Morgan Escape

By Carter Burke

Calming down from the emotions stirred in her during her Texas assignment, Morgan felt that her new assignment in Columbus Ohio was going to be regular and run of the mill. Her intuition tells her that there is more going on although she cant quite figure it out. Having to win the confidence of a detective that doesnt want her on the case was stressful enough, she find herself a captive of a suspected serial killer and she is taken to a place where she has no idea how to contact the people who can save her. Morgans resolve will be tested when she finds herself in a situation as the case ends, that she never could have imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499071825

Carter Burke

Carter Burke has always had a love of reading and turned that love into a passion for writing. Born in Columbus, Ohio, she enjoys traveling to different locations to build her stories and give them a backdrop of some of the cities she has visited. Carter has always worked in the administrative field but found that writing was a way for her to relax during the weekends after busy days at the office. Carter has two adult children and two grandchildren and enjoys fishing and watching classic movies. She also enjoys listening to all types of music, including classic rock, classical, and old school rhythm and blues. Carter states that scouting out new locations for her novels gives her a great thrill because she gets to experience the ambiance of the different locations and to interact with people on a level that is down-to-earth and genuine.

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Copyright © 2014 by Carter Burke.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014916562

ISBN:      Hardcover    978-1-4990-7183-2

                Softcover      978-1-4990-7181-8

                eBook           978-1-4990-7182-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/12/2014

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CONTENTS

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

XIV

XV

XVI

XVII

XVIII

XIX

XX

XXI

XXII

XXIII

XXIV

XXV

XXVI

XXVII

XXVIII

XXIX

XXX

XXXI

I

Driving down Main Street early Sunday morning and the streets of Columbus were deserted except for few people walking or heading to work. People did work on Sundays and was glad she was not one of them. From Main the turn was left onto Parsons and a right on Bryden. She would be waiting for him. Olde Town East, the houses were old and refurbishing was a continuing process. It was a neighborhood where whites had lived, then blacks had lived and now whites were living again, or trying to. Gas prices rising every day, being close to the downtown area was becoming something that the up and comings wanted to do. The old houses in disarray not because the people who owned them didn’t want to take care of them, it was just expensive to do so and only people with the money could come in and do what needed to be done. At Bryden and Champion they could see her waiting. Her scarf colorful and concealing. It was early enough that the regular people were out and the night people, the people who ran the streets were beginning to hide from the light of day.

Jackie wasn’t afraid. This was her neighborhood, or rather used to be. Success had moved her out further east. Not quite affluent but better than this, although she would love to rehab one of these big houses. She applauded the fact that the neighborhood was becoming better, she hated the fact that in order to make it better, they were out pricing the people who lived there, sending them to roost in someone else’s hood for them to deal with. She saw the car approaching. A Benz. White. It was her dream car. She told him when she started working, she wanted a white Mercedes and he purchased one. This was before they began sleeping together and the gifts just continued to get better. She told her husband she was working, except he had stopped buying that story months ago and Jackie didn’t care. She knew she was going to sleep with her boss the moment she met him. An older man, but still looked good. That’s what money did for you. It kept you looking good. He probably didn’t have to explain to his wife and family in Upper Arlington that he had to work on Sunday. He was a corporate executive and she knew he could do what he pleased. The job called for a secretary and she knew that she would be competing against white girls young and eager and blond. She had the skills but she had been there before. Walking into the office on a temp assignment, she finessed it. She went to Polaris and bought the most expensive suit she could along with a pair of Prada pumps. It cleared out all the available credit on her Visa, but she didn’t care. It paid off. She could tell from the other secretaries clothing that they were just housewives and probably shopped at various stores but certainly not Neiman’s, although you could tell their clothes were of some quality. Jackie believed that he felt the same about her, the chemistry was there it was just a matter of how to approach the situation. She believed they both knew they were going to sleep together. Those things are intricate in nature, especially in a work setting. Jackie had been waiting for a chance like this and whatever it took to get to the sugar daddy deal, she was willing to do. She laughed to herself at the times her husband was so wowed by her in the bedroom. Dumb ass, he thought she was doing that to please him however, Jackie figured practice made perfect and since she already had a man available, she could practice until she got it right.

The car stopped for her and she slid into the car and relished the upholstery, the feel, the ambiance. However, the look on Jackie’s face revealed that this wasn’t the situation she had bargained for this morning. Always look before you get in the car, assumptions can be wrong. They shot over to Livingston, heading for 33. Driving without speaking, it didn’t take Jackie long to realize where they were headed and she felt her heart began to beat a little faster. They were heading to Hocking Hills and in the winter, in Ohio, only the die hard were out walking in the Hills. The feeling of dread became stronger. 33 was virtually empty and the Benz slid down the road at 65, passing by Canal Winchester which at rush hour made 33 a large parking lot. They passed an occasional trooper sitting their post, probably working a crossword since traffic was so minimal. They didn’t give the Benz a second look.

