“Yes. I don’t know the address, but I can take you there. It’s in Atlanta.”
“I can’t chance you getting hurt.” I took hold of Gwen’s hand and squeezed it lightly. Looking over to Patton, I asked, “Can you grab a laptop? Maybe we can get a location of Salko’s place looking at Google Maps.”
Patton set the laptop on the long table in front of Gwen. He took a seat beside and began pressing his fingers against the keys until a satellite view of Atlanta came into view. Gwen started to tracing the route with her index finger. After several right and left turns, she tapped her finger against the screen. “Here. This is where Rui’s place is.”
Patton blew up the screen and changed the view of the map. Adjusting the street view, the place Gwen showed us was an old warehouse in the industrial district. This place wasn’t Salko’s style, but it didn’t surprise me that he would pick a place that wouldn’t draw any attention. “Get a team together. Just maybe, Crosby will be hiding out there.”
∞
Patton was my greatest asset, but instead of riding along with us to Salko’s home, he decided to stay behind and work on getting access to the street cams. Although I swore I would never leave Reyna alone again, she was in good hands with Patton, Calvin, Zach, and Marcus staying behind to protect her. I was aware of Axe, Mitch, Stone, and Tyler’s capabilities and knew I was in good hands with them accompanying me. Nothing would please me more than to find Crosby and Delilah at the warehouse.
When Axe pulled up to the old warehouse that had seen better days, I looked around and found no vehicles in sight. It didn’t mean a thing. I had to assume that the sedan with the fake plates was inside the building, or at least I hoped it was.
We exited the SUV together, keeping our eyes peeled on the perimeter. It was too quiet, which had me concerned. It was dark, but the street light provided enough light to see there was no one around. The cars parked across the street weren’t going anywhere. Either they had no engines, which was evident by the hoods being left open, or the tires were gone. It was a shady neighborhood at best.
Our boots crunching against the gravel was the only sound heard as we headed toward the metal door. Mitch reached the door first and tried the doorknob. It didn’t surprise us that the door was locked. The rusted hinges held the door in place, but it would take little to no effort to bust the door down. If it hadn’t been for the fact that this was a surprise visit, we would have done just that.
Once Mitch picked the lock, he headed inside with Axe and me following close behind. Stone and Tyler headed around the side of the building to see if there might be another entrance. There was nothing to indicate that Salko had at one time occupied the warehouse. If anything, it smelled like a shithole, and no one would be stupid enough to live here. Most of the windows were broken, and considering the way it smelled, rodents had made the building their home.
Using the back of my hand to cover my mouth, I managed to choke, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
The guys had no problem following me out. If Salko lived here, he was crazier than I thought. I also had a hard time believing that this was the place where he brought Gwen. Something was off. Before exiting the building, I took one last look around. Completely baffled, I pulled the door closed and joined the rest of the guys standing near the SUV. Stone and Tyler still hadn’t returned. Maybe they had found another way inside. Our choices were either wait for them or head around the building and try to find them. The latter was the better option, so we moved to the side of the building, taking the same path Stone and Tyler took.
Overgrown weeds and bushes made our trek to the back of the building a challenge. The condition of the building and the surrounding grounds made it evident that Salko had an agenda for this dump, and that was to keep him under the radar.
Stone and Tyler met us halfway down the side of the building. “We were coming to get you guys. You won’t believe what we found.” Stone moved a bush branch out of the way before he continued. “I think we found Salko’s hideout.”
Stone led the way while the rest of us followed behind. I underestimated Salko. The front of the warehouse was a deterrent. No wonder we weren’t able to find him. He kept himself hidden behind a rundown warehouse knowing it wasn’t inhabitable.
We were close to reaching the back of the building when my cell began to vibrate in my pocket. “Hold up, guys,” I said as I pulled my phone from my front pocket. Patton was on the other end, and this was a call I had to take. “Patton, tell me you have some good news. We think we might have found Salko’s hideout.”
“I do. I got access to the street cams. Hugo dipped into an alley downtown. There is only one way in and one way out. We got him, Davian. As of yet, the sedan hasn’t moved from the alley. Marcus and Zach are on their way there now?”
“Let me know as soon as they have Delilah and Crosby’s man in custody.”
“You got it.”
~21~
Crosby
I found it very beneficial to have as many people as possible on my payroll. Whoever said that people couldn’t be bought was a fool. By nature, people were greedy creatures, and with the right amount of money as an incentive, they would be willing to do anything. Thanks to Samantha’s brilliant idea, I was now a homeless man living on the streets. I wasn't too keen on the disguise she had put together for me, but it wouldn’t matter by tomorrow. Delilah would be long gone. I needed to remain hidden until everything blew over. No matter how long it took, I would get my diamonds back. As long as I remained one step ahead of Cross’s every move and didn’t do anything stupid or get greedy, I would have the diamonds in my hands.
Pulling back the sleeve to my shirt, I looked at the time at the cheap watch Samantha had me exchange for my Rolex. It was her way of making sure I looked the part. In one hour, Samantha would take Delilah to a safe place. Once she was safe, I would meet up with her. I hated lying to Delilah. Her love for me was undeniable. Even Cross couldn’t take that from me. After hearing what he told her, she still believed me.
Even though I knew she was safe, I had the desire to hear her voice. Crawling inside my cardboard box, which was now my temporary home, I pulled my burner phone from my pocket and pulled up her number.
Her voice was like sunshine when she said, “Crosby, are you okay?”
“Yes, my love. I wanted to make sure you are okay. How are you holding up?” I was a grown man, but I felt myself break down when I spoke.
“I’m good. When can I see you? All these precautions are making me crazy.”
Delilah was a simple woman. She never asked for anything. It was for that reason I loved her so much. Her innocence, however, might be a road block. She would never understand my world or be accustomed to taking precautions, especially when hunted. “I need to keep you safe, Delilah. Davian Cross has made it impossible for me to see you, but we have a plan. I just need you to do everything Samantha tells you to do. I need you to trust me.”
I thought maybe Delilah was questioning her decision to trust me until she said, “I do trust you. I’m just tired of running. I want us to be together again.”
“I know, sweetheart. Just be patient a little while longer.”