Page 38 of Degrees of Power
I hang up. “Chase, Jenny isn’t answering her phone or responding,” I say with growing apprehension.
“Jay’s checking on her. Security has been outside her suite all night and there’s been no movement in the reports,” he says, glancing down at his phone.
“Fuck!”
“Chase, what’s the matter?” I ask.
“Brian just stopped by Jenny’s to see how she is. No answer. I’m sending security in,” he says, typing a message onto his phone just as the overhead intercom alerts us of a visitor. “It’s Brian, I gave him the code,” Chase says, answering the question I was going to ask before I can.
“What’s the plan, Chase?” Brian says, before the elevator doors have even closed behind him.
“The team’s going in. She was escorted to her room last night, wanting privacy. The plan was for us to have breakfast this morning and fly back to Chicago together. No reports of her moving in or out of the suite last night,” Chase says.
“Good. I hope to God she’s just sleeping it off, but you didn’t see the look on her face when she was dealing with that asshole last night,” Brian says.
There is a weighty silence from both men before the intercom announces Jay and his team. I take a seat on the couch as Jay and a swarm of our teams get off the elevator and move methodically toward us.
“Jay, where’s Jenny?” I ask, instinctively knowing something is wrong, trying to keep the anxiety and panic at bay.
“All we know is that Ty approached her last night as the tour group returned to the lower level. Brian recognized him, and got him out of her face before my team got him. She went into the ladies room, came out a short while later and told Matt she wanted some time by herself and went upstairs to the Torzial suites. Matt has had his team posted outside all night long and she hasn’t moved. Brian was worried and called her this morning, and not getting a response decided to come over and see for himself. She didn’t answer the door. You know as much as we know right now. Chase, they just went in. No sign of Jenny anywhere,” Jay says, immediately texting a message into his phone.
“Fuck,” Brian says, running his hands through his hair.
“There are three possibilities at this point. She either left of her own accord, meaning she pulled one of your tricks and disguised herself on the way out of the bathroom last night and we followed the wrong person upstairs, or she went out the alternative safe escape during the night, which I don’t believe is possible. We’ve had a guard stationed outside of that area all night long,” Jay says.
“What’s the third alternative?” I ask.
Jay glances at Chase and then at Brian. “Jay, she means the world to me. Tell me, please,” I say.
“The third answer is that Alfreita is involved,” he says.
“Chase, we have to find her,” I say, burying my body into his chest. His arms lock tightly around me.
“We’ve got everyone on our security team on it, but unfortunately we just learned she took her GPS off. Jay and his team will do everything in their power to find her,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
Jay is already on the phone. “No, I want all members of the family on lockdown. Work with Larussio security to make sure Carlos and Karissa are secure. Don and Emily are in L.A. with us. I want everyone in the air in the next half an hour. The Augusta is on stand-by. Bring it in and make sure we’ve got aerial backup and security in place when we transfer.” He pauses a moment. “No, we’re using a private strip. In the meantime, I want two more ground teams in L.A. as quickly as you can get them here.” He listens to the person on the other line. “Very good, thanks,” Jay says.
“We can’t just leave Jenny here,” I say, feeling sick as he gets off the phone.
“Katarina, rest assured the city is being scoured as we speak. If she’s out there, we will find her. In the meantime, we are going back to the estate,” Chase says.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of a few things before the chopper arrives,” Jay says, walking to the elevator.
“Hold up, Jay, I’m coming with you,” Brian says, sliding into the elevator just before it closes and Chase answers his phone. “No, Jay’s got the Augusta on standby,” he says, his eyes watching me. I turn away and walk towards the bedroom for fear he will see all the fear and anxiety rising within me as I desperately try to keep them at bay. I pack the few items we brought and leave them on the bed, returning just as Don and Emily are announced and get off the elevator into our suite.
“Chase, what’s going on son?” Don asks, holding Emily around the waist.
Chase recants the day’s events and Don shakes his head. “Son, there’s only one way to resolve this,” he says.
“I know, Dad. I just got off the phone with Carlos,” he says, avoiding my eyes as I glance up at the mention of my father. “The teams are in place and the Augusta will be landing in about five minutes,” Chase says, before Jay and the team walk through the door.
“We need to get you moving,” Jay says.
“You’re not coming?” I ask.
“I’ll be back once our teams from Vegas arrive and we’ve got them deployed to finding Jenny. You’ll be in safe hands,” he says, patting Matt and Sheldon on the back. “Besides, someone needs to be a buffer between Brian and the security team,” he says, shaking his head.
“Brian’s staying in L.A.?” I ask, looking to Chase to see if he was aware. He raises his eyebrows and it’s clear that he was not.
