To Love & To Protect Read online

  “Nice to meet you, I know you traveled about three hours to get here, so I know you are tired. Michelle has contacted you by now, I am sure,” Ethan said more as a statement.

  Alena replied with confidence, “She has, and I am willing to help in any way possible.” Ethan met her intense stare with one of his own and mused that she was a fire cracker indeed. He released her hand, thanked her for her cooperation, and moved onto the next lady he was to meet.

  “This is Nicole Alexander,” Trent said with a teasing smile, “She owns and operates the Emerald Grove Day Spa.”

  “In the flesh baby,” she outstretched her hand like royalty, as if she expected it to be kissed.

  Ethan returned her smile as he observed that she was probably a few years old than the rest of the ladies. Her skin was like rich mocha and she had dark brown eyes, her hair fell in silky jet black layers down across her shoulders. Ethan said, “It is certainly nice to meet you.”

  “Last but not least Renee Anderson,” Trent said. Pain was clearly etched across her face, even though she tried to hide it.

  “Renee, I am pleased to meet you. We will do everything within our power to capture whoever is responsible for this crime. Thank you so much for being strong for Representative Anderson as well as your nieces. They really need you right now.”

  “Thank you,” Renee choked out.

  “I assure you that it is indeed my honor,” Ethan declared.

  Everyone’s attention went to the bed. Jasmine was coughing and fighting intubation. Monitors were beeping and flashing angrily. Ethan began to usher everyone out as Michael and his staff came in.

  Another single tear slipped down Jasmine’s cheek, for reasons Ethan could not explain. That one tear yanked on is heart.

  Jasmine groaned in pain, more and more as she regained consciousness.

  Michael removed the tube and her first question came out as a hoarse whisper, “My girls?” yet held a note of desperation. Tears were flowing down her face unchecked now.

  Trent stepped to side of the bed and held her hand. Michael and Donna were checking her vitals, adjusting medication output, and checking the readings on several monitors.

  After a few moments, Donna stopped her work, and began to speak in slow calming systems, “Representative Anderson, your girls Alyson and Amber are fine physically. They just want you to get well. In order for you to start your recovery I need for you to calm down.”

  Jasmine nodded her head. “Where are they?” she asked.

  Donna continued, “Slow, deep breaths, please. That’s it,” Donna encouraged Jasmine as she began to imitate her breathing pattern.

  Trent answered Jasmine by saying, “The girls are at Blake-Moore Estates. They are with two highly trained female marines. My dad, Chandler and Brandon are there too. They also have two FBI agents there.”

  “Pull the FBI agents, their presence confirms the girl’s true location at all times and makes them a target,” Jasmine interrupted.

  She gripped Trent’s hand urgently and pleaded, “I need for this to be over. I have worked very hard to re-build my life and in a blink of an eye someone turned my life back into a living hell. Until they are caught I have to look over my shoulder, my life will not be my own. They have all the power. Help me please Trent, help me,” Jasmine begged.

  Jasmine, started to drift off to sleep.

  “Michael,” Jasmine slurred.

  “Yes,” Michael answered.

  “Stop…..drugging….me,” then she was out again.

  Michael addressed Ethan and Trent. “Her blood pressure was too high, she is running a slight fever and being agitated like this doesn’t help her any,” Michael finished with a deep sigh.

  Michael gave all the ladies an update then Ethan convinced the ladies to go home for the evening, reassuring them that Trent and Kimberly would not leave her side.

  Then he went outside to talk with the FBI agents guarding the door.

  Chapter 3

  “Good afternoon gentlemen. My name is Ethan Hightower. I am a private detective from Blake-Moore & Associates. We have been contacted by Representative Anderson, to provide protection for herself, her daughters, and her sister Renee. We would like to be able of any help to your agency in regards to the shooting. Everything that we discover will be shared with your agency in a timely manner,” Ethan finished.

