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“I’m calling him.” Kendall pulled his phone out, hovering a finger over the number pad ready to dial, as if the threat would suddenly make Hunter confess all.
It wouldn’t.
“Call him then. You assume that I know what’s going on here. I don’t.”
“Oh?” he said, his tone dripping with disbelief. “Why do I get the feeling you wouldn’t share even if you did know?”
Hunter smirked and lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I left Duke a message to find out if he could get any information on this warrant, but he hasn’t called back. Now you have it all. Every single thing I know about this.”
“I doubt that very much,” Kendall mumbled under his breath as he thumb dialed his phone. Hunter could hear Clay’s irate tone through the connection from five feet away. He understood. Calls received at two o’clock in the morning were rarely good news and invariably made for a long night.
“Clay was asleep, shockingly enough, but promised to check the warrant out through his FBI friend, and get back to me. However, I don’t expect any answers before morning.”
Hunter’s phone vibrated in his pocket just as twin headlights came into view a hundred yards away along the private drive to their compound gate.
The unique sound accompanying the vibration meant Dylan forgot to disengage the silent early warning detection system. Hunter had the entire perimeter of his woodworking shop at Old West Town wired for security and also had an alert sent to a special signal application. It sent a message to his phone to let him know if anyone was intruding on his space during off hours. Later, he silently planned to give Dylan such shit over his forgetfulness. He knew better.
For now, however, he ignored the message, and put his complete focus on waiting for the Feds to arrive. The nondescript black sedan pulled into view and stopped a couple dozen feet away. The sound of the engine died and the car rattled and knocked a few times before shutting off completely. It was an old Crown Vic sedan that had seen better days.
Two guys in suits exited and approached. The driver, and taller of the two men, said, “I have a warrant to enter this property to locate and take into custody one Lilianna Brenner.” He gestured to the compound gate. The short hairs on the back of Hunter’s neck stood straight up. Since when did Feds not identify themselves right off the bat?
“Is that so?” Kendall asked. “Let’s see this auspicious warrant. And while you’re already digging around in that suit jacket pocket, I’d also like to see some identification.”
The guy looked stunned for a second. He didn’t move, but he and his partner exchanged a look.
Hunter got the worst feeling deep down in his bones. Something wasn’t right. The clothes they wore, the way they walked, something indefinable was a little bit off about these two men.
The driver shrugged, pulled out a bifold black wallet from an inner pocket, and held it in the air several feet from Kendall.
Kendall motioned for him to hand it over. The guy looked a little constipated about it but took a few steps closer and gave the wallet to him.
Hunter stepped closer and glanced at it, too. It looked legit, but the acid in his belly roiled that something was out of place.
“Where’s the warrant?” Kendall asked, still studying the identification.
The guy pulled a folded piece of paper out of another pocket and waved it in the air.
Hunter reached for it, but the guy wouldn’t hand it to him. Kendall grabbed it away and opened it up so Hunter could see it. They read together.
Unfortunately, the paper looked like a valid warrant. He saw Lilianna’s name and the date. Hunter scanned it quickly first, then slower for a second time. The tall guy started shuffling back and forth like he was ready to launch over the wall of their compound at any second from nervous energy alone and begin the search for her with or without permission.
The buzz in his pocket distracted him. A phone call this time. He answered without looking at the display.
“Yes.”
“Hey, it’s Duke.”
He sounded tired, but Hunter asked, “Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what warrant you’re talking about. I checked with the night officer. We weren’t notified about any federal warrants being served at the compound.”
