “That other man said he would kill me and my mama if I didn’t follow the rules.”

“Listen, I got a couple of friends who will be here soon. My friends and I are going to put a stop to Mr. Madison for good. He won’t be able to hurt anybody for the rest of his life. You said your mama told you to follow all of his rules, but now you won’t have to. I suppose Mr. Madison pays your mom so that he can use you as a call girl. Is your mama on drugs?”

“A lot of drugs.”

“I figured that.”  He looked toward the bathroom door. “So, do I kill Mr. Garland or shoot him where it hurts the most?”

The girl almost smiled. “Shoot him where it hurts.”

“Good answer. Wait right here.”  Etceterra walked to the bathroom door and opened it.

Pete was leaning against the sink.

“Take your pants and underwear off. Right now!”

Pete began loosening his belt. “What are you going to do?  I did everything you asked me to do.”

“Hurry up or take one in the left side of your chest.”

Several seconds later, Pete was naked from the waists down, except he still wore dress socks.

“Now turn to the left, and use your left hand to extend your penis and testicles.”

“Please...What are you -”

“Pete, if you want to live, then shut up and do as you’re told. You had your way with the girl and now, through me, she’ll have her way with you. Let’s go, Pete!  Pull on yourself, and make sure you keep your hand out of the way. You don’t want me to get a second chance at this.”

The man’s short dick was shriveled, refusing to hang past his balls. Pete grabbed his sack and the head of his dick with only three fingers, but he was taking too damn long.

Etceterra pulled the trigger and shot Pete in the right buttock. When the man hollered out and fell to the floor, his head banged against the toilet bowl. Etceterra said, “Get up and stop wasting time. I hope every child you’ve ever been with is running through your head right now.”

Pete’s ass was bleeding, and he struggled to get back up. He said, “It’s a sickness that I was born with. People used to persecute homosexuals once upon a time. Today, most would agree that they were born that way, now they have rights.”  He was finally standing again but favoring his left leg.

“I understand. Now try it again. Extend it all and keep your hand and arm clear.”

Pete stretched his dick and balls and closed his eyes.

Etceterra touched the man’s private parts with the tip of the silenced handgun. He pulled the trigger.

Pete hollered and fell to the floor again.

Etceterra stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. He smiled at Veranda. “It’s probably going to hurt when he pees, but I doubt he’ll ever like being with kids again.”

She said, “Thank you.”

DAN GILCHRIST WAS standing behind the front desk in the lobby of the hotel. After studying the video monitors for the third floor, he looked up and saw a black couple embracing and kissing just outside the main entrance door. They both wore three-quarter-length leather coats and had brought gym bags.

Echo pretended to whisper something in Kiandra’s ear while he gripped her ass with his good hand.

Kiandra laughed as she pushed him away. She opened the glass door and entered the lobby of the Hiatus Inn, still laughing.

Echo picked up both gym bags and was not far behind her.

Dan said to Kiandra, “Welcome to the Hiatus Inn. May I help you?”

Kiandra reached inside her leather coat. She turned around and said to Echo, “A single or double, baby?”

“A double. Get a double.”

Dan smiled and said, “I’m sorry, we’re all booked with no -"

Kiandra turned around and dove across the counter, surprising Dan with a foot-long butcher’s knife. She sank five inches of the knife just above his heart. As the 53-year-old man fell backwards, Kiandra freed the blade. When Dan hit the floor, she raked the blade across his face, gashing the side of his face and nose.

Dan let out a loud grunt as he tried to grab the woman’s arms and wrists.

Echo hoisted himself over the counter then rushed a silenced handgun in Dan’s mouth. He pushed Kiandra aside then said to Dan, “A black guy showed up around ten-something. His truck is still in the parking lot. I want to know what the fuck happened to him. Where is he?”