Lachlan rubbed his jaw. “So what about Jenna? Is she Widow’s daughter, do you think?” Lachlan asked, his eyebrows weaving together.
Samuel shook his head. “No, she’s the biological child of Terry and Linda Starring. Ten years ago, Linda Starring was in kidney failure. Jenna donated one of her kidneys so I can see all the notes on the database. The medical records show she is their child.”
Lachlan pinched the bridge of his nose. “And Fred is related to these people, how?”
All eyes looked to Samuel, but he shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
James thought on that a moment. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, “the point is, there is a connection. Fred had no reason to be at that house if he didn’t know them. Their names are not in the CIA database, nor do they have criminal records. Fred went there for personal reasons and Jenna is going to tell us why.”
Lachlan raised an eyebrow.
“I have no intention of hurting Jenna—at least not until I know what she meant to Fred—but I will use her as bait. Let’s not forget she had no problem sentencing Matt to death. She’s not an innocent bystander in all of this.”
Lachlan nodded slowly. “What’s the plan?”
“We’re going to kidnap her,” James said, and Lachlan looked somewhat amused. “She can’t hide from us, not forever. She’ll make a mistake and as soon as she does, we’ll be ready. We take her, then send Widow a message. If she truly cares for Jenna, she’ll come. Then we wait and watch our backs, because Widow will come from the shadows.”
“We could wait for days, weeks, or months for Jenna to make a mistake,” Lachlan said.
“Then we wait,” James said. He would not spend the rest of his life watching over his shoulder for Black Widow, lying awake at night hoping she wouldn’t hurt him or his family. No, he would wait like a lion stalking his prey.
“Ah, guys... we might not need to wait long,” Samuel said quickly. “We just got a surveillance match.”
All eyes turned to Samuel. James’s heart skipped a beat and he leaned forward in anticipation.
“Good thing we kept the guys at the station. She just emerged from the concourse,” Samuel said as he connected the communication into the office speaker.
“Go ahead, Henry,” Samuel said.
“Eyes on target. We’re a safe distance back,”Henry said.
James stood. This was their opportunity. Widow wasn’t in the immediate vicinity, James assumed, although he couldn’t be entirely sure, seeing as she apparently wasn’t on the train. James wondered again when she had slipped off. It could’ve been the moment James had decided not to get on that train and turned his back.
“Let’s go,” he said, looking at the team. “We’ll create the plan on the way.” He strode toward the weapons cupboard. But this time he didn’t need a weapon, he needed something they’d made a few months back when they’d pranked the entire building. James had no idea they’d actually use this prop, but today it would prove invaluable.
A plan formulated in James’s mind and he liked it more with every passing second.
He grabbed the box then rushed down to the basement with the team.
James reloaded his weapon as Deacon weaved through the traffic.
“Henry, check in,” James said.
“Target walking on Park Avenue. She’s casually checking for a tail but I don’t think she knows she’s being followed. She’s walking at an intermediate pace and hasn’t stopped anywhere since she left the terminal,”Henry replied.
‘Good,” James said, nodding. “Don’t let her out of your sight.” His eyes dropped to the dashboard screen. “We’re a few minutes away.”
James looked toward the setting sun. The timing was perfect. The soft haze of sunset would provide the ideal set up.
James turned, looking to Matt. “We’re going to spook her,” he said then opened the box, throwing Cami, Lachlan, and Jarrod a mask.
Their eyebrows narrowed until the pieces clicked together.
“I’ll go in first. Widow would’ve shown Jenna my photograph and she’ll know who I am. She’ll run from the door, then each of you will be positioned strategically, forcing her to run in the direction we want her to.”
“Target entered CVS,”Henry said.
James looked ahead, spotting the CVS sign. “Perfect, follow her inside. Stay a safe distance back, she’ll be watching.”