The Law of Motion (Law Series) (37 page)

             
He didn’t want to watch cartoons in the living room like normal. Since he got back he had clung to his parents fiercely, and when they weren’t in sight, he clung to the rest of us. I didn’t mind because he was a great kid, and I just needed the contact with him. He had so many mannerisms that reminded me of Alyssa that it was comforting.

             
I was honestly starting to wonder how Ross was going to be able to leave him tonight when we headed out. We were going to take the chopper and fly reconnaissance over the farm in the Adirondacks, something that wouldn’t take more than a few hours, but with Juan being as clingy as he was, it would be hard for him.

             
Tink had studied the satellite images until she said she was going blind, but she wanted zoomed in shots, thermal shots, and a full picture of what we had to deal with. Cam and Hunter hadn't returned from their trip to Mrs. Moretti's, so we weren't sure where we stood with them. However, my father and Victor weren't really waiting. They wanted to start a plan, and soon. My dad was even contemplating calling in some old buddies to help us, but they needed detailed photos in order to do anything.

             
“Yep, yep, yep.” He  repeated sounding like Tink as he looked at the photos over the fireplace. “That’s Makenna.”  He noted pointing at Kristen’s belly in a picture of all of us about a week before Kristen had actually gone into labor.

             
The girl was about to burst, but it didn’t stop her from looking like a runway model every day. I cracked up, “Yep, and Makenna made Aunt Kristen crave some of weirdest thing I’ve ever seen someone eat at the same time, and I’ve seen men eat scorpions in the desert."

             
"Ew!" he laughed . "You aren't suh-posed to eat bugs!"

             
I laughed and shrugged. "
I
didn't, but they say scorpions taste like peanuts."

             
"Yucky," he huffed, reaching up to touch the picture as Ross and Doc came out dressed to go. They were going to keep him in the office with us today, to try and cushion the blow.

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"We have a problem," Tink stated when we walked though the door, her face annoyed as she looked to me, and then my father. "Cameron just called. They can't get any authorization to go into David's place. Despite the fact that Cam called it an anonymous threat on Lopez, the information regarding David's place was achieved illegally. Cam had no reason to speak to Dr. Grubbs, so they can't get a warrant."

             
"But they have my
girlfriend
," I hissed low, not wanting Juan to hear us.

             
"Doesn't matter," my dad grunted. "We'll go without them."

             
"That's what Hunter said," Kristen agreed with a nod. "Right now, he's on the phone with his own office...so we'll see..." She looked to me, her eyes a touch sad. "Tink says you're good to go tonight. The camera is calibrated, and your radio is set to some obscure channel. Encrypted, if I'm not mistaken, because she doesn't want to take any chances."

             
"Thanks, Kristen," I told her going into the conference room where all of the commotion was coming from.

             
“What we got?” I asked Tink as she sat back down to her computers.

             
“A lot more than we did seven hours ago.” She assured as her fingers went to work. “That driver came back from the DIA office.”

             
The picture came up on the screen and Juan, who was coloring at the other end of Tink’s work area noted the face immediately. “That’s Kris, the nice man.” He said simply before going back to his picture.

             
“That’s right Juan, Kristopher Powell.” Tink encouraged fixing his hair the top of his head. “Twenty year old with a troubled little past. A long list of petty crimes as a juvenile offender, spent some time in juvie, but he seemed to clean up his act when be became an adult. Got a job at C&K and worked there as security until it was closed a few months ago.”

             
“So he loses his job at C&K, then gets together with Zoe, David, Terry and Myles to get a part of the ransom.” I sighed putting the pieces together as Doc put another face on the bulletin board.

             
“Now, as far as how we should move. I think we should go in no later than tomorrow night.” Hunter went on.

             
“But she hasn’t turned the chip on, and we have no clue if that is even where she is yet.” I argued. “We don’t want to storm it too early and give them a chance to take her somewhere else.”

             
Hunter nodded, but continued looking at this information. “I understand what you mean Adrian, but Alyssa has done her part, and now it’s time for us to do ours. She isn’t staying any longer than she has to.”

             
To me it sounded like he was trying to imply that I
didn’t
want to storm the place to get my girl back, and that wasn’t the case, I just didn’t want anything to go wrong while it happened. “You don’t have to tell me, I know what she must being going through, but I’m not going to risk her life in the process of getting her back.”

             
Just that second Cam came into the conference room. We all looked up at him. "I can't help you...legally, this time," Cam stated, his voice sounding nervous. "The case has been taken over, and I don't know by who..."

             
"By me," Hunter admitted as he walked from one end of the table to another, slapping a file down. "This is now security problem," he said, a wry grin spreading over his features. "It's now my case, my problem, my mission." Cam looked at him stunned, because he had been working all damn morning to get the go ahead on this.

             
“I couldn’t risk someone else taking this from you, sorry I should have told you. You were going to lose it anyway after that shit at the train station.” He explained.

             
Cam wiped his glasses in confusion. “What story did you give? What do your bosses believe.”

             
“For the time being exactly what we need them to. That there is a threat on a senator, that’s enough for now. The question is still who is pulling all of their strings.” Hunter sighed rubbing a hand over his head. He was still sporting the bruise I gave him just under his left eye, but other than that, he was fine.