Jackie dropped the envelope with the money on the floor of the car. Of course, she had taken her cut before. 50 thousand cash, collected from the various dealers in the city.

They drove, the music on the stereo was Beethoven, the thoughts were murderous although they smiled at Jackie. She was a gold digger. It was understood that everyone at some point in their lives crave nice things but this Jackie was someone who would be a perpetual thorn in their side. She was beautiful, ambitious and not afraid to mix into a little trouble. It was apparent that notoriety didn’t scare her. She was a bit street as well, being able to go to Olde Town East and the other areas to collect without any worry. It wasn’t the gun she took with her it was her attitude that made her courageous. Jackie to slip to whatever level was needed for the situation which turns out to be a pretty good trait for a gold digger to have. You never know when you may have to go slumming.

The silence was almost driving Jackie insane and the voice cut through the silence in an alarming manner that she wasn’t ready for.

You think I didn’t know.

Honestly, I didn’t care.

I can see that in your demeanor. You’re caught but you don’t act like a captive. You still have that air of superiority that I suppose I should have realized. No one comes out of their class without a great deal of balls. You have enough for two.

I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not going to deny things at this juncture because I know you are on your way out and I have the upper hand. Once someone has the upper hand, the other party is, shall I say, assed out.

You don’t have enough ass to out me girl. You’re pretty delusional if you think that you have the upper hand either. I think they medications for that.

I understand you should know.

Icy silence. They looked at the woman called Jackie and was admiring a little. Guts makes a very attractive play in certain situations. It wouldn’t do anything for this particular situation but it was a good showing. They could see Jackie’s jaws moving quickly and ever so slightly under the very good make up she was wearing. First class all the way. But you can’t hide fear. It shows and it comes out in waves from your skin. Big mouth Jackie was scared, hiding it was academy award caliber acting although it was wasted on this particular climax. She was only fooling herself.

Arriving at Hocking Hills they drove to the cabin that he kept rented. Jackie’s eyes were peeled for any movement, maybe a ranger or a jogger, something. She flinched as the voice ordered her out of the car. Jackie complied but tried not to move away from the car. She was going to refuse to go inside. Unfortunately, she was turned around quickly and forcefully and before she could right herself she felt the blade of the hunting knife cutting into her and all she could do was stare. She couldn’t even scream, but her eyes showed it all. Jackie fell into a large snow drift, the red blood standing out against the white snow. Standing there watching the blood oozing onto the virgin snow they were mesmerized for a moment. Then, going behind the car to the trunk, they pulled out a large push broom that was used to sweep the garage and pushed the body over the nearby ravine and watched it tumble down into a large snow drift where it disappeared. Sweating a little, they stood quietly for a moment again wanting to laugh out loud to the winter scene and the gold digging bitch buried in a drift that completely covered her. To make it better more snow was pushed off the drive and it looked as if they were just another cabin dweller cleaning their property. It was early December, it would be months before anyone would find her, if anyone was even looking. Sometimes one less gold digger in the world was a good thing and they just disappear without a trace.

Inside the cabin, the outer coat was removed. There was blood on it. It was stuffed in a large garbage bag and put on a very similar coat which was hanging in closet. Closing the door, getting into the car, they drove through the beautiful Hocking Hills before exiting. There was a ranger pulling into the lot, just finishing the rounds. He waved and they waved back. Nothing odd or sinister. Driving down 33 toward home, traffic had picked up but just a little. People in Ohio love to get out in between those snow storms just to feel alive. Have to replenish your stock, put gas in the car before going to work on Monday. Besides snow storms can keep you cooped up longer than your patience can hold out and you have to get outside for any reason. Before arriving home for the day a stop at the Mercedes dealer to trade the white Benz for something more sporty. It was time you know.

Morgan was sitting on the couch of an apartment she rented in Atlanta. She didn’t want to go back to her father’s place and after Texas, she was emotionally drained. She thought about Jimmy often, at Ft. Leavenworth, doing his time. John had allowed her to take some time off. But she was antsy and ready to go. Work would keep her mind off Jimmy.

I have an assignment if you wish to work.

John, you know I do. Where am I going?

Columbus, Ohio.

Really? What’s happening there?

A lot. I am bringing the file over if you don’t mind.

