Chapter 49
Since Hal was unavailable, Jane turned to Diego. That included some substantial bribery. When he returned to Seattle, as he eventually would, he promised, she owed the guy a case of Monster energy drinks.
Death by caffeine, she thought and even said, but he ignored her.
True to his word, by Sunday, after he’d spent his entire Saturday deconstructing what Hal had done to the file and comparing it to the original, Diego had found a way to copy the exact— not encryption, per se—but a bastardized kind of control language that wasn’t exactly control language since the “encryption” had nothing to do with managing or controlling the computer system.
Frankly, Jane didn’t understand and didn’t want to.
Diego had sent the message Jane had needed sent and put it out on the same dark web channels he’d found for her before.
Now she just had to wait for Rook to take the bait. Smart guy that he was, he’d answer her. If only to prove his superiority.
She spent the remainder of her Sunday on chores, belatedly realizing she’d gone way too long without doing laundry.
Sitting around in her favorite comfy shorts and a SpongeBob tee-shirt she normally wouldn’t be caught dead in, she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
She made the mistake of opening it to her uncle. Then waited while he and Lionel entered.
Embarrassed about her attire but not wanting to show it, she pretended wearing a cartoon shirt with holes didn’t bother her.
Lionel grinned but wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Really, niece? Not Squidward? He’s my favorite,” Uncle Chris confessed.
Not to be left out, Lionel said, “Oh, I kind of like Mr. Crab.”
“You would.”
Jane cleared her throat. “Gentlemen. Not that it’s not a treat to have you both in my private quarters on a Sunday, but what can I do for you?”
They exchanged a glance.
She didn’t trust it. “What?”
Her uncle didn’t look pleased. “Jane, I have to go.”
“What’s wrong? Is it the guys? Is it Raine? Is she okay?”
Lionel smirked, and she relaxed. He actually liked her uncle, so whatever was taking Uncle Chris away couldn’t have been too bad.
“No. I need to head overseas because the guys need a little structure.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah, uh-oh.” Her uncle bit out, “Hondo keeps blowing up buildings that don’t belong to us. Rafi got a little too free with the cyanide. And don’t even get me started on Shawn.”
“What?”
“Oh, don’t worry. The cyanide took out a dictator with a liking for underage boys. He had it coming to him.”
Lionel nodded, his eyes twinkling.
“But now some newly self-elected president of the town that doesn’t officially exist has decided our deal no longer stands. Even Sven can’t get everyone to agree.”
“Shocking.” Lionel shook his head.
“Shocking.” Jane tried not to smile. Sven not managing to make a deal did surprise her. But the guys being the guys didn’t. That was normal.
“Don’t laugh,” Chris growled.
Naturally, she and Lionel laughed.
“I don’t want to leave you here with this mess going on.”
Oh, that was the problem.
“But Lionel promised he’ll have you covered.”
Jane scowled. “I don’t need to be covered. If I do need help, I have Raine as a last resort. But I’m good. My squad is tight. Detective Ryan is a great guy. Dependable, strong. We’re solid. We have a handle on this. Diego helped bait our target.” She clued them in to her plan.
“That’s pretty smart.” Lionel turned to Chris. “Don’t you agree?”
“Well, yes. But she’s tugging the tiger’s tail, Lionel. And we’re talking about the Bednareks. It’s not just August Kaminski.”
She shook her head. “August wants them gone. I think he’ll leave me alone to take out his problem conspirators.”
“She has a point,” Lionel agreed. “And like I said, I’ll watch out for her.”
Jane gritted her teeth then said clearly, “I don’t need your help.”
Lionel shot her a look, and she stopped arguing. “Trust me,” he said to her uncle, who studied him before swearing up a storm.
It took a few seconds for him to wind down. Then her uncle closed in and hugged her. “Okay. You listen to Lionel. Be good. I’ll be back in a few months. That’s if Rafi hasn’t poisoned me and Hondo hasn’t blown me to kingdom come.”
“Wait. You’re leaving now? Does Raine know?”
Her uncle smirked. “Who do you think’s driving me to the airport?” He shook Lionel’s hand and slapped him on the back so hard the older man nearly tipped over. “She’s in one piece when I get back or we’ll have words.”
Then Chris was gone.
She and Lionel studied each other.
“Are you going to be a problem?” she asked him.
After a pause, he started laughing. “You are so like your uncle it’s uncanny. Jane, I’m a problem to anyone who’s ever met me. Why should you be special?”
She sighed. “Fine. Just stay out of my way. I mean that with all due respect, sir. But I have a plan.”
“Don’t we all?” He rubbed his hands together with glee. “I like what you’ve done. But you’re unaware of a few other issues you’ll need to keep contained.”
“Like?”
“Alvin Richert. He’s new and doesn’t quite belong.”
“Who? Oh, you mean Nelson Rupert’s driver?”
“That’s the man.”
“Looked like a mercenary to me.” She’d lived with ten of them for years. She knew the type, that look in the eye.
“Yes, and we don’t know for sure whose team he’s playing for.”
“Nelson Rupert,” she said, suddenly understanding that might not be the whole truth. “Do you know who Nelson is playing for?”
“Himself, if I had to guess. That man’s loyalty is all over the place but always comes back to himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had his own grandson killed.”
Jane stared. “Really?”
Lionel looked grim. “Really.”
She considered taking a risk, buttering the guy up with empty promises and platitudes. Nope. That would be like enjoying a dinner with Hannibal Lecter. Beyond stupid. Instead, she said, “Sir. I need you to let me run with this. I have a good feeling.”
He studied her, and she hoped SpongeBob didn’t tank her chances to make the op work. “Fine. It’s not my job to tell you what to do. It’s your case, after all. But if you screw this up, we’ll have our own words.”
Not if I’m dead. She nodded. “Will do.”
“If I send you a little bit of help, you’ll take it. Yes?”
“This sounds nonnegotiable.”
“Look, I got your uncle off your case. He wanted me to stick to you like glue until you rounded up the Bednareks and Kaminski. Thank me.”
“Thank you. Sincerely.”
He nodded. “Then take the help when I give it to you. Don’t question it or tell anyone about it. Got it? I was never here. We never talked.”
“I am speaking to no one about nothing.”
“Right.” He shot her a salute and left.
Jane glanced around at her empty apartment.
The dryer buzzed.
Outside, a dog barked.
A car horn blared.
The sudden normalcy was dizzying.
She glanced down at her shirt. “Well, SpongeBob? It’s just you and me.”
After changing out her laundry, Jane went back to her notes on the home invasions, wishing she knew what exactly those stolen drives had on them besides crypto currency passwords.
What was August Kaminski really after?