“If we weren’t in public I would punch your lights out,” I growl at my brother, which causes him to laugh loudly.
“Please. You’re too old to catch me anymore,” he says with that cocky smirk.
“Arrogant bastard,” I mumble, doing everything I can to suppress the smile trying to break out.
“You know it,” Luke says with a laugh as he answers his ringing phone. I listen to the one-sided conversation while Luke stares at me. As much as I try to make out the details of the conversation, I know that the only way to know all of the specifics is to wait until he’s off the phone.
“On our way,” Luke says as he waves me to follow him. He’s hanging up the phone and we’re jumping into his Chevy Tahoe before I even have the chance to ask him what is going on.
When we’re on the road and heading South, Luke turns to me. “There are two properties that butt up against the U.P. yard. Both are registered to a single occupant male in his mid-thirties. One has multiple garages while the other has a single large, industrial equipment shed. They’re still working on getting owner identification on both properties. There’s no point in waiting back at the Café.”
“When did you become so smart?” I ask my brother. Ever since he joined the Bureau, I’ve been steadily impressed with his knowledge, ability to keep a level head, and aptitude for working a case. My brother is a damn good agent, and I can see him progressing through the ranks someday.
“I’ve always been this smart. I learned it all from you,” Luke says with a grin as he glances over at me. I’m sitting in the passenger seat of his big black utility vehicle, all the while he’s practically running the show, ordering me around and making sure I keep my shit together.
“I am pretty fucking smart,” I tell him, trying not to crack a smile. Luke laughs heartily as he keeps his eyes on the road.
“That’s one of the other characteristics I learned from you. Modesty.”
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the rail yard. It’s full of Sunday afternoon activity as we do our best to blend in with our surroundings. We sit in the cab of the truck and scout out the two properties Luke noted earlier. The one with the large building is a newer home with a large piece of road equipment sitting in front of the shed. After a two second glance, I disregard that property as someone who has a small construction company. Focusing my attention on the smaller, older farmhouse with several small outbuildings, I gasp when I see it.
A white van parked in front of the small garage at the furthest point at the back of the property. Before I can even say anything, Luke is on the phone and the cavalry is in motion. “ETA six minutes. They were already en route. Warren said the property belongs to Mr. Samuel Jones, AKA Styx. They’re meeting us here with the plan,” he says.
“How did we miss this one, Luke?”
“It’s an alias we didn’t have listed. We’re not sure when this Samuel Jones came into play.” Luke studies the land and buildings with a critical eye. It has only been thirty seconds since his phone call, but I can’t take this wait.
“I’m going in,” I tell my brother with force before he can even argue. “If something happens to them, Luke, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“You’re too involved in this case, Blake. You know that. If you were sitting in my shoes, you would do the exact same thing.”
“You’re probably right, but we’re not talking about what I would do. We’re talking about what I’m going to do and that is go inside that building. I have to go, Luke. Even if I’m not in the first group to sweep, I’m going in after them. I won’t let you stop me,” I tell him, my green eyes meeting his equally determined ones. It feels like a lifetime before he responds.
“After the first squad sweeps, you can go in with me.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I know, but I don’t need you going in there and killing the suspect because of whatever you see in there.” The mental images are cruel, that’s for sure. All of the different things that could have happened to Carly and to Natalia are playing through my mind. I’ve seen plenty of shit in my time within the Bureau, and the thought of one single thing happening to either of them, well…it’s enough to make me sick. I just pray that Styx hasn’t harmed Carly or Natalia, because if I find just one hair out of place on either of their dark heads, a wrath from Hell like I’ve never experienced before will come down on the man responsible for taking them.