. 02

Starting Over VIII, Part 2

This is the eighth section of the continuing saga "Starting Over".

In Part I, LTC (Retired) John Jackson had moved to Seattle after being widowed. He ran into some trouble and some decent people (okay, and a few strippers), while working towards getting his private investigator license. That took place between Sep and Dec 2012.

In Part II, he got involved in a ring trafficking in young women. The main perpetrators were captured, but the hired gun/enforcer slipped away. That took place in Apr and May 2013.

In Part III, which took place in 2013 and 2014, John managed to find the enforcer in Key West and was planning to kill him, but changed his mind. He really didn't know if he could kill someone in cold blood, but the man was living with a woman and had decided that he was retiring. John let him go with a promise to do intelligence work for him and returned to Seattle, where Maggie gave indications that she wanted a serious relationship. Then he used that enforcer from Key West to assist in capturing an assassin. The assassin had been hired to kill him and the detective who helped him break up a leg of a human trafficking chain.

In Part IV, it's 2019. John and Maggie couldn't work things out and now John was working on a case that, at first, involved someone who had assaulted Luke's wife Maria. John then had two men try to break into his apartment to attack him. The authorities caught the two men by tracking them to a strip club, but John got beat up by them before the police got there. When he woke, he found that Vanessa, his waitress at the strip club, was an undercover officer. There were several events that were taking place and it was being done by an anarchist group. However, funding for these events was tracked to someone in human trafficking in Singapore by a hacker that John found through Bob in Key West. He returned to Seattle with the information on a thumb drive, and the FBI and others started tracking him. Finally, the master of the human trafficking ring had his son try to soft sell John's daughter into visiting Asia with him, primarily to kidnap her. John found out, he and his buddies stopped it, and then John, feeling the rage, flew to Singapore and, with the backdoor assistance of a government person, was armed and killed both the leader and his son of this trafficking ring.

In Part V, Yvonne, the young hacker came to live with John. She had nowhere else to go and felt so alone during the pandemic that she was craving human interaction. She also admitted that she was attracted to John, even though there was 19 years difference in their ages. A bad guy was hired to hit him due to his involvement in some operations being run by a rogue CIA manager and some disenfranchised CIA members. John and company got them in the end and Yvonne got shot in the leg. She decided to stay with John.

Part VI involved a woman, going by the name Julie, who had been "hidden" by a woman called a "guide". She had been given a new identity and moved to Seattle to get away from a potentially fatal relationship. That was back in Tennessee. This led to the woman's guide, Dani, discovering that the brothers of the husband that Julie had killed, were running meth labs out of the woods of the land that Julie and her husband had owned. They were worried about losing the land and the labs. This ended up with the labs being pointed out to the FBI, and then one of the brothers and one of their dealers coming to Seattle to get revenge on John and the FBI agent in charge of the case back in Tennessee.

Part VII involved John and the others getting involved with a Romanian gang out of Chicago. It turned out to be more than that, including Maggie and others getting shot. A party at the Bradford's was interrupted by gunmen shooting randomly into the gathering. Finally, in the end, law enforcement got the bad guys and the good guys got someone who turned evidence. Maggie was recovering quickly, and as summer arrived, John was hoping for good weather and a calmer life.

Recurring Characters

LTC (Retired) John Jackson, 5'11", 180, 56 years old.

Marie Jackson, John's dead wife, 5'8", 140, 44 years old, died 15 Jan 2012

Angelica Jackson (Angel), John and Marie's daughter, 5'5", 125, 29 years old.

Mary Bradford, bartender, 5'5", 120, 44 years old.

Margaret (Maggie) Bradford, Mary's sister, 5'6", 115, 45 years old.

Madeleine (Maddie) Bradford, Maggie's daughter, 16 years old.

Samantha (Sam) Walker, 5'6", 130 pounds, 49 years old, John's former neighbor.

Joyce Walker, Sam's daughter, 5'4", 120 pounds, 29 years old, and now an exotic dancer using the name Lily

Marion Walker, Sam's daughter, 5'4", 115 pounds, 27 years old.

