Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
I have about an hour to myself before others start staggering in looking for the coffee pot and a quick breakfast.
By eight, everyone is ready, and we head into the conference room for a debrief before we head out.
"You have your assignments," Kincaid says from the front of the room. "I want one man to stay on the vehicles and never leave them unattended, so we don't have to scan them coming back onto the property. I don't want a second of delay getting them here."
"Everyone was instructed to pack yesterday evening, so there shouldn't be any issues this morning," Shadow adds. "Team A will load the women. Team B will load their property after they've left."
"Rivet," Kincaid says, directing his attention to her. "You're going to drive Dana and the kids. I think that she'll do better with a female."
Rivet nods, accepting her task.
"I'll have a meeting with them when they get back," Kincaid continues. "That will give Team B enough time to get back and unload the belongings into their rooms. There's a chart in the app that says what goes where, and the women were given instructions on how to label their things, so nothing gets mixed up."
"Em, Misty, and Beth will go along with us," Shadow says. "So the women feel more comfortable. I'm driving Misty and picking up Caroline, Traci, and Kayla. Kincaid will take Em and Beth and will return with Melissa. Kid, Dominic, and Itchy will take additional vehicles as backup if needed. Holler and Nyx will drive their own SUVs, and Legend and Thumper will be in the box truck. Recon, Jinx, Grinch, and Harley are on detail at the shelter right now. Two will follow us with the women, and the other two will stay behind to help load so it goes quickly."
"Are there any questions?" Kincaid asks.
No one speaks up. We all know our jobs.
"Keep them safe, and get them here quickly," Kincaid says. "Let's get to work."
We file out of the conference room, and I take a second to look toward the kitchen, but it's empty. Juliet isn't in the common area either.
It's not that I have to see her to know she's safe, but I walk out the front door and get into my SUV, feeling a little disappointed that I haven't caught a glimpse of her yet today.
The drive to the shelter is silent. I don't even bother to turn on the radio.
The convoy of SUVs draws attention as we make our way through town, but I pay the gawking people no mind, other than to scan faces to see if Whitmore is anywhere near.
The guys who stayed behind yesterday said he walked off after everyone was gone, but somehow disappeared into a group of people like he was a fucking figment of our imagination.
So we don't know what he's driving or where he's staying.
I stay in my SUV, as do the others tasked with loading the property, until the women have left the house, gotten into their respective vehicles, and pulled away.
Since we're only moving personal belongings, this won't take us long at all, but stepping into Juniper House is a little surreal for me.
We've never been allowed in here before, and all the furniture had been moved in prior to my move to New Mexico.
Totes, numbered for our ease when we get back to the clubhouse, line the walls just inside the house.
"Do we check the rooms and make sure they have everything?" Holler asks, deferring the question to Legend since he's been with Cerberus longer than the two of us.
"No," Legend answers quickly. "We were told to grab what's down here. It would feel like a violation to go deeper into the house."
Holler nods, as if he agrees and maybe was thinking the same thing.
"Not much stuff for five women and two kids," Thumper grumbles, looking at the stacks of totes.
"I only counted four leaving the house," Holler says. "Where's number five?"
We all freeze, our eyes darting to the stairs.
"Which one was missing?" I ask.
We're very organized, so I know there's no chance someone didn't get one of the women they knew they were responsible for.
"Traci," Victoria says as she steps out of the office.
"The pregnant woman?" I ask.
She nods. "She didn't want to go."
I don't grill her for answers, but I wonder how that will play out where Juliet is concerned.
"So we need to keep people outside the house?" I ask, feeling a little weird to be inside right now if one woman is still here."
"No," she answers. "We've made other arrangements for her."
"Sounds good," Thumper says. "We're on a clock. Let's get this loaded up."
"I was told to follow you," Victoria says ten minutes later, when all the personal belongings are loaded into the box truck and secured. "I have to have a conversation with Kincaid about Andrea and Denise."