Starting Over Pt. 06 Ch. 02

Starting Over VI, Chapter 1.

This is the sixth 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.

Recurring Characters

LTC (Retired) John Jackson, 5'11", 180, 55 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, 28 years old.

Mary Bradford, bartender, 5'5", 120, 48 years old.

Samantha (Sam) Walker, 5'6", 130 pounds, 48 years old, John's neighbor.

Joyce Walker, Sam's daughter, 5'4", 120 pounds, 28 years old, and now an exotic dancer using the name Lily

Marion Walker, Sam's daughter, 5'4", 115 pounds, 26 years old.

SFC (Retired) Craig Smithson, 6', 190, 55 years old, NCO from John's Army unit.

Captain Jeff Smithson, 5'11', 185, 53 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.

Marcus Candiotti, strip club manager.

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.

No sex in this chapter

---------------------------- Tuesday, July 27, 2021, Seattle, WA -----------

John came awake at about 9am. He had finally slept pretty hard for a while and woke up to the sounds of cooking in the kitchen. He put on his robe, and walked out to find the three women making French toast. It smelled wonderful.

"Good morning, ladies. Smells good."

Julie said good morning, Dani just nodded, and Yvonne came over and gave him a big kiss. The three ladies giggled a little. John looked at them questioningly. Even Dani had a smile, which was the first time he had seen one on her.

Julie giggled and tried to say something, but just kept laughing. John looked down at Yvonne.

She grinned up at him. "It seems that Julie couldn't sleep right away and came out to see if we were up. She overheard some strange things."

Julie laughed again. "Yeah, like something about 'harder, harder'".

John shook his head. "I'm sorry, my friend Yvonne here is a bit of a slut."

"Hey!" Yvonne slapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly.

John shrugged. "Anyway, smells good in here!" John looked at the growing stack of French toast and tried to change the subject.

Yvonne smiled up at him. "We were just getting ready to start eating it before it got cold, but I knew you'd get up as soon as you smelled food cooking."

"You're right about that."

They all sat down and ate. The discussion got going almost immediately between bites by Toni (Dani).

"I'm leaving this afternoon and going to put together my plans tonight. I'll get out there first thing in the morning to see what I can do to this place. I would call the police, but when I saw one of the Watkins meet a Sheriff out that way, I decided that one or more of the local law enforcement agencies may be involved. I'm going to have to make waves myself and maybe get some help from some other law enforcement later."

John shook his head. "It's not a good idea to go in there by yourself. I recommend you try to get some law enforcement in there and let them handle it. Those guys are gunning for Julie, and would probably not think twice about killing the woman who took her away and hid her. Not to mention know about their illegal activities."

Dani just looked at him, ignoring his comments. "I leave at 2pm."

John shrugged. "Okay. Have it your way. You've been doing this awhile. Just be careful and keep in touch."

"I don't keep in touch. Once my work here is done, I'm out. Only to be contacted in an emergency by one of my clients."

John stared at her, then nodded. "Got it."

Everyone finished breakfast with a little more tension after that discussion.

Dani went to pack.

John immediately went into his drawer and put the battery and chip into a burner he had. He called Bob's personal cell and hung up. It was his way of telling Bob to get on his burner.

Bob was a guy who was a hired enforcer and had at one time had a contract on John. Things went bad and Bob (not his real name) fled to Florida. He had been tiring of the life, started second-guessing the path he had chosen in life, and found a woman he could live with. John had tracked him to Key West and was ready to kill him. However, John found he couldn't do it in such a cold-blooded fashion, so he made a deal with Bob. It was only because Bob had seemed to find a reason to quit the life, that John didn't turn him in. He decided that he might be able to use him at some point. Bob had cleaned up his life, but he still knew how to move around the edges. And he did. Bob was instrumental in a couple of cases and so he decided to see if he could help here.

Bob answered quickly when John called the burner number 10 minutes later. "Hey." He answered knowing who it was.

John explained what was going on with Toni, as he knew her, and what she was going to do. He asked Bob to immediately go to Nashville and he would send information on the location of the house and where she might be going. Bob agreed and John said he would transfer monies today.

John then called Agent Smith and gave him a kind of hypothetical question to see if he would be willing to find someone to help them on receipt of a phone call, but protect Bob and Toni. Agent Smith asked for more information and John described most of the things without giving away Toni's real name, Bob's former life, the location of the lab, and how he had found out about it.

