“You’re not our target, Mr.Hunter.”A partial lie on Nic’s part.Percy had been under FBI surveillance.He was a target, they’d caught him, but in this case, he wasn’t the target.“Your cooperation will be noted.”
“There a problem, gentlemen?”Bowers called down the stairs.“We need to get moving.”
Nic straightened, eyes locked on Percy, who gave a slight nod.“Not at all, sir,” he called back to his boss.
After a last round of checks, Percy was ushered out the condo door.An agent would take him down the stairs, to the back exit of the building, and from there, Percy would pretend to break into the ground-level commercial unit on his way to the park.In reality, Mel and Danny owned the entire building and had given the other agent a key to the downstairs unit.
Once there, however, Percy ignored the agent’s offer of the key and picked the lock.“Calms him, probably,” Danny said as they watched Percy’s progress on-screen.“Kid’s good.Knew a few tricks even I didn’t.”
“Daniel,” Mel called from the couch, “let the professionals work.”Far enough back from the window, she wouldn’t be spotted, but she likely saw everything through her night-vision goggles.
Danny rolled his eyes but left them to it, loping over and plopping down on the couch next to her.
Eyes back on the screen, Cam watched as Percy made his way through the design firm’s premises and out the front door, approaching the park.
“Comms hot,” Cam ordered.“Percy, cough for us.”
Percy did as instructed, and each of the teams confirmed the audio.Cam had proven Nic’s point, that Percy had backup, and the younger man’s spine got a little straighter, his step a little surer, with each report.
He was near the jungle gym, Becca in sight on the other side, sitting on a stone bench, when her two bruisers converged.
“Arms out, Mr.Hunter,” one said.
Cam waited as the guard patted Percy down.But only up to his neck.Cam breathed easier.Their surveillance was clear.And so was Percy.
“Nice little demo you put on there,” Becca said as he rounded the jungle gym.
“You didn’t seem to think the courthouse was enough.You got a safe?I can crack that too.”The kid had memorized the new script well.Another opportunity to get a confession out of Becca, otherwise they would have cornered her the minute she walked into the zone.
“That’s what I have her for.”Becca scooted to the side, and the new view through Percy’s glasses caused Nic to inhale sharply.Cam too.In the lamplight, Abby looked like she’d been put through the wringer.Bruise on one cheek, hair straggly, eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot.
Nic clenched his jaw so hard that Cam heard the grinding of teeth.Saw it too in the sharp relief of Nic’s sunken cheeks and in the way his eyes were locked on the screen, on his witness who, by her haggard appearance and her jerky motions each time Becca moved, was definitely not a willing participant.She wasn’t acting now; she was afraid.Nic’s gaze didn’t stray even as he toggled off his comm and said to Cam, “Move the teams in now.”
Cam inched his hand over, brushing the back of Nic’s where it had curled around the counter’s edge again.“Teams, we have eyes on the target.Treat Monroe as a hostage, nonhostile.Approach quiet.”
Those long fingers relaxed, twining with his, until Bowers’s voice came over the comm.“Hold.”
“What the fuck?”Nic said at the same time Cam demanded, “Bowers, stand down.”
“We need someone on the inside,” Bowers replied.His argument from earlier today rearing its head.So much for that rope he’d given them.He wouldn’t let them hang themselves.He’d hang them himself.
And Nic was having none of it.“I promised Percy this was over for him tonight.Once he put himself on the line for us.”
“Change of plans.DOJ wants the person at the top.Percy will have to roll with it.”
“Wait, what?”Percy said, and Cam’s eyes whipped back to the screen.
Becca had heard it too, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.“Who are you talking to?”
The view on-screen tilted, and Lauren cursed.“Percy!Stop touching your glasses.”
Whatever Percy’s reaction, probably a swift jerk of his hand down, gave him—gave them—away.Becca bolted to her feet, dragging Abby with her.
Bowers’s plan was shot.And his last-minute change had possibly also shot the entire plan if Cam didn’t act fast.
“Teams converge!”he ordered.“Go, go, go!”
But they weren’t close enough yet.Becca twisted, yanking Abby in front of her and pressing a knife to her throat.Their CI used as a shield.
