Page 70 of Fighting for Ella

Gasps echoed around the room and over a dozen shocked faces stared back at Ella.

After she’d managed to figure everything out, they immediately called Prey. Given that the mole had an in, they hadn't wanted to discuss on the phone what she’d figured out. So all she’d done was ask if Fox could come over because she wanted to discuss the terms of her staying for the next month. Of course, he’d figured out that it was more than that, but she hadn't said the name aloud until he was standing there in her living room.

Now that news had been shared with everyone else, even Miguel—who knew nothing about the ins and outs of Prey and their workplace—could see how shocked everyone was.

“I thought we cleared her,” Spider said.

“We did,” Fox agreed. “She didn't need the money, and she’d been at Prey for years. We even managed to clear her husband’s name when there was some shady stuff going down with his Green Beret team.”

“So what changed?” Night asked.

“For one, Ella figured out a few suspicious things, and two, when I went looking for her this morning she was nowhere to be seen. Hasn’t been back to the office since lunchtime yesterday,” Fox said, looking over to him. “Since Miguel saw someone standing outside the rental where Piper and Arrow are staying while Ella was inside.”

“Why would Dora decide to turn on us?” Scarlett asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Confusion that was echoed in all the other people in the room.

“I got a weird vibe from her after Zander and I got together,” Lucy said thoughtfully. “At the time, I just thought it was because it was a shock, but maybe it was more than that. She didn't seem to like that I would date one of my best friend’s brother.”

“While I was waiting for you guys to get here I did a little digging of my own,” Ella informed them. “I remembered a few things Dora’s said to me over the years that aren't suspicious in and of themselves, but put them altogether and they paint a different picture. There were some rumors about missing weapons and drug smuggling on her husband’s team. He was the prime suspect, but we were able to clear him.” Ella waved her hand to indicate herself and her team.

“So why would she hate us?” Cassie asked.

“Because her husband wasn't completely innocent,” Ella replied. “He wasn't smuggling weapons to Raul Castillo, but he was cheating on her. Apparently, the affairs had been going on most of the marriage. She found out when he died in a caraccident with one of his mistresses in the car with him. One of the reasons Dora was never on our list was because she received a huge life insurance payout after his death and a payout from the trucking company the driver of the truck that hit him worked for. She didn't need the money.”

“When she applied for the receptionist job, she said it was because Prey had helped her out by proving her husband’s innocence, and she wanted to be part of what we did. Said even though she had enough money to live comfortably on for the rest of her life she was young and didn't want to just sit around with nothing to do,” Fox added.

“I still don’t get why she’d hate us,” Scarlett said.

“I don’t know why,” Ella said. “Maybe misplaced blame. Maybe she thought we should have discovered the affairs when we were investigating him, maybe she’s just crazy. All I know is she married her childhood best friend’s brother, and it caused a rift between them. She lost contact with her and the whole family. She had no family of her own, a deadbeat dad and a mom who lost custody, so she was a foster system kid. That’s why she wouldn't have liked Lucy and Zander getting together. Her husband might not have been selling weapons, but she still managed to track down the dealer the weapons had been sold to. Raul Castillo. She was in a position to know everything. About the drug, when we were closing in on Raul’s location. She’s probably the one who tipped him off which is why we kept arriving too late. She knows all our addresses, she has access to our things at work, she knew everything we were doing and when we were going to do it.”

“This is crazy,” Chaos exclaimed.

“It is, and we won't have answers until we have her in custody,” Ella agreed. “I want to know why she targeted us, but more than that, I want to know that she can't hurt us again. I want her found and caught.”

That sentiment was echoed by every person in the room.

They all wanted this done and over with.

“If she’s run, and she has enough money to stay hidden, then how will we find her?” Lucy asked.

“Actually, I have an idea on that,” Miguel said, shoving off the wall he’d been leaning against and closing the short distance between himself and Ella.

“You do?” she asked, news to her since he hadn't mentioned it yet. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but he was positive that this would work. If he could convince his girl to go along with it. If he could keep a handle on his own fears for her safety to let her go along with it.

“Let’s hear it,” Fox told him.

“Dora Hibbert has been working at Prey for years now, she knows everything about you guys, and we have no way to know what else she’s infected. She could have devices hidden on computer systems, phones, she could be listening in on any plans you make to try to find her,” he said.

“So, we have to keep her out of the loop,” King said.

“We do. Well out of the real loop,” Miguel amended. “We set up a few false attempts to search for her. Keep her distracted. Make her focus be where we want it to be so she doesn’t see the sneak attack coming.”

“What's the sneak attack?” Ella asked, somewhat suspiciously.

“It’s you,” he replied. “She might know that you guys came over here today, I'm sure she knows that Ella said she’d give this a month to work out, but what if we play it up like Ella changed her mind? That she’s quitting now. Ella already has a backup career, and it’s one she’s overdue for a performance for.”

“You want me to pretend I left Prey and put on a concert?” Ella asked, wide green eyes staring up at him.

“A trap in the form of a concert,” he corrected. “I want Dora thinking that you’ve backed away from Prey. That maybe because you did, they’re not watching you as closely as they were. I want her to think that the concert would be the perfect place to try to make contact with you. If she really hates you all then she’s not giving up. She might lay low until an opportunity presents itself to make a move, but she’s not disappearing for good. This gives her that opportunity to strike when she thinks she can blend in and never be spotted. But only if you think you can do this, El.”

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