MC: Moniz: Book 9 (5 page)

“Fuck that’s a rip-off.”

He nods. “Pods are for the type of washer. Danny uses energy saver, less water, different soap.”

“How’s it work, the door won’t open?”

“Fuckin’ directions on side of the door; have to turn it on to open it. Should have put them on top. Took a fuckin’ week to figure it out.” He’s fuckin’ disgusted with the washer too. Since I can order drys, I just follow Little Ben.

I get chips by looking at the dates and know what salsa because the Prospects always get me the same one. I never saw some of these chips so, I get two to try. They’re laughing again, but I don’t care. I won’t know unless I try them. There are freezers with every kind of food you can think of. I watch Little Ben. He gets some breakfast stuff but that’s it. “You don’t like this?”

“Next aisle,” he says. He gets a pizza and some chicken from a restaurant. I can just order them from the restaurant so I don’t get them. He gets rolled sandwiches called pockets so I do. I like the look of the steak and spinach; it’s what I get that from the Sub Shop so I grab two. The date is next year. I like this and grab the ham too. He skips the next aisle and goes to the beer aisle. I get a case and keep going to cheeses.

VP follows me. “Aren’t you gettin’ meat?”

“I guess. I made the steaks and hamburgers.”

“Danny gave you a grill inside for it. Can make chicken, pork, anythin’,” he says pulling the cart over to a meat window. “Case, meat Case.”

“Whatever.” He orders for me so I take the packages and move on. I get butter for my potatoes and toast and eggs. Little Ben gets yogurt so I do. There’s another meat case and we stop. There is ham in every flavor. I have no clue what the Prospects get. “Boars Head. All meats–Boars Head.”

I tell the guy whatever Little Ben is getting and I want cheese, regular and provolone. I get some macaroni salad and coleslaw while I’m here feeling pretty good about shopping. The guy wants to know what kind of cheese. “Regular and provolone.” He asks again what kind. “The kind you fuckin’ eat!” Stupid bastard.

He smiles at Little Ben. “Boars Head. I know he said it at the beginning.” The guy tells him there’s no Boars Head provolone and with a fuckin’ smile, he lists a bunch of shit as if I’m fuckin’ five. I want to punch him right the fuck out. I stand on the wire thing holding the wraps so I can reach over and snatch the little fucker. VP pulls my cut back.

“Get me Brian. Don’t touch his fuckin’ food until Brian is here.” Little Ben is pissed watching the little shit go in the back. An associate comes out and throws chin to us. “Fuckin’ little pussy is giving Geek a hard time. Brothers come in and get whatever you have that’s the best. They don’t give a fuck what it costs as long as they can eat it and it tastes like the Diner or Club food. He wants regular cheese and provolone half pound of each. Also mac salad and coleslaw enough for two meals.” The little shit comes out pissed. Brian tells him to handle the other customers.

“Anything else?” Brian asks, handing me the food.

“No it looks right. Thanks Brother,” I tell him giving the little fuck a look.

“You ask for me when you come back. If I’m not here, they know you know me, if I am, I’ll help you.” I nod.

“You take an order email? He can pick it up?” VP asks. I like the sound of that.

“Yeah it will go in the cooler out front. You just tell them your name, it’s just like the meat boxes.” He gives me a flyer but writes his email.

“Thanks Brother,” Little Ben says and we go to another fuckin’ case.

“Two Italian sliced loaves.” Little Ben tells the woman. She asks about Jess and Kate. I like this woman. She tells him about the sweet bread that just came in and he gets a pack and puts one in my cart. I like those so I’m good with it. We get muffins and we’re done.

We walk down the front of the registers and pay at the service desk, seeing it’s another Associate, I think this isn’t so bad. He shows me the coolers in front and explains the pick-up policy. I got this.

Little Ben gets bags from the guy then tells me I need to use the cloth bags and bring them with me when I come back. I get it. The Prospects always use those.

