Chapter 18 #2
I’d been around Chase long enough to know when he was hiding something or using information as a grandstanding method of cheating at poker. With no cards and no bag of change tossed on the scarred table he used for game night, I sensed whatever was on his mind he knew would annoy me even further.
“Spit it out, Chase.”
“That’s why you’re a damn good judge. Nothing gets by you,” he teased, but his uncomfortableness continued.
“Keep going,” I pressed.
“After doing some digging, I found some valuable information. You already knew Bruno was a drug addict, which is partially the reason he has nothing to do with his daughter Bella.”
For some reason, an entirely different emotion popped to the surface. I was noted for being levelheaded. Maybe I was reacting after hearing the goon’s plans on what they wanted to do with her, but I snapped. “Please tell me you’re not trying to insinuate Valentina is a part of this.”
Chase scrubbed his jaw. “As with every case, all sides need to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb. You know that better than anyone, Hudson.”
While he was correct, they didn’t know Valentina. She was truly innocent in all of this.
Still furious, I took a deep breath realizing what an ass I’d just been.
“The men Jones hired had a bag full of weapons and rope. I overheard them talking about their plans for her. From what I heard, they planned on killing her, but only after they used her body. Over and over again. That will never happen.”
The room was bristling with tension.
Chase sucked in and held his breath. When he released it, he whistled.
“I’m sorry, man. I really am. I wasn’t insinuating anything.
Her ex, Bruno Carvelli is a bad dude. From New York as is Ms. Sciascia, and from what I can tell, he was a foot soldier for the Sanchez Cartel while there.
I have no idea how Valentina got hooked up with him, but she ended up following him to Miami.
There are a few reports he had a few legit jobs, including as a yacht salesman, not making bad money either.
I didn’t find much on their relationship except that she filed a police report a few years ago. ”
“For what?” Kendrick asked.
“Abuse. He threw her across the room and beat her pretty badly. There was a restraining order, which he violated at least once. Then he disappeared for like two years. There’s no record of him.”
“She was pregnant.” I’d already seen that coming.
Chase looked at me with a sense of sadness in his eyes, which was entirely out of place.
“So he’s an asshole and she learned the hard way to keep him out of her life.”
“Well, that might be impossible,” he added. “Bruno is working for Delgado. In talking with a trustworthy snitch, that’s something I learned started only in the last couple of months.”
The coincidence wasn’t something I bought. “Fascinating.”
“Very much so. It might not mean anything, but I thought you should know. At least she has full custody of Bella.”
If he believed that under any circumstances Valentina had used me, that was crap. However, if there was one thing I knew about men who abused women, it was that they felt possessive. Especially since the child was his. It was entirely possible at some point he’d want her back. “Noted.”
There was a strange sense of tension in the room, something we’d almost never experienced in the years we’d been friends. Perhaps that was because what we were doing was entirely different.
“Where is this shipment coming from?” Maverick decided to be the one who broke the tension.
Chase glanced toward Maverick. “From what we know right now, intel provided us with credible information Delgado has plans on hijacking a ship bound for Cuba. Now, none of you heard this. Very top secret, but the DEA just got the word that Delgado developed a hit list of his enemies.”
“How the fuck did the DEA manage that?”
My buddy’s grin as he glanced at me was positively evil. “People talk. We listen.”
“That’s why Jones was released,” I mused.
“What do you want to bet Delgado’s enemies are Worthington’s as well?”
“Let’s just say the conclusion has been mentioned by more than one DEA officer.” Chase raised his eyebrows.
“Unless Worthington is brought down, Delgado gets a free pass.” My words seemed to hit home with everyone.
“But your team is all over it,” Kendrick said to Chase.
Chase raked his hand through his long hair, appearing as frustrated as we all felt. “Yeah, but as you might imagine, we’ve had an uphill battle and with Worthington on the take, it’s only going to get steeper.”
“We need to get a copy of this hit list.”
Maverick was right.
“I think we need to go under the assumption Worthington made the list.” Gabriel was serious.