SFC (Retired) Craig Smithson, 6', 190, 56 years old, NCO from John's Army unit.

Captain Jeff Smithson, 5'11', 185, 54 years old, SFC Smithson's brother and a captain in the Seattle Police Department.

Luke Cole, 5'10", 180, detective in the Seattle Police Department.

Maria Cole, 5'6", 135, Luke's wife.

Jeanne (aka Jasmine) Welch, 5'5", 110, 31 years old, exotic dancer.

Olivia, 5'4", 120 pounds, 31 years old, called Livy, exotic dancer.

Max Meridian (real name Harold Johnson), Mark's lead kidnapper and enforcer. Now changed his name to Bob Thomas and is married to Susan. They own and operate a bar in Key West.

Susan Thomas, Bob's new wife.

George Watson, a new member of the detective agency.

Vanessa Williams, 5'6", 130, detective in the Seattle Police Department.

Yvonne, 5'2", 105, illegal hacker who helped find the human trafficker who had funded the anarchists in Seattle.

Danielle (Dani) Parker, 5'8", 120, known as a "guide". She takes cases where an individual is in mortal danger and "hides" them by giving them new identities and teaching them how to lay low.

Benjamin Smothers, Deputy Director of the FBI.

Allison June, 5'7", FBI agent in Seattle.

---------------------- Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Site of the house explosion, Seattle, WA -----------

John finally saw that he could get out and backed his car out of the mess, and headed home. He didn't catch sight of the car that pulled out behind him. It only followed him a few blocks before another took over. He was unaware of being followed as he left the emergency vehicle mess.

However, about the time John got near his apartment, he caught sight of a car that had to be following him. He wouldn't have seen it except for the way it ran a late yellow to keep up. John always stayed aware of all the people and cars around it. It was habit. He was always checking his mirrors for traffic, and occasionally, being followed. In this case, it was a very non-descript Toyota, probably about 5 years old. He quickly decided not to stop at his apartment.

John pulled up on the street just before the block where his apartment was. He pulled up, got out, and went into the building. It was also an apartment structure, and he had been in it before to visit someone. He knew there was a back door to a fenced in patio and a nice entryway. He stopped just inside the entryway after ensuring, as he walked up, that the sunny day made it impossible to see inside from the street.

John stopped against a wall and watched the car drive slowly past. It went to the street just past this building and turned left. John bolted out the back door and over to the fence that was there. It had those alternating vertical slats that overlapped just a little and made it impossible to see someone from directly on the other side, but at an angle you could see enough to make things out. He made sure he was directly opposite the car as it came to a halt.

John then slowly moved to the end of this small fenced in area, peeking between the slats until the car and the driver came into view. He was now in a shady spot and could just make out the guy, so he was pretty well hidden. He watched as the guy made a phone call. He was talking for a couple of minutes. While he did that, John took out his phone and moved to the furthest corner of the fence from the car. He turned on the video and slowly placed it on the fences upper cross-member, wedged between two slats so that the lens was pointing out to the street.

John was watching through the slats just below his camera when another car came around the corner. John cursed under his breath. It was the guy who had been asking questions just outside of Bob's; the guy who he thought was acting suspiciously. This proved it.

The well-dressed guy pulled up next to the Toyota in his Acura and buzzed down the window. They talked for a few minutes and then the Acura pulled away. The guy in the Toyota waited a few seconds and then also pulled away.

John immediately grabbed his phone and called Vanessa. He didn't wait for any pleasantries. "Vanessa, I'm sending you a video. I was just followed home by someone in a Toyota, plate visible, who parked just outside my apartment. Then the guy who was asking questions outside Bob's house pulled up in an Acura and they had a conversation. His car has no front plate. I will forward to Special Agent June, too."

Vanessa was muttering and finally said, "Wait! They followed you to your apartment?"

"Yes, but I spotted the guy and went into the building in the next block to throw them off. Let me send you this video and you can call me back with questions."

"Okay, go." She hung up.

John sent the video to Vanessa and Allison and then went back through the other apartment building and walked to his. He went up the stairs and entered his apartment. It was almost 8pm and dusk was falling. "Maggie?"

