Page 67 of Deadly Target
Thomas, Ronni, and Nelson were already there, along with two of Roman’s people, Polly and NSA agent, Winslow de Soto. The five of them were huddled at the end of the block, waiting when Victor pulled up.
He barely put the car in park before climbing out. He itched to be inside the house, to put his eyes on Olivia and make sure she was okay. “Status?” he asked.
Thomas looked down the block to Alfie’s. “Place has been dark since we got here. No movement, no noise, no one has come or gone. Are you sure she was here?”
Victor scanned the street, his eyes stopping on the red Nissan at the other end of the block under a tree. He squinted through the rain and shadows, not sure if he was relieved or worried that the car looked like Liv’s. “That’s her vehicle. Her dad said she was here. Let’s do a sneak and peek of the house, just in case they are, indeed, inside.”
“You take the back,” Roman said, and then motioned at his two agents. “We’ll watch the front.”
Some of the houses had fences surrounding their backyards and security lights, so Victor led his group through the soggy grass and around them, careful not to raise alarms as they approached the inclined hill behind Barone’s lot.
No visible fence here. Victor scanned the area for infrared trip wires or motion detectors but found none. Didn’t mean there wasn’t a camera watching their every move.
The yard had a swing and playhouse. When no alarms sounded as he crossed into the lot, Victor motioned for Nelson, Thomas, and Ronni to check the first floor windows as he headed for the back door.
The wooden deck was slick in the rain, his shoes slipping slightly as he took the three steps up to the main level. A patio set, a fire pit, and a fancy grill covered the open space, a set of patio doors providing entrance to the house. One was slid back in its tracks, only the screen closed. Victor quietly moved to it and peered in.
The interior was dark and soundless. He could make out the shapes of furniture and pictures here and there as he looked down the hallway that lead toward the front.
Rain began to fall in a steady stream, hitting the deck and roof, but Victor still couldn’t hear any sounds coming from inside. He checked the screen latch and found it unlocked.
Feeling more confident that the house was empty, he let himself in, kicking off his wet shoes. They would squeak on the wooden floors and alert anyone who might yet be hiding. Nelson joined him, shaking his head to let Victor know they hadn’t seen anything through the windows. Thomas and Ronni were still outside, keeping an eye on the exit.
With controlled stealth, he eased down the hallway, past the kitchen and dining room, checking each room for occupants.
Within minutes, he and Nelson had cleared the whole house. They found no evidence suggesting Olivia had been there, outside of several glasses half filled with liquor. Victor tapped his comm unit. “Place is clear.”
“Check the front steps,” Roman’s voice replied.
The door was unlocked. Victor opened it to find Roman shining a flashlight on a dark substance on the steps. He leaned down and wiped a gloved finger through the stuff before glancing at Victor. “Blood. It’s fresh.”
Victor’s stomach dropped.
Polly’s voice came through the comms. “Hey, boss, we found something.”
Roman swung around to look down the street and Victor followed his gaze. Polly and Winston were at Olivia’s vehicle, waving at them. Polly pointed at the trunk of the car, and Victor’s stomach fell to his knees.
He took off running. “Oh, no. No, no, no.”
As he got closer to the car, Roman on his heels, he heard banging coming from it. Muffled cries.
“Oh, Jesus. Tell me he didn’t stuff her in the trunk!”
Winston held up a keychain with multiple keys on it and hustled to the lock. “I already tried to pop the trunk, but it’s locked. Found these hidden under the front seat.”
Victor grabbed the keychain and inserted the car key. “Hang on, Olivia.”
At least she wasn’t dead. The key gave him issues and he swore under his breath, fighting with it. When he finally heard the pop of the lock giving way, he was swamped with relief.
Until he saw who was inside.
“Felix?” The man’s feet and hands were bound with duct tape. Another strip was across his mouth. “Where’s Olivia?”
Dumb to ask a man with duct tape across his mouth a question. Victor and Roman hauled the older man out and Victor ripped the tape off Felix’s mouth.
The man gasped for air, allowing Polly to cut the tape from around his wrists. “Olivia…? Is she okay?”
Another gut drop. “She’s not here.”
