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“Never shot a gun before.”
A pause. “What kind of weapon? I can walk you—”
“No, mate. She’s given me instructions before, and you’re not going to make me an expert in”—I look at my phone—“eight minutes.” I don’t tell him I have someone here whocanshoot because I’m sure that would only bring about more questions. I tell him, “I’ve got to…” I swallow a ball of panic, “get her.”
“Call when you have her safe.”
Makes it sound inevitable. “Will do.”
I hang up. Heart pounding, teeth grinding, I run down the street to the car.
Haven’t run full-out since my injury. Box like a madman, lift weights, cross-train, but run? Hurts my soul as much as my leg. Hadn’t been sure those muscles would still work.
Luckily, they do.
Not even winded, I swing back into the car, hand Geraldo the cell with the info, then turn on the car, pull out, and explain, “The cell has Dee’s location. Give me directions as they appear.”
“Got it,” he says, and proceeds to snap and point as a way to give me step-by-step directions. A few blocks later, he says, “She’s there!” He points at an abandoned grocery store.
I pull over. Throat bone dry, I reach past him, open the glove box, then take out the gun Dada left for us.
It’s heavy, heavy enough to remind me what it’s capable of. Gah. I hate guns. The idea of doing to any human body what was done to mine revolts me to my core.
I hand it to Geraldo. He takes the weapon and flicks off the safety, leaving the cell phone in his lap.
I catch sight of the screen. It’s frozen. The same red dot. The same mapped area where it started. My pulse spikes. Heat rises into my throat.
“She’s here!”Geraldo had said, but Tony told me the phone would give me last known location, not her current address.
The screen is frozen. What was it Tony said about Jammers? They have a limited range? Dada disappeared to Tony’s equipment when she went into the building, but I lost connection with her long before that. I lost connection with her the moment she put the bug on Armand.
I should’ve realized, but I’d been panicking. A cold spike of knowing works its way down my spine. How difficult would it have been for Geraldo to flick a switch in his pocket, turn on a device that blocked the signal? Not hard at all, not for him, who has all sorts of mechanical know-how.
I look up from the phone. Geraldo is staring at me. He cringes, nods his head. Pointing the gun at me, he says, “Sorry, mate,” a perfect mimic of my accent. “Let’s go find your whore.”
27
DADA
The basement has a low ceiling, dim lighting, and cinderblock walls. There’s a blood-stained mattress in one corner and a rusted tank dripping oil in the other. There’s nothing close enough for me to dart behind. The stairs are two steps behind me. There’s no other exit.
Rosa is chained to a water pipe. Armand has his gun pointed at her head. I have my gun pointed at his chest.
Every breath I take is laced with the metallic odor of blood, dried oil, and dread. My chest has grown tight. My heart pounds in my ears. Sweat rolls down my face.
I say, knowing it for true, “If you shoot her, I will shoot you in the stomach then drag you to Walid’s so he can finish the job. I’m sure he’ll be displeased to know you’re stealing hismerchandise.”
For a moment, Armand’s eyes go wide with surprise, then his lids lower and he laughs. “Who do you think he’d torture more? Me—someone who can make amends and offer him part of my success—or you—someone who is obviouslynota nun and has aligned with Juan the Forger to try to get into Walid’s confidence? Do you know he really likes his victims to be pretty? Like Juan.”
He laughs.
The idea of Sean in Walid’s hands sends a burst of rage through my body. I’m not Justice. I’m not a great shot, but I’m tempted to try for his skull. Could he pull the trigger on Rosa? If I shot him in the head, could he?
Ay. Dios. It’s not something I’m willing to risk.
I need him to focus on me, need him to make a mistake that allows me to take the shot. “I’m leaving.” I back up. “I don’t want any part of this.”
“Don’t you fucking move!”
