Page 82 of Healing Conviction
There was a pause on the other line before Hawk spoke again. “I agree. I’d say get the police involved but since we know for a fact that at least our county has been caught up in it in a bad way, we’ll keep it on the down low until we’ve got some irrefutable answers. Now that we’ve got a potential lead, we’ll send our team down there.”
“A team?” Draco couldn’t help the irritation lacing his voice. “You guys are hours away. By the time you get everyone together and down here, it could already be shipped off. What if it’s too late?”
Snake’s voice muttered. “Too bad we don’t have our fucking two-faced pilot.”
Draco winced at the accusation. Phoenix was their wheelman, always had been. It seemed they were going to have to find another helicopter pilot for their team.
There was a sigh on the other end of the phone before Hawk’s deep voice answered. “It’s the best I can do right now. You’re right and it fucking sucks, but logistics are logistics and this is what we’re working with right now. All I can say is we’ll get there as soon as possible.”
“Hawk,I’mhere. Why do we need a team to recon?”
“Draco, we don’t know what you’ll be facing. There are at least three men that you know of. Maybe more, and that doesn’t account for camera security—”
“I’ve got my jammer for that. If I get close enough, I can block the system,” Nora offered. He glared at her but she just shrugged. The urge to tell her that she wasn’t going on the mission with him was strong, but he had to admit he didn’t know the first thing on how to use one.
“I won’t allow two civilians to put themselves in danger on my watch.”
Draco’s heart stilled in his chest and resolution made his teeth grind. “I’m not acivilian.”
There was another infuriating pause before Hawk spoke. “I hate to tell you this, brother, but you are.”
He closed his eyes and breathed through his frustration. At the situation, at the man who shot him, at all the fuckers involved in the scheme, even Hawk. But what made him the angriest was the truth in his leader’s words. A small, soft hand wrapped around his forearm, over his dragon ouroboros tattoo as he worked out what to say.
“So what’re we supposed to do? Sit and wait for you guys to come? Even though there might be women in that container? Even though we have no idea what’s gonna happen to them while I sit on my ass being useless? Even though they might be gone by the time you get here?”
The line went quiet and Draco was becoming even more infuriated from the silence that kept interrupting them.
“As your team lead, I’m telling you to sit this one out. We don’t know all the details here. The last time we went into a mission half-cocked, we got played. You did a good job on recon, leave the rest to us.”
Draco remembered the time they all stormed the hotel that Jaybird’s sister was supposed to be held in, only for someone to report them to the cops. They should’ve figured then that something was up with that bastard investigator. Hawk was right. Going in without any information had bitten them in the ass before, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a mistake.
“Hey, Cap’n, when do you think you’ll be able to get here?” Nora asked and squeezed his arm. A glint of mischief in her eyes had him narrowing his.
What are you up to, little pixie?
“Right before dawn, probably, and that’s being generous. The possibility that we miss the export is high, so we may need you and Nora to follow the truck if you can, Draco.”
Nora met his eyes before shaking her head and speaking into the phone. “Here’s what we’re gonna do, Cap’n. Drake and I are gonna race you. We’ll wait until full dark. That way I can get close enough to jam the systems, but far away enough that the darkness will make it hard for the cameras to see us. We’re gonna be quiet little church mice while we investigate, but if we find out there are women in that truck and if there’s a way to free them before you guys get here, then we’re gonna do it.Capisce?”
Draco felt his eyes widen in disbelief. He’d never heard anyone counter Hawk, especially not someone the guy could bend in half with his bare hands. But hell, he liked what she was saying, even if it did involve her. It meant that he wouldn’t be sitting on his sorry ass while god knew what happened in that facility.
“Nora…” Hawk growled. “We need you to keep doing recon, let us know if anything changes, but your orders are to stay. Put.”
She winked at Draco beforetskingover the phone. “Sorry, Cap’n. No can do. See, us civilians don’t have to take orders from you. I don’t care if you look like Idris Elba and James Bond had a badass thirtysomething, tall, dark, and handsome love child. We’re gonna do what we gotta do. So… see you in the morning,sir.”
“Nora!” Hawk and Snake raised their voices on the other end, raising Draco’s hackles in her defense.
He cleared his throat and backed his girl’s plan. “If you guys don’t like it, just beat us to it. Either way, we’re gonna come up with our game plan and get going after nightfall.” He went to press the red button on the screen but Nora grabbed the phone and spoke into the speaker with a prim voice.
“Good luck, gentlemen. May the best man or woman win, and the odds be ever in our favor.”
She pressed the red button and smiled conspiratorially at him. Despite his reservations about including her, excitement sparked up his spine, and he grinned back.
“Ready to kick some ass, Pix?”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
“Over the river and through the woods, to Sketchy McSketcherson’s house we go. The Nora knows the way to carry the Dra—”