Page 17 of Matrix

“Good. At least your cover’s intact. There’s been talk about pulling you out.”

“What?”

“But I shut that down.”

“Good. We need more time.”

“Agreed.”

“Why was the op canceled?” I ask, redirecting him back to the events of last night.

“We decided to put surveillance on the traffickers instead. Last-minute intel says they’re headed for Denver, Colorado.”

“Denver?”

“We think it’s the first stop to drop off one of the girls.”

“Please tell me you’ve got a plan to rescue them at that meeting.”

“We can’t. This is the best lead we’ve had in months.”

“Those girls were young. They couldn’t have been more than thirteen.”

“And I wish we could rescue all of them in Denver, but if we’re going to take down the whole operation, we need a lot more evidence. Right now, all we have is conjecture and coincidence, neither of which holds up in court. You must trust me on this. Following them while they drop off girls is the only way to get what we need.”

“Who’s going to Denver?”

“Agents Wilcox and Viola.”

“Only two?”

“They’re not intercepting the traffickers. They’re being sent to follow them to see where they go next.”

“To the second drop-off point for another girl, right?”

“Maybe. Or maybe these guys will lead us to the heart of whatever cartel, gang, or MC is running this operation. We still don’t have shit about who is actually behind this. We suspect Blackstone’s involved, but without anything solid, our hands are tied.”

“What do you want me to do?” I ask because it’s a question he’d expect from me.

“Sit tight with Underground Vengeance. See what else you can get from their servers. If anything comes up, contact me. I’ll be close.”

“Okay.”

“Be careful, Daisy. You’re a good agent, but these men are part of a violent, criminal enterprise. They seem to be doing the right thing on the surface, but you’ve got to ask yourself why. What’s really going on in that club? No one rescues people the way they do without an ulterior motive. For all we know, they’re human trafficking the people they supposedly rescue.”

“I’ll keep my eyes and ears open,” I assure him.

After setting up our next scheduled check-in for a few days from now, I get back into my truck and wait until he’s gone before driving toward the highway. The plan didn’t involve me picking Matrix back up. He told me they were testing me. If I try to run, they’ll hunt me down and kill me. By giving me the option to flee, they’re trying to see where my loyalty lies. They don’t get it yet, but I’ve only got one loyalty, and that’s to my family. To my sister. Finding her is my reason for living. Eventually, they’ll understand it, but for now, I have to play by their rules. With any luck, they’ll help me find her. Maybe that’s too hopeful, but hope is all I have right now. Anything else would just be a delusion.

Chapter 5: Matrix

Daisy did everything according to plan. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. I expected her to jump at the chance to be sheltered by the Feds. It would be the sane thing to do. But she didn’t take the opportunity to flee. Instead, she’s heading back toward the clubhouse, just like we planned. This girl is full of surprises. I’m going to have to keep a close eye on her.

There isn’t much traffic on the highway, but we picked up a tail. A black truck with darkened windows appeared in my rearview mirror a couple of minutes ago. It’s two vehicles behind me. Daisy’s three cars ahead. I can’t tell if the tail is tracking her or if he’s on my ass.

When Daisy blows past the offramp to the clubhouse, my gaze narrows. Maybe the guy following us is FBI. This could be part of some kind of plan to let her escape. I was listening in on the conversation between her and SAC Vale. Was there a secret signal I missed? Maybe she’s not trustworthy after all.

The truck behind me picks up speed, passing me and heading straight for Daisy. I push the pedal to the metal to keep up. A gun pokes out of the driver’s side window. Shots ring out.