Elliot swore. He had been in this job long enough that when his intuition flared, he was going to listen to it.
Jake and Turner had been shooting the shit on Carl Buchanan’s porch long enough for the man to have answered by now. “We certain he’s in there?”
“I saw movement,” Jake said, peering into the window one more time. “At least two bodies. I’m assuming from the size differences that they are Buchanan and Annie.”
“But that’s not a guarantee,” Turner said, a note of clear panic in his voice. Elliot got it. He’d panicked over Gabby a time or two, as well. It was hard not to when you loved a woman like that. “It could have been Carl and anyone else. Or Annie and someone else. But I don’t know who.”
“We haven’t been able to find Dennis Lee Arnold,” Elliot pointed out. That was what had truly had him tracking down Turner.
Everyone else had been accounted for. Except for Councilman Arnold. The one man with the most obvious connection to Collin Eugent.
Callum had made it clear that Collin Eugent had been financially sponsored by Dennis Lee Arnold from the age of nine.
That had told its own story.
“But I don’t think he’s the kind to do his own dirty work,” Turner said.
“Ambush, dynamite, shooting of Reggie Henedy—I can only assume at this point that Henedy was involved in this, along with Dennis Lee—it’s sounding like a final showdown,” Jake stepped away from the door, his hand tightening on his weapon. Elliot pulled his own. They were going in there tonight. He had no doubt about that.
Neither of the two men with him were going to walk away. Not with Annie in there. “And if the asshole responsible is going after Carl tonight, too…then we’ve sent Annie right into the fire with him.”
“Then let’s get in there and get her back,” Turner said, reaching for the doorknob. “I’m not leaving her in there a moment longer.”
“I agree with Barratt,” Jake said. “Let’s get Annie out.”
“Hold on. We have nothing solid to go on here. We’re not about to enter Carl Buchanan’s house without a warrant,” Elliot said. “Even if it is exigent circumstances.”
“I’ll make it right. No matter what. Carl will understand. And I’ve had keys to his place for a decade now. I’m going in there.” Turner looked him dead on. “Annie’s in there. I can’t just stand out here, doing nothing. What would you do? If it was Gabby in there?”
Elliot sighed. He knew exactly what he would do. What he had done. “I’d go right in there.”
“Then that is exactly what I am going to do.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.” He looked at Jake. “Keep him behind us. Whether he likes it or not, he’s a civilian. I’m not about to lose the mayor on my watch.”
Hell, all he’d wanted to do was go home to Gabby and talk about making a few kids of their own.
This was not a part of his plan.