Ghosts by Matt Rogers

Author:Matt Rogers [Rogers, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-06T16:00:00+00:00

45

Violetta knew exactly where Keith Ray and all his thugs were hiding out.

It hadn’t taken her long to track the commotion unfolding in plain sight across Vegas. Ray was in Arden, occupying a warehouse abandoned by its tenants three months previously. He’d probably put in a few calls to make sure the place remained untouched.

From what she could gather, there’d been barely an inkling of official police response. Either the entire department were slacking on the job, or Ray still had friends in high places. She was coming down on the side of the latter.

She looked up from her laptop on the kitchen island when King and Slater stormed into the house, dragging a bloodied junior officer behind them. The guy was shellshocked, and she didn’t blame him. He was a herbivore in a jungle of predators. When he’d woken up this morning, there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d expected this was how the day would unfold.

Slater roughhoused the cop over to the island and pushed him down on one of the stools. His hands were cable-tied behind his back, but Violetta figured even that was unnecessary. The guy wasn’t going anywhere. Defeat and dark thoughts clouded his face. He didn’t know if he’d live to see the sun rise the next morning.

Outside, the sky darkened. Early evening had come quickly — the day had passed like a speeding bullet train. Everything that had happened since they’d stepped out of the house that morning, everything they’d uncovered…

She couldn’t comprehend it herself.

She looked at King. ‘Is this Alan Ward?’

‘The one and only,’ King said.

Ward didn’t entertain a response. He stared at the countertop, his eyes glazed over, wanting to be anywhere else.

Slater said, ‘He took Alexis.’

Violetta’s face darkened. ‘You’re sure?’

Slowly, Ward nodded. ‘I had no choice.’

‘I’m sure.’ Violetta swivelled the laptop screen around. ‘I know where Ray is keeping her. You two should—’

‘We know,’ Slater said. ‘Ward was just there. He told us where she is.’

Violetta paused. ‘Then why aren’t you—?’

King said, ‘Keith Ray’s a heavier coke addict than Armando Gates. He’s not interested in playing this smart. If he hears a single hostile bullet he’ll cut his losses and put a bullet in Alexis’ head to get her out of the way.’

‘You don’t know that,’ Violetta said. ‘If you hit it fast and hard—’

‘Violetta,’ Slater said, silencing her.

She looked at him.

His eyes told her so much.

He said, ‘It’s not the right call. You don’t know what it took for me to agree to that.’

She said nothing.

He said, ‘What Ray might be doing to her right now. What she might be going through. It’s better than getting her killed.’

She nodded.

He said, ‘It can’t happen again.’

Silence.

She thought of Ruby.

He said, ‘It can’t.’

She said, ‘I understand.’

No one spoke.

She said, ‘So what now?’

‘We have two people Ray would very much like to get his hands on,’ King said. ‘One for preservation, and one for revenge.’

Kerr.

Ward.

Violetta looked at the junior officer. He had his head bowed, and he was stifling sobs. She said, ‘You’re not going to hand this guy over to get tortured and killed.

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