“I just looked,” Webb says. “At the security cameras, that is. Everything looks good.”
Of course he did. Because even though Webblookslike he’s just enjoying a lazy evening in front of the TV, he’s on guard, just like me.
After all, that’s the point of it. Sitting here. Waiting. Hoping the trap we set will eventually spring.
It wasn’t the original plan, but during our meeting the other day, Ace suggested it as another option.
“I know we’ll find the guy eventually,” Ace said, “but I had an idea while I was running. We moved Bea to Yara’s place in case the killer got her location when he hacked her implants.”
“But they can’t hack into them now,” Tyler reminded him. “The only location they’d have is B and A. And so far, there’s been no activity.”
“They might not want to try breaking into B and A,” Ace replied. “With all the obvious security, they’d have to know it’s near impossible. But… what if they thought Bea was in a less secure location?”
“We’re not using Bea as bait,” I snapped. “No way.”
“We wouldn’t have to use Bea, though, would we?” Ace asked. “Ty. Couldn’t you make it look like her implants were somewhere else? I’m not sure how, but I thought it might be something you could do. Then we could take up position at a fake safehouse while Bea’s still at Yara’s.”
Tyler thought about it for a second. Then he nodded. “I could link her implants to a different phone. One without security. And if we went someplace with open Wi-Fi, Bluetooth… if they’re looking for Bea’s signal, they’d be able to pick it up again.”
So that’s what we’re doing.
Now Webb and I are staying at a rental house in Springdale, thirty minutes east of Portland, while Bea is still safely hidden in Rainier Beach with Tyler, Ace, and Yara. Rafe’s holding down the fort, as my dad used to say, back at HQ, since we don’t want to leave Eden there on her own.
The signal’s been live for over a day now, which isn’t a long time, really, but I just wish the asshole would hurry up and get here.
There’s no guarantee, of course. He could have given up on finding Bea this way after his first attempt failed. He could decide it’s too risky. The whole plan could be a waste of time.
Or he could come after her. And if he does, we’ll be ready.
Not in a building with enough security to rival the White House, this time, but a ranch he can easily break into. We installed cameras and alarms, but the alarms are silent, so we’llknow he’s here, but he’ll have no idea they were triggered. The visible security is simple—a video doorbell, a motion-activated light over the garage door, and a lock a child could pick on the fence gate. So the hope is; this asshole will search the house online, discover how innocuous it is, and head here in hopes of finding Bea.
When he gets here, he’ll get inside. And we’ll be waiting.
Then I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt Bea again.
“What are you going to do when this is all over?” Webb asks.
“What do you mean?”
“With Bea. She lives in DC, and you’re here. So… how will that work?”
My stomach twists.
Howwillthat work?
I know we haven’t been together long. Not nearly long enough to talk about Bea moving to the West Coast. Or for me to consider giving up B and A to join her in DC?—
Shit.
Would I? Give up everything I’ve found here to be with her?
“I don’t know,” I reply, partly to Webb, and partly in answer to my own question. “I guess we’ll just have to see how things go.”
Webb stares at me. Then he says, “I bet there are lots of physical therapist jobs around Portland.”
“Her parents live in Pittsburgh. They’re close. I don’t know that she’d want to live that far away from them.”
“Pittsburgh’s what—” He pulls out his phone and taps at the screen. “A four and a half hour drive from DC. Not much shorter than a flight from Portland.”
