Chapter 32 Trackers
Dante's POV
I pushed myself back in my chair so hard it nearly toppled over. Even the table felt the force of my shock as what Nico said could be the missing piece.
"What do you mean?" I asked into the phone with a sharp voice, much higher than I expected. I gripped the phone tightly to my ear, not caring if it broke under my grip.
Nico's tone remained composed on the other end of the call. "Don, it's something you better see than hear about. Just come."
I went quiet for a long second, my mind was turning and swimming with different possibilities, over and over again. Something told me it had a thing to do with the crash last night.
I was rammed off the road, fired at, and now this? When will I ever get a break? I asked but answered myself immediately, not in this life.
I hummed aloud, thinking for a second more before returning to the call. "Okay, Nico. I'm on my way."
I hung up immediately after that, not waiting for more. I closed up the files on my desk quickly, placing all the shipments logs, cash flows, and all that remaining crap where they should be before shutting down the computer.
I double checked to be sure I've locked up the drawers with all the sensitive stuff, ledgers and files no one else should ever see or touch. There were contracts whose price weighed more than a human's head.
I ensured everything was secured and tight, leaving no loose ends before I got up.
I put my chair where it should be before storming out and pushing the door open with a force. I turned my head to the side as I stepped out of the office door. My secretary had jumped up from her desk at the sudden sound.
I didn't have time for that. "Lock up everything for the day," I instructed her sternly. "I'm heading out."
She nodded but just as I was about to leave, she called out from behind me. "Sir, what about the files the Russians sent in last week, you haven't looked at it till now and they'll be needing a reply by the end of the week."
I stood at the spot where I had stopped and shook my head slightly. "Fuck," I cursed a bit too loud. "I'll do that unfailingly tomorrow, remind me," I finally responded.
She nodded quickly. "Yes, si—"
I stormed away before she could say anything else. Got into the elevator and took it all the way down the hall. As I stepped out into the reception, my personal guards got up at the sight of me but I waved them off.
I didn't need company for this. "Stay put. If there's anything, I'll call," I commanded.
They exchanged looks but backed off immediately without a single complaint. I stormed out through the company doors and made my way to the black SUV.
I slid into the driver's seat of the heavily tinted vehicle and zoomed out the parking lot. My mind was already working to put together the pieces. It raced faster than I drove, putting together the accident's location.
Finally. It was on the outskirts, that lonely stretch twenty minutes after Isabella's. On the left at the interchange, right past the old warehouse.
I drove into a few traffic lights on the way but I zoomed past them. Fuck it, this wasn't the time to be acting like a saint.
I pulled up at the exact spot twenty minutes later. I looked out through the dark windows and spotted ten men clustered by what used to be my ride, but now a twisted heap laying on its side with its wheels sticking out.
I took a deep breath and stepped out, storming towards where Nico stood with another fellow. He spotted me first as I got closer and dismissed the guy he was talking to, stepping over quickly.
I nodded towards him as we got within hearing distance. "What is it you want to show me?"
Nico didn't waste words. He started walking towards the wreck and I followed suit, matching him stride for stride. "The men got here about an hour ago and began searching like you said. Then they found something, odd."
We reached the small crowd of men just in front of the dump. There were still metals crumpled with glasses everywhere.
There was a strong smell of burnt rubber that had remained from the crash a few hours ago. The small crowd parted for both of us as we got to them and Nico nodded to one of the guys standing by with a white handkerchief folded in his hand.
The man greeted me quickly. "Don," he said and took a respectful bow of his head.
Nico spoke to him immediately. "Mostra a Dante."
The guy opened his hand slowly to reveal a small black thing nestled in the cloth. It looked so much like a bug. Very tiny and sleek, hard to catch sight of.
"What the hell is that?" I asked, leaning in.
Nico's face stayed grim. "We ran a scan over it and sent it to the tech team who checked it out and reported back a couple of minutes ago that it's a tracking device."
I stretched a brow, stunned by the revelation. The shock quickly grew into anger as I listened to the words over and over. It began boiling right in my gut, rising fast.
"Where did they find it?" I asked.
"The front seat. The passenger side, right on the seat," Nico replied immediately.
My mind flashed immediately to her. She was right in the car last night, seated right where it was found. And she had just enough time to plant it.
Nico kept going. "That simply means the hit wasn't random. They were keeping tabs on you, tracking you."
I added coldly. "They were following all along. Planned it all from the start."
"Exactly," he agreed and crossed his arms over his chest. "The only issue now is that we can't figure out how it got there. You were alone in the car, right?"
I nodded my head slowly. "I may have a hunch," I said aloud instead.
Nico's eyes lit up. "That's great. Tell us, who? We'll send out a troop as we speak, fish the bastard out."
I waved a hand at him instead. Then turned and walked back towards my parked SUV.
Nico called after. "Don?"
But I responded over my shoulder. "Burn this shit to the ground and get me the stuff I asked for earlier. I'll handle this."
He didn't argue, he knew better. I jumped into the SUV, roaring the engine to life before pulling out fast with only one place in mind.