Wow. If she were Dodge she'd have killed the bitch who killed his son. She was going to kill the bastard who killed her brother. Then she wondered how it all ended with his ex but wasn't sure it was something she should ask. Before she could screw up the courage, the Beast slowed before them and she looked out her window to the right.

Mags’s house looked just like it did in the pictures Gaige had shown them. Perched high up on a hill, about three to four hundred yards from the road sat her palatial home. The flowers looked as they had in the pictures which meant they were fairly recent and likely from a drone nearby. GHOST worked with local law enforcement when they could. Pulling up her phone she tapped the icon for Wyatt, then the speaker icon and waited for his answer.

"Yeah."

"Gaige's pictures looked recent based on what I'm seeing now. Did he get drone footage from our friendly?"

"Not sure. Why does it matter?"

"Because, I'm guessing that Mags isn't the one taking care of that lush landscaping around her home. Everything looks perfect. So in some of that footage, I wonder if there was a lawn crew working here. Maybe a couple of us can go in as landscapers and check things out around the grounds."

"That's fabulous, Jax. Let me find out what I can from Gaige. Out."

She tapped the camera icon on her phone and readied it to snap pictures. At the same time, she pulled her lip gloss microphone from her bag and twisted the cap to turn it on. Rolling her window down she put her lip gloss in her mouth to hold it and aimed her camera at the fence and posts along the perimeter of the property as they drove slowly past. After Mags’s property was out of sight, she tapped her phone again and uploaded the recording from her microphone. Once she finished she explained to Dodge.

"This microphone can pick up the sounds from a security system. It emits vibrations as it works. We'll know if Mags has one in a few minutes."

Dodge chuckled again. "I can't wait to get my hands on some of these gadgets."

"Usually you wouldn't be on missions with us until you saw all the goodies, but this whole thing happened fast because of circumstance. Once we finish this mission, you'll all get your own goodies. Our designer is good and will fit something that will work for you. Smokers get little lighters - though we don't have any now. My dad was a smoker and I still have his lighter, but I don't use it. He'll interview you and figure it all out. I have a compact in my duffle that's a camera. Josh and Wyatt have buttons on their shirts for a reason." She smiled at the look on his face. "I even have a pair of earrings that are cameras."

"That's so fucking amazing." They wove through the Ozark mountains a few miles before her phone rang.

She answered it with the speaker on. "Hi Gaige, what'cha got?"

"I hope answers to your questions. Yes, Mags uses a landscaping company and they're scheduled to come out every day to water, prune, and deadhead the flowers and perennials. Twice a week they mow and luckily for us that's today around noon. So, they'll come in three man crews. Josh and Ford are going in with them today to look around. I’ve got it worked out with the landscaping company and they’re eager to cash the big bonus they’ll be receiving. Josh and Ford will be on the mowers so they can travel the entire property, or at least the parts that are mowed. You, Dodge, and Wyatt will be on the perimeter hiding and they'll swing by with intel as they have it so you can report back to me. There's a barn on the grounds, hidden from the road that I want you three to get inside if you can and see what's in there. The guys will help you get on the grounds unseen. Take pictures and audio. Go in armed just in case."

Dodge nodded his head as Gaige spoke, which made her smile. He was ready and so was she. Dodge then asked, "Any signs of Mangus in these parts?"

"Not yet. But Lincoln and Hawk just saw his deep red Buick leaving town. We've got a drone following him for as far as we can, which will only be about fifty miles, but we suspect he's on his way down to the Ozarks. I'll let you know when we get confirmation of that. We've managed to secure three informants in the area. Farmers who are sick of the extortion. We're hoping to get a few more."

"That's perfect." She smiled as it seemed that things were coming together for them.

Gaige finished, "Great intel this morning you two. I've managed to clean the audio file you got. Mags has that diamond and they are planning to cut it up and sell it off in pieces. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of a cutting operation. That could be anything from a small living quarters where they'd keep the jeweler, trucks coming and going, crates and packages shuffling from location to location or anything similar."

"What about ordering a hit, did she do that, too?" She had to ask.

"Yes. Someone named Stan. He's not complying she said."

"Stan!" She swallowed and looked at Dodge. "The old man we met in the square?"

He cleared his throat. "Any description or details about who Stan is? We met a Stan this morning. He looked to be well into his eighties and he didn't speak to highly of Mags. Seems he owns a small country store in the square in Kingsdale, just across from Mags’s restaurant."

"No description. Just that she needed the area secured and Stan wasn't complying."

Her heart dropped. He seemed nice enough and in some weird way she wondered if he'd approached them as a way to reach out to someone. Anyone.

Her voice softened. "Dodge, we need to go back and see if we can talk to him. He might have information for us if he's the Stan she's targeting and we might be able to save him."

He looked away from the road long enough to lock eyes with her. She saw him swallow then look to the road again. It was a brief moment before he said, "Okay."

"You two stay safe and check in. By just after noon, you need to be in the back of Mags’s property to get intel from Josh and Ford."

"Okay." She ended the call and looked straight ahead. "We have two hours to get to Kingsdale and back."

She pulled up a map of Kingsdale on her phone and searched for an alternate way in. "Here, I've got a back way and it looks like it comes in alongside Stan's store. So, maybe there's parking in the back."

"That's great, Jax." He turned down the first road that took them back to Kingsdale and her heart began to race. This could be their first real test as a team, though they'd managed so far. And this could bring them one step closer to Mangus.