34. Say anything
Chapter 34
Say anything
TOMER
W ell, that’s odd.
I didn’t expect to see Big Al this morning. Surveying the parking lot at HQ, I notice not only is he here, but so are Klein, Sawyer, Jonesy, and a few others who don’t normally work in the office on Sundays.
Interesting.
I hope they don’t get in my fucking way.
To expedite the search for the remaining traffickers in hiding and Yev, I came into the office to use the more powerful machines and put the enhancements Mia made to my software to use.
The sooner all these fuckers are behind bars, the sooner I can start working on my next mission—getting back my sugar bear. But I can’t do that until I know she’s safe.
Despite being under protection, she’s at risk so long as Yev, Viktor, and the others are free.
And on that note . . .
Once I park in my designated space, I check on Lettie by accessing the cameras in her apartment. Although I hate violating her privacy, I need to make sure she’s okay. That’s all I ever wanted to do.
In a way, we’ve come full circle, where she has no idea how obsessively I’m watching her. I’ll tell her this evening when I reply to her text from last night.
The one that possibly saved Skidmark’s life.
Even when we’re apart, she makes me a better man.
Looks like not much is different at the apartment since last I checked. Stella and Freya are watching TV in the living room, and Lettie’s sitting in bed with the light on. Since she left the door open, I can see her via the hallway camera.
It appears she’s gotten comfortable being one room away from them, which is huge for her. When I woke up from a nap earlier, I had a text from Josh letting me know Freya and Stella took her for a drive this morning. A dash of pride socks me in the gut.
She’s so damn strong. A thousand times more formidable than I could ever be.
Now that I know she’s safe for the moment, I shift my focus to figuring out why we have a full house at Redleg on a Sunday morning. After I badge in and wave at Todd at the front desk, I proceed quickly to the elevator.
Striding down the hall, I peek into Sawyer’s office. No sign of him. Same with Jonesy and Aaron.
As I enter the lair, my feet stop short. Big Al is manning one of the workstations. No sign of Klein or Mia. My eyes quickly scan the monitors as I take inventory of what’s happening.
It appears Boss is running an op. What the actual fuck?
He glances over at me, his face lighting up minutely. “Hey, T. You’re just in time.”
After setting my laptop bag on my desk, I scan the screens, examining things closer. “For what?”
Looks like Jonesy’s wearing a body cam. He’s with some of our guys, and they’re walking into a hotel lobby. On another screen, someone is remotely driving the controls, switching from camera to camera inside the hotel, viewing the lobby, stairwells, and elevators.
Before Big Al can answer, I’ve already put the pieces together. A zing of excitement skirts up my spine.
Rubbing my palms together, I jump in, firing questions and settling into my seat. “I presume Mia’s running this machine through VPN.” I point at one monitor and then gesture toward the others. “Who are they going after?”
I’d bet money this has to do with whatever gift was left on Mia’s bed last night.
“We found the mole from the trafficking task force. Last night, he took down Mia’s home security system again and left a present on her bed.” Big Al points to the table behind us, where an open box sits. “It was a shiny new tablet. When they powered on the device, a note instructed Mia to be at the pier at noon if she wanted to save her sisters.”
“Well, obviously we aren’t falling for that,” I toss.
“So rather than waiting for noon, we found him first. Sent some C-squad guys over to Orlando to guard her sisters too. Just in case.”
My eyes catch on the tablet.
Memories of that fucking jump drive flash through my mind, sinking my gut to the floor.
If there were footage of Violet on it, Big Al would have contacted me this morning when they found out. So it can’t be that.
Nonetheless, my skin crawls.
Rolling out my shoulders, I refocus on making the most out of this new development, hopefully helping with this unexpected mission.
I couldn’t get any digital forensics off the jump drive because Lettie destroyed it, but maybe I can get something off this tablet. It’s got to be related.
After swiping the device off the table, I return to my workstation. “How sure are you this is the mole? Did Mia confirm he purchased the tablet?”
