The Betrayal Read Online Free PDF Page B

think I’m going to sit here and do nothing?”
    â€œI don’t get the impression she’s in trouble.”
    â€œHow would you know?”
    â€œI don’t. But I’d be surprised if she was in danger and they weren’t telling you.”
    â€œThey’re keeping something from me.”
    â€œYou’ll find out this morning. Jack will tell you. How can he not?”
    â€œFrancisco, I’m sorry I got you in the middle of this.”
    â€œI’m here to help. Just tell me what I can do.”
    Before Boone could answer, Jack Keller swept in wearing his dress blues, something Boone hadn’t seen in a long time. Boone stood and took a breath to start in with his questions, but Jack stopped him with a gesture, then shook Sosa’s hand as the pastor stood.
    â€œI appreciate your getting here so quickly, sir,” Jack said. “Now, I’m sorry to have to ask you to leave us, as we have confidential business. Forgive me.”
    â€œNot at all,” Sosa said. “I’ll be in touch, Boone.”
    â€œWait,” Boone said. “As long as you’re both here—Jack, Pastor Sosa needs to be cleared to meet with Candelario. I was making some progress with PC, and—”
    â€œWay ahead of you, Boone,” Francisco said. “Chief Keller already set that up, and I’ve already been there. Pascual remains very moved that you were willing to take a bullet for him. Believe me, it gave him a living picture of the sacrificial love of—”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    Sosa glanced at Keller as if for permission. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy within an inch of my life.”
    â€œNot secrecy from me!” Boone said. “What in the world, Jack?”
    â€œSit down, Boones,” Keller said. “Push that door shut, would you, Pastor?”
    As Sosa grabbed a chair, Boone said, “I don’t want to sit down. I want out of here. I want to find Haeley and then I want to visit Pascual.”
    â€œYou’re going to sit down or I’m not gonna tell you anything. You looked in a mirror lately? All dressed up but lookin’ like Shinola. I’m no doctor, but you look to me like if you don’t sit down you’re gonna be on the floor in sixty seconds.”
    Boone reluctantly sat.
    Keller dragged over a chair and leaned forward, speaking softly. “I got to say, CPD bought the best safe house we’ve ever had. Because it’s in DuPage County rather than Cook—Addison, actually—nobody with a brain suspects it. It’s an old junkyard with a Quonset hut and a couple of mangy dogs. Twelve-foot-high fence with razor wire along the top. Junk all over. Old guy who put it up for sale had it overpriced. All he wanted was to cash in and move back to the South. CPD paid cash through a dummy buyer, and the old guy was gone the next day, no questions asked and everything left just the way it was—dogs and all.
    â€œTook us about a week to make the place impenetrable and redo the inside. We ferried Candelario and his mother and baby in there after midnight in a couple of impounded cars and a beat-up old pickup. Place is stocked like a hotel and comfortable.
    â€œIt’s at the end of a long, unpaved drive, and nobody gets in there except on purpose. We have all kinds of signs that say the junkyard is closed, and we’ve had only a couple of cars that got that far and U-turned out of there. It’s perfect.”
    â€œIt is,” Pastor Sosa said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
    â€œGreat,” Boone said. “I’m going to want to get there at least once before surgery. Now tell me that for some reason you’ve got Haeley there too.”
    Keller pressed his lips together and Boone went cold. Finally Jack turned to Sosa. “Now I really do have to excuse you, sir. Sorry.”
    The pastor rose. “I’m going to get out to see Pascual before heading back to