Stryker rose. “Let’s get you armed.”
Emerson followed him into the back room. Instead of letting the drug enforcement unit handle Barca, she was doing it herself. Was this the right choice?It’s my only choice.
Dressed in black, she’d pulled her hair into a snug bun. She dropped her handbag in an empty cubby while Stryker set his wallet and cell phone in his.
Stryker slid his burner phone into his black jeans. “Burner’s in my right pocket.”
“Got it,” she said.
Since she couldn’t use her service weapon, he handed her a sidearm and a secondary weapon, which she tucked inside her ankle holder, before securing the primary in a holster, alongside her taser.
Stryker secured his weapons, which included two Glocks and a switchblade. He handed her a comm device, which she fitted inside her ear. After testing them, they picked up their night goggles and left out the fire escape.
Emerson said nothing as Stryker drove his SUV to the abandoned shopping center in Alexandria. She wasn’t nervous, wasn’t scared, either. She was simply determined to learn the truth. When he wrapped his hand around her thigh, she gazed over at him. The man she adored stared back, but the lines around his eyes were etched deep. Stryker Truman was going into killer mode.
Twenty minutes later, they parked in the back of an abandoned strip mall. They were alone. With their night goggles in place, they exited the vehicle. Emerson’s heart rate kicked up and her palms grew moist inside the leather gloves. Wrapping her fingers around the Glock calmed her down.
The fire door was closed, but the lock was broken. Per their plan, Emerson left the door partially open. Rats scurried out of the filthy room. A few chairs were tossed in a corner and Stryker moved one to the middle of the floor. Emerson eyed the blood-stained floor as they made their way through the space.
As planned, they stood in the dark hallway on either side of the door that led to the back room. Weapons at the ready. They’d arrived early, so she closed her eyes and centered herself. Focused, deep inhale. Relaxed, silent exhale. When her heart rate slowed back down, she holstered the Glock and pulled out the taser.
She thought of the brother she had admired and loved her entire life. She remembered the moment when she had identified his lifeless body, so her parents wouldn’t have to, and the pain that had shattered her soul. Her life hadn’t been the same since.
Her thoughts floated to her mom and dad. Their gut-wrenching sobs had been heart breaking to witness. She had shoved aside her own grief to help her parents through theirs. Her dad had fallen into a deep depression. Her mom had confided that she wasn’t sure she could find her way back and was terrified her only remaining child would also die young. Images of her broken family flashed through her mind. Then, she thought about the countless times she’d asked for help investigating Doug’s death. And the countless times she was told the tox report was conclusive. Her brother was a user who had overdosed on the very drugs he was trying to get off the streets.
Enough was enough. Emerson was taking action and getting justice for her brother.
A car pulled up. She stood tall.
This was it. And she was ready.
* * *
Stryker felt no remorse or guilt over what he was about to do. He would never apologize for righting a wrong, especially a deadly one. Anger whirled around him as he counted car doors being closed. One. Two. Three.
As he expected.
“This is a shit hole,” said one of the guys.
Phone lights shone into the dark room. Stryker and Emerson quietly lifted their night goggles.
“Yo, Farraday, where the fuck are ya?”
“Maybe he ain’t here,” said another.
“Then, whose SUV is that?”
“Now,” Stryker whispered and stormed into the room. Emerson rushed in behind him.
Stryker zeroed in on his targets.POP! POP! POP! POP!
Barca’s bodyguards dropped.
Emerson fired the taser, hitting Barca. He began convulsing and hit the floor. Moving fast, Stryker pulled Barca to his feet and shoved him into the chair. Emerson snatched off the taser barbs, and shone her burner phone’s light directly at Barca.
“How ya doin, Barca?” Stryker asked.
“Who the fuck are you?”
