The Investigation

She saw the older make Buick sitting there waiting for her. The keys were in the ignition when she got into the car. There was a note on the dash with the instructions on where she was to drive to. She had dialed Boyd just before she left, leaving the phone on so he could hear her.

Shit, I'm going to get so fucking lost. I hope your hearing this Chad, I've never heard of half of these roads let alone some private airfield. For added measure she pounded her fists on the steering wheel. She heard a phone ringing and jumped, at first she thought it was Boyd's phone and fear pulsed through her body. She realized the ringing was coming from the glove box. She opened it up and grabbed the phone that was inside.

"Go back down to the end of the road where it joins main street, turn left and stay on main for about a mile then you will see Wilson on your left, turn on Wilson and follow it down to the access road to the highway and go south on the highway. When you see Pine Rd Lake exit take it. Let me know when your on the exit and I'll call you back."

Jade had driven about ten miles before seeing the Pine Rd Lake exit. "The exit is up ahead." she said.

The phone rang when she got to the top of the exit and she grabbed it quickly.

"Turn right, stay on that road for about three miles. You're going to come to a four way stop, go through the intersection and the next road on your right will be Parker Rd. turn down Parker and take it all the way down until you come to a blinking light."

"Chad you're going to have to stay on the line with me, I can't remember that many directions all at once! All I can remember right now is that I'm supposed to turn right!"

"Women! Turn right, three miles down the road you will come to a four way stop, let me know when you get there."

"I'm at the four way, now where?"

"Go through the intersection and turn right on the next road, that will be Parker Rd."

"I'm on Parker now."

"This road goes about four miles, at the end of the road you will come to a blinking light, turn left at the blinking light."

"I'm at the blinking light."

"Turn left, you're almost there. Tell me when you see a billboard for a Chevy car dealership."

Boyd had been listening to her conversation from the beginning. She was smart repeating the directions so he could find her. The FBI were already on their way to the private airfield. They had called to tell him they couldn't get close to the field as it was all open country for about two miles leading up to the field. The next farm house they came to they pulled in going to the home owners to get admittance to set up a command post. If anyone had been watching they would think that whoever the two men were that they must be friends of the home owners once they stayed inside.

"I see the billboard up ahead."

"Take the first road past the billboard to the left. About a half mile down the road you're going to see a double story yellow farm house, pull into the drive, I'll be waiting for you.

She was a nervous wreck, she had been thinking about what she was going to do all the way here.

"Good girl Jade, you did fine, now give me the disc."

"Release my brother and his family first."

"Come on Jade, do you think I'm that big of a fool to let them go before I have the disc and know it's the right one and not just a blank disc you grabbed up trying to pass it off on me? Now give me that fucking disc bitch!"

She tossed the disc to him glaring at him the entire time. She was like a mother bear protecting her cubs, he has fucked with the wrong woman she thought to herself.

"Bring me the computer," he yelled to the men who were standing by a land rover.

Once he had the computer he slipped the disc in the drive. "What's the password," he yelled at her.

"Release my family and I'll tell you," she snarled at him through clenched teeth.

He slapped her hard across the face knocking her to the ground. That only inflamed her more.

"I said release them!"

He hit her again, then once again for good measure. Then he pulled out a gun and stuck the barrel to her forehead. "Give me the password or your both dead," he said very quietly and calmly.

She looked him straight in the eyes. "Now you listen very carefully to me Chad. You called detective Jones phone so the cops know where I am. You should also know the only way your going to get out of here alive is if I'm alive and with you. Hear that noise Chad? That's a FBI helicopter circling off in the distance. No matter how you think you're going to get out of here you will never make it without me. Do you have me so far?" Jade stood up and he made no move to stop her.

His face was beat red with anger but he knew she was right. They'd never get out of here alive if he killed her. Without her giving him the password to the disc and getting them to freedom, all the money in the world wouldn't help him. The only way they could have found them is if she were wired.

