290 The Waiting Game

(Jayden)

I'm pacing the length of the room, my eyes flicking to Gus's laptop every few seconds. The signal from Winona's GPS tracker hasn't moved in thirty minutes. My stomach churns with anxiety.

Every second that ticks by feels like an eternity. "Are they just standing still?

"No, we've lost satellite transmission."

I had high hopes when I could see the van on the road but that froze soon after.

Gus sits at the desk, calm and focused as he types away. He's too calm. How can he be so calm?

"They should have made contact by now," I say, unable to keep the frustration out of my voice.

"The van crashed. It went off road before it got to the interception point. They've just tracked it down." Gus replies, not looking up from the screen. "Crashed?" I snap. "Are they okay?"

Gus finally looks up, his expression neutral. "They aren't there. A dead guy in the back. The driver and passenger both died too."

"Fuck! Where are Winona and Cass?"

"We assume they are alive."

"Assume?" Winona is out there, with Cass, in the middle of goddamn Mexico, and we're sitting here like everything's under control. "Fuck off, Gus. You promised. I will go there. I don't give a shit about any of your Nexus Global bullshit." "There're tracks. Jeep tracks. They are following them now, but we think we have a location. There's an abandoned airstrip."

I run a hand through my hair, pulling at the roots in frustration. "What if something's happened? What if="

"Don't," Gus cuts me off, his voice sharp. "You need to trust the process. My team is the best there is."

"Yeah, well, your best hasn't exactly inspired a lot of confidence so far." I say, pacing again.

Then there's a loud beeping alarm the same as when Winona pressed the button to signal she and Cass were together.

"Ah, that's it, Winona. Well done!" Gus practically jumps out of his seat.

"What?" I rush over to the screen. And I see the signal bleeping from a totally different place now.

"Winona has pressed the button again resetting their location for us. I can safely assume they are still together and alive."

"Or someone found that transmitter in her hair."

"Either way, we know where they are."

+25 BOWS

20 The Waiting Game

"Maybe." I don't want to be negative but all the things that could have gone wrong play in my head.

Maybe they are somewhere injured, and the cartels have the transmitter.

Gus makes a call. "We got a location. Move in. Kill If you have to. We need them out of there as fast as possible. Get them to the safe plane at the nearest village."

Now I'm really panicked. I hope they don't got caught in any crossfire.

Gus takes a call around fifteen minutes later. He listens for a while and then talks to me. "They got them."

"Winona and Cass are safe?"

Gus nods and the relief floods through me.Content is © 2024 .

"Are they okay?"

Gus is listening again. "There's a problem."

"What?"

Gus grins. "They are barricaded into a small room and Winona won't let them in."

"That's my lady," I say.

"Indeed, but we need to get them out."

"Right. What's the problem?"

"They are negotiating her opening the door. She says the others had a Nexus Global card, so how can she believe them?"

"Tell them to tell her something only you would know."

"Tell Winona Gus said thanks for pushing the transmitter alarm button again. That's how we found them. Then show her your symbol in your tattoo and tell her some details about me. Give her the phone." I hope t

this works because moving them out fast is what we need right now. A few minutes pass.

"They have eyes on them. Winona has a semi-automatic rifle on them."

"Hand her the phone." Gus instructs and then he hands his phone to me.

I put it to my ear.

"H.Hello.. Gus?" Her voice is loud and clear. My heart dances..

"Winona! You're okay!"

Jayden! Oh my God. We're okay. We're okay!" Her tired voice bubbles with happiness.

"Just let them get you out of there. You need to get moving."

"I love you. See you soon.

I hand the phone back to Gus. "You did it. Thanks."

200 The Wasting Game

"Thank me when they are back in the US. But nothing will go wrong from here. My team is too strong. They'll be here by nightfall,"

"That has been the longest 24 hours of my life."

"Welcome to Nexus Global life."

"No. No way. I don't know how you do it. Do not leave that to me in your will."

Gus grins. "Once I wipe everything away, all you'll have left is a trillion-dollar set of companies."

"Sounds a bit boring, but I'll cope."

"Let's focus on getting this operation finalized. Maria is expecting me at her house for dinner."

"In Cuba?"

"I may be a little late."

""You think?"

"Gabriel is with her."

I snap to attention. "What does that mean?"

"She said he had no clue Cass was missing. He'd been getting messages from her phone. She told him I had sorted her getting back home and she didn't want to see him again. So he escorted his mother and sisters home." "Do you believe that?"

I believe that Maria believes it and that's enough for me right now. I'm going to enjoy dinner with her. She's a good woman.... if I had my time over..."

He stops.

"Well, you will have a lot of time on your hands now, not having a super spy company to run."

"Yes, I suppose I will." Gus focuses back on the laptop. "Now let's get your lady home so you two can have that damn wedding!"

"Yes." I want that more than anything.

This time I'm walking her up the damn aisle myself to be sure she gets

there.