Leopard, p.23
Leopard, page 23
“She was.” Leslie shrugged. “I’ve never even told Dylan about this building. It’s not the kind of thing we ever talked about.”
“So how did he find this place?” Mac inquired.
“Good damn question.” Calvin nodded. He took the bowl of ice Leslie was using on his face then threw the ice at the beat-up Dylan Myers. Then he smacked him a few times to ensure he was awake and alert.
Calvin pulled up a chair, then turned it backwards. He sat in it facing the man.
“Come on, Myers, I really need you fully awake before I kill you.”
Leslie started to say something, but Mac, who was sitting next to her as they stood out of eyesight of Myers, stopped her, then shook his head.
Calvin's eyes narrowed as he frowned at her. Then he nodded to Mac.
Mac pulled out an object similar to a pen and pointed it at Leslie. A film-like substance covered her mouth. Her eyes grew big as her hands flew to her lips. Mac pulled out a chair, sat her on it, then he sat on her lap.
Calvin wanted to smile, but he had a job to do. At no time could he give this man the impression that he would not do exactly what he said. His full attention went back to Myers.
“You are in a not so good situation, my man.” Calvin spoke with deadly calm. “You are in a building that is under my control, and I need to know why?”
“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about.” Dylan’s voice came out groggy.
Calvin pushed the button on his pen and a bolt of electricity streamed out. Dylan’s body jerked uncontrollably for a few seconds. The man cursed several times then glared at Calvin.
“I don’t have time for the bullshit, Myers. I want to know why you are at this building.”
“I wa...was looking for someone.” Dylan shuddered.
“Who?”
“A girl I know?”
He was warming up to a lie and Calvin knew it.
“What girl?”
“Leslie.”
“Leslie who?”
“I don’t know her last name, she was just a girl.”
The bolt of electricity hit him again. His legs kicked out jerking as Calvin exhaled.
“Wrong answer.” Calvin shook his head. “Now, I have to tell you. This shit in this device will increase every time you give me a bullshit line. Do we understand each other, Myers?”
“Alright…alright…alright…” Myers cried out. “Carrington. Her name is Leslie Carrington.”
“Okay, we are getting somewhere.” Calvin smiled. “Now I want you to tell me why you are looking for her here?”
He could see the hesitation on Myers' face. He pointed to the pen, but Myers cried out, “She was my assignment.”
“Assignment?” Calvin's eyebrow rose. “Explain, and please don’t make me have to go to full power on this. I’m only at two. Can you imagine what five would feel like?”
“I was hired to get information on the location of documents her parents had.”
“Paid by who?”
Dylan hesitated. “These are some powerful people you are interfering with.”
“I’m a powerful person,” Calvin advised. “I have the power of life and death in my hands.”
Dylan exhaled, as he shook his head. “Die now or later, it’s not going to matter at this point.”
“Okay,” Calvin said then pointed the pen.
“Wait…wait…wait…” Dylan yelled while squirming around trying to avoid another hit. “Ackerson…Congressman Ackerson,” he exhaled. “He hired me and several others to get information on Carrington.”
“Who else did he hire?”
“A team of people. I report to just one man. A man named Weaver. I’ve never met him. And no, I don’t know anything about Weaver except that he operates from a different realm. When he finds out I’ve been compromised, I’m dead.”
“How do you get in touch with him?”
“A text number. I have a text number for him.”
“What have you passed on about the Carringtons?” Calvin asked.
Dylan shook his head. “The daughter is on to something. That is all I could tell them. I’m supposed to get more details, that’s why I’m here.”
“How did you find this place?
“I followed her here, checked the real estate records for the owner and found her father’s name on the deed. So, I came to check it out.”
“Did you give them this address?”
“Not yet. I didn’t know what it was.” He looked around. “Hell, I still don’t.”
Calvin stood then put the chair he was sitting on back under the desk. He pushed the button on the pen, shooting Dylan with enough bolts to knock him unconscious.
He walked over to Leslie, whose eyes were wide open glaring at him with anger. He pointed the pen on a different setting to remove the seal from her mouth.
“You did it again. You killed him before we could find out who killed my parents.” She jumped up. “What is with you? Dead men can’t talk. You realize that, right?”
“I didn’t kill your boyfriend,” Calvin insisted.
“Associate, dammit. Associate!”
“Whatever he was, Dylan Myers is not dead.” Calvin glanced at Mac. “Have him picked up and handled.”
“Already in motion,” Mac replied.
“So now what are we going to do?” Leslie asked. “You’ve killed the first man. You’ve taken Dylan out. Where do we go from here?”
“We find Weaver.” Calvin exhaled, as he brushed her hair from her face. “I’m pretty sure he is the one who killed your parents.”
“Do you think so?”
The hope in her eyes made him smile. “I’m pretty sure.”
