Mystery and Crime Fiction posted March 15, 2025 Chapters:  ...53 54 -55- 56... 


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Finding Maggie
A chapter in the book Veil of Secrets

Veil of Secrets - Chap 55

by Begin Again


Eleanor, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts, pressed her hands against her ears. Was it the noise from the terminal or the thoughts exploding in her head? She needed answers and fast.

Was something amiss? Was it Maggie? Eleanor stared intently at the woman and child. Her heart pounded. Finally, her prayers seemed to be answered.
The blanket slipped. For the first time, Eleanor saw a glimpse of the tiny bundle.

Dark curls. Flushed cheeks. Tiny fists waving in protest.

Eleanor's chest tightened painfully. Maggie. My God. She could see her granddaughter, and she was alive.

The moment nearly unraveled her.

Then — the woman moved. She strode back toward the man and shoved Maggie into his arms. "Here. I changed her. Now — you take her."

The man flinched like she had handed him a live grenade. "What? Me? No, I can't —"

"Just hold her," the woman hissed under her breath.

Maggie let out a loud wail.

The man stiffened. He held her awkwardly, arms rigid, like he had never even seen a baby before, much less held one. He rocked slightly on his heels, but his grip was unnatural, almost mechanical.

Then, just as fast — he set her in the carrier and stood. He was leaving. 
 
Eleanor gasped, anger building. "No, you don't just set a baby down like that and walk away."

She slowed her pace, angling herself between two travelers, never taking her eyes off him.

The man didn't say a word to the woman. He just took two steps back — then another.

Tango moved.

With quiet precision, he stepped into the man's path, smoothly flipping open his badge just enough for him to see it. His voice was low, firm. "FBI."

The man's throat bobbed. His lips parted — but he didn't resist.

Tango leaned in slightly, keeping his grip light but firm. "Let's take a walk."

The man inhaled sharply, glancing toward the woman who still hadn't noticed.

Tango didn't give him time to process. He led him away quickly, quietly, and without a scene.

Eleanor barely exhaled before shifting her attention to the woman, who had no idea her partner was gone. She was too busy bouncing Maggie, murmuring to calm her. People were staring at the crying baby, and she wanted her to stop.

Eleanor took a breath and adjusted course. She couldn't move in yet, and she had no legal rights.

She kept pace, just another uniformed attendant walking the terminal, carefully watching the woman. Finally, she couldn't stand hearing Maggie cry.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly; then she moved in.

She adjusted her posture, letting her expression shift into polite authority. "Excuse me, ma'am," she said smoothly. "We have a special waiting area for passengers with infants. If you'd like, I can take you there before boarding begins."

The woman hesitated. Her body tensed as she pulled the baby closer. Looking at the bundle in her arms, she muttered, "Uh — we're fine, thanks."

Eleanor didn't blink, and she was not going to back down. "I must insist. It's airport policy."

The woman licked her lips, her grip on Maggie tightening. "That's not — I mean, we're comfortable here."

Before she could argue further, Tango returned — alone. The woman looked around for the man, and her breath caught. He was gone. Her eyes widened in fear.

Tango flashed his badge again, this time in full view. "Let's go."

The woman gasped as she realized it was over.

Eleanor took a small step closer, her voice quieter now. "Give me the baby."

The woman swallowed hard. For a moment, Eleanor thought she would resist. But then, with a sad glance at Eleanor, she slowly handed Maggie over.

The second Eleanor's arms wrapped around the tiny bundle, her heart nearly stopped. She couldn't see her face — the blanket still obscured her — but she felt the soft weight, the slight movement as Maggie whimpered against her chest.

For a moment, there was nothing else — only Maggie.

Eleanor pulled back the blanket, her breath catching as she took in the tiny, cherub-like face. Relief hit her in a wave so intense it left her trembling. Tears burned her eyes as she brushed a kiss against Maggie's soft cheek.
"You're home, sweetheart," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Safe. Loved. Right where you belong."

Uniforms from every law enforcement department walked the terminals, searching every wheelchair for Zhang. Meanwhile, Tango and Eleanor watched through the interrogation room window, letting the fake stand-in parents sweat.

The couple sat on opposite sides of the table, each oblivious to the other's thoughts. The room smelled of state coffee and fear. Their hands trembled, knowing that Zhang had jeopardized their lives and he wouldn't be coming to their rescue. All the lies were unraveling.

Maggie, safe in Eleanor's arms, was calmer now.

"Well, let's see if they've got anything to say. You coming?"

Eleanor looked at Maggie before saying, "I'm not letting go of her, so she's coming too."

Tango opened the door, and the couple's eyes shifted immediately their way. Fear and uncertainty were written on their faces.

Maggie curled against Eleanor's chest. She let out a tiny sigh and sucked on her fist, unaware of the chaos swirling around her.

Tango leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression dark. "Talk."
 
He got nothing but silence.

Tango exhaled. "Kidnapping a child and attempting to take it out of the country is a federal offense."

