Page 107 of Hart of Darkness
Inwardly, I laughed. Duke was fidgety around Hughes. I couldn’t blame my brother since he was not exactly an upstanding citizen.
“Still quiet,” Duke added. “I don’t see anything in the building across the street.”
Hughes had suspected that Miguel would have men stationed around the area.
“Recently, my analyst found a money trail that led us to a bank in Brazil for Marco Holdings, but he isn’t having any success breaking through the firewall,” Hughes said.
Dom had been shocked that his buddy couldn’t either.
“I was hoping,” Ted added. “If he could, then my team would surround the warehouse until we had Miguel. It’s coming down to the wire anyway.” He set his eyes on Grace. “Are you still good to go through with this?”
She hadn’t left Dom’s side. “I’m ready.”
I wasn’t sure I was. My pulse was pounding as I reached around to my lower back. The gun was still there. I was using one of Dom’s guns that had been sitting on the makeshift table.
Hunt crossed one ankle over the other as he leaned against the pump I’d been sitting on earlier. He showed no signs of nerves. It was as though he lived for shit like this.
Hughes pinned each of us with a look. “The only way onto this property is through the gate unless Miguel’s men climb fences. So Dom, I need you on the second floor, facing west. And Hunt, you’ll be on the east, which is where Miguel and team will come in. I’ll be right inside. As soon as Miguel gets out of the car and we have eyes on Maggie, I’ll make the call to the precinct. Grace and Dillon, you need to stall Miguel. It will take the cops at least ten minutes to get here.”
“No sirens,” Hunt said.
I couldn’t help but think of how so many things could go wrong in ten minutes. But Ted wanted to make sure we captured Miguel, and he had to follow procedure as much as he could without compromising Maggie’s life, or any lives for that matter.
Ted smoothed his fingers over his mustache. “One last thing. No one dies today.”
Dom made sure Grace’s bulletproof vest was secure. “I killed enough in Iraq. I don’t need to be killing anymore.”
Hunt straightened. “We need to get in position.”
I inhaled the musty air, but it did nothing to calm my out-of-control pulse.
Dom hugged Grace. “You’re strong. You’ve survived worse than this. Remember that.” He kissed her on the forehead and took off.
Hunt clapped me on the shoulder. “We got your back. Grace, stay close to Dillon.” Then he was gone.
“We’ve got a black Jeep coming down the road,” Duke said.
I grabbed Grace’s shaky hand. “Hughes, have you considered what you’ll do if Rick shows up to this party?”
Hughes removed his gun from his holster. “Arrest him like all the others.” No emotion whatsoever was evident when he delivered those words. Even his features were schooled. “Now get out there.”
Do or die.
Grace and I walked out and found our spot behind two of the rusty barrels that we had positioned in the middle of the empty parking lot.
Orange glowed on the horizon as a fine mist of fog hovered over the water behind us.
We had a direct view of the gate and the Jeep turning in. I scanned the area as wide and as far as I could see. No other cars approached. The abandoned building across the street showed no signs of activity that I could see. Duke was the one with the binoculars, though.
Grace’s eyes were filled with fear. “This isn’t going to go well,” she muttered.
I gently touched her arm. “Dom’s right. You’re strong, and let’s not forget Miguel isn’t going to kill you. He needs you.”
“What if something goes wrong and he takes me? I can’t go back to him, Dillon.”
“You’re not. We’re going to take him down today,” I said as sure as the sun was rising. But my insides weren’t so confident.
The Jeep pulled to a stop about four yards ahead of us and idled.