"This is how things are going to go from here on. You call Mrs. Whiting and tell her to meet us at Hill Park, front entrance. Don't look so surprised Chad, the cops have known from the beginning she was the one who masterminded this whole thing. Her poor husband not knowing that the investigators that he hired were in on this from the start. All the time you were supposed to be following her you had been fucking her."

"Believe me Jade I don't have a problem with killing you or her for that matter. I only need her around long enough to decipher the fucking code, she knows what pages he used for the codes. I want that fucking money Jade and there is nothing I won't do to get it."

"So you're going to kill her as well once you get the money. I could care less what you two do to each other, but for now, you're going to do what I say or you'll never get the accounts decoded. You're going to call my brother and get him on the line for me, now."

Chad hesitated for only a moment but he could see in her eyes she meant every word she had said. If he wanted that money he would have to do what she says for now or they would never get out of here alive. He made the call then handed her the phone.

"You're going to be released, go straight to the Fresno police and talk to the captain there. Tell him to call Boyd Jones and let him know that you guys are safe and in police custody, call me back at this number as soon as your at the police station." She handed the phone back to Chad. "You tell your man to drive them one block from the station and turn them loose, as soon as I get the call back here we'll go on to the next step."

Chad gave the instructions to his man then told him to get out of town immediately. "What makes you think that I won't just kill you right now and take the disc from you?"

"If you want the info on this disc I would strongly advise against that. Give me the phone. Boyd I'm alright, you should be getting a call from the Fresno police captain, as soon as my brother and his family have arrived. He'll call me back to let me know that they are safe. After I get his call I'll call you back."

Jade had been forming this plan in her head from the moment she had encrypted the disc. The only way she would ever be safe is if she could get them all together in one place for Boyd and the FBI to capture them.

"I take it that you have a sure fire way to get out of the country after this is over? I'm sure you even have a backup plan as well. Which you're going to need, now that the FBI knows about this airstrip."

"Honey they won't even know they have lost us when we leave. We're going to walk out right under their noses."

"I take it that you can also get in touch with Mrs. Whiting without the hubby finding out?"

"Yes."

"Call her and tell her where to meet us. By the way, you can tell her the jig is up and that plans have changed so that you have to leave now. The sooner you people are out of the country the better."

Chad called her and told her exactly what Jade had told him to tell her. She couldn't hear what she was saying but whatever it was he interrupted her and told her this was the real thing, and that the cops had figured it out and of her involvement.

"I have to say it was a brilliant plan Chad, was it yours or hers?"

"Mine, that stupid bitch couldn't think her way out of a box."

"It was perfect. You made sure she had the perfect alibi by tailing her all day and documenting it while at the same time giving yourself an alibi as well, because you had been tailing her all day. Let me guess, the guy or men who broke into Whitings safe were going to be killed or are they already dead? No witness's right?"

"You're smarter then I gave you credit for Jade. I should have made love to you that night. If I had of, I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation now and I would be on the way to picking up six billion dollars."

"Don't flatter yourself Chad, I would have never went to bed with you. Your kisses didn't fan the flames so to speak. If they would have, then yes, I would have willingly gone to your bed."

"Sis we're here and we are safe but what about you?"

"Don't worry about me I'll be fine now that I know your safe. Stay with the police until this over, someone will call." She ended the call breathing a huge sigh of relief now that she knew her brother and his family were safe. She dialed Boyd's number next.

"Jade, your brother and his family are safe. I talked to the Captain myself then to make sure I called the Fresno office back to make sure I had really talked to the right person."

"Boyd we're going to be leaving, as soon as you see us, call off your men and get the FBI helicopter to back off. Once they get to where they need to go I'll give them the disc then I'll call you to come get me. Then we can finish our walk, you can buy me a meal then we can walk that off as well."

"What walk? What are you talking about Jade?"

"That's right hon, I'll call when I'm safe," she only hoped he would figure out what she was trying to tell him. If not she would probably die. She said goodbye then told Chad they better get a move on it."

