Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“I’m not exactly in the know here, John. I’m a detective, not SRT nor on loan to the ATF.”
“But you are a detective and my brother, surely they would give you something.”
“I’ll try but if you have a traitor somewhere, I’m going to have to go slow and be cautious. If they find out I’m poking around it could get worse.”
John rubbed the back of his neck. “I know. I just want to know who sold me out and why.”
“Does the why really matter?”
“No,” he said honestly. “I’m going to make them pay regardless.” Pax lifted his head and gazed at him. “Easy boy. I’m okay.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“Pax. One of Leena’s dogs.”
Davis whistled. “You are hanging out with dogs. Impressive. Tell me something, kid. Are you okay? With whatever they did to you, are you recovering?”
“Getting better with each day. I feel like someone is out there looking for me. There are times when it’s like this place is being watched. I don’t like it.”
“I’ll work as quickly as I can. Keep your head down, John. Who was your handler? Tell me then let me talk to this savior of yours.”
He gave up the name as he took the phone to Leena who spoke with Davis for a few moments then hung up. “Get everything straight?” she asked him as she put the handset on the desk beside her.
“No, but it’s a start. He’s going to do some quiet digging. What did he say to you?”
“Thanked me for saving your life. And told me to be careful.”
“Do you mind if I do some looking on a map around the area you found me?”
“Not at all. Knock yourself out.” She slipped out of the chair and he claimed it. “I’ll be back on the couch if you need anything.”
Then she was gone.
He looked at the area around Missoula and marked the rest areas. Then he did the same for the travel plaza, he remembered waking at. Doing some calculations on the distance from Oklahoma City to Missoula, he wondered if this was another of their main facilities. The family organization ran like clockwork, smooth and efficient. But if they snagged guns, there wasn’t ever anything else there, no drugs, diamonds, or even smuggled humans. So however, it was run, it was clean and separate. Kept that way for a good reason. If one got busted, they still had the others.
Plus, not smart to bring lots of loose gems to a gun sale, that could get ugly.
Something beeped and he looked around. Pax who’d followed him back there, left with alarming speed. Wishing for a gun, John got up and walked to the living room. Leena stood by a monitor and watched the screen.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Someone was just turning around in the driveway. I think they’re lost. They’d better get to some shelter soon or they will be trapped on the road. They’re barely drivable now.”
“You sound suspicious.”
“Why would you be out in this to begin with? The weather has been crapping all day and you choose to go through the mountains? Yes, I’m suspicious.”
He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Chin resting on her head, he waited with her as the red two-door barely made it out of the drive. She’s right, not the smartest people in the world.
With it gone from their view, he stepped away and walked to her kitchen for a cup of coffee.
“How are your injuries?” Her question followed him.
“Good. Whatever you put on them, the burns especially, worked wonders.”
“Glad to hear it. How goes finding out where you were being held?”
“Not good. I just don’t know the area that well to make a judgement call.” It was impossible to miss the frustration in his tone.
“Let’s look.” She gave a small grin. “I go along there often for events.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“I found—well, technically Argo did—a naked, tortured man in a partially frozen stream. I’m not the smartest in the world, but that to me says something is wrong. I’ll tell you like I did in the van. I’m not keeping you here, you want to go, go. But I think your smart choice is staying here.”
“I agree. I’m staying. Let’s go nail these bastards.” He sucked the spoon clean he’d stirred sugar into the coffee with then placed it in the sink.
His brother would be working on one end and with him—along with Leena—on the other, he knew they would figure it out.
In her office, she drew up another chair next to the desk then claimed her spot before the computer. “Okay, so, I found you here.” She made a mark on the screen then enlarged it. “You were in this river, heading down, so logically we should look upstream from here.” She glanced at him. “Unless you think you were running and fell into the stream there?”