Tuesday Teaser 1/13/2026

1/13/2026

They walked the short distance to the desired area. Brandon was acutely aware of how people looked at them, moving aside, giving Raul and by extension, Brandon, a wide berth.

“Let’s start at the motel and work our way out from there,” Raul said.

“Shouldn’t we search the motel?”

“Not yet, at least I don’t think so. That motel is where she, the sila, collects victims, but I don’t think that’s where they’re working from. If it was, I don’t think they’d have their set up in Green Valley,” Raul pointed out. “They’d house them from the motel and work from there as well, which is risky at best.”

“Makes sense.” Brandon pointed to an intersection. “There’s the motel we saw.”

They walked by the motel, crossed the street and moved farther down so they could check out all the businesses. Once they reached the first cross street they turned and kept walking in a widening path with the motel at the general center of a circle.

There were three churches, one free clinic, a half dozen food stores, a diner, two liquor stores, a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen and tattoo parlor.

Raul’s fingers tightened on Brandon’s arm at the same time he whispered, “Across the street. That little grocery store.”

Brandon ducked his head and scratched his nose, looking in the direction Raul indicated. “I see her. That’s her.”

“Let’s do this.”

Brandon glanced at Raul, took a deep breath and nodded once.

“I’m ready.”