Ambush

Chapter 61

Alex took advantage of being alone in the Dominicans’ apartment. She didn’t just sit on the couch and wait. She did a good, thorough search of the place, putting everything back where she found it. To Alex, planning was a part of the job she enjoyed. With attention to detail and preparation, she felt ready all the time.

The kitchen drawers gave up something that really interested her. This creep had a photograph of her from the time when they had sat at the White Castle talking about things. It was clear that his friend had taken it somehow when she wasn’t paying attention. They had printed out at least two copies.

From a photographer’s point of view, the picture wasn’t that bad. He had been lucky to catch the light just right, and her hair was over her shoulder, away from her face. It was really quite flattering.

From another point of view, the fact that these men were serious enough about killing her to hand out photographs made her angry. She didn’t know how many were in the group, but it was definitely suffering some serious casualties. And it was only going to get worse.

In the next drawer there was an old-fashioned Smith & Wesson.38 revolver. It was the kind of weapon you used up close, for protection. It was small, simple, and reliable.

She took it out of the drawer and stuck it in her purse. She’d find a way to use it sometime.

The apartment had two bedrooms, and from what she could tell, at least two men lived there. They weren’t particularly tidy, and a nasty odor of stale beer and cigarette smoke hung in the air. She didn’t care for it at all.

She also found the photograph she had given them of Detective Michael Bennett, which she’d found on the Internet, but it was clear and showed the handsome detective’s face in full.

Her recent research on the Internet had turned up quite a bit of information about the detective. Since it was obvious she was the one who was going to finish the contract on him, she wanted to know everything she could.

Alex respected a man who adopted ten children. He’d been very smart and careful not to let any of the children’s photographs appear on the Internet. No news story carried any information about them. Several articles referenced the fact that he had adopted a number of children, but there was no mention of names or descriptions.

It was a shame someone felt that a man like this had to die, whereas no one really cared about incompetent idiots like the men who lived in this apartment. She hated doing something like this for no money, but she couldn’t risk their trying to kill her again. The answer was to send a strong and serious signal that no one should mess with her.

Just as she placed Bennett’s photo back in the folder on the cheap, shaky table, she heard the floor creak just outside the door.

She froze in place.

Then she heard the key slip into the lock.

The door started to open.