TJ passes me a beer he’s pulled from behind his desk and I smile at him. “It’s my secret stash. If she,” he points to Mal with a nod of his head. “If she knew about then it, I would lose it.” TJ takes a swig of his beer. His eyes squint as he studies me. “How bad is this Mark Gates?”
“Delaney has two men he calls on when he wants something done. One does it discreetly. The other does it as a warning.”
“Which one is he.”
I stand, pace to the window then glance at my watch. How long does it take to buy milk? Then I look at the store. It’s hard to see inside and I pull my cell from my pocket.
“Alex. Which one?”
I turn to TJ. “Sorry which one what?”
TJ ambles towards me and Mal stops typing and removes her headphones. “Which one, Alex. The discreet one or the warning one.”
I glance at Delaney’s office. The sedan is missing, and when my call goes unanswered as I ring Mia again, I turn to the door. My stomach twitches. My neck is cold, and my palms are sweaty.
“Alex.”
I glance at TJ, finding him closer than I expected. The laughter in his eye and his usual playful smile missing. “The one you don’t mess about with.” The pit of my stomach feels as though I have drunk a gallon of cement, weighing down my legs as I run down the stairs, taking them three at a time.
“Do you want me to call Mia?”
From the top of the stairs, Mal stares at me and I nod. “Keep calling until she answers.”
Mal nods, her pace slower as she trots behind us. I’m already at the other side of the road when Mal jogs out of the building. As I open the door to the store, the bell rings and the clerk glances in our direction. He is young, around nineteen, twenty. I’ve seen him hanging around the compound, but he’s never been on Demon’s Lair. After dismissing the store clerk, I scan the store. It’s not large and I spot a milk carton on a shelf with beans and frown as I stroll over to the carton, lift it then turn my gaze back to the clerk. TJ is behind me.
“The woman who bought this. Where is she?” I ask the store clerk.
The clerk glances at me, then switches his gaze to TJ. “She went through the back with the other woman.” He points to a door and I follow his gaze. I push the door open. All is silent, and the corridor is empty.
“Mia.” When there is no answer, I shout again.
TJ checks the doors and his “holy fuck,” grabs my attention and I follow him into the room on the left.
Slouching on the floor, rubbing her head, is Patch. She looks at TJ, then glances at me. “Mia’s missing. We came to use the toilet.” She pulls her hand, glances at her fingers and moans at the blood covering them. “Shit. My head hurts. I turned my back because I wanted to show Mia something. When I came to, she was gone.”
“Why didn’t you call?” I ask.
“Shit. What’s happened?” Mal is looking at the blood on Patches’ fingers.
“My head hurts and I’ve only just come too.” Patch rolls her eyes as she pushes herself from the floor, then slides back down. “Otherwise I would have.”
I turn as I face Mal. She has her cell in her hand, and I can hear the other cell ringing. “Mia’s missing.” I glance at her cell. “You still haven’t managed to contact her.
“No.”
“Shush,” I turn to TJ, who has his head tilted. “Ring again, Mal.”
Mal rings Mia’s cell and I hear the faint ring. It is coming from the open window and I run from the bathroom and head towards the back door. On the ground is Mia’s cell. My heart pounds in my ears and a steal vice squeezes my head. I thump the large trash cart. Shaking my fist as pain shoots up my arm. “She’s missing.”
“Should I call Hank?” Mal said.
I glare at the woman. “No. We’ll sort this out.”
Without waiting for Mal, I return inside. TJ is guiding Patch out of the bathroom and I follow him back into the store. The clerk is still behind the counter. His eyes widening when he spots Patch. “Shit, what happened?”
I glower at the boy as my fingers curl into a fist. “You tell me.” I glance up behind him. “That CCTV. Is it filming?”
The clerk looks over his shoulder. “Only inside the store. Where’s the other woman?”
“She’s missing. Did anyone come in the store after them?”
