Chapter 26
BUTCH
“We’ve been able to narrow Amanda’s possible location down to one of two places from the options we were given.
” Heidi’s voice carries through the computer speaker as the screen displays a map of Memphis.
“Butch, if you could tell us anything you know about these two areas, that would be freaking fantastic.”
I lean forward, studying the spots she’s marked. They’re in two completely different parts of town. Two completely different types of neighborhoods. Practically two different worlds.
One area is filled with rundown properties and boarded-up storefronts. The roads are narrow and unmarked, lined by cracked and broken sidewalks.
The other area is all mansions with perfectly manicured lawns. Wealthy women walking their dogs on paved paths with scenic views.
“I haven’t had much to do with either of them, but one is certainly a little sketchier than the other.
” I feel like a fucking failure for not being able to tell them everything they could possibly need to know.
Not as far as Alaskan Security is concerned—I don’t give a shit what they think about me.
All I care about is Becca. What she thinks. How she feels.
And I know finding her sister is the most important thing to her.
I promised her I would help. And now, right when she needs my help most, I’m coming up short.
“That actually doesn’t surprise me. The crime rate in both of these spots is virtually nonexistent. And while that isn’t super surprising for the fancy neighborhood, I would’ve expected there to be more going on in the other spot.”
Heidi switches screens. Now, instead of a map, two specific buildings are displayed.
Her cursor centers on the sprawling, modern, two-story first. “This house is owned by a trust. We’re in the process of tracking down who it’s actually connected to, but that could take a while.
Whoever bought this place put a lot of effort in making sure their name wouldn’t be connected with it. ”
The cursor slides to the other building.
This one is also a two story, but that’s where the similarities end.
It looks to be one stiff wind away from collapsing in on itself, leaving behind a moldy pile of rotten wood and mildewy furniture.
“This house is also owned by a trust.” Heidi’s face flashes onto the screen, looking more serious than I’ve seen. “The same trust.”
Becca leans forward from her spot on my lap. There aren’t quite enough chairs in this office, and I’m not mad about it. Seems like today might end up being even more exciting than last night, and I want to keep her as close as I can for as long as I can.
“Have you looked for connections to J.T. Davies?” She's taking notes on a pad of paper, writing furiously. “Or anyone directly connected with him?”
We haven’t gotten much information out of the girls—not surprising considering everything they’ve been through—but they were able to tell us a few of the general areas they’d been moved to during their time in captivity.
They weren’t able to give us exact addresses, but their descriptions were decent enough for us to narrow things down.
And for Harlow and Heidi to narrow down further. The women of Intel are fucking brilliant. Becca is for sure in the right place. Exactly where she belongs.
I don’t know that I feel quite the same about myself, but I’m not sure I’ll ever belong anywhere. I’d been so confident in my career path after all the stories Dave told me about his time on the force, and look how that fucking turned out.
“That’s what Harlow’s working on right now. Hopefully she’ll find something before you guys head out so we know who we’re dealing with. Until then, let’s get the lay of the land.” Heidi displays more maps, detailing the terrain of the two areas and any relevant factors that could be involved.
Next step: decide how to tackle them both. At the same time.
With a very limited number of hands on deck.
Pierce has more guys en route, but the longer we sit on this, the more likely it is that Davies will figure out who we are and what we’re trying to do.
If that happens, there’s a good chance it won’t just be Amanda we can’t find.
Criminals always try to hide or destroy the evidence.
In this case the evidence is young girls.
And there aren’t a lot of ways to get rid of people.
When Heidi’s finished, she hands the line over to Isaac. He starts running down his own personal thoughts on what the best way to handle the situation is.
“Zeke and Maddox should be to you guys in under thirty minutes. Our best plan is to wait for them. That way you have additional hands since we have to split into two teams, sending one to each location. I think it’s important we include Becca, Savannah, and Audrey.
If we manage to get our hands on some of these girls, the last thing they’re going to want to see is a group of only men. ”
“Agreed.” Pierce scans the room. “How do we want to break down?”
