Page 165 of Bossy Hero

In a steady tone, Shep announces, “Jack’s in place.”

“Stand by, team.” On Tomer’s computer, he types on a solid black screen, entering what appears to be programming code. Then he toggles to another window and clicks a big red button labeledexecute.

“Counting it down,” he states flatly.

Mia faces Tomer briefly. “Boss is asking to get plugged in so he can hear what’s going on.” After a rapid series of screen clicks, she speaks into her microphone. “Boss, you there?”

“Affirmative,” Alan replies without a hint of unease.

Instantly, my pulse slows at the comforting sound of his voice. If he’s relaxed, I can be too.

Tomer rubs his palms together briskly. “Team, Jack is doing his thing. Infil now.”

“Copy,” one of them calls back.

Everyone holds their breath as Sawyer and Shep break in through the back door using tiny metal tools that I don’t recognize. To be honest, I’m more than a little lost. This is far beyond the scope of an insurance underwriter. And I wasn’t even a good one of those.

“No alarm signals detected,” Tomer informs everyone.

“Same here,” Shep announces.

My shoulders sag, and oxygen rushes from my lungs. Yet after Sawyer takes his first step inside, I end up holding my breath again.

Shep enters next, silently closing the door behind them. They exchange hand signals and split up.

Tomer updates Alan. “Boss, twing and twang are inside. No issues.”

“Perimeter still secure,” Mia adds.

I tap Kri on the top of her knee and whisper, “What about cameras inside the house? Surely, he has those.”

Alan filled my house with cameras, so I’d assume someone like Yuri has them as well. Possibly more.

“That’s one of the things Jack is handling. It should be scrambling the feed and preventing anything from being recorded.”

“If it’s working,” Tomer quips, ever the optimist this evening.

Eye roll.

“Mia, anything on the traffic cams?” Alan asks.

“No sign of Yuri’s car or the SUV his guards were driving.”

“It’s unacceptable that we don’t have tags on those vehicles.” Alan murmurs something unintelligible under his breath. More than likely, it’s more colorful profanity. “We need to fix that. I want a plan in place for it by tomorrow.”

Listening to the dialog while poking around inside Yuri’s house, Sawyer offers his two cents. “We’ll do it tonight when they come back. Shep and I have a plan, Boss. We’ll get into their garage after they return. Ease up on that blood pressure, old man.”

Instead of easing up, Alan seems to do the opposite. “Fuck, fuck, shit.Dammit. Fucking shit fuck.”

I bat my lashes at Kri in jest, faking a grin. “Alan’s a modern renaissance man with an elegantly poetic vernacular.”

“That much is clear,” she jokes.

“What’s the problem, Boss?” Mia asks while clicking through street camera footage.

“Chief spotted me, parked on the side of the road, and is strolling over to my car. Looks like we’re gonna have our chat on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.”

My heart vaults squarely into my throat.

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