Chapter 4 #3
After filling Rafe in on more of the details surrounding Alex’s presence at the party, as well as Crawford’s supposed intentions behind inviting her to dinner to discuss business, he made his concerns regarding the two clear.
“I saw the way he looked at her tonight, Rafe. That man wants her for more than her paintings. I guarantee it.”
The thought alone made him physically sick to his stomach.
“You need to offer him something more enticing than a night spent with Miss Webb,” Rafe mused. “Something a man like him wouldn’t be able to resist.”
“Exactly.”
“I assume you have an idea?”
As much as he hated to even think it, Coulter said, “I need an enticing, even more valuable product for him to offer up to his buyers.”
“And I’m guessing you’d like some help in making that happen?”
“If I’m going to pull his attention away from Alex, I need a high-value target to dangle in front of Crawford. Or at least the perception of a target.”
“A paper trail of sorts?”
“With pictures.” Coulter considered all the scheme would require.
“And whoever it is will need an infallible background and public history created and ready for Crawford’s people when they look into her, because they will.
” More innerworkings of the plan began falling into place.
“But this one has to be different than his usual target. Not a loner, but someone who would be missed by the right person.”
In the past, all of Crawford’s suspected victims were always unattached. Single. No kids or other immediate family. Just like every other sex-trafficker, the shithead needed to ensure his victims wouldn’t be missed.
But with a big enough payout, I can convince Crawford someone notable would be worth the risk.
“A celebrity, perhaps?” Owens suggested first.
“Nah, that’s too public. We need someone who isn’t in the spotlight, but whose value