15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“What are you doing out here?” Mari slid onto the bench next to her, glass of white wine in hand. Mari was petite with long, dark hair that was almost blue-black in the right light.
Berlin had come over to Ezra and Magnolia’s to see them after their honeymoon, but she’d stepped outside because she was expecting a phone call and wanted privacy when she answered. Currently everyone was in their huge kitchen chatting, drinking and eating all the delicious snacks set out. Chance was back at the safe house and Berlin could admit she wished she was there with him. “Just waiting on a call.”
“Liar.” Mari polished off her drink, then set the glass down.
“I’m serious. It’s work.” She really was waiting for a call from someone she hadn’t wanted to bother, but at this point she was out of moves. “But I don’t want to talk about work. What’s going on with you? I haven’t seen you since the wedding.”
“Honestly, just work. Then more work. I need a freaking vacation.” Sighing, Mari lay her head on Berlin’s shoulder as they both looked out at the glittering pool. “Somewhere cold.”
“Cold?” Berlin stretched her feet out on the table next to Mari. Even though they hadn’t known each other that long, Berlin could be herself with the other woman. “Don’t people usually like to go somewhere warm, with sand?”
“Ugh. Sand. It gets in everything.”
Berlin snickered.
“I want to go to the mountains and hole up in front of a fireplace or firepit with hot cocoa, a good book, and just turn off my brain for a week.”
“Anything particular going on at work?” Because she knew Mari loved her job as a corporate pilot, among other ventures.
“No…maybe, but I don’t want to talk about it either.”
“That’s fair.” She paused, sighed. “I went to see Cheyenne when she was upset over her cheating boyfriend, and now she’s back with the loser.”
“Ugh. I’m sorry. That really sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.” Berlin loved how Mari simply listened and rarely offered advice unless asked. Listening was a skill, and Berlin tried to emulate her friend, but it was hard, especially being the oldest of four. She was a fixer and wanted to help when she could. “I shouldn’t have gone to see her. I should have just let her vent to me and then left it alone.”
“Yeah, probably. But…you’re a good big sister. Meanwhile, my brothers are assfaces.”
“Okay, now who’s the liar. You love your brothers.”
Raising her head, Mari grinned. “True, but they’re my brothers so I’ve gotta give them grief.”
Berlin’s phone buzzed in her lap and her heart rate kicked up.
“Oh, I know that look. Work. I’ll be inside.” Mari picked up her empty glass and disappeared as Berlin answered.
“Hazel, hey, I’m really sorry to bother you, but thanks for calling me back.” Special Agent Hazel Blake worked for the FBI and was friends with Skye and Leighton, two of the founders of Redemption Harbor Security. She’d also been a Cobra pilot in the Air Force years before. Berlin really admired the other woman, and for the most part almost never involved her in any of their jobs. She knew that Skye and Hailey occasionally called her for intel, but Berlin never wanted to push their relationship. She wasn’t friends with her the way the others were.
“It’s no problem at all. And I looked into that thing you told me about… I don’t work with the task force that handles that particular group. That task force works with the DEA, and from what I hear, they’ve had a leak for a while and can’t seem to plug it.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means the information on the ‘brothers’ is scant. And anything that comes in usually amounts to nothing.”
Disappointment slid through Berlin at her words. “Well, thank you for looking into them anyway. I really appreciate it.” Damn, another dead end. Now what?
“I’m not done,” Hazel said, and Berlin swore she could hear a smile in her voice. “I might have a way for you to get closer to them. The people they work with use different modes of transportation for their product, including speedboats through Louisiana. Honestly, their system is incredibly well organized and better than most legit businesses. Unfortunately for us they keep the separate parts of it insulated. Anyway, they work with a couple different outfits in your state, one you already know about. But they also work with the Backwater Bayou Boys—and I can’t believe that’s their name,” she muttered. “They transport anything and everything for them through the swamps. No one’s been able to nail them down, but I have new details on when the Boys will be making a run. This Tuesday, so you’ve got a day and some change to plan something. One of their members was picked up and agreed to turn state’s evidence. I think we can turn more of their gang.”
“If you could jeopardize your job, don’t tell me anything more.” Because this was more than gray area now.
“I’ve thought this over, and my contact with the task force, my friend…they okayed me reaching out to you. Not you personally or your company, but they’re frustrated about the mole and want something done. If you can get someone from the Backwater Bayou Boys to give you more info on the Acton brothers, then do it. But I expect you to share that information. I’ll treat any information from you as if I got it from a CI.”
“Absolutely. Thank you.”
“I’m going to upload what I’ve got. Unless you want it a different way?”
Hazel had sent information in the past to a secure folder Berlin had earmarked for intel from outside sources. And if there were ever too many brute force attacks on it in the hopes of hacking it, she’d set it to destroy itself. “Nope, that’s perfect. Thank you again.”
“Keep me updated.”
Once they disconnected, adrenaline punched through Berlin. This might amount to nothing, but it was a start. Sometimes cases were all about following the next lead, to the next lead, to hopefully what they needed in the first place. Not all cases were like this—normally they had a lot more to go on. But she wasn’t going to sleep on this lead.
Instead of heading back inside, she snuck out through the back gate and made her way to her car. Once she was inside, she texted the others letting them know she’d had to run.
They’d probably be annoyed but it was easier to duck out this way and get started digging. And okay, she wanted to get back to Chance.
He was at the safe house and likely going out of his mind without anything to do. She knew he wanted to be out there doing something to find his brother. Hopefully now they were one step closer.
She also hoped to get over this growing crush, because she couldn’t stop fantasizing about Chance. And she knew if she acted on it, it would end in disaster. Too much was on the line right now.