It takes a couple of minutes to get home. He gives me pointers for shopping and what to get where. The Bakery, Sub Shop and Diner deliver to the compound regular. The restaurants can’t get in so I have to pay by credit card and pick it up at the gate. Sam and Peg make to-go orders for the Brothers in the mornings. Just text them, but give them at least twenty minutes.

He helps me bring the food in and tells me VP is coming to show me about the washer. Fuck. He nods giving me a ‘what are you going to do’ look.

I get the food put away and take beer out to the porch. Shopping wasn’t so bad. I get fruit from the stand and call for meats and shit. The lady will get my bread and tell me what’s good. I can get milk at the convenience store and beer at the package store. That doesn’t leave much at the grocer.

VP pulls up. I hand him a beer and he sits.

“You got the shoppin’?”

“Yeah thanks,” I say throwing him chin. I can tell he has something to say so I wait.

“You never been.”

“No, I’ve lived in the Club my whole adult life. The kitchen food, corner store or takeout is what I always ate. When the Prospects started they shopped for me. I don’t cook much, so I don’t need much.”

He nods. “Bob took classes at the Center for fast meals. You could ask Sam or Danny to teach you a couple of meals so you eat.”

I laugh. “I eat. It’s just not what I make. I wouldn’t mind learning how to use the grill thing. I can ask Danny if he’s got some time.”

“Good. I’ll show you the washer. Fuckin’ directions.” He gets up and I follow. In the basement he hits the button on the top and it beeps then he opens the door. “Step-by-step if you can open the door.” He opens the cabinet and sees the dish soap I brought down. “Can’t use this, makes suds every fuckin’ where.” He pulls the funny shaped container out and uses his knife to open it. He’s done this before. “One pod for every load.”

“What about all the sizes and the type?” I ask looking at the directions again.

“Don’t matter, one load, one pod.”

“I did laundry before, but this has all these settings, heavy, bulky, normal, light, delicate, then temp, dampness and water levels. What the fuck does all that mean, isn’t heavy bulky? If it saves water shouldn’t it use what it needs?

“Normal, everythin’s normal. Put one load in and leave it on normal, in cold, for everythin’. When you fuck with the buttons it fucks it up and makes the clothes shrink and new colors. Just go normal, cold and normal. You got blankets and shit call Jess. She’ll tell you. For clothes just normal.”

I throw some clothes in and he throws a pod in. He shows me the setting for normal and I hit the play button. “You add or stop it with pause. Don’t pause, just do another load. Easier.” He’s serious so I nod. No pausing and keep it on normal.

“How does the dryer work? It looks like a Laundromat machine, but no money slot.”

“Same thin’. Normal. You can add to this one and it doesn’t fuck up. Only settin’ is temps. Normal does everythin’ in under an hour. If you leave it on wrinkle prevent it will go on every ten minutes for fuckin’ ever not savin’ energy anymore. Don’t hit that one.”

“Got it,” I say looking at the settings. Pretty easy for this one.

“I’m out. Take the soap up. It’s not for that.”

I grab the dish soap and follow him upstairs. “Thanks VP.”

He stops at the door. “It’s different here. We use our names. At the Club or Security I’m VP, Ben’s Pres. At home were Steve, Ben. Unless you’re a Prospect.” He smiles.

“Got it V–Steve.” He throws chin and walks out.

I grab a water and sit on the porch thinking of all the shit I got done today. It is easier working at Security and fixing all the little things right there. I’m not getting a million questions anymore so my day flows better. I got food and laundry down. I need to ask Danny about cooking; maybe he can show me the grill thing. It feels good being here.

Jeremy laughs. “Funny, little Ninja?” I ask him. “It’s late again. Did you leave your dad a note this time?”

He nods smiling at me. I give him my hand and he walks me into the house stopping at the alarm then up the stairs. I flip from sleep mode to on and he pulls the chair from the other side. I decided to leave it for when he comes over.

He’s working the keyboard like a professional and it amazes me again how fast he learns things. I’m watching the security code again. Fuck she’s back in. “No,” he says, stopping so I can read.