Finally, Agent Smith agreed to have some agents of the FBI and DEA nearby to be able to respond, if possible. He wanted the location. John told him it was just west of Nashville, and Agent Smith told him he'd have about 12 men ready near there. They'd be ready any time after noon tomorrow and ready to go upon receiving the phone call.

---------------------------- Wednesday, July 28, 2021, Seattle, WA -----------

Julie told John that she was worried about her guide and John commiserated with her, but he didn't mention Bob. He didn't say anything about what was going on from his side.

The three of them watched some TV and did some reading while waiting for some information on what was going on.

---------------------------- Wednesday, July 28, 2021, Just outside Nashville, TN -----------

Dani had gotten to Nashville a little later than she wanted, but she had stashed her pack and some things from her last visit, knowing she would come back, in a locker at the bus station. On this bright, sunny morning she went there and retrieved it, re-stocked what she needed for food and drink, picked up some more 9mm ammunition, and headed out to where she was before. She used the Toni credit card and ID.

Dani got to the area she wanted at about 8am. It was just getting light on that side of the hills, and she still wanted to see where she was going in the woods. There were too many ways to get really hurt. She began her trek in to where the meth lab was. She was going to have to look for where they kept the slave labor.

Bob arrived in Nashville very late the night before, but got up and got ready early. He had called an old friend named Jack, who was still in the area and would loan him some weapons for a small fee. Well, okay, not that small, but he needed the firepower. His only other choice would have been to take one off a bad guy after he took him out. He was not sure he would get close enough or could wait that long, so he knew he would pay Jack's fee.

Bob collected a pack and a lot of the same stuff that Dani had put together. He could carry a little more because he was larger. That also meant that he required more food and water. He then went by Jack's place and Jack leant him two weapons. He let him borrow a 9mm Sig Sauer and an old.30-06 rifle. He didn't have time to zero it, but he figured he only needed it for a couple of hundred yards, not a longer shot.

Bob got to the area about 9am. Jack wouldn't get up too early and he lived was on the other side of Nashville from where he was going. He drove as fast as he dared to get there. He used the GPS on his phone to guide him. John and Julie had sent him the coordinates of the house and where they thought Dani might have parked last time, based on her description, so he did a quick check around the area.

It took a little time because she had hidden the car pretty well, but Bob eventually found it. He looked around the area she was parked in. He didn't want to park too close. That might cause even more attention. He drove around for a few minutes and found another trail where he could pull in behind some downed trees. He hid the car with branches, put his pack together, slung the rifle, and set off in the direction of the house. The description that Julie had provided pointed to the house and then back along a small ridge of hills. It was the best they could do.

About the time Bob finally got away from his car, Dani had reached the meth lab. She was quietly circling over the top along the slope of the hill, but not at the very top of the ridgeline, because that would highlight her against the sky, even with all the trees around.

Dani made her way down the slope a little and followed the road the van had taken. She wanted to find the place where they were housing the slave labor.

She only went about a half a mile before she found it. She surveyed it carefully. It was a small, slightly dilapidated wooden structure with a small stoop. It was not very big. She started watching for any comings and goings, trying to see if there was a schedule she could follow or discern the number of individuals in the small house-like structure.

While Dani was surveying the house, Bob came up on the meth lab. He found the lab and the vents. He watched carefully. It was approaching noon, so as he sat, he ate a sandwich and some jerky. He made sure he properly stored the trash and drank some water. He tried to figure out where Dani might have gone. He was studying the area when he noticed the fresh tire tracks in the road leading in the opposite direction of the main house and civilization. Maybe she was following that. She had to be looking for the housing for the slave labor. He decided he had to follow. John had asked him to watch out for this woman and, as he got further along, the more respect and admiration he had for her. She was a determined woman, and she was good at what she did.

Dani was still sitting outside the slave house when the door in front opened. A man walked out wearing a sidearm. It looked like a.45. Dani watched and waited. Finally, another man came out and said something. They both went back inside. Dani noted that they were both armed with handguns. She continued to watch.

Bob finally found Dani at about 1pm. She was sitting in a good spot, hidden from the cabin, but close enough to be able to see everything and, if necessary, advance on it. He was on the hill above her by about 100 meters. She was in a good position behind some trees, brush, and a large downed tree that together made up a good place to hide and watch.

