“Don’t thank me. You’re going to turn everything over to Quiroz. It’s up to him if you get a ride-a-long.”
Two minutes later, Sean was showing Ryan and Nate how the GPS tracker worked, and where Elise was. He made up a bunch of technical jargon to make it sound far more complicated than it actually was. Ryan said, “Just come with us, but don’t do anything stupid.”
“No, sir,” Sean said with a straight face.
Nate sighed, but only Sean heard him. He caught Nate’s eye and stared. Nate understood. He didn’t say a word.
Ryan grabbed one of the FBI SUVs and Sean navigated from the passenger seat.
Elise was only a few miles away, but she was going in a familiar direction.
“I know where she’s going,” Sean said. “She’s going to Mona Hill’s place.”
“Who’s Mona Hill?” Nate asked.
“She runs a prostitution ring, but she’s also one of the people Elise hooked up with when she arrived in San Antonio. She doesn’t know the area well, so it stands to reason she’ll go to the one place where she’s comfortable.”
“You’d think she’d be running,” Ryan said.
“Maybe she’s picking up something. Like money.” Or killing Mona Hill, another loose end.
“How certain are you?” Nate asked.
“Ninety percent.”
“I know a faster way. I think we can beat her there,” Nate said.
“Give it to me,” Ryan said.
Nate navigated and Sean considered what he was going to do if Mona Hill ratted him out.
He would have to cross that bridge if and when he came to it. He still had the trump card about her sister, and he would use it.
“Kane learned that Mona Hill has a connection to Tobias,” Sean added. “A connection that isn’t solely through Elise. I just want you both to be prepared.”
“Your brother has been around a lot lately,” Ryan said.
“Your point?”
“What’s really going on?”
“You know as much as I do,” Sean said. Almost.
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“Kane doesn’t tell me everything.” Which was true.
“Turn left, then a quick right into the alley,” Nate said from the back. “This brings us right across from her property.”
Ryan did as Nate directed, then cut off the lights.
The apartments were all dark.
“Where is Elise?” Ryan asked.
“Less than a mile.”
“Let’s go in and wait. Rogan, stay. I’m not joking.” Ryan handed him an earpiece. “You be our eyes, let us know what she does when she gets here.”
Sean bristled, but he stayed in the SUV.
Ryan and Nate, both in black SWAT gear, left the SUV and ran across the street. They blended into the tall hedges that surrounded the dark property, then the building blocked them from Sean’s view.
Sean waited for Elise. A Jeep drove up and slammed on the brakes in front of the apartment complex. Elise got out of the passenger seat and headed toward Mona Hill’s unit.
“She’s coming your way,” Sean said over the com. “There’s someone else in the car.”
“Stay put,” Ryan said over the com. “That’s an order.”
Sean didn’t take orders from Ryan or anyone. But he waited.
The driver got out. It was Mona Hill. She stood next to the Jeep waiting for Elise to return.
This was fucked.
Sean slipped out of the SUV and, using other parked cars as a shield, approached the Jeep. He muted the com so Ryan couldn’t hear what he was saying.
“Mona.”
She jumped. Fear flashed over her face, then anger. “Get the fuck out of here. You’re lucky they’re giving me a second chance.”
“Run.”
“I can’t.”
“Do they know about your sister?”
Her eyes widened. “No! God, no.”
“Then go. Disappear. You’re good at that.”
“They’ll find me. You don’t know these people like I do.”
“Mona, I’m not telling you again. Leave. I will stop them.”
“You can’t.”
“Don’t underestimate me.”
There was a loud crash from the apartment and Mona jumped. Over the com, Ryan ordered Nate to go right.
“Now,” Sean told her.
Mona jumped back in the Jeep and sped off. Sean ran back to the SUV but stood to the side. He unmuted the com.
“The Jeep just left without her,” he said. “Elise is cutting across the lawn running after it.” Elise had a bag over her shoulder that she hadn’t had before.
Nate came from behind the building and tackled the girl. She went down on her bad arm with a scream. He got up and secured her.
Ryan asked through the com, “Did you see who the driver was?”
“No,” Sean lied. “He didn’t get out of the car.”
“Plates?”
“No, sorry.”
Nate said, “Suspect is secured.”
They approached the SUV. Sean handed Ryan back the earpiece.
“Can you please drop me off at Everett’s house before you take her in? Kane isn’t responding to my messages, and neither is Crawford.”
“It’s because your lover is dead, and no one wants to tell you,” Elise said with a bloodied-nose smirk. “Go ahead, check my phone.”