Boss shakes his head, keeping his attention on the screens. “Last night, she finally thought of someone who had the capability to hack her system. A guy from DC who was on the trafficking task force with her when shit started going wrong. This morning, they found him in town on face rec. Once she saw what was on the tablet—something personal in nature—she was certain. They have a past of some sort.”
“And why isn’t she running the op from here?”
From the corner of my eye, I notice him scratching his beard. “Someone needed to be with Klein’s mother.” He purses his lips and catches my eyes briefly before refocusing on the monitors.
“I told you she was sick.”
He makes a gruff sound resembling agreement. After taking off his headphones, he adjusts the audio from the team’s comms to pour through the office’s speakers. Mia and the team are rattling back and forth as they move into position.
While analyzing the gifted tablet, I keep one eye on the op and continue firing questions at Boss. “What’s the mole’s name and rank?”
“It’s a guy named Tony Mattera. He was Mia’s counterpart at the FBI. Extremely talented hacker.”
Hmm . Not sure why, but it all feels a little too convenient.
I need to find out his background with Lenkov’s organization. If he had something to do with what happened to my sugar bear, then he’s going to the top of the MFKL.
Well, he’ll be in third position right under Victor and Yev. They still get top billing for obvious reasons.
Boss narrates what’s happening on the op while I skim the note left for Mia on the tablet, then find the device’s serial number.
Sawyer negotiates through a hotel room door with the tango, attempting to get him to open up. By the time he and the guys force their way into the room, I identify the store where the device was purchased and start downloading credit card receipts.
While I sort through the results, I keep an eye on the monitor where the guys are working to subdue Tony. My ears greedily eat up the sounds of the struggle. The adrenaline that comes with being on a risky mission, even if it’s from the safety of the lair, is soothing as fuck. It’s like coming home.
There’s something special about this job that I can’t quite explain.
Wait . No, that’s not true. I know exactly what it is.
It’s being valuable. Knowing I have something worthwhile to offer my team. It allows me to have their back.
Just like they had for me on the night of Lettie’s rescue.
While the guys get Tony into a chair and restrain him, I notice Mia has stopped addressing the team through the comms. Could be nothing. Maybe she’s watching like we are, waiting until she’s needed. I keep focusing on my primary task.
Bingo. Found the receipt for the tablet. Hell yes.
From there, shit goes crazy as several things happen at once.
Klein’s phone rings during the op. And he accepts the fucking call. These guys are highly trained professionals. They don’t do that shit.
Second, Mia is still radio silent. The team has called for her twice with no response.
Third, Tony is babbling nonsense. Or so it seems.
And finally, the name on the credit card receipt in front of me is not Tony Mattera.
“Fuck me,” I mutter, then whip my head toward Big Al. “Something’s wrong. How long has it been since you’ve heard from Mia?”
His brows pinch, and his eyes dart from me to the screen. “Too long.”
Through the comms, Jonesy calls, “Mia, are you there?”
No response.
Klein jumps in, sounding more distraught than I’d like him to be in the middle of an op. But Mia is his girl. His panic is so damn relatable.
I fucking knew something was wrong.
Checking if the comms are operational, Jonesy asks, “Boss, are you hearing us?”
“Affirmative,” Big Al answers in an even clip. “Mia, do you copy?”
Still no response.
From the hot seat, Tony yells, “You’re too late. She’s got her already. I tried to stop her. I was trying to help. I only wanted to protect Mia.”
I hit print, then slide my chair over to the other computer to get Mia on a direct comm channel. “Boss, I’m printing a photo of the individual who purchased the tablet. It’s not Tony. I’m trying to call Mia. We might need to redirect the team.”
The printer purrs to life. Over the comms, Big Al informs the team to stand by.
As soon as the printer stops, he grabs the page off the tray in a huff. “Who the fuck is Lisa Bowers? Did you run this name yet?”
