Behind the computer, Leah’s eyes flared, panic crossing herface.
Ivy kept her voice calm and pouted. “You made other planswithout me?” She tried to sound hurt, but her heart raced wildly.
They’d been trying to get this guy for nearly three months,and they’d thought they finally had him. It was no fun pretending to be anunderage girl on the internet. But she and Leah had already taken out two ofthese bastards. “Harry?” She made her voice tremble.
“Like I said, you didn’t seem a hundred percent sure, so Imade alternate plans.” He leaned toward the camera, excitement darkening hisface. “I’m meeting somebody else tonight, but I promise I’ll see you nexttime.”
“No, wait.” She held up both hands. “Are you in town?”
They’d come to Buffalo just for this so they could bring himdown. He had to be close.
“Yeah. I am. I’ll make arrangements to see you tomorrownight. Okay? We’ll meet at the same hotel.” He winked at her, blew her a kiss,and cut the feed.
Shock ricocheted through her.
“Damn it.” Leah rushed for a computer on the other side ofthe room and started typing rapidly. “Oh, there he is. We’ve got him.”
* * * *
“Are you ready for this?” Leah asked, slamming the clip intoplace in her gun.
“I think so,” Ivy muttered, doing the same. She stretchedher neck and tried to go loose. She’d never shot anybody before, but thatdidn’t mean she wasn’t ready to try. In fact, she had been going to a shootingrange for the last decade or so. “Last resort is to kill this guy, right?”
“Right,” Leah said grimly. “If he cooperates, we’ll just turnhim into the human police, like we did the last two we found. If not...” Shelet the threat trail off.
Ivy had absolutely no question in her mind that Leah wouldshoot if necessary. She had a small doubt whether or notshewould,but hopefully she wouldn’t have to find out. She was acutely aware that humanscould die and she couldn’t, which made this seem rather unfair. However, theguy was a predator who hunted young girls on the internet, so if anybodydeserved to be shot, it was him.
“I can’t believe you found him,” she whispered to Leah asthey both edged closer to the cheap motel, their gazes on the cracked purpledoor for room twelve.
“Once he clicked off with you, he was easier to trace than Ithought,” Leah admitted. “He’s not as good as BlueEyes237.”
Ivy frowned at just the name. They’d been hunting that guysince the beginning, and so far, he’d eluded them. He was as good at computersas Leah was, and that was saying something.
The only good news they had was that he seemed to be settingup the long game and had been connecting with Ivy over the internet for thepast seven months. He didn’t seem to be hunting any other girls. So as long asthey kept his attention before finally finding him, she’d play the long game,as well.
She couldn’t offer to meet because he’d be suspicious. Everyone of these creeps made the move to meet. So, BlueEyes237 would probably bethe same way, and they didn’t want to scare him off. For now, they had to getinside this motel room.
As they got closer to the door, they could hear the drone ofa TV and voices.
Ivy leaned forward and pressed her ear to the flimsy wood.
“You’re older than I thought,” a female voice said.
“Yeah, maybe. I’m sorry. I should’ve been more honest.” Itwas Harry’s voice. Ivy knew it well.
A chill skidded down her back, and she tightened her hold onthe weapon. “They’re in there,” she mouthed to Leah.
Leah nodded. “I’ll go around back. When you hear glassshatter, go in,” she whispered.
Ivy nodded, her fingers trembling, and her stomach aching.Then she waited as Leah silently crossed around to the other side of thebuilding and out of view. She continued listening in case she needed to go inbefore Leah was ready.
“I’m not sure I should drink this,” the girl was saying.
“Oh, it’s just a little bit of wine. You’ll like it. It’llwarm you up. Honest, all we have to do is talk, but let’s at least have a drinktogether like old friends,” Harry cajoled.
Oh, man. Ivy couldn’t wait to have this guy arrested.
Glass shattered in the distance.
