UNKNOWN ALLIANCE Read online

  Without warning the man cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Donny.” He stared at Mac. “Have you searched for a missing person before?”

  “Not on foot.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I was on a rescue squad in the air force. We assisted in the New Orleans rescue after Hurricane Katrina. And did some rescues overseas.”

  “You still in?”

  “Retired.”

  Mac kept his light wide and focused several feet in front of Roxy. He reeled Roxy’s leash in tight to keep her close. Mac knew from his childhood old abandoned mines occupied the area. Growing up, he and his childhood pal, Bobby, spent all day hiking around looking for them. He didn’t want Roxy to tumble down a mineshaft. One time he and Bobby found a mine that started out as a slight downhill slope and they had walked inside. The hill came to an abrupt end into what looked like an abyss. They threw rocks into it but barely heard a splash when the stones landed at the bottom.

  Other than the occasional yell for Donny, they’d been walking around the greenbelt in silence for a few hours and not found a single clue or scent. Roxy’s early enthusiasm fizzled once they reached the greenbelt.

  “We’re supposed to head back to the staging area soon. They’re calling off the search at midnight.”

  Mac stopped, looked at the man. “That’s it? They won’t search all night?”

  “They won’t allow volunteers to go past midnight.”

  He was a volunteer now. Nothing more.

  Chapter 20

  Tuesday morning, Rae sat at the DeSalvo’s kitchen island quietly eating a toasted bagel with cream cheese before her first day of school at Blackstone Academy. She felt jittery and nervous.

  “May I have a cup of coffee?” Rae asked Steffan, making himself a cup of espresso.

  “Espresso or regular?”

  “Regular with some milk and sugar.”

  When Joss entered the kitchen, Rae had the coffee cup at her lips about the drain the last sip.

  “Is that coffee?” Joss asked whoever wanted to respond.

  Steffan obliged. “Yes. Rae asked for coffee.”

  Joss opened her mouth to say something, but the doorbell rang. She turned and left the kitchen. She returned with a tall, tan man with dark hair partially covered by a San Francisco Giants ball cap.

  Curious about him, Rae pretended not to care while she rinsed her plate and place it in the dishwasher.

  Joss began the introductions. “Nico, this is my husband, Steffan.”

  Nico went to Steffan and shook his hand.

  Rae leaned back against the counter taking in the scene.

  “And this is RaeAnn. Although she prefers, Rae.”

  Nico went to Rae and shook her hand as well.

  “Nico is your personal driver.”

  “Why do I need a personal driver? Why can’t one of you take me to school?” She looked from Joss to Steffan.

  “Ummm, Steffan works odd hours. And I have meetings that might conflict with your school hours. We thought a driver would be best for you.”

  “Hmmm,” Rae mumbled, “Well, let’s go then,” she said to Nico, “I don’t want to be late my first day.”

  Rae felt weird in Nico’s SUV. She’d never had a driver and didn’t much care for sitting in the backseat when nobody sat in the front passenger seat. She looked out the window as Nico drove through her unfamiliar neighborhood. Every now and then she glanced at him in the rearview mirror and caught him looking at her.

  On the short ride to school, Nico tried twice to start a conversation. Both times Rae looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror but said nothing in response to his questions. She wasn’t happy about being forced to attend a new school. And she disliked having a personal driver.

  As they neared Blackstone Academy, Rae was astonished by the newness, the size, and the landscaping. It didn’t look anything like Brookfield high. The campus reminded her more of a park.

  They stopped in a line of cars inching closer to the school.

  “Are you ready for your first day?” Nico turned around to look at her.

  “No.”

  Nico gave her his business card with a cell phone number and told her if she wanted to leave at any time, she could call him, and he’d pick her up.

  Knowing she could leave whenever she felt uncomfortable was calming. Even though she didn’t want to like her new driver, he appeared to be a nice man.

  The SUV stopped at the curb in front of Blackstone Academy. Rae opened the door before Nico could think about opening it for her.

