Chapter 11
Blake took the bags out of the backseat of the car and dropped them at the rear of the vehicle. Then he reached up, tapped his ear, and activated his comm device. The whole damn world exploded when he did. He put his hands on his hips and gazed out at the lake as people talked over each other.
“Stop,” Jewell said, and every voice was silenced. “You’re driving me crazy, talking over each other. I can’t imagine how Havoc can understand anyone. Now, be nice, and I’ll unmute you.” She paused, then ordered, “Anubis first.”
“Thank you,” Anubis said before continuing. “It seems Zajac has gotten spooked. We believe that people he pays in Antwerp are attempting to frame Elise.”
“Excuse me?” Blake crossed his arms over his chest. “For what exactly?”
Anubis continued, “The deaths of the private investigator and the two men he took out when they came after them. The Antwerp police released a report naming her the suspect for the murders. That set off bells and whistles in CCS. According to the crap report Jewell pulled from their servers, they have fingerprints and a weapon that matches the gun that killed all three men. But neither the weapon nor the prints were included in the file. They also have a deepfake video of her image shooting the men. It’s damn good from what our forensics people have told me. ”
“It’s good, but we’re fucking better. We’ll find a way to prove that’s fake. And there were two guns involved at the crime scene,” Con said. “I have a copy of the initial report that has since been deleted and replaced.”
“How did they get her fingerprints?”
“Good question,” Anubis said. “Jewell?”
“I can’t find a way that they have them actually. They don’t have fingerprints in the system from forensics. I can’t find a forensics report at all. Con, were you able to find one?”
“Nope. It doesn’t exist at the lab where they process their evidence or in the electronic files, so I’m thinking they plan on killing her, then taking her fingerprints and filling in the blanks.”
Blake shivered as a wide shaft of unadulterated hatred for Zajac and everyone doing his bidding slid up his spine. He glanced down the driveway. “Is this location compromised?”
“No.” All three of them answered simultaneously.
“The vehicle you have does not have electronic tracing through the manufacturer. The location is secure and secluded. Keep her out of sight, and no one should come knocking or gunning,” Jewell said.
“And Zajac?” Blake had two missions he was juggling at the moment.
“He’s in Antwerp at the moment, but …” Con didn’t finish the sentence because Anubis took over. “His schedule is booked for the next week, but from what we can determine, after that, appearances and meetings are being cancelled.
“So, he could be coming here.”
“Yes. His compound in Budapest is where he feels safest, and until they locate her and eliminate the threat he believes she’s become, we think he’ll crawl in his hole and stay there.”
“You expect me to take care of her and him at the same time?” He chuckled, “I’ll have to use ropes and a safe room after all.”
Anubis laughed. “That’s still not an option, Havoc. Rook is clear of his last mission and is en route to Hungary as we speak. He’ll watch her when you do your recon and while you complete your mission.”
“Rook should be in the hospital,” Jewell grumbled.
Blake’s head snapped up. “What happened?”
“A minor gunshot wound,” Anubis said casually.
“Gunshot wounds are not minor,” Con said. “Only crazy people say they are.”
“Have you met any of us?” Blake asked the computer specialist.
“Met and married one of you,” Con grumbled.
“Been there and got that t-shirt, too,” Jewell sighed.
“Anyway, that being said, I’ve rented a house down the street through an independent agent.
It’s currently for sale, but the owners have agreed to rent it for the next month.
That’s where Rook will stay so he’s nearby if you need him to watch your reporter when you need to make a move on Zajac. Plus, he can heal.”
“And the bullshit charges against Elise?”
“We’ll do what we can. She does have a warrant out for her arrest in Antwerp, and we can confirm that the Antwerp police have notified the Budapest police. Zajac owns Antwerp and Budapest, so staying low is the best course of action at this time,” Anubis concluded. “Any more questions for me?”
“No, if there are, I’ll reach out to you.
” Blake’s mind was processing the information and was stuck on the size of the balls Zajac had to have to frame Elise.
The fucker wasn’t just killing thousands with his drug imports; he was playing God with people’s lives.
All with the billionaire title and zero accountability because his money took care of everything.
The file on the man was thick. He was a monster who peddled drugs and arms to gain wealth.
