. 01

Starting Over X, Part 1

This is the tenth 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.

In Part VIII, John got involved in a kidnapping that turned into an international trafficking ring, and included a place where people could abuse young women. It was led by a billionaire, Lucas Berenson. John lost his wife, Maggie, when Lucas sent people to kill John, Maggie, and all the members of the detective agency John worked for. They tracked down Berenson in Canada and he was captured. Yvonne went to work legally and is living with John.

In Part IX, John and his partners are asked to protect a woman that Dani had hid, who had run away from one of Berenson's operations in Miami. Two bad FBI agents attempted to intercept them, but Deputy Director Smothers was ready. The two were captured, the woman returned to her former life, and John and friends got information that Berenson escaped to St. Martin. They followed him there, with assistance, and then Guadaloupe to get the authorities to recapture him.

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.

---------------- Sunday, Sep 10, 2023, Seattle -----------

John and Yvonne were relaxing on a Sunday, enjoying some football.

Yvonne turned to John, "So, when are we supposed to go up there?"

John turned to her. "Well, the prosecutor in Banff wants us up there by next Monday so that the defense can depose us. I don't know how different the Canadian courts are, but they both want to interview us before the trial starts on the 19th."

"Okay, so we going up any earlier than that?"

"Yeah, I figure we will go up there this Friday, spend a couple of days looking around, then on Sunday, the 17th, we'll let them know we are there in the hotel they are putting aside for us. Also, Colonel Garfield will meet us up there on Monday."

"Okay." She turned back to the TV. "Who's winning?"

"Does it matter to you?"

"Not really." She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. John figured she was going to nap and just relaxed for more football.

---------------- Friday, Sep 15, 2023, Seattle, WA -----------

John and Yvonne left early on Friday and headed to Banff. They didn't arrive until almost 10pm and went to the hotel where they had made a reservation. They spent the next two days looking around Banff, checking out the area, the ski slopes, and where they would be staying for the trial. They would be going to something called the Court of King's Bench. Neither knew much about this, but knew they had to be ready to answer questions. They reviewed what had occurred, and were also going to have to discuss how they got into Canada, and how they found Berenson. They had gone through the border at the named gate and provided the required documentation on the weapons they had. They thought everything was legal. If it wasn't, then they would feign ignorance.

---------------- Monday, Sep 18, 2023, Banff, AB, Canada -----------

On Monday, John and Yvonne met with the lawyers prosecuting the case and went over everything that they had learned and done to track down Berenson for capture in Canada, and then John covered just what was needed to the recapture of him in Guadeloupe. They pressed him on how he located him, and he told them enough so that they were satisfied about how he had learned it. John kept asking them why this was important. He was on trial for the murder of the two Mounties and the two FBI agents. The prosecuting attorneys said that they would try to limit it to that, but that it may go quite far afield.

On Tuesday, they met with Berenson's defense attorneys. They were dressed in suits that looked like they came from Saville Row, and were very smug. As they went over how John and Yvonne tracked Berenson to Canada, they particularly asked about the weapons. John covered that and said that the weapons had been properly checked by the Mounties and returned a couple of weeks ago.

The attorneys were not satisfied and tried to pick apart his story. His attorney, Colonel Garfield would very calmly make recommendations on how to reply until the prosecuting attorneys started getting angry and loudly attacking them.

Colonel Garfield didn't wait long when they started acting aggressive. He stood up and said, "I think this is a good time to take a break."

The attorney Michael Livingston objected. "No. No breaks until we are done."

Colonel Garfield smiled. "Well, that in itself will be grounds for me to stop this right now. You can then go to the court to reschedule this."

Livingston appeared to be turning red. "No way. We are going to trial tomorrow no matter what."

Colonel Garfield remained calm and reserved. "Well, that is your call. My clients need a break, and, if you continue to attack them, we will walk out and report this to the court. You want to ask pointed questions, do so, but do not raise your voices, get overly aggressive, and try to intimidate my clients."

John thought Livingston was going to pop a blood vessel. His face turned very red and his breathing increased. Livingston was staring at Garfield with daggers and Garfield was just smiling calmly. John figured that was pissing off Livingston as much as anything.

Finally, Livingston relented and there was a break. After that, the defense attorneys tried everything to shake John and then Yvonne's story. But everything was pretty evident.

---------------- Wednesday, Sep 20, 2023, Banff, AB, Canada -----------

John and Yvonne gave their testimony early and, on Wednesday, got a call from Craig. "Hey, Craig," John started, thinking this was just a check-in.

"John, do you remember SSG Rivera, who was in that platoon when we got attacked?" There was no reason for Craig to say anything other than "that platoon". John had gone out with "that" platoon as an observer from the division staff, just to oversee and observe the methods they were using, when they were ambushed. John and Craig had both been shot, but outflanked the enemy and killed many of them before they fled. They were both awarded Silver Stars and Purple Hearts for that action, and credited with saving most of the platoon.

"Yes, a little. It's been a while."

"Well, he was stabbed and killed on Saturday."

"Damn it! Where was he living?"

"Living and working in Alabama, near Huntsville."

"Doing government work?"

"Yes, a contractor for a company doing work for the Missile Defense Agency."

"Sorry to hear that. Family?"

"Wife and three daughters, 25, 21, and 19."

"What a mess. You going to the funeral?"

"Yes, and there's a twist. His wife thinks he was targeted. She wants me to look into it. You want to come?"

"Absolutely. When are you leaving?"

"Saturday morning."

"Okay. We'll come back tomorrow and I'll fly out with you. Get me a ticket. Is this going to be billable, you think? Or, even if he was targeted, we doing this gratis?"

"For free. SSG Rivera was one of my best buddies."

