Power (The Santini Assassins #1)

16. ALPHA 2.0

16

ALPHA 2.0

SIMONE

A t six in the morning, Simone woke with a start. Her heart was racing, her thoughts hazy. Someone was trying to kill Luciano, but she couldn’t help him. He was being held by his ankles from a building rooftop. Burning up, she threw back the covers and stared at the ceiling.

That was terrifying.

Pushing out of bed, she dragged herself into the bathroom to get ready. Forty minutes later, she was sitting in her home office sipping coffee. After logging into ALPHA, she picked the first name on her list of possible suspects.

Time to do a deep dive.

Nowadays, most people posted their lives on social media. While an ALPHA Op wouldn’t post how much they hated their top-secret job or their coworkers, they might post something about their views on the government, politics, or even law enforcement that could offer up a clue. It was like trudging through sludge without the luxury of time.

As she worked, she drained her coffee mug, refilled it, then drained it again. Her stomach growled and she glanced at the clock.

It was eleven-thirty.

That felt like ten minutes.

She made herself oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts, then returned to her office where a text from Cooper waited.

Check email. Call if you want to discuss

She opened her email, skimmed, then clicked on the one from forensics. As she read the report, anger burned its way to her guts. The bomb-making materials that killed Frederica and her team were the same ones that took out Simone’s team. This confirmed The Bomb Maker was back.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call. “Good morning, Cooper.”

“I see you’re in ALPHAnet.”

She ran her fingertip over the tracker in her neck. “How?”

“The system is much more sophisticated than it used to be,” he explained. “I can see who’s logged in and what they’re working on.”

Seemed like Big Brother was watching a little too closely for her liking, but she was not about to push back on day two. On day one, she’d barely avoided sleeping with her partner. She wasn’t going to get into it with her new boss.

“I know it’s intrusive,” Cooper said. “It’s designed to create a teaming environment. You can see others in the system too.”

After he explained how to do it, she went looking for Luciano, but there was nothing.

“I’ve got several updates,” Cooper continued.

“Great,” she replied.

“The Bomb Maker rented a furnished house. The arson detective told me there was nothing personal in the home beyond the blowup dolls and some bomb-making supplies. Like the first time, he set a trap, knowing we’d track him there.”

“I need to follow up with the homeowner,” she said.

“I spoke with her. I’ll read you my notes. Hold a minute.” After a pause, he returned. “She said she rented it to a person named Pat Smith. The homeowner knew nothing about him or her.”

“How did she get the rent money?”

“Cash through the mail.”

“Fingerprints? A return address”

“Neither. She deposited the money, tossed the envelope.”

Simone’s hope fizzled. Another dead end.

“There are ten ALPHA employees who’ve been with the group for the past five years,” Simone said. “I’m vetting everyone but Dakota and Slash, but I’m having trouble believing this is an inside job.”

“Same,” Cooper replied, “but both times, The Bomb Maker knew we were moving in for an arrest.”

“What about someone who got fired from ALPHA?” Simone pressed. “Someone with a grudge?”

“That makes more sense. Continue investigating current employees while I ask around.”

“Would Z know?” Simone asked.

“Who?” Cooper asked.

Oh, crap.

“What did I say?” she covered.

“It sounded like Zee.”

“I meant Dakota. Would Dakota know?”

“I’ll check.” Cooper ended the call.

Cooper doesn’t know about Z?

Rather than berate herself for mentioning him, she jumped back into work.

At three-thirty, her doorbell rang. She’d eliminated a female Op who’d been with ALPHA since its inception, a male Operative, and a woman on the Internet team.

Seven to go.

Back on the first floor, she glanced through the living room window. Luciano’s Rolls Royce was parked out front. Excitement flitted through her. She opened the door and her heart skipped a beat. Luciano stood there with his hand in his pants pocket looking runway-ready.

“Hello, Simone.”

His husky voice, paired with the irresistible way he said her name, hummed through her. How could one man undo her so easily? She steeled her spine.

Get real. This is work.

