End Game (Will Robie #5)(87)

“Can you give me her cell phone number?”

The man did so. “If you find her tell her she’s persona non grata with me.”

He left them to continue prepping for the night’s event.

Robie took out his phone and made the call. He gave the Agency person the cell phone number. “We need a fix on her location ASAP. I’ll hold.”

Two minutes went by and then the voice came back on. Robie listened and said, “Thanks.” He clicked off.

“He’s sending me her coordinates.”

A beep on his phone came and he looked at the screen.

“Shit, she’s right nearby. Come on.”

Following the map on his phone, Robie and Reel left the hotel and turned left. Robie spotted the alleyway about fifty feet down from the hotel entrance.

“It says she’s right down there.”

“This isn’t looking good, Robie.”

She pulled her gun. Robie did the same.

They walked to the alley and turned down it. “This is the right side of the hotel,” noted Robie.

They approached the truck parked there. Its back roll-up door was still open. A door to the building was standing open.

Inside the truck was a slot machine. “This must be where they were unloading their stuff for the event,” said Reel.

“There are two other cars here, neither of them Drango’s.”

“Maybe she came in another car,” suggested Reel.

“It’s possible.” He looked at his phone. “The signal from her phone shows it’s farther down the alley.”

They walked past the truck and the two parked cars after peering into them to make sure they were empty. They continued on until they were very near the end of the alley.

“Robie!” said Reel.

He had already spotted what she had.

The Dumpster against the wall. There was a phone lying in front of it.

Robie raced forward and picked it up. “I’m guessing this is hers. But where is Drango?” He glanced at the Dumpster.

Reel had joined him by then and took a peek inside the Dumpster. She moved aside some trash and took a closer look.

“Well, Beverly Drango won’t be working any more casino gigs.”

And that was when the bullet hit the Dumpster an inch from her face.





CHAPTER





50


Robie pushed Reel down right before another round struck directly where she had been standing.

They slid along the asphalt, then Robie gained traction with his feet and pulled Reel behind the Dumpster.

“Shot came two clicks to the left,” said Robie, as Reel righted herself and peered around the corner of the metal container.

“Thanks for the assist.” She paused. “I can’t seem to get out of my own way lately.”

Robie realized how hard this was for her to admit, but now was not the time to discuss the point with his partner.

“You think they’re still out there?” she said.

“If they are, we can take care of that.”

He pulled his phone, punched in 911, and reported shots fired and a body in a Dumpster at their location.

Only a minute passed before they heard the sirens.

That was followed by feet rushing away.

“More than one,” noted Reel.

“Go, go,” urged Robie.

They leapt up and ran down the alley after the sounds of the retreating shooters.

They emerged from the alley and looked around.

“There,” said Reel.

A van was accelerating down the street away from them.

“Shit,” exclaimed Robie as the van turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

“Move it,” said Reel as the sirens grew closer.

They turned in the other direction and were soon back at their SUV.

“License plate on the van?” said Robie.

“It didn’t have one. At least on the rear.”

Robie started the vehicle and they pulled out onto the street as a police car flashed past to stop next to another cruiser that was parked at the opening of the alley. He turned in the opposite direction and sped up. They were soon on their way out of Denver and back to Grand.

“So there goes Beverly Drango,” said Robie. “You sure it was her?”

Reel hiked her eyebrows and Robie said, “Okay. So there goes our last lead.”

“Well, somebody keeps killing them,” replied Reel.

“And they tried to kill us too. And now I’m thinking this whole thing was a setup.”

“They knew we were coming to see Drango tonight. They killed her and waited around to kill us. When we went looking for her and slipped down the alley, it was perfect for them.”

“Only they missed,” said Robie.

“But they wouldn’t have the second time, so I’d be dead but for you,” replied Reel slowly, her gaze rigid as she looked out the windshield. “I froze again.”

“It happens.”

“No, it doesn’t. At least not to me. But it keeps happening. To me. And one time you’re not going to be there, Robie. Or you will be and I’ll be the reason you get killed. I can’t let that happen.”

“I don’t see it that way.”