"Roger that. See you Friday."

John hung up and passed along the information to Yvonne. They made arrangements to leave on Thursday and told the lawyers the situation. The lawyers didn't think they'd need to come back, but took their phone numbers anyway.

---------------- Friday, Sep 22, 2023, Washington, D.C. -----------

Deputy Director Smothers sat at the head of the table. His staff was going over some of the most important cases, providing the updates he needed as he directed the resources the FBI had available.

"What happened with the case down near Huntsville?" he asked one of his division chiefs.

"We lost our source for the operation we had going at the Missile Defense Agency. The guy who reported to us that he suspected someone of taking classified material from that agency was killed earlier this week. He had reported it and we had been using an informant that the Marshal's Service had as a conduit between this individual, MSG(R) Enrique Rivera, and us."

"Killed as in murdered?"

"Yes. The local police handled the case and we didn't intervene because it was ruled a common mugging."

"Could it be something else?"

"A review of their investigation revealed no irregularities and appeared to be correct."

"Okay. Next."

They continued the meeting.

---------------- Sunday, Sep 23, 2023, Meridianville, AL -----------

John, Craig, and George were sitting on the couch in the den at SSG Enrique Rivera's house. His wife, Carla was sitting across from them in his old easy chair. She told them about the last few weeks, and how Enrique had been getting more and more distant and seemed more stressed. He was disappearing at odd hours and had been very short with everyone lately. His daughters, though all away at college, were sure that something was wrong, but no one knew what it was.

John, Craig, and George met in John's hotel room afterwards. They discussed the situation. John had asked Craig to see if he could borrow Enrique's car and phone, so that they could work on getting to the bottom of this.

When they had discussed the situation with Carla, they were surprised to find that his phone had made it through the "mugging". She and Enrique had a friend in the police who managed to get the summary and some shots of the crime scene. Carla refused to look at it, but John, Craig, and George went over it closely. When they were done, John and Craig were sure that this was no mugging.

The body had been found stabbed and supposedly robbed only 20 feet from the car. Enrique had been stabbed twice, both of them in perfect locations to hit the heart and right kidney. The killer had taken Enrique's wallet, watch, and wedding ring, but had not used the car fob to open the car. A mugger who searched someone and got his wallet and pocket money, would have found the fob that fell from Rivera's right hand, and rifled the car. In the car there was a large tool set in the back. The phone was in the console charging, and in the glove box was a handgun. Any real mugger would have found all of that and taken at least the phone and weapon. It was very odd. The wounds seemed professional, but not the taking of Enrique's belongings. Something was amiss.

George went through Enrique's phone to see what he could find out about places he called and to see if his GPS was on. Craig and John did the same to the car. They checked out recent locations he had put into his navigation system. They called Yvonne for assistance to see if she could get more information than was readily available. She told them probably not.

They found several slightly odd things, but a couple of things were more glaring red flags. Enrique had visited a place called "Diamonds in the Rough", a strip club, and had a number stored in his phone under "Sapphire". There was no doubt in any of them that Sapphire worked there. It was another of those common stripper names. The fact that this was in SSG Rivera's phone and car was very odd. SSG Rivera loved his wife and family and had never been to a strip club back in the Army when a few folks would go to celebrate something. He always said it didn't appeal to him.

The three discussed how to approach this, so it was decided that John and George would go to the strip club and do three-hour shifts until the mysterious Sapphire was found. The club was in Tennessee pretty far up the road toward Nashville. It was almost 100 miles and they would have to drive almost 2 hours each way.

---------------- Monday, Sep 24, 2023, Near Nashville, TN -----------

John and George got to the "Gentlemen's Club", which was the euphemism for strip club, at about 7:30 in the evening. During the drive, they discussed what to do once they got in there and how to approach Sapphire.

At around 8pm, John entered the club, paid the entrance fee, and walked over to a table to find a decent location to be able to view the entire club. Most of these clubs were already designed that way so that everyone could see the strippers, but he got a good seat and ordered a beer. It appeared that high time was later than 8pm since it was a little sparsely populated.

John watched and listened to the dancers as they were introduced on stage. No Sapphire yet. He had taken one table dance from a nice redhead, just to appear friendly, and she was very good. In this club, they were allowed to dance in G-strings at the table. She had decent tits and a nice ass, moved well, and tried to get him excited, but he was thinking too much about other things.

It was almost at the end of his first shift when he heard the name. The DJ called Sapphire to the stage, and a young, beautiful brunette took the stage. She was about 5' 5", maybe 110 pounds, with nice tits between B- and C-cup size, a very tight ass, and a great smile. She started to dance and seemed lost in her own world as she used the pole and the stage to gyrate through losing her clothes down to a tiny G-string.

When she finished, she gathered the money that had been left on the stage, and walked down into the area where all the tables were. Like most of the dancers, she then went around looking to make money from table dances. That was also her best opportunity to try to get men to agree to a private dance back in the individual, secluded rooms. A lot more money was to be made there.

There weren't many men around yet, so she got to John fairly quickly. John grinned and patted his lap. Sapphire grinned back and sat down, wiggling her ass and nestling into him.

"You want a table dance?"

"In a minute. Can we just talk for a second? I'll buy you a drink, okay?"

Sapphire smiled. "Of course." She raised her arm and the waitress was there immediately. "Susan, can I have a Diet Coke? So, what's your name?" The waitress scampered away.

John raised his eyebrows. "John. And a dancer ordering a Diet Coke when a customer is buying? That's the first time that's happened to me."

Sapphire shrugged. "I try not to drink too early in my shift. I have to walk on these damn platforms," she held up one foot and displayed the very high platform shoes she was wearing, "and dance around on stage. I could break an ankle if I'm not careful."