Page 46 of Gypsy Angel

“I agree.” Jacko replied, getting nods from the rest of the group of Red Scorpions in the room.

“So, what’s the game plan?” Diesel asked, looking around the room.

“We need to find out who Jetson and Sampson were with. We need to get a meeting with Raven’s parents and find out about this other girl she was with. I do not want anyone making an appearance in the club until we know what the hell we have going on. Is that clear?” Captain Irby decided for the group. “My team is to come home, all of you in one piece. I get you may have a few dings here and there, but you better come home on your own two damn feet! That’s an order ladies!”

Once Captain Irby disconnected from the video chat, the four teams discussed their options. Diesel pulled out her phone once everyone quieted down and contacted Nadia to set up a meeting with Raven’s parents.

“Hello?”

“Hi Nadia! It’s Cheryl. How are you?” Diesel replied softly into the phone.

“Ah, Cheryl! How are you? Have you made it to Los Angeles yet?”

“Yes. I’m here with my team now. I need to set up a meeting with Raven’s adoptive parents to find out more information about her disappearance and the girl she went missing with. Can you set that up for me?”

“Yes, I am with them now. They say that is fine and can meet with you tomorrow morning. Is that doable?”

“Yes. Thank you. Have them get a recent photo available and if they know anything about the other girl or have a photo of her, I will need that too. I would like to have a meeting with the other girl’s parents set up for my team sgt if possible.”

“Oh, she didn’t have parents. She was staying in a group home.” Nadia answered right away. “I can set up a meeting with the group home for your sgt. tomorrow once you’re done with Raven’s parents.”

“She was living in a group home?” Sgt. Brocard asked, interrupting the conversation. “Ma’am, I’m Sgt. Helen Brocard. What was the girl’s name she went missing with?”

“Her best friend’s name was Katrina Barlow. She started going to the same high school as Raven about two years ago when she was taken from her mother, who is in prison for killing Katrina’s father.”

“Drug related or domestic?” Sgt. Brocard asked, looking over at Diesel with a tilt in her head.

“Neither…well for the mother, she was a druggie and a prostitute. That’s all I know. I think the director of the home will have her file and can give you guys more insight on that than I can.”

“Thank you, Nadia. I will see you in the morning and I’ll have Sgt. Brocard with me. We can go to the group home from Raven’s parents and talk to them,” Diesel decided, keeping eye contact with Brocard.

“See you in the morning.”

When Diesel disconnected the call, she looked over at Oz who held up a finger telling the two women to hold on for a minute. “She seemed off guard when you asked about the other girl.” Sgt. Brocard mentioned, sitting back down and leaning back in her seat.

“You caught that too?” Diesel asked, running her hand over her face.

“What is it, babe?” Viper asked, looking between the two women.

“Nadia seemed off. I don’t know why. She knew I wanted to see Raven’s adoptive parents since before we got out here. She was there with them now. We’ve been back here twenty-four hours, and she waited for me to contact her to request the meeting. Yet, when I asked about the other girl, Katrina’s parents, she got silent for a minute, like it was a surprise I’d want to know about that girl. Nadia’s been a cop for well over twenty years. Something’s off with her.”

“You don’t think Krieger or Symon found out about her involvement with the underground thing and is using that against her to get to you, do you?” Pratt brought up a question running through both Diesel and Viper’s mind.

“Oz, I know you have several fires burning right now, do you think…” Diesel had asked, then stopped when Oz winked at her.

“Already on it. Now, I found it weird she didn’t give you the address for you to meet them yet said she would meet with you and the parent’s tomorrow morning. Text her to ask her where to meet, see if you guys can meet at the parent’s home.”

“She just sent me the address.” Diesel said, when her phone vibrated before Diesel could send the text.

Showing the text message to Oz, she waited as he inputted the address into his computer. Something was really bugging her about the whole thing. She’d talked to Nadia several times through the years and things have always seemed good. Could Nadia be worried about how she would react to Raven’s disappearance? Afraid she was angry at everyone?

“This is interesting.” Oz mumbled as he looked at an image on the screen of a house in a housing development.

“What is it?” Diesel asked, her nerves getting the best of her.

Instead of answering, Oz pulled up what he saw on Google Earth for everyone to see. Once it had been pulled up, several mutterings of ‘fuck’ sounded through the room.

“Oz, check into Nadia…the full workup. Houston…Kermit, I want you two to head out to that location. Recon only. I want to know who goes in and who goes out. Anything you can see,” Viper ordered. “Are you guys still bringing in this Toi and Angel?”

---