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Paisley turned in her seat and clutched her chest. She scanned out the back window for any sign that things would be okay. Ben couldn’t promise that, and if someone else had died because of their proximity to her, he was certain Paisley would fall to pieces and never be able to recover.
“It’s going to be over soon,” Ben whispered. “We have a name. That’s going to crack it wide open. Just hang on.” He gripped her hand tightly and continued to drive with all the precision he could muster. By the time they pulled into the open garage door at the safe house, Paisley was shaking uncontrollably, shock taking over. Mick charged toward the car and quickly closed the garage door, gesturing for them to move into the house.
Ben could feel the energy shift. Things were about to change. And he wasn’t sure it was going to be for the better.
CHAPTER23
PAISLEY
The small residential safe house in the suburbs provided a temporary sanctuary they were desperate for. They quickly pulled into the open garage door and Mick, growing restless, paced back and forth in the space until they were far enough in where he could close the door behind them. The tension was thick in the air, their nerves on edge as they spilled out of the car.
Mick glanced at the busted rear fender of the car and then at the two of them. "Where the hell is King? Did he not get in the car with you?”
Ben tried to soothe his own anxiety. "We had a car tailing us and they rammed the rear end twice. We couldn’t shake them and it was escalating. King had me pull into an empty parking lot and let him out. There were gun shots as I sped off. No one followed us here, I’m one hundred percent certain of that.”
Paisley, her eyes fixed on the door, added, "He’s going to be okay though, right? King knows what he’s doing. We should have gone back for him.”
Mick took it all in with a stoic expression. “No, King did the right thing and so did you. Just get settled inside. I’ve got Carmen waiting on the line. She said she has an update. You got her a name?”
“A license plate,” Ben replied, his knuckles still white from the grip on the steering wheel.
“Anything from King?” Paisley pleaded with the cellphone on the counter. She knew Carmen was on the other end of the line, waiting to hear from them.
Carmen held back any level of concern, clearly trying to keep her voice level. “Nothing yet. I’m sure he’s still managing the situation. You have his cell so you just have to wait until he finds a way to reach out and let us know he’s okay. We’re combing through what we can about Tammy. She’s definitely been at some of your events. She posted about her travel on social media but not specifically about attending anything you had. The work won’t stop here. We’ve got a real lead now. That’s something.”
A knock on the door interrupted their worried musings. Ben approached cautiously, peeking through the peephole to confirm the identity of their visitor. Mick instinctively stepped between Paisley and the door. With a sigh of relief, he turned the doorknob and opened it to reveal a limping King, supporting a disheveled and injured Tammy.
Mick's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene. "What the hell happened out there? Get inside before anyone else sees you. She’s dripping blood all over the front steps."
King winced in pain as he entered the room. “My plan didn’t go off perfectly, but I’m here. I tried to blow out their tire, but had to dodge them driving right at me. Luckily, they crashed into a barrier instead. The driver got away, but I managed to catch Tammy. I figured you’d want to talk with her."
Tammy, her head bloodied and hands bound with zip ties, looked at Paisley with pleading eyes. "I need to explain what happened.”
Mick's voice bristled with frustration. "King, you brought someone here without consulting with me first? What were you thinking? This location is a safe house. It’s completely compromised now. Whoever she is working with might have some sort of tracking device on her and lead more people straight to us.”
King stood his ground. "You'll want to hear what she has to say, Mick. Trust me on this. There wasn’t any time to waste."
Paisley, her curiosity piqued, interjected, "Please, let her speak. I want to know what the hell she has to say for herself. She killed Doug. Tried to run us off the road and attempted to run over King. Let her try to convince me there is anything at all we need to talk about.”
Mick sighed, reluctantly conceding. "Fine, but keep an eye on her and keep it short. She might be a decoy as a way to get into this place. We can't afford any surprises."
Paisley, her heart racing, looked at Tammy. "What do you have to tell me?"
Tammy's voice quivered as she began to speak. "I know who's behind all of this. I have information that can help you."
Mick's stern expression softened slightly. “It’s always amazing how helpful everyone can be when they’re bleeding from the head. Go on and tell us what you know.”
As the room filled with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, Paisley and the others braced themselves for the revelations about to unfold. There was no doubt now that Tammy was part of the problem. Lives were about to take yet another unexpected turn.
Tammy's voice trembled as she began her confession, the weight of guilt evident in her eyes. The room fell silent, hanging on her every word. Mick was the only one who couldn’t seem to stand still. He’d fidget and wander, looking ready to crawl out of his skin.
"This all started ten years ago.”
“No,” Paisley cut in. “It started eighteen months ago.”
“I’m going back to the beginning so I can try to explain.” She moved her wrists around, the zip ties clearly bothering her.
Paisley gestured to them. “Can’t you take them off now? There are four of us here; she can’t try anything.” No one moved to take them off. Obviously, no one agreed with Paisley’s suggestion.
