Brute Justice (Justice Series) Read online

  “When he fell off the grid, we realized we needed to switch gears and pinpoint the locations,” Clint added. “If we didn’t move fast, we knew we could lose him.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “He’s done everything he can to keep his secrets safe. We think he’s changed his name, his appearance, address, work place. You name it,” Clint shrugged, “he’s changed it to reinvent himself.”

  “Wait!” Leesha’s brow shot up. “He’s changed his name?”

  I forgot we haven’t filled her in on this afternoon’s field trip…

  “Yes,” Sam nodded. “If our suspicions are correct, we believe he’s practicing under the name Dr. Donald Crain.”

  “He’s practicing?! Practicing what?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Calm down, Leesh,” Sam crossed the room to sit down next to her on the bed. He spoke in a quieter tone. “We’re not even sure it’s him yet. I have yet to lay eyes on him.”

  “But if it is?”

  “If it is,” he paused, “he’s at a family planning center. We think it’s probably a front. There’s gotta be something more to it. Clint and I agree he’s more than likely delivering babies again – and experimenting on them.”

  Leesha leaned on him, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “I thought family planning centers were mostly for birth control and abortions for unwanted pregnancies.”

  “I saw into the building. This one had delivery suites and a central nursery. And the information on the front door mentioned something about adoption services.”

  “Makes perfect sense to me.”

  “How do you figure?” Sam turned to face his sister.

  “Well, think about it. Scared teenagers come to him, hoping he can help solve their problem. They’re already vulnerable, probably wanting to get rid of the baby. He gives them a happy song and dance about saving a life, finding the right parents – talks them out of abortion. He hand picks the new parents, delivers the baby, does his experimentation thing, then sends the baby off with parents he can keep track of.”

  Leesha put her face in her hands. “I can’t believe he’s doing it again! We’ve got to stop him.”

  Sam leaned into her, nudging her shoulder with his. “Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. We’ve got to find out if it’s even him. Clint and I are going to head over to his office Monday after school – during office hours – so I can get a good look at this Dr. Crain.”

  “I’m going too!”

  Leesha finally looked up. “We should all go. We’re stronger together, especially if we need to combine our powers. We’ll all go.”

  “I want to go too.” Jade broke her silence, reminding the group she was still in the room.

  What? Seriously, no. She can’t help.

  Sam shot Clint a look, clearly agreeing with his point of view. Being the more diplomatic of the two, he decided to level with her. “Jade, I appreciate your willingness to help, but –“

  “But you think I can’t help.”

  “Well, yes, that and –”

  “And you think I’ll get in the way?”

  “I wouldn’t put it that way, but –”

  “And you suspect I’ll tell someone?”

  Bullseye.

  Sam nodded. “I’d be lying if we weren’t a little afraid of that.”

  Jade squared her shoulders. “Well, you’ve already told me more than you should if you didn’t want me to squeal. I’m not going to threaten you with that – it’s not my style. But I think I can help.”

  “How?” Clint asked, skeptical.

  “He’s been tracking your cars?”

  “Yes.”

  “All of them?”

  “Yes, all of them.”

  “So let’s take mine.”

  “Jade,” Sam argued, “we can’t all fit into your tiny yellow matchbox!”

  “We can fit in my Range Rover.”

  She’s not giving up!

  “We really don’t need to put you in the line of fire, Jade,” Sam was still trying to convince her, but he was losing steam.

  “Sam, be reasonable. If he knows you’ve been tracking him, he’s going to be watching for you – he’ll be on high alert, probably expecting you. He’s seen you, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “You?” Lexi nodded when Jade asked her.

  “I already know he’s been watching you,” Jade said to Leesha. “What about you?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Clint looked up begrudgingly at her. “He recognized my dad and ended up sending me to find them. He’s seen all of us – been following us.”

  “Well he hasn’t found me,” Jade said matter-of-factly and turned back to Sam. “I may be your ace in the hole. He doesn’t know me, hasn’t seen me, won’t see me coming. I can help you stay under the radar. I’ll drive my truck to school Monday and meet you here afterwards. What time?”

  “Uh… 3:30?” Sam said dazed, like he had no choice.

  What? How did she just talk you into coming along, Sam?

  Sam winced, hearing that. But since the girls were already working on the plans, talking through the logistics, there was no turning back. They were so entrenched in the details, they never saw the boys leave the room.

  Back in Sam’s room, Clint turned and hissed at him. “What did you just do? We don’t need a tag-along for this job, Sam!”

  “I know, I know. She just kind of took over before I knew what was happening! What did you want me to do?”

  They stood there, silent, staring at each other in shock. Neither one expected to lose control of the mission, especially to an outsider.

  “Well, I guess it will help to have a new vehicle to add to the surveillance mix,” Sam said, ending the quiet.

  I suppose. If it goes wrong, it’s on you, man.

  Chapter Sixteen

  As planned, the group met at the Dixon house on Monday afternoon. Clint listened to the girls catch up as he and Sam did a precautionary – and very unnecessary – sweep of Jade’s Range Rover.

  Those girls chatter like they’ve been best friends forever. Jade seems to be fitting in just fine.