“Time got away from me. Come in while I change.”

He stepped inside, shut the door.

Everything Luciano magnified a thousand-fold. His scent—a mix of soap and coffee—had her breathing deep. He looked phenomenal in his dark suit, white shirt, no tie. Like every other time, she peeked at his chest while her fingers tingled to caress his tanned skin.

But it was the intensity in his gaze, his sophisticated demeanor, and the power he wielded that had her biting back a moan.

“I left my laptop open if you want to read my notes.” She headed upstairs.

“Can I watch?”

She turned. “Watch?”

“You change.”

Her smile stayed with her until she entered her bedroom. Off came her shirt and yoga pants. As she stood in her walk-in closet staring at her suits, she imagined him coming in, kissing her shoulder, turning her toward him. They’d kiss, fall into bed, make love for hours?—

Blinking away the fantasy, she slipped into a white shirt, dressed in a black pantsuit, then pulled on her holster. In the bathroom, she freshened her blush and lipstick, ran her fingers through her hair, and hurried out.

As she passed her home office, she spied him at her desk, a mug in his hand. He looked like he belonged there.

I’ve lost it.

A billionaire who lives in a multi-million-dollar mansion does not belong in Normalville.

His gaze found hers and she smiled.

“Nice,” he said.

“Slow progress on the case, but?—”

“I’m talking about our clothes.”

Since he’d given her permission to check him out, she raked her gaze over him. He wore his designer clothing like a second skin. He tossed her a nod and she glanced down.

“Ohgod, what is wrong with me?” She’d dressed in black and white, just like him. “I’ll change.”

“You look perfect. We need to go.”

She sidled close and his musky scent filled her, his intense energy rolling off him in thunderous waves, sending a shiver of delight cascading through her. She logged out of ALPHA, closed her laptop. Down the stairs to the first floor they went, his power seeping into her every pore, touching the depths of her soul.

Outside, at the Rolls Royce, Luciano said, “Simone Redding, Stuart Fletcher.”

“Mr. Fletcher.”

“Ma’am.”

Into the car they went. As Stuart pulled away, Luciano said, “Develin and Associates.”

“Yes, sir.” Stuart raised the privacy screen.

“You’ve been busy,” Luciano said.

“I’m examining every Op,” she said. “So far, nothing stands out. I asked Cooper for a list of people who got fired from ALPHA and I made the mistake of suggesting he check with Z?—”

“Mistake?”

“Cooper doesn’t know about Z, which surprised me. He manages the Ops.”

“Can you contact Z directly?”

Simone pulled out her phone, typed out a text to Z.

I need your help

…

See you in ten

She showed the text to Luciano. “Did you know?”

“No,” he said. “I expect the worst, so I’m never surprised when it happens.”

Interesting .

“You don’t like him?” she asked.

“He sent you to spy on me, so, no, he’s not my favorite person.”

“You should be thanking him,” Simone said dryly.

“Why’s that?”

“The night we met, you got yourself a sweet blowjob.”

A rumbling growl shot out of him. “I’ll be sure to mention that.”

She bit back a smile.

Stuart parked in Sin’s private lot behind his building in Georgetown. They went inside, rode upstairs to Develin & Associates. Sin’s assistant, Erica, escorted them to Sin’s office.

Knock-knock.

“Come in,” said Sin.

Erica opened the door and they entered his spacious office. “Can I get anyone a beverage?”

“Sparkling waters,” Sin said, and Erica hurried out.

Sin and Z rose from the conference room table. Simone shook their hands.

“Good to see you again, Z,” she said.

“Congratulations on your promotion,” he replied. “ALPHA is where you need to be.”

Z extended his hand to Luciano. “No hard feelings, Mr. Santini.”

Luciano accepted the handshake. “It’s only business, no?”

Sin’s wife, Evangeline, joined them.

Sin’s gaze softened. A look passed between husband and wife. It was quick, but Simone caught it. Like a silent language between soulmates.

