Kaleb shot Reno a dirty look as he entered the room.
“Daron, Levi’s here,” Cameron announced. “Coming through the front with one guy. Two more men are waiting outside the door.”
“Dammit. Mia, I need to make sure Dwayne gets to his ride safely.” Daron knew this situation could go sideways at any moment.
“I’m on it,” Mia replied
Daron bolted toward the front, engaging The Suit knowing that there were still guards prowling around. A guard stepped into the hallway scanning the area, which caused Daron to pause until the man moved on. His suit started to flicker as he neared Bobby, Marquise, and Levi, who were arguing in the foyer.
“Calvin,” Daron whispered as he pressed himself against the wall near a large display of statues. “My cloaking isn’t working.”
“Your main battery is low,” Calvin replied. “Turn the activation link in the opposite direction to engage the backup battery.”
Daron did as instructed and the issue stopped. He shifted position so he could see the three men.
“You didn’t think I’d find out about this?” Levi asked.
“What is there to find out?” Marquise glanced down the hallway as if looking for someone. “I made the deal with the judge like you demanded.”
“I didn’t ask you to sell the one boy who saw me eliminate a mutual enemy to the judge,” Levi fired back, pulling out a Glock.
“What do you think happens when you take over shit that ain’t yours?” Marquise launched his thin body at Levi, surprising the two men.
Daron stood shocked as Marquise took Levi to the ground and choked him.
Bobby snatched Marquise off the larger man.
Levi hopped up and grabbed his gun off the floor.
“We’ll see.” Levi put a bullet in Marquise’s leg and stuck the muzzle of his gun in the wound. Marquise let out a string of obscenities as his face contoured with the pain. “I’ll be handling the transaction. Keep him in the living room. If Roger has a different tale to tell you’re a dead man.”
“Do we need to send one your way?” Mia asked.
“No,” Daron replied as Bobby opened the door, letting two men in.
“Now show these two gentlemen where Amarion is or I will end you here.” Levi pressed the gun against Marquise’s forehead.
Levi’s men grabbed Marquise as three guards ran into the foyer.
“We’re fine,” Levi said to the guards, who looked uncertain about walking away until Marquise nodded. They cautiously left the area as Marquise was escorted down the hallway, dragging one bloody leg.
Bobby and Levi headed to the back room.
“Guys, we’re running out of time.” Daron cursed, debating between following Levi or Marquise, then said, “Did you find Amarion?”
Once Levi made the payment, then the FBI would be coming through the door. No time to extract Amarion and get him to safety.
“One last area to check,” Dro replied.
Jai’s voice came through. “He’s not in our area.”
Daron checked his tablet to see Dro and Shaz still in the area Marquise was going. “Dro. Shaz. Trouble’s headed your way.” He followed Levi and prayed they would get to Amarion first.
Dr. Oakley and Roger, who sat on opposite ends of a long maroon couch, exchanged concerned looks as Levi entered the room.
“Where’s Marquise and my money?” Dr. Oakley’s eyes dropped to the gun in Levi’s hand.
Levi replied, “I’ll be handling things. The payment will be made soon.”
An angry voice caught Daron’s attention. “This isn’t about money for me, I did it because Khalil lost his way and turned his back on The Castle and his—”
Daron slid into the bay across from the entertainment room that gave him a clear view of the meeting and Adesh, without blocking the entrance.
“Is that what you were told, you old fool?” Levi was laughing so hard, tears were sure to come. “Whoa, so gullible, no wonder I was told to recruit you.”
Adesh’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Clearly, he believed the lies.
“We found him,” Shaz announced.
Daron watched as Adesh stormed out. “Jai and Grant, do you think you can detain Adesh until the FBI arrives?”
“We’re on it,” Grant replied.
Daron tapped the display screen of the tablet. Three men entered through the back, heading toward the entertainment room, passing Adesh along the way. Adesh stopped in his tracks as a table suddenly moved in his path. The older man dodged a cabinet door that kept opening and closing. Adesh raced to the door, struggling with the knob.
Daron refocused his attention on the entertainment room. Jai and Grant had the situation handled.
“You have them?” the newcomer asked, as the two henchmen stood behind him.
“Yes,” Levi replied, then made a call. “Bring them in.”
“Guys it’s time to clear out,” Daron announced.
He thought about Cameron’s idea to cloak a vehicle and wished Calvin had made that a reality. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be worried about them exiting the property. Only one vehicle would remain nearby and that one was Vikkas’.
“Adesh’s tires are flat,” Jai explained, with the humming of an engine in the background. “He’s not going anywhere.”
Daron moved further into the room to get a better look at the stranger, expecting to see someone else.
Roger stood as two men came in, one holding small briefcases and the other a poster tube by its strap and a small silver box.
