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“I don’t like this,” Neo whispered to Frankie. “It’s too quiet.”
“Stand back and let me, Marco, and a couple other guys check this out. It could be a trap.”
“I’m coming with you,” Neeky interjected, starting to move in their direction.
Neo grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “You stay right here with me. That’s an order.”
While Neeky seethed at his command to stay put, Frankie and the crew went to check out the space, returning a few minutes later.
“The place is empty,” Frankie informed him. “There’s no one here. But it did seem they left in a hurry.”
“You think they got tipped off?” Neo asked.
“That could be the case, or they’re keeping tabs on our movements. We have no idea what their surveillance is like.”
“We need to get on that,” Neo replied. “Have the investigative team on it right away.”
“Yes Sir.”
Frankie made the call to the other team while Neo searched the apartment for any clues that might tell them whether his mother was there, or where they might head to next. There were dishes in the kitchen sink, a half glass of wine with scarlet lipstick on the rim sitting on the coffee table.
One of the bedrooms he went into was obviously the master suite with ruffled bed linen and the lights left on. The bedroom next to it was what caught his attention. The ceiling light in that one was also left on as though they could not spare a second to switch them off.
A cot, a small table and chair with a bathroom adjoined to it seemed recently occupied as well since there was an untouched plate of lasagna sitting on the table with a glass of water. This was where his mother was, he could feel it. But where was she now? As he was about to depart the room, something glistened off the tile at the foot of the table. He stooped and looked, his eyes widening as he recognized his mother’s platinum and diamond wedding band. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand, noting that the engagement ring was missing. She always wore them together on her ring finger.
“What’s that?” Neeky crouched beside him.
“It’s my mom’s wedding ring.”
Neeky reached over and took the ring, peering inside the curve where the inscription was. “Something is wedged inside the band. See?”
Neo tried to decipher what was clearly sitting in the metal, but was unable to tell what it was. “I’ll have to magnify it to know what it is.”
“Neo,” Frankie walked over. “We need to head out.”
“Can you make this out?” Neo handed the ring to Frankie.
The captain frowned and the took off the ring gifted to him by Adriano after he’d returned from the dead thirty years ago. He looked inside both rings and then handed them to Neo.
“They look the same,” Neo pointed out. “What are they.”
“They’re tracking devices. He installed it into my ring two years ago. You father has the program on a tablet he keeps in the safe in his office.”
“Why would he keep it there? Why not on his phone or his computer?”
“He always said that cell phones get lost easily.”
Neo’s nostril flare and his skin flushed, his voice growing deeper as he glowered at his captain. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
If he’d known his mother had a tracker on her a week and a half ago, they would have found her already. Chances are, his father’s ring also had one. He partially blamed himself for not paying attention to what was important, instead of wasting time in school and on women he had no intention of settling down with.
“I had no idea that he’d put a tracer in the Madam’s ring.”
“Are you serious? You think my dad would want to know where you are at all times and not the woman he loves?” Neo almost shouted. “Let’s head back so I can see what’s on this tablet you speak of.”
“Sorry Boss.”
“What the hell do you know Frankie?” Neo’s frustration resounded in his tone. “You’re the captain. You’re supposed to know these things! Gather the team and let’s head out.”
