Chapter 19 #2
Pulling my phone out, I open a reel of sweet baby possums riding their mom’s back.
A welcomed distraction while I contemplate what I’m supposed to do next.
Do I make her happy? Stop fucking around and take him tonight?
It’s nearly midnight. I can’t break his door down and take him without drawing attention.
We don’t have a fucking plan for takedown yet.
Discretion is our business. Contrary to history, SWAT does not need to know what I’m doing.
Switching to the tracker app, I check in on his whereabouts.
Yes, you heard that right.
As it loads, I completely expect to find the tracker pinned to our building. A mic was also supposed to be added, but the stuffing made it muffled and it was more annoying than it was worth to keep in. So, we nixed that and kept the tracker. And now we are here. Wait. Maybe not.
Sitting up, to my surprise, we are not here at all. If I could see myself in the mirror, I know my eyes would be twinkling, shining bright like a motherfucking diamond.
My kitty tingles. I can’t lose O. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is replaceable, even me. But my team is special and if a puzzle piece is missing, the magic dissipates. My nipples turn into peaks of twin mountains. All signals are pointing to a midnight hunt. I text the team.
WAKE UP. IT’S GO TIME. Taco Bell baby, check the tracker. Get us into all the CCTV areas. I’m heading there now and will be online soon.
Tac replies with party emojis, which I love.
I can decipher that. He’s excited and ready to go.
Connor does a standard thumbs-up. He knows I hate the classic thumbs-up.
That single emoji has caused many spirals which he has had to listen to.
You would think he would stop using them.
From sending them when I send a picture of my Chinese food to asking an opinion about which nail color to use, it’s the thumbs-fucking-up emoji.
Oh my… do you think he mutes me when I go off about his use of the thumbs-up emoji?
That asshole. I bet he does. There is no way he listens and tolerates the entire crash out to only continue sending them.
I wait for O to reply. It’s still radio silence on her end.
Sending another text, I swallow what little pride I have left and confess my sins.
I was careless. I’m sorry.
Still nothing. Fuck. It’s fine. We will be fine. We can surprise her in a few hours once we capture him.
Skipping across the patio, I make my way back to the door and down the stairs. Finding my shoes, I slide them on and put in my earpiece. The line is already open. I can hear Tac’s fingers typing on the keyboard immediately.
“I’m grabbing my badge and then I will be out the door.”
“Parker. It’s gone.”
My face contorts with confusion. “What’s gone?”
Tac is quick to respond. “The GPS location from the tracker. I was able to grab the location, but the tracker isn’t responding anymore. It’s gone completely off the grid.”
“Did it die?” There is no way he found it, is there? Would he cut into his bestie? Maybe. He did kill him after all. Fuck. What if he’s doing another kill?
“Taco, he’s at the warehouse, right?”
“Yes. I’ve already put it into your car navigation.”
Snagging my badge off the coffee table, I sling it around my neck and slide the gold in my bosom for safe keeping.
Spinning the negative thought into a positive, I enthusiastically declare while shaking my hips, because they never lie, “It’s go time. Let’s make us some money!”
Pulling up to the small warehouse, I turn the engine off and get out. Popping the trunk, I grab some zip ties and slide them in my back pocket then throw my mane into a ponytail before closing the trunk.
“That’s all you’re bringing? You know I don’t have a view on the inside? You will be going in blind.”
My heart melts at Taco’s worry. “I’ll be okay, I promise.
I have assaulted him three times already, so I’m feeling confident in my ability to catch him off guard.
Wait. Maybe I am a violent offender.” My face drops with the realization.
Damn. Well, I am who I am. Shrugging my shoulders I move on, not dwelling on the thought because that will not get me anywhere, and I have a bounty to claim.
Skipping across the sidewalk, I make my way into the dark alleyway.
A single small window sits high above me up the wall.
Luckily for me a dumpster stands below it.
Closing the heavy lid, I prop myself up onto it for a better view.
As I rise to my feet, I am not lucky after all.
Looking up, all I see is more wall. I’m at least a foot too short from reaching the window. How annoying.
Jumping down, I scale the perimeter for another vantage point.
The dark sky plays in my favor while in stealth mode.
My body is pressed firmly against the building as I make my way around three of the sides.
All the windows are out of my reach, many blacked out and I’m feeling slightly frustrated.
This is why we always have a plan before going in.
Taco is basically a mind reader and pipes up. “There is a back door slightly ajar. I can tell it didn’t completely close, it’s not fully resting flat in the frame, P. Try there.”
I tiptoe around the last corner and see the door he’s talking about, and he is right. The latch is resting against the frame and I do a happy dance as I hustle over. “You are a genius, Taco.”
Pressing my face against the millimeter sliver of opening, my eyes squint as I try to see what I’m about to walk into.
To my surprise Holden is only feet away from me, and my heart drops into my stomach.
I didn’t expect that. But that’s okay, it changes nothing.
I shake my head and bring my focus back as I continue to watch.
Standing with his back facing me, his foot moves.
A glint bounces off the gold on his shoes as his body slowly spins to the side.
My heart races. Please don’t have a body.
Please don’t. I’m not equipped to deal with body disposal on this hunt, I’m already a member down and I didn’t notify any sparrows to be on standby.
But I can’t see shit other than his white shirt and tall stature and gold accessories.
Fuck.
Holden takes a step forward and I keep my eye on him the best I can. Then the unexpected happens. The words spoken will forever haunt me as they echo off the walls inside.
“Parker Presley, come out, come out, wherever you are.”