             
Jeff and Danny looked up from the layouts they were looking at. “ What did you come up with?

             
He flashed a grin at the girls before he answered. “I got the silent approval.”

             
“Meaning?” Doc asked looking hopeful.

             
He took the seat that Alyssa usually used as he spoke and for some reason it bugged m
e
though I didn’t say anything. “It means that I can get a few extra people to get, Babes back. I’m just going to need an arrest of some kind, most likely the guy who’s in charge of course.”

             
Doc nodded listening to his words intently. “That’s fine, I’m sure that there will be at least one willing to talk.”

             
“And if not I’m sure we all have the means to make them talk.” Dario hissed looking at satellite images himself.

             
“I agree. I can’t legally use that stuff you’re working on Tawny…” He sighed almost singing a hint, leaving the thought trailing.

             
She caught on immediately. “But.. If he’s already on it when you find whoever it is…” Her grin was a conspiratorial as they nodded together. “We’ll figure out who’s behind it.”

             
“Of course.” He nodded completely sure of himself.

             
Everyone broke off into their groups again, but I couldn’t help but keep hearing Doc and Hunter as I skimmed over the web of people we knew were involved. “We should do the fly over now.” My dad suggested looking to Ross and I. “If were going to make this happen tomorrow.”             

             
“Good ideal Liam.” Hunter nodded completely taking his advice. I was starting to feel like he ignored me on purpose.

             
I sighed getting up. “I’ll prep the chopper.”

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"Juan, I have to go to work," Ross started softly walking out to the backyard. He had rode over with us and she stalled on telling him all the way here. "I need you to stay with Mommy."

             
"No, no," he countered, shaking her head. "No, Mommy! I come wif you!"

             
"I won't be long...just a few hours," She told him, but she never should've tried to reason with a four year old.

             
"No, p-please, Mommy," he begged, grabbing both sides of her face as big tears filled his eyes. "You'll leave, like Tia!"

             
Doc sighed, kneeling in front of him, she looked at him with some type of soft fierceness that only came with being a mother and it seemed to fit her twenty-three year old face perfectly. "Juan Carlos De Luca, listen to me. Your aunt didn't leave you, baby. She was taken. She wouldn't leave you in a million years and for all the money in the world. Do you understand me?" She verified, and he nodded. "She loves you more than anything."

             
"Please?" he begged again, this time turning to me. "I'll be good. I promise. Tia told me to help you!" I looked over at Ross, who couldn’t seem to be able to tell him no either, because he just looked so heartbroken.

             
Dario was leaning against the wall in the background, because he was supposed to fly with us. It was the big, sad, brown eyes looking up at us through really long, dark eyelashes that just fucking killed us. It was the slight tilt to his head, but most of all, it was the tenacious grip on Ross’s t-shirt that finally had her giving in.

             
"Not without a jacket, little guy," Ross sighed in defeat, because she couldn't tell him no. "But listen to me," she told him before he ran to get his coat. "There will be a point where you can't go, baby. And I need you to be strong for that, okay?"

             
He nodded, kissing her cheek, muttering, "Jacket!"

             
He scuttled off down the hallway, and Ross leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Shit," she hissed softly, shaking her head before standing up from her squat.

             
Doc kissed her before putting  comforting arms around her waist. "You're doing the best you can, sweetheart," she soothed. "It's safe for him to go, yes?” Tawny asked looking back to me.

             
"Yeah," I sighed, looking up at her with a nod. "We'll be pretty high up, so no one will get a good look at us. One pass just before sunset, and another after dark. We'll be right back."

             
"Well, then take him baby," Doc urged, wearing a sympathetic smile. "He needs to feel like he is contributing.”

             
“How is he handling things since he got back.” Dario questioned.             

             
"He’s handing, remarkably well," Doc stated softly. "So far...no nightmares, no lashing out...just..."

             
"Clinging," Ross finished for her, looking down at her hands. "I'm worrying about when I have to leave him for this...next phase."

             
"You're seriously underestimating my magic as an aunt.” Tink huffed in our ears, and we’d forgotten she was wired in at the office. “We’ll handle it together.”

             
"Okay, okay," Ross chuckled, opening her arms when Juan came back. "Ready?"

             
"Yup," he chirped.

             
"Bambino," Dario chortled, shaking his head at the whole thing he'd just witnessed. "Come with me while your mom and uncle get the chopper ready.” Dario laughed as he went to him. "You'll be flying soon, mark my words," he told him as we walked out the screen door.

             
“Don’t think he hasn’t asked already.” Ross snapped going with him after kissing her wife goodbye.

             
Macon already had the doors open, and I watched him confused as he climbed on in.

             
"What?" he asked his eyes serious. "I'm fucking going with you. I need to see this shit for myself."

             
"Language," Doc hissed, her eyes darting to Juan, who was thankfully preoccupied with his Uncle Dario on the other side of the chopper.

             
"My bad. I'll pay the swear jar," he sighed, looking sheepish, and I chuckled at him. "But seriously. I wanna go."

             
"Then go," I told him, waving him on. "Close the door and strap in."