Page 92 of Vanish From Sight

“We’re a go.”

From one thing to the next. Life in the Adirondacks was giving him whiplash. It was a far cry from what he had to deal with in Peekskill. Now he was beginning to regret returning. Still, if there was one thing that mattered more than anything right now, it was nailing the bastards who had taken Lena’s life.

With the confirmationof the whereabouts of Teresa Barkley, the marshals immediately began preparing for the raid. They gathered their equipment, briefed the team on the plan and coordinated with local, county, and state law enforcement to ensure the safety of the surrounding community.

Despite the theory that Teresa and her pals had left the county, that wasn’t the case. They’d simply gone east to Elizabethtown.

McKenzie was already there, huddled behind a garage near the apartment block along with a slew of county deputies. Marshals were down the road, ready to move in. Over the comms he heard McKenzie as he eyed them approaching at a crouch.

“You know you can’t get good partners anymore,” McKenzie said.

“I’m not your partner,” Noah replied.

“And just when I thought we were warming up to each other.”

“Glad you could join us,” a deputy said, jogging toward them.

They’d brought Thomas Green with them. Originally they were going to get dogs from a local breeder, but with the danger involved, no breeder would let them take their animals. Instead, Thomas was wired and was to meet his cousin at the door and arrange for them to collect the dogs from his van. Drawing them out, away from the house, would make it safer for everyone. There was no telling what kind of arsenal they had inside.

“I still think it’s a crazy move to send him in,” McKenzie said.

“Marshals cleared it,” Noah replied. “Stoltz, Palmer, take Davis around the rear. McKenzie is backing me.”

“Backing you? You must have not gotten the memo. You’re watching my six.”

“Not today, pal,” Noah replied. “You’re at the side window by the bushes. Avery thinks you’re too trigger-happy.”

He clenched his hand. “Sonofabitch.”

Callie grinned, knowing that Noah had made that up.

“All right. Get into position. Let’s roll,” Noah said over the comms.

Thomas Green looked as nervous as hell as he tucked in his shirt and strolled toward the lower apartment door. “Can you hear me?” he muttered.

“Loud and clear,” Noah replied.

His heart must have been pounding in his chest as Thomas made his approach. He’d been chosen as bait to lure them out, and a large part of the success of the operation depended on him. While McKenzie had every right to be suspicious and nervous about him, they’d made it clear that if he cooperated, it would all be taken into consideration by the judge to ensure a lighter sentence. Noah watched Thomas wipe his sweaty palms on his pants and took a deep breath as he knocked on the door.

As seconds rolled by, Noah wondered if those inside had seen anyone or been tipped off. What if they saw through his ruse and decided to stay inside? He could feel a bead of sweat trickling down his back. He reached up and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Finally, there was movement behind the curtains. He held his breath as the door cracked open, and a pair of suspicious eyes peered out at him.

“Yeah?”

“Jethro there?” Thomas asked.

“Jethro!” he heard another man say over the mic.

A straggly looking individual with shaggy sun-bleached hair that fell across his forehead came to the door. His style was casual and laid-back with a white T-shirt, jeans and flip flops.

“Where are the dogs?” he asked.

Thomas leaned forward and told them he couldn’t find a close parking spot and the dogs were in the van. Law enforcement could hear every word just in case he decided to tip his cousin off. “Just tell her to grab them. I want to go.”

Jethro looked over his shoulder. “Teresa. They’re here. He wants a hand bringing them in.” Another beat. Voices in thebackground. His cousin continued, “I know. I told him but there are no parking spaces close enough.”

Cursing came from the back of the apartment before she came to the door.