“The Castle newbies won’t be ready to take us on. We should keep hitting them where it hurts. Their personal lives” Levi took possession of the poster and silver box. “That’s where they’re most vulnerable.”
The bald man with a trimmed beard seized the items, handing the box back while he examined the painting, then peeked into the silver box. “Once I get the document, I’ll make sure there are no problems.”
“Thanks, Judge.” Levi extended a leather briefcase to Dr. Oakley, who quickly exited the room. “The injunction will stop their meddling right in its tracks.”
Roger secured the other briefcase, along with the poster tube and silver box. “I’ll transport them safely to your Phoenix property along with the boys.”
“Speaking of the boys,” Levi said.
“It’s a setup,” Dr. Oakley yelled in the distance.
The FBI had arrived.
The judge slowly inched out of the room. The judge’s men whipped out their weapons. A bullet hit Roger in the shoulder as he bolted toward the door. He dropped everything in his hands. Bobby was hit twice and his body slammed against the floor. He dragged himself behind the couch. Levi returned fire, then sprinted down the hallway which led him straight into a group of agents.
The FBI entered, neutralizing the situation as Daron raced after Roger. “Vikkas, I’m coming your way and fast.”
An engine roared to life. “I’m ready.”
The older man was in better shape than he thought because Roger was on the front porch by the time Daron reached the foyer.
“Ugh.”
Daron turned to see where the sound came from. Cameron had knocked an agent to the ground as he was about to take a shot at Roger. Only Daron would have taken the bullet since he had the cloaking engaged and was standing between the agent and Roger.
“Go,” Cameron yelled, as Roger bolted down the stairs to a yellow Ferrari.
Daron sprinted around the truck and hopped in the passenger seat, noticing that the guards had been neutralized. He assumed courtesy of Cameron. Vikkas shot off after the Ferrari, his tires eating up the pavement.
“If this is supposed to be a high-speed chase, you know we’re going to lose.” Vikkas’ hands were steady on the steering wheel as The Suburban sped down the driveway.
“He’s probably trying to get to a doctor or hospital.” At least that’s what Daron hoped. A yellow sports car shouldn’t be hard to track.
Roger paused
, then pulled into the street.
Daron pulled out his phone to send a text to Mia. A loud boom and metal crushing snapped Daron’s head toward the sound. The yellow vehicle became a blur. An eighteen-wheeler had hit the side and was pushing the Ferrari out of sight.
Vikkas hit the brakes and turned to Daron. “He’s definitely going to the hospital.”
CHAPTER 25
The missing piece of the puzzle fell into place when Brandi mentioned that Roger’s daughter was helping him traffick girls from all over Chicago. Cameron reviewed a file Trenton had sent her on the young girl listed in Bishop’s system as “Loretta A.”
“You could give the info to your father since he clearly suspected Dr. Oakley of being up to something,” Trenton suggested.
“So, you want me to tell him we’ve been following him,” Cameron clapped back. She contemplated changing the meeting spot since she’d been waiting for almost ten minutes. Jason should’ve been here by now.
“Uh, no. Jason is a great choice.” Trenton chuckled before ending the call.
Jason texted her forty-five minutes ago to say he was on the way, after she requested to see him. She glanced at the time on the dashboard again, wondering if he had trouble stepping away from the case at the office. Scanning the area, the same black Lexus that had driven away moments before Daron’s guy got in position, rolled up the block and parked on the corner.
Cameron sighed, then used a device to shut down the community center’s security camera and slid out the Charger. It’s going to be that type of night, I see.
She positioned her body as if she was looking at the main street but kept her eyes on the woman creeping up on her in the shadows.
“They mentioned this was your favorite spot, but when I got the call that you were here, I couldn’t believe my luck.” Pebbles slid under the woman’s feet as she stuck close to the brick wall, trying to stay out of the camera’s range. “Do you know they tried to demote me from acquisitions to processing the girls because I didn’t know Tracy wore a tracker? They even threatened me and tried to kill me once they found out I was trying to sell my service to someone else.”
“Did I ask you for your life story?” Cameron turned toward the voice, positioning her hand near a weapon.
“Oh, but Daron came to my rescue. I should have known it was a setup when Bobby didn’t just issue a threat and leave.” Alisha stopped where the dirt met the sidewalk. “But he played the game well, shooting back as if Levi hadn’t made it happen.”
“Oh, so you’re Queen Bee,” Cameron said since Alisha seemed to have established her own set of followers. “I’m surprised that you’re not with your father at the hospital.”
“I’m trying to be Daron’s queen since you don’t seem up for the job.” Alisha gave her a wicked smile. “And if that evil man, Roger, is in the hospital it means he finally got what he deserved.”
“Daron and I are good.” Cameron grabbed the wand in one hand and the gun in the other. “You and I, not so much.”