Zajac thought that money made him untouchable. Not in this lifetime.
“I’m back on that deepfake,” Con said. “Toodles.”
“How you doing, B?” Jewell asked.
“Tired, but that’s nothing new.” Blake brushed his hair from his face, but the wind promptly blew it back into his eyes.
“What’s she like? Nice?”
“Nice? No and yes.” Blake smiled at the dancing reeds. “She’s smart, Aunt Jewell. Real smart.”
“I know that. She was doing great with that computer search. Each time she hit a dead end, she regrouped and tried a new angle. She’s got common sense, and she was tenacious going after that story.”
“Which could all be for naught now. If she’s wanted for murder.”
“That she didn’t commit,” Jewell reminded him. “When she releases this story, the proof should set her free.”
“Should.” Blake shook his head. “But with his resources, he could make it stick.”
Jewell sighed. “True. He could buy a jury or a judge, or his family could, after you do your job. We can’t erase the reports we find in their system. We’re not actually supposed to be in those systems.”
“Right. But you are.”
“We are, and nobody asks how or why until we leave a trace that we are or were there. Then, we can be in trouble.”
“How many times have you changed documents in systems, Aunt Jewell?”
“Oh, probably too many, but never in a police database. Granted, I’ve made evidence available, given a gentle nudge to honest cops, but I’ve never made anything in the system disappear.” She sighed. “I may have hidden a thing or two, but it is there if anyone really looked for it.”
“The evidence they have isn’t in the system.”
“I know, we’re working it, and I’ll go as far as I can. I can backtrack and get the information on when the report was deleted, not amended. I’m using every trick I know and letting Con work it, too, so you know we’ll exhaust every avenue.”
“I know, and honestly, did you have to bring him in on this?”
“You don’t hate him.” Jewell laughed quietly.
“He’s extremely annoying,” Blake groaned. “But yeah, he kicked ass last night. I might thank him for it, like in the next decade or something.”
Jewell laughed harder. “You and your dad are carbon copies of each other.” Pausing, she shifted topics. “So … You like this woman, don’t you?”
He sighed. He’d thought about the attraction between them when he was listening to her sleep but starting something with her wasn’t fair. “I’m not allowed to like this woman.”
“Says who?” Jewell scoffed. “I bet you never heard that from your mom or your dad. Ember would pop Joseph if he ever told you that.”
Blake smiled, which he was sure was his aunt’s intent. “She’s an investigative reporter. You just told me she’s sharp and tenacious. So, tell me, how would that end? What would I tell her about who I am and what I do?”
“Oh, sweetheart, if she’s the right one, nothing you tell her will stop her from loving you.
Look at Eve and Thanatos. She couldn’t handle his truth but worked with him to accept what he does.
Does she like it? Not a bit, but she’s learned to live with what he is.
Did he have to pause his career while they worked through her issues?
Yes, but if you ask him, it was worth it. ”
“I have asked him.” Blake had grown up in the same facility where Eve and Thanatos lived and worked. He knew the story of how they met and the reasons that Eve had freaked out, and he knew how much they loved each other.
“And your mom. An ER doc. Saving lives, dude, and your dad, well, he was and is on the other side of that line. They still made it work, and they love each other.”
Blake nodded silently. “I know.”
“So, is she worth it?” Jewell asked.
“I’m not sure. There’s an attraction, at least on my end. But we just met.”
“Then find out, Blake. Do you have to let her know everything to find out if she’s someone you want to be with?”
“No, probably not.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But it’s only a week. It’s probably best if we just keep our distance.”
“Sure, of course, you're right. I mean, why take a chance on a fun, intelligent, tenacious woman? She’s pretty, too. I have her picture. Green eyes and dark brown hair. I’m sure you’ll meet scads of other women through your work.
Oh … right, you’ve been doing this for how long and haven’t met anyone?
Oh, and don’t forget after the mission, you both turn into pumpkins, so yeah, no sense in acting like an adult. ”
“You sound just like Mom.” Blake chuckled and glanced toward the small cottage. “We’re going to need food.”
“I’ll take care of it. Just keep her out of sight.”
Blake was just about to sign off when he had a sudden thought. “I haven’t been compromised, correct?”
