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He knew she had been confused, afraid, all of the things that go along with the fear of being emotionally wrecked. He recognized those same emotions in himself. Instead of pulling her into his arms and admitting he felt all of those things, too, he’d made sure she’d never want anything to do with him again. Pushed her away with lies.
He looked around the room, every trace of her removed except her scent. It was hours away from sunrise, he should go to bed, but he knew he wouldn’t sleep.
He grabbed his cell phone from his nightstand. There was a text from Maddox: Package safely delivered.
Thnx Fly
When Maddox had called him over an hour ago and told him Pink had called, begging him to pick her up, Fly
As he poured himself a cup of coffee, Fly
The irony struck him and with it he made a decision. Once this case was closed and Pink no longer in danger, he was putting in for a transfer. He was due. He’d spent the last several years in the Oakland field office and had begun to feel antsy since last year. Meeting Pink had put the brakes on his urge to move on, but for both their sakes it would be the best thing. Out of sight, out of mind. He would do his thing and she would go to law school and do her thing.
Why, he wondered as he sat down at his desk, didn’t that make him feel any better? Booting up his laptop, Fly
When his cell phone vibrated, his stomach flipped. Was it Pink? Had she changed her mind?
It was Maddox.
“Ryker,” he said.
“Miroslav Bushnik just touched down at a private airstrip in Marin. Word has it he’s meeting up with Sorlov at the club tonight to pick up girls. I’m telling you this, Fly
Fly
“You there, Ryker?”
“I’m not sitting this one out,” Fly
“As long as you don’t make her, we welcome the extra eyes and hands.”
“Any evidence that the sister was shipped off?” Fly
“A few bits of info trickling in, but nothing concrete. In all probability she went out with the shipment three months ago.”
“So what’s the plan to get her back?”
“We’ve got eyes and ears everywhere, Fly
“I think Chastain’s daughter might have seen or heard something she shouldn’t have. If that’s the case, she wasn’t shipped off, she was offed.” As Fly
“You’re probably right. It makes Miss Fuentes all the more valuable to us. She’s smart, Fly
“And you’re just chomping at the bit to throw her to the wolves, aren’t you?”
“Have some confidence in me, man. I care about what happens to her just as much as you do.”
“Not even close, Maddox, not even close.”
Fly
Swiping his hand across his face, Fly
Later that evening when Izzy stepped out from the hotel, she was surprised to find Maddox leaning against a concrete column near the roundabout.
“I thought I was supposed to go about business as usual?” she said. “For me that’s taking BART into the city.” Not that she was complaining. The minute she laid eyes on him, relief flooded her. She was still emotionally raw from her encounter with Fly
From the day her mother died, Izzy knew exactly what she wanted. With tu
Part of her was so angry she could spit; the other part of her was so depressed she didn’t care if she woke up tomorrow morning. She’d never felt more alone than she did when she’d gotten into Maddox’s car this morning, looked up and saw Fly
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, so get used to seeing me,” Maddox called to her.
Izzy couldn’t help but smile. He looked fu
“I’ll fit right in with the regulars.” He escorted her to a nondescript Taurus.
As they drove over the bridge, Izzy said, “I appreciate the ride, but I could have taken BART.”
“It’s no problem. I live in Berkeley and was going your way.”
She was more than a little nervous about tonight. Not only would she have to face Andre for the first time in nearly a week, but she also had to get close enough to a very dangerous man to plant a listening device on him. “Are you going to be there all night?”
“I’ll be watching you like a hawk over a spring chicken every second you’re in there.”
“Thank you.”
Pointing to the cup holder, Maddox said, “The bug is in that envelope. All you have to do it take it out and slip it into Bushnik’s pant’s pocket.”
Izzy picked up the postage-stamp sized white envelope and slipped it into her bag.
“Before we get there,” Maddox continued, “I’d like to go over a few things with you so we’re on the same page.”
“Okay,” she said, keeping her voice casual. It was hard not to let the fear creep into her voice. She could admit to herself she was scared. No, more like terrified being a pawn in this subtle game of cat and mouse, in which if she made the wrong move, she could be off the board. Permanently.
“First, let’s establish a distress signal.”
“A sign for when I feel threatened?”
“Exactly. It also applies to any info you think I should immediately be made aware of. For example, if you recognize any of the men in the photos we went over earlier, including Bushnik, I want to know pronto.”
“Okay, how about if I rub the back of my neck like this?” She rubbed her right hand behind her neck and realized as she did that it was shaking. Making a fist, she set her hand in her lap. If Maddox knew how nervous she was, he might pull her and that was the last thing she wanted.