“You built a firewall?” How the fuck? I keep reading then he starts it running again. He left her room to move, but not get in. “Are you getting her IP address?”

Brantley pops on the KC feed. I open to live feed. “Jeremy said we get the address tomorrow but he can’t help you. He needs to help the girl and he can’t do both. You need to run the code and Digs has to be with Danny.”

“Who the fuck’s going to be with you? You can’t go out on OPs little Ninja.” Fuck.

“Daddy,” Jeremy says.

“He’ll be in the helicopter,” Brantley says.

I relax. “What do I need to know?”

“She’s hurt. Run the code and get her. You have to be with her to get the girl. We
have
to help the girl.”

“Wait, the girl isn’t the same as the woman hacking in?”

He looks at me and he’s got tears in his eyes. “No.”

I pull him away from the keyboard and hug him. Fuck this isn’t going to be good. “Does he have anything else Brantley?”

“He stopped. There’s more, but he won’t tell it through me,” Brantley says, sounding just like Jacob.

“I’m going to take him home Brantley. We’ll get it tomorrow,” I tell him, standing with Jeremy’s head on my shoulder. I hate anything that would hurt him. Fuckin’ hacker.

“No she’s good,” he says surprising me.

“If you say so little Ninja. You don’t usually feel so much with the others.” He puts his head back down and I feel his tears.

I’m so glad to see Cloud coming toward me. Maybe he can help him. “Brantley called. He’s worried Little Ninja.” He takes him from me and I sign crying. His eyebrows draw down and he’s clenching his jaw. I sign email. He nods and turns.

“Run code!” Jeremy says, sounding funny.

I look at him and Cloud holds him tighter talking to him in Mohegan. He’s crying. Fuck. My little guy doesn’t cry. “I will Jeremy. I’ll run code for you.”

On my way home I call Little Ben. I hear women and my dick jumps. Jesus. He gets somewhere quiet. “Yeah Brother.”

“Jeremy was crying. Watch the feeds from Brantley. About fifteen minutes ago. He’s in CK.”

“He was crying?” he says and I can hear the surprise in his voice.

“Yeah, do I call Pres?” This is odd for me. He’s Jeremy’s president, but Pres is who I take shit to.

“I’ll watch the feed and decide if I need to do this tonight or if it can wait until morning. He was crying?”

“Yeah. My shirt’s wet from his tears.”

I hear him take a breath. “I’ll call Cloud. Thanks Brother.”

I email Cloud the time to watch the feed from and wait. Hitting the alarm I go back to the office and watch the feed again. His breath hitches once, but he keeps going. His hands skate the keyboard and I’m struck again by how fast he learns and can add to what he gets from everyone else.

I get an OC from Brantley.
Security meeting at eight a.m.
My phone dings with a text from Pres with the same thing. Fuck. I get lost in the security code he was running. No one is in. Little Ben texts me he’s sleeping, Cloud calmed him down and Jacob is with him. Thank fuck. I close everything down and make sure the laptop is plugged in. I may need it for tomorrow.

All the Security Officers are sitting around the table when I walk in. Cloud and VP follow Pres in. “Tonight at seven-thirty, Jeremy is taken. We need to stop that from happening.” He looks around at us. Fuckin’ hell! “Tess only gave us some of that. She shut down before Rich got to her. I need someone on Jeremy all day. He’s got the chip in him, but someone takes him so they found a way around that.”

“Maybe they didn’t and we get him back right away,” Tiny says.

“I’ll cover him,” Danny says.

Pres shakes his head no. “From Jeremy, you and Digs have to be together while Geek is on Ops. Cloud has Jeremy in the chopper.” Danny nods. Pres looks at Tiny. “Jeremy getting taken could be for a short time, but he was crying. He’s too upset for VP to see what the fuck is happening.” He looks at VP.

“Gotta help a girl. He says, like Diego. All I get is, help the girl and Geek runs code.” He looks at me. I watched the video so many fuckin’ times trying to catch something, but I got nothing to help here.

