Thankfully there was nothing from Raeburn, but he did have a message. “Huh.”

Liza paused, a slice of pizza an inch from her mouth. “What? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s a text from Jeff Bunker.” He turned it so that she could see the message from the sixteen-year-old journalism major.

Got a promising lead on search for Craig Hickman. Expect news early in the am East Coast time. Will text when I know more.

“Who’s Craig Hickman?” Liza asked.

“He was the college kid who first exposed Pastor’s embezzlement from the church in L.A. He was beaten severely and then his parents’ house was burned down. Pastor’s followers were suspects. Craig disappeared shortly after that.”

Her eyes widened. “He was killed?”

“No. One of Jeff’s journalist mentors said he changed his name and moved away.”

“That was probably smart,” she murmured. “Why is Jeff looking for him?”

“I think he wants to write the story of his career when Eden’s found. He’s looking for all the background, and Craig Hickman is important because he started it all when he exposed Pastor’s crimes. He’s keeping me up to date because I’m curious as well. Let me text him a quick thanks and then we can eat.”

She smiled. “And then we can play.”

GRANITE BAY, CALIFORNIA

MONDAY, MAY 29, 3:30 A.M.

Cop or Fed?

DJ studied the figure behind the wheel of the black sedan parked in front of Kowalski’s house. The sedan had been there when he’d arrived hours before and hadn’t moved. The driver wore a dark suit and tie. So probably a Fed. Possibly an undercover cop.

He thought of the trash he’d left in the can the day he’d packed his things and left the Yuba City house. Kowalski had touched a few of those cans. Maybe they’d gotten his prints, too.

That was a satisfying thought. But it could also be someone from a rival gang, out to end Kowalski, which wasn’t a bad thought, either. Whoever it was, DJ needed to get rid of them before he made his own move.

The fence around Kowalski’s—or Anthony Ward’s—large estate was tall and likely electrified. However, the satellite view on Google Maps showed several large trees along the fence at the rear of the property. Depending on how old the satellite photos were, those trees could be even taller or possibly trimmed so that their limbs no longer hung over the fence. He was banking on the former, because that was how he planned to breach Kowalski’s stronghold.

Kowalski had taught him that move, too. He would be so proud.

He’d thought a lot about Kowalski and had concluded that the man couldn’t be convinced to back off. DJ needed to either kill him or get the weapons he was looking for, finish the job he’d started with Mercy and Gideon, then disappear.

It was possible that none of Kowalski’s weapons were stored here, but DJ wasn’t leaving until he’d found either enough firepower to take out the Sokolov house with Mercy Callahan in it or something to trade for what he needed. If he had to, he’d take Kowalski’s kid.