  She stood on the sidewalk for an extra second or two while she looked at the school. A woman walked toward her and extended her hand. “Hi. I’m Roni, I work here. Is this your first day?”

  “Yes. I’m RaeAnn Bowen. Where should I go?”

  “I’ll show you.” Roni turned and walked toward the school entrance as RaeAnn’s driver slowly pulled away from the curb. “Oh, and this is Marshal MacKenna, he also works at the school.” Roni gestured at Mac.

  RaeAnn and Mac shook hands.

  “If anyone gives you a hard time you let me know, and I’ll take care of it.” Mac smiled.

  Why would someone give me a hard time? Rae thought as she and Roni walked side-by-side into the school.

  Once inside, Roni ushered Rae into an office where she met Marlene, who reminded her of the grandmother she wished she had but didn’t.

  Dr. Zita joined them near Marlene’s desk and introduced himself.

  Marlene gave Roni Rae’s class schedule and asked Roni to walk the new student to her first class.

  Roni pointed out the ‘BAT’ box on the wall and explained she could put tips or suggestions or complaints in them. Roni and Rae continued to walk through the hallway, dodging the other kids who knew where they were going. She pointed out the cafeteria and the gymnasium, as well as the girls’ locker room before they stopped in front of a classroom.

  “And this is your first class.” Roni handed her the class schedule.

  “Thanks.” Rae grasped the paper.

  “Before you leave, ask the teacher for directions to your next class.” Roni headed down the hall.

  Rae walked into the class and felt two dozen sets of eyes on her. She held her head high and walked with confidence to an empty desk.

  Chapter 21

  It didn’t go unnoticed that Stu and Kevin hung around Rae. Mac observed shortly after the girl arrived at Blackstone that she and Brandi were drawn to each other. And since then, the boys had been shadowing them.

  The four were seated across from each other in the cafeteria. The girls sat together on one side and the boys on the other.

  Mac had also been tracking the girls. His primary objective was to see who Brandi spoke to and interacted with. He also watched to see how the kids treated her. She struck Mac as a girl who could stand up for herself. Though a little withdrawn, she gave off a vibe that said don’t mess with me. Brandi appeared less confident, more nurturing, maybe even a little immature. Not that he knew anything about teenagers.

  Mac made his way to the cafeteria line where Elsie, the food service manager, handed him a Fuji apple.

  “Let me get you something more than an apple.”

  “No thanks. How’re the grandkids?”

  “Oh, my gosh, they’re getting big.” Elsie pulled out a photo from a pocket on her apron. She handed it to Mac. “They still haven’t found the missing boy?” Her eyes went to her feet. She shook her head. “It can’t be good. Someone must’ve snatched him.”

  Elsie was an open book. Shortly after he started working at Blackstone, she told him about her adult daughter and three sons living with her. Her daughter had fled an abusive husband who she’d filed domestic violence charges against.

  Mac studied the photo before handing it back. “They look happy, Elsie. You’re right, too many days have passed without a sign of the boy. I’ve been helping with the search after work. They’ve done a grid map of the grandpa
rents’ neighborhood and greenbelt behind their home. Every section cleared makes the search more heartbreaking.”

  She wagged her hand motioning for him to join her at the end of the line.

  First, she hugged him. “You’re a good man,” she said in his ear before stepping back. A different type of sadness washed over her face. “I have my prayer group at the church praying real hard for the boy. Ummm, my daughter’s deadbeat husband’s scheduled to get out of jail Sunday at midnight. Can I call you if he shows up at my place?”

  Mac knew Elsie didn’t have a husband. He wrote his cell phone number on the back of his business card and handed it to her. “Call me any time.”

  She hugged him again and told him to get back to work before he got her in trouble. And winked at him.

  Mac noticed Hank Jansen, the custodian, in the far corner of the cafeteria. He stood next to a line of trash receptacles, recyclables, and compost food waste. The middle school grades tended the school garden and had a compost pile, although not much grew in mid-January.