“No need. I recognize her,” I answer him calmly, then try to hail Mia one last time. She doesn’t answer.
“Who’s the tango, T?” Boss asks, still studying the photo.
“She’s a Director at the FBI.”
“And she used her own fucking credit card to buy the tablet?”
“She’s either ballsy or stupid. I’m going with the former since she was smart enough to hack Mia’s system.”
Boss slams the paper down on the desk. “Son of a bitch.”
“I’m pulling the cam footage from Klein’s mom’s house so I can figure out what the fuck happened to Mia.”
While I’m rewinding the footage, I catch sight of Klein choking Tony via Jonesy’s cam. They better stop him before he kills a federal agent.
Love makes people do the dumbest shit. I know that firsthand.
Turning on my microphone, I address the team calmly. “We’ve got the wrong tango. Or he’s not working alone.”
Sawyer is the first to respond. “Explain, T.”
“I tracked the serial number on the tablet to a local electronics store. It was sold on Friday. I found the credit card that made the purchase. Lisa Bowers. Intel director at the FBI. She’s Tony’s boss. I think she’s who Tony was trying to stop.”
On my screen, I’ve located the moment when Mia was unceremoniously escorted out of Klein’s mother’s house at gunpoint from a few minutes earlier.
Lisa Bowers had her finger on the trigger.
We definitely found the mole.
Idly, I wonder if Lisa was the big shot Kadin mentioned was coming to town. Given her position of power and influence, she might be considered upper echelon to the lowlifes like him.
Big Al’s voice crackles through the comms. “Team, I need you out of there. We’ve got bigger trouble. If he’s willing, bring Tony with you. We might need his help since he knows the tango. Perhaps he can help us talk her down if it comes to that.”
He agrees to assist us, repeatedly citing he was only here to help from the get-go.
The next hour goes by in a rush as I seamlessly assume control of the op—which is now a rescue mission.
Mia might be new to Redleg, but she’s one of our own. We’ll pull out all the stops to save her.
With Boss at my side and the team following my instructions to the T , I operate with a practiced steadiness. Mia’s my friend, but I can’t help her if I don’t channel the calm needed to think clearly.
When we identify where she’s being held, the team moves in for a retrieval with guns at the ready.
Through the comms, we pick up enough to figure out that Lisa is working with the mafia. She’s taken Mia in an attempt to get Savin’s location out of her.
“We’ve got eyes on them,” Sawyer announces. “Mia’s tied to a chair. Fuck . Lisa’s going for her face with a weapon.”
Shit, shit, shit.
Klein orders, “If anyone has a shot, take it.”
Able to see what Jonesy sees through his cam, Boss orders, “Jonesy, take the shot.”
He does, nearly taking Lisa’s hand off in the process.
The team rushes in, saving Mia in the nick of time and with only minimal injuries.
Lisa gets handcuffed to a stretcher and carted off to the hospital. She’ll be treated for her injuries before being taken to jail.
Sinking deep into my chair, I let my entire frame go slack. The adrenaline crash hits me, and a weighted exhale leaves me in an audible whoosh.
Another fucking member of the organization responsible for hurting my girl is neutralized. They’re dropping like flies. Can’t wait to tell my sugar bear.
If she’ll speak to me.
Boss claps me on the shoulder. “Not sure why you came in this morning, but thank fuck you showed up when you did. Mia owes her life to you. I’m damn proud of you, son.”
My chest and throat swell. For several minutes, I’m unable to speak. He doesn’t press me to respond.
Together, we watch the team speak to law enforcement at the scene. Big Al’s phone rings at one point with Detective Patterson on the line.
There’s chaos and control, interwoven delicately, in the next several minutes. Something new and familiar about the way everything falls into place.
I take it all in.
Pride is an unfamiliar feeling, but I recognize it at moments like these.
And I’m so fucking proud to be part of the... Redleg family .
I’ve said it before. Thought the words—Redleg family.