“Correct, and there’s a simple reason for that.
You’re damn good at being a ghost. You gave them nothing to work with.
We erased the street camera feed, security system, and electronic door cameras as you were walking her to the new hotel, but we didn’t even have to do that.
You messed with every camera angle in that hotel and on the street. ”
“That’s habit.” One he did automatically. Cameras had standard angles. He’d learned to turn his face, dip his head, or sit with his back to the typical camera locations.
“And you wiped down the hotel room before you left. So, no fingerprints, not that they’d find anything on you in any system if they had your prints, but if they wanted to plant your prints with hers in this frame-up, they can’t.”
“All right. Let me know when Rook is here, and I’ll go over and check on him for you.”
“Thank you. You guys are not superheroes, and bullets don’t bounce off you.” She sighed. “He wasn’t going to be stopped when we told him you needed backup, though.”
“He’s a good man,” Blake agreed. “I’d better get back inside before she gets suspicious.”
“Either Con or I will be here, and I’ll let you know any updates we get. Be careful, Blake. CCS is clear.”
Blake picked up the two suitcases and moved them into the cottage.
He avoided the steps that creaked and walked into her room.
He smiled despite himself as he caught her rolled up in a quilt, her lips slightly parted, and a soft snore drifting in the air.
Her dark lashes fell on her cheeks, and the cool air painted her cheeks with a rose color.
After setting down her suitcase, he backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Then he stepped into his room and placed his bag on his bed.
Jewell’s question echoed in his mind. Was he attracted to Elise?
Initially, no. She was an annoyance he had to deal with.
Don’t get him wrong, she was a striking woman.
Curves in all the right places, and those green eyes were beautiful, but when he’d first started watching her, he wasn’t looking at her.
He was planning how to eliminate his target, and she was a bump in his road. One he didn’t want to deal with.
But then he’d met her. That first night, he was convinced she’d been planted on earth to make his life difficult.
A reporter of all things. Investigative reporter.
Blake scowled at the term. Wasn’t that rather redundant?
All reporters investigated facts for their stories, didn’t they?
Well, reporters did, and of late, not all who recited the news were journalists.
When Elise had dived into work at the library, that was when he’d started to notice, to see her for who she was, what she was capable of, and understand why she was doing it.
Elise wasn’t classically beautiful, but she was striking.
Her big green eyes and bright, ready smile framed the curiosity, intelligence, and determination that rolled together, making her more than a striking woman; it made Elise uncommonly and addictingly attractive to him.
Which, as he told his aunt, was more of a problem than an advantage.
A problem because he’d never really considered a relationship.
It never occurred to him that he’d find someone.
He’d always been a loner and was okay being alone, but being with Elise …
that was an intrigue he’d like to examine.
His earpiece activated, and he tapped it, whispering, “Stand by.” He made his way soundlessly down the flight of wooden stairs and went outside to the opposite side of the house from Elise’s window.
“Go,” he said when he was sure she couldn’t hear.
It was his Uncle Zane who came over the comms. “Rook will be given instructions to stop at a market in Budapest to pick up an order for both you and him. He’ll be landing in an hour. He’ll stop by your location. I’ll let you know when he’s arriving.”
His Uncle Zane was once a Shadow like him. He’d walked away before the demons of the job took over his life. He was also one of the reasons why Shadows now worked with support from each other. Going it alone was no longer the norm.
“I copy.”
“Word of advice?”
Blake blinked. “Go for it.” He’d take any advice from any corner. Whether he’d use it or not wasn’t open for debate.
“Zajac’s going to be spooked. Triple check that routines haven’t changed or that plans haven’t been made. Added guards, more patrols, you know the drill. Insider information would be helpful.”
“Januse Brzek’s mother is my in. He’s Zajac’s right-hand man. I’ll make her acquaintance once Rook is entrenched. She should know if her son is going to be here for an extended period.”
“Good call. Do you need anything from us?”
“No. I’ll keep in contact.”
“Whatever it takes.”
“As long as it takes,” Blake finished and tapped his earpiece, muting it again. He drew a deep breath and stared down the road that, if followed far enough, would lead to Zajac’s demise.