AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good. Maybe he can talk some sense into you,” he chuckled. He stepped forward, hugging his daughter. “Your mother and I love you, and we just want you to be happy, Brooke.”
“I am happy, Dad. I’m very happy. Just help me end Sutton and what he’s done to all of these people, not just Celeste.”
“That’s why we’re here,” said Mo.
“Definitely going to end this shit,” said Tanner. “We’ve got some additional information from Morgan. She may have given us a hint as to where the tunnels start and end.”
“She’s been gone a long time,” said Brooke. “Those tunnels could have changed or been redirected.”
“We know, but at least we have somewhere to start the search,” said Bogey. “Your dad, Tanner, and I will be going out today to find some of these tunnels.”
“In the day? That’s dangerous,” she frowned.
“Daylight is when they may not be inside them,” said Tanner. “If we go at night, that could be when they’re transporting things and people. If we can find a way to collapse them without harming anyone or anything topside, we’ll do it.”
“Promise me that you won’t leave me out of this. I know I’m asking a lot of all of you, but I know what I’m doing, and I’ve been after Sutton a lot longer than you have,” she said, looking at all the men. She was maybe half their height and at least half of their weight, but she was capable, well-trained, and willing to do what needed to be done.
“You won’t be left out of it,” said East, “but you’re not alone any longer, and I need for you to not leave us out of anything. If you know something, tell us. We’ll share information as well. The more we have on Sutton, the better our chances are going to be to stop him. But we can’t do that if we’re fighting one another and worried that someone will be left out.”
She nodded, tucking herself beneath his arm hugging his waist. Looking up at the other men, she gave an apologetic look.
“Sorry for my temper tantrum. All of you. Seriously, I’m sorry. I’ve been worried about this for a long time, and Fuentes was the only man I trusted. I’m really glad you’re here,” she frowned. “Thank you for coming.” Liffey chuckled.
“That’s better.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
They dropped Liffey off at the federal building downtown, where he was going to have a conversation with a few people. Next door was the police department, where he’d ask a few questions as well, in a curious, matter-of-fact way that wouldn’t throw suspicion his way or toward anyone else if he could help it.
Using the drones, Mo and Tanner started at the shed on Sutton’s property, attempting to follow the trail. The drones were fitted with modified lidar equipment, showing the abnormalities in the earth below the homes. It would be a long process, but as they flew a grid pattern over the area, the computer was mapping the tunnels for them.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” groaned Mo. “We’ve mapped miles of tunnels so far. Why hasn’t someone done something about this? More importantly, how in the hell has the entire fucking place not collapsed on itself?”
“Money, brother. You and I both know that’s what keeps this shit afloat. If I had to guess, Sutton is paying off the local officials and maybe even the locals themselves. East said it looks like he owns the entire block that he lives on, so maybe he bought out those homes, paying off the neighbors. The other opportunity would be business owners, anyone who might look the other way,” frowned Tanner.
“But kids, Tanner. We’re talking about innocent women and children.”
“Brother, we’re always talking about innocent ones. Men, women, children, animals. It seems never-ending for us. Sometimes, I wonder how we didn’t get as fucked up as the rest of the world.”
“Mama Irene?” smirked Mo. “I mean, I know she’s impacted my life in ways I can’t even imagine. She helped to ensure that Phe felt part of the family and the team. She made sure I wasn’t losing my shit with my mother. All of it.”
“I know what you mean,” said Tanner. “Finding Micaela was definitely not something I expected. I remember that morning we went to Baton Rouge. I told Mama Irene how much her morning hugs and kisses meant to me. It was silly, but I needed her to know that. It made my whole day thinking about that woman caring for me. Loving me.
“When I decided to bring Micaela home and help her, it was Mama Irene who made me see that I was in love with her. Now, having Mattie, well, it’s just an entirely different world than the one I thought I might find.”
“We’re all very lucky, brother.” He stopped, staring at the screen.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look. The tunnels. They’re right below the zoo and botanical gardens. They must be sending people up through the park after hours,” said Tanner.
“Well, that just sounds unsafe for the animals,” smirked Mo.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
While the drones continued their passes over the city on the programmed path, Mo and Tanner drove to the zoo and gardens, bought their tickets, and began wandering the grounds. According to the maps, the tunnels passed directly beneath the elephant sanctuary and then veered off beneath the rose gardens.
“What now?” asked Mo.
