Page 59 of Scarred Souls

Brandon propped his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “Did you ever hear aircraft? Maybe commercial jets flying overhead?”

“No.”

“What about traffic noise?” Sage asked. “Like from a highway?”

I shook my head. “There’s one sound I remember, and it’s stuck in my mind because it made me uncomfortable.” I glanced at Vaughn. “Sometimes, I’d hear children playing.”

Sage tensed. “There are children inside the compound?”

I pressed my lips together. “I don’t think so, but maybe somewhere nearby. Like the compound could be near a school or a playground. I hated the idea that there were kids near such dangerous people.”

Vaughn grunted. “That could be strategic. Hide in plain sight and use a bunch of kids as human shields.”

I frowned. “Sounds like something my father would do.”

“It would also make a siege complicated.” Brandon placed the tablet on the table, removed his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. “Thank you, Hope. This is all good information. I just have one more question for tonight.” He rested his elbows on the armrests of his chair and raised his palms toward the ceiling. “Do you have any idea why the violence has escalated in the last year? Carlos Espinoza has more control than ever. It should be a time of relative peace.”

I shook my head. “I’ve asked myself the same thing, and I can’t explain it.”

Brandon was right. There’d been more disappearances and murders in the last twelve months than in the five years before. The media had hardly been able to keep up with reporting on all the Pacific Coast Cartel’s atrocities. Gang members. Civilians. No one was safe from Carlos’s brutality. Just thinking about it renewed my hesitations about Vaughn and his team attacking the compound.

I clasped my hands in my lap. “There’s something I need to ask. I already spoke to Vaughn about this, but I have to raise it again. I’d love nothing more than for my father’s kingdom to crumble, but are you sure your team is capable of tackling this?”

“Here we go again.” Vaughn groaned and dragged his hands over his face.

“What?” I glared at him. “It’s a valid concern.”

He looked at me as though I were clueless. “I already told you we know what we’re doing.”

I threw my hands up in the air. “And that’s the kind of cocky attitude that will get you killed.”

“Maybe it’s best if I answer Hope’s question,” Brandon said. “You’re right. Laying siege to the PCC compound will be dangerous. But there are risks with every mission, and we always assess them thoroughly before moving on a target. We’ll be ready to go after your father.”

I hadn’t known Vaughn for long, but the thought of him being involved in an attack on the compound filled me with unease. Undoubtedly, there’d be casualties on both sides. Would he be one of them?

Vaughn rubbed the back of his neck. “So what’s the plan?”

Brandon glanced at his wristwatch before returning his attention to us. “I’ll make a start on this tonight. Sit tight, and stay near your phone in case we have more questions. We’ll narrow down our search area and do some reconnaissance. With any luck we’ll find our target quickly.”

“With any luck?” Vaughn frowned. “You sounded confident a moment ago. How long will it take?”

Brandon rubbed his stubbly jaw. “You know I can’t answer that.”

“But we could be talking weeks or months, right?” Vaughn thrust his hands through his hair. “I can’t stay here that long. You need to send someone else.”

“He’s right,” I said. “We’re…incompatible.”

Vaughn gave a bitter laugh. “That’s only because you refuse to do as you’re told.”

“Well, you have terrible manners.”

“And you have no regard for your personal safety.”

“Is that why you follow me everywhere acting like an overbearing ass? It’s a miracle I’m allowed to pee without you hovering.”

“See what I mean?” Vaughn spoke to the screen while gesturing toward me. “I’m just trying to do my job, and she complains nonstop.”

“All right, you two. Message received,” Brandon said. “Can you at least act civil for another week or two until I can arrange a replacement?”

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