No, I don’t mind, come over John. I’ll make you lunch.

Morgan enjoyed taking care of John. He was loving and caring and he needed a wife. She wished sometimes that she could be in love with John. It would make it so easier. Morgan thought about Jimmie more often than she should. It was a job. She tried to separate that from her feelings but she couldn’t. Maybe it was because she really didn’t have a love affair, sex with perps was just part of the job and she could keep the feelings undercover. But Jimmie was so different. He was a job, and yet, the feelings were still there. John and her father worried about her. Her father was now working with a separate branch of John’s organization, Morgan felt that he was too close to what she needed to do and she felt odd having him know that sex was maybe a part of her job. Looking him the eye was hard. She also didn’t like the fact that John had called him in on the Texas job. It made her feel like she was working for her father and at any moment he would show up, jumping in to save his little girl. He wouldn’t but Morgan always thought that he could not separate the professional Morgan from his little girl. John arrived on time as usual. Although he looked toned, he also looked a little tired.

You been working out John?

Yeah, a little. I don’t want to throw in the towel yet. She wouldn’t have wanted me to. We made a pact when we married that we would go on with our lives should one of us move along. To us, it was a fulfillment of our wedding vowels, til death do us part. I still love her and I know she will always be in my heart, but if I don’t move along with life, I’ll die. And as much as I love her, I love life more.

Morgan smiled and hugged John.

C’mon and eat. I made chicken salad.

They took their plates of chicken salad with little crackers on the side and sat on the sun porch which overlooked the woods which were in back of the complex. It was early April and Atlanta had already heated up.

This is Thomas Endicott. Thomas is the owner and CEO of Shadrack Corp. They are a sports operating firm. Scheduling sporting events and luring sports to the Columbus area. They have trade shows, marketing shows and any sporting event that comes to Columbus goes through them. With one exception, the Buckeyes. He tried to get in on that money maker but he wasn’t a Buckeye, being from Columbus that was kind of odd. He never got in with the network. Although occasionally they do throw some events his way. He also is the major supplier/distributor of the illegal drug trade that is there. Nothing gets past him. Columbus Police have been trying to get him, but he is very slick and very covered. The Department has asked us to come in and infiltrate, trying once and for all to stem the tide of drugs into their beautiful city. Have you been there?

No, I can’t say that I have. I don’t think I have really heard of it except during presidential elections.

They want to change that. But like most cities, they have their share of drug problems. Unless most cities, they are willing to do whatever it takes to take it down. With the economy changing from factories to business, Columbus has decided to regroup itself, remarket itself as a key player in the Midwest, bringing commerce and people to the area. It’s a great economic fix, and they want to do to it by virtually killing crime.

Oh. I guess I have to look it up and see which Morgan I should be.

I would suggest the more conservative, educated Morgan. To work at this corporation, you have to look the part. It won’t be easy to get it; I’m relying on you to do that. We have secured a job interview for you with Thomas since his secretary quit. The good thing is that she was black, which is rare but becoming less rare, however it makes it easier for you. Bring the class Morgan; if I can’t get you in the door, we have to move on to someone else. It’s also rumored that his secretary may have taken off with some of the company money, but it’s just a rumor. Her husband hasn’t seen her since December when she said she was going to work, but Thomas wasn’t there and no one saw her show up on any security cameras. Her husband thinks she was having an affair with someone.

With Thomas?

He thought so but there was no real evidence to support that. I’m 100% positive you won’t have to sleep with him, from our intelligence he loves his family and although he did see her a lot after hours, it wasn’t thought to be a sexual relationship, but you will have to get in his confidence and maybe, with you gaining his confidence, you can at least see what’s going on. Also, if he is engaging members of the black community, he may need you. That’s my thought not CPD. He would have to have some runners or something. And if I know anything about lower level dealers, a white man from Upper Arlington is not top on their list of trusted confidants. He likes women with style, and in that light, color doesn’t matter. He has been seen having business dealings with the upper echelon blacks of Columbus, comfortably drinking with them at the Brownstone on Main. He’s not prejudging, he likes business, style and money.

That won’t be hard. I guess I get to go shopping.

Yes, I opened an account at Saks with unlimited credit. Go get what you need.

He handed her the card.

Okay, Saks. I can do that. It’s been a while since I have been there. You pay me well, but I don’t often get to dress like that on a social level.

John looked deeply at Morgan.

Are you lonely Morgan? I have taken so much of your time I forget that you are a young woman. Maybe thinking about marriage and kids. Don’t be afraid to tell me, there are plenty of ways I can use you in my organization, normal ways where you could have a life.

Morgan kissed John on the cheeks.

