Page 70 of Grave Peril

After pacing in front of the sofa, Lela stopped. “The senator has no escape. He faces prison.”

“Yep, and once the cartel funds are under government control, there won’t be any gold at the end of the rainbow for Ortiz.”

“Now, all we have to do is get the cartel to back off,” Lela said.

“I know you didn’t want to go to the feds, and I agreed. But this changes things,” Rip said. “Once the cartel knows the money is out of reach, there’s no motivation to come after you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lela was inspired by the prospect of ending all the violence. “It hadn’t really made sense that the cartel feared what I’d say in court. They’re so powerful, untouchable…”

“That’s often true, so they don’t shake in their boots when accusations are levied at them,” Rip said. “It was about greed, had to be.”

Lela’s courage resurged. “Then I have to get this information to the agency, and the sooner the better.”

*****

Like the predator he was, Almanza watched Lela’s apartment building. And he wasn’t alone. Zap had put a small army at his disposal.

In the days he’d been on surveillance, he hadn’t seen Lela or her SEAL boyfriend—which only meant that he hadn’t seen her go inside.

That didn’t mean that she wasn’t in there. It was a hunch. It wasn’t unusual for a person on the run to show up at a familiar place. It was a human flaw.

Almanza had secured a room across the street, with a clear view to her building. Taking shifts, his guys kept eyes on the place from other vantage points.

When Almanza wasn’t in the room, he lingered at the nearby coffee shop or the metro stop, keeping her building in sight. He was a patient man, but Zap wouldn’t wait forever.

If Lela wasn’t there, then he’d have to move on. He’d give it another day. Meanwhile, he had spies cruising and looking for her.

*****

The plan was to bring the feds in on this new development. The drive was secured in the safe. But once the agency understood the situation, the information would be transmitted. Travis would see to that.

Rip hugged Lela. “I’ll be there, by your side, every step of the way.” He released her but held her hands. “If things start to go sideways, I’ll get you out of there, okay?”

Lela lifted up on her toes and kissed him. “It’s going to work. When the cartel has no more reason to come after me, this will all be over. I’ve put too many lives in danger. I’m anxious to put an end to it.”

Rip stuck his gun in his belt. “All right. We’ll take the metro. It’s safer in a public venue, where there are more options for escape.”

“I trust you.” Lela unlocked the deadbolt. “I’m ready.”

It was midmorning and the city was filled with throngs of people. Rip took in the surroundings, but saw no sign of the cartel. He guided Lela along the sidewalk for several blocks. It wasn’t too far to the metro stop. He’d considered taking a cab, but that had disadvantages. Once inside a vehicle, Lela would be an easier target.

The metro would be transportation out of the city, and then Rip would switch to another mode for the last few miles to the FBI field office.

Houston had the dangers of most big cities, but was relatively safe. It was daytime, and there tended to be less crime during business hours. Yet that didn’t rule it out entirely.

Half a block up, a woman yelled, “Stop him!”

Rip glanced in that direction and saw a man running away. It was a purse snatching in progress. Not his business. He had only one focus, and that was Lela.

But when Rip looked back, Lela was gone. Adrenaline flooded his veins like a narcotic.

Four gang members stood shoulder to shoulder blocking him in. Just beyond them, two other huge, muscled guys had Lela. One of them had a hand over her mouth, and the other opened the door to a low-riding sedan with blackened windows.

The sidewalk was filled with pedestrians. Rip couldn’t fire his gun. The crowd behind the gang members separated him from Lela’s abductor, and the chances were too great that innocent bystanders would be injured. The gangster slid into the back seat with Lela, and the car peeled away from the curb into traffic.

The army of guys in Rip’s face lunged for him.

Fucking hell.

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