Page 97 of Fatal Strike
Dylan said nothing, but she didn’t expect him to. “I’ll withdraw as much as I can and meet you on the Bolivar Peninsula.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you. I’m buying a new phone andtossing this one. Afraid the law is tracking your calls.” The phone clicked off.
She’d go to the bank after her last appointment this afternoon.
She shut off the faucet and stared at her image in the mirror. What if she never saw Dylan again? She’d not be able to survive. She longed to go with him, protect him as she’d always done. Was she being foolish for such a thought? Would he allow her to join him?
Dear God, what am I supposed to do formi hijo?
If Dylan refused to let her join him, she’d be okay with his decision. She and Warren cared for each other, and she’d marry him when the crimes against Dylan were dismissed. God might have given her Warren so she wouldn’t have to face the future alone.
62
BEFORE THEY LEFT THE JAMESES’ HOME,Leah and Jon formed a plan to ensure Elena was protected. A GPD officer would remain in place until the FBI could relieve them. Despite the police chief’s assurances, neither Jon nor Leah were ready to fully trust Everson’s force.
Elena pleaded with her parents to stay in Galveston. “If Dylan is alive, I want to be here for him. If he’s dead, his mother will need me.”
One of the agents working surveillance for Silvia contacted Leah. She and Jon stepped outside onto the patio, where they could both listen.
“Between 2:50 and 3:10 p.m., Ms. Ortega received three texts and returned a call to the same number. The call wasn’t long enough to trace. She left the dentist office at 4:55. Made astop at the bank. We are currently tailing her. Hold on, Agent Riesel.” A moment later, he was back on the line. “She’s heading east on the island.”
“Stay on her, but keep your distance.” She seized Jon’s attention. “We’re on our way.” Leah dropped her phone into her bag, went back into the house, and quickly explained the need for them to leave. In less than sixty seconds, Jon was speeding toward the eastern side of the island while she tried calling Silvia’s number.
“Get ahold of Warren Livingston,” Jon said when her third effort yielded only the woman’s voice mail. “See if he’s heard from her.”
She contacted Warren and asked if he knew why Silvia wouldn’t be picking up her phone.
“She wouldn’t answer if she’s with a patient,” he said. “At this hour, it may have been an emergency.”
“If you hear from her, kindly let us know.” Leah ended the conversation. “Nothing there.” She swung to Jon. “I like Silvia, admire her values and the way she stands up for her beliefs. But she’s naive about Dylan—he can’t be innocent in this or Aaron Michaels wouldn’t have targeted Elena.”
“And you’d like to shield Silvia and Elena from additional hurt.”
She nodded. He understood her on many levels, a little scary but in a comforting way. “Crazy, huh? Don’t let my marshmallow attitude get out, or I’ll lose my Panther nickname.”
“No way, Agent Riesel. It’s one more intriguing part of you.”
The man had the knack of making her feel special. “I’m in good company.”
The agent ahead of them called. “Ms. Ortega is nearing the Bolivar ferry dock. The next ferry leaves in fifteen minutes.”
She repeated the agent’s words to Jon. “Can we make it?”
Jon pressed on the gas and wove the truck in and out of traffic.
Horns blared. Brakes squealed. Leah held her breath as he missed one bumper and nearly scraped the fender of an SUV. “I feel like I’m on a movie set, and you’re a stuntman.”
“How do you think I felt when you drove my truck?”
“I’m lousy with empathy.”
He grinned, but his eyes stayed glued to the road. “I used to race on the Oklahoma back roads. Picked up a few tricks before I got to Quantico.”
They neared the ferry. Cars were boarding, and Silvia’s blue Toyota had already secured a spot. Jon broke the line between a battered Honda and a red Chevy pickup. Both drivers laid on their horns, but he was now only three vehicles behind Silvia.
Leah stared over the other vehicles. “I think we’re far enough behind for her not to suspect anything, and your truck’s in the body shop.”
“Hope she’s leading us to Dylan. No coincidence she was at the bank.”