“I suggest you consider taking Valentina and Bella to the safehouse I mentioned. We’ll handle this from here.”
While I appreciated Chase’s suggestion and willingness to get his hands dirty, that wasn’t going to happen. “Not a chance in hell.”
Chase chuckled. “I figured you’d say that.”
“Are we really talking about doing this? And I’m not entirely certain what this is.” Kendrick was stating what we’d all been thinking. Although I had my answer.
I wanted Jacob Jones to suffer.
Admitting it even to myself wasn’t as difficult as I’d suspected.
“We’re here to finalize the creation of Raven Intel.” Chase locked eyes with each one of us before continuing.
“I’d love to take down the attorney general, if possible,” Gabriel admitted.
We were certainly all in agreement with that. “I have some ideas on how to do that,” I told him.
“Let me show you what I’ve managed to put together so far. Then you tell me where we’re going with this.” Chase was more excited than some kid in a candy store.
“Why not,” Kendrick said. “All we have to lose is our careers.”
“And our morals,” Gabriel added.
“I don’t know about you, but I lost those years ago.” Maverick had the same grin on his face as he had the night before. He was loving this.
Over the next thirty minutes, he proceeded to talk about the communications and security equipment he’d amassed, and his ability to access information about almost anyone in the world.
In addition, he’d briefly spoken privately to several people he believed were experts in their respective fields.
He also presented pictures of the safehouse he’d mentioned to me.
“In addition, I know a guy I apprehended while early in my career,” Chase concluded.
“Mikey Carnovich was undoubtedly the best thief I’ve ever hunted.
He was responsible for stealing millions of dollars of priceless art and jewelry during his illustrious career.
After serving his time, he became a consultant for a couple corporations then was lured by the government as an expertise on building security. ”
I laughed. “Just in case we need training on breaking and entering?” I asked.
“Exactly. What about your buddy you serve with in the Marines? What was his name, Jack Barker? Wasn’t he an explosives expert?”
Nodding, I finished off my drink. “Yes. He certainly knows his shit.”
“You see what I’m getting at,” Chase threw out. “We all know people who are experts in different industries who hold specialized skills.”
“How are we going to keep them from turning our activities into the authorities?” Kendrick lifted his eyebrows.
“We all have a common need. Justice.” My answer might seem simplistic, but of the people Chase had mentioned, including Jack, we’d shared conversations much like the one from two nights before.
“I also have a safehouse we can use,” Gabriel offered. “Much like yours, Chase, not fancy but off the grid in the mountains of North Carolina. Plus, one of my exes is a former spy who speaks several languages and is currently teaching at the FBI Academy.”
Maverick laughed. “You old dog, you. And here I thought we knew everything about each other.”
“Not everything,” I offered.
“Having a linguist ex-spy on board would be great,” Chase teased. “Let’s just be clear. If we agree formally to do this, there is no turning back. In the eyes of the law, we will be considered criminals. Any day our form of justice could catch up to us.”
“That means extra caution including hiding our identities online and in person,” Maverick said. “I’ve done a lot of research in my books on how assailants and spies are so successful.”
“Then it’s your assignment to make us invisible. No footprint. And no hotdogging either.” Chase was good at being a leader, although we were definitely all alpha personalities.
“I can handle that.” Maverick studied me as he’d done since I got here.
“What?” I grilled.
“The question remains. What do you want to do with the Undertaker?”
I had two choices. I could either use the reprehensible thoughts that had lingered in my mind as a weapon, more powerful than holding cold, hard steel in my hand.
Or I could take the high road, the one I’d taken an oath to protect and serve.
The one my father had instilled in me through his harsh discipline, carried forward by orders received and followed in the Marines.
The choice shouldn’t be difficult.
But it was.
I headed toward the bar for a single refresh. It wasn’t that I needed courage or convincing. I’d surprised myself over the last thirty-six hours in how far I was willing to go to protect Valentina and her daughter. “One last time. We believe in the system.”
But God help the man and all those who provided assistance for any and all acts of crime.
If the system failed once again.
There would be hell to pay.