Page 12 of Complicated Past

“These people don’t mess around,” Clara stated. “I’m not taking chances when it comes to you. Plates on the van were stolen, and we don’t have a VIN number to know who it’s registered to. Every patrol officer has been alerted to be on the lookout for it. I need the name of the restaurant you stopped at, what time you were there, and when you left. That could help us determine where he went last night. I also need the time you think you saw it outside the Social Services building, so we confirm if it was the same van you saw this morning.”

“There’s no guarantee he didn’t follow her to Bri’s place last night or home. You need to stay somewhere safe over the weekend until they catch this guy.” Linc wasn’t risking taking Jalen back to Bri’s or even to his place.

“They may think Jalen is staying with you since you picked him up,” Clara cautioned. “You need to stay with me and Derrick.”

Kendra rolled her eyes. “They’ll see I don’t have him.”

Clearly, she didn’t understand the situation. “That doesn’t matter. They may think that you know where tofindhim,” Linc said. “These organizations can find outwhoyou are andwhereyou live. Who your family and friends are.”

Kendra still didn’t appear convinced.

“We had a mission that put my team in the crosshairs of a Colombian cartel. They couldn’t find anything on us, as we keep low profiles, but they found out who the American pilot was who picked us up. They found her back here in the States. Even though we put protection protocols in place, they still got to her and took her to Colombia.”

“Did they . . .?” Now Kendra’s voice shook.

“We got her back.Alive. But it took our entireteam. Ourhighly eliteteam.” He let that sink in. “If they find you two arerelated, theywill notcare that you are a cop,” he said to Clara. “You can’t be around to provide twenty-four-seven security.” He shifted his focus to Kendra. “Do you have family or friends out of town you can stay with for a few days?”

“I’m not putting anyone I know in danger,” Kendra stated.

She didn’t leave him much of a choice. He wouldn’t have to worry about her now that she’d been dragged into this, and she could watch Jalen while Linc did what he needed to do. “I’ve got a place. You and Jalen will be safe.”

“Where?” Clara.

He hoped she’d agree and not buck his plan. “At one of my teammate’s homes. He’s deployed with me. Whoever these people are won’t be able to connect us due to security protocols.”

“We can’t just break in and hide out at his house,” Kendra protested.

“We wouldn’t be breaking in. I have the code for the lock. With everything going on, you want me to call and ask permission?”

“Yes.”

“She’s a rule follower,” Clara said, her lips tightening into a smirk.

He checked his watch. “My team’s not gonna be happy if I wake them up.”

Kendra crossed her arms.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and called Dev.

“Hey, man.” Dev’s low tone meant the team had turned in for the night. “Everything okay with Bri?”

“No. She was duped by someone to go onvacationin Mexico. The real purpose is to force her to smuggle drugs back.”

“Shit. Did she know they were using her as a mule?”

“No. Somehow, she figured it out. They’ve got her passport and snatched her grandmother, who was watching Jalen.”

“Shit,” Dev said again. That was about the only swear word the Boy Scout used. “What are you gonna do?”

“Right now, I don’t even know what city they went to. Police contacted the airlines, so I should have a destination and return flight info soon, but finding her Grams is our best shot at learning where they’re staying so I can go down and bring her back.”

Clara cleared her throat, and Linc angled away from her disapproving stare.

“On your own?”

Linc didn’t like the doubt in Dev’s voice. “What choice do I have?”

Dev’s sigh weighed in across six time zones. “Let us know what we can do.”

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