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Ramon said, “Sounds like maybe you don’t have as much of a handle on your business as you think. But we can make both our lives easier, if we agree to work together. Pool resources. Like a partnership.”
“It’s an interesting offer.” Elliot paused. “Perhaps you should deal with your situation here, with the federal agents you’ve got running around…and the usurpers who will no doubt try to steal Navarro’s power. I’ll take care of my business. And then we’ll talk.”
“If that’s the way you want to play this.” It sounded like Ramon wanted Elliot to believe he might’ve moved on from interest in a partnership by the time Elliot came back around.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Elliot said. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll work for both of us.”
Ramon huffed. “Whatever, bro. If you believe in all that.” Footsteps echoed across the phone line. “Best of luck and all that, I guess.”
“You don’t gotta worry about me.”
A door closed.
She watched the front of the building and spotted Ramon exit. He turned away from them and continued down the street, where the wind bent the trees over. Two men they’d seen on patrol followed after him, leaving enough distance he might not realize they were there with the noise of the storm.
Kenna grabbed the phone. “They’re in pursuit.”
“Copy that,” Ramon said. “I didn’t see her.”
Jax leaned toward the phone. “We got enough from his statement for the FBI to get a warrant to dig into Elliot Preston’s life. We’ll take him down one way or another.”
“And my name will be on that report, right?” Ramon sounded almost hopeful.
Kenna said, “If that’s what you want.”
“I’ll let you know.” Ramon hung up and didn’t reappear.
The two men following him stopped at a corner and didn’t go any farther. A few seconds later, they turned back to the building.
An SUV pulled around the structure.
“She’s on the move.” Jax had the laptop open again. The GPS signal emanating from the necklace Maizie had made for Kenna followed the path of the SUV, though the signal looked more like she was still inside one of the buildings.
Kenna’s stomach lurched. “She’s in the SUV?”
“That’s what we’ll find out.”
The vehicle stopped, and the two men who’d followed Ramon climbed in. It sped away. The signal for the necklace raced along the buildings beside the street, then slipped onto the road as though whatever it connected to had recalculated her location with greater accuracy.
“She’s with them. Not here.”
“And they’re headed toward the storm by the look of it.”
Kenna pulled out behind them but kept her lights off. “As long as we’re in pursuit.”
“What’s the plan for when you catch us up to them?” Jax asked. “We can’t take on multiple gunmen the state we’re in.”
Before she could answer, his phone rang.
“Special Agent Jaxton.” He listened. Then said, “Copy that,” his tone almost sad. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is everyone else good?” After another pause, he continued, “West, toward the highway. I can share my phone’s location, and you can catch up. Track us. We could use the backup.”
He told the caller—presumably one of the other agents here—what Ramon had gathered for them from Elliot Preston. How they now had evidence that he was involved with Kart’s operation. Or, had been, before Kart was killed by one of those very agents he was talking to.
“Thanks.” Jax hung up. “They’ll be along shortly. Wherever we end up, there will be agents with us. But they have to call in first. The guy they had go to the compound to check it out was still there. Dead in the dirt with no shirt on and a W carved into his back.”
She flinched. “What?”
“I know.” Jax blew out a breath. “Someone involved with this killed him before he could call for help. All because he went there to see what we could salvage.”