What the fuck was she talking about? The only walk they had ever taken was in the park that night after they had dinner the first time. Oh fuck! The park, their headed for the fucking park!

"Get every unmarked cruiser to Hill Park and stake out every way in or out of the park. Make sure they are all in street clothes so they won't be noticed." He was barking out orders over the phone, he decided he'd go to the park and told his men to call him as soon as they spotted her.

"You better hope we're not followed Jade." Chad was in the back seat with Jade, the other two men were in the front of the land rover. No one followed them as they turned onto the highway and headed back to town.

Boyd parked the unmarked car close to the exit at the main entrance to the park. Just as he was getting ready to get out of the car he noticed Mrs. Whiting pacing in front of the main gate into the park. If she was here this is where they were heading. "All officers to the main entrance and take up flanking positions to both the entrance and exit. As soon as the suspect vehicle is in the park, block the exit."

"We're here, now give me the password."

"Where is Mrs. Whiting?"

"Right there, she's headed this way."

Jade turned to look at the woman walking quickly toward the land rover, she told Chad to get out of the vehicle.

"I've had just about all I'm gonna take from you, now give me that fucking password," he said through clenched teeth.

"If you think I'm going to sit here and give you the password then once you have it you either knife me or shoot me you're mistaken. We will be outside, in front of all the people going in and out of the park. I don't trust you and I want witnesses, now get out."

When Whiting's wife saw that Chad had Jade with her she walked right past them pretending not to know them. "Oh no you don't Mrs. Whiting, get your ass back here. To late honey, the cops already know about you so you might as well stay and join the party,"Jade said snidely to the snobby woman.

"Why the fuck did you bring her with you, why didn't you just fucking shoot her," she spat at Chad!

"Because she put a password on the disc and wouldn't tell me what it was until she was sure she was going to be safe."

"You fucking bitch you've been nothing but trouble!" She hissed at Jade.

"Look, you fucking slut, you better shut your mouth or you can forget about getting the password, I've had my fill of all of you. You want your husbands billions then you better shut your mouth and do what the hell I tell you to do."

"Shut up Kathy," Chad ordered. "We will never get out of the country if we don't have that password."

Boyd had managed to get around behind them by going through the woods and coming back in from behind where they were standing. He was able to stay hidden behind a small storage shed and still was close enough to hear their conversations.

"Shut up the both of you and listen to me. See my watch? You'll love this Chad seeing that your so fond of hidden cameras. Did you think you would get a free peep show by watching Boyd and I making love, or was it because you were jealous because I wouldn't go to bed with you?"

"What? You actually wanted to sleep with, with that fucking fat bitch!"

Chad was getting tired of this shit but he still needed Kathy, but once he had no more use for her, she was going to be shark bait. "Honey, I didn't want to sleep with her but I thought I might have to in order to get the fucking disc. It would have been no different then you forcing yourself to sleep with that old man you married."

Kathy calmed down and it seemed she bought Chad's explanation.

"Just shut up and listen to me. This is a transmitter, the FBI knows exactly where we are Chad, how do you think they found you at the air field? Before you go thinking if you take it from me and destroy it that you'll be in the clear, you'd be dead wrong and I do mean "dead". She didn't know if he would fall for any of this but she had to try.

"Now I want you all to look up into the sky and smile nice and pretty for the Candid "Satellite" Camera high in the sky. Now do I have your undivided attention or not?"

Boyd couldn't believe what he was hearing, his Jade was a pretty damn smart gal making sure she would be safe feeding them the line of bullshit she was dishing out.

"Put the disc in the computer and I'll give you the password," she instructed Chad. " I need your phone back Chad, I need to call Boyd in the next two minutes or this place will be crawling with Feds."

Fuck, she was going to call him, he had to turn his phone on vibrate or they would hear it! He reached for his phone and got it changed over just before it started pulsing in his hand.

"I'm ok, did you get my message? Were you able to hear and see everything?"

"Yes, I'm close by hon," he whispered into the phone.

