“As long as you don’t make her, we welcome the extra eyes and hands.”
“Any evidence that the sister was shipped off?” Flynn asked. It was his worst fear.
“A few bits of info trickling in, but nothing concrete. In all probability she went out with the shipment three months ago.”
“So what’s the plan to get her back?”
“We’ve got eyes and ears everywhere, Flynn, but we keep hitting walls. Sorlov’s network has infiltrated every department in the state. He’s got more money than the California budget.”
“I think Chastain’s daughter might have seen or heard something she shouldn’t have. If that’s the case, she wasn’t shipped off, she was offed.” As Flynn vocalized what had been niggling at him from the beginning, his stomach churned. How could he tell Pink her sister was dead? He wouldn’t, unless he had indisputable proof.
“You’re probably right. It makes Miss Fuentes all the more valuable to us. She’s smart, Flynn, and willing to do what has to be done to see this thing through.”
“And you’re just chomping at the bit to throw her to the wolves, aren’t you?”
“Have some confidence in me, man. I care about what happens to her just as much as you do.”
“Not even close, Maddox, not even close.”
Flynn hit the end icon and tossed his phone onto the desk. Jealousy and worry ate at him. Had Pink gotten under Maddox’s skin, too? Was he there with her now? Consoling her?
Swiping his hand across his face, Flynn headed down the hall to his gym. The heavy bag had Maddox’s name on it today, and it was going to get its ass kicked.
Later that evening when Izzy stepped out from the hotel, she was surprised to find Maddox leaning against a concrete column near the roundabout.
“I thought I was supposed to go about business as usual?” she said. “For me that’s taking BART into the city.” Not that she was complaining. The minute she laid eyes on him, relief flooded her. She was still emotionally raw from her encounter with Flynn. Shaky and unsure of herself in a way she had never been before.
From the day her mother died, Izzy knew exactly what she wanted. With tunnel vision focus, nothing had gotten in her way of achieving her goal of a degree, then getting accepted to Stanford Law. Once she made the decision to find Alex, nothing had stood in her way. Until she met Flynn. Then everything she had worked so hard for didn’t seem to matter any more.
Part of her was so angry she could spit; the other part of her was so depressed she didn’t care if she woke up tomorrow morning. She’d never felt more alone than she did when she’d gotten into Maddox’s car this morning, looked up and saw Flynn’s silhouette in the window. He knew she was leaving him and he let her go. All hope was gone.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, so get used to seeing me,” Maddox called to her.
Izzy couldn’t help but smile. He looked funny in the black spike wig and bright Hawaiian shirt. He was also wearing white shorts and tennis shoes. She gave him a long appraising look. “It’s a good thing you have nice legs, otherwise you’d totally look redic.”
“I’ll fit right in with the regulars.” He escorted her to a nondescript Taurus.
As they drove over the bridge, Izzy said, “I appreciate the ride, but I could have taken BART.”
“It’s no problem. I live in Berkeley and was going your way.”
She was more than a little nervous about tonight. Not only would she have to face Andre for the first time in nearly a week, but she also had to get close enough to a very dangerous man to plant a listening device on him. “Are you going to be there all night?”
“I’ll be watching you like a hawk over a spring chicken every second you’re in there.”
“Thank you.”
Pointing to the cup holder, Maddox said, “The bug is in that envelope. All you have to do it take it out and slip it into Bushnik’s pant’s pocket.”
Izzy picked up the postage-stamp sized white envelope and slipped it into her bag.
“Before we get there,” Maddox continued, “I’d like to go over a few things with you so we’re on the same page.”
“Okay,” she said, keeping her voice casual. It was hard not to let the fear creep into her voice. She could admit to herself she was scared. No, more like terrified being a pawn in this subtle game of cat and mouse, in which if she made the wrong move, she could be off the board. Permanently.
“First, let’s establish a distress signal.”
“A sign for when I feel threatened?”
“Exactly. It also applies to any info you think I should immediately be made aware of. For example, if you recognize any of the men in the photos we went over earlier, including Bushnik, I want to know pronto.”
“Okay, how about if I rub the back of my neck like this?” She rubbed her right hand behind her neck and realized as she did that it was shaking. Making a fist, she set her hand in her lap. If Maddox knew how nervous she was, he might pull her and that was the last thing she wanted.
“Perfect.”
“Andre is going to be angry when I don’t give him the thumb drive.”
“We’re aware of that, but it can’t be helped. For reasons unknown, we haven’t gotten the clearance to use it, so we’re going to use what we have, the device for Bushnik.” Maddox looked over at her, his eyes serious. “If you feel that you are in any peril at all, Miss Fuentes, remove yourself from the situation or signal me and I’ll remove you.”
“My name is Isadora.”
“Isadora, promise me you won’t try to be the hero.”
“If I leave, then we all lose.”
“We’ll find another way.”
“Now you sound like Flynn.” Just saying his name made her tear up. For the hundredth time today, her heart broke when she thought of what could have been. The two of them together would have been epic.
“He’s a smart guy. If he hadn’t been sitting on your place the other night, I guarantee you, we would not be having this or any other conversation right now.”
Shivering, realizing once again how close she had come to dying, Izzy rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I’m forever in his debt.”
Maddox nodded as they exited the bridge.
“How long have you known Flynn?” Izzy couldn’t help asking. Despite everything that had transpired, she wanted to know more about him.
“A few years.”
“Is he always so… distant?”
Maddox glanced over at her. “He’s pretty intense. Damn good at what he does, though.”
“He is that,” she said, mostly to herself.
“Not that it’s any of my business, and feel free to tell me to butt out, but are you two involved?”
“No.” She sighed wistfully. “Apparently neither one of us are much when it comes to committing.”
“Most feds aren’t. The single ones anyway. They never know when they’re getting reassigned. It’s easier to go when you don’t have someone to leave behind.”
Izzy nodded. If only it were so simple. All he would have to do was ask her to go with him. Stanford Law School didn’t hold the allure it once had. She could go to school anywhere. None of that mattered, though, because she didn’t matter enough to Flynn.
“I guess,” she said as they turned down O’Farrell.
“I’m going to let you off here so that we aren’t seen together. I’ll park and watch you go in, then head in myself.”
Izzy thanked him, slid out of the car with her bag in hand, and walked the block to the club. It opened at six, but usually didn’t start to fill up until ten or later. She was due to hit the floor at nine. She had exactly one hour to get her Wild Style on.
Andre’s barrel chest greeted her when she walked into her small dressing room.
“Give me video,” he demanded, holding out his huge hand palm up.
“I don’t have it, Andre.”