  Sam grunted in agreement from the other side of the truck. He was obviously still unhappy about being persuaded to let her join the day’s field trip.

  “All clear!” Clint announced to the other three. “Hey Jade, do you want me to drive? Sam and I know where we’re going – you girls can hop in the back.”

  …and gossip from the back seat.

  “Um, no. No one drives my truck,” she shook her head emphatically. “Go ahead and climb in the passenger seat – you can direct me. Sam can sit in the back with the girls.”

  Clint looked up and caught Lexi’s eye. She smiled. “Naw, that’s okay. Sam should sit in front. He needs to see everything anyway.”

  “No Clint, don’t be silly! Sit up front with me,” Jade insisted. “Besides, those long legs of yours need the extra room.”

  “Ah, well… Okay then,” he gave in and turned to open the back door for Lexi, but she had already turned her back on him, headed for the opposite side of the vehicle.

  So it was Leesha who climbed into the door he just opened, followed by Sam who was cackling loudly in his head, for Clint’s torture. He shut the door behind him, hoping it would drown out his friend’s celebration. It didn’t.

  Sitting down and buckling his seatbelt in the front, he glanced around to try and catch Lexi’s attention and give her an “I’m sorry” look. She was facing her side of the car, glaring out the window.

  How did I get stuck up here?

  He heard Sam laugh again in his head, then project: “How’s the weather up there? It’s nice and comfy back here.”

  Shut up, moron. You invited her.

  “Did not!”

  Clint swiveled all the way around in his seat to shoot Sam a look that would kill. “Did too.”

  “Did what?” Leesha asked, knowing she was missing out on the majority of the conversation.

>   “Nothing.” In stereo.

  “I hate that you two have figured out how to have your own private conversations,” Leesha said, only half joking.

  “Yeah,” Lexi chided in, “and leaving the rest of us out completely.”

  Clint shrank down in his seat, crossed his arms. The twenty minute drive was silent except for the directions given to Jade, most of them coming from Sam in the back.

  “Well, the parking lot’s full,” Sam said as they pulled into the business development, waking Clint from his sullen stupor.

  Huh. It is full this afternoon. Let’s hope we can get some clear answers today. At least one.

  “Where do you want me to park?” Jade asked, expertly maneuvering the big SUV into the lot.

  “Go around to the far side,” Sam answered, pointing through the bucket seats to guide her. “There are some spots along the side, but no windows in that wall. We should be able to spy from there as long as we want without being detected.”

  Come on, Sam. At least trade me seats now. You’ll be able to see better from up here.

  “Nah, I’m good back here,” Sam projected, smirking. “You’re fine where you are. You wanted to sit next to her!”

  Clint darted a nasty look back towards Sam, who returned with a sweet, innocent, toothy grin.

  If there weren’t ladies here, I’d tear you apart limb from limb!

  “Now did either of you two notice,” Leesha said as she scooted into the seat next to the window, “anything change in here as you two idiots are having your mental tug of war?”

  Sam looked blankly across the seat at her. Clint glanced over his shoulder towards Leesha’s voice and did a double take, almost coming out of his seat. “Where’d she go?”

  “Who? Lexi… Lexi!” Sam screamed. Both boys reached for their door handles.

  “Sit down,” Leesha ordered, raising her voice. “You two just stop now. We’ll talk about this,” she said, sweeping her finger around in a circle in the truck cab, “later. But for now, you’re going to listen to me.”

  Both of them sat stone still, neither wanting to waste precious time. Jade’s eyes were bugging out of her face in surprise.

  “Sam, I know you can’t see her…” Leesha started. “Try talking to her. Find out where she is.”

  Sam closed his eyes to focus. The other three watched his expressions change as he had a mental exchange with his sister. His face went from relief to fear to resigned concentration. Finally he opened his eyes and brought the others up to speed. “She’s inside, taking pictures with her phone. She said it would help better than my cartoon drawing maps.”

  Leesha laughed.

  “She’s right,” Sam admitted, “but I hate having her in there alone.”

  Let me go and get her, bring her back here so she’s safe. I’ll break through the wall if I have to.

  “Nice bravado,” Sam said out loud, “but you’ll never find her. I can’t even see her. Just be quiet so I can help her see and hear – I’ll get her through and out as quickly as I can.”

  Sam stared out the window, his eyes following a trail back and forth along the brick wall, a scene only shared by Sam outside and Lexi from within the walls.

  Is she done yet?

  “Shut up, Clint. I’ll tell you when.” Sam answered out loud.

  Three more agonizing minutes…

  Now?

  “Clint, leave me alone. I’m concentrating.”

  Two more minutes crept by without a sound.

  Is she out yet?

  “How do you expect me to focus on her when you keep barking at me?”

  Panicked and frustrated, Clint launched himself out of the Range Rover and began to pace back and forth on the sidewalk.

  Leesha leaned forward and asked Jade to roll down the passenger window. In a louder whisper, she tried to reason with Clint. “Hey! Get back in here. If he sees you, our cover is blown. He’ll recognize you for sure – just like he did your dad.”

