Page 84 of Enigma

“Only one way to find out.” Olive’s ribs protested at the thought of more action. “But first we contact Trick and Tevin. They need to know what happened here.”

As they prepared to leave, Olive couldn’t stop thinking about the voice on the radio.

Whether the woman had been her mother or not, one thing was clear: The people behind this operation knew exactly who she was, and they were running out of patience with her investigation.

The next location might be their last chance to find Lloyd alive and get the answers they’d been seeking. But it might also be walking directly into the trap that had been set for them from the beginning.

CHAPTER 54

Fifteen minutes later, they met Trick and Tevin at a gas station on the outskirts of Oasis.

Mitzi briefed them on the warehouse, the ambush, and the radio conversation with the woman who might be Olive’s mother. Both men listened without interrupting, their expressions growing grimmer with each detail.

“So we’re heading into what could be another trap,” Trick said when they finished. “And we still don’t know if Lloyd’s alive.”

“It’s the best lead we have,” Jason said. “And if that really was Olive’s mother on the radio, then waiting isn’t going to make things safer for any of us.”

They left to head to the location they’d found on the GPS.

They took two vehicles—Jason, Olive, and Mitzi in the SUV, while Nova, Tevin, and Trick followed in Tevin’s sedan.

The coordinates led them through increasingly rural territory, past abandoned farmhouses and empty fields that stretched endlessly under the star-filled Texas sky.

The address turned out to be a large ranch-style house sitting alone on at least ten acres of scrubland. A long gravel drivewayled from the county road to the house, with no other structures visible in any direction.

“Middle of nowhere,” Olive murmured. “Perfect for privacy.”

They parked about a quarter mile away and approached on foot, using a small rise in the landscape to observe the house without being seen. Two vehicles sat in the circular driveway—a dark sedan and a white panel van.

“Lights are on in the front rooms.” Mitzi adjusted her binoculars. “I can see movement inside, but I can’t identify how many people.”

“Do we go in hard and fast?” Trick asked. “Or do we watch and wait?”

Jason studied the house through his own binoculars. “If Dad’s in there, going in shooting could get him killed. But if we wait too long, they might move him again.”

“Or they might already know we’re coming,” Olive pointed out. “After what happened at the warehouse, they might assume we’ll follow the trail here.”

“So what’s the call?” Tevin asked.

Before anyone could answer, the front door of the house opened, and they all froze.

A figure stepped onto the porch, scanning the surrounding area.

Even at this distance, even in the dim porch light, Olive recognized her immediately.

“Elena,” she breathed.

The woman stood on the porch for nearly a minute, her gaze sweeping across the landscape. She seemed to be looking directly at their hiding spot, though Olive knew that was impossible at this distance.

“She knows we’re here,” Mitzi said.

“Maybe. Or she’s just being careful.” Jason lowered his binoculars. “Either way, we need to make a decision.”

“We split up,” Olive said. “Half of us follow Elena if she leaves, half stay to watch the house.”

“I don’t like splitting the team.” Trick’s expression hardened at the thought.

“Neither do I, but we can’t let her disappear again,” Olive said. “She’s the key to all of this.”