Bloodline (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Bloodline - Chapter Eight

Sue paced the width of the living area of the cabin. In the fireplace, flames licked the dry log she had added after Jack left to call Myles from his car. Sunday had sneaked up on them, and the time had come to make a decision.

Levi patted her leg before walking to the door. Moments later, Jack entered, his expression as sober as a minister officiating a funeral.

"Jack?"

He hung his coat on a peg and walked up to her. The haunted look in his eyes worried her. She offered the comfort of her arms, knowing he would tell her when he was ready. The intensity of his kiss contrasted with the tenderness of his touch. Without a word, he carried her into the bedroom where he loved her with the same passion he'd shown her night after night.

Tears pooled in her eyes as he cradled her head in the crook of his shoulder and gently caressed her stomach. In the afterglow of their lovemaking, he usually stroked her back, not—

He kissed her eyelids. "What would you say if I took you home tonight?"

Nothing would please her more, but not at any cost.

"It depends what Myles said. Was the last tip useful?"

His muscles tensed.

"It looks like the two cleaning agencies, which included more than two dozen local offices, act as a front for a prostitution ring. There was an investigation into one of the No-More-Dust-Bunnies after a girl complained she was forced to have sex with the clients, but her timely disappearance doomed the case. At the time, nothing suspicious showed up on Della Martinez, the owner, and nothing tied her to Alvarez. At Sweep & Swipe, we ended up with the opposite results. Nothing on the girls, but the owner, Luis Mitchell, who just happens to be Della's estranged husband, was charged with human smuggling after he tried to get underage girls across the border with fake papers. He claimed the girls were relative of his who planned on studying here. The girls were sent back to Mexico after the charges were dismissed by no other than Judge Taylor. Now, at some level or another, we can tie the two agencies to Alvarez."

The tip had been worth it. Once they raided the agencies, it would save countless of girls from sexual slavery.

"Am I wrong to think that for a federal judge, Taylor is implicated in lots of cases that shouldn't be his to rule upon?"

"He's a very powerful man, and in order to bring the entire organisation down, we'll have to tie every loose end and orchestrate the take down of every facility simultaneously across the country." A heavy sigh deflated his chest. "It'll take lots of manpower, and we won't be able to do that unless we can silence the mole first."

"How close are you on catching Turner?"

"Tara thinks his wife went through the witness protection program before moving to Toronto. She tried finding her previous identity, but when she hacked into the database, she tripped some sort of cyber alarm. Turner now knows someone is looking at his wife's past, but Tara doubts he can backtrack to her. Problem is, aside from his wife's mysterious past, we can't find any connection between Turner and Alvarez. If Alvarez is blackmailing Turner, there's no trace of it."

"Are you saying he might not be the mole?"

"I'm saying..." The hesitation spoke volume to her. "I wouldn't risk taking Alvarez's organisation down until I know for certain that Turner is the mole. And right now, we only have speculations."

In the note that Sue had reread three times, Shadow had mentioned catching the pesky rodent. "If I stay here, Shadow might give him to you."

"With me gone for three days, she'll set her trap." His hand stilled. "There's too much at stake, sweetheart. I can't risk it."