Chapter 11 Tucker Town #2
“I was concerned,” Sydney started. “I never sleep well.”
Caroline ran a soothing hand over Sydney’s shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t stay.”
After a beat, Sydney said, “I had the best sleep I’ve had in… well… maybe forever.” She scooted to the edge of the chair. “Tank put pillows around me, then he held me so close I was like a dog in a thunder wrap.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic. So, things are good between you two?”
“I like him so much, it’s crazy.”
“Well, I know he feels the same.”
Excitement flitted through her. “He told you?”
“Months ago, he told Grey he was super interested in you and bummed he never heard back.”
“We both feel so much pressure. I’m not even supposed to be working.”
Caroline clasped her hand. “You always push yourself hard. Too hard. You will find this monster, but you can’t kill yourself over it.”
“It’s not just my job. It’s personal now. Naomi was my closest friend at work. I mean, we’d been there for each other since the beginning.” Sydney gritted her teeth. “I can’t stay hidden here, especially if I find him.”
“Won’t the case get assigned to someone else?”
Sydney stared at her. “Ohgod, I never even thought of that. I can’t let that happen.” She pushed out of the chair. “I need to call my boss, tell him I’m hidden. I’ll lie, tell him I’m out of the area. But I cannot lose this case.”
At the door, she turned back. “By the way, Creepy Secret Zone’s got a coupla night critters. Giant rats.”
Caroline flew onto the chair, glancing furtively around the room. “Ewwwww. I’m terrified of rodents.”
“Stud-Man will protect you. C’mon, we’re set up in the conference room.”
Caroline scrambled to collect her laptop. After a quick stop for coffee, they continued on to the conference room.
Rebel and Brit were there.
“Change of plans,” Grey said to Caroline.
“Training at Tucker Town today,” Rebel announced. “Tucker’s got recruits from Fairfax County Police Academy coming in tomorrow, so it’s today or we wait another week.”
“What time?” Caroline asked.
“One-thirty ‘til it closes at dusk,” Rebel said.
“I’ve got a lifetime membership at Tucker’s for unlimited use,” Sydney said. “Got room for one more?”
Rebel flicked his gaze to Grey.
“Sure,” Grey confirmed.
Sydney fist bumped the air. “Yassss! Live rounds or paint pellets?”
“We’ll warm up with live rounds, then paint,” Rebel said. “I’m splitting the team for a little competition.”
“Too fun,” Sydney murmured.
“I’ll confirm with Tucker,” Brit said before leaving the room.
Rebel regarded Tank. “Brother, I might have a lead on Haqazzii.”
Tank’s eyebrows jutted into his forehead. “Tell me something good.”
“I’ve got a CI who swears he spotted Muhammad Haqazzii in the Tysons area,” Rebel said.
“Where?” Tank asked.
“Dinner in a private dining room at Jericho’s restaurant, Carole Jean’s.”
“We got pics?”
“I’ve got a text in to Jericho.”
“Nice.” Tank raked his fingers through his hair, and Sydney tracked his every movement like she was hunting her prey.
So sexy.
Brit returned. “We’re confirmed at Tucker’s. Team needs to be there and suited up by one-fifteen. We have the firing range to ourselves for an hour, then we move outside. Keep in mind, sunset is at five, so no shooting after four-thirty.”
“We’re using paint pellets,” Grey pushed back.
“I hear ya,” Brit said, “but it’s Tucker’s rules.”
“It’ll be enough time to keep us sharp, but if you’re not training at least once a week, you’re gonna get rusty,” Rebel said.
“We’ll grab an office,” Brit said before she and Rebel left the conference room.
“Sydney, you good?” Caroline asked.
“All set,” she said, her gaze sliding to Tank.
“Grey, until you get the rat problem under control, how ‘bout we work in my office?” Caroline asked.
“I’ll run out, grab a few traps—” Grey said.
“I’ll go with you,” Caroline replied.
After they left the conference room, Tank made a call, put it on speaker.
“Yo, brother,” said a man’s voice. “Rebel said you need vid from my restaurant.”
“Hey, Jericho,” Tank said. “If you give me access, I can review remotely from the Black Site.”
“You got it,” Jericho said. “I’m slammed right now. Plus, I’m two days out from back surgery. If you can remote in—”
“Just need a username and password,” Tank said. Seconds later, he said, “I’m in. Thanks.”
“Good luck.” Jericho ended the call.
Tank shot her a smile. “First solid lead I’ve had in weeks.”
Sydney gave him a thumbs-up, then exited the conference room. In the quiet hallway, she called her boss, Lorne.
After a few rings, he answered. “Sydney, how are you doing?”
“Lorne, I’m not giving up the King A case.”
“It’s too soon for you to be back on the streets. Where are you?”
“Off the grid,” she said. “You can’t reassign that case.”
“The cellphone analysis team will review Naomi and Crafty Lamar’s calls and texts, along with any photos.”
That’s gonna take for-effin’-ever.