  “Listen Hightower, this incident is messy as is. A seat holding government employee was shot on a State University Campus and was able to vanish in thin air. Everyone wants to know how that happened. Therefore, if Representative Anderson wants to trust her life to you and your associates she may do so after she leaves this hospital and not a minute before that. If I catch you at the crime scene, interrogating potential suspects, anything that can be seen as interference at all, I will slap you in jail so quick your head will spin for obstruction of justice. Do I make myself clear?” declared a big heavyset officer who looked like he should be chained to a desk.

  “Callaghan, isn’t it?” Ethan stated calmly. “Everything that you said here tonight has been duly noted. Your supervisor will be contacting you shortly, to give us the green light. I am going to pretend that the latter portion of this conversation never happened. I look forward to working with you,” Ethan said sharply then he walked into the suite Jasmine was occupying.

  Ethan updated Trent on the situation and advised that he was heading to the crime scene. “I am loosing daylight. If you need me for anything, call me on my cellphone,” then he walked out the room.

  Hightower met Trujillo, Jamieson, and Townsend at the crime scene.

  “Give me an update, fellows,” Hightower stated as he approached them.

  “It is hard to get a clear understanding of the crime scene. Local authorities were first to respond to the call, and had begun to process the crime scene with SLED before the FBI arrived on the scene and took over. The scene has been walked over by three different agencies,” Trujillo answered, clearly agitated. “Nevertheless, I took pictures of the scene and all tagged areas, but honestly it’s like I am looking at the crime scene through someone else’s eyes.”

  Jamieson spoke up, “I got copies of all the schools surveillance cameras, all entrances and exits, the parking lot, along with copies of the footage from the news station that was covering the event. The victims clothing has been obtained my SLED.”

  “Did any agency find the bullet, as the gunshot was a through and through?” Ethan asked. “It might have a partial print?” Ethan stated hoping for a lead.

  “Yes, the bullet was obtained by the FBI and is being analyzed. Apparently, Jasmine Anderson knew we would be coming and it has made getting information very easy,” Townsend responded.

  “Good work guys. I am going to do a walk-through.” Ethan walked past the fellows and walked slow to the stage where Jasmine was shot. He walked up to the stage and noticed the dried blood first. She was shot in her right arm, the force of the shot spun her around and she landed on her injured arm. There were several chairs on the stage, so besides her daughters who else was on stage with her. He stood next to what he perceived as the first drops of blood, and looked out into the audience. The shooter was seated in the score keeper’s box. He walked back down the stairs leading into the audience toward his men.

  “Trujillo did anyone dust the score keepers box for finger prints or check it for any shell casing?” Ethan asked.

  “Not that I am aware of,” Trujillo answered.

  “Anything and everything in there needs to be bagged and tagged, Ethan called after him.

  “I am on it,” responded Trujillo.

  “If it is locked, pick it and go in there anyways,” Ethan called after an eager Trujillo.

  “Townsend do we have a video walk through as well as a paper walk through documented,” Ethan asked.

  “Yes sir,” Townsend responded.

  Ethan messaged, Rivera and Mayweather, to check on the girls who were safe at the Blake-Moore Estates. Alena, Alexis, Claire, an
d Nicole were also present. The other team had swept the Anderson Estate for bugs, and started reviewing video surveillance from the home security system. Mayweather had hacked Jasmine’s email and was separating what she felt to be useful information and started composing a list of possible suspects that needed to be interviewed.

  Hightower was happy with the team, he was going to review the crime log and make sure that he was copied in all correspondence from the crime lab.

  Chapter 4

  Sometime after midnight Jasmine woke up, but was having difficulty breathing. Michael initially thought that she had a collapsed lung as a complication to the gunshot injures, but it was a panic attack. She had an oxygen mask placed over her mouth and nose, until her breathing stabilized. Jasmine allowed unchecked tears to fall from her face again. She reminded Ethan of a wounded animal. You could see the fear in her beautiful face. She also was very worried about her daughters. Her feelings were very real, raw and exposed for all the world to see, something Ethan was sure she didn’t allow very often.