Alisha advanced, pointing a Glock at Cameron with her other hand in the pocket of her jacket. “Don’t move. My boys warned me about you.”
“Evidently, you didn’t listen to them. You picked the wrong time to come for me.” She chuckled, knowing the bodysuit she wore would protect her unless Alisha shot at her head or hands. Then she’d have a big problem.
“If it’s because Daron’s expecting you at his place. Don’t worry. I’ll reappear in his life shortly after your funeral.” Her facial expression was solemn even though her eyes were still lit with mischief. “A powerful man like that with a woman like me at his side, we’d be unstoppable.”
“Daron’s your power grab?”
Cameron shifted seconds before the gun fired a bullet that deflected off her arm. She slammed the wand across Alisha’s weapon, then her face.
Alisha grunted as her other hand came out of her pocket with Mace, spraying.
Cameron knocked the can out of Alisha’s hand but the mist hit the side of her face. She punched Alisha in the jaw, while her eyes burned. She and Alisha coughed as the Mace lingered heavily in the air. She swiped Alisha’s feet from under her, then followed her to the ground. Cameron placed a Ruger in the center of Alisha’s forehead as she wiped the mace from the side of her face using the jacket.
“Don’t,” Jason shouted.
“Lucky ass.” Cameron backed up. She never intended to shoot her, at least not with a real bullet, maybe knock her out for a while. Her brother seemed to have a knack for coming in at the eleventh hour and making sure low life’s survived.
Alisha reached for her ankle.
“But you’re not.” Alisha lifted the gun and pulled the trigger twice.
“No.” Jason whipped out his weapon and shot Alisha in the chest.
The first bullet hit the wall just behind Cameron but the second one caught her in the gut. Cameron stumbled backward. Her shoulder hit the bricks as she felt the burn where the bullet hit. Jason kicked the gun away from Alisha’s body then leaned over, feeling for a pulse.
Jason called for help, giving the location. He snatched Alisha’s weapon from the ground and rushed over to Cameron. “Is this your idea of retirement?”
“Retirement hurts,” Cameron murmured. “If I was planning to do dirt, do you really think I’d invite my FBI brother to the party?” Cameron was glad she was doing Daron a favor this evening. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been dressed for the occasion.
“Did you think I was going to shoot you?” Jason lifted her jacket to see the bullet wedged into her armored jumpsuit.
“Let’s just say I’ve been getting a lot of unexpected visitors.” Cameron didn’t want to tell him that she was on the premises when he arrived to take down Levi, Marquise, and the dirty judge.
“Could it be that you’re dating a suspected criminal?” Jason stared at the bullet lodged in the brick.
“This trouble has nothing to do with his past and everything to do with him tracking down that missing girl, when law enforcement couldn’t.” Cameron didn’t want to mention The Castle. Jason would think Daron was working with the criminal element and want to bring him to justice. She couldn’t have her brother getting in Daron’s way.
“Damn Cam, how about you take some time to focus on your new facility?”
Cameron kept her eye on Alisha, since there was movement in her chest, although faint. “You want me with him.”
“What?” His face crinkled into a scowl as his hazel eyes narrowed. “Why do you say that?”
Cameron snickered. “You shot my biggest competition.”
“If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have. I’m going to keep her ass alive by any means necessary.” Jason ripped off his jacket and used it to apply pressure to Alisha’s wound, scanning the area. “Where is that damn ambulance?”
Cameron chuckled at the seriousness etched in his face. “Before your people arrive, I was trying to give you the lead on Miss Alisha there and a few more individuals.” Cameron pulled out the baggie and opened it so he could grab the flash drive.
The siren sounded closer. “Don’t go anywhere. I can’t make this disappear and I need you to get checked out.”
“How am I supposed to explain the Kevlar?” Cameron looked back at the wall. At least he could say Alisha took a shot at him and an informant, which would be technically true.
“Go.” He slipped the flash drive into his pocket and returned to applying pressure.
“Let’s do lunch.” Cameron moved toward the Charger. “I need to talk to you about dad.”
Jason’s jaw dropped, but he didn’t get a word out before she disappeared.
CHAPTER 26
The news that Alisha was the little girl Brandi was trying to help came as a shock to Daron. The fact that Roger threatened to traffick her if she didn’t assist was appalling. Now Levi’s statement about causing him to lose money made sense, especially since Marquise and Roger were really working for him.
They transported M
arquise’s stolen merchandise to clients, along with drugs, Roger’s illegal wares and trafficking victims. The entire situation made Daron sick to his stomach. The leads Daron’s team had on the shooter Marquise hired, hadn’t panned out. He turned the task over to Red, hoping he’d have better luck.
“Cam’s father can cross Dr. Oakley off his list.” Nicco sat a whiskey mule on a square wooden table next to Daron’s tablet.
“Hopefully, the other doctors on the list are not like Oakley.”
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