“I asked Evangeline to join us,” Sin said as his wife eased down at the conference table. “Evan, please.”

“Simone,” Evangeline began, “if The Bomb Maker has access to ALPHAnet, he’s watching to see who’s working the case. That makes you vulnerable. I want to help. Whatever you need. Our site is secure, and I’m available twenty-four-seven.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Just to be safe, I’ll keep my notes offline.”

“Can you manage the case without writing anything down?” Z asked.

“No,” Simone replied. “I’m not you, Z.”

Luciano and Sin laughed.

“No, you’re not,” Luciano said under his breath.

“I’ll get you access here,” Evangeline said, “and I’ll create a text thread where we can talk securely.”

Erica returned with a rolling cart carrying small bottles of sparkling water, a coffee carafe, glasses, mugs, cream and sugar. She left the cart nearby, shut the door behind her.

Evangeline rose, poured coffee into two mugs, added a trickle of cream to one, and returned to the table. She placed the black coffee in front of Sin and kept the other for herself.

Simone loved their secret language. Evangeline didn’t need to ask. She just knew.

“Inferno531 posted again,” Luciano said, snapping her out of her romantic thoughts. “He wrote, ‘The Bomb Maker and Friends are unstoppable. Epic destruction on victory day.’ The friends he’s referring to are members of the Haqazzii terror cell.”

“Show Z the map,” Sin said.

Luciano opened the map on the conference table. “I got this from a Haqazzii terrorist.”

“Where?” Z asked.

“Heathrow, on his way to DC,” Luciano explained.

“Where is he now?” Z asked.

Luciano’s gaze darkened. He hitched his eyebrow ever so slightly, but said nothing.

“How many?” Simone asked.

“Three,” Luciano replied. “A fourth arrived late to the party.”

Z studied the map. “This is massive.”

“Despite the size of the potential attack, there’s no chatter out there,” Luciano explained. “They’re not talking on the Dark Web.”

“The Bomb Maker must be making the weapons and selling them to the terrorists.” Simone said.

“He’s gotta be making a fortune,” Z said. “Haqazzii has deep pockets.”

“If we find the terrorists, we can stop this,” Simone said.

“But we have to find The Bomb Maker,” Luciano said. “If we don’t, he’ll sell to another terror cell. America has a long list of enemies.”

The weight of the case felt like a boulder on Simone’s shoulders. But, as she eyed the people around the table, a sense of duty filled her bones. She wasn’t alone. She had powerful allies in her corner. People who made decisions that protected the nation.

I can do this.

What choice did she have? She’d stayed hidden for years. She owed it to herself, to Frederica, and to a country she loved to find the son of a bitch and turn him over to these hungry wolves. Her gaze fell on Luciano. As they regarded each other across the table, she believed they could get the job done.

“Z, I need to know who got fired from ALPHA or left with a chip on their shoulder,” Simone said. “Anyone who might have a reason to hate the organization.”

Z broke eye contact for a few seconds. “There were several, but only one stands out.”

“Who?” Luciano asked.

“Peter Hirzog,” Z replied.

What the hell. “Peter was in ALPHA?”

“He was one of our first hires,” Z said. “And he was not happy when I let him go.”

“How long was he on board?” Simone asked.

Z paused. “A year.”

“What happened?” Luciano asked.

“I couldn’t work with him. His ego needed too much stroking, so I sent him back to the Bureau.”

“There’s no way he’s behind these attacks,” Simone said. “I don’t believe for a minute that he’s working with terrorists.”

“Don’t rule him out,” Z said.

Her mouth fell open. “He’s a Deputy Director at the Bureau.” Refusing to believe Peter was behind the explosions or the terror plot, she shook her head. “I’ll check him out, but I’d like that list.”

Z stood. “I’ll get it to you.” At the door, he turned back. “Mr. Santini, I have a job for you.”

Silence… for several beats.

“I run Santini International,” Luciano replied. “I can’t help you.”

“Oh, I think you can.” Z left, shutting the door behind him.