The woman gasped, jerking her head toward Tango. "Kidnapping? We didn't kidnap her."

Tango shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know any difference because we found her with you, which makes you the guilty party. So, someone better start talking."

The room fell silent again. Neither of the couple looked at each other, but both were weighing their chances with Zhang or Tango.

The FBI Officer exhaled as if this were just another waste of time. "Fine. Take 'em and lock 'em up. Maybe they'll feel chatty in the morning."

The guard unclipped his cuffs, stepping forward. That did it. The man cracked first.

"We weren't supposed to do this," he blurted out, voice shaking. "We just—" He swallowed. "We just followed orders."

Eleanor's grip on Maggie tightened. "Whose orders?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from them.

The woman gulped for air, one hand clenching into a fist on the table. Her gaze flickered to Maggie — just for a second. Just long enough to make Eleanor's stomach turn.

"Zhang's," she admitted. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "He said if the real couple didn't show, we had to go instead."

The tension in the room stretched tight, ready to snap. Tango pushed off the wall, his presence suddenly suffocating.

"Where is he now?" Tango could barely control his anger.

The man hesitated. And then — his words hit like a lightning strike. "Zhang's already on the plane. Gate C23. He glanced at his watch. "It's probably taken off by now."

For a split second, no one moved.

Then —Tango exploded into action. He bolted to the door, stopping only long enough to tell the other agents in the room not to let the couple out of their sight. Eleanor was content, being mesmerized by her granddaughter.

*****
Tango charged through the terminal, knocking over suitcases, carts, and anything else in his way as he raced to join his boss. His voice crackled over the radio, "Garth, Zhang's on the plane. Gate C23."

A loud curse flew out of Garth's mouth as he reversed course, tearing through the crowded terminal. He dodged travelers, his pulse hammering.
Not again. Zhang wasn't getting away this time.

"Every available officer, Terminal C, now!" he barked into his radio.

The gate was in sight. As he passed Gate 18, he was already yelling, "Hold that plane!"

When he hit Gate C34, he slammed into the counter, making the two attendants jump back. They gawked at him as if he were a madman.
"Open the door! I've got to get on that plane."
 

The younger of the two, a woman barely out of training, fumbled for words. "S-Sir, I — I can't —"

Garth flashed his badge. "FBI. Open it. Now."

Her supervisor, a stiff-looking man in a blazer, stepped in. "Sir, it's against policy. The plane has already pushed back."

"I don't care. Stop it! He's a murderer, a fugitive."

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry. Sir. You're asking the impossible. It's taking off."

Garth turned to the window, scanning the runways. "Which one?"

"Flight 2312, sir. The one taxiing on the far runway."

His gaze locked onto the plane. No. No, no, no.

"Stop that plane!" he roared, slamming his forehead against the glass. His breath came fast and hard.

But he knew he was too late.

The plane was already speeding down the runway. The nose lifted. The wheels tucked away.

Gone.

"DAMN IT!" Garth's palm hit the window so hard the glass rattled.

Behind him, security gathered, uncertain how to handle an enraged federal agent. Tango reached his side and touched his arm, only to be met with a deadly glare. "Garth, it's over. Let it go."

But Garth couldn't. His fists clenched, his whole body shaking with barely restrained fury. His vision blurred.

Zhang was gone.

Tango saw it coming — the way Garth locked up, the hard clench of his jaw, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

And then — CRACK!

Garth hurled his phone to the ground with everything he had. The screen shattered, pieces scattering across the tile. Without a word, he spun on his heel and stormed away.

Tango exhaled sharply, watching him go. He'd seen Garth frustrated. He'd seen him pissed. But this? This was different.

This was personal.

Something buzzed at his feet. Tango glanced down, sighing, when he saw what was left of Garth's phone, still vibrating. He crouched, flipping it over.
A name flashed across the busted screen.

Jack Lexington.

Tango swiped to answer. "Jack, you picked a hell of a time to call."

Jack's smooth, cocky voice filtered through. "I take it cowboy ain't in a chatty mood?"

Tango's gaze followed Garth's retreating figure, a man barely holding himself together. "Not even a little."

Jack exhaled through the line. Then, in that unshakable, smirking way of his, he said, "Tell him to stop sulking. I got a plane waiting."

Tango blinked. "What about passports? Tickets?"

"It pays to have friends in high places, son." A pause. Then Jack added, "Courtesy of the Pentagon, we're flying one of the fastest little gems in their hangar. We'll be there waiting when Zhang gets off."

Hope flickered.

The chase wasn't over. Not yet. Now, he needed to find his boss before anything else exploded.
 

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Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli

Current Characters -Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and interested in Rebecca
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and deceased
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and now witness protection
Judge Alex Garland - the man trying to step into John Doyles corrupt shoes
Rosalie Jarvis - a lawyer currently on Zhang's payroll
Nathaniel Devereaux - International Art Dealer
Criminals - Good and Bad
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Danny Veraci -a dear friend from the past and casino owner
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