“Right,” Addy said, the single word laced with revulsion. “Until she got pregnant. He didn’t want a kid so he told her to get rid of it. She said no. He punched her in the abdomen, and she miscarried. He dropped her. That’s when she started to hate him, but she couldn’t get out because she knew too much. So she hooked up with another guy in the gang.”
“And plotted to take Zamora down.” Mack glanced at Addy. “The hookup with another gang member is par for the course, but planning to take down the ex? Haven’t seen that before.”
“I have to give her credit for finally standing up for herself. Especially when it’s so dangerous.”
“How did she find you?”
“She went to the sheriff’s office and asked to speak to a female deputy. She’d only talk to a female. Figured they would better understand her plight. This was at the same time they’d contacted our office on Razo. So they passed her name on to me.”
“And now here we are, going to meet her.”
“The good thing is she hates Zamora so much that she’ll tell us where to find him. We could have him in custody within the hour.”
“Yeah, that’s the good news.” He thought ahead to the meeting and then to taking Zamora into custody and of everything that could go wrong. “You know the protocol for our meet-up. I want you to keep that in mind, and you know the code if you need help.”
“Bear with me,” she said, repeating a phrase they chose for agents needing help. Using Bear’s name made it easier to remember the phrase in a time of stress.
“You know Camila. I don’t.” At a red light, he looked at Addy and held her gaze. “You might pick up on something in her behavior, speech, whatever, that I don’t see. So don’t be afraid to use it, even if I’m right beside you.”
“I got it, Mack.” She pressed her hand over his on the gearshift. “Don’t worry so much.”
“I can’t help it. I love you and don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”
She removed her hand.
“Sorry. I know that’s not something you want to hear.”
She let out a slow breath. “Think of it from my point of a view. A virtual stranger tells you he loves you. It’s a little unsettling.”
“I imagine it is,” he said and let the conversation drop for two reasons. One, he didn’t need another reminder that she didn’t know or love him. He’d had enough of those in the last few days. And two, he didn’t want to distract them from the upcoming op.
He focused on the road as he got them going again, driving over the wet city streets. As they approached their rendezvous spot, he checked in with Sean. “Everything quiet on your end?”
“Affirmative.” His deep confident voice coming over the comms unit should bring Mack comfort, only he was too jazzed to settle down. “Contact hasn’t shown yet.”
“Let me know if she does before we get there.” He ended the conversation.
Addy shifted in her seat, adjusting her Kevlar vest under her jacket. “I hope Camila doesn’t notice this and get freaked out.”
He cast her a shocked look. “You didn’t wear a vest on your other meet-ups with her?”
She shook her head. “We met at a coffee shop that she thought Razo never frequented.”
“Guns can come out at a coffee shop too. No matter how well-lit and crowded. Especially when you’re talking about gang members.”
“You’re right.” She averted her eyes. “I should’ve taken precautions, and would have after the last meeting when he almost caught us.”
Mack had made her feel bad when that was the last thing he wanted to do right now. “Sorry. You don’t need me quarterbacking one of your ops.”
“I appreciate your saying that.” She gathered her jacket around her and crossed her arms over it.
He cringed. They sounded like strangers. Total strangers. How could that be when he knew so much about this woman? What was it going to take to get beyond this?
He made the last turn onto a dark street with rows of older two-story apartment buildings. They were meeting behind the three hundred building. Mack had scoped it out online, and Sean and Kiley had done recon before Mack even agreed to the meeting. It was an open space, which was both good and bad. Good in that he could see anyone coming. Bad in that it allowed easy access to them. Still, it also allowed Sean and Kiley to have clear eyes on the meeting.
Mack parked in a visitor lot and contacted Sean. “We’re here. Getting ready to move to the location.”
“No sign of contact,” Sean said.
