Page 96 of Charmed Forces
“Fair enough,” said Lily.
“Plus, you have to keep this secret,” I told her. “You’re inside the inner circle.”
Lily smiled. “I am, aren’t I?”
Delgado dropped Lily off outside her house, taking less than thirty seconds for us all to hop out and rush into Solomon’s waiting car. The man standing by the side exchanged keys with Solomon while Delgado and I dived in. A moment later, Solomon floored it and we proceeded on our mission, the three of us tense and nervous. When Solomon’s phone rang, I jumped, then leaned in, desperate for any news.
“They’re okay,” said Solomon. “They made it to the extraction point and changed vehicles. Everyone, turn your phones off. We’re going dark until we find out what happened at Cameron Drive.”
Delgado and I switched our phones off, leaving me feeling oddly disconnected from the world. What if there was bad news? What if my parents needed an update? They’d already been so patient.
“Are they waiting for us there?” I asked.
Solomon shook his head and held up his hand, asking for pause. “You go on,” he said into the phone, “text me when you’re set up. My phone will be off while we check out Cameron Drive so I’ll pick up any messages after.” He hung up and said to us both, “They don’t need us so we’re going to head over to Cameron Drive and observe. I want to see who turns up.”
“We should call the police,” I said.
“And say what?” asked Delgado.
“That someone is on their way to kill a man!” Even as a I said it, I could see the flaws in that. What evidence did we have? Eavesdropping in a man’s office who could easily explain away anything he said wouldn’t prove anything. The audio was muffled and the recording would be unclear. Tom Victor never said, “Kill Daniel.” And the moment the operator asked who was in danger, I could hardly say Daniel. I’d either be dismissed as a crackpot wasting police time, or worse, interrogated for my knowledge of his whereabouts.
“Yeah, I see your point,” I conceded. “But even if we recognize someone we know at that address, what can we do about it? Nothing! Daniel’s gone. There’s no one for them to shoot at. We can’t even prove that’s why they were there without implicating ourselves in a crime. What?”
“Even if he were there, and someone were shooting at him, Daniel is a fugitive. They can claim self-defense,” said Solomon.
“Or justified shooting if Victor’s contact is a police officer. Daniel’s considered armed and dangerous,” added Delgado.
“Neither of you are helping,” I said.
“We’re here,” said Solomon as we pulled onto a quiet, tree-lined street, on the south side of town. The properties were average, two-story houses, mostly single units surrounded by neat yards. Lights were starting to come on in windows, and as we waited, a couple of cars passed us and turned onto driveways further down the street. The rich scents of food cooking drifted towards me, and somewhere, a dog barked. I hoped no one would ever know about what came so close to unfolding in their neighborhood.
“Which property is it?” I asked.
“The blue door across the road,” said Solomon, pointing to an unassuming, modest-looking home. The lawn in the yard was recently mown, and the driveway was clear. Slatted blinds, open the merest fraction, covered every window.
“How come I never knew about this place?” I asked.
“It only came into our possession on the day Daniel needed a safe place to hide,” said Solomon. “I have a contact who arranged it. It’s in foreclosure and not listed for auction yet.”
“Who?” I asked.
“I think there’s someone inside,” said Delgado.
“What’d you see?” asked Solomon.
“Movement in the upstairs left window.”
“Let’s check it out. Delgado, take the back. I’ll take the front. Lexi...” Solomon glanced at my high heels. “Lexi, grab the camera and shoot whomever you see exiting the house or coming anywhere near it.”
“With pleasure,” I said, taking the camera from the floor where Solomon had stashed it. I switched it on and focused the telephoto lens on the house before sliding down to avoid being noticed. They got out and Delgado tossed me the keys. With my eye on the viewfinder, I scanned the upper rooms as the two men jogged across the street. Solomon headed for the front door and Delgado slipped out of view around the side of the house.
Solomon tried the front door handle and it opened. Drawing his weapon, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, his movements were quick and precise. He passed the living room window once, then again when he went in the opposite direction and I lost him.
While there wasn’t any movement from inside, I took a moment to scan the street but saw no familiar cars. I knew it would be unlikely that whoever intended to kill and frame my brother would drive to the crime scene in their own vehicle but in my experience, I’d found it fortuitous to never underestimate the stupidity of criminals.
Movement from the edge of the house caught my eye. I poised the camera, clicking thecapturebutton as a figure slithered out of a side window and dropped to the ground in a crouch. Wearing jeans and a hoody pulled closely over their face, the only thing I could be certain of was the broad shoulders and stocky build indicated it was a male. He took a look behind him, then barreled forwards, crossing the yard and zooming across the street as quick as a flash.
I scrambled across the backseat and hopped out of the car, landing on the sidewalk when my feet reminded me with a sore complaint I was still wearing heels. Not only that, but my skimpy, form-fitting dress was entirely unsuited for running. Holding onto the camera, I darted after the man, teetering as I ran in the inappropriate footwear. I rounded the corner plot just in time to see the man take off across the road, heading onto the parallel road to the safe house street.