“What the hell was that?” Luciano asked. “One minute he’s spying on me, the next, he wants to hire me?”

“Just when I think I’ve got him figured out, he goes off the rails,” Sin added.

“He’ll never retire,” Luciano said. “What would he do?”

“Have fun,” Simone replied.

A smile filled Luciano’s face, then Sin flashed a grin.

“He is having fun,” Luciano said.

LUCIANO

Luciano rose from the conference table in Sin’s office. “There’s a lot of pressure to find The Bomb Maker before he blows up these buildings.”

“We’ve got nothing to go on and, now, this bogus lead that Hirzog could be behind this,” Simone bit out.

“I wasn’t expecting Z this afternoon,” Sin said. “I called you both in for something else.”

Evangeline rose. “I’ve got an off-site meeting, but let’s take a two-minute break so I can show Simone how to access our site.”

While the women huddled around the laptop at the conference table, Sin and Luciano moved across the room.

“Do you think Hirzog is working with The Bomb Maker?” Sin asked.

“We can’t rule anyone out,” Luciano replied.

“I never dismiss Z,” Sin said. “He’s credible.”

When Evangeline walked past, she rested her hand on Sin’s back “We’re all set. Good to see you, Luciano.” She winked at her husband, then left.

Sin stood there grinning like an idiot. Luciano chuckled. He knew the power of a woman’s love. He’d felt that once himself. A touch, a glance could undo him. As he redirected his attention to Simone, his hardened heart softened a little.

Is she my second great love, or am I destined to spend my life alone in a living hell?

As if sensing his thoughts, her gaze found his. She offered a small smile before walking to the cart and opening a bottle of mineral water. There, she poured two glasses, offered one to him. Their fingers brushed when he took the glass, the spark traveling up his arm.

After swallowing down a few mouthfuls, she eased onto the sofa. “What’s going on?”

Sin sat in the leather chair. Luciano sat on the sofa beside her.

“Yesterday, a man named Guy Chenkus came to see me,” Sin began. “He got involved in something illegal, didn’t know where to go, and ended up here.” Sin flashed a smile. “All roads end here.”

“I’ll remember that,” Simone said.

“I wanted you guys to hear his story, so I asked him back.” Sin checked his watch, pushed out of the chair. At his desk, his hit a button on his phone. “Erica, is Mr. Chenkus here?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I’ll bring him back.”

A moment later, Erica brought in a large man wearing a light suit, dark shirt, and striped tie. “Mr. Develin, good to see you again.”

“Mr. Chenkus, these are my associates.”

After Luciano and Simone shook Chenkus’ clammy hand, Sin gestured to the table.

“A bottle of sparkling water?” Sin asked.

“Regular water would be great, thanks,” Chenkus replied.

Sin called his assistant as they got comfortable around the table. Erica brought in a tray with a chilled spring water and a crystal glass. Chenkus cracked the lid and guzzled half the bottle.

“Go ahead, Mr. Chenkus,” Sin said. “Tell them what you told me.”

“I work at the State Department,” Chenkus said. “Been there for seventeen years. I work in the Bureau of Consular Affairs where we process passport applications. About ten months ago, my boss hands me a few applications personally. Now, he’s never done that before and I’ve worked for him for twelve years. He tells me they get priority status.”

Chenkus swigged another gulp of water.

“Anyways, I created the passports and hoped that was the end, but he tells me to bring them to this drop-off point. A parking garage in Shirlington at eleven-thirty at night. I do it, but I’m nervous as heck. I hand them to some guy and he gives me an envelope with a grand in it. I ‘bout shit myself.” He glanced at Simone. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” Simone replied. “Then what?”

“I’ve gotten several more requests over the months to make passports.”

“How many?” Sin asked.

“No more than twenty total. The last time I met the dude in the parking garage, he tells me he’s cutting my take in half.” Chenkus’s shoulders slumped. “I know this is illegal, but I got kids in college. I’ve been paying down credit card debt with this money and now I’m being squeezed.”

“Why tell Sin?” Luciano asked.

