Linton would have to somehow convince Nyssa and Codi that this could work. Keeping Nyssa safe from Marcus Keaton seemed more important than ever, too. His determination bolstered, Bryden prepared for the night’s mission. By the time Codi returned, he had all their equipment prepared.
“We’re ready to go,” Bryden said as soon as Codi walked in the front door.
“Good. Did either of you get any strong emotions of fear while walking through town?”
Linton began to pace. “I felt fear close to the back of the clinic. I wanted to check it out, but the window in the doctor’s office faced that way and there was no way in hell I was going to blow our cover by looking around in broad daylight.”
“That doesn’t make sense, Lint. The women were seen leaving the doctor’s office.”
“Who’s to say they weren’t abducted and taken back there after hours?” Bryden hypothesized.
“Then that means they may still be close. We’ll have to look around.” Codi loaded up with weapons and pulled on his Kevlar vest. “Okay, let’s head on out.”
At the clinic, Codi parked the truck on a side street away from prying eyes, and they easily jumped the fence into the backyard.
There was what looked like a small garden shed in the rear corner of the yard, but the door was gaping open. Bryden headed straight for it and swung his flashlight around the interior, but there was nothing to indicate the women had been there. He headed toward the clinic building.
It took Linton all of three seconds to pick the lock on the back door, and then they were inside. After they searched the building to make sure it was empty, Bryden got to work. He placed the smallest cameras in the doctor’s rooms and tapped the phones while Codi booted up the computer and began to search its contents.
They worked with their shields down so they could pick up any emotions close by, and by the time Bryden had finished placing all his devices he was beginning to feel the effects. Although it had only been three days since they had left home, walking around town with his shields down throughout the day was taking its toll. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep. He just hoped that “Dr. Jones” said or did something to lead them to the missing women, because at the moment he and his brothers didn’t know where to start looking.
“Anything?” Bryden asked Codi in a near whisper when his brother leaned back in the office chair.
Codi shook his head.
“Shit. Okay, get out of the way and let me at the computer. I’m going to run a program that will let me see whatever he does on this machine.”
“What about the one in reception?” Linton questioned.
“That’s Nyssa’s computer. You don’t honestly think she’s involved, do you?”
“No but ‘Jones’ may be using her machine after hours.”
Bryden ran his hand over his face in frustration. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was already after two a.m. It took time to set up the computer program. They would be lucky to get out of there before four. Biting back a curse, he headed out to the reception area and got to work.
After he grabbed a couple of hours’ sleep he and his brothers would be back out on the streets. It had been over seventy-two hours since the two women had gone missing. For all he knew, they weren’t even in the area anymore. And if he and his brothers failed, if they couldn’t keep these women safe, maybe they didn’t deserve a woman of their own.
Chapter Five
As Nyssa worked she thought about the date she’d had last night. All three of the brothers had been attentive, helping her in and out of the truck and guiding her into the restaurant, and Linton had held her hand the whole way home. Are they all interested in me? Or are they playing some sort of game?
She didn’t like the fact that they could be playing with her emotions. That was another reason why she never dated anymore. Her last boyfriend had only gone out with her until
William Stoddart, Joseph A. Fitzgerald
Startled by His Furry Shorts