Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Damn it. “What’s being done?”
“Nothing. Officially, he’s still undercover. My friend can’t find any trace of him since he crossed into Oklahoma. His cell pinged on a tower, a few actually near Guymon. So, hell, I don’t even know if the phone was in his possession when it pinged.”
Her fingers tightened on the ceramic mug. “You’re a cop. Can’t you start something in the works?”
“I have, but there’s a lot of red tape where I’m at.”
Her mind raced. “Okay, so let’s assume he made it to the city. Does this family have some places there they would keep people for a bit?”
“Sure they do, but if they took him out of the city the first time why assume they would keep him in town this time?”
“Beats me. All I know is if you get someone who escaped outside of the city, perhaps keeping him in a secure location in it would be best until you get to do what you wish to him.” Her gut flipped with this knowledge.
“Okay. Let’s go with this logic. We need to walk around their warehouses. But it’s going to take a while to get this cleared. I have to be careful who I speak to about this. Their influence runs deep.”
“You do, I don’t.”
He frowned. “You?”
“You didn’t see the body I pulled from the river. What they did that time doesn’t make me think they are going to be lenient this time. He needs help and he’s needing it now. I don’t have red tape to go through. I’ll go down there and see if I can find anything out.”
“You’re not exactly the type of people they will deal with. How do you propose getting stuff from them?”
“Suddenly Oklahoma City does not have homeless people?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You want to go in as a homeless woman?”
“Want? No. But I will.”
“You can’t honestly think I’ll go along with this.”
“I can and I do. You came to me and that tells me that your own options are damn near shit nothing. We can argue about this or we can get going and you can fill me in on your city as you drive.”
“And your dogs?”
“Give me a second to make a call.”
She finished her coffee and went to her phone. As it rang, she took several fortifying breaths. “Bobbi, hey. It’s me. I need you to come by and check on the dogs for me. Can you do that? I’m not sure. Have to go out of town for a few. Yes. The three younger ones. Sure, of course you can stay. There’s food. Thanks. As soon as you can. No boarders just them. Thanks hon.” She ended the call and spun back to look at the brother of the man she’d fallen for.
All of that right there explains why I am about to do what I’m doing.
“Just like that? You’re going to come partway across the country for my brother?”
Eyes narrowing at him for the stupidity of his inquiry she cleared her throat. “Of course. I’ll be right back.” She jogged to her room and dug in the back of the closet for some older clothing then pulled out her father’s old army green jacket. Putting on some layers, so she wouldn’t be too cold out there, she laced up the paint splattered and scarred boots. Jacket in hand she went to the laundry room and stared at the leashes before grabbing a rolled nylon one that had seen better days. After that she took an old collar as well.
“You’re crazy,” he said from behind her. “I can’t let you do this.”
“I wasn’t asking for your permission. We’ll need to stop outside town at a hotel so I can do some finishing touches then you can drop us off near the area and we can walk in.”
“Wait, we? Who’s we?”
“Argo’s coming with me.” She faced him. “Let’s get going.”
“Who’s going to buy that your dog looks so nice and you’re homeless?”
“Let me worry about that. We should get going, it’s a drive.” She kissed the three others and locked the door behind them.
* * *
“This should do it,” Leena told Davis as she walked out of the bathroom in the roadside motel they’d stopped at. “What do you think?”
“Holy fuck. That doesn’t look at all like the shepherd you entered the room with. What did you do to him?”
“Some hair products and some coloring.”
Argo no longer was the proud dog she owned. His left ear folded sideways, he was almost all a muddy dark brown, no saddle marking. Sure his head showed characteristics of a German shepherd dog but that’s where it ended. His tail had been slicked so it nearly looked like a Labrador’s tail. And she’d turned the color of his back right paw white, well more of an off-white. There was dirt on it. Topped the ensemble with a burgundy collar and the leash which were strictly for show since they wouldn’t hold him if he’d pulled hard.