he didn’t want to ruin the General’s chance at ridding the world of one more evil man.
Riley was studying Sarah’s drawing when the General’s caller ID popped up on Jay’s phone. There must have been something really interesting about the map because his roommate didn’t look up.
Jay answered. “Sir?”
“We’ve had a stroke of luck.”
Finally. Jay walked over to the bed and sat down. “What is it?”
“I never knew how wonderful chat rooms could be.”
He glanced over at Riley who seemed to be in a zone of concentration. The General had never been known to drink or make frivolous calls. “Sir?”
“I found out that Statler hired three more guards, and the man handling the operation put some feelers out on the Internet. Dumb, if you ask me.”
His mind raced, trying to figure out why the General appeared to be gloating. “What is it you’d like me to do, sir?”
“I’m not sure if you’ve met them, but I asked Cam and Spence Summerville—Ford and Tyson’s cousins—to help us out. They live in Pittsburgh and were able to drive to New York and successfully intercept the truck with the three guards who were to arrive at the warehouse tomorrow afternoon.”
While that sounded great, he could think of a lot of issues that might pop up. “When the men don’t arrive, won’t Statler question why and then find others?”
“Jay, Jay, you underestimate me.” Now he felt small. “You haven’t been part of the team long enough to know how things work. Tom Hammond, the scum who supplied Statler with the three men, has been sent off on a little vacation if you get my drift. As for the three guards, let’s just say they won’t be working for Statler any time soon.”
“I see.”
“Clay Demmers and Dirk Tilton, who I know you’ve met, will be replacing two of these guards.”
The genius of the plan sunk in. “Excellent. What about the third man?” Statler had hired three men.
“I want Riley to take his place.”
A streak of jealousy raced through him, but Jay understood why he had to lay low. “What’s my role?” If the General asked him to sit idly by, he wasn’t certain he could.
“I want you to be the point man, coordinating their every move. All information will be fed through you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“The men are expected tomorrow around three. Riley will need to figure out where he’ll meet Clay and Dirk.” The General then provided him with their contact information, which Jay wrote down on the back of his hand, feeling like he was back in high school. Damn motel room didn’t even provide a pad of paper.
Having three men on the inside would be fantastic. “What if Statler calls this Tom Hammond and he doesn’t answer?”
“You let me worry about that. Good luck and stay safe.” The General disconnected.
Jay tossed his phone on the bed. “That was interesting.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
He gave Riley the good news, but instead of the expected fist pump, tension rippled across his face. “That’s good, I guess.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? This is our chance to get the women out. Why aren’t you chomping at the bit to do this?”
“Sarah will be there.”
Oh, shit. He’d forgotten about Riley’s aversion to commitments. With his mate so near, Jay wasn’t certain Riley would be able to keep his hands off her.
* * *
Sarah stepped into the hallway, and as she was about to head to the other room, she spotted Skip Jackson, one of the guards she intensely disliked. She quickly judged whether she could make it to the other room without him seeing her.
“Sarah?” he called.
Crap. “Yes?”
He strode toward her, looking like he’d won a prize. “Statler wants to see you in his office. Now.”
Her stomach flipped. No good could come of this conversation, especially if he told her to drug the women tonight. Denying him wasn’t an option. She would just have to figure out a way to lighten the dosage. “Thank