Page 99 of Hours to Kill
Mack went to the kitchen and rummaged through cupboards and drawers. He found dishes and snack foods. The refrigerator held only beer, wine, and sodas.
He went back to his team. “Nothing in the kitchen to suggest someone actually lived here for very long at a time.”
“And no hint of Razo,” Sean said.
“We have to be missing something.” Mack shoved a hand into his hair, his gloved fingers catching, and he jerked them out. He desperately looked around again. He spotted a folded piece of paper on the entryway floor, as if someone had slid it under the door. Likely a marketing flyer, but he went to pick it up anyway and unfolded it. He read the single line printed in large black letters.
This needs to end today.
“Odd.” He held it out to the others.
“End the transport of a horrific weapon? Or the girls?” Kiley asked. “Or even something else?”
“I don’t know,” Mack snapped and resisted punching the wall. “I just don’t know, and don’t know how it impacts Addy. Or what to do? How do I find her? Just how?” His tone skated higher with each word as the pressure mounted.
Sean made strong eye contact and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Purposefully. “We need to calmly review the information wedohave and formulate a plan.”
“What do we have?” Mack gaped at him. “Nothing, that’s what!”
“Not true,” Sean said, that cool undercurrent to his tone not doing anything to calm Mack down. “We know Addy went to visit the senator before she disappeared. Let’s start there. Retrace her route. Talk to the senator. Maybe find a lead that way.”
“Let’s go.” Mack didn’t wait for agreement but bolted out the door and down the stairs to the SUV. He opened the back door for Bear and found Cam leaning over the seat, connecting his portable scanner to his laptop in the cargo area, both sitting on the top of a storage bin.
Bear bounded in over his legs to curl up on the seat.
Cam looked over his shoulder at Mack. “Find anything?”
“Not much. Just this document lying on the floor in the entryway.” Mack held up the paper.
As the others joined them, Cam took a long look at the page. “I’d like to scan it too.”
“Because?” Mack gave Cam a glove, so he didn’t put any prints or DNA on what might be evidence.
“I’d rather not say just yet.” Cam put on the glove, took the page, and inserted it into the scanner. “I have a hunch, and I’ll let you know if it pans out.”
“Knock yourself out.” Mack removed his gloves, ripped open the Velcro on his vest, and shrugged free to store it in a nearby bin.
He climbed in next to Bear and checked his phone, just in case there was information about Addy, but his blank screen stared up at him as if mocking him for failing to find the woman he loved. Not to mention also finding guns that could have taken her out in one burst of bullets. He was confident that he’d find the miniguns when he found Addy. He was struggling to find confidence in anything else.
God, please,he begged,show me what to do here. Please. She needs me. The country needs me. Don’t let mefail either of them.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”He tried to pay attention to his mantra and take some calming breaths, but the barely controlled panic joined the pain in his head and he could hardly think. Bear looked up at him, shifted, and rested his head on Mack’s knee as if he knew Mack’s pain. And he probably did know something was wrong. Mack stroked the dog’s thick fur and continued to suck in air until he felt calm enough to think clearly.
Kiley took shotgun, pulling out her computer and setting it on her lap. “I’ll get back to the human-trafficking angle while we drive.”
“Thank you,” Mack said, totally grateful that his teammates were able to work when he was a basket case.
Sean got behind the wheel and looked over the seat. “Where to?”
“Let’s head back to the scene where Addy went missing, then try to trace her route back to the senator’s ranch. We were planning on flying a drone over his place to see if he might be involved in this investigation, so that’s a possibility.” Mack ran a hand over his face. “Although I think it’s a long shot at best.” His head pounded.
Sean cranked the engine. “You don’t think the senator’s involved?”
Mack shook his head. “He’s a family-values guy. Tough on crime as a DA. Revered by everyone. So clean, he squeaks. Not even a hint of impropriety in all his years in the Senate. Not exactly someone who would arrange a hit man and then kidnap a federal agent.”
“You’re probably right,” Sean said. “I doubt he would get into bed with a guy like Zamora or Razo. Still, unless we find another lead at the crime scene, he’s our best bet at the moment.”
Mack nodded his agreement, the pain in his head intensifying, so he stopped. He didn’t want to agree with Sean anyway. How could he when it meant that he had no real lead in finding Addy before her abductor did her harm?
