Page 84 of Betrayed

Chapter 22

“ALIGHT-BLUE FORD FOCUSregistered to Adriana Dunbar just turned onto Forrest Hills Dr,” Jonas reported from where he and Rick were running surveillance in a van down the street. “ETA three minutes.”

“Roger that,” Cap replied while crouched alongside him behind a boxwood hedge. “Check in,” he ordered through his headset.

“Sean is a go by the rear door.”

“Dex is a go in the front.”

“I’m in the garage. T is a go, too.”

“Stand by,” Cap ordered. “She’s on her way in.”

“Any idea why she came back?” T asked. “She didn’t find what she was looking for twice now.”

“Entering the drive,” Jonas announced.

“I’ve got eyes on her.”

After visual confirmation from Dex, Jonas answered T’s question. “She placed a call for help this evening. It’s the first contact she’s made with any associates.”

Lights came on as Adri used her key and entered the house, switching them on in sequence as she moved from room to room.

“Amateur,” Sean grumbled. “She’s got enough wattage going to light a small city.”

“Heads up,” Rick barked, and all chatter ceased. “A black sedan just turned into the drive.”

“The help she requested,” Cap surmised as the second car came to a stop behind the first in the circle drive.

“This is what we’ve been waiting for,” Arturo murmured, eyes locked on the two masked men armed with assault rifles as they hopped out of the car. The driver, also masked and in black, followed at a much slower pace, almost leisurely. Also armed, but with semiautomatic pistols in shoulder holsters, he entered the house a moment later.

“Get me something,” Arturo demanded.

“We’re running the tags now,” Rick said. “But I’m betting it’s stolen.”

“We’ve got audio,” Jonas cut in then began feeding them a play-by-play. “The first two are tossing the place. The big guy and the woman are arguing.”

“What about?” Cap asked.

“She’s asking for more time. He said she’s had three months.”

“For what? Any specifics?”

“Hang on, let me listen,” Jonas told them then, “Shit, he backhanded her, and she hit the deck.”

“Should we move in?” Lil T asked.

“No. Stand by.” Arturo made the call. “They need her alive or they would have killed her before now.”

“GPS tracker is deployed,” Dex announced. “Do you have a read on the sedan?”

“Roger that,” Rick confirmed.

“They’re in the bedroom,” Jonas updated.

Rick cut in. “Plates, not the car, are stolen because that is no 2004 Honda Civic.”

Jonas continued, acting as the eyes for the team without video. “The woman is showing him the safe, which she hacked to shit earlier. The big guy shoved her aside. He knows about the false bottom. Fuck, he’s pissed, cursing and bellowing like an angry bear.”

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