Page 44 of Shadow Undercover

“And if he doesn’t?”

“See where he goes or trace the tags.”

“This doesn’t feel like a Hugo move.”

“This is either one of his flunkies or it has nothing to do with Hugo at all.”

“My vote is for Option B.”

“Same.”

The shadow scurried from the parked car to an old black pickup, a Ford F-250. Although the person wore a black hoodie, Trace was sure the watcher was male. The man walked to the driver’s side and opened the truck door. He leaned in to grab something.

Trace and Ben drew their weapons, waiting for the other man to make his move.

The man turned and looked at Bridget’s house again, this time with a pair of binoculars in his hands.

Trace’s eyebrows winged upward.

“Want me to get his plates?”

“Yeah. Watch your six. We don’t know if this clown brought friends.”

Ben slipped out the back door and disappeared into the night.

Trace watched Hoodie for several minutes while he studied the house. The man glanced to the left, tossed the binoculars inside the cab, climbed in, and closed the door. He disappeared from view as a prowl car cruised down the street, search light focused on Bridget’s house. A moment after the officer was gone, Hoodie sat up, cranked the engine, and sped away, turning the opposite direction of the prowl car.

A minute later, Ben entered the house by the back door.

“Get the plate?” Trace asked.

A soft snort. “What do you think?”

He grinned. “Don’t know why I bothered to ask.”

“Sent it to Fortress. They’ll get back to us in a few minutes. You want to stay here with Bridget while I check out the address?”

“You aren’t going alone.”

“He’s probably a local who made the connection to Roxanne.”

“Hugo could have hired him to report any movement at the house. You need backup.”

“Planning to take your woman to a stake out?”

“Have a better suggestion?”

“Yeah, let me handle it alone.”

“Not happening, Ben. Besides, I promised Bridget I’d wake her if anything happened. I won’t break her trust.”

Shadow’s EOD man shook his head. “You’ve got it bad for this woman, my friend. Mark my words. Women are trouble.”

“The best kind of trouble.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I need to wake Bridget.”

“After only two hours of sleep, she might need the coffee she made us.”

Trace took the stairs two at a time and knocked on her door. “Bridget.”

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