“Bob, you’re on Jeremy. He doesn’t go more than three feet from you. Chase will be with you. Danny and Digs, take the day, I have a feeling you’re going to need it. Meet back here at five. Cloud, get Chase up to speed with what we know so he’s prepared for the extra tag and trouble coming. Little Ben, get with Christian see if you can get anything that might help from him. VP, get HS switched so they’ll be ready tonight. Rich and Little Ben, double coverage on the family. Everyone starts at five. With no fuckin’ information we wait for what happens next.”

He nods and walks out. He’s pissed. “We need someone on Jacob. It would make sense everyone protecting Jeremy, but I have a bad feeling about this,” Danny says.

VP looks at him then Rich. “You sayin’ it throws relief. Feels right. Jessie you’re on Jacob. Start at five.”

“On it VP,” Jessie says. We all sit for a minute without saying anything. Fuck.

Danny stands. “I’m out. Call if you need me sooner. I’m getting breakfast then going home.” Digs follows, then Tiny. Little Ben calls Christian and tells him he’s bringing muffins and he’ll meet him in front of the Center in half an hour.

Rich leaves with Jessie and Bob follows. VP looks at me. “Would have been good to have a better answer.”

“Yeah.” No idea is hard to take. “Watched that fuckin’ video and got nothing.”

He looks at me. “Show me.”

In my office he pulls the second chair and we watch the feed. “Again.” I play it again from the beginning. “Stop.” I pause it when his breath hitches. “Three seconds back.” I back it up and replay it. He pulls his phone and texts something. Darren pops on my OC. I pull him to open chat on my board. VP signs to him, ‘Jeremy says somethin’. Think it’s Jay. Watch.’ I replay the feed for the five seconds.

He says and signs, “Yeah, Jay, it’s what he calls Jacob, and Jacob calls Jeremy, ‘Je’ when they talk to each other.”

‘Get Little Ben here when he’s done with Christian.’ VP tells him. He pulls his phone again. “Get up to Geek’s office,” he says then texts again.

Darren moves us to the side and I watch him text.

“Tell me we don’t lose him,” Pres says walking in. I spin around and see Jessie right behind him.

“It’s Jacob,” I tell him. I play the section for him.

He looks at VP. “He says Jay. What he calls Jacob.”

“Fuckin’ Danny,” Jessie says. Pres looks at him. “He had a feeling.”

Pres wipes his hands through his hair. “No one thought to tell me?”

“Not a lead, just a feelin’,” VP tells him.

“This whole fuckin’ Club was built on a vision and feeling. They fuckin’ matter. If Danny saw it everyone should know. Fuckin’ Brother is always planning three steps ahead!” Pres growls at us.

VP looks at his watch. “Twenty-five minutes ago he told us he had a bad feelin’. Now you know.”

“Fuck! I need someone on Jacob. Make it Security and HS.”

VP nods. “Got Jessie on him. I’ll get Security too. Think Chase should stay with Jeremy.”

“You already had Jessie on him?” Pres looks surprised.

VP smiles. “Danny had a bad feelin’. Was here for the ‘vision and feelin’ shit too.”

Pres laughs. “My VP’s wise.” He turns around and walks out. We all laugh.

Fuck, time is standing still. I’m in HS Ops with Brantley and Diego on each side of me. I’ve run through the code five fuckin’ times. There is nothing to see until we get a hit. I check the time again. Diego hands me a plate, I look back and see Danny passing food around. Fuckin’ guy. “No food at the consoles.”

He smiles. “You going to leave to sit at the back table and eat?”

I look back and see Brantley sitting. “No.”

“You’re the only one with food here. Eat your fuckin’ food so it won’t be at the console. Diego will go when Brantley is back.” I look back at my screen and eat watching it. Diego makes a noise and I look at the board. “VP!” I yell putting my plate on the floor. Everything moves fast from here on. I’m keeping just ahead of the hacker and switch with Brantley. VP gets the address to Danny and Cloud is in the air with Jeremy, Bob, Chase and Rich.