“I can’t go to the police. The police would question my boss and I’ll get fired. I told the guy in the parking garage to find another patsy. I’m done. He threatened to kill me if I stopped.” Chenkus patted his glistening forehead with the napkin. “Mr. Develin fixes things and I need this fixed.”

“You did the right thing coming to me,” Sin said.

“When the dude threatened me, I decided to do a little investigating, you know, on my own. I had a few applications to process so I looked ‘em up on the FBI’s Most Wanted. They weren’t there, but I found ‘em on the No-Fly list.” Chenkus shuddered in a breath. “These are men with the Haqazzii terror cell and I’m helping them get into the country.” He shuddered in a shaky breath.

There it is.

Luciano glanced over at Simone who met his gaze.

“Can we get a copy of those applications?” Sin asked.

“Sure, but we gotta keep this on the down-low.” Chenkus’s nervous chuckle filled the room. “But I don’t need to tell you that. You’re the Fixer.”

“Who’s your boss?” Luciano asked.

“Cary Newburg . He’s actually my boss’s boss. He runs the department. He’s an SES.”

“SES?” Luciano asked.

“Senior Executive Service,” Sin clarified.

“Is he still your go-between or do you have the mule’s contact info?” Simone asked.

“Mr. Newburg tells me when to meet the dude. It’s that same parking garage at eleven-thirty.”

“When’s your next drop?” Sin asked.

“Tonight,” Chenkus replied. “That’s why I came to see you yesterday. I don’t know what to do.”

“Do you know the mule’s name?” Simone asked.

“Nope.”

“Where’s the parking garage?” Simone asked.

“Randolph Street in Shirlington. I drive to the far corner of the top floor and he meets me. I don’t even get out of my car.”

“What does he look like?” Simone asked.

Chenkus wrung his hands. “I’m always so nervous.”

“Take your time,” she said.

“He’s a white dude, dark hair. He might wear eyeglasses.” Chenkus shook his head. “I’m not sure about that.”

“Is he tall?” Simone asked.

“He looks about my height—I’m five-eight—but I’ve never stood next to him. I’m sorry I’m not good at this. It happens fast and I’m freaked someone’s gonna see us.”

“Does he dress a certain way?” Simone prodded.

Chenkus paused. “I don’t remember anything about his clothes.”

“Does he say anything?” Luciano asked.

“The only time we talked was when he cut my pay.”

“Does he have an accent?” Simone pressed.

“I don’t remember one.” He glanced furtively at Sin. “What should I do?”

“Are you going tonight?” Sin asked.

“I mean, yeah. I kinda don’t have a choice.”

Sin pulled a pair of eyeglasses from his credenza, set them on the table in front of Chenkus. “Try these on.”

Chenkus slid them on.

Sin got busy on his laptop, then spun it around so the group could see. “There’s a tiny camera built into the frame. If you wear these tonight, we can get video. Can you get him to talk?”

Guy set the glasses on the table and blotted his face with the napkin again. “I can try, but he’s there for, like, five seconds.”

“Do your best,” Sin said. “I’ll send someone from my team to take pictures. If we can, we’ll put a tracker on his car.”

Luciano bit back a growl. Take pictures? Track the car? I don’t fucking think so.

“Okay,” Chenkus said. “I was hoping you could scare him, you know, threaten him. I mean, you are the Fixer.”

“I can’t ask someone on my team to approach a stranger in a dark parking garage at midnight,” Sin explained.

“I thought you’d do it yourself,” Chenkus pushed back. “Everyone knows who you are. I thought, maybe, you could rough him up a bit.”

“I have no idea who you’re dealing with, Mr. Chenkus. Let’s find out who he is, first.” Sin stood.

Meeting over.

He shook Sin’s hand. “Thanks for your time.”

Sin walked him out. Seconds later, he returned and shut the door. “We need this mule.”

“We sure as hell do,” Luciano replied. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“We set up a team and grab him tonight,” Sin said.

Luciano smiled. “è perfetto. That’s perfect.”