I was going to let you decide which one, but after watching him pitch tonight, I think you know which arm I’ll choose.
Ivy trembled, and Gil wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. “It’s a risk to go to the office.”
“I’m willing to take it.”
Gil pressed a kiss to her temple. “Then let’s go.”
People around the room moved at his words.
After a brief discussion about who should stay and who should go, Gil, Ivy, Tessa, Sabrina, and Leigh huddled under umbrellas and made a mad dash to the parking lot. He and Ivy climbed into his car, and Tessa rode with the others.
Gil’s phone rang. Luke was calling.
“Dixon.”
“Morris sent a patrol unit to Hedera with instructions to block access to the area immediately around the building. He’s not thrilled with this play, but he quit fighting it when the Carrington team volunteered to come to Hedera to be extra eyes and ears. You’ll have a Raleigh PD unit and four Carrington investigators within the next ten minutes. Zane’s calling Tessa to let her know.”
This was all good news. “Thanks.”
“Once everything is coordinated, Zane and I will leave Jacob with the FBI agents and head your way.”
“Thanks.”
“Be safe.”
He ended the call.Thank you, Lord. Please protect Tez. Protect Ivy. Show us the way.
“The Carrington team?” Ivy’s voice was steadier than it had been before. He reached for her hand.
“Two of them are Ryan Parker and Adam. Ryan is Leigh’s husband. Not sure about the other two.”
“But they don’t know me.”
“Sabrina knows you. That would be enough for them. For that matter, a missing kid would be enough for them. But our office has a good relationship with them too. We worked together ona case earlier this year, got to know them, and now we go diving with them.”
Ivy leaned her head against the window. “How will they find Tez? They could have moved him after they took the photo.”
“Raleigh SWAT has several former special forces guys, and they know their business. They’ll send a small team in, quiet and careful, to check the houses until they either clear them, or locate him. Then they’ll regroup and plan what to do next.”
“If he’s there, will they try to rescue him? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“They won’t try unless they’re sure they can do it safely. And I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that those two FBI agents sitting in our office have some hostage rescue expertise.”
“Will they take over?”
“Unlikely. But if asked, they’ll assist. Faith wouldn’t have let them in if she didn’t trust them. And if Faith thinks they can help, she can smooth the way with Morris. Which is probably why she chose to stay behind rather than come with us.”
“I’m glad she stayed.” She looked out the window. “The focus needs to be on Tez.”
“Ivy, I know you’re scared for Tez. I am too. But even when”—he refused to sayif—“we get Tez back, no one is safe until we stop Preston. As hard as it is, we have to let the others focus on Tez while we focus on keeping you safe and blocking the plays Preston is making.”
TEN MINUTES LATER,Ivy sat in her office at Hedera. Sabrina was behind her desk, fingers flying over the keyboard. Leigh was curled into the corner of a sofa, flipping through a book on anatomy.
Leigh’s husband, Ryan, and Sabrina’s husband, Adam, both wore expressions that could melt diamonds. Now that introductions hadbeen made, she knew they were the investigators from Carrington County that Morris had mentioned. They had been at a formal event raising money to combat human trafficking, which explained why the Carrington contingent was in formal attire. Ryan and Adam were huddled with Gil, Tessa, and two other Carrington investigators who Ivy had learned were a newly married couple, Gabe and Anissa Chavez.
Gil had given them the two-minute version of the story. Tessa had shown them photographs of Preston, Abott, and Tez. Then she pulled up photos of the two guys currently in jail for attempting to kidnap Ivy—Leon Parish and Billy Rice. She followed that with images of the dead guys, Oliver Teague and Larry Briscoe.
None of the Carrington team recognized any of the parties, but they studied the photos, especially the photos of Preston Johnson.