Bob was sitting there waiting when the door to the small house opened. He watched carefully as a man came out wearing a sidearm. He was pulling a rope and as he came out, strung on the rope were women wearing only bras and panties. Bob figured this was the meth lab slave labor. He watched as the women were led to a white panel van and climbed inside. At the end of the line of women was another man armed with a sidearm.

When all the women were inside, the first man got in the driver's seat and the second man climbed into the passenger seat. It was obvious as they left that they were heading for the meth lab. Bob watched as they disappeared to his right. He then watched Dani as she carefully surveyed the house. He, too, looked for indications of cameras, alarms, sensing lights. He didn't see anything.

Dani could see nothing that would prevent her from getting a look inside the house. She stealthily climbed out of her hide, 9mm in her hand, and crept over to the house. She peeked inside and could see that it consisted of a main room with the kitchen and a couple of small rooms that must be a bathroom and a bedroom. It was tiny. Scattered all over the main room were sleeping bags and clothes. Obviously, the women were sleeping in the common area. She was ready to move to her left a little, when a man appeared around the corner of the house, grinning, and pointing a.45 at Dani.

Dani froze and started talking to the guy. Bob watched their interaction. She was probably trying to say that she was just hiking in the area and saw the house. He was shaking his head at whatever she was saying.

Dani tried to make the case to the armed man that she was lost and looking for help. He didn't buy it.

"I know you're out here looking for our meth lab. Don't try to lie. We've had several people back in here looking around for things they aren't supposed to. Now drop that weapon at your side before I shoot you and worry about who you are later. The others we found out here are buried in the woods."

Dani dropped the gun and the guy asked her to put her hands on the house. She did and he came near her and kicked the gun out of the way. She thought about what she was to do next. She couldn't let the others get back here and have to worry about three armed men. She had to make her move now.

But the guy backed up and stayed about 20 feet from her. He pulled out a cell phone and called someone. He said he captured another meth seeker and hung up. He told the others he would wait for them to return. Then he just stood there, leaving Dani up against the wall.

Bob watched all this occur. As soon as she got captured and they were distracted with their conversation he began a quiet move down the hill closer to the house. He was now only about 50m from their position. He quietly got the rifle up and took aim at this guy. He was close enough that he should be able to hit him without having a chance to zero the weapon.

Bob took aim and calmed himself. When he took the shot, the echo was large and probably would be heard by anyone at the meth lab if they were outside. The guy he shot went down immediately, but he was grasping his right arm. Bob had aimed center mass and the bullet went a little right. But he hit him. He yelled, "He's down!" as loud as he could.

Dani heard the gunshot, and flinched. Then she heard Bob yell that the man was down. She turned and looked and could see that he had dropped his weapon and was squirming on the ground from being shot. He was holding his right shoulder. Dani recovered her gun as quickly as possible and headed toward her hide.

Bob started moving closer. "I'm headed down. Don't shoot."

Dani watched carefully, her gun raised, as this man approached. When he got without about 15m, he stopped.

"John sent me as a backup."

Dani shook her head. She didn't want so many people involved in this. But for now, she had to get ready for the others.

Bob looked over at the man laying there. "Let's hide him and let them wonder where he is. It will confuse them." Bob grinned at her. "Or should we just shoot them and be done with it?"

Dani looked at Bob and then over at the other man. "We can hide him, but they have at least two other men who are transporting the women and probably some supervisors in the meth lab. I'm sure they'll respond at some point."

"Yeah, but they have to find out what happened first. They will be busy and if we prevent these guys from communicating, then we have a chance to get out of here."

Dani shook her head. "No, not without freeing the women. They have been brought in, probably illegally, abused, probably raped, and made to work in a meth lab. I'm not leaving without them."

"Okay. I was told to call John when I joined up with you."

Dani looked at him. "Why?"

Bob shrugged. "I just know that when dirty work needs to be done, John pays well."

Dani shook her head. "I don't think you should call him."

"Well, that's not your call." Bob pulled out his phone and looked at her to see her reaction. Dani watched and started putting her gear on. He dialed the stored number.

"John? We've found everything and one of them is down with a gunshot wound. But the rest will be coming back soon and we haven't got all the women out."

Bob listened and then hung up. "We need to stay out of sight. John's got friends in high places elsewhere and is going to send them in. He said they will shut this down, get the women, and know to let us go. I don't know how he does this, but I've heard it before."