AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lori swept around Beatrice and joined him, the two shoulder to shoulder, while the satellite view became clearer.
“He’s circling around to the old airfield.” Moe glanced back at them. “What do you want to bet he’s been in contact with his boss and Maddox is meeting him there?”
“Dead drop. That’s where Lydia told me to meet her this afternoon before the kidnapping messed everything up.” Lori also looked over her shoulder at them, and Parker couldn’t get over how much the two favored one another, not only with their physical appearance but also with their gestures. “Do you think Bryant found out about our meeting?”
“No, I think Lydia told him about it on purpose,” Beatrice said. “That’s what she meant by ‘wrapping it all up.’”
Lori cleared her throat, seeming uncomfortable about the idea. “Dead drops are his favorite technique,” she continued. “Dollars to donuts he’s paid Romalov and instructed him to leave the watch there. If he was already planning to be there for my meeting with Lydia, he’s close by.”
“It makes sense,” Parker said. She asked Emit, “How fast can you get the team to that airfield?”
Colton stepped forward. “We can take the ’copter. Fifteen minutes, give or take.”
They would barely beat the terrorist, and odds were Maddox was currently there waiting, but sitting here discussing it was wasting time. Parker stood. “How many does it seat?”
“Six max, plus the pilot,” Emit said.
“That’s me.” Colton pointed at himself. “I can have it ready to go in five, and if you need help on the ground, I’ll provide backup.”
Parker indicated various team members. “Cal, Trace, and Jeb, you’re with me. Rory and Emit, you keep us informed of any movement between the two parties. If Romalov leaves the watch and bails, track him so we can pick him up once we have Maddox in custody.”
Moe was already heading for the exit, his mother on his heels. “You’re not leaving me out of this.”
Lori raised her chin, staring Parker down. “Me, either.”
Parker intercepted them before they got to the door, using her IV pole to block it. “I am in charge of this mission, so chill the hell out. Both of you are too close to this. The team and I will handle it and you’ll get your chance at Maddox. I promise.”
The look Moe gave her nearly made her recant. “You can’t be serious,” he growled. “You’re not pulling me from this op. You have a freaking IV in your arm. You can’t go.”
She yanked off the tape and withdrew the needle in a swift action. Vivi handed her a napkin to wipe away the blood that came from the puncture. “This is not up for negotiation, and every minute we stand here arguing is another Maddox can get away.”
Beatrice motioned for the others to get moving, sliding the pole out of the way and facing Moe and Lori. “Parker is correct. You two can’t stay neutral about this, and it could jeopardize the team. However,”—she gave Parker an apologetic glance—“we’ve had no time to prep for a confrontation with this man, and Lori knows him better than we do. We have to be prepared for any possibility, and if Maddox gets away, Trace and Moe are our aces in the hole to track him.”
Moe walked out, not waiting for Parker’s agreement.
She stared at Beatrice, dumbfounded. “Thanks for undermining my authority.”
“She’s right,” Lori said. “You need us.”
Beatrice turned her blue-eyed lasers on the woman. “Parker will mic you up so we can record any conversations you have with Maddox. Confront him and get him to confess to something we can use against him. Get that damn watch. I’m allowing you to go but it’s Parker’s op. If you so much as breathe when she tells you not to, I’ll make your time in that Siberian prison look like a picnic.”
Lori flinched but didn’t back down. “This is my mess and I need to be the one to clean it up, but I know how to follow orders. I appreciate the opportunity you’re giving me.” She faced Parker and gestured at the exit. “After you.”
Parker glared at Beatrice. “If given the chance, Moe will kill him.”
Vivi moved to Beatrice’s side. “I concur. He’s not in a healthy state of mind and needs time to process this new turn of events. Right now, he’s a ticking time bomb.”
Beatrice smiled as if she knew something they didn’t. Maybe she did. “I’ve made my decision. Now go.”
Parker blew out a disgusted breath. The next few minutes were going to change her world, and she knew it in the depth of her bones. Not in a good way, either. Once Moe went down that path, there was no coming back. No matter what a dick his father might be, Moe wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. That she knew in her bones, too.
What choice did she have except to be there and make sure she stopped him? She gave Beatrice one more disgusted look and left.
THIRTY
There was no sneaking up on the man. As soon as Maddox heard the helicopter coming, he would bail. Unless…
Moe glanced across the divide between the bench seats. Lori was there, her focus a million miles away. He’d read her file, the facts blurring on the page as he’d memorized them. Everything matched what she’d said, and now, when he looked at her, he knew he wasn’t the only one dealing with a tidal wave of emotions. She felt his stare and her lips twitched in a sad smile when she met his eyes.
