“That’s why they pay us the big bucks,” Raheem said with a grin. He tapped a few keys and a window popped open on the computer. “Your friend definitely didn’t want a lot of people to know he had this unit, because it’s not conveniently located. The facility is thirty-two miles from here, on a low-traffic road.”
“That’s all wonderful, but when you find out the unit number, we won’t have a key. How would we get in to see what’s in the storage facility?” Shanice asked.
Cruz answered. “Let us worry about that. How much time do you need to hack their system?”
Raheem shrugged. “Less than twenty-four hours.”
“We don’t have that much time. I want to head over there tonight.”
“I can get inside their system in minutes if I’m sitting in front of the computer.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Cruz addressed Shanice next. “Now I need you to do something. I want you to give Raheem the information, and he’ll figure out what exactly these names mean. While the two of you do that, I’ll order lunch.”
“What kind of disk do you have?” Raheem asked.
“I don’t have a disk. All the information is in my head.”
He glanced at Cruz. “That’s interesting.”
“Before that, the names were written in a notebook,” Cruz said.
Raheem nodded slowly. “Makes sense. No one can hack a notebook.” He opened a new screen. “I’m ready when you are.”
While Cruz ordered lunch, Shanice closed her eyes and began her recitation. There were twenty-two names in all. She also gave Raheem the dollar amounts listed next to each one. By the time she finished, Cruz was back in position behind Raheem.
Raheem hit Submit and the computer started the analysis. “This software will figure out the common denominator between all the names. Then it’s going to spit out the information in a summary report to us, and we’ll better understand who these people are."
The wait didn’t take long at all. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when a series of beeps alerted them of the results.
Raheem stared at the report and whistled.
“What?” Shanice leaned toward him.
“This wasn’t what I expected. I thought this was some government stuff, and I guess in a way it is, but every single one of these names belongs to a police officer.”
“A police officer?” Completely confused, Shanice glanced at Cruz, who wore a frown on his face.
“We’re not finished. There’s more.” Raheem scrolled down the screen, his eyeballs swinging left to right as he digested the information. “Six of these guys have died or gone missing in the past two months. Officer Kenton and Officer Reyes never returned from a fishing trip they took. Sergeant Kelly drowned in his swimming pool. Officer Dexter and Officer Prince both had severe nut allergies and died of anaphylactic shock from accidentally eating nut-laced food. The last one, Sergeant Bing, died from carbon monoxide poisoning. There was an undetected leak in her furnace.”
Not one of them said a word for at least a full minute.
“Were there any dates on the list Dennis gave you?” Cruz asked Shanice.
She shook her head. “I gave Raheem everything I know. That’s all the information that I received from Dennis in the notebook.”
Placing his hands on the armrests, Raheem leaned back in the chair. “This guy, Logan, probably? He buys cops. We don’t know why he buys them, but he does. That has to be what the money means, right? But whenever he’s done, he just kills them?”
“Wouldn’t someone notice a bunch of cops suspiciously dying over such a short period?” Shanice asked.
“If they were in the same precinct, maybe. But all of these officers are spread out across five states. Only two of them were in the same precinct, and that was Officer Kenton and Officer Reyes.”
“More than ever, we need to get inside that storage unit,” Cruz said. “That’s where the answers lie.”
“What the hell had Dennis uncovered?” Shanice had said the words quietly to herself, but Cruz heard.
“Whatever it is, it was worth killing for,” he said.
Shanice woke up in time to see Cruz stepping out of the bathroom. He was dressed in all black—clothes he’d picked up over an hour ago when he left the room to get snacks and new clothes for both of them to wear. She’d decided to take a nap, which had lasted much longer than she’d expected. Outside was dark, and Cruz had turned on a lamp with a low wattage bulb that barely illuminated the room. Soon he and Raheem would be leaving to go to the storage facility.
Cruz had made the decision to leave her there while they were gone because he thought it was safer. She thought she would be safer, too, but was still a nervous ball of energy as she watched him get ready to leave.
She sat up in the bed and ran her fingers through her hair.
“No one knows you’re here, but…” He showed her a small handgun in the palm of his hand. “Have you ever used one of these?”
“A long time ago, my father took me to the firing range. But I don’t like guns.”
“You don’t have to like it, but it could save your life. I’m going to give you a quick refresher.”
She scooted to the edge of the bed, and he spent the next few minutes showing her how to disengage the safety when she was ready to pull the trigger. He gave her advice on how to shoot, reminding her to fire at center mass.
“Got it?” he asked.
“Got it.”
“If for some reason Raheem and I don’t come back—”
“Don’t say that!” Panic filled her.
His features softened. “Remember, I always expect the best but plan for the worst. If for some reason we don’t come back, call this number.” He handed her a piece of paper torn from the pad on the desk. He’d written a name and number with a DC area code below it.
Miles.
“He’ll know what to do. He’ll be able to help you. You already know how to stay off the grid. All you have to do is be careful. Be paranoid. Use your fear and let that guide your actions.”
She nodded. “A healthy dose of fear is a good thing.”
“That’s right. Anyone come through that door, blow a hole in his chest.”
He made it sound so easy, but shooting someone wasn’t that simple. Even in situations of extreme fear, people sometimes couldn’t pull the trigger. Cruz clearly didn’t suffer from such hesitations.
“Got it.”
A knock sounded on the door.
“That’s Raheem. Time to go. I’ll see you later.” He headed to the door.
“Wait!”
She rushed over. Impulsively, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss. Their lips seared together, and for a brief moment, warmth filled her belly, chasing away the ball of anxiety lodged in her chest.
“Please be careful,” she whispered, gazing into his eyes.
“Always.”
He cradled the back of her head with one hand and kissed her warmly and thoroughly. Tightening her fingers on his broad shoulders, she pressed into him and reveled in the pressure of his mouth against hers.
The kiss stoked the flames of her hunger for him. She wanted him, needed him so badly, and wished she were bold enough to articulate that need.