Yet I’ve never let myself truly feel it. Until now.
Some of the things Leo and Sawyer told me the other night finally penetrate my thick skull and battered heart.
Yes . I fucking have one.
And it beats for two things—Redleg family and Lettie.
The reason both exists is the man beside me. A man I’ve lied to for years.
That ends now.
It’s my only chance to save what I have here. If he finds out about Lettie from someone other than me, I won’t even have this anymore.
The thought of losing Redleg lodges jagged rocks in the back of my throat.
“Big Al, can we talk?”
He shifts in his chair and rolls out his neck. “Absolutely.”
“Yeah, so...” When I pause, a gulping sound echoes around the office. Two guesses who it came from, and it wasn’t Big Al.
“Go on.”
My pulse slams behind my ears, reverberating through my entire neck and shoulders. An ache resonates from my hands through my arms. When I look down, I notice I have a white-knuckle death grip on the armrests of my chair.
Three times, I open my mouth. Three times, nothing comes out.
He notices me bumbling, leaning his broad frame forward and lowering his chin. From under his steely brow, his eyes scream at me with nothing but compassion. “What’s the matter, T? Steady yourself and talk to me. You know you can tell me anything.”
Fuck.
“There’s uh...” I clear my throat and try again. “There’s something I need to tell you. About her. Violet.”
My vision wobbles in and out. I’ve rehearsed how I would say this in my head a thousand times. Apparently, it wasn’t enough.
I haven’t even gotten the words out yet, and I’m already fucking it up.
“Anything, son,” he coaxes.
Two little words. They mean so damn much.
If anyone will forgive me, it’s him.
He’s not prone to overreact. More than likely, he’ll hear everything before he speaks. In a way, it’ll be the exact opposite of how I told Lettie. His daughter.
Hopefully, that means it’ll have a better outcome.
Still seated, I brace my elbows on my knees, bending over at the waist. I run my fingers through my hair and take a few deep breaths before I can meet his eyes again.
“I already know she isn’t staying with you anymore. Is that what this is about?”
Naturally, he knows. Boss knows all.
Still gathering the courage to look him in the eyes, I descend my head slowly in a pronounced nod.
After all, what I’m about to tell him is the reason she left.
“What can I do to help?” His voice is deep and calm, steadying me like he’s done so many times before.
Suddenly, I’m transported back to South Carolina more than a decade ago. Boss and I were sitting in a rental car. I was preparing to confront my father. Big Al asked what he could do to help.
He’d already supported me so much. I had no idea he was about to do even more.
Shaking off the horrid memory of that night, I man up and look him dead in his eyes. “This is about why she left. I fucked up. When we?—”
My words are cut off when my phone chimes with an incoming text alert. Guess I forgot to silence my phone when I came into HQ this morning.
And it’s not just any alert. It’s the tone I assigned to sugar bear.
Pulse racing, I reach into my back pocket to retrieve the phone.
“Hang on. It’s her,” I mumble, my gaze fixed on the screen.
Rising to unsteady legs, I take two steps away for a bit of privacy.
What are the fucking odds that she would reach out right at that moment?
As I unlock my phone, his large hand pats my upper back.
“Why don’t you give her a call? I’ll head down to my office. Come and see me when you’re done.”
He ambles past me toward the door. I’m dumbfounded at the unlikely coincidence of this timing. I’ve never believed in signs. Ever. Period. They’re illogical. A construct of the human mind to excuse happenstance and find meaning where none exists.
However.
If ever a time to believe in a mystical power, this would be it.
My focus jerks from my phone to Big Al twice before I find my voice. “Thank you.”
He winks at me. “Maybe we won’t need to talk about it after all, depending on how your phone call goes.”
Watching him leave, I realize I haven’t been given a full pardon for my crimes. It’s just a stay of execution.
Unless my conversation with Lettie ends up with her agreeing never to contact Big Al, then there’s no way I’ll be able to escape my death sentence.