Matt was going seventy down Camelback Road with the grill lights flashing and whizzing past cars like they were going backwards.
“Left on 7th Avenue,” Nick said looking at his phone.
“Is Phoenix PD there yet?” Matt asked.
“Just got there,” Nick said reading a text from Captain Jeremy Washington, a guy Nick had known for years. “They’re not doing anything until we get there.”
“Good.”
“I told Wash to make their presence known.”
“So how are we playing it?” Matt asked. “You want to use the lemming approach?”
“No, that’s too slow. I had Stevie look up the standard apartment window coverings for that complex. Wash is sending someone to the other side of the building to verify it, but it looks like pull down horizontal blinds.”
Matt glanced over at Nick. “You want to try the Delaware move? Is that what you’re saying?”
“I know it’s risky,” Nick said. “But that’s Cara in there.”
Matt maneuvered around a few slowed vehicles while turning south on 7th Avenue. “Now what?”
“Half a mile, make a right on Rose.”
“Damn straight it’s risky,” Matt said. “It’s risky for you.”
Nick glanced over at his partner. “You want me to explain to Tommy why Cara didn’t make it? You want that conversation?”
“No, I just don’t want the conversation with Julie about why you didn’t make it.”
“Well then,” Nick said, grabbing the door to prepare for the sharp turn. “We’ll make it work.”
“Not a good answer.”
Nick leaned into the turn as Matt skidded the SUV onto Rose Lane and they immediately saw the barrage of flashing lights assaulting the residential street.
“Decision time,” Nick said.
* * *
Madril was the first to notice the flicker come through the perimeter of the closed miniblinds. He flipped up one individual blind and saw a platoon of police cars. SUVs and cruisers with their doors open and a cavalry of armed officers with rifles trained on their apartment.
“Shit,” Madril said, moving away from the covered window. “There must be fifty of them out there.”
Sergei had his phone to his ear, then pulled it down. “He is not answering.”
“What now?” Madril said, aiming his gun at the girl.
“Wait, we need to think about this.”
“But Topa said—”
“It does not matter now. They must have him in custody, that is why he is not answering.”
“But she is the one who brought them.”
“How?” Cara said. “I’ve been sitting on this couch all day. How do I have anything to do with this?”
“She is right,” Sergei said. “Tapo must have told the police where we were. He was the only one who knew.”
“I do not believe that. He would not have betrayed us.”
Sergei’s eyes darted around the room, searching for something, anything that could help them. Madril shifted his weight from one foot to another, looking at Sergei for answers.
“Why are they not talking to us?” Madril asked. “Don’t they start talking now?”
“Maybe they’re done talking,” Cara said. “Maybe they want you to do something stupid so they can kill you. You see the news. It happens all the time. A criminal reaches into his pocket for his ID and gets shot for making a sudden move.”
“You shut up,” Sergei snapped.
“I’m just telling you what you already know,” she said.
“One of the neighbors must have called the police,” Sergei said.
“Yes,” Madril said. “That is right.”
“So we need to use her,” Sergei said. “As long as she is ours, we have control.”
Cara shook her head. “You’d better think about what you want. A lesser sentence. A good lawyer can get you out in less than five years, if kidnapping is the only charge.”
The two Chechens glanced at each other, which caused Cara to add, “Oh brother. You guys.”
Madril pointed the gun at her. His face tight with anger. “You have nothing. Your family has nothing. I am happy your father is dead. He deserved to die.”
Cara’s eyes narrowed as she pulled against her restraints, trying to get at Madril. The Chechen sneered at her with disgust.
“You will not survive this,” Madril said, working the gun in his hand. “I promise you that.” He looked at Sergei to get his approval.
Sergei nodded. “Yes, she will die. It is how it must be.”
There was a knock on the door.
Sergei moved toward Cara and pointed his gun straight out at her, then he gestured for Madril to investigate.
Madril looked through the peephole of the first-floor apartment, then turned with a look of astonishment.
“It is Bracco. The FBI agent.”