“Just confirming. We deal in a lot of weapons.”
Ross shrugged, seeming to accept her response. “Three miniguns plus power supplies and ammo.”
“Then bring the money with you.” She gestured to the back of her van and stood waiting.
They started moving in the right direction, glancing back at her along the way. She circled around them, giving them a wide berth, unlocked the van, and opened the door. “Your merchandise.”
“Check it out,” Ross said to Turner.
Turner dropped the cash bag and hopped into the truck. He opened the first box. “Sweet. Just what we ordered.”
“Have your other guy bring the truck around,” Kiley said, moving back a bit and in a ready position to make a safe exit if needed.
Ross stepped around the van and waved on the other guy, who Mack believed to be Woods. The truck set into motion, the engine growl breaking through the quiet. On a normal sting, they might move in, but Eisenhower wanted the sovereign citizens to actually take possession of the guns so there was no chance of their getting off.
“Stand by,” Mack said into his mic.
Kiley gave a subtle nod of her head.
The U-Haul backed up to the van, and the last guy climbed down to open the back. Mack got a good look at his black slicked-back hair and knew it was indeed Eric Woods, the youngest of the three men.
“Woods makes all three,” Mack said and noticed Kiley grin.
Ross stood watch as the other two loaded the weapons weighing over eighty-five pounds apiece minus the ammo or power supply into the truck.
After the second weapon was loaded, Sean shifted into gear.
Mack waited for the men to transfer the final box into the vehicle. “Move! Move! Move!”
Kiley drew her weapon. Sean roared their vehicle forward, as did the driver of the SWAT truck. Sean pinned the men in from one side, SWAT the other.
Ross squirted, but Kiley charged after and tackled him to the ground. A SWAT guy had Woods by the collar. Mack flew out of the truck and grabbed Turner, taking him to the ground and cuffing him before looking up.
Kiley was hauling Ross by the cuffs toward them. Woods was on the ground, cuffs in place.
“Good job, everyone,” Mack said as he lifted Turner to his feet, then looked at Sean. “Take control of this guy while I arrange for transport.”
Sean moved in, and Mack stepped away to call the Portland Police Bureau to send units to take these guys in. He hung up and phoned Eisenhower to give him the good news.
“Excellent work, Jordan.”
Mack took a moment to enjoy the compliment, as they were few and far between from Eisenhower.
“Too bad things aren’t going as well here.” Eisenhower’s tone was filled with disappointment. “We hit a dead end again on the Montgomery Three Investigation.”
The girls.They were still out there. Waiting for rescue.
Mack’s joy in capturing these men disappeared, and his months-long desperation to find the girls came flooding back.
“Maybe it’s time to take Zamora up on his offer,” Eisenhower said.
Mack cringed but held his tongue.
When Harris interviewed Zamora, he claimed he could reach out on the dark web to Razo’s contacts to help find the girls. If they were being trafficked, he said he had a good chance of finding them.
Mack thought about the creep drugging Addy, almost killing her. About the girls Zamora had trafficked. Mack’s heart rebelled at working with him. But the girls’ faces came to mind, and Mack knew he would swallow down his disgust and do what needed doing. “I’d rather not work with the scum of the earth, but yeah, let’s see if he’s full of it or if he can help us finally bring these girls home where they belong.”
Chapter 29
