As if on cue, Sloane appeared from the elevator, on high alert, until she finally spotted Luke. Only then did her shoulders relax and she came forward. Her pink hair a complete mess, dressed all in black, the jeans hugged her curves like they were painted on her body. Her top was a soft-looking sweater, revealing just a hint of her cleavage, where he remembered taking a lick, the taste of her skin on his mind. Even with the last discussion they’d had, his entire body still craved her. Not only her body, but her presence. When those blue eyes set upon him, it became virtually impossible to look away, not that he wanted to, at least for the time they had together.
Ignoring everybody else, Sloane came to his side. “Damn, couldn’t you just tell me you’d decided to come downstairs? I almost lost my shit.”
Before Luke could answer, Devin snickered. “Whoa, Sloane. You know nobody can get in or out without us knowing. Don’t you trust the guy?”
Luke found it fascinating to see the woman in her natural environment, surrounded by people she trusted with her life.
“Of course I do, dumbass!”
Devin didn’t seem to like the name calling, and was clearly about to retaliate when Ben intervened. “Please, can we focus here? It’s clear that Sloane trusts Luke. She was just worried about him, his health, but also how he’d be welcomed if he came down here without her.”
Ben touched Sloane’s arm before slapping Luke’s shoulder. “As everything seems under control here, I think I’ll retire. I have work to do. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Luke.” Ben took his white cane, but didn’t use it as he moved away, stopping by Lance for a few moments before heading to the elevator door. If he hadn’t been told Ben was blind, Luke never would’ve suspected it by the way he moved.
With a sigh, Devin swung his chair, touching his bright sneaker to Sloane’s boot. “Sorry, Slo. We’re all a bit on edge, especially since what happened to you in that tunnel. I’m upset at you, professor, for going alone. Scratch that, I’m fucking angry. That was a stupid move.”
Luke crossed his arms. “It wasn’t my intention to put myself in danger. I had to act quickly. How long have you been looking for those tunnels to stop them? Yes, I’m a scholar, but I’m also a former Marine. I know the danger and how far I can push with the skills I have.”
He’d said it a bit louder than he’d intended, not just for Devin’s edification, but also for the four people in the training area. As Devin nodded, Luke felt Sloane’s hand on his back in a show of support, and he realized how much he’d needed her touch.
Devin smiled. “Man, if Ben vouches for you and Sloane wants you around, who am I to say no.”
“Ben vouched for me?”
Sloane shrugged at the question. “Ben is a profiler.”
Another surprise, which added another layer to this unusual group. “Well, if he can evaluate someone in seconds, he’s an exceptional profiler.”
Devin nodded, turning back to his screens. “He thought that because Sloane was too close and Lance was too pissed, he’d need to give his professional opinion on whether it was a good idea to kill you or not.”
Not sure if Devin was joking or being serious, Luke turned to Sloane who winked at him. “Lance wasn’t happy, but he trusts us.”
Luke looked at the warrior still fighting Sam. “Is Lance in charge of Noctem?”
Sloane continued to swirl her fingers on his back in an enticing connection. “He’s the founder. Lance and I have been friends for a long time, and when he founded Noctem, I came with him.”
Lance’s reaction made more sense now, how protective he’d been of Sloane and the secrecy around the Vigilante.
“Now that the introductions are over, while you were catching up on your sleep, I was working. Again.”
Sloane tugged at his wild hair playfully. “You never sleep, Devin, that’s common knowledge.”
“True, if I consume enough chips, jellybeans, and tang powder, I can go for days on end.”
“You’re such a child.” The smile she gave him revealed her outer annoyance hid inner amusement.
“Guilty as charged, but I’m also a computer whiz, which is why you love me. Too bad that love will end when I show you what I found.” The main screen switched to a street camera showing a manhole in the road. “That’s the one you two were standing under. We were lucky. Because it’s an intersection where the police have an ongoing problem with speeding and drivers burning red lights, they changed the angle to see the plates better in order to issue fines.”
Cars, trucks, and people moved at high speed as they watched the footage.
“I downloaded a two-week window, but I’ve focused on the time you were in the tunnels, with twenty minutes either side to include the time the traffickers were there.”
Luke and Sloane leaned forward. “So?”
“So, nothing. I’ve watched the footage, and that specific time frame, over and over again, and nothing. The vehicles stop at the light then go again. No one gets out of their cars to drop something into the manhole.”
To prove his point, Devin rewound the video and let it play again. Luke focused on the screen, trying to see anything specific, weird, or unusual, but it was as Devin had said. “It doesn’t make sense. We saw them come inside, go to that spot, and come back. Sloane and I checked and there’s nowhere else they could’ve gone. Not in the time they were down there.”
Sloane sighed. “He’s right. Apart from that manhole, I don’t understand how else they could have gotten the drug.”
“Guys, I haven’t been to the tunnels, so I’m not saying you’re wrong, only that I don’t see how the drug was dropped down there.”
Still focused on the image, Luke frowned. “Can you replay it and focus on that truck?”
Devin didn’t answer, just did what Luke asked. The image was tighter when the video started, showing the moment the truck stopped to the moment it pulled away. Luke knew something didn’t jive but couldn’t put his finger on it yet. “Again, please.”
Sloane didn’t say a word and copied him, focusing all her attention on the screen. Devin looped the video until a tiny detail caught his eye and he inhaled sharply. “Look underneath the side of the truck.”
Devin repeated it again and froze at the moment Luke pointed. It was faint but there were two flashes of light coming from under the vehicle.
“I’ll be damned.” The hacker noticed it too, and zoomed in even more, pixelating the image, but even then, the flickering light was undeniable. “They must have a hole in the bottom of the truck. If they control the traffic lights, their plan is perfect. They switch the light to red, stop, remove the manhole cover, drop the drug, replace the cover, and go on their merry way, entirely undetected. It’s brilliant!”
Sloane tapped the screen. “Why can’t we see the plate?”
Luke could answer that one. “It’s got a blur shield. I have the same thing on my car. It’s easier not to be worried when I park near abandoned sites for exploration. If I get picked up on a camera, it can’t read my plates. A friend gave it to me when I did some post-doctoral research in Russia. It’s not exactly legal, but unless the cops get a close up look, it’s impossible to see it with the naked eye.”