"I'll call back in five minutes." She closed the phone then looked Chad in the eyes and told him to punch in the password.

"Ok, I'm ready what is it?"

"That would be in all caps please C-H-A-D-six-six-six- now D-E-V-I-L, so fitting don't you think?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"What the fuck is this shit, he said, turning the laptop around so she could look at the screen?

"There are three things I need to explain to you. First, now that the disc is in your computer and the file has been opened, if you remove the disc, not only will everything on the disc erase ,but so will everything on your hard drive. There's a nasty little virus that was embedded into the password. Second, the files are encrypted with another tracking device so wherever the disc goes the FBI follows. Finally, if you try to hard copy the disc, it will self destruct. If you deviate even a little bit from my further instructions one or all of the above will happen, do I make myself clear? Isn't this exciting, it's all rather "Mission Impossible-ish, kind of stuff!"

Never again would Chad ever underestimate any woman again. He thought Jade would be easy to manipulate and was very much mistaken. "So how do we get these files to open without destroying them?"

"Well now, that's the tricky part. Once the disc was activated with the password you triggered a timer. If you look down at the bottom there is a teeny, tiny clock that is counting down. You have about five minutes left or so to get exactly one mile from me or the disc will automatically become corrupted. If you think you can kill me and still get away, remember I said you would be dead wrong? Jade opened the top two buttons on her blouse to show them a wire taped to her chest. My heartbeat stops, it self destructs. Those FEDS sure do have some very nice toys now don't they? I'd get moving if I were you."

Chad couldn't afford to take a chance she might be lying, they jumped in the land rover and headed for the exit.

Boyd came out from behind the shed and grabbed Jade pulling her back behind the shed with him to get her out of the line of fire in case they started shooting once they found the exit blocked.

They heard a few shots fired, then sirens. Boyd's phone rang, it was his men giving him the all clear that they had all been captured when they tried to run the blockade.

They kept everyone locked down at Halverston's until after the group had been arraigned the following morning. This time they were all considered flight risks so bail was denied. Boyd and Jade spent the night at the station until his entire apartment had been gone over and all the cameras and listening devices had been found. All the evidence was bagged and tagged and within hours the FBI had been able to follow the signals from the cameras and listening devices to a huge empty warehouse where they found guns and ammunition, Mr. Whitings ledgers, flight plans and a ton of other evidence that would be used against them during their trials.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come work for the FBI Ms. London? That was pretty damn smart the way you encrypted that disc and booby trapped it that way."

"Hell I'm not smart enough to do something like that. I wouldn't have a clue how to do any of that."

"But we all saw the disc Jade, that was damn ingenious,"Boyd remarked.

"Did you hear me when I told him this was rather all "Mission Impossible-ish?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with the disc?"

"You two aren't familiar with the game anymore then he was. I had to take a chance that he didn't know about the video game."

"You've lost me, what video game?"

"I play a online version of the Mission Impossible game with my niece and nephew. The disc I gave him was the game we use to play the game online. You set the secret passwords, set the timer to how much time they have to solve the case, you make up a case with clues and put it in one of the mission case files on the screen. They have six clues to help them find the secret to the mission. Each time they get a clue right, they send it to you and if it's correct, you send them the next password to open the next clue and so on. It's more like a scavenger hunt of sorts or like that kid show that was on TV, Where In The World Is Carmen somebody. I send the kids clues that will have them hunting for books in the library, a famous painting in a museum things like that."

"Well Ms. London that was brilliant thinking and it worked, but where did you get that you were wired?"

"Honey I'm afraid your overhead light in the truck is missing a wire and will have to be replaced," she told Boyd smiling at him. I always have a small first aid kit in my purse. Neighbor kids are always getting one scrape or another on a knee or elbow. I just took a piece of tape and taped the light wire to my chest. I thought of that when he was giving me directions to get to that airfield. Thank god Boyd gave me his phone so you could track me with G.P.S. if he hadn't heard the helicopter off in the distance I don't think he would have never believed any of this."