Chapter 26

Nathan checked his side mirror again, making sure Grangeland stayed with them. The surveillance detection route detoured them through the grid-like maze of bland, dimly lit industrial streets. This area surrounding the port of Los Angeles had countless rows of tilt-up warehouses with rail spurs serving rear yards. A perfect place for Montez’s men to blend in and be invisible among the many Latinos who lived and worked here.

If they were being tailed, it wasn’t from the ground.

Just to be sure, he keyed the radio. “Grangeland, I’m going to pull over and check for a helicopter. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Copy.”

He pulled to the curb, climbed out, and scanned the sky. Nothing. He cupped his ears and listened. Again nothing. He supposed there could be a blacked-out helicopter way up there, but gave it long odds. Better to be certain.

“I’m a little uneasy about tonight’s op,” Harv said.

“I am too, but if we don’t get Montez, neither of us will ever sleep well again. We have to think about your family. And the Daltons.”

“I also don’t like the lack of intelligence. We have no idea what’s in that warehouse, or if it’s even the right place. We also don’t know its floor plan. There could be booby traps. It might be empty or full of armed mercenaries. When we went after Leonard Bridgestone, we had satellite images and live intelligence.”

“We’ll fall back on our training.”

“Nate, we’ve already made some big mistakes. Not to mention you’re seriously lacking adequate sleep and recovering from a nasty concussion.”

They drove in silence for a few minutes.

“Look, Nate, I‘m not trying to put a dark cloud over this, but I have to wonder if we’d be taking this kind of risk if we weren’t pursuing Montez.”

“Nichole Dalton and her girls could be in the warehouse. Montez could be torturing them right now.”

“You already said that, and I get it. But we can’t help them if we get ourselves killed.”

Again, Nathan said nothing. Didn’t need to. His friend was doing his job, being the voice of reason and good sense.

Harv turned left onto a street lined with smaller warehouses. Streetlights at every intersection threw lifeless, orange light onto oil stained asphalt. Up ahead, a semi pulled onto the street and headed toward them. Dual columns of smoke belched from its pipes. Nathan lowered his ball cap as it passed by.

“If it comes to it,” Harv asked, “will she hesitate at the moment of truth?”

“No way, not Grangeland.”

“I concur. If this goes to hell tonight, how do we protect her?”