Chapter 10: Bullets for My Valentine

Blistering winds bit at Alexa’s face, the only part of her body that was exposed as she laid in wait near the old refinery. Thanks to Gavin’s discovery, she had left a blackmail letter for Mayor McLintock. If she wished to keep her name out of the papers with regard to the conspiracy, she’d be wise to deliver half-a-million dollars in small, unmarked bills to the designated location at noon.

The plan was to get the mayor or her cohorts to expose themselves, allowing Alexa to get definitive proof of their involvement. Thirty minutes past the scheduled meeting time, she heard the distinct sound of leaves and gravel crunching under tires. A dark colored SUV was pulling into the lot. Three men exited the vehicle. Two searched the area while the third waited near the driver’s side door.

Chapter 07: Hit Squad

It didn’t take much convincing. Just another seventy grand U.S. to get Juan to locate a coyote brave enough to transport Manuel Garcia across the border for Alexa. Although things hadn’t gone to plan down in Puebla, they had gained some valuable Intel that could blow their case wide open. And while it would have been more prudent to finish their hostage off and leave his body on Julian Cruz’s doorstep, Curt was committed to bringing the mayor face-to-face with her misconduct.

After securing Garcia in a vacant home in the woods, she and Curt returned to her house to decompress. Plus, Alexa had been anxious to get back and hug Willow. Gavin stood at the door as the pair pulled in and almost instantly, Garcia’s words about his dad began swirling around her head. “Are you ready for this?” Curt asked, noticing her apprehension.

“Yeah. Let’s get this over with,” she replied and slid out of the driver’s door.

Prologue: One False Move

It was quiet again but, Detective Dennis Fuller knew that wouldn’t last long. Like the proverbial calm before the storm, he suspected his assailants were repositioning in order to surround and trap him before the bullets started flying.

Ducked behind a concrete wall, he watched as the blood finally stopped leaching from his CI’s head. Sprawled in the middle of the street like roadkill, his body was riddled with bullet holes from the ambush and it was only a matter of time before the same thing happened to him.

Shit! He needed to get off the street. Detective Fuller took a look around the area, counted down from five and made a mad dash toward the loading docks. Jumping the fence, he entered through a backdoor and quickly located a place to hide.