Maggie came rushing out of the bedroom. "John! Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, eventually." He pointed down at his left leg. His pants had been ripped open and a large bandage was visible.

Maggie looked up at him. "Do you have to always be in the middle of things that get you hurt?"

John shrugged. "No, it just happens sometimes."

"Well, let's get you situated and make you comfortable."

"That would be good. How about a blowjob?"

Maggie laughed. "Yeah, you would joke about that while you were injured."

"Who's joking?" He grinned.

Maggie slapped him on the arm. "You will not be rewarded for getting hurt, again."

John sat on the couch and Maggie made sure he put his leg up and got comfortable. "Okay, now, beer or scotch?"

John sighed. "Well, since a blowjob seems to be out of the question, I'll take a beer."

"You are turning into quite the potty-mouth, John." Maggie smiled and went to get the beer.

After getting the beer, John explained what happened.

Maggie looked at him as she sat down. "Do you think they will find this apartment?"

"Eventually. You may have to move back to your father's place for the duration of this mess."

Maggie stared at him. "Damn it. You just can't stay away from the jobs that put you in danger."

John pulled her close and she turned to lay with her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to be one, but it just happened. It was supposed to just be a missing girl, not a serial killer." John's mind clicked through what he had just said. "Wait! Why a serial killer? Why did the police think that? Serial killers are usually loners and this is at least two guys who were blackmailing someone, blew up his house, and then followed me home. That's not a serial killer!"

John immediately called Vanessa. She answered almost immediately. "Is there more, John?"

John chuckled as Maggie gave him the stink eye for not resting, as she had directed. "There's always more. I wanted to ask you why the police thought this was the work of a serial killer?"

There was a momentary silence on the other end of the phone, and finally Vanessa answered. "Well, at first it seemed like the work of one. All the evidence pointed to someone who was stalking young woman along the southern end of the ravine."

"And now?"

"Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I can't see how it can be one now. We have at least two men, the ones who followed you home, who are the ones who purchased Bob's debts and used them to blackmail him, put a bomb in his house in case someone found him, and then followed you home after seeing you at the scene. That sounds nothing like a serial killer, who are normally loners."

"So, are we now talking about some sort of organization?"

"That's what I would think. Some group that is organized to do this, which leads to the next question. What are they using the women for? I mean, we've got two dead bodies of ones that have disappeared. Did they not work out? Did they make a fatal mistake trying to fight back or see something they shouldn't have?"

"Correct. That was my feeling when I started thinking about today. I guess we should see what Allison thinks. The feds are going to be involved from now on, especially if these ladies are being trafficked, turned into mules, or otherwise moved across a state border."

"Yeah, I'll check in with her tomorrow. Right now, you should be getting some rest."

"I know, I know. Maggie is pushing for me to relax, too."

"Okay, later."

"Good night." John hung up and put the phone down.

Maggie came back from the bedroom. "I've got my suitcase out and will pack some things tomorrow morning and stay with my father for a while. Maddie's already there, so that's easy."

"Your father never minds you coming over. He misses his daughters."

"Yeah, I know." Maggie sat down next to John. "But I do like sleeping with my husband."

"Sleeping?"

Maggie grinned. "That, and other things." Then she stood up. "Now, before you even get close to our bed, you need to take a shower and have that bandage changed."

John nodded. "Okay, okay." John stood and headed for the bedroom and bathroom, Maggie following.

---------------------- Thursday, August 25, 2022, John's apartment, Seattle, WA -----------

At about 0830, Alison called John and told him that they had a meeting about this situation and the feds were taking over. She also said that she had gotten permission for him to sit in, but only because he had been followed home and was in the cross-hairs.

John showed up at 0815, was picked up at the door by Alison, and escorted into the main conference room. There were several folks there who were very suspicious of John, but a few of them remembered him from another earlier investigation and came over to say hello.

The agent in charge went over what had been gleaned so far. It included the names of the owners of the two automobiles, which, as it turned out, were fictitious. John's pictures were good enough to identify the guy who had been driving the Toyota. He was a low-level flunkie from the local area who had probably been hired just for this job, so they didn't hold out much hope on getting information from him, but it was still imperative that they find him. The same was true of Bob, the guy whose house they blew up. They were just pawns being used by this organization.

