shadows against the wall, Cruz kept an eye on the outdoors. They didn’t anticipate anyone from the company showing up because no one watched the camera’s live feed. A small outfit like this would rely on recording the security footage. They likely wouldn’t notice anything was wrong with the camera outside unless they paid close attention to it or someone had a reason to review the recorded footage.
Raheem went behind the counter and connected an electronic box to the computer. A red light came on. Cruz had no idea what that device was called, but what he did know was that it would help Raheem hack into the system.
“What’s the deal with Shanice?” his friend asked.
“What do you mean?” Cruz kept his eyes focused on the street outside.
“She’s a looker. I’m wondering if she’s single.”
That drew his attention. It was no secret how much Raheem enjoyed women. He was a veritable ladies’ man. “Why?”
His friend glanced up at him. “Thinking about taking a chance on her since you don’t seem to want to mix business with pleasure this time. I don’t put those kinds of limitations on myself.”
That much was true. Raheem had left a string of broken hearts around the world.
“You’re a regular Romeo,” Cruz said dryly.
He’d had a hard time walking away from Shanice tonight and wasn’t used to the type of conversation they’d had before he left the motel. He and the men and women he sometimes worked with cared about each other, but only as it related to the completion of a mission. They had to work together and cover each other’s back.
What she had expressed back there was…different. Genuine concern that had little to do with his ability to help her fully understand what happened to Dennis and why. She had been concerned about Cruz—as a person—and that was a different sentiment altogether. His chest tightened as he reflected on her words. Please be careful.
“Do you mind if I make a move on her?” Raheem asked.
“Yes, I do.” Cruz returned his attention to outside the window.
“Why would you mind?”
Irritation billowed up inside him. “Mind your fucking business and finish the job,” Cruz snapped.
Raheem laughed softly. He’d recognized Cruz’s feelings for Shanice and baited him, and Cruz had fallen for the bait.
“We’re in.”
The red light had turned green and Raheem disconnected the machine from the computer. “Dennis Ray,’ he mumbled to himself as he typed.
At the sound of a car’s engine, Cruz returned his attention to the window. He eased out of the line of sight and watched the yellow car leave. Without having to be told, Raheem had ducked behind the counter.
When the gate was closed, Cruz said, “They’re gone.”
Raheem stood and quickly tapped his fingers across the keyboard. “Got it. Unit 1120. That all we need?”
“That’s it.”
Raheem logged off the computer and they left, locking the door on the way out. They went down a far row until they came to 1120. Cruz picked the lock and yanked the rolling door upward.
They slipped in and rolled the door back down.
Raheem turned on his flashlight, and they stared at the only item in the tiny unit—a cardboard bankers box.
“This is it?” Raheem asked.
Cruz walked across the dusty cement floor to the box and crouched down. “He wasn’t storing any personal belongings here, which means he’d gotten this facility for the sole purpose of hiding his research.” He removed the lid.
Shining the light inside, they picked out notebooks and files stuffed full of papers and photos.
They took their time combing through them. The first two folders didn’t have anything to do with Logan Investors, but when Raheem turned several pages of the third folder, he said with a burst of excitement in his voice, “Check this out.”
Cruz set aside the documents he’d been perusing and took a look. He couldn’t believe what he saw. There was lots of information showing Dennis’s research on Logan Investors, including a background on the company, a list of their holdings across the country, and pages and pages of notes.
Not only that, there were photos, which looked like they had been taken from a distance. One man showed up in several of the photos and looked so much like Randall, Cruz had to assume that he was his son. But the most interesting photo was near the back of the stack. That contained a shot of Randall and Senator Sandoval holding rifles, as if they were on a hunting trip. There was a cluster of trees and a cabin in the