"I'm also terrified I'm going to freeze up when I see him. That I'll look at Vance and remember everything those girls went through and I won't be able to function."
"Then you lean on the training Agent Monroe gave you. You remember you're not alone in that room." I catch her hand, bringing it to my lips. "And you remember that the only way to honor those girls is to make sure Vance pays for what he did."
She nods, and we get up to face the day.
The compound's buzzing with activity when we head downstairs. Brothers gearing up, FBI agents coordinating logistics, everyone moving with purpose. Falcon intercepts us before we can grab coffee.
"Ice Pick, Ava, we need to go over the plan one more time." He guides us to the war room where Agent Monroe's already waiting.
"Alright, here's how this is going to work." She pulls up the office building layout on the main screen. "Ava, you've got an appointment with Vance at nine AM. You'll be wearing a wire that transmits directly to our command center. Mason will be positioned in the lobby with two FBI agents posing as building security. We'll have teams on the roof, in the parking garage, and monitoring all exits."
"What's my cover for being there?" I ask.
"Ava's personal security. Vance knows she's been working with an MC for protection, so it won't seem unusual." Agent Monroe looks at me. "But you cannot enter his office, that would spook him immediately. You stay in the lobby, ready to move if things go bad."
"Define 'go bad.'"
"If Vance becomes threatening, if he reveals knowledge of your location or the compound, if he indicates he's armed or has people in the building. Anything that suggests Ava's in immediate danger." Agent Monroe's expression is serious. "But Mason, you cannot move unless I give the order. If you bust in there without cause, we lose any evidence we collect."
"My priority is keeping Ava alive, not your prosecution."
"I understand that, but if we do this right, we get both." She turns to Ava. "You ready?"
Ava nods, though I can see the fear she's trying to hide. "What exactly am I trying to get him to say?"
"Anything that connects him to the trafficking operation. Mentions of Castellano, the shell companies, the buyers. If you can get him talking about his business interests, he might slip up." Agent Monroe hands her a tablet with prepared questions. "Start with softball inquiries about his philanthropy, his business success. Make him comfortable. Then work in questions about Apex International, about whether he knew Castellano."
"And if he lawyers up immediately?"
"Then we abort and look for another angle. But our research suggests Vance is arrogant enough to believe he can talk his way out of anything. Use that." Agent Monroe checks her watch. "You've got two hours to prepare. I suggest you use them."
The next two hours are a blur of preparation and anxiety. Ava practices her questions with Agent Monroe while I check andrecheck weapons, run through exit strategies, coordinate with the FBI team on response protocols. By the time we're loading into the SUV for the drive downtown, my nerves are wound so tight I'm vibrating with tension.
"You're going to give yourself a heart attack," Falcon says from the driver's seat. "Breathe, brother."
"I'll breathe when she's safe back at the compound."
"She's going to be fine. FBI's got this locked down."
"FBI also said Castellano was secure in federal detention. Look how that turned out."
Falcon's quiet for a moment, then says, "You know if this goes sideways, if something happens to her, you're not going to be rational about it."
"That a problem?"
"It's an observation. Just making sure you understand that if Vance hurts her, there's no containing what you'll do. The club's going to have to deal with the fallout."
"Then make sure it doesn't go sideways."
We arrive at the office building forty minutes before the appointment. FBI agents are already in position, some visible as building security, others hidden throughout the structure. I take my post in the lobby with a clear line of sight to the elevators, weapon concealed but accessible.
Ava arrives separately in another FBI vehicle, looking professional in a blazer and slacks that hide the body armor beneath. She crosses the lobby without looking at me, playing her role perfectly, and my chest tightens watching her disappear into the elevator.
"She's on her way up," Agent Monroe's voice comes through my earpiece. "All teams stand by."
The elevator ride feels like it takes hours. I track Ava's progress through the building by the updates coming through the comm, each floor ticking by with agonizing slowness. Whenshe finally reaches Vance's floor, I have to force myself to stay still, to trust the plan.
"Ms. Langley is entering the reception area," Agent Monroe reports. "Vance is coming out to meet her personally."
