One-Knight Stand (White Knights #3) - Julie Moffett Page 0,72

Sampson drives away.”

Just then Sampson exited the gym, his bag slung over his shoulder. My burner phone vibrated.

“Your plan worked. He’s coming your way,” Kira said.

“We see him. Thanks. We’ll catch you later.”

I hung up just as Sampson reached his car and unlocked it. He tossed his gym bag in the back and got in. I turned up the sound on my laptop and could hear him jingling his keys as he wiggled one into the ignition.

“It’s working,” I said in relief.

“Good. Do we follow him?”

“Not yet. We’ve got him tracked, so we don’t need eyes on him. Let’s just see where he’s going.”

Sampson pulled out, headed in the direction of his condo. I followed the dot that was his car on my screen. After a few minutes, I heard some noise, and suddenly he was talking.

“Hey, it’s me,” he said. “I got your text. I know it’s urgent, but I have no new information on her whereabouts yet. I’m working on it.”

He was quiet for a minute, presumably listening. “I understand it’s a priority. I’ll make the necessary calls to ramp up the effort. And tonight I’m getting an update on the bird. I’ll call you when I know.”

More silence and then, “No, of course, not in person. But I should be able to call you around twenty-three thirty tonight with an update. It’s the time we have arranged to talk.”

Another break and then, “Understood. Talk to you tonight.”

After a few seconds, Sampson turned on the radio and started listening to a rock station. Apparently the conversation was over.

“Well, that was interesting,” Jax said, glancing at me. “Do you think he was talking to Remington?”

“I would bet my laptop on it. Do you think ‘the bird’ is my mom? Are they going to hurt her?”

“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. They need your mom in one piece to lure in your dad. If the bird is what they’re calling your mom, they’re keeping her safe for now. So, don’t go there in your head, okay? It won’t help.”

He was right, but following his advice wouldn’t be as easy. “Sampson said he wasn’t doing something in person. If he meant going to see my mom, and he doesn’t drive his car to where she is, how will we be able to find her?”

“One step at a time,” Jax said. “Let’s see how Wally’s team does on Remington’s car, and we’ll take it from there. We’re on radio silence for now. Hala said she’d call when she was able to update us.”

“Okay.” Tension knotted in my stomach, but I kept my gaze focused the blinking dot that represented Sampson’s car.

“Do you want me to follow him?” Jax asked.

“No need. He’s pulling into his condo’s parking lot. Now, we wait.”

I hated doing nothing, but I knew patience was going to be key in saving my mom. Jax was right. One step at a time. We had to be methodical, careful, and smart.

Bo and Kira exited the gym and climbed into Bo’s car. As they passed us, I gave Kira a thumbs-up through the window. She nodded and they drove on.

“What do we do now?” Jax asked.

We didn’t have a lot of options at this point. Sampson’s dot had stopped in the parking lot and the bugging device was quiet. He’d likely gone into his condo. “We keep monitoring his car and head back to the farmhouse,” I finally said. “Hopefully, Wally and his team are able to plant the bug in Remington’s car. Then, if we can catch his side of the conversation, maybe we’ll have a better idea of what’s going on.”

Chapter Thirty

WALLY HARRIS

“I see the target,” Hala said. “He’s pulling into the driveway. Good luck.”

Wally listened while crouched in the back seat of his car. He stayed in that position until Hala gave him the all-clear to sit up.

“It’s about to get real,” she said grimly.

“I know.” He fiddled with the view from the security camera he’d hacked hours earlier. “Okay, things are proceeding. Right now he’s sitting in the driveway. It appears Mike has successfully jammed the garage door. It’s not opening.”

Wally watched as Remington, clearly annoyed, got out of the car and strode toward the garage. He flipped open the garage keypad and typed in a code. Nothing happened.

“So far, so good,” Wally said, changing the camera angle. “All systems go.”

Remington stomped back to his car, pulling it closer to the house. He parked again and strode to the front door, snatching the bingo flyer and crumpling it in