Free Dangerous Times by Moira Callahan Page B

word?”
    “ Obviously, I just did. Didn’t you hear me?” Rhonda had a definite smirk on her face. Hitting a button on her steering column, she spoke when the system asked her what it wanted. “Call Shawn Camden.”
    Tamara felt her brows shoot up her forehead.
    “ Camden,” Shawn’s deep voice came over the line.
    “ Rhonda here,” her friend identified herself. “I hate to ask and, honestly, I already have a good idea about your answer, but I’m asking anyway.”
    “ Okay, shoot,” he said, his voice sounding tense now.
    “ Do you have any C&M staff following us around?” Rhonda shot her a look.
    “ No, I do not have any C&M staff following you around. Where are you? I’m going to get someone out there to try and trap this asshole.”
    Rhonda gave them the cross streets as they passed through an intersection.
    “ All right, I know the area. Keep heading north until you get to the mall. Hang a left there. I’ll have my guys drop in behind and in front of you and then maneuver to trap him between them. Any details on the vehicle?” Tamara could hear him moving around. A door opened and then she heard a muffled shout before the line cleared up again.
    “ Silver two-door, new model sports car. Can’t get the make from here, but the lights look like it might be a Camry. Don’t hold me to that. Whoever it is, he’s careful to stay back about six car lengths and keeps his moves to switch lanes after I do really delayed. Single occupant, looks to be wearing a hoodie. Can’t tell you for sure if it’s a man or a woman, but I’m guessing a guy just from the space filled.”
    “ Got it. I have Vincent coming, he’ll be in a big black F-150 and then I also have Bonita and Pauline coming in a red Fiat. Vincent will be in front of you and the ladies will slip in behind the guy. Once Vincent slides around you to cover your ass, get out of there,” Shawn said.
    “ Trust me, I’m all over it.”
    “ Tamara, how you doing, darling?” he asked gently.
    Blinking, she smiled and shrugged, which was dumb, he couldn’t see her. “I’m good. Rhonda knows what she’s doing, so I’m just along for the ride. And he hasn’t really done anything, so I’m okay.”
    “ Good,” he said. She could hear his sigh of relief. “Where are you at, Rhonda?”
    “ The mall is coming up in about three blocks. Five minutes at most, depending on that light, and we’ll be heading west.”
    “ Got it,” Shawn said. Again the phone muffled for a time. “They are close now, Rhonda. If you can, buy us a little more time. We need ten minutes to get in place.”
    “ Can do,” she told him. She switched lanes and put them behind a slow moving truck. The driver had a map out, looking around, obviously lost.
    For the next ten minutes, the line was open but pretty quiet. The only sounds were from Shawn talking to someone else.
    “ Passing the end of the mall parking lot,” Rhonda reported. “And I have a big and very black F-150 on my left. No sighting of the little red Fiat, though.”
    “ The ladies are behind him. Speed up a bit if you can so that Vincent can get behind you. Once he’s in place, take the first right you can that has a bit of cover so your tail won’t spot you peeling off. Then get your asses to the C&M offices,” Shawn said sharply.
    Rhonda looked ready to say something, but Tamara, laying a hand on her friends arm, shook her head slightly.
    “ Got it,” Rhonda said.
    Tamara just knew her friend was grinding her teeth.
    Grinning, she looked out the passenger side-window and waited. It really didn’t take long before Vincent was behind them and Rhonda found a good corner to turn off onto. A nice big truck blocked the entire view of them turning.
    Twenty minutes later, they were inside C&M and Shawn was there to scoop her up into his arms. Hugging him close, she let him usher them up the stairs and into his office. Once the door was shut, he loosened his hold a little.
    “ Thank you for looking