Owen speaks up first. “Luca and I can run one team. We’ve been here longer than anyone else besides Butch.” He tips his head at me in acknowledgment. “Butch should pair with Zeke. We send them to the spot we think Amanda is most likely at. That way Becca can get to her sister as soon as possible.”
Fuck. If he’s not careful, I’m going to end up liking Owen. And that will really piss me off.
“That sounds great, but which location do we think she’s most likely at?” Becca asks the question none of us want to answer.
Every eye in the room comes my way, electing me the official bearer of bad news.
I take a deep breath, bracing for the pain I’m about to cause her.
“If she’s in either of these locations, she’s there.
” I point to the boarded-up building once again displayed on the computer screen.
“The other neighborhood is too nice. They’ve probably got cameras on every corner of every house.
The more money people have, the more nosy they tend to be.
Someone would notice teenage girls being brought in and out of that house.
” I try to keep my tone gentle but matter-of-fact.
“In the other area, people know to mind their own business. They don’t give a shit what anybody else is doing, as long as nobody gives a shit what they’re doing. ”
Becca’s eyes come to my face, and I can see the pain etched into her expression. “Are you sure?”
I nod, bringing a hand up to push a loose bit of dark hair behind one ear. “I’m sure.”
She blinks a few times, sniffing hard before turning back to the group. “I’ll go with Butch and Zeke. I’m guessing his wife will want to go with him, and that means Maddox and Audrey should probably go with Owen and Luca.” Her voice is so strong. Unwavering.
I don’t think I’m ever going to stop being impressed by her. Or proud of how fucking amazing she is.
“Let’s start getting suited up then. We should leave as soon as Zeke and Maddox arrive.” Pierce turns to the speaker connected to Isaac. “Fill them in so they’re ready.”
“This place looks awful.” Becca peers out the windshield of our beat-up SUV.
It’s one of the more nondescript vehicles in the fleet we have at the Airbnb.
The group decided driving it would make it possible for Becca and me to survey the shitty building we’re targeting from a much closer distance, giving us the best chance at making this a successful mission.
But seeing the look on Becca’s face makes me wish someone else was doing this part.
The devastation there at the possibility her sister might be inside is clear.
I know she’s thinking of all the things Amanda has gone through.
All the things she couldn’t protect her from no matter how hard she tried.
I’ve gotten a taste of that myself, but never with someone so close to me.
Never when it involved a person I loved.
I can’t imagine how fucking miserable the emotions assaulting Becca right now are, and I reach across the console, taking her hand in mine as I offer the only thing I have to give her in this moment.
Solidarity. A reminder she’s not in this alone, and never will be again.
At one point, I took those two things for granted. Not anymore. Now I know how rare they really are. How precious they can be.
“Do you two see anything happening?” Zeke’s voice is calm, cool, and collected. Helping drag me away from the emotion I know will influence my actions. “We’re in position, so the second you say the word, we’ll be ready to move in.”
He, Quinn, and Pierce are in one of Alaskan Security’s vans, parked out of sight. The plan is for them to move in first, clearing the place before I follow behind with Becca, hopefully to collect her sister and any other girls located inside.
“The place looks quiet.” But not empty. I can tell by looking at it someone is inside.
I just don’t know who. “There are no lights on and I can’t see any movement.
” Nearly every window in the place is boarded up, but a couple aren’t covered as well as the others, providing a tiny glimpse between the weathered plywood panels.
“No one has arrived since we got here, but I don’t see anything that might tell me how long the cars parked in the driveway have been there. ”
Snow and rain are a pain in the ass, but can be very helpful in offering clues. Today, I don’t have either of them to help me out. The best I can do is check for engine heat.
Which is what I’m going to do now.
I turn to Becca. “Stay right here. I’m going to see if any of the cars have been recently driven, and then I’ll be right back.”
She nods, even though I know she will leave this car in a heartbeat if the need arises.
Which is why I have to be extra fucking careful. I’ve seen what happens when I know she’s not safe, and right now I need to be at the top of my game. I sure as shit can’t be panicked over her safety or driving my SUV into the side of that house.