John, I love what I do. Right now, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. My clock isn’t ticking that loud. Besides, the action and traveling appeal to me. But next time, how about getting me a location where they don’t have such harsh winters.

And they do. Also, you are part of Buckeye Nation. When you get there, you will see your loft decorated with Buckeye paraphernalia. The people in Columbus love their Buckeyes and without it, you won’t fit into the business society.

I am aware of the Buckeyes, Big 10 Football. John, I do watch television. Not often but I love college football.

Good.

He stood up.

The salad was wonderful, just like I remember.

She taught me, remember, during training?

He smiled. It was nice of her to remember. He kissed Morgan on the forehead like a good father would; hoping she wouldn’t see how much he really loved her. He wanted to tell her so much.

Go shopping Morgan. You plane leaves Friday, get settled in and your interview is at 10:30 a.m. Sharp.

Morgan walked him to the door. He turned and hugged her and then he was gone.

Thomas pulled into his driveway in his home off the golf course. He sat in the car, looking at his home. It was a far cry from the little place he had lived in on the south side. Back then he didn’t mind because all the houses were like that. No one really felt different. Here, he was where he really belonged, upscale. He sighed. He really didn’t want to go into the house though. His wife would be beautiful but medicated, prescription drugs or alcohol or both. His kids were indifferent and distant, staying in their very furnished rooms with all the amenities, not having time to talk to their parents about anything other than what they needed. This was the part of the dream that he hated. When he married his wife, she was educated, beautiful and perfect to be on the arm of a successful business man. That’s why he picked her. Not necessarily looking for a trophy wife but when he began to go to the corporate affairs and the exclusive Buckeye parties, the other wives definitely exuded money. She couldn’t be just anyone. Their kids went to the best schools in Upper Arlington, from preschool to high school. They would be going to Ohio State, his son next year his daughter in two, with great GPAs and the right backgrounds it was expected.

Thomas put his key in the door, took a deep breath and went in. The house was clean and fresh and he thanked Doris, the cleaning lady who came in twice a week for that. His wife felt that a woman of her position should not have to clean, but the truth was she didn’t know how. A lot of the corporate woman did their own house work, having someone come in for special occasions, but not his wife. Thomas was at a loss as to why she was so miserable. Now, he didn’t give a damn.

Stacey was lying on the sofa in the Buckeye Room. It was his entertaining room when he had parties. He knew she was in there because he had told her he didn’t want to come in the house to see her sprawled out on the couch or the floor in the front room. He tried to call ahead when he had company just in case. He walked into the formal dining room, hoping to smell something like food. When no one was home, Doris would leave food in the oven for them. Nothing this time. Not even the lingering odor of bacon. He walked past the Buckeye Room catching sight of a well pedicured foot lying off the side of the large leather couch. She was out like a light and he was going to leave her that way. Going up the back stairs from the kitchen, he hoped he would catch sight of his kids. He walked past their rooms and could only hear the keyboard in his daughter’s room, typing away, and rap music from his son’s room. His son was in that wanna be phase with his pants down low and dressed in the urban style of people that he only sees on television. He smiled. When he was growing up he wanted to look hip too so he didn’t give him much grief about it and most of the boys his age did it anyway. After high school he would be past that phase and will not even remember these days.

His master bedroom was actually a suite, with a sleeping area, a lounging area and an office for business. It wasn’t built that way. He had specifications for the house he was looking and although the realtor found something close, he talked them into taking the cost of the remodeling, as an incentive to buy the house. The neighbors were glad to see him move in and renovate the house. They were very protective of who lived next door even though they weren’t supposed to be. Neighborhoods protected themselves against people that didn’t belong. He didn’t visit much, too busy with work and other things, but the events that involved the neighborhood were attended by his wife, under the direct order to at least remain sober until afterward. It was her duty to cultivate a good relationship with the neighbors to Thomas, since he earned all the money. She had a responsibility, which she carried out well. It was during the down times, when she had nothing to occupy her time when she resorted to self medication. The first years of their marriage were wonderful. She was beautiful, hardly ever touching a drink, satisfying in bed and just perfect. Perfection, Stacey soon realized, came with a price. First it was more money, she wasn’t satisfied with the position she held which was a far cry from where she came from. Thomas should have known then, if you give the wealth and affluence it causes women to want more and she wanted more than his salary although a good one, could give. He wasn’t a Trump after all. He wasn’t even sure if that was where the unhappiness began. He still couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. He sighed, why couldn’t she just have an affair with the pool guy like other lonely housewives.

Morgan shopped at Saks choosing a couple of business suits,