Page 100 of Jase
A pause. “Don’t play stupid with me. It’s beneath you. You took down my sites. You erased all the content. Do you know what you’ve done? Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me?”
“Sites? Uh…I’m throwing a work party right now. I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you are having issues with your websites, perhaps contact the hosting site. Your content may not be gone at all. Maybe they’re just down for maintenance or having technical issues. It happens all the time. Call and they should be able to help you. I do have some friends in the FBI that may be willing to provide assistance if there’s been foul play. Given you’re calling me from an FBI number, I’m guessing you don’t need my contacts. Unless…the sites are a bullshit excuse to call me. Is that what this is? You’re trying to get information about Kody,aren’t you. You need to stop this. You need to leave her alone. I won’t let you hurt her again. She’s mine now. Do you hear me?”
“Before it was a game, but you’ve fucked with the wrong person. Play innocent all you want. Itwas you. You’re dead. You, Kody, the twins, and their whore roommate, dead. Watch your fucking back. Next time we won’t go with something as simple as poison. You’ll be seeing us soon. Perhaps in a vicinity near you.”
I hung up, turning off the recording to stare at my phone. Vicinity near you—VCTYNU. He knew my screen name. What did that mean? What was he up to?
It could be nothing. It could be everything.
Knocking had me looking towards the door. I headed over, swinging the barrier open to see the same man who’d supposedly just called.
“Agent Warez, well this is unexpected…and odd.”
“Odd? Is it really?”
“Yeah. I just got a call from your number from someone threatening my life, so yeah, I’d say odd seems a bit appropriate.”
He glanced at the other two agents with him, shaking his head. “Well, it wasn’t me.”
“I know, but we have a problem. A big one.”
I lifted my phone, hitting the button for the recording, making sure they saw Agent Warez’s name and number. By the time it stopped, the agents were looking amongst each other.
“I’ll be damned.” Agent Warez’s lips parted as he paused. “My agents can attest it wasn’t me who made that call. There’s also no denying he knew the nature of my visit. This man…he’s clearly a threat. Not just to all of you, but a lot of those sites that he’s referring to were probably amongst the ones being investigated for illegal activities. That’s why I’m here. When the hosting went down, it hurt us too. The investigations…we lost a lot of leads. I was hoping you could help with that.” He narrowed his eyes. “Also, we need to talk to this person. He could have information or evidence that’s vital for our operations. Can you and your people help us? Not just with the attack on the hosting site, but to discover who this man is. Something tells me it’s not going to be easy, but if anyone can find this guy, it’s you.”
Glancing across the room, I took in Kody before turning back to the agents.
“Everyone in this room is my family. He threatened those closest to me. I don’t know about you, but I don’t take that lightly, Agents. I have security here around the clock. We’re always looking over our shoulder if we do leave the house. It’s no secret my girlfriend has been attacked and victimized by these people repeatedly. This son of a bitch has been trying his best to get to her. To kill her because of her escape from that disgusting, underground red room. This call was proof that they’re not going to stop, and I can’t sit back anymore and do nothing. I want to work exclusively with your team, Agent Warez. I want to help you not only find this man; I’m willing to help you take down this entire fucking ring.”
Chapter 34
Kody
Where I expected things to get better after the FBI became involved, I never imagined the magnitude or turn the investigation would take. It should have been a relief to have so much protection within our walls. After all, our home was now the command center concerning this underground torture and porn ring. That didn’t mean this was easy. From the graphic pictures sometimes laid out, to the details the agents so easily discussed. It was hard to hear. It didn’t help that Jase stayed in obsessive mode. I understood that. I had even tried to prepare for it. We’d been here before, but I also needed him too. Weeks had passed since agents practically moved in. The operation took place at all hours. Agents were at every turn. Privacy was definitely lacking, and it was taking its toll on everyone.
“Hey, wasn’t that takedown happening tonight? I should have asked Rian about it before he left. They’re going to notify us, right?” Jase got quiet, only to continue. “They’ll keep us in the loop; they have to. We found that location and that slimy son of a bitch, Patterson. Warez will let us know.” He looked between his laptop and an agent sitting feet away at a fold-out table. His lips tightened at the nod, and he seemed satisfied at the acknowledgement.
I poured my juice, sliding the carton back in the refrigerator. It was already almost empty, and I’d just ordered it yesterday. For me.Again. Not that it was any of the agents fault I was so moody over juice. Jase was the culprit. I wasn’t even sure he realized what he was doing again. He truly couldn’t help how immersed he became once he started. If he was eating or drinking or breathing, he was doing it staring at his screen. My words didn’t always register. My needs weren’t getting met. He wanted nothing but these men to pay and go down, and although a lot had, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to the point where V was caught. No one would talk, and V was nowhere to be found. So, what did that say about us? About our lives?
“Maybe I should call Warez. Do you think that last bust played out a little too easily? I swear, it’s almost like the information was fed to us. Maybe I’ll call Rian instead. He mentioned stopping at the diner. He should still be awake.”
I nearly choked on my juice. For the first time since I’d left the bed, Jase turned and noticed me.
“Kody. I didn’t see you.” He blinked through his thoughts, finally looking at the clock before coming back to me. “It’s early. Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?”
“Fine. I’m great.”
“You’re upset. Did I wake you? I…I’m sorry. I got pretty loud earlier, didn’t I?”
Loud was the understatement of the century. I thought all hell was breaking lose when I’d heard Jase yelling up a storm. And it wasn’t the first time tonight, or any night. He was furious…over something he’d found…again. I didn’t even ask what was happening anymore. Each outburst was a disappointment. I was starting to think this wasn’t ever going to end.
“That was almost an hour ago. Are you ready for bed? If not, I guess I’m awake.”
The slightest twinge of attitude had him sitting straighter. I hadn’t meant to let it get out. The last thing I wanted was to argue, but I was also frustrated. He looked around the room, only to turn back to his laptop.
“I guess I’m at a good stopping point. I was hoping to hear how the takedown went.”
“I’m sure they’re busy and have their hands full. You can always call when you wake up. It’ll be a decent time by then anyway. It’s five in the morning, Jase…Five.”
