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mini-buses, cars, and bikes on the expressway, his siren blasting. Ten minutes later he turned off the main road and down a narrow stone path with thorn shrubs on both sides. He came to the end of the road where a small dilapidated shack sat just off the old dock. It was an isolated area where a small boat could dock. Sean saw Jack’s Land Rover as he pulled up. Jack got out of his jeep as he approached.
    â€œAny’ting yet?” he asked.
    â€œNo’ting.”
    â€œRa’ass,” Sean cursed. He had two of his best investigators, Adams and Penn, stationed out here. They hadn’t heard from them in four hours. There wasn’t any vehicle in sight, which worried him. Something wasn’t right; he could feel it resonating in his bones. He couldn’t afford to lose another man. “OK, take the back, I got the front. Be careful.”
    Jack nodded with a knowing grin. Sean knew Jack. He would shoot first and ask questions later. Simultaneously they pulled their guns and approached the shack with caution. Sean approached the front door with care. He knew there was only one window and it was in the back. Jack had that covered. Sean stepped carefully, taking care not to make any noise. He carefully tried the doorknob. It was locked. He stepped back, took a breath, and kicked the door in. Quickly he stepped aside in case whoever was inside started firing. Nothing. He listened for a few minutes; nothing. He entered with caution, gun ready. The smell of urine and stale liquor hit him like a rock. Quickly he scanned the room. It was empty. He was relieved but concerned. Where were his men?
    â€œClear,” he called out. Moments later Jack joined him inside the shack. They looked around the room for any evidence. All that was in the room was a dirty mattress and a three-legged chair turned over in the corner.
    â€œIf no one’s here, why was the door locked?” Sean scanned the room more closely. He saw nothing.
    â€œSome’ting not right. Where the hell are Adams an’ Penn?” Jack said, worried.
    â€œTry the mobile?” Sean said, holstering his gun. Jack pulled out his phone and dialed. A few seconds later, they heard a muffled ring. Instantly they looked to the mattress. The muffled ring came again from under the mattress. Sean approached it and flipped it, in one quick move. The phone was on the floor, ringing. Sean and Jack looked at each other, worried. They both knew this was not good. Jack ended the call.
    â€œLet’s do a two-mile search before I call in the search party,” Sean said. Jack nodded in agreement. They searched the area surrounding the cabin, and came up with nothing.
    Back to the office, Sean called in a search party to comb the area and the waters off the docks.
    â€œI should have known he was up to some’ting when I saw Hal at the party last night,” Sean said, contemplating the safety of his men.
    â€œHe’s gettin’ bolder every day,” Jack said and handed him a Guinness Stout. Sean took the cold drink and took a large gulp.
    It was getting late and the search party hadn’t found anything. He dreaded calling it off, but it was getting dark and he knew they wouldn’t be able to find anything in the dark.
    They knew that Mike and Hal were ruthless killers. Sean’s biggest fear at the moment was that his men were dead. But he had to have faith that they were still alive. He prayed they would be, for their families’ sake.
    â€œWant me to call the families?” Jack asked. Sean didn’t want them worried over nothing when he had no evidence.
    â€œNo, not yet.”
    Jack looked at him, concerned. “Wha’ next?”
    â€œWe need to find his informant,” Sean said.
    â€œI know someone who might be able to help. But he’s not cheap.”
    â€œHow much we talkin’?”
    â€œLet me look into it.”
    â€œDo it.” Sean rubbed his temples; he felt a headache coming