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"What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.
"I found something," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "In Dina's study. She was keeping records of everything. Suspicious activities, meetings... It looks like she knew about the drug operation. I think she was killed because of it."
Danny's eyes widened, and he put down his coffee, coming over to look at the papers I held. "Holy shit. This is big."
"We need to go through these and see if there's anything that ties directly to Tom or anyone else involved," I said, feeling a newfound determination. "We have to finish what Dina started."
He nodded, his expression serious. "You're right. Let's do it."
We spread the papers out on the kitchen table, each of us sifting through the notes and entries, cross-referencing dates and descriptions. The more we read, the clearer it became that Dina had been onto something major. Her notes were careful, documenting every odd occurrence, every shady character that had come through the ranch.
"Look at this," Danny said, pointing to a particular entry. "This date matches up with one of the shipments Ricky mentioned. Dina knew exactly when and where things were happening."
"She even noted the vehicles," I added, my finger tracing the description of a black sedan that had been spotted multiple times. "This is the same car that's been tailing you."
Danny's jaw tightened. "This confirms it. Dina was on their radar, and they took her out to protect their operation."
I felt a surge of anger and sadness, the loss of my aunt hitting me all over again. "We have to make sure they pay for this. For everything."
He reached across the table, squeezing my hand. "We will. But we need to be smart about it. This is dangerous territory, and they're already on high alert."
I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "What's our next move?"
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Danny
Iwatched Tom through the binoculars, the dim light of the early morning making it hard to see. He was talking to a couple of guys who looked like they meant business. These weren’t just local thugs; they were high-profile, the kind that didn’t mess around. My gut twisted as I listened to the snippets of their conversation through the directional microphone.
"Shipment's on schedule," Tom said through his walkie, his voice carrying the calm authority of someone used to being in charge. "Make sure everything is in place. We can’t afford any slip-ups this time."
The other man, a tall guy with a scar running down his cheek, nodded. "Got it. But what about the cops? They’ve been sniffing around too much lately."
Tom’s expression darkened. "We’ve got that under control. Just stick to the plan."
I shifted slightly, my muscles tense from holding the same position for too long. The wind rustled the leaves around me, masking the slight noise of my movements. I couldn’t afford to be seen or heard. This was my chance to gather concrete evidence, something that would tie Tom directly to the drug operation.
The conversation continued, detailing drop-off points and payment schedules. Every word was a nail in Tom’s coffin. My phone buzzed softly in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Heather: "Tyler's planning something. Need to talk."
Shit. Tyler. Heather had mentioned her suspicions, but I hadn’t wanted to believe it. Now, it seemed like he was another piece of this fucked-up puzzle. I needed to wrap this up and get back to the ranch.
Tom and his men finished their conversation, shaking hands before parting ways. I waited until they were out of sight before slipping away, careful to leave no trace of my presence. As I made my way back to the car, my mind raced. We had a lead on the shipment, and now Heather’s warning about Tyler. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
I drove back to the station, the morning sun just starting to break over the horizon. I needed to brief the team to get everything in place for the operation tonight.
Inside the station, the atmosphere was tense. The deputies were on edge, sensing that something big was about to go down. I gathered them in the briefing room, spreading out the intel on the table.
"Listen up," I said, my voice firm. "We’ve got a shipment coming in tonight, midnight at the old barn. Tom’s involved, and we need to catch him in the act. This is our chance to shut down this operation for good."
One of the deputies, a young guy named Harris, raised his hand. "What about backup? This sounds like it could get dangerous."
"We’ll have backup," I assured him. "But we need to be smart about this. They’ll expect a big show of force, so we’re going to take a different approach. We’ll move in quietly, catch them by surprise."
The room buzzed with nervous energy. Everyone knew the stakes were high. If we screwed this up, the consequences would be severe.
After the briefing, I called Heather. Her voice was a mix of relief and worry when she answered. "What's going on? Did you find anything?"
"Yeah," I said, leaning against the wall. "Tom’s meeting with some serious players. We’ve got a lead on the shipment tonight. But I need to know more about Tyler. What did you find?"
