“Just like in Key West,” Tiffany added.
Sin nodded.
“Did Glenn say where they went?” Fletcher said.
“He had an unmarked car follow them. They—his man said had to be at least one hundred more Black 6 members—went to one location in downtown West Palm.” She was about to have everyone follow her to the library, but she was interrupted by President Lancaster.
“Agent O’Malley,” the president said, “may I have a moment?”
“Shit, is that who I think it is?” Marcus said.
“If it ain’t, I’ll eat that crap you call cookin’,” Baxter answered.
Lancaster looked at the men and nodded. “Gentlemen.”
Sin followed Lancaster into the parlor where Becca was saying goodbye to Maria.
“Agent, I just wanted to thank you for everything. Your ways might be unorthodox as Frank put it, but you brought my daughter home safe. I couldn’t ask for more than that. You’re in my debt.”
“Just doing my job, Mr. President.”
Lancaster leaned into her and whispered in her ear. “On a professional note, I still want your badge when this is all over.”
Sin scowled. “Will that that all?”
Lancaster backed out of her personal space. “Like I said, I’m in your debt.”
Becca stepped forward and hugged Sin. “We both are.”
Lancaster’s face twisted as if he had sucked on a lemon. “Yes, we both are. If there is anything I can do for you, personally,” he emphasized, “you have my number.”
Sin looked over at the girls and said, “There is something you can do for me.”
“And what would that be?”
Smitty walked in and cleared his throat. “Sir, we need to be leaving. Air Force One is going to meet us in Homestead in three hours.”
“I have a feeling they’ll wait if we’re a few minutes late,” Lancaster said.
“Yes sir, I suppose they will,” Smitty blushed.
“Where have you been, Agent Smith? Another phone call?” Sin said.
“I have the entire Secret Service to answer for, O’Malley. Some of us have to answer the phone when it rings.”
Sin glared at him but didn’t even bother to answer his snide remark. “About that favor, Mr. President,” she said. “I would appreciate it if you would take Maria back to the White House with you. Until this case is over, I don’t want her left unprotected.”
“I don’t see an issue with that,” Lancaster said.
Sin squatted in front of Maria. “Sweetie, how would you like to spend a few days at the White House with Becca?”
“Will Madre be there?” Maria asked, her bottom lip shaking.
Sin smiled and stroked Maria’s hair. “Madre and I will come and pick you up in a few days.”
“Promise?”
“Pinky swear,” Sin said sticking out her little finger.
52
Once Lancaster left with the girls, Sin called for a meeting down in the basement in the formal dining room.
With her old team along with Troy, Danny, Tiffany, Frank, and herself, there were twelve people around the table. Sin opened her laptop, connected it to a wall monitor, and pulled up a Google Maps view of the address Sergeant Glenn had given her. “This is a view of downtown West Palm Beach,” she began. “I’ll zoom in on our target location. This is the intersection of Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and Dixie Highway,” she pointed. “Sergeant Glenn tells me that his intel has spotted the Black 6 gathering at this location, right here,” she pointed.
“That looks like a construction site,” Garcia noted.
“It is. From the info Glenn sent me, the contractors stopped building about five months ago, siting cash problems.
“Do you think they were persuaded to stop building?” Fletcher said.
“That would be my guess,” Sin said. “Back to the map; this is Good Samaritan Hospital and over here is the Intercoastal waterway. All around this area are high-end businesses and shopping centers. There is no safe zone.” Sin eyed each person at the table. “Ideas?”
Sin heard footsteps and turned to see Deborah standing at the bottom of the ornate staircase. “Excuse me, Sin. May I have a few minutes. It’s important.”
“Sure,” Sin said. “Fletcher, take over for me and field any ideas. Take the team through a possible fly-by while I go see what the doc needs? Figure two teams of five during your flight.”
Fletcher nodded. “Go do whatever the doc needs. We ain’t goin’ nowhere without you.”
“Damn, Doc,” Johnson said, “you just keep getting finer and finer every time I see you.”
Deb rolled her eyes and turned to walk up the stairs.
“That view is just as pretty,” Johnson said.
“Easy, Johnson,” Fletcher said.
“I’m just saying what everyone in the room is thinking,” Johnson said.
“Not quite everyone,” Tiffany said.
Sin heard her men break out in laughter as she and Deb made it to the top of the stairs. “Ignore Johnson,” Sin said. “He might be a bit crass, but he means well.”
“I think I’m getting to like crass,” Deb said with a smile.
Now it was Sin’s turn to roll her eyes.
Once they were upstairs, Deb looked over her shoulder at Sin while she continued to walk. “I received the toxicology results.”
“And?”
“And, they were normal,” Deb said as she pushed the button for the elevator.
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Sin said as they rode up to the fourth floor.
“I thought so, but the priestess doesn’t agree. She is the one who sent me to get you.”
Aimee met them in the hall half way to the room Pia was in. Sin could see the fear in her eyes. Aimee’s eyes darted back and forth between her and Deb. “You told her?” she asked as her glance settled on Deb.
“I told her what I know, that the blood tests are normal.”
“Why is that a bad thing, Priestess?” Sin asked.
“If there are no traces of anything foreign in her blood, then there is only one reason why Pia is not recovering. Only one reason why she is still dying.”
“Still
