“I’m overhead,” Jordy announced. “I don’t see anything hinky.”
“Zane, you’re closest. You take the front,” Lucas said. “Constance, you take the back alley.”
We both acknowledged at the same time.
“Two miles out,” Duke said.
“Back up Zane at the front of the store,” Lucas instructed.
“Copy that.”
I liked that I had another SEAL backing me up. We’d been through the same training and understood the moves the other would make if this turned kinetic.
Kinetic. I really didn’t like the idea of Peyton caught in the middle of a firefight.
I rounded the final turn. The street in front of the store was thankfully empty of cars and people. Keeping the speed on until the last second, I screeched to a hard stop, threw the door open, pulled my SIG, and aimed at the store over my hood.
Nothing seemed out of place. “Entering.” I could see a woman and a man behind the counter at the back of the space and one customer facing away.
I got the standard one-click acknowledgment in my ear. Good comms practice required a minimum of words at this point.
“In position,” Constance said just as I got to the door.
“Hold there,” I instructed. I lowered my weapon and entered the store. “Peyton.” I recognized the customer as her.
Turning, she ran at me. “Zane.” Her voice was frantic.
I grabbed her with my free hand when she threw herself at me. “What happened?”
“He was here. On the street.”
“Who?” Turning, I confirmed there was still nobody in front of the shop.
“The man with one blue and one brown eye.”
“She’s secure,” I said into comms. “We’re looking for a male suspect with different color eyes who was at the front of the building.”
“Heterochromia,” Lucas clarified. “Constance, exit the alley to the south and come back on Oak Leaf to the shop. Duke, walk the street starting a block north.”
I holstered my weapon while they acknowledged Lucas.
The man and woman came out from behind the counter.
“Mr. March?” the woman asked. By her voice, she’d been the one who called me.
“Yes.” I nodded as I held a sobbing Peyton and rubbed her back.
Peyton pulled on my hair to get me down for a quick kiss. “You came.”
“I told you I would.”
She pressed her face into my chest and held on tight.
“Something scared her out of her wits,” the man said.
“The man with different color eyes,” I asked. “Did he come into the shop?”
The woman looked at the man and shook her head. “We didn’t have anyone like that today.”
