The three of them hurried up the steps and went to their respective rooms, Bear trailing Mack. Bear jumped onto the bed and watched warily as Mack made quick work of changing, forcing his mind to think about Razo’s operation and not on how Razo was targeting Addy. If Mack focused on the danger that seemed to be growing with each minute, he could trigger a PTSD episode, and as lead on the investigation, he couldn’t afford to lose his cool.
His phone rang, and seeing Eisenhower’s name on the screen, Mack sat on the bed to answer it. Bear settled his head on Mack’s knee, melting Mack’s heart into a big old puddle of love. He stroked his short, dense fur and answered.
“Glad I caught you,” Eisenhower said. “How’s Addy?”
“Doing as well as can be expected. She’s been discharged, and we have her at the safe house.”
“Is her memory returning?”
“Not really. She has some vague feelings of overall things but nothing specific, except a man taking her phone at theaccident.” Mack brought Eisenhower up to speed on the investigation, trying his best to be succinct and unemotional. He succeeded on the first, failed on the second.
When Mack finished, silence stretched out on the phone. Mack wasn’t sure if he should say something else or wait it out.
“You good to lead this investigation?” Eisenhower finally asked.
“Of course.”
“I have half a mind to pull you, what with your personal connection and all, but if you keep a level head, you should be able to handle it.”
“I’m fine,” Mack said and hoped he wasn’t lying.
“If I get word to the contrary, you’re out of there. Got me?”
“Yes, sir.” And he knew that word would come from Harris. Eisenhower would’ve already talked to her and told her to inform him of any issues Mack might have.
“We’re making some progress here.” Optimism raised Eisenhower’s tone. “Williams is starting to cooperate, and my gut says he knows something that can help propel things forward. It’s just going to take a little more finesse to get it out of him, but I’m confident I can do so.”
The weight on Mack’s shoulders lifted a fraction. “Has he shared anything of value yet?”
“Only that he didn’t actually sell the van. Gifted it to a friend who he won’t name.” Eisenhower blew out a sharp breath. “I’ve got agents running down the friends, but so far we struck out.”
“And the woman?”
“Pretty much ruled her out as a one-night stand. I’m still keeping her in custody and questioning her. She could’ve heard Williams say something that will help. If she did, I’m going to get it out of her.”
Mack felt sorry for the woman. One, because she was the type of person who engaged in casual sex, and two, she wascaught in a situation she wouldn’t get out of easily and the problem wasn’t of her making.
“I wish I could be there,” Mack said. “I know the others do too.”
“I’ll keep you updated,” Eisenhower said. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow or sooner if I learn anything.”
The call went dead, and Mack sat for a moment, staring at his phone and digging his fingers into Bear’s wiry undercoat. Mack’s mind swam with everything on his plate. The Montgomery girls needed him. Addy needed him. A callous gunrunner was selling terrifying weapons, and Mack needed to stop him.
Mack repeated his mantra over and over so by the time he got back downstairs, he felt stronger and in charge again. Good thing, because Addy and Kiley had returned to sit next to Cam on the sofa and all three looked at him. He relayed Eisenhower’s update.
Kiley rested her fingers over the keyboard of her open laptop. “I sure wish we were there.”
Mack nodded. “I told Eisenhower the same thing. He says he’ll let us know the minute anything goes down.”
Mack shifted his focus to Cam. “How are you doing on gathering that list of Razo’s known associates?”
He kept his eyes glued to his computer. “I’ve got an analyst in D.C. who’s working on it. Should have something soon.”
“Can they also get details on his associates’ vehicles?”
Cam looked up. “Sure, but it’s going to take longer.”
Mack nodded his understanding. “I know Razo isn’t personally moving guns over the border. Too big a risk. So I’m hoping we can figure out who is actually transporting them.”