Chapter 35
It was after midnight by the time they got back to the condo. Calvin and Leslie walked through the door but didn't bother to turn on the lights. They had begun walking up the steps to the second level when they stumbled on something. Leslie reached over and turned on the light switch for the staircase. Her eyes grew wide in shock. Calvin pulled his weapon. He pushed her back down a few steps, placing her back to the door in the foyer. He turned on the lights downstairs.
“What the hell?” Leslie gasped.
“Stay where you are,” Calvin ordered as he moved into the great room and kitchen area. The place was trashed. Everything was torn or tossed around. Furniture was cut. Pots and pans were pulled out of the cabinets. Drawers were open. The pantry door was open. Everything inside that had been on the shelves had been knocked onto the floor. He walked into the dining room area. The wall was filled with holes, and it looked like someone was attempting to demolish the house. He went into the office. Every book, every knickknack was on the floor. He checked the closet and bathroom downstairs to ensure they were clear then he ran upstairs. Leslie ran up the stairs behind him.
“What in the hell is going on?” Her words caught in her throat when she ran to her office. The upstairs office looked worse than downstairs. Calvin came out of her bedroom putting his weapon away.
“There's no one here.”
“Well, someone damn sure has been here. It wasn’t like this when we left,” she cried out. “Why would someone trash my condo like this?”
Calvin pulled her into his arms. “They are definitely looking for something.”
He pulled out his cell phone then pushed a button. An emergency message was sent to TA.
“We have to call the police,” Leslie cried in his arms then stepped out.
“We will put in the report, but they are not going to find anything,” Calvin advised as he continued to glance around.
Leslie bent down to start picking up things from the linen closet that were spewed out on the hallway floor.
“Don’t touch anything. I need my team to analyze all of this before we put it all back together.”
“Put it back together…look at this, Calvin,” she cried out in anger. “It never felt like home, but it was where I slept at night. It’s where I’ve been trying to rebuild my life. First, they burned down my family home and now this. All for what? What is the reason behind all of this?” The tears were now gone. Anger replaced them.
“It’s about power and control,” Calvin replied. “It seems the pretenses are now off. The question is why?”
“Pretenses?” she questioned.
“Before, they were simply keeping an eye on you. It looks to me that the situation has intensified. Why?” he questioned while looking at the holes in the linen closet. “They are looking for something and for whatever reason, they now believe you have it.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, then she ran past him into her bedroom. Calvin followed her as she ran into the closet. She fell to her knees in front of a chest in the back.
“Oh no,” she cried out.
Calvin saw that all of the clothes were on the floor. Shoe boxes were everywhere. Holes in the walls just like in the other rooms.
He watched as she was throwing things from the pile in front of the chest, then she stopped. She picked up an item, then held it up to her face and cried a sigh of relief.
Calvin walked over then knelt in front of her. She held up a leather jacket.
“It’s my father’s." She released a long breath on a nervous chuckle. “I know it’s silly, but he left this for me. I know it in my heart. He wanted me to have this.”
“Then we are going to make sure nothing ever happens to it.” There was a knock at the door. “That’s TA.” He stood. “We will do a quick analysis then we will call the police.”
Calvin opened the door to let Phire inside. “I was the closest to you. The team will be here soon,” she said as she scanned around. “Things have escalated since we took in Myers. Why do you think that is?”
“Something has shifted,” Calvin suggested. “Ackerson is nervous about something. By the look of things, he thinks Leslie has what he wants.”
“One thing is for certain, she can’t stay here.” Phire exhaled. “I will contact the VP. She has all the security in place to protect her.”
“She’s going with me,” Calvin advised. “There is a camera right outside the door. Have Mac collect that footage before it can be erased. They punched holes in the walls. I suggest we check all of the walls before putting the place back together. Let’s make sure they haven't left something. Then I want her place put back better than what it was before.” He turned to see Phire staring at him. He raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss something?”
“I was just wondering who was in charge here.” Phire smirked.
“You are in charge of the team, I’m in charge of her,” Calvin advised.
“I see. The enemy is not the only one who has accelerated things.” She glared at him. “Have lines been crossed?”
“Crossed with no turning back.” Calvin held her glare.
The two stared at each other for a long moment. “Well, alright then. Let’s get this place cleaned up. Where is Leslie?”
“Upstairs in her closet,” Calvin replied, then hesitated. “Phire…”
Phire stopped her ascension then turned back to him.
“I’m in love with her.”
“I can see that.” She nodded. “She doesn’t have to be here for this. Our team can handle the police. Are you taking her to the compound or to your place?”
“My place.”
“I’ll make sure that security is put in place,” Phire stated.
“No, I will handle that. Until we know what has changed, I don’t want anyone to know where she is.”
Phire took a step back down. “Are you insinuating that someone from my team may have led to this?”
“No,” Calvin replied. “Not at all.” He stepped to her. “This is now personal. It is no longer about the prototype blueprints. It’s about my life, her safety is now connected to my future.”
“I get it.” She nodded. “TA will handle the info on the prototype. Keep in mind, your job is to bring down Ackerson.”
“Oh, his ass is coming down one way or another.”
