17. Xander #2
Most everyone nodded, and several of the people on the call started in on suggestions of how to narrow down the dates, seeming to understand without asking that Andrie wouldn’t turn her files over to be previewed, but the thought was that, if she had more direction, she could broach the topic with the women on their next visit.
Everything stopped when the man called Thoth spoke. “You seem to have something on your mind, Enyo. Care to share?”
I hadn’t noticed until the room fell silent, but Lessia had kept quiet and was biting her lip and fidgeting in her seat.
“I’m not so sure we should dismiss the other possible reasons for someone to try to gain access to Andrie’s files,” she said finally.
“I know y’all seem pretty certain this is why she was targeted, but other than the fact it’s on our minds, there isn’t much evidence to support this avenue of thought.
” I rocked back on my heels, thinking about her words as she continued, “Her military patients alone would be desirable to more than a few people, both in this country and others. Add in her work with our operatives and that laptop would appear to be a treasure trove of intel.”
“You think we’re going down the wrong trail,” Thoth said succinctly.
“I think,” she said, uncharacteristically diplomatically, “that there aren’t enough facts yet for us to know.
Yes, there might be a connection to what we’ve been looking into, but if that were the case, why not also go after people who have fewer contacts with the government and therefore be easier targets? ”
“What do you mean?” Matteo asked, crossing his arms as he, too, appeared to think through her words.
“Well, Andrie isn’t the only one who might have had points of contact with these two women.
Yes, she potentially might know them, but there are other people in the city who help that would be easier to track and raise less alarm.
Has anyone reached out or checked with the church on Oak Street?
They’re known for providing for women in need of a safe place.
And the old woman who died, it’s rumored she has a relative who might be moving into her old house.
It’s possible, even though unlikely, that she left information for them somewhere.
Has the house had any activity on the police radar?
Theft, burglary, or even suspected trespassing?
It would be far easier and less risky to break into an empty house that has more of a connection to those women than it is to get into Andrie’s office building, which had not only a guard in the lobby but cameras everywhere and locks on her door. ”
Lessia made an excellent point, which clearly everyone else agreed with, given the silence.
“You’re right,” I said, surprising myself by speaking up when I’d been determined to only listen and learn.
After all, it wasn’t like I really had a right to be there.
I’d been allowed to join more as a courtesy than anything, and I’d bet Andrie would be pissed if she’d known something like this was going on without her being included. “We don’t know enough.”
“Hardy—Andrie’s government contact—was throwing a shit-fit today with the locals, trying to dictate how they should do their job.
While bullying is his standard MO, he was a little more …
high-strung than normal,” Lessia continued, giving me an appreciative glance.
“I don’t know whether that’s because he’s the one who picked out that location to start with, because he was against her branching out to open an office at A.T.
, or because of some other pressures from his superiors, but it certainly didn’t help resolve matters today.
Gideon even pulled Royce and Boone in to step in and make some calls, if only to smooth over some ruffled feathers, and it wasn’t even their mess to deal with.
Fortunately, a shit-ton of former military work for us, and Gideon was able to say anonymous employees asked them to look into things on Andrie’s behalf.
It kept the locals—and Hardy—from asking too many questions.
It also took a call from a superior to keep Hardy in DC.
He claimed he needed to handle this personally but couldn’t explain why he’d brushed off the break-in as being unrelated patients and then insist it was important enough to warrant a second trip out in less than a week. ”
“I’ll look into Hardy. Cyber, do a broad sweep for him and every other possible angle, instead of a deep dive on the trafficking connections like I had you do earlier,” Thoth said, tapping his fingers as he spoke.
“Revenant, do you think Andrie has warmed up enough to permit you to stay around to keep watch? Vik can chip in if needed, but he would raise eyebrows after a day or so. A new boyfriend who happens to be between jobs, who can help her clean her office and move, won’t be as noticeable.
Just dress less biker and more typical Texan to raise less suspicion,” he advised.
“Andrie is cautious. She’ll allow me to stay close for a few days. I don’t think it’s something that can drag out too long. She values her client’s privacy and won’t be happy to have me hanging around while they’re coming and going,” I finally said, thinking things through.
“Good enough for now. Grimm, I know you’re feeling the pressure to keep your control over the streets.
Keep up the heat—the last thing we need in the city is for an all-out fight for power to blow up in our faces.
If you need more bodies than the few you have, let Matteo know.
We’ve got some operatives in other parts of the country who might like some added excitement, even if it’s only short-term. ”
Grimm nodded. “I can recall a few men from Louisiana, too. Hazzard offered to have more stay back, but I didn’t think it was necessary at the time.”
“I’ve got some seasoned veterans who might be interested in a fun vacation.
And Raptor will be back from assignment soon.
Judge, too.” Matteo added. “And I’m getting ready to finish vetting a few new recruits.
I can always have them placed here instead of other locations.
It would give us more of a chance to train them before I turn them loose elsewhere.
Speaking of Raptor.” He turned to Lessia.
“How much more do you have planned for the crews currently working on your pet project? We’re not the only ones who need them, you know? ”
Lessia shrugged casually. “The A.T. building is scheduled to be completed next week. They were able to tie in the training center building to the rest of the network that had already been started, so I’d say another month and the entire complex will be ready for Wyck’s construction crews.
At least, until Raptor can design and approve the next phase.
I’ll likely need them on and off for a few years yet. ”
“Are you ready to let the cat out of the bag and actually tell the class what the hell you’ve been working on?” Grimm wanted to know. “Or is this one of those things you leave us in suspense about until you deem the timing right?”
Brody, who hadn’t said a word the entire time, finally grinned, looking down proudly at his girlfriend. “You going to tell them?” he asked softly.
Lessia matched his smile with one of her own.
“The man who had owned the land Gia was held on by Tomelson finally agreed to sell. Bull and Gideon have been trying to get him to part with that property for years, but I caught him at a weak moment. That parcel connects the A.T. training grounds to Matteo’s farm and branches out past both pieces.
It’s another ten thousand acres. In addition to the twenty thousand acres of land A.T.
already owns and the hundred acres Matteo has, let’s just say solitude won’t be a problem.
A.T. already had a government mandated no-fly zone over that land, and it has other tech that ensures spy satellites have issues getting decent images over it.
It also consists of what were several different farms that had been bought out and left to rot years ago, so plenty of old large barns and other outbuildings we can renovate and repurpose like we did the warehouse in the city that operatives use as a base when they need one.
Still, adding a network of tunnels and escape routes will ensure no one will be able to see a thing while connecting the existing properties.
Ladies and gentlemen, in a few short months, we should have all the infrastructure we need for our own ghost-ops training site, hidden within the A.T.
training umbrellas. In addition, the Cyber group, as well as some other support staff, will now have their own level under the A.T.
office building, giving them additional smokescreen and support instead of having to work solo as they are now. ”
Grimm whistled long and low. “You’re hiding the entirety of our division—logistics, cyber, operatives, all of it—within and literally under Accardi Tactical?”
Her smile widened even more at his stunned expression. “What’s better than hiding a needle in a haystack? Hiding it in a pile full of other needles!”