Chapter 46
Everything was in order. We had no reason to further harass Silas, unfortunately.
"I'm going to give you an opportunity to do the right thing," I said to him.
He looked at me like I was crazy and laughed. "I think your idea of what the right thing to do is, and my idea of what the right thing to do is, are very different."
I glared at him. "I have no doubt about that.”
"We've got company," the musclehead said as he looked out the window.
The howl of outboards drew near. A boat approached.
I moved to the window to get a better look.
Five guys dressed in black tactical gear with assault rifles in a RHIB boat closed in.
This couldn't be good.
"If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I’ve got business to transact,” Silas said.
"You're going to do this right here in front of two law enforcement officers?" I said.
Silas gave me a confused look. "Do what? I'm merely engaging in a business transaction. I'm selling data, and they're transferring funds into my account. I see nothing illegal about that. It's all legitimate.”
I glared at him, but there was nothing I could do.
Silas stepped into the cockpit with a smile. He waved at the incoming crew, and Dex joined him.
I moved aft and peered into the cockpit through the window.
The goon squad tied up at the stern, and four of them boarded the boat. One stayed behind to pilot the craft. It looked to me like they intended to make a fast getaway.
The leader of the squad said, "Do you have the drive?"
"I do,” Silas replied. “Once the funds have been transferred into my account, I will hand the drive over to you."
"I need to verify the integrity of the drive."
Silas shifted uncomfortably, and his eyes darted between the squad and us. They kept their rifles in a patrol-ready position.
Technically, no crime was in progress. They weren’t brandishing weapons or making threatening gestures.
It was infuriating.
But at this point, we were just along for the ride until something happened. And we were possibly out of our jurisdiction anyway. A little farther from shore than I had anticipated.
“Certainly,” Silas said. “My guests were just leaving. Once they’re gone, you can verify the data.”
“Guests?”
“Just some old friends,” Silas muttered aside. “You probably don’t want them to see what’s on that drive.”
“Are you the only one who’s seen the contents of the drive?”
“Yup,” Silas said with a grin.
“Nobody leaves until I say so.”
Silas looked stunned. “You don’t really want them around while we transact our business, do you?”
“Like I said, nobody leaves until I give the okay. Are we clear?”
Silas shifted with unease and swallowed hard. A nervous chuckle escaped his mouth. "We're all friends here, aren't we?”
"Let's verify the drive.”
Silas nodded, then escorted the squad into the salon. Tensions rose as the leader stepped into the compartment and saw us.
One goon stayed out on the deck, while two followed into the salon.
"Who the fuck are they?" the leader said, his eyes darting between JD and me.
"Those are my friends. They were just leaving. But since you want everybody to stay aboard, I guess they're joining the party.”
We were all armed, and all of us were on edge. It was too many people with too many guns in a small compartment. That was a bad combination.
Silas moved forward and took a seat at the settee.
He flipped open a laptop, inserted the thumb drive that had been in his pocket, and cleared the security screen.
With a few clicks, he opened the drive, then slipped out of the bench seat and offered it to the squad leader. “It's all there. See for yourself.”
The squad leader shared a quick glance with his team, then took a seat and proceeded to survey the contents of the drive.
From my position, I couldn’t see the screen.
It sounded like he replayed a video clip. A whimpering voice filtered out.
"You might want to turn the sound down, if you know what I mean,” Silas said. He tapped a key and brought the audio down to zero.
The squad leader watched a few clips and seemed satisfied.
I still had no probable cause to arrest any of these scumbags. Neither did I have the jurisdiction at this point.
"It's all there,” Silas said. “There are no copies. Tell your boss to transfer the money, and we can all go our separate ways.”
The squad leader ejected the drive, pulled it from the port, and slipped it into his pocket. “How do I know you haven’t made any copies?”
Silas smiled. “You’ll have to take my word for it. I'm a businessman with an established reputation for taking care of my clients. My word is my bond, and I have never doublecrossed a client."
The squad leader pulled a pistol from a holster and took aim at the laptop. He fired two shots into it, and the deafening bang echoed off the bulkhead, ringing my ears.
Key caps scattered, and smoke wafted from the device.
It set everyone on edge.
Hands gripped rifles tightly, and fingers moved to triggers.
I had my probable cause. But now was not the time to flash a badge.
"Whoa!” Silas protested. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"Insurance. You can afford to buy a new one after my boss transfers the funds.”
Paige stood in the galley with wide eyes.
Silas checked his phone to see if the transaction had completed. "The money hasn't come through yet. Tell your boss I expect prompt payment."
The two stared at each other for a long moment.
Paige looked like she was about to explode. She couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. "Where's Tonya?”
The squad leader gave her a quizzical look. He was just a hired hand. He didn't know who she was from Adam. He said to Silas, "Who’s she?"
"She's just a friend. An ex-friend, really, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink.
A long, tense moment occupied the salon.
The squad leader gave a subtle glance to his companions. Something was about to go down.
My body tensed, and adrenaline surged. I knew what was coming next.