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“I want to give his mom the chance to do the right thing, I won’t judge her on what she did, not until I know her story. I don’t think the bruises he has came from her. She brought him somewhere safe before she left him. Maybe she’s in an abusive relationship and she was getting him away from it. I don’t know, Troj, but when all this settles in and she’s ready for help, at least she’ll know where to come and find him. If I call the authorities, hell knows where he could end up.” She’s gone from looking sad and vulnerable to stubborn somewhere during her explanation.
“You want me to stay here and help ya?” I ask her.
“You mean, he can…” Her eyes stretch wider than I’ve ever seen ‘em.
“Shaniya, if you didn’t already know before I walked through that door that I’d support whatever decision you made on this, then the years we've been together have taught you nothin’.” I shake my head at her and laugh.
“He can stay here with us?” She still has to check she’s hearing me right.
“For now, but wearegonna get Maddy and Alex workin’ on findin’ out who his mom is and why she left him,” I warn.
“Of course.” Shaniya has to bite on her lip to stop herself from beaming.
“We’re doing the right thing, Troj, every kid should know how it feels to be cared for. And I don’t need you to stay. In fact, looking the way you do might be a little scary for him.”
“So, I’m gettin’ kicked outta my own cabin now?” I raise my eyebrow at her as I lift her up by her ass.
“No, I just think that Skid would appreciate all the help he can get. Not that I won’t miss you. I hate it when you’re not here.” She drops her head, looking sad again and I quickly pick it back up.
“I’ll be back by tomorrow night,” I promise. Kissing her lips before I carry her to our room so I can get a proper goodbye.
“What you got for us?” I sit opposite Tripp in the cage he has parked three miles west of the compound. It’s snug in the back with me, Troj, Jessie, and Storm all piled inside ready to be briefed.
“These are all on live feeds. I set the cameras up at different locations just after I got here so I could see who’s coming and going, and I’ve been watching this guy’s movements since I knew he was the target.” He points efficiently to the printed-out version of the sketch Nyx did that’s stuck to the side panel of the van. “His comings and goings has matched the activity you’ve been seeing in Manitou Springs,” he informs us, and it concerns me that the man would make so many lengthy trips in such a short time. He’s not just been trying to spook her, he’s been looking for an opportunity to take her.
“And you're sure he’s there now?” I ask, thinking about Addison and Charlie back at home.
“Check this state of the art shit out.” Tripp winks as he uses the laptop in front of him to zoom in on one of the cameras.
“Where the fuck you get this?” Jessie questions him.
“I couldn’t possibly tell ya. What I can tell you, is that it’s all military production.”
“That’s him,” I point to the screen when I see the old fucker strutting through the center of the village.
“How did you get the cameras high enough to see over the fence?” Storm is clearly impressed.
“The cameras are in the fence,” Tripp explains. “Those Elders have got a fortress built around that village. I waited until dark before I rigged a few of these up. The cameras are so small no one would notice ‘em, even if they were lookin’ for ‘em.”
“And you did all that without them noticin’ or gettin’ blown up?” Troj shakes his head in amazement.
“Stealth is kinda my thing.” Tripp winks. “Once they were up I could watch everything from here, I only had to head back there to figure out what I was gonna do ‘bout your little explosive issue.”
“You really do have all the fuckin’ gear, don’t ya, Tripp?” Jessie looks impressed as he checks out all the stuff he’s got crammed inside this van.
“You thinkin’ ‘bout how hot this would be makin’ your old lady?” Storm shoves him with his shoulder, and Jessie gives him an unimpressed look before he focuses back on what’s important.
“From watching their movements I’ve figured out who the leaders are. Every morning, they gather in that building over on the far right side of the perimeter around 8 a.m, they remain inside for half an hour before they all go back to their houses. So far, your man here has been the only one of ‘em who left the gates.
“And the C4? I take it since you got those cameras up that you know where the trigger point is?” I ask.
“There are a few trigger points. I’ve traced the wires with a scanner and pinpointed on the map where they disappear under the fence to link up to the detonators. I’m not comfortable about anyone crossing that line until I know they are all disabled.”
“So, how ya gonna disable ‘em?” I ask, scratching my jaw through my beard.
“I need to get on the inside.”
“You just said…”
