14. Saving a Nation
Chapter 14
Saving a Nation
Bull
A fter leaving Maya at the school, I go to Storm to meet up with the guys. Waking up to Maya’s note isn’t nearly as good as reaching out and finding her beside me, but it tells me how much she thinks of me. The note on the coffeemaker made me chuckle, and the fact that she went to the bakery we talked about to get the Danishes I like so much tells me she not only listens, but truly hears me.
I trust a select few people with my secrets. My Storm family, and now Maya. I can add Gertie to that list, simply because it was she who confronted me about my past. She didn’t pry and ask a thousand questions, and yet somehow, she knew I had a shitty upbringing.
“You made it. I thought you were going to sleep the day away,” Falcon teases.
I look around to see that I’m the last one in. “I’m not late,” I say, pointing to the clock on the wall.
He laughs. “Nope. Just that you’re usually the first one in.”
“Had an errand to do.” I jerk my chin in a silent hello to the rest of the guys sitting around the table. I noticed that Kailyn wasn’t in her office when I walked down the hall. I glance at Phoenix. “Is Kailyn all right?”
“It was a long night. I told her to stay home and rest today,” Phoenix replies.
“Wish I could have said that to Maya,” I murmur.
“Working here with us has its benefits,” Phoenix says with a chuckle. “Then again, she has to put up with all of us and our shitty moods.”
“Yesterday was intense,” Rebel agrees. “But it all worked out.”
“Thanks to Maya,” Wire says. “That was a good idea to talk to the kids again. She was able to get the lead we needed.” He hangs his head. “I missed Allen. I should have caught that.”
“He was part-time and wasn’t supposed to be there that day. All his paperwork wasn’t complete, and he wasn’t in the school system,” Falcon tells him. “This one is on me.”
“We learned something.” Phoenix focuses on the positive. “Troy’s safe at home with his parents. I’m more interested in the real reason behind all this.”
“Allen is being charged with kidnapping.” Falcon turns to me as I sit in the chair next to Wire. “It’s good that you left the backpack where you found it. It proves that Troy was in the house and is incriminating evidence against Allen. Once the detectives got him in the interrogation room, he offered to make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” Rebel asks.
“He gave up the person behind it all and the evidence needed to make the charges stick. Allen gets a reduced sentence,” Falcon explains.
“Dan’s partner, Porter,” I state, and Falcon nods. “But why? The company is doing well. Wire didn’t find any misappropriation of funds. Why would he risk it all?”
“Turns out Franklin Porter is a greedy bastard. Dan is well respected and has worked his way up the ladder of his own accord. Franklin, on the other hand, acquired his fortune through family money and has never earned the respect of his peers. He was tired of being looked upon as second fiddle. He was out to steal documents,” Falcon explains.
I shake my head. “You lost me.”
“The documents are a list of key clients. Clarke was going to leak confidential information and discredit his partner, then plan a takeover of the board of directors.”
“What the fuck did Troy have to do with any of this?” I ask.
“Dan’s not an idiot. He knows what’s at stake, and his clients’ privacy is imperative. He personally handles three point two billion dollars of investor funds. That’s without the rest of his exclusive brokers. Dan has a state-of-the-art security system and only two men have the code to the private elevator that leads to his office. One is Dan, and the other is Troy’s father,” he finishes.
“That’s fucked up,” Rebel says. “I want five minutes with Porter.”
“Get in line,” I grumble.
“Look, I agree, but we’ve got another case to work on.” Falcon redirects our attention to the screen. “Wire, where are we with President Obi and his son Yakubu?”
Wire gives his update. “I’m expecting a call from Yakubu later today. He’s turning over his files to us. He’s done a thorough search of all the staff and hasn’t been able to find a damn thing. They had the poison tested, and that report is already in. I’m going to see if I can find a connection. I think we need people on the ground.”
“I agree. I’ll go,” Falcon says.
“No one goes alone,” Rebel insists. “That’s the deal.” When we first started Storm, it was decided that no man would go into a situation alone. “Count me in.”
Shit! This is normally when I join them, but the thought of leaving Maya for an indefinite amount of time doesn’t make me happy.
“Rebel and I will go in first. Bull, you and Phoenix are on standby. Be ready at a moment’s notice in case we need you,” Falcon says. “It’ll give you both some time with your women before we call on you again.”
“You got it.” I nod. To say I’m relieved is an understatement. “We’ll help Wire sift through the information they send. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“Carinol is a very small nation. Compared to the rest of the world, its practices are still very traditional. President Obi has been balancing the growth of their country between keeping the essence of what the tribe originally stood for and modernizing for the global economy. This is about saving a culture, not just a nation. This isn’t solely about power and greed. Based on the information we’ve received, Obi is loved by the people,” Falcon goes on to say.
“Except for the assholes who tried to poison him,” Rebel mumbles.
“Yakubu will open any resources he has available. He’s been following his father around like a sentry on permanent duty. He’s going to wear himself out,” Wire adds. “I spoke to the guy. He’s a decent man who truly loves his father, and although he’s next in line to run the place, he’s not in any hurry.”
“Don’t they have a voting system?” Phoenix asks.
“Yeah. But who would run against him? He’s as beloved as his father,” Wire tells us.
An idea sparks in my mind. “What if this isn’t about President Obi? What if this is about Yakubu?”
“Go on,” Falcon says, crossing his arms and giving me his full attention.
“President Obi is either going to retire or pass away. He’s over eighty years old. I’m sure he’s thought about it. Everyone knows that the natural order would be to have his son take over. As you just pointed out, he’s just as popular with his people as his father. Maybe whoever is behind this is making Yakubu look like he can’t protect his father, and his adversaries are going to try to turn his people against him. We’ve all seen coups have happened for less than this.” I look around the room and see they agree this could be a consideration.
“It’s time to change direction,” Falcon says.
“I’m going to look at Yakubu and who he considers his closest friends,” Wire says.
“Does he have brothers?” I ask. I know my own brother would sell me to the highest bidder for an ounce of cocaine. Who’s to say that Yakubu’s family doesn’t hold resentment?
“He has three sisters.” Wire hesitates and then says, “And three brothers-in-law. I did an initial scan, but nothing turned up. I’ll be more thorough this time.”
“Rebel and I are flying out tonight,” Falcon states. He’s quiet for a moment, looking extremely pensive, then says, “This is an important win. Too many small territories are being attacked by rebel soldiers, and it’s turning into a bloodbath over there. This is just another way of starting a war, and it isn’t right. It would be good if we could keep one small nation from being destroyed.”
I know that pained expression on Falcon’s face. It’s the same one he used to get when he would see ten-year-old boys and girls carrying machine guns. We’ve all seen dead men, women, and children lying on the ground riddled with bullet holes. The worst was the mother who died attempting to save her baby by covering him with her own body. Both were dead when we got to them.
“Operation Saving a Nation is underway,” Wire says with determination.