  Once she had been allowed to freshen up, with Donna’s assistance, she settled back against the pillows, all machinery was reconnected.

  “So please tell us of the progress you have made, Special Agent Hightower,” Jasmine requested.

  “Umm, ma’am we have made tremendous headway, but we have nothing definitely pinned down at this point in our investigation. Do you feel that there is anyone that we should look at off top?” Hightower asked.

  “Ralph Jefferson my ex-husband was released, having served his time. He has been calling and stopping by unannounced. He says that he loves his girls and he wants to be able to see them. I have full custody, and I am not willing to allow visitation at this time. So he and his family filed paperwork, for visitation. I and my legal staff responded. I gave the court a copy of his arrest record, and that of his girlfriend. In my answer I made a compiling case as to why he would not be a suitable parent or caregiver to the girls. He was livid, to put it mildly. The court decided in my favor because their history of domestic violence and in most cases the kids do get caught in the cross fire,” Jasmine concluded. “Furthermore, yes I have received numerous threats from several different organizations, because of my view points on gay rights, gun control, and immigration reform. But I think it’s erroneous of any of them to try to kill me for it, because they would only make me a martyr. I have worked my ass off, pardon my French to reclaim my life just to have someone try to snatch that security away from me again.”

  Jasmine began to fight back tears. She cleared her throat, “I love my children with all my heart. They are my everything. Find the son of a bitch responsible for this quickly and give me my life back, please. Trent trust you, and Trent only works with the best. So I trust you both,” she said to Ethan and Kimberly. Now I am going to be quiet and get myself back in order so that Michael doesn’t make me go to sleep without my food,” smiled with a small amount of embarrassment. Then she looked away as if she had done something wrong.

  “Laughter is God’s hand on a troubled world. It’s okay,” Ethan Hightower responded.

  “That’s profound, who said that originally,” Jasmine asked.

  “Martin Lawrence; Big Momma’s House 2,” responded Kimberly.

  “Guilty as charged,” Ethan responded and began to laugh.

  Everyone joined in….Including Jasmine.

  Chapter 5

  Jasmine lay in her hospital bed. Trent had fallen asleep and Kimberly Adams was wide awake. There were two FBI agents outside standing guard. Every once in a while Michael would pop in, or Denise. Jasmine let out a huge sigh, she wanted to go home. She wanted to kiss her girls and hug them. No one had let her speak with them today at all. Alena, Alexis, and Claire had come by with the food for everyone. She had enjoyed a mixed green salad, with juicy fragrant tomatoes, cucumbers, Vidalia onions, shredded cheddar cheese, fried chicken breast chunks, and honey mustard dressing with honey butter yeast rolls. Trent had enjoyed country fried steak smothered in gravy, with white rice and green beans. Kimberly had the same thing except she had baked skinless chicken breast no gravy. Ethan Hightower had enjoyed a seafood platter, with fried flounder, popcorn shrimp and crab cakes, French fries, and creamy coleslaw with hushpuppies. He ate his food with a hardy appetite and was grateful for it. When he ate his food, it gave Jasmine a moment to take him all in. He was tall about six feet, four inches. His frame was lean and athletic. He dressed in a white button down shirt and fitted blue jeans. His hair had a sun kissed streaks among the brown hues. Two dimples that appeared when he smiled and Caribbean ice blue eyes. Everyone that worked with Blake-Moore Security Agency was an inactive United States Marine. All of them had an injury from Operation Freedom, but she could not find his to save her life. All the officers had shadows in their eyes of things that tormented them, but he appeared genuinely happy with his life. He reminded her of a low-key Josh Lucas. He wasn’t married.

  She shook her head, musing that the medicine must be kicking in. She people watched often, but she hadn’t been attracted to men after her break up with the children’s father. She never let the relationships develop past friendships as a means of protecting herself. Yet she sensed that her heart was in danger with this man. She would have to keep her distance.

