Mackenzie Bell sat in the driver’s seat of her department-issued SUV with Lieutenant Miller next to her. They both wore tactical ballistic vests and felt their elevated heart rates while waiting for the other task force members to join up.
After a couple of minutes, the radio alerted her that the other officers were in position.
“This is Bell. Everyone move in!” she said into the microphone on her shoulder.
Three vehicles approached the house from different directions. Two on the street and a third racing across the empty dirt lot at the back of the house.
As they arrived, they noticed that there were no vehicles there. The house was small and tan with faded trim. The whole thing badly needed new paint. The yard was dirt with a single small cactus for vegetation. There were no fences o
