Page 40 of Imminent Danger

“You have a tracking device on them?” Marshall's question, sharp and incredulous, cut through the air.

Tank, feeling the collective gaze of his team, closed one eye in a subtle acknowledgment. Miranda's strange look suggested that he’d blurred the line between protectiveness and obsession.

“Dude,” Jackson's voice carried a mix of disbelief and concern.

Their reactions made Tank acutely aware of the unconventional steps he had taken to shield Kaylie and Lia.

“They were in danger.” Tank's justification, delivered with a sense of finality, hung in the air. The decision to install the tracker was rooted in his desperate need to protect them. At this point, he didn’t really care what his friends thought about it. He would have never used the information if they weren’t in danger. He wasn’t a stalker.

“Look, it doesn’t matter now. Whatever reasons Tank had for doing it, the tracker is going to help now.” Marshall’s cool and collected manner brought Tank’s temper down a notch.

But Jackson wasn't ready to concede. “She took off, dude. Why are you even bothering? It’s not like someone broke into Black Tower and forced her. She left willingly.”

The atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension, and Tank's restraint snapped. He pushed Jackson backward, two steps enough to have him pressed against the wall.

“You don’t know her,” Tank growled, his forearm trapping Jackson against the unyielding surface. Even if she had left willingly, that was before Citadel had threatened her. “Citadel can’t get to her.”

She’d been outsmarting Moreno and his goons for years, but Citadel? She wasn’t equipped for that. He’d brought this danger to her. Trying to keep her safe, he’d made it a hundred times worse. Hopefully, he could get to her before either of them.

Jackson’s hands raised in surrender. “Sorry, man. We’ll get her back, okay?”

Tank relaxed slightly at his words, releasing Jackson and creating space between them. He glanced around the room to find all eyes on him. Joey, Marshall, and Jackson were waiting for his command.

He shoved his phone at Joey. “Here’s the tracker info. Do your thing. Everybody else, get suited up. And someone get Connor and Landon. We need more firepower.”

Joey looked up from her laptop. “I’ve got her. Looks like she was at the bus station for about an hour. But the signal is now at a motel off 495 by Temple Hills.”

“How long?” The short sentence was the extent of his control right now.

“She’s been there for fifteen minutes. And we’re about fifteen minutes away.”

He knew from experience how much could go down in thirty minutes. The possibilities made him want to punch the wall. “Let’s move.”

Joey came with them, keeping her eyes on the unmoving tracking signal the entire drive. Tank had never been so tense on the way to a mission.

“What are the odds we find her and the kid chilling by the pool?”

“Jackson…” He filled his voice with warning. He didn’t usually mind Jackson’s jokes the way Gilbert did. But today they were under his skin. If the operative didn’t cut the crap, he was going to toss him out of this reinforced SUV.

Joey looked up from the laptop. “She’s still there. As far as I can tell, we’re dealing with Moreno’s men. They got her at the bus station. I’ve got security footage, but I–”

“Show me.”

His anger found new levels as he watched the grainy security footage from the bus station. The man had laid his hands on Cecelia and pointed a gun at Kaylie. The man who had tried to help them had sacrificed his life, but in the end it hadn’t mattered. Kaylie had been forced at gunpoint to go with him.

Tank agreed with Joey’s assessment that this was Moreno’s crew. It had been far too messy to be Citadel. They always brought way more firepower than necessary, and probably wouldn’t have left any witnesses.

Joey pulled up a satellite image. “Here’s the motel. The signal appears to be coming from the east side.”

“Did you bring the drone?” His question was directed to Jackson.

“Got it. I’ll get it in the air as soon as we’re close.”

Tank nodded, then turned to Marshall, who was driving. “Sat images show a park to the south, just behind the tree line. I want us to stage there.”

His anger was slowly being replaced with a sense of calm and control. His team was here, and they were more than capable of dealing with Moreno and his goons. They passed the motel, and Tank memorized the position of the men he saw standing outside and the number of vehicles.

Moreno thought he was tough with his gangbanger muscle. But he was no match for Black Tower. They’d storm the motel in a matter of minutes, and then Kaylie and Cecelia would be safe in his arms again.

---