  Denise came in and checked on her monitors. Her blood pressure was slightly elevated and she was running a slight fever. She adjusted her fluid output and increased her pain medicines, and hung another bag of antibiotic medication. Soon, Jasmine was resting comfortable. She set the blood pressure monitor to check her blood pressure every thirty minutes and she would manually check her temperature every hour.

  Denise left the room and had Dr. Michael Blake-Moore paged. She handed the chart to him as he walked up to the nurse’s station and advised him of what she had done. Some of the other nurse’s where salty that she had been selected to be on Jasmine’s medical case. That was a small price to pay for the chief of staff to notice her hard work and a compliment as well. She decided she was just going to keep being a great nurse.

  Michael leaned over the counter and reviewed the chart. “I have half a mind to keep her medicated for the majority of the day tomorrow. Her mind starts to wonder and she gets stressed,” Michael said worriedly.

  “If you were to do that sir, when she awakened she is going to be pissed. She likes being in control of her life. Though this may be necessary for her health, when she awakes, be prepared to allow her to have a shower, see her kids and a hot meal. That is the only way to keep her calm and not undo the work that her body has done,” Denise said.

  “You are right,” Michael said. “But, would that put the girls in unnecessary danger?” Michael wondered out loud.

  “I don’t think so, Denise responded. The public already knows she is here and there hasn’t been an attempt on her life yet,” she knocked on wood. “You could always change their appearance and bring them up through the old service elevator. Run it past, Special Agent Hightower to be sure. As a single mother, I would want to see my children,” Denise finished.

  “Oh my God, I didn’t even think about your little man, are you sure that you can do this case,” Michael asked sincerely.

  “Dr. Blake-Moore I have a great network, Dennis is mature for his age and I am honored to have been chosen,” Denise finished.

  Michael hugged her and thanked her. “Jasmine is like a sister to us. I have to have the best on her team. I trust you with her care. Thank you, I will repay you somehow. I am going to go check on her,” Michael said. As he was walking way he threw over his shoulder, “You get some rest.”

  Chapter 6

  Ethan left the hospital after Jasmine had fallen asleep. He drove to the house Trent had allowed the others to set up as their temporary headquarters.

  Michelle had made several packets of information on Ralph Jefferson, who was Jasmine’s children’s father. He had a rap sheet that was ten pages long with crimes ranging from simple possession, DUI, DUS, all the way up
to larceny. He went through a local drug rehabilitation treatment program and completed it successfully, yet he still was a cocaine addict. He works in labor production, rents a trailer with his common law wife Courtney Sinclair. Courtney is a high school drop out with three children by three different fathers. She suffers with bi-polar disorder and doesn’t take her prescriptions as prescribed. She also abuses recreational drugs. She too had a rap sheet that was about ten pages long, for shoplifting, check fraud, and simple possession. Her half-brother Christopher Knight is a computer whiz/low scale drug dealer, who was affiliated with a local gang.

  Michelle had also been able to pull the phone records for all three suspects, and another person calling from a blocked number had become a person of interest. This three were involved in some way but they don’t have the skills or the resources to pull off a job like this. Ethan knew that he needed more information on the fourth person. He could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

  Ethan was the last person in the house to get up. He showered and dressed in black dress slacks and a navy blue button down shirt. He ran his fingers through his wet, short, dirty blonde hair and ran his fingers across his reshaped goatee. He walked into the living room were Luke, Trujillo, Michelle, Carina, Ricardo, Marisol, and Patrick were eating and going over the notes.

  Ethan said his good mornings, between bites of a red delicious apple. Ethan addressed the team and gave them an update on his thought process with the Ralph Jefferson gang. The missing person was someone with training in advance weaponry, possible gang ties.

  “What had Representative Jasmine Anderson done to upset a local gang? How did this all tie back in to Ralph Jefferson? These are questions that we need answers to quickly” Ethan advised. “I want all three of them called back for questioning. I want a well-child checkup done on the house by a police officer and a DSS social service worker,” Ethan said to the group at large.