Page 29 of Summer Heatwave
“The girls are all very pretty and super nice when they see me.They like it when I bring food to them.”
“So, you’ve met the girls?”Jeremy asked as he circled the block.
“I’m not allowed to know their names.The big bruiser at the front door doesn’t let them say much.I think they’re afraid of him.I sure am.He looks mean and carries a gun.He never smiles but the girls do.”Johnny puffed up a little.“Sometimes I even get a kiss.They think I’m cute.”
Jeremy drove down two blocks before he turned again.“Did you say there was only one man at the door where the girls are located?”
“Yep.And it’s usually the same guy.I tried to be nice to him once and brought an extra box of inasal, but when I tried to hand it to him, he slapped it away and told me that he didn’t eat that shit.”Johnny looked insulted.“He doesn’t know good chicken.Mama makes the best inasal in the United States.I wouldn’t admit it to her, but my grandmother makes better but she’s still in the Philippines.”
Jeremy drove past the front of the building from the other direction.
Mike had no idea what this building had been used for in the past and the sign that had obviously been over the door was long gone.It was three stories of fading yellow block giving it an empty-building appearance.Iron gates covered commercial-looking steel double doors.Given the accumulated dust and dirt, those doors hadn’t opened since the last business inside closed.
“Johnny, other than the door you deliver the food to, are there any other doors?”Jeremy asked as he turned back as though to return the child.
The young boy’s eyes went big.“Oh, yes.There’s a big door on the porch.The whole place looks like a dollhouse, man-sized.Another guy with the gun is always at that door.
“Thank you, Johnny.You’ve been a really big help.”Jeremy passed his mother’s restaurant and pulled over around the corner.“Listen, son, we don’t want you to get in any trouble so it’s extremely important that you don’t tell anyone that you showed us the place where you take the food.Will you promise me that?”
The boy nodded vigorously.“Momma’s really mad they took her sister.”He pointed his thumb at the back seat where Tala sat next to Dylan.
“We are, too.And we’re going to do everything we can to get her sister back.”Jeremy was so good with the child.“That’s why you must never talk about this little ride that we took, not even to Momma.Promise me?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Jeremy slapped some money in his hand.“This is a tip, just for you.And before you say anything, your momma has already been tipped as well.Time for you to go back to work.”
“Thank you.”The child held up his fistful of bills before he jumped out of the SUV.
No one said anything until they were several blocks away.
“Finally.A break.”Kam whipped out her phone and started barking orders.“I want surveillance on this building round-the-clock.Pictures of every car coming and going.Make sure you get the plates.See if we can get a permanent line of sight on the back of the building.I doubt they got permits for the renovation but look anyway.I want to know who owns that building.”
Mike was impressed at how Kam’s mind worked as she continued to give instructions during the entire drive back to her office.He was also amazed at what technical capabilities she had available to her and didn’t hesitate to utilize.
When Jeremy pulled into the parking garage, a second vehicle was waiting to take Tala back to her secure house.A woman stepped out from the driver’s seat and opened her arms seconds before Tala fell into them.Kam and the woman exchanged a few words before she returned to where Mike was waiting for her.
“Kam, I’m glad everything worked out so well today.”Mike glanced over at Dylan who was already inside his SUV.Jeremy had disappeared so they were alone.“I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.Please, tell me that everything that happened today isn’t going to affect our date?”
The smile she gave him transformed her face from hard as Special Agent in Charge Kameron Hood to Kam, the woman who had captured his attention and touched his heart.
“No.I want that building watched for at least a week.I may even send some men from our special operations team to give us eyes inside.I’m not going to rush this and fuck it up.I want to catch every one of those perverts and free all of the girls inside.”
She stepped closer to him.“I’m looking forward to Saturday night.”
Chapter13
Kam wasat an all-time high as she closed her car door and headed to her apartment.Mentally and physically exhausted, but totally elated by the events of the day, she bounced up the two steps to her front door.
And stopped.
Ice water ran through her veins as she noticed her door was not completely closed.
Kam instantly stepped to the side nearest the doorknob and plastered her body against the bricks.She had to get her racing heartbeat to slow.
Do I quietly sneak back to my car and call the police?You are the police.Or at least I used to be.At that moment, she suddenly missed her beat partner.They could always depend on each other and had breached more doors together than she ever counted.
Partner.Should I call Jeremy?No.He lived almost twenty minutes away and she’d sent him home nearly an hour ago.He had a beautiful wife, in every sense of the word, and loved his kids.If he got shot, Kam would never be able to forgive herself.
