Page 118 of Statler

A puddle of blackness had formed around the whimpering man’s leg.

Eliza continued. “And Statler, once I’ve taken care of William, I’ll call and let you know everything is good.”

“Eliza—”

She hung up, reluctantly, but determinedly.

She couldn’t take any more or her resolve might crumble.

Scooting toward the writhing Jeremy, Eliza picked up his gun, then holding it on him, demanded his car keys and his phone. Once she had those, she took off down the path at a run without a backward glance. After several hundred yards, she tossed the purloined items into a hidden thicket as her mind raced.

There were only two places she could think of where her father could be.

One was the house.

The other was the factory.

And because of the “business” being conducted at that facility tonight, she discounted it almost immediately. He wouldn’t actually be part of the dirty work that he’d orchestrated.

Eliza smiled.

She would find him.

This showdown had been a long time coming.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Statler’s first call after he hung up from Eliza, was to his sister, to let her know—with a brief explanation—that Eliza wasn’t coming. There was disappointment from her, and a quick plea to “please, please, please, take care of yourself and her”, before his sister let him go.

His second call was to Blue, who was currently on his tail.

“I talked to Eliza,” Statler told her succinctly. “She incapacitated Jeremy and left him bleeding on the path. You and Amos need to find him and deliver him to the nearest FBI agents. They’ll be staged and waiting to receive prisoners at the new factory site.”

The three-letter agency was keeping this mission off their books until everything was tied up nicely for them. It didn’t bother Statler that the FBI would get credit in the end. It was pretty much always the way Dark’s teams worked.

“You’re not joining us? What will you do?” Blue questioned.

“Eliza took off to find her father. I have to make sure I’m there for her. For backup.”

“Understood,” Blue clipped. “And know this, boss. Once we drop off Jeremy, if you need us, we’ll be on standby.”

“Thanks, Blue.” Statler hung up, having already turned The Beast around.

That Blue was willing to give up her part in the takedown of the larger arms operation to make sure Eliza was safe, made Statler pretty damned pumped. But he couldn’t let emotions get the better of him right now.

He dialed Mason.

“I’m headed to Flazer’s mansion up on the hill,” Statler said without preamble when his friend picked up. “Eliza is going there to confront her father.”

Statler had thought about the man’s whereabouts, and determined that William’s only other destination would have been the factory. But if Flazer suspected that Eliza had spilled any beans about what went on there, he wouldn’t go anywhere near the place tonight.

He’d let his flunkies do the loading of the contraband; the heat entirely on them if his operation got busted.

He assumed, at least, that Flazer had weighed the risks of staying in town.

If it weren’t for the man’s own arrogance, and Eliza being a loose end and a thorn in William’s side, Statler had no doubt the man would be three states away by now, planning his exit from the country. But since Flazer was filled with hubris; believing himself untouchable, he’d stick around. He was vengeful and evil enough that he’d want proof from Jeremy, be it a phone call or an in-person visit, that Eliza had been neutralized.

That call and/or visit had clearly not come.