Chapter 14 #2
But Ryker gave another quick shake of his head. “Don’t bother. It’s not like this is the first time one of McQueen’s guys fell hard.” He released a deep, shoulder-shaking huff. “And I can all but guarantee you won’t be the last.”
Hope released some of the tension in Emmett’s taut shoulders. Was Ryker really saying what Emmett thought he was hearing?
“Does this mean you’re not going to suggest McQueen fire me?”
“Fire you?” An unexpected bark of laughter filled the room.
“Jake sends you packin’, he’ll have to shut down every R.I.S.C.
team out there.” And then, the man’s expression softened.
“Look, Emmett. We’ve all been there. Present company included.
It happens, and I’m the last person to judge, it’s just . . .”
“Just what?”
“You need to be careful.”
“I’m always careful.”
“I’m sure that’s true. When you’re not personally involved. But I’ve seen it enough times, hell you and your team recently witnessed it yourself.”
“You’re talking about Jagger and Talia.”
Ryker nodded. “You were there. You saw how torn up the guy was when he realized she’d been taken.”
“That was different.”
“Why? Because it wasn’t you?” Another laugh came at him through a knowing grin. “Pretty sure Jagger thought the same thing, at the time. In fact, I’m sure every R.I.S.C. operative before you thought they were also immune.”
“To love?”
“To the pain that comes with thinking the woman you love is going to die.”
The room grew quiet as Emmett let the other man’s words sink in deep. Ryker reached out, put his hand to Emmett’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“Never said I was in love with Janie.”
The man with a direct line to the president sent him a sympathetic look. “You didn’t have to, brother. It’s written all over your face.”
Well damn. As awkward conversations went, it was at the top of Emmett’s list. But he still had a job, and Ryker’s anger over the entire situation had thankfully subsided. For that, he was incredibly grateful.
“Thank you, sir.” He offered an outstretched hand. “I appreciate your understanding and the personal insight.”
After a firm shake, Ryker released his grip to reach for the knob on the door. “Just do yourself a favor and watch your own back while you’re also keeping an eye on your girl.”
The Homeland agent turned the knob and pulled the door open with the intent to leave. But Blake was there, blocking the man’s exit, with a fist raised and ready to knock.
“Oh.” Blake’s blue eyes blinked in surprise. “Ryker. Hey.” The man’s greeting was short and sweet. “Good. I’m glad you’re still here.”
“Mr. Savage.”
“Come on.” Blake motioned toward the other end of the hall. “There’s something you’re both going to want to see.”
He and Ryker both followed Blake to the team’s conference room. Emmett’s steps nearly faltered when he realized Janie was there.
As if sensing his presence, the woman’s gorgeous eyes found his from across the room. She was sitting at the table between Gwen and Draven. Directly across from them sat Lucas, who joined their teammates in looking his way.
“I thought Janie was hanging out in Gwen’s office while the team met in here?”
“She was, but then I figured, it is her life on the line.” Blake shrugged as they made their way farther into the room. “Way I see it, she deserves to know what I found out, too. Especially since the woman is still technically our client.”
She’s a hell of a lot more than that.
“Agent Ryker.” Gwen flashed her girl-next-door grin Ryker’s way. “I heard you were back in D.C.”
“Flew in from Texas late last night for an early meeting at Homeland.”
Emmett waited for the others on his team to greet their handler before introducing him to Janie.
“Agent Ryker, meet Janie Reynolds.” To Janie, he quickly explained. “He’s R.I.S.C.’s Homeland Security Handler.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Agent Ryker.”
“Likewise, Miss Reynolds.” A slight dip of the man’s chin was his greeting before turning to Blake. “You said you found something useful?”
The techie’s face lit up with excitement that offered them all the first real spark of hope.
“Oh, it’s more than just useful.” Blake went to the front of the room, picking up the remote from the table on his way.
One push of a button later, and the screen on the wall behind him came to life. The other man set the remote down, trading it for a tablet. A few more taps and a giant map of the city appeared, along with several colored lines crisscrossing throughout that Emmett couldn’t begin to decipher.
“Okay, so remember how, after Amy Weaver’s body was discovered, I found all that stuff in her medical records about her struggles with mental health?”
Emmett nodded. “I remember. You mentioned something about doing a reverse trace on the files.”
“Good memory.” Blake smirked. “Anyway yeah. So it took me way longer than expected, but I finally did it.”
