“Of course! We noticed the same phenomenon when we were tracking you down after your escape following our first encounter in the tunnels.”
Devin shook his head, ignoring Sloane’s outburst and cutting off any questions he may have had for her. “I can check with past deliveries, maybe one of the trucks got sloppy, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”
Luke sighed as he pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck. As he thought, he noticed the men had left, except for Lance, who’d wiped his face with a towel and was headed their way.
“I’d suggest returning to the scene of the crime to gather possible evidence from the trucks, but after the explosion, the place is swarming with cops. I asked Devin to keep an eye on that side of things with the police, and so far, they don’t have a clue we’re involved, or the traffickers are for that matter.”
Sloane looked deep in thought, and Luke loved seeing her bright mind at work. “What about the traffickers? Is there any footage from when they exited the underground parking after the explosion?”
Devin shook his head. “I’m still searching for a good enough image of the plates, or the men inside. They’ve probably used that same blurry thing on all their vehicles.”
Luke saw Lance shake his head as he came forward. “We’re running out of time. We need to cut the lines of entry for the drug. Just today, a hundred people have died from an overdose. The count is slowly rising. And it’s gaining interest in the media, which isn’t good. The more it’s talked about, the more curious people will be to try it, and the more they’ll die.”
Luke had to agree with him. Phantom had gained speed on social media, and it coincided with the increasing number of deaths, as well as the number of people hospitalized.
“If only they left that box behind. Beyond stopping the spread, we were hoping to get our hands on a sample, the first since Phantom poisoned our streets.”
“So until we get more information about who is doing the delivering, we’re back at square one.” Sloane seemed resigned, so much Luke came closer to offer her support this time. Instead of retreating, she leaned into his touch. “Ready to do some more exploring, professor?”
For the first time, Luke looked forward to going urbexing with Sloane by his side. At least now, he knew what she was capable of.
“I’d tell you two to get some more rest, but knowing Sloane, she’d probably ignore me.” Lance’s sarcasm was light with teasing. “But from now on, you’re not going down there alone or without outside support. It’s still your show, Sloane, but now they know we’re onto them and the Vigilante is close, it’s becoming too dangerous. They may think you were killed in the explosion, and we can use that to our advantage.”
Luke agreed. “I have to say Quincy has been a valuable source of information. Maybe I can use him if I can find him again. He knows my number, but after everything that happened, he may not want to speak to me again.”
Sloane smiled. “I’m sure you’ll convince him otherwise. You have a knack.”
He wouldn’t say it was a knack, but people interested him, and Sloane Friday was the most interesting of all. So for whatever time he had with her, he’d definitely make the most of it.
Chapter 18
It was hard for Sloane to stay still when her entire being wanted to jump into action. Past experience told her that sometimes a mission couldn’t be rushed, especially when they were closing in on their target. This was the same situation.
Lance had made sure all of Luke’s papers were brought to the upstairs apartment. Sloane had a place nearby, but she considered it less of a home than a utilitarian space when she needed to be away from Noctem, when everything became too overwhelming, or she was on the verge of sinking into drugs again. It gave her enough distance from her friends to get back on track before becoming the Vigilante when it was her turn.
She did suggest using her apartment as their base. It felt better to have Luke here, where she considered herself truly at home and more like the person she wanted to be.
After they’d returned from the command center, Luke had taken over the kitchen table and part of the island, spreading papers, notes, and maps everywhere. Hunched over his laptop, he pored over the information on the screen, as she paced. Until they had a target, she had little to do.
Melina had forbidden her to train, and Lance had reservations about Luke and wanted her to remain close. Sloane didn’t fault her boss and friend, and there was no way to convince him that her instincts were good enough to trust him with such a secret. Sam may have brought his girlfriend deeper into their fold but not into the sacred inner core straight away. It was no surprise that Lance needed more than her word for it.
“You’re distracting, you know that?” Luke still looked at the screen, scrolling his mouse, but there was a smile in his voice that was devoid of irritation, and it made her smile in return.
“Sorry, but I’m not good at being idle. I’m normally training, investigating, or out in the field.”
Luke rolled his shoulders before pushing off from the table and going to her. “What do you do when you’re not doing all those things?”
Her mind turned blank and shrugged. “After I left the police? Nothing. I’d just come out of rehab, and I was offered a job at Purgatory, the organization where I met Lance and Sam. I didn’t like being idle because I feared my addiction would return to haunt me. I accepted whatever work they gave me. When we are not acting as the Vigilante our downtime is longer, which makes it more difficult to manage. I told you about my consulting job. It fills most of my free time.”
Luke touched her elbow, and she naturally reached for him, her hand touching his forearm. “You have control over your addiction?”
“More or less. It goes in waves but it’s pretty much under control. Or as much as I can control it.”
Slowly, his hold brought her closer to him, and she gladly let him. “But before you fell, what did you do to empty your mind, to recharge?”
Sloane had to dig deep into her memories, and that brought a smile. “Hiking and camping. Some guys at the police station convinced me to accompany them on one of their weekend trips. I didn’t want to go originally, but I was hooked after our first trip. Maybe it’s the reason I liked doing that urbex with you, although it’s different from exploring outdoors. But that was before I fell, as you say, and got back up again. Once mostly steady again, I never stopped working.”
Her heart stuttered when he leaned over and kissed her brow. “You just resumed the life you knew. Did it ever occur to you that balance was the solution? Don’t tense up on me. I’m not giving you a lecture, just a friendly bit of advice.”
She had to admit he read her well. Even though she understood the logic behind his words, the idea seemed so far away it was strangely scary and uncomfortable. “I know. Thanks for the suggestion.”
With another kiss, he let her go and turned to his computer again, leaving her bereft. The man repeatedly threw her off guard. He attracted her on so many levels without being forceful. So many other people who had wanted her to stay had used force or threats. Even worse, it never worked.
“I think you can help with the next phase. I’ve been sorting parts of the tunnels that are most unlikely to be used, along with ones I know that have both a manhole and a potential exit or entrance into a building.”