John was then asked to come up and answer a few questions about his experience as they showed the movie he had taken. He told them about taking it. But for the Toyota driver, he said, "I think you'll be lucky to find him alive. Based on how they treated the guy and his house who was a spotter, if he's just a local flunkie, they'll kill him before they let us get him."

Alison agreed. "I agree. We need to find him quickly or he'll be killed to cut us off from them. They know he can provide a good description of the guy in the Acura, even if the name is fictitious."

Everyone murmured their approval and the meeting broke up with everyone heading to do their assignment.

---------------------- Friday, August 26, 2022, John's apartment, Seattle, WA -----------

Maggie had just left to go to her father's place, giving John a stern warning about doing something foolish or dangerous at his advancing age.

"Advancing age?!" John thought. Shit, she was probably right, but he still felt pretty good and kept in shape. He knew the day was coming when he wouldn't be able to do the physical things he had always done, but right now, he could still keep up with the younger guys. Well, mostly.

At about 2pm, Detective Williams showed up at his apartment.

"Hey, Vanessa." John let her in and she walked to the couch to sit down. "Can I get you something?"

"No, thanks. Just wanted to give you an update on our involvement. The local police, I mean."

John sat down. "Okay."

"There is another bar where some women have supposedly gone missing. They asked for a volunteer to go undercover with that group. The group of women they were raiding all work at the same place, and they asked for the volunteer to sit with them and be the one that is taken. They don't know how the spotter is yet, if there is one. The police will ensure that they leave in a manner to guarantee their safety and I, the volunteer, will be the one to get caught."

"You?"

"Yes, I volunteered."

"It's very dangerous. Do they have all the resources necessary to protect you and follow you?"

"They say they do, but I know you and your friends are very resourceful and think outside the box, so I wanted to ask for your help."

"What can we do? We will not be allowed to play with the feds and your folks in this."

"I know. But I would feel safer anyway if there was a second set of people tracking and following me. I would not tell them of your involvement, so it would have to remain between us."

"Okay. I'll call my boss and we'll put together some ideas and a small team. I think you can guess that the first thing that happens is that they put you into a car that is a Faraday cage, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I was told. They think that is why the phones of these abductees appears to just disappear. They said that they probably take you somewhere where the building is also shielded until they can check the phone and anything else you might have. The feds say they have an idea, but it's still a tracker that can be scanned for and found. I want to be surer of being found than that. I volunteered, but I don't want it to be a suicide mission. I want these assholes to be found and their operation terminated, but I want to come out of this okay."

"I have the idea. I'll discuss it with them and see what we can come up with."

"Okay, thanks.

Vanessa left and I called Craig, the owner of the detective agency I worked for. I explained what was going on and he arranged for me to come to his place at 7pm along with some of the guys. George, our most competent technology expert would be there.

When I arrived at Craig's, I was met by George, Marty, Carl, and Craig. It was the basic team that had been together for a while now.

George started in immediately after they all said hello. "John, I have a couple of interesting ideas." He held up a ring. "This is what looks like a normal woman's ring that some women obtain as their college class rings. Not many get them, but this is a more common one amongst those that do. It has a flat top with the school crest on it. This one has been modified so that the top will come off. It has a magnet in it that when the ring is laid flat on a surface, the top will detach and adhere to the metal surface where it is applied. Once that is done," George then laid the ring on top of a metal tray and the top stayed there, "the underside has a blinking infrared beacon. This prevents them from discovering a GPS tracking device. I recommend that we provide her with this as a way of marking the first car she gets into. We can then follow it using one of our longer-range drones. What do you think?"

John stared at it. "What is the angle at which the beacon is viewable?"

"The beacon can be seen up to 75 degrees off the main center of the item. Why?"

"Well, we have to assume that she will have very little time to put this item on the car she is being transported in. She may not be able to put it on a nice flat surface like the top of the car or the trunk. She may have to put it on the side of the vehicle."