“That’s because they’re not taken seriously,” Booker rebuts.
“That’s also unfortunate,” I state. Then something in his monitor catches my eye and I tap him on the shoulder. “Can you rewind?”
“Of course, I can. I’m not an amateur,” he chides. “Is it the silver sedan?”
“No, the white crossover that was behind it. There was movement in the cargo space.”
“How the hell did you see that?” he asks, rolling back the footage.
“Because I wasn’t otherwise occupied with code swirling through my head to find a way to locate these morons before they lose their grip with reality,” I counter. As the white crossover comes back into the picture, we lean forward and all but plaster our noses to the monitor. “There. Right the fuck there.”
“Is that an elbow?” Booker asks, zooming in on the image. “It is.”
“Can you get a clear shot of her face, Booker?”
“No, it’s too deep into the cargo space. The only reason we can see her elbow is because she’s got it up in the air,” he tells me.
“She’s trying to loosen her bindings,” I murmur. “Get me that license plate number, Booker. Then send me his address.”
“Where are you going?” he calls out as I walk through the doorway.
“Getting a head start, brother.”
“But you don’t know where you’re going yet, Nova.”
“Doesn’t matter, I need wheels on the ground. He’s on the road already, Booker. I’m behind and can’t let him get any further ahead than he already is. Keep watching him and send his whereabouts to Marsten.”
“You’re going to let him take the lead on this? But it’s your find, Nova.”
“Getting him off the streets is all that matters, not who does it. I need to search his house and see if there are any signs of other victims. I want Marsten to have all the pieces before interrogating him.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “Got him. Sending you his address now and am sending Marsten pin drops.”
As he drops the first pin, my phone rings. “Marsten,” I answer, tucking my cell between my ear and shoulder. “I’m heading to his house, can your men handle the snatch?”
“I’ve already sent a SWAT team after him. I’m too far away to do it myself. Tell your man to keep sending me locations and I’ll keep them advised. Good luck, Nova.”
“Same,” I say, disconnecting the call. I don’t have time for pleasantries, I just hope his men can catch up to him before Stella MacDougal takes her last breath.
CHAPTER
SIX
GIRL TWO
We cleaned to pass the time.
We ate canned goods to preserve the proteins for a later date and time.
We’ve learned how to be frugal with our food, and thankfully, one can shared between us fills our bellies up.
We’ve been trying to tire ourselves out with chores, whether they’re scheduled or not, so we don’t have to stop and think long enough about what put Father in such a funky mood.
“Check. Check. Check, and check,” I coyishly say, showing her my chart. I’ve made a list of things to get done and have been able to mark them all off.
“What’s on your agenda for tomorrow, Two?” my sister asks.
“I don’t know,” I admit, glancing down at my notepad hoping it has the answers. “We deep cleaned today so that doesn’t leave us much to do tomorrow.”
