Page 126 of Praying for Thunder

I had been given phones and ways to communicate, but when certain shit would get too close for comfort, Tabi and I would ditch shit and start over when the coast was clear.

I stared at the waves rolling onto the beach, hoping now was one of those times. “It’s Thunder.”

He gasped, quickly recovering into Pres mode. “On the run?”

I wanted to say so much. Like I was terrified. I wasn’t sure I could do any of this. And having others’ lives in my hands was beyond scary. But I was on a burner phone and had to be as decoded as possible. “No. I’m okay.”

Diesel snarled, “You sound far from okay”

Holding the phone to my ear, I crossed my other arm over my chest, locking my fingers in my bent elbow. “We have a girl.”

He sighed. “Finally.”

“You were right about someone, and he rescued her.”

“Good to know.”

“She’s in a bad way.”

“Most are.”

When I didn’t say anything else, he asked, “Talk ta me. What do you need?”

Ta… My throat tightened. To protect Rya, I hadn’t seen her in so long. “The girl, um… saw three kills.”

“By you?”

“No.”

“Ah, I see.”

How was I to explain who this girl may be to me, without saying anything that can be used against me in a court of law? Were Tabi’s team listening in? I understood Chubs’ fear. I didn’t trust them either. The shit they let Tabi do, all for the sake of taking down some bad guys.

Hoping Diesel could read between the lines, I said, “This one’s for me. Needs careful hands.”

“Say no more.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me.

After a moment, he sounded as if smiling. “I know someone that is dying to help, any way she can.”

Moola… My throat tightened even more. “That is exactly what is needed.”

“I’ll text. Then soak this device.”

“Got it.”

There was a pause. I was thankful for it. It told me Diesel wanted to say more to me.

I wanted him to, but I knew the drill.

The line went dead.

After I received a text, telling me where to meet to hand over the child, I threw the phone, as hard and as far as I could, into the ocean.

I waited, half expecting a boat to come racing across the water to retrieve it, like in the movies, but none came. That actually made me angry. Me not being watched meant Tabi wasn’t either. These fuckers were focusing on newer cases more than they were watching the one that had Tabitha’s life in danger.

Maybe that is why she didn’t fight me when I told her the plan.