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Mouse continued, ignoring Ghost’s comment. “I started looking into property tied to current and former Nomad Knights.”
“What did you find?” Monster asked.
“There's an old farm northwest of town,” Monster said.
“Who’s the owner?” Hammer asked.
“Property bounced around through three shell companies, but one eventually connects to Caleb Mercer,” Mouse said. That was Razor’s legal name.
“How far away is it?” Monster asked.
“Seventeen minutes,” Mouse said.
Jackhammer opened the door, and Monster grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“To the other truck.”
“Why?” Monster asked.
“Because if I sit next to Ghost another seventeen minutes, one of us is going to kill the other,” he said. “We both have too much to lose if this all goes to shit.
Ghost turned in the seat. “Fuck you.”
“See, that just proves my point. Plus, I need to drive because doing nothing is driving me fucking insane.” Monster released him, and Jackhammer stepped outside. Cold air hit him in the face, and he looked up at the night sky. There was nearly a full moon, and clouds drifted across it. Halloween was three weeks away, but the entire night felt like something out of one of Monster's ridiculous haunted houses. Except this wasn't fake. Angel was out there, and she was probably scared, and maybe hurt. Jackhammer couldn't think about that right now.
He walked toward the second SUV and then stopped. Something lay on the cracked pavement near the old gas pump. It was small and white. Jackhammer crouched to look at it. It was a piece of paper—no, it was a photograph. He picked it up, and his blood went cold.
“Ghost,” he shouted.
The SUV door opened immediately, and Ghost was beside him seconds later. “What’s up?” Jackhammer handed him the picture, and he stared at it. The photo was a picture of Angel. She was unconscious, and someone had photographed her lying in the back of a vehicle. Ghost stared at it and then flipped it over to find two words.
TOO SLOW
Ghost crumpled the photograph in his big hand. “Motherfucker.”
Monster got out of the truck and walked over to them. “Where'd you find it?” he asked.
“Right there,” Hammer said, pointing to the ground.
Monster looked around. “This was waiting for us.”
Jackhammer understood. “They know we're coming.”
“Yep,” Monster agreed.
Ghost reached for his gun. “Good.”
Monster looked at him. “Good?”
Ghost's expression was empty. “Means we're getting close to her.”
They drove to the coordinates that Mouse provided and found the old farm. It looked abandoned, with no lights on. There were no vehicles and no movement. Monster parked half a mile away, and they approached on foot. Jackhammer hated every second of it because he wanted to run. He wanted to shout Angel's name as he tore every building apart until he found her. Instead, he moved quietly with Ghost beside him and Monster ahead of them. The others spread out, giving them a wide perimeter.
Mouse's voice came softly through Jackhammer's earpiece. “Main house hasn't had electricity service in six years.”
“What about the barn?” Jackhammer whispered.
“Nothing registered,” Mouse said. Ghost pointed, and Jackhammer saw it right away. There was an orange light coming from the barn. It was faint and flickering through gaps in the boards of the barn.