“I’m sure he is.” She gave him a knowing smile. “I take it Leopard will be emerging. I mean if it was me, I would pull out the most dangerous persona in my arsenal to protect what I love.” She shrugged. “I’m just saying.” Then continued up the stairs.
An hour later, Mac had arrived along with Adam and a few others to assess the home invasion. The laptop computer had been set up on the island as they stood around watching the recording from the security camera outside the apartment.
The team of a man and a woman entered through the front door. “The woman cleared that lock in less than ten seconds,” Mac stated. “That’s a pro.”
“Are we able to get stills for facial recognition?” Phire asked.
“Done,” Mac confirmed.
“I want that guy, right there.” Calvin pointed to a man sitting in a car parked across the street from the condo.
“Why?” Phire took a closer look.
“Go back an hour before the people arrived,” Adam ordered.
Mac adjusted the timer back an hour. “The car is sitting there.”
“Go to around three in the afternoon,” Calvin suggested. “That’s the approximate time we left the condo.”
Mac did as requested. “The vehicle is not there.”
“He’s in another location.” Adam pointed.
“Who is he?” Leslie asked as she watched over their shoulders.
“Have you ever seen him before?” Adam inquired.
“No.” Leslie shook her head, “Not that I remember.”
“Your place is compromised,” Calvin stated as he turned to her. “Pack a bag, we’re going to my place.”
The expression on his face was fierce as she took a battle stance. “That little place you call home in DC? I don’t think so. That place doesn’t even qualify as a tiny home. It’s a box on stilts.”
Phire chuckled. “Good description.”
“Hey, we provide what we can,” Adam countered.
“I’m not talking about that place,” Calvin interrupted them. “No more questions. Pack several bags, we are out of here.”
Part II
Chapter 36
“They destroyed my house.”
Calvin heard the hurt. But more than that, he heard the anger.
“They invaded my private sanctuary.”
The anger was building if the tone of her voice was any indication.
“Once, I take it, was not enough for them. Noooo…they had to come back and do it again."
There was a lull in her voice that indicated the proverbial they had crossed a line.
“What they want and why, is no longer important. It is time for them to be located and eliminated. They have made me homeless…again.”
“You are not homeless,” Calvin interjected. “I have a home. Which means you have a home.” What the hell did I just say? Calvin's mind went blank for a minute. It took a second for him to reconcile what his mouth just said with what his heart was feeling. The thought validated the words that came from his mouth. She may not be there yet, he thought while turning into his driveway, but he was accepting the fact that his home was now going to be her home.
“I’m not speaking in terms of geography, Calvin,” Leslie addressed him. “I had just begun to rebuild my life, and this happens. Now, they have stripped me of not just my physical home, but my security, my peace of mind.”
“I’m speaking of all, your physical security and your mind.” He pulled into the garage, then pushed a button on his console. Watching his surroundings as the door closed, he waited until the lights were activated, then turned to her. He pointed at her. “Home has a different meaning for me now. So, I need you to play catchup.” He put a finger under her chin, then slowly lowered his lips to hers, placing a gentle kiss there. “I understand how upsetting this night has been. This is the end of the road. We are going to walk into this house understanding that this is now home for you. If this is not what you want, tell me now. It will not change my goal to find who murdered your parents. However, it will change my priorities. If you walk into this house with me, my number one priority becomes protecting you. If you are not there with me, I will take you to a secure location where I know you will be safe and continue with my mission. Either way, you are going to be protected.”
There, he said it. Damn if he had any idea what was going on in that brain of hers. It was the first time he had ever put his heart on the line. The longer the silence carried inside the car, the more his anxiety level decreased. Leslie was a thinker. She was taking her time to measure every aspect of what he said. Dissecting each possible outcome.
“Let’s go.”
There it was, he thought, as a smile began to curve at the corners of his lips.
“Are you changing your mind?” Leslie asked. As happy as she was to hear his words, she needed reassurance that he understood what he was saying. “I took your words as a commitment to me. Am I wrong?”
“No,” he immediately replied.
That caused her to smile. “This has been a crazy day. Waking up in your arms this morning made me forget about all the craziness surrounding me. Spending time with your parents gave me a glimpse into the future with you. All I could think about was ascending to the clouds of love. Making love to you again was all that was on my mind…until we walked into my condo.”
“I know it was a blow, but we will get to a point where we have time to explore life together.” He pulled her across the seat into his lap, then captured her lips sealing the deal.
He slowly released her. “Let’s go inside.”
Leslie followed Calvin through the door leading from the garage into a mud room. She heard a click, looking around she saw another door open into the kitchen area.
“Oh, my…” She gasped. “This kitchen is to die for.” She glanced around taking in the open concept kitchen with a center island that was at least twelve feet long and four feet wide with marble cascading counter tops. The six eye stove with two ovens just about stole her heart away. “Is this really your house?”
“Yes, this is home.”
“Wow, that place in DC could fit in the kitchen alone.”