The room is humming with energy, then it explodes. Pres is on with Chet and Jessie. Driscoll is shot. I keep on the code, but hear what’s happening around me. “It’s down Geek!” Brantley says frustrated.

“We got the address. We’re okay.” I am trying to pull whatever I can from her browser history.

Diego hits my arm and shows me our website then the kids playing baseball last year. They have Jacob hitting a ball. Fuck. “Keep going.” He goes back to work opening everything he can find. He’s good but I don’t spend much time on that thought.

“Geek, need you in Rehoboth now,” Pres says.

I look at him. “I told him I’d run the code.”

“Take it with you, but now! Tiny get him there.” Pres turns back to the boards. Brantley hands me my laptop already running and I’m out the door.

VP is talking to Danny and Digs is on the computer at the house. He has it up at Security. I don’t get why the fuck I’m going to the house until Digs says there’s a feed for an auction. Fuck, the little girl Jeremy says needs help. It takes twelve minutes to get to the house but Danny and Digs are already gone. A woman is cuffed to a chair not making a sound, but tears are running down her face as she watches the laptop. She has a jagged scar on her throat and bruises on her arms and legs. Digs’ shirt is covering the rest of her. I see the girl’s feed and turn it away from her. Fuck the kid has blood on her face. As soon as I turn it the woman goes wild. Tiny turns it back and she freezes. I pull my cords and connect the two laptops without moving the screen from her. This must be her kid. Pushing that away, I get to the auction and tell VP the locations as I find them. We hear the helicopter, but I tune it out so I can get the addresses in before we lose the feed.

The woman grunts and I look over. She starts rocking making a noise low in her throat. Tiny stands behind her. “Danny’s at the house Geek,” he says and puts his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “They’ll keep her safe little one.”

I go back to the code, this girl was sold twice this week. Fuckin’ animals took a five year old. I sign it to Tiny and the woman freaks the fuck out. Cloud comes in holding Jeremy. He bends and I see Bob behind him. “This is Jeremy, he helped us find your girl, he needs you to come with us so we can get her out of there and get her help. Yeah?” The woman shakes her head no. She lifts her shirt and we see a belt. She points to the door and starts signing. I get some of what she says, but not everything.

Jeremy signs back to her and she nods. He holds her hand and looks at Cloud. “Jay.”

“He’s fine, Jessie and Chet kept him safe.” Tears roll down his face, but he smiles and hugs Cloud. It was too much for him. He can’t do both like Cloud and Tess said.

“We need the computer that has the house wiring.” I tell Tiny.

“Cleanup is outside now.” He walks out.

Cloud stands. Jeremy slides down him and holds the woman’s hand. “I’ll look in here.”

“No,” Jeremy says grabbing Cloud’s hand. The woman watches him then signs, but I don’t get what she’s saying again.

“Fuck!” Cloud looks at Jeremy. “I need to get you out of here. We can get the girl and bring her to Kate.”

“No, Geek.” He looks frustrated. It dawns on me he has no one to talk for him. I pull up Brantley at Security.

“Dad you have to get him out of there. The circuit can follow her. The girl stays with Geek, he helps her. Get them to the girl. You have to leave there now!” He’s upset, but doesn’t say why.

“How does the circuit follow? I can’t take her on the chopper if she can blow up,” Cloud tells him.

He starts typing and my screen pops with his station. I look at Jeremy. He turns away closing his eyes and leans toward the woman. Fuck. I watch the code running down my screen. “I got it Brantley.” The code slows and I pick it up. Fuckin’ kid.

Tiny comes in with a small tablet. “One had this.” He puts it in front of me.

Fuck. “Get Jeremy out of here,” I tell Cloud as I finish writing the code for the girl. “Tiny and Bob, cut her loose and wait outside. You need about thirty feet.”