  “I can’t help it! She shouldn’t be in there.” He continued pacing, every once in a while looking up at Sam, watching for a signal that Lexi was out.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Clint looked up to see Sam lean back against his seat and close his eyes in relief. He appeared to be whispering heatedly, so Clint ran to the window to get the update. “Is she okay?”

  “Of course I’m fine,” Lexi replied, appearing suddenly in the passenger seat next to the window Clint was leaning into. She was watching the screen on her phone, toggling through the array of photos she just captured.

  “How did you…?”

  “Never mind how,” she turned to him, her tone sugary sarcastic. “Why don’t you just fold those long legs of yours into the back seat? I’ll take over from here.”

  Defeated, he circled the truck to get in on the other side. Women!

  “What did you get?” Leesha asked, leaning over the console as she made room for Clint in the back.

  “Lots of good stuff…” Lexi answered, still going through the photos. “Mostly just rooms and staff. I had to be careful and wait for background noise to drown out the click of the camera. There’s one in particular I’m looking for… Where is it? Oh, here it is!” and she turned the phone around.

  They all stared.

  “Yep,” Sam said. “That’s him.”

  “Did you know before I got the picture?”

  “Yeah, I saw him in there while I was trying to follow your voice as you moved,” Sam said, locking his eyes on hers. “Lex, it terrified me knowing you were in there – alone – that close to him. I know he couldn’t see you, but… You can’t do that again, be that reckless! We’re a team. We’re here to help each other.”

  “Team. Right!” she huffed, then looked over to Leesha. “How long did it take for them to notice I had gone?”

  “They didn’t. I had to tell them.”

  Lexi’s green eyes bored into both boys, who shrank in their seats. “When you two start acting like we’re a team, I’ll play along. But as long as you continue to shut the rest of us out, we’re not a team.”

  Silence.

  “Okay.”

  “Yeah, all right.”

  The quiet continued until Jade finally spoke. “So that’s really him?”

  “Sure is,” Sam confirmed. “Lexi, that’s a great way for everyone to see his face. Thanks…”

  “You’re welcome. I figured it would be good if we all had a face to put with the name. I mean names.” She reached into her pocket and handed a small white card to Leesha. “Put this with his other info.”

  “Will do. Hey – that’s great!”

  “What?” Both boys leaned in to see what she was looking at.

  “His business card has his cell number on it.”

  “Awesome. Can you track it?” Sam asked across to Clint.

  “Probably. If not, we should at least be able to triangulate it with two other cell signals.”

  “Good thinking!”

  “So are we done here?” Jade asked.

  “Not just yet,” Sam held a finger up. “Shhh…”

  They sat there, watching while he listened and watched.

  “Does anyone have a pen and paper?”

  Leesha dug in her purse and handed Sam a small book of sticky notes and a pen. He started writing numbers, names and notes in the book. Finally the scribbling slowed and Sam looked up and appeared to watch something move towards the front of the building. His eyes stopped, squinted, and he wrote down one last name and series of numbers.

  “Well guys,” he said to the four sets of eyes trained on him, “that was his realtor who just left. It appears Dr. Crain is looking to move.”

  “Home?”

  “Office?”

  “Both.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Lexi sat straight up. “We just found him. He’s running?”

  “Well, it sounds like we’ve spooked him with the surveillance, but it doesn’t look like he’s leaving the area. Besides
,” Sam said, holding up his notes, “here are all the addresses he is going to be shown in the next week, plus his realtor’s name and number. We’re still a step ahead of him!”

  “Let’s keep it that way!” Clint said, bumping knuckles with Sam. “Any chance you can spot which car is his? Peek into the glove box?” he asked, pulling out a small round device from a leather zipper case. He exposed the adhesive on the back of the GPS tracker.

  “We’ll give it a shot… Jade, can you drive slowly around the back?”

  “Sure.”

  As she turned the corner, Sam squinted at each of the cars, then pointed. “It’s the black Mercedes right there.”

  Leesha held her hand out. “Give it to me and open your window. Where do you want it?”

  “Passenger side, front wheel well,” Clint answered quickly.

  “Jade, keep driving,” Leesha directed. As they drifted by, Leesha floated the black button up to and under the car. “Great. We’re done. Now let’s get out of here!”

  Chapter Seventeen

  He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he was being watched. Nothing was out of the ordinary… He knew all of his patients who had been in and out over the course of the day, hadn’t seen anyone new or unusual, but something was just off.

  Looking around his office, nothing was out of place. He kept his workspace meticulously clean, as he did his home – and, well, every other part of his life. He had to. Leading a double life made it necessary. Everything had to have its own place, mixing elements would be disastrous.

  “Dr. Crain, your next patient is here,” the voice woke him from his wandering thoughts. “Exam room three.”

  “Thanks, Liz. I’ll be right there,” he responded to his nurse, taking the chart she handed him. “Brooke Hopkins? Ah yes, the young one. How is she doing emotionally?”

  This one was only thirteen. He had seen many teenagers in the time he had started the clinic, but rarely this young.

  “She’s holding up. Her mother came with her today, so you’ll get to meet her finally. Mom’s name is Cynthia. Thank goodness she finally came around. It sounds like she’ll be the one who takes care of signing the adoption papers.”