  Mac followed the direction of Hank’s attention. He had a smile on his face and apparently liked what he’d honed in on—Stu, Kevin, Brandi, and Rae. It made Mac wonder if Hank knew the Collins family and whether he’d been at their party.

  Kevin said something to make the girls lean across the table. Mac watched. The foursome snickered. Kevin made eye contact with Mac and rubbed his cheek with his middle finger. His way of telling him F-U.

  When he checked back to see what Hank was doing, Hank stared at Mac. His smile had been replaced with a snarl.

  All the sudden, from the far corner of the cafeteria, Hank stomped toward Mac. When he approached, he stopped an inch or two from Mac, his chin jutted out. “What’s your problem?”

  “No problem.”

  “Then what’re you staring at?”

  “I wasn’t staring.”

  “You’ve acted like you have a problem with me since you started here.”

  “I don’t have a problem with you, Hank.”

  As quickly as he became angry and stomped toward Mac, he turned and stomped away.

  Out the corner of his eye, Mac saw Roni enter the cafeteria presenting an opportunity to leave and find a place with fewer teenagers. He nodded to Roni. She nodded back. Teamwork.

  Mac went outside to see how the young kids were doing.

  Even though it was a cloudy day, he welcomed the freshness of the air. He realized he’d been inside too long. He enjoyed watching the uncoordinated and animated younger kids play.

  He meandered over to the monkey bars.

  “Hey, Mr. Mac what has four wheels and flies?” Teddy Ross said. He hung upside down from a bar.

  “I don’t know, Teddy, what has four wheels and flies?”

  He dropped to his feet. Laughing before he delivered his punch line. “A garbage truck.” He bent over slapped his knee and held his stomach like Santa Claus when he laughed.

  Mac gave him a high-five. “Good one. Has anyone ever told you, you’re a silly boy?”

  “My mom tells me that all the time. She loves my jokes.”

  Just then the bell rang. “Okay. See you later,” Mac said to Teddy’s back as he ran off to get in line.

  After Mac’s visit with Teddy, he returned to his office. From then the afternoon flew by. He’d responded to a fight between two sixth grade girls. They’d had a fire drill—the entire school had to be outside quickly and then wait until the ‘all clear’ alert sounded. A sophomore boy wasn’t paying attention in P.E., he took a baseball to the head and had to be transported to the hospital.

  Mac welcomed the end of school.

  Roni went inside after most the kids had been picked up. Mac hung back to wait for Scott.

  When Scott approached, Mac asked if he’d like to talk in his office.

  “You have something?”

  “No. I thought you’d like to see your daughter behaving like a normal teenager. You can have some comfort in knowing she’s moving beyond what happened to her. While we talk, you can watch her at the Speaker Club meeting on the security feed.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  The two men walked into the school and to Mac’s office.

  Mac shut the door. “Okay, let’s tune into the meeting. We can’t hear anything. It’s visual only.”

  Mac selected one of the cameras inside Crosby Nash’s classroom. Scott’s attention was fixated on the large screen mounted on the wall.

  “There’s a motley crew in this club,” Mac said while watching what was happening in the classroom.

  Scott didn’t take his eyes away from the screen. “What do you mean?”

  “The kids get extra credit for attending. It’s supposed to help prepare them for job interviews, business meetings, etc.”

  “Yes, that’s what Brandi told me.”

  “There’s more to why these kids are in this class than just the curriculum. I haven’t quite figured it out.”

  “Should I pull Brandi out of the club?”

  “No. I think Mr. Nash is teaching great stuff that will help most of the kids, Brandi included. It may be he’s too easy on kids.”

  Mac’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at it.

  Scott looked at him.

  “It’s my sister. She’s dating for the first time in years, and the new man in her life sent her flowers. She sent me a photo.”

  “You don’t like the guy?”

  “I don’t know him.”

  “You’re skeptical though, I can hear it in your voice.”

  “She’s my sister. I’m skeptical of anyone who might break her heart.”

  The two men sat in silence, turning their attention back to the kids who had broken into smaller groups to work on an assignment. Brandi and Rae teamed up with a couple of the other kids rather than go with Stu and Kevin.

  Mac wondered, did the girls choose their group on their own or had Crosby assigned the groups? He focused on Kevin. Did Kevin look at Brandi on the other side of the room? Did he watch her when she walked to get supplies? Seeing Kevin pay too much attention to Brandi was troublesome.

  Telling Scott his concern that Kevin may have been the assailant was premature. He didn’t want to alert him to the wrong person. Although Mac felt Kevin was at the top of his suspect list, he needed to be as close to one hundred percent certain as possible before he said anything to anyone.

  Chapter 22

  Thursday was Rae’s third day at Blackstone Academy. Each afternoon, Mac watched her driver arrive at school early and wait across the street in the visitor parking lot along with the mothers and fathers. Other kids at the school had drivers, but they usually arrived moments before school released and waited alongside the curb in the pick-up line.

  Mac had questions. Why is she placed in a home with a couple who are not a typical foster family? Who’s paying for a driver? And number three, why?

  Today, Rae’s driver parked exited his SUV and headed straight for Mac and Roni. Positioned in their usual spots at the front of the school, they waited for the dismissal bell to ring.

  Rae’s driver stretched his arm out to shake as he neared Mac. “Hello, I’m Nico Stark. Rae Bowen’s driver.”

  Mac met Nico’s hand and introduced himself and his sidekick, Roni.

  Roni chuckled, said hello and also shook his hand.

  Nico—about the same height as Mac, maybe five or so years younger, and a little softer—hadn’t been to the gym for a while. His short wavy dark hair and green eyes made him appear to be of Italian descent.

  “Are you related to RaeAnn?” Roni inquired.

  “Nope. I’m the hired help.” He grinned.

  “Is the driver business yours or do you work for a service?” Roni stared at him intently.

  Mac gave Roni a look of ‘down girl.’

  “It’s my business, my car.”

  “Hmmm,” Roni mumbled.

  Mac sensed a military background or law enforcement. He felt a littl
e sorry he’d curtailed Roni’s inquisition too soon because he was also curious.

  “How’d you get started with a driver business?” Mac hoped his questions sounded casual and not like an interrogation.

  “Long story, short, I was a field agent for the FBI until two years ago when drinking became more important than a dream career.”

  “Hmmm,” Mac was not only surprised by the guy’s openness but unsure where to take the conversation from there. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “It’s cool. How’s Rae doing in school?”

  “She’s fitting in,” Roni said, “Super sad about her parents.”

  “I wasn’t told of the specifics. My business is referral only, and I’m known for being discreet—no questions asked. I know as much or as little as the client wants me to know.”

  Roni waved at one of the mothers who’d parked her car across the street. “A friend at the police department told me her parents were on their way to the Sacramento Metro Airport when a drunk, wrong-way driver hit them head-on.”

  Several cars lined up along the curb to pick-up children. Mac noticed one of them belonged to Kevin’s Aunt Jane. As much as Mac wanted to let it go and be done with the Jackson family, he remained concerned for the safety of anyone connected to the boy.

  “What happened to the drunk driver?” Mac asked.

  “Minor injuries.”

  “Man, that’s rough,” Nico said.

  “It seems odd for a foster kid to have a personal driver,” Mac said.

  Roni’s head bobbed.

  Nico didn’t reply.

  Mac was thankful when the dismissal bell rang.

  “I better head over to the car. Nice to meet you both.” Nico turned and walked away.

  Mac and Roni gave the automated response at the exact same time, “You too.”

  Roni laughed.

  After the kids left school for the day, Mac gathered all the tips from the BAT boxes. He neatly spread them out on his desk and organized the notes by the location of the box.

  The tips were typical until he read the last one. “Watch your back. Kevin Jackson has it out for you. He thinks he can get away with anything.” This tip gave Mac pause. If he had to guess, he’d say the penmanship was female. Cursive with squarish lettering.