I hunt for the cord and plug the tablet into my laptop. It takes for-fuckin’-ever to get me up. When I look up; it’s just me and the woman. I get back to the tablet and try for the directory, I need admin password so I use the settings, uninstall and reinstall the timer program. The moron saved the password. When the timer is off I fold the laptop with the tablet on it and lift the woman’s shirt. She makes noise. Looking her in the eye, “Trust me,” I tell her. She nods. “We need to run as soon as I drop the belt.” She grabs the laptop her kid is on and lifts it high enough that I can get to the belt. I unclip it and yell, “Run!” I make it ten feet out the door when the house blows.

I hear Tiny yell, then nothing. He’s dragging me forward but everything goes gray. I wake up in the chopper. My fuckin’ head feels like it’s going to explode.

“The doorjamb hit you,” Tiny says. Jeremy is sitting on my lap with his head on my chest.

“The girl?”

“On our way to her,” Tiny says.

Jeremy slides off me and goes to the woman. I sit up and feel sick. Tiny gives me a water. “Thanks Brother.” I drink it slow.

Bob’s watching me. “Why didn’t you make the circuit?”

“The house was rigged. There was no time to run the circuit, change the timer for the belt and the house.” I take some more water.

“What were you doing before you told us to leave?” he asks.

I look at him. He has no computer knowledge beside his forms. I keep that in mind. “The girl is in a room set with explosives. Digs was getting her feed set to loop but they were running out of time. I shut down the timer on that house.”

“Fuck. You almost blew up!” Tiny yells making my head hurt. Jeremy moves to him.

I hold my head in my hands. “Danny, Digs and a five year old girl are in that house. We had time for me to get the belt off and us out. We’re here aren’t we?”

The woman puts her hand on my head. I look at her and her hand drops. She signs, ‘Thank you.’

I sign, ‘You’re welcome.’ She’s surprised I sign. I hold my head again. “Did they get in the room?”

“Something about the video was giving Digs trouble.”

He’s got to be kidding. “Where’s my laptop?” The woman gives me the one from the house. “I need to talk to Digs.” I feel around my collar but my bud and mic aren’t on me.

Tiny gives me a set. I pull the cans off and listen to Digs talking to Brantley. I tell him he has to run it from there. It isn’t going to work remote. Jeremy gave the code to Brantley. Fuck Digs never got it because I had to get the woman out. I listen to them and relax. He’s got it now. Little Ben cuts in that people are still fuckin’ bidding on her. “Find them,” I tell him and he’s out.

As we land Digs gets the loop. Tiny steadies me, but Jeremy runs out the door. Bob and Chase run after him. By the time I get in the house with the woman Digs is telling Danny he can go in. Jeremy yells, “Geek!” as he goes by Danny. The girl screams, the woman tries to push herself past, but the screaming gets louder. “Geek!” Jeremy yells again. I walk to the door looking in. Danny is holding the woman back while Jeremy holds the girl. She won’t look at her mother. Jeremy watches me. I walk to the bed and bend down taking in the girl’s cuts and bruises. I hope they find the bastard that would beat and rape a five year old. Jeremy puts my hand on hers. She looks at me and tries to move closer but she’s cuffed. Fuckin’ pricks. I ask Danny for keys, but as soon as he moves she screams and moves toward the wall.

“Jeremy get the key so we can get her out of here.” He does and I talk to her while I’m opening the cuff. As soon as she’s free she jumps on me and Jeremy is pulling us out. She’s naked and I don’t know where to put my hands. Danny hands me his shirt and I slide it on her.

“Get what you can and go!” I tell them. The woman is crying, but follows. Tiny and Chase get us to the chopper and I hear the bikes then an explosion. “The feed. They set it on the feed too. Fuckin’ pussies.” I try to look back but Cloud pushes us in. I sit with the girl on my lap and try to see where she’s bleeding from but she won’t turn her head. Tiny tries to help and she screams. Fuck that’s killing my head. “Get us to Amanda,” I tell Tiny. “Were Danny and Digs out?” Chase nods.