Page 35 of The Perfect Escape
Patton, Mika, Reyna, and I boarded the Cross jet later than I wanted. It was a three-hour flight to Atlanta. We hadn’t taken off, and already I was getting impatient. Patton and I headed to the conference room while Reyna and Mika made themselves comfortable in the main cabin. There wasn’t time for Patton to research the sets of numbers I had given to him, so we thought two heads were better than one to figure out what they meant.
Once we were off the ground and at an acceptable altitude, Patton and I would be ready to boot up our laptop computers. Nothing about this situation comforted me. Curtis and Louise were MIA, and so was Salko. The only saving grace was that we had these numbers, and Curtis didn’t. Finding out from Reyna that he was concerned about Louise’s locket only confirmed that he wanted it for one reason, and that was to retrieve the numbers he had hidden behind the photo.
When we finally got the all-clear from Captain Matthews, Patton and I didn’t hesitate to boot up our laptops. The best-case scenario was to find out what the numbers meant before we landed. Dividing the sets of numbers, I plugged the first set of numbers into the decoding system while Patton entered the second. There was nothing left to do but to sit and wait while the software did its thing.
I was more than aware that there would be more than one outcome once the coding software completed the analysis, especially after entering a list of potential areas where the numbers could be used. I found it surprising that numbers were used more than I once thought. Everything from bank account numbers and serial numbers to IP and coordinate addresses were used to narrow the search.
Two hours into the flight, the software finally completed its search. As Patton and I stared at the results, Patton thought the results were helpful but still missed something. “I think we are missing the full picture here.”
“How so?” I asked, confused as hell by his comment.
“These numbers, -84 01 12 00 23, mean more. If you take away the 23, the rest could be latitude coordinates. The number 23 is baffling since all longitude and latitude coordinates have a north, south, east, or west direction.”
He was onto something. Looking at my set of numbers, 34 41 11 99 14, I arrived at the same conclusion. His 23 and my 14 were additional numbers unless it was a code to throw us off. Grabbing my notebook, I jotted down the alphabet and began numbering each letter. It was just a theory, but it was worth a try. Coming up with N for the number 14 and W for 23, I handed my notebook over to Patton. “Look at this. Assuming that you are right, try inputting these numbers and seeing what you come up with using north and west as coordinates.”
After Patton plugged in my theory, we knew it wasn’t a coincidence that the numbers used as longitude and latitude coordinates would be Suches, Georgia. We were there less than a month ago. The only difference was now we knew what we were looking for. These coordinates meant something, and it was well worth the trip back up the winding road to find out what was so important about this location that Curtis hid it away.
∞
I never thought I would be so happy to be back in Atlanta. It was home, and the greeting I received when we drove inside the warehouse confirmed it. Marcus, Calvin, and Axe were waiting near the large door to greet us. They looked tired and overworked. Over the past month, I had put a lot on them. Not once did they ever complain. When this shit show was done, they would get a nice little vacation on me.
Before I could assist Reyna, she opened the door and headed toward the stairs where Kenzi was running down. With everything going on, she, more than anyone, deserved some happiness. Drawn to the excitement she and Kenzi shared as they embraced each other, I watched overwhelming emotions and tears of joy consume them equally.
Smiling to myself, I tore my sight from them and focused on the three men standing before me. “It’s good to see you guys. Are there any updates on Salko?”
Axe was the first to intervene. “As far as we can tell, he is still somewhere in Canada. Nothing has indicated that he has crossed the border into the States, or flown in, for that matter.”
“There is one thing we find suspicious,” Marcus added. “There has been more than usual movement in Chicago. Salko is planning something. We got word from Sean this morning. We’ve contacted Theo to offer him assistance.”
“What kind of movement?” I asked, looking toward Marcus for clarification.
“More than normal shipments have been coming in at Chicago’s port, and Salko’s men have been there to receive them.”
“What kind of shipments?” I questioned.
“It’s hard to say. It might be drugs, or it could be guns. All we know is there was more than normal activity at the docks.” Marcus turned and headed toward the glassed computer area before returning with several sheets of paper in his hand. “Take a look at this. Seven containers were delivered, which is double Salko’s normal delivery.”
Grabbing the sheet from his hand, I looked over the information. According to the purchase receipts, most of the containers delivered contain dry goods: salt, grains, and sands. There was nothing suspicious, in my opinion. “Am I missing something because I see nothing unusual about these purchase receipts?”
“Look at the last two deliveries.” Using his index finger, Marcus pointed at the information on the sheet he wanted me to focus on.
Most of Salko’s businesses dealt with importing goods, which, in the end, were to be distributed to factories for manufacturing. The last two containers listed were a reason for concern. The contents were unclassified, with a sub-category under steel and or iron related to automotive materials. This was a red flag. “Why the hell would Salko receive a shipment of automotive material unless there was something else in those containers?”
“That’s exactly what I thought, so I did a little digging.” Marcus handed me another sheet of paper before he continued with his theory. “I asked Calvin and Theo to watch those two containers. Come to find out, both containers were never opened, at least not while they were there. After the dock hands left for the day, I had them check out the containers. They were empty. So, either they were empty before loaded on the freighter or emptied sometime before the freighter docked.
“Are you sure? Could Sean and Theo have gotten the containers wrong?” I doubted it. No way would they take their eyes off the containers when they left the freighter, but I had to ask.
“Not a chance. The numbers on the containers matched the numbers on the invoice I texted them.”
“We need to find out what was in those containers.” Handing Marcus the papers I was holding, I focused mainly on him. “Marcus, you take the lead on this. Tomorrow Patton and I will make another trip to Suches.”
At that point, everything that needed to be said was covered. Hopefully, we would have an answer concerning the numbers hidden in the locket. If there were a chance we could leave tonight, we would. But since it was getting late, and given the drive to Suches, it would be too dark to find anything.
When I walked toward the staircase, Reyna and Kenzi had already made it to the upper level’s living space. Bringing Reyna here was the best option, but being surrounded by the men ofThe Society, plus two additional women, left me claustrophobic.
Reyna and Kenzi were sitting on the leather sectional facing each other as they spoke. As I watched them carry on, it was clear I made the right decision in bringing Reyna here instead of taking her to the safe haven back at The Regency. Leaving them to catch up, I turned and walked to the kitchen. Even though the kitchen opened up to the living area, there was a glass block wall, eight feet wide, which provided me the ability to watch Reyna while leaving them unaware that I was eavesdropping on them.
Focusing on their conversation, I hadn’t noticed that something was cooking inside the oven until Helga appeared and pulled the oven door open. Her smile met my gaze as she removed the dish and set it on top of a woven potholder. “I’ve prepared dinner. I hope you like meatloaf.”
