Amber glanced at the time on the computer. "No sir, they should be landing soon if everything goes like he'd hoped."
"I'm going to get a tail put on Desoto. He's cagey as fuck, and I don't want to blow this case now that we have a link. Give me a call when King is on the ground. We need to work a game plan. Don't go to the house without having King as a backup. You hear me?"
"Loud and clear, sir." She waited for Terrell to clear before she asked, "Rayburn, can you please play back the footage of Desoto leaving the house? How many crates did he have?" She watched the screen and waited until the rewind stopped and Desoto left the house. "He's wearing gloves like the ones Clare was wearing."
"Are the trays empty? Maybe he has the GD inside the little cups in the trays? Remember it could be in pellet or pill form."
"I can't tell. The video is too grainy. It doesn't look like there is anything in the top one, but it could be sandwiched between the layers. I can't tell how many he has. Three, maybe four?" Watson said.
She stared at the best shot of the man. "Do you think the tech lab can enhance the digital?"
"I'd have to get clearance from Terrell. If we take it outside of the unit, gums will start flapping." Rayburn cautioned.
"Damn, that's right. Ok, let’s hold off, and make a note to brief Terrell that an enhanced digital may give us a lead on how they are transporting the dope."
"If they're transporting dope. The guy could be visiting his girlfriend, and the woman could be a bored suburban wife who wants a little mid-morning delight." Rayburn's comment tightened her jaw. Not because it was crude, but because he could be right. They could be spinning themselves up because of coincidences. The only thing that kept her dogging this trail was her training. There was no such thing as a coincidence. Not to this extent, and not this closely linked to the upper echelon of the Peña cartel.
Brody brought the small jet into a final descent for Hope City.
"There you go. You've got this. A couple more flights, and I'd be comfortable with you as my right seat." Dixon's words came through the headphones.
"Thank you, I take that as a compliment." The man had listed off the aircraft he'd flown and the ratings he held. It was amazing someone so young could have accrued the hours in the air that he'd chalked up.
"I'm heading back to DC and then home. If you need another alibi ride, give Jason a call, and he'll find someone to come up."
Dixon's hand was on the stick, but the man let him correct his descent and bring the nose up a bit more. Brody concentrated on the landing and was rewarded with a murmured, "Good. Damn good," from Dixon when he reversed the engine and settled the little plane on the short suburban airstrip.
They taxied to the hangar and parked the plane outside. After he shut down the single engine, both he and Dixon attached a tow bar to the front of the plane and used a small tractor to back the aircraft into the hangar. The tractor was, once again, parked alongside the aircraft shelter, and the doors were rolled down and buttoned up. Dixon shook his hand and headed straight for the SUV parked in the drive. He watched his Guardian chaperone drive away and opened the screen door.
"Did you find Erik's airport?" Amber's question met him as soon as he shut the door.
"Kresley Field. I gave the information to your contact in Jacksonville. He was at Jackson-Dehnam, across town."
Amber leaned against the archway leading from the kitchen into the formal living room. "Guess who came to the Edelmans’ house today."
"It's too early for Santa." Brody walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "The Easter Bunny has already been here. A leprechaun carrying a pot of gold?" He dropped a quick kiss on her lips.
Her smile was brilliant. "Nope. Paul Desoto."
It took a couple of seconds to make the connection. "As in...?"
"Yep and there's more. Come here." Amber urged him into the office. "I saw Clare and Erik have a spat this morning as you and... Dixon, right?" He nodded. "Yeah, well when you were in the hangar doing the airplane thing, Erik was outside watching, or drooling, dealer's choice, but Clare came outside