“That’s it?” she asked. “The case is in limbo?”
“For now, stay hidden,” he said. “I’ll be in touch.”
The call ended, and she marched back into the conference room.
No way would she do nothing. She would find King A, and she would bring justice for Naomi.
Doing nothing was not in her DNA. She was a woman of action, so she’d keep a low profile while hunting for the head of an international sex trafficking organization who had kept his own identity well-hidden for years.
Two can play at this game.
TEDDY
Teddy spent the morning heads down on his laptop. His neck muscles burned, his eyes were killing him. He’d spoken to Rebel’s CI, who wasn’t sure which day he’d seen Haqazzii, so Teddy had to comb through a week of footage at Jericho’s upscale Tysons restaurant, Carole Jean’s.
At first, Teddy skimmed through the videos, but the faces blurred together. After wasting an hour doing that, he started from Sunday and combed through the week. When he came up short, he reached back out to Rebel’s CI who thought maybe it had been a different week.
To further frustrate Teddy, he was confident Haqazzii had changed up his looks again. The terrorists were masters of disguise, doing whatever necessary to blend in. If Muhammad Haqazzii had been at Carole Jean’s, he didn’t look like himself.
Even after running IDware, the system came up with zero hits.
Aggravation morphed into anger. Each day that passed was a day marked by failure. Teddy held himself to a high standard. Nothing less than success would do.
Greystone and Caroline had returned, the rat baits had been set up, and Caroline was working with him and Sydney in the conference room.
“Any luck?” Caroline asked him.
“Nothing. You?”
“I’ve got a back door to view all Airbnb’s in the area that offer long-term rentals,” Caroline said. “I collected the data, sorted it by what houses are large enough to accommodate nine and who pays cash.”
“Anything?” Teddy asked.
“Stats show over fifteen hundred in the DMV.”
He grunted.
“I was able to get that down to nine hundred,” Caroline said, “but it’s too many to sift through. I’ll narrow it down more tomorrow.”
Sinclair Develin walked in, scanned the room, stopped on Teddy. “I got a hit on Haqazzii.”
“Be my hero, Sin,” Teddy said.
“A guy named Rocco sells high-powered rifles on the black market,” Sin said. “He owes me, so I cashed in on the favor. He’s meeting us tonight at your restaurant. Drinks at ten.”
“Finally, someone’s doing something to help me.” Teddy’s sarcasm tinging his tone.
Everyone in the room started laughing, Sydney included. Seeing her light up helped assuage his anger, but it also lit a fire under him. He liked making her laugh. Liked seeing her happy. In that second, he made himself a promise to do that whenever he could.
For Sydney.
In a short amount of time, she’d become a priority. Even in the midst of chaos, she mattered to him.
I gotta tell her how I feel.
“Sydney’s coming with me tonight,” Teddy said.
Sin glanced around the room, stopping on Sydney. “Sydney, I’m Sinclair Develin.”
“Sydney Austin.”
Sin flicked his gaze from her to Caroline, then back to her. “Sisters?”
Sydney smiled. “That’s my girl.”
“I thought you were out of the country,” Sin said.
Silence.
Sydney regarded her sister, then Greystone. When they said nothing, she turned her attention back to Sin. “Who spilled the beans on that?”
“No one,” Sin replied. “I’m the Fixer.”
Still no response from Sydney.
Teddy bit back a smile. “Sydney, Sin knows all the power players in DC. If things go sideways, he’s the one to call.”
Sydney nodded, once.
“You took out Todd Petersen,” Sin continued. “And you’re hunting King A. Do you know what the A stands for?”
“Asswipe,” Sydney replied.
The group cracked up.
“It stands for alpha,” Sin said.
“Confirmed?”
“Yes,” Sin said. “I know enough about everything to be dangerous.”
“King A can call himself whatever he wants, but he’s still an asswipe to me,” Sydney said. “And when I find him, I’ma let him know.” She slid her gaze to Teddy.
The confidence in his gaze gave her hope… and that was all she needed.
Rebel entered the conference room. “Okay team, time to suit up for Tucker Town.”
AN HOUR LATER, the BLACK OPS team had filed into Henninger Security. One by one, they signed in at the front desk.
Owner, Tucker Henninger, exited his office, extended his arms. “If it’s not the motley crew.” he said, his southern drawl catching Teddy’s ear.
Instead of walking behind the desk, he joined them, acknowledging the guys with a hearty handshake and the women with a hug.
Sydney unwrapped the scarf from her face, letting it dangle from her neck.
Teddy leaned close. “How you doing?”
Sydney caressed his hand with the back of her fingers. “Frustrated, but relieved to be out of Creepy Secret Zone.” She peered up at him. “You?”
“Ready to weapon-up with my woman.”
Her lips curved up.
“Lookie here,” Tucker said when he saw Sydney. “If it isn’t the best damn markswoman in the world.”
“Tucker,” Sydney said as she gave him a warm hug. “Good to see you.”