Page 17 of Catch Me
She searched my gaze for what seemed like a long moment and then gave me a soft smile. “You and Si really are peas in a pod. Perfect for each other. He doesn’t like to fill us in on his plans until the last minute, either.”
I leaned away from her with a grin. “Well, who do you think I learned it from?” Turning back to Michael, I leveled him a serious stare. “Ok, so what does your old man want in exchange for turning down the kill contract?”
It was Michael’s turn to look serious. “That’s the thing, Hannah, they can’t turn it down. If they do, it will look bad on their reputation and the agreements they’ve made with other syndicates. The best they can do is put the word out quietly that they aren’t heavily invested in the contract. But should someone want to chase the bounty, they won’t stop them.”
I sighed, crushed at the news Michael had just shared. They might not be willing to actively hunt me down, but they weren’t willing to stop it from happening, either. Things were not looking very good so far. But I still had to try. “Ok, well, it’s something, at least. What do they want in exchange for their lack of encouragement in my assassination?” The sarcasm dripping from my tongue couldn’t be helped. Because really, that’s all they were guaranteeing me.
“They want José Hildago removed from the equation, permanently.” Michael’s expression was blank, giving me no hint of what he thought about the situation, but the tense way Rue shifted in her seat gave me a clue as to what they’d been arguing about earlier.
“You mean they want you to remove him from the equation.” I stated flatly.
“They want to draw him back into their fold by any means necessary, and this is just one more way they can dig their claws into him.” Her eyes flashed a molten gold and her full lips curled into a snarl. “I will not allow this to happen.”
Michael turned his gaze to her and looked like he was about to argue, but I interrupted him. “Well, it’s a good thing he won’t have to go through with it.”
They both whipped their heads back around to me. “What do you mean?” Michael’s voice was cautious and questioning, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Because I’m going to be the one to take out José Hildago.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Hannah
I was starting to regret thinking I ever wanted to be a Bond girl. The early morning air still had a chill to it and wouldn’t warm up until the sun was up much later in the day. My feet, shoved into plain canvas Converse because all of my shoes and belongings were still back at my old apartment, were practically ice-blocks. I shifted and attempted to regain some feeling in my toes by wiggling them.
The nondescript sedan we’d driven into the stakeout place was parked a few blocks away so that it didn’t draw attention to us. The area we were in wasn’t used to seeing much vehicle traffic and, if there was any, they didn’t stick around long. This was the kind of neighborhood that you drove through with the doors locked and windows rolled up because somewhere along the way Siri had made you take a wrong turn. But this was where Abrams said our target would be, and I knew I could trust his team to give me accurate information. I just prayed my numb toes didn’t cause me to trip and fall if the guy made a run for it and I had to give chase.
I pulled my beanie down lower over my ears and tried to lean in closer to the scuffed brick wall of the alley I was hiding in. It was a delicate balance of trying not to touch anything too slimy or greasy while also staying as far in the shadows as possible. A soft French accent filled my hidden earpiece. “I see movement. Looks like your boy is getting ready to leave.”
“Thank fuck. It’s colder than witches titties in a copper bra out here. Is he alone?” I shifted and tried to peer as much as I could around the corner of the building I was hiding behind, but large, overflowing trash cans were slightly obscuring my vision. Luckily some of the shops that weren’t boarded up and abandoned had working surveillance cameras, which Rue had tapped into so that she could provide me with an extra set of eyes from her laptop in the sedan.
“Can’t tell yet. You forced me into this tiny little space without all my tech, so I only have my laptop and honestly, I’m not sure these cameras have been updated since the eighties.” She paused. “Actually, I think they may just be dirty.”
“I told you, a van would be way too suspect in an area like this. If he has anyone else tailing him, we’d stick out like a sore thumb. And I can’t exactly wait for a cleaning service, Rue. I need to know if he’s by himself.”
There was another long pause. “He’s alone, but he’s gone back inside. It looks like he forgot something. You sure we should do this without Michael?”
I sighed, anxiety and nerves clawing at my belly. “Positive. If Michael gets involved, then it means technically his mob family is also involved. It doesn’t matter how much Michael tells them to fuck off. Blood is blood.”
While Michael had left to find out more information on who might have accepted the kill contract on me, I’d given Rue the basics of my plan. Not everything, but enough to convince her she needed to help to track down my old informant. The last time I’d seen Javier Sanchez, he’d lawyered up with one of the top defense attorneys in the state of Georgia. It had been his testimony that was going to tie all the evidence we’d found directly to José Hildago. But he’d clammed up and denied everything, which eventually led to him being released into immigration’s custody and sent back across the border. However, thanks to the information Abrams had shared with me, I learned that Javier hadn’t gone back to his country at all. He’d stayed right here in Atlanta, working for none other than José Hildago himself.
For a man who claimed to be heartbroken over the loss of his sister at the hands of José, he sure was quick to accept a paycheck from him. I needed to know why.
Rue’s lilting voice filled my ear again. “Ok, we have definite movement now. He just turned east, heading towards the cross-walk.”
“Perfect, just like Abrams’ report said he would.” I slid out of the alley but still clung to the shadow of the buildings next to me. Javier was on the opposite side of the street and a few yards ahead. With it being so early in the morning there weren’t many people up and about or even awake yet, but I still had to watch where I placed my feet on the off chance I accidentally disturbed one of the many homeless that congregated to this area. Not only did I not want to take away what little rest they got, I didn’t need them sounding the alarm to my presence.
Javier turned the corner, and I paused for a moment before hurrying across the street to follow behind him.
“Hannah, I’ve lost visual.” Rue’s voice crackled through the earpiece.
“It’s fine. He’s doing exactly what Abram’s people predicted he would. This guy’s pattern of living is like clockwork. Just move into position and be ready for my signal.” I huffed into the mic as I dodged broken bottles and trash that littered the sidewalk. Abrams hadn’t just come to the table with a name and information on what this guy was possibly up to. I wasn’t sure if the file his surveillance team had pulled for me was meant to only be helpful, or to show off how good their capabilities were, but it was impressive. They knew everything there was to know about this man’s day-to-day activities, down to the time he brushed his teeth for bed at night. When I made a quip about knowing the color of his underwear, Abrams had merely cocked a brow and flipped the page to reveal an itemized list of the man’s personal belongings. He hadn’t looked amused when I asked which person on his surveillance squad had taken one for the team and slept with the guy.
Still, it was impressive, and it was paying off in a big way. Because just like his file had indicated, he was heading right for a package store less than a half mile from his home. It was where I knew he would pick up his assignment from José for the day, or if there was nothing for him to do, he’d buy a case of beer and head back to his shitty house and drink himself into a stupor. Predictable.
Javier stopped outside the store, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his dirty jeans and lit one, the puffs of smoke billowing into the cold air. I quickly slid into the shadows of derelict buildings and waited. Just as expected, at six o’clock on the dot, the fluorescent yellow open sign flashed on and the door opened with a jingle of bells. Javier flicked the butt of his half-smoked cigarette into the street and went inside. I stood perfectly still, my dark clothes blending in with the grime of the buildings, no longer bothered by the cold I’d felt earlier. This was it. We either cornered him here, or we lost this chance forever, and with it, my only hope to get answers.
I tensed as I heard the door bells jingle once more as Javier exited empty handed. Anticipation shot through me. This was even better than I’d expected. I peeled away from the shadows and followed him as he turned and headed towards an intersection where I’d knew he’d meet the morning bus. “Rue, get ready.”
