Page 80 of Ground Truth

Trouble detonated and mushroomed until it enveloped and destroyed everything within a one-mile radius. And then it ignited fires that scorched the earth for another mile.

The best thing to do with trouble was to find it and destroy it.

Before it had the chance to destroy you.

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Chapter 40

Atabei

Flint and Drake walked away from Atabei Hospital as if they had somewhere specific to go. They crossed the street and walked half a block to the alley where they’d stashed the Vespas.

“Brand knows we’re here now. If he reports us to Hedinger, they’ll be looking for us soon,” Drake said as they donned the helmets.

“Hedinger has limited security staff on the island. And we know they’re at least one man down because Hedinger killed him yesterday,” Flint said. “We can take more players off the board if we need to. Replacements can’t get here for a few hours, and we’ll be gone by then. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“You think he’s really in surgery right now? Or is he frantically contacting Hedinger?” Drake asked.

Flint shrugged, ignoring his pounding headache. “You’re greatly exaggerating my mind reading capabilities.”

“Okay. What now?” Drake sounded unsure, but he’d followed Flint into worse places. Too late to turn back now.

“If Greta’s still with him we could find her at Brand’s home. Unless Genevieve lied, we know he’s not there. We might find something useful,” Flint replied. “We’re looking for DNA on Brand to prove he’s Phillip Reed. We’ve got time to kill, and we should make good use of it.”

Drake shook his head. “His home is likely to be locked down tighter than Fort Knox.”

“I doubt he needs that kind of security. Hedinger rules this place with an iron hand. No one would dare commit a crime of any kind here, I’ll bet. Atabei could be the safest place to live on the planet.” Flint started the Vespa.

“Yeah, if you want a ruthless gangster enforcing the law,” Drake replied, rolling away from the hospital behind Flint toward the opposite end of the alley.

The drive to Brand’s home was only a few blocks. Like everything they’d seen so far on Atabei, the streets and sidewalks were pristine. Widely spaced stucco homes with barrel tile roofs were set back from the curbs. The pungent scent of jasmine and gardenias filled the air. The only people Flint saw along the way were gardeners tending to the lush tropical landscaping.

Flint parked the Vespa across the street and two doors down from Brand’s residence. He scanned for security cameras and didn’t see any.

Brand could have invisible security installed, but that would defeat the purpose.

Deterrence of opportunity crimes relied heavily on obvious security. Which was why people placed signs in the yard announcing active security systems.

Drake parked alongside Flint’s Vespa. They left the helmets and walked toward Brand’s home. Gaspar and Scarlett should be able to see them on the satellite cams.

Flint wasn’t comfortable with constant surveillance. He had agreed to it because of the concussion. And because it made the rest of the team feel more secure.

Flint and Drake peeled off to circle the house and reconnect at the back entrance, pulling on surgical gloves as they moved. When they were no longer in view of the neighbors, they donned black ski masks to cover their heads and faces.

They had studied the house and its surroundings thoroughly and concluded that breaking in through the sliding glass patio door was the best option.

Flint quickly confirmed the door had no blocking bars, security pins, shatterproof film, security decals, or glass break sensors installed.

Drake pulled a steel stake from the garden to use as a pry bar and knelt down near the bottom right corner of the door. He inserted the stake into the bottom and simultaneously pried the door as he lifted the handle to open it.

Less than a minute later, they stepped inside to the cool, dim interior of Brand’s home. Flint paused to listen for activity while Drake returned the sliding door to its track and closed it.

The only noises he heard were the frosty air-conditioning and the refrigerator.

He flashed Drake a thumbs up. They fanned out, moving deeper into the house.

The kitchen was polished to a high shine. The dishwasher had never been used. The refrigerator contained nothing but bottled water. Flint opened a few cabinet doors and found nothing stored inside.

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