Chapter Twenty-Seven
" said a couple of customers saw two goons hauling Echo into a dark colored van!" Cece shouted as she burst through the door. "They said there was some twisty white design on the side, but they didn't recognize it."
"Why the hell didn't they say anything?" I shouted.
"Believe me, I wanted to know the same damn thing," Cece said. "They said they though it was a movie scene because the guys looked so stereotypically Jersey. They didn't believe that guys like that exist anywhere other than the movies. Can you believe that?"
"That's bullshit!" I fumed. "They could have stopped the whole thing! Now we have no way of finding her!"
"Whoa, easy does it, Seal," Cece said as she grabbed my arm and shoved her phone in front of my face. "One of the guys snapped a photo and I had him forward it to me."
I grabbed her phone and stared at the picture of two huge guys wearing dark colored tracksuits. From the back all I could see was that they were holding on to Echo as they dragged her limp form toward a van at the curb. The logo and the company name on the side was obscured by one of the goons, but the front of side passenger door had a picture of twisted strands of what looked like DNA.
"We need to figure out who owns that van," I said as I enlarged the picture trying to get a clearer view of the door.
"Already on it, Seal," Cece said as she took the phone back and began rapidly tapping on the screen. "I've got my guys on the lookout for vans in the area with those markings."
"And how in the world are your vast array of boyfriends going to find a single van in the middle of Manhattan," I asked as I picked up my phone and wondered if I should call Commander Donnelly. It wasn't that I thought the Navy would come to Echo's rescue, but I did think that having the input of a man used to calling the shots in intense situations might help me focus on what I needed to do to get Echo back safely.
"I'll have you know I am an equal opportunity dater," Cece shot back as she continued tapping. "I'm putting out the 911 to everyone I know and some of those guys are in law enforcement."
"No! Don't get the police involved!" I said. "If you do, then we're going to have to explain the situation with my father's lab and Julian will know that there's information he's not supposed to have."
"I'm concerned, but not stupid, Seal," Cece said shooting me a look that told me not to question her again.
"I didn't say you were stupid," I replied. "I just said..."
"You told me not to do something I already knew not to do, Captain Obvious," she huffed. "Just let me do what I do best and call in some favors. You figure out how we're going to get into your dad's office and find those keys and then figure out how we're going to get into that lab if we can't find the keys."
"Fine," I said grudgingly as I pulled up the map of the TriCorp building and started plotting out our moves. It wasn't going to be easy, but the more I learned about Cece, the more I felt like she was someone I could trust to have my back. "Hey Cece, what's the deal with the lab?"
"When Echo and I were in the office, she had me looking for keys that your dad said he left," she said as she finished tapping out yet another message and then put the phone down. "She said he'd left a clue telling her where the lab keys were and that if she didn't find the keys she'd have to code her way in because trying to blow it up would seal the door permanently."
"Great, so the c-4 was a waste of time," I said with a weak laugh.
"Oh, I think we might have other uses for that, my friend," Cece said as her phone began frantically buzzing. She picked it up and her eyes widened as she read the screen.
"What?" I asked.
"Someone has a lead on the van, I think," she said as her eyes flicked back and forth. "They said they saw a dark van with the twisty white design on the door headed into a parking garage on 19th Street. That's where TriCorp is!"
"They took her to the building?" I said. "Nah, they aren't that stupid, are they?"
"Apparently they are," Cece said as she read the text. "Saw the van pulling into the garage under big green glass building on 19th. Looked like a cleaning crew to me. IDK."
"We need to get into that building," I said as I picked up the pistols and handed one to Cece. "You okay with this?"
"Yeah, I'm good, Seal," she smiled as she took a magazine from me and slammed it in place. "I got this one."
"All right, let's go over the plan one more time," I said looking at my watch. It hadn't felt like it, but hours had passed and it was almost time for Cece's guys to drop off the van. We discussed how we were going to get inside and what we'd do if we got caught. It was a risky plan, but it seemed like the only way we were going to be able to get what we needed to negotiate Echo's release.
"Inside, get the keys, up to the seventeenth floor and open the lab, find the cypher and then get the hell out," she repeated as her phone buzzed again. "Hey, the guys are downstairs, let's go."
I pulled on a dark hoodie over my t-shirt before grabbing the bag and heading out the door. As we ran down the stairs, I said a little prayer to the spirit of Opie Morgan and asked him to watch over us on this mission.
"C'mon, Seal!" Cece hollered as she hit the front door and turned to look at me with a grin. "What do I have to do to motivate your ass to get moving?"
"Hooyah, I'm moving!" I bellowed as I grinned back.
"Hooyah? That's what we have to yell?" she said. "Huh, interesting. Okay, Hooyah!"
"I hate to break it to you, cupcake, but you haven't earned the right to holler hooyah," I said.
"Right, gotcha," Cece said as she shot me a fiercely disapproving look. We walked quickly through Nemo's toward the back alley slowing only when Mando demanded to know where we were headed. Cece shot him a second look that rendered him silent until the three of us were out in the alley.
"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Mando demanded.
"We're on a mission," Cece said as she checked the van and gave her friend's workers a thumbs up before telling them to make themselves scarce. "We need to pick up a few things."
"Are you going to tell me what this mission is about?" he said grabbing her arm and spinning her around.
"No, I am not going to tell you, my brother," she said sweetly. "Because it's none of your fuckin' business."
"Nice, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" he said wavering between irritated and worried. He looked to me, but all I did was shrug. Cece was running this part of the show and I wasn't about to alienate my only ally. "Cece, tell me what's going on or I'm coming with you."
"You cannot come with us," she said starting at him. "Absolutely out of the question. What if Echo calls Nemo's and needs to get a message through? What then? You're my point person, stay alert and pay attention. That's what I need you to do. Got it?"
"You're such a bossy bitch," Mando said shaking his head. "Fine, I'll be here, but you'd better text or call the minute you know something. I don't like being left in the dark."
"Don't sweat it," I said slapping him on the back. "When Cece runs the show we're all a little bit in the dark."
"You got that, bro!" Mando laughed as he grabbed his sister and hugged her tightly before she pulled away and shook it off.
"Don't get all mushy on me," she said. "I'm gonna go find Echo and be back in time for breakfast. Got it?"
"Vayan con Dios," Mando said as Cece motioned for me to get up into the passenger seat.
"Oh please, give me a break," Cece said as she rolled her eyes, flipped her hair over her shoulder and then fired up the van. "I've got a SEAL with me, what the hell else could I possibly need?"
Mando shook his head as she put the van into drive and headed down the alley toward the street. I looked at her and hoped that her faith in me wasn't misplaced.