Page 91 of Operation Protector
“I imagine you should take me to her,” Teague said normally, his tone firm but genial. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble for letting a stranger roam the house.”
“I… Thank you,” the woman said, sounding surprised. “There’s an elevator over here.”
“Of course there is,” Teague said in that same amiable tone. “Perfect.”
“Indeed,” Quinn muttered. He gave them all a quick glance, and Liam and Gavin both nodded.
“Who’s that outside, over by the hot tub?” came Teague’s voice. “I was given to understand Mr. Hollen wasn’t here?”
“Oh, he’s not, no one else is. That’s just the security man.”
Colby barely had time to register how good Teague was at this when he made a comment on the brand of elevator, indicating they were there and stepping inside.
Then Quinn left at a swift but silent pace toward the other side of the house, clearly knowing exactly where the target was. Colby listened tensely, half expected the sounds of some nasty fight. But all he heard was a low grunt and the sound of something—or someone—large hitting the ground.
“Guard down,” came Quinn’s voice. “We’ll have half an hour before he wakes up. Liam and Ali, set Cutter on the search.”
Colby hated seeing Ali leave, but trusted Liam as he trusted all of Foxworth now. Particularly that black-and-brown furry critter. It was going to take time to search the massive residence, and the dog would make it so much quicker.
“He’ll ignore anywhere there’s no sign of Grace,” Quinn had explained, “unless he comes across something dangerous, like weapons or explosives.”
Colby remembered his startled reaction at the idea of the Hollens hoarding such things, with all their public declarations about them, but they were hypocrites about everything else, so why not this, too? Besides, the laws never applied to them, and even if they did, they would, as they had, hire someone else to do the dirty work.
“This is it? Second door on the left?” Teague asked, as if merely curious.
“Yes,” the woman answered. “It’s the family gathering room.” She said that last as if she was surprised he was being allowed in.
Colby had sat in on a few business encounters with Liz early on, before he realized she wanted him there not in support as her husband, but to see his future path. Now he listened to Teague, talking as if he were exactly what that business card said he was.
But he listened more closely to Liz.
He pressed the button to activate his own mic, and said quietly, “She’s fired up to pull this deal off. She wants to be the one to do it. To be able to tell her father he has her to thank for it.”
He heard Teague work the wordcopyinto his next sentence, and knew he’d heard. The wait resumed. He knew Quinn was circling the outside of the house, looking for signs of other people, security or otherwise. Meanwhile Liam and Ali, led by Cutter, searched for his precious girl, although she hadn’t been here long enough to leave much of a trail. But at least they were looking.
While you sit here doing nothing.
He fought down the long-instinctive guilt. He had his role to play today, and it was crucial. He just wasn’t used to having help, that was all.
“Clear outside,” came Quinn’s voice. “Coming around.”
So there were no other guards outside. Inside, they couldn’t be sure. The thought of what else Quinn had mentioned, that she might have brought a guard along solely to keep Grace in line, made his jaw tighten, and he clung to the fact that she’d done this in such a rush there likely wasn’t time. But that didn’t mean more armed help wasn’t coming, especially since he was sure there were security people at the office in Denver.
They listened to Teague work the situation, so perfectly Colby would have sworn the guy was exactly who Liz thought he was. And then Quinn was there, looking exactly as he had when he’d left.
“That guy have any clue at all what happened to him?” Colby asked.
That brief grin flashed, and Colby had a sudden image of how deadly this guy must have been in a war zone. “I left him snoozing peacefully in one of the patio chaises. Hoping he’ll wake up thinking he just dozed off.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if—”
Colby cut himself off sharply as something changed in the feed coming in through his earpiece. It wasn’t much, just a shift in Liz’s voice, an undertone he recognized. He keyed his mic again.
“She’s ready to close this. She thinks she’s going to pull off what her father couldn’t, and she’s euphoric about it.”
“I think that’s your cue, gentlemen,” Quinn said. “I’ll follow and be right outside. Liam?”
“Still nothing. Second floor now.”
