Page 80 of Rules of Engagement

"If this were a warning, there should be a note. Like 'pay up and he's safe' or 'do this and we'll back off' or something of that nature? Nothing?" I asked when Delgado didn't jump in.

"Nothing," he confirmed. "But this happened twice now, and both times, in front of you."

"I don't know what's going on, I swear." I sighed, knowing I could talk about this until I turned blue without getting any closer to what was really going on. "No one gave me any kind of message."

"Phone call? Text? Maybe a..."

"No, no, and whatever you were going to ask, no! Maybe someone will call. You have my phone." We hung up after Delgado said he would monitor it.

"How's Solomon?" asked Maddox.

"He'll never know a thing. Garrett is getting the syringe tested."

Maddox turned another corner and we bumped along the road. I had no idea where we were since none of the buildings looked familiar. He turned again, and again and I wondered if we were turning in circles. Finally, Maddox slowed down and turned one last time before we slid into a garage. The door closed and the automatic lights came on. "You can get up now," said Maddox.

"I don't think I can. My muscles are atrophied and they turned to jelly about ten minutes ago."

"I could unwind you," he suggested. "Though I'm not sure where to start."

"No need." I began to stretch, working my way out of the footwell in the most ungainly fashion until I could sit upright on the passenger seat. I popped the door open and climbed out awkwardly. Maddox walked around to join me at my side, then pressed a code into the keypad on the internal door. He pushed the door open and we walked inside. "It's pretty basic," he said, "but it's always stocked in case of emergencies. I can't go out and get anything so we'll have to make do with whatever's here. At least we already had dinner, thanks to your mom."

"Yay," I said weakly as we stopped in the kitchen. I leaned against the counter, the cold taking over me as I began to shiver. Or was it fear?

"Hey," said Maddox, walking over. "You're okay."

"I know." My teeth were chattering.

"No one will find us here. Solomon will have extra guards on duty. Garrett has enough leads to keep his squad up all night. We will figure this out. Don’t worry; Solomon will get justice."

"Duncan O'Malley gave me his card," I said. "If I ever needed help."

"I don't know what is going on between those two but I would be careful about asking for help from a man like O'Malley."

"He must think a lot of Solomon to risk blowing whatever cover he previously maintained. He must have known I could tell someone he was alive."

"I agree he risked a lot but to what end? So he could hold this over Solomon for the rest of his life? Or hold it over yours? Men like him don't give out favors and expect nothing in return, and I don’t care what he says."

"I asked him to find the guy that hired Mikey Gibbs, " I confessed. "Garrett said Mikey is too strung out to wear a wire."

I waited for the admonishment but none came. Instead, Maddox said, "I'll check in with Garrett and get an update." He opened the refrigerator. "Do you want a drink?"

"Water, please."

"I was hoping for something stronger, but water it is," he said, extracting two bottles and handing one to me. He unscrewed the cap and nearly drank half the bottle in one gulp. "Let's take a look around."

The whole house was very small. The kitchen opened into the living room with a new, cheap-looking couch and a TV. Two bedrooms and both had a double bed and a stack of clean linens. A clean, serviceable bathroom with a small collection of bathroom items in a plastic bag. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, small bottles of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Shaving foam and a razor. Everything a person in hiding could want.

"Have you used this place before?" I asked.

"No, and I probably won't again. These places don't get reused."

"Who knows about it?"

"No one at MPD," said Maddox. "That's why I brought you here."

"I'm really worried about the idea that someone from MPD could be behind this." I followed Maddox into the living room where he flopped down onto the couch and stretched his legs. I sat next to him, and leaned forwards, my elbows on my thighs, unable to settle.

"It's probably not the case but it's something to think about," he said as he put his phone to his ear. "Garrett. Yeah, I'm with her. I've got her somewhere safe. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Lexi, he wants to speak to you."

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