“You did what exactly?”
The question was posed by Ryker, though it was clear by their expressions, the others were wondering the very same thing.
So am I.
“I found the server where the file was originated and sent.”
“Let me guess.” Lucas settled back in his chair. “It didn’t come from the doctor who signed off on those so-called records?”
Blake grinned. “It didn’t come from a doctor’s office, at all.”
“What do you mean?” Janie frowned, looking Emmett’s way before turning back to Blake. “If those records aren’t real, then where did they come from?”
“That’s what I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out.
” Blake went to the screen and began to explain with more detail what he found.
“See these lines?” He pointed to the various zigzags crossing the map.
“Those are all the different signals my system picked up when trying to trace the emailed file’s origin. ”
“Signal jammer?” Draven guessed.
Their teammate at the front of the room gave a nod. “A very sophisticated one, too,” he confirmed. “That’s why it’s taken me days rather than hours. Whoever sent that file was determined to keep their location a secret.”
“But you cracked it, right?” Ryker stepped closer to the long table, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I’m assuming that’s what this is about?”
“Oh, yeah.” Blake’s excitement returned ten-fold. “I cracked it, all right. The file was created on a computer using a server inside this building.”
He tapped the screen, causing the map to instantly vanish. In its place was a picture. One of a three-story, art-deco style building with several barred windows and a non-descript door.
“What’s that?”
“On paper?” The man currently in charge of the room gave a shrug. “It presents itself as a medical facility that offers out-patient psychiatric care.”
“And in reality?” Gwen’s long hair slid from one shoulder with a tilt of her head.
Blake turned his attention to the team’s demolitions expert. “In reality, it’s nothing more than a front.”
“A front for what?” Emmett was next to speak up.
When the team’s resident genius turned his way, the look he gave Emmett turned his blood to ice.
“That’s just it.” Blake gave a solemn shrug. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Ryker’s tone left little wonder to the man’s disbelief. “Why call us in here if you don’t have anything helpful?”
Rather than let Ryker’s brusque tone throw him off his game, Blake motioned toward the table’s empty seats with a smile.
“If you’ll indulge me for just a moment, I promise it’ll all start to make more sense.”
Ryker looked to Emmett, who shot him a look before heading to the table and taking a seat next to Draven. He would’ve much rather been sitting beside Janie, but since that wasn’t an option, he’d have to settle for being a few feet away.
“Dr. Michael Turner, the psychiatrist who signed off on Amy’s so-called medical records is, in fact, very real,” Blake shared.
“If you look into him at all, you’d find the same thing I did, which is that he runs a legit private practice from an office downtown.
But what you wouldn’t see, and what took me entirely too long to find, is the good doctor is also connected to an offshore account in the Caymans. ”
“Lots of people have accounts like that,” Lucas was quick to point out. “Doesn’t mean the guy is dirty.”
“It does when the name publicly listed on that same account matches the fake psychiatry group supposedly working out of that building.” Blake pointed to the image still filling the screen.
“Wait.” Janie forced the room into a moment of clarification. “So your saying this account and the pseudo medical office are both proof that Amy’s history of mental illness was faked?”
“It’s as close as we’re gonna get.” Blake nodded. “For now.”
Gwen looked down the table to Emmett. “I say we go talk to the crooked doctor. I’m sure we could get the guy to talk.”
“Maybe.” Lucas joined back in. “Depends on who’s behind the money.”
Draven scoffed. “Isn’t it always about following the money?”
“Nine times out of ten,” Ryker answered with a nod. To Blake, he asked, “Were you able to trace the deposit’s origin?”
“As a matter of fact . . .” The brilliant man tapped the screen on his tablet once more.
When he did, the picture of the building was replaced by the image of muscular, uniformed man.
“Wait, I know him.” Janie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table in front of her. “Well I don’t know him, know him. But I’ve talked to that guy before.”
The hell?
“When?” Emmett’s gaze zeroed in to hers.
“It was the day after I was followed to your office.” She frowned.
“I’d just finished speaking with Press Secretary Daley.
I, uh . . .” Her blue gaze skittered Ryker’s way before finding Emmett’s once again.
“I saw him as he was leaving a restaurant after having lunch. He was getting into his car, so I introduced myself and asked him a few questions.”
“About Amy?” Emmett frowned when he saw her head nod up and down.
“Yes,” Janie answered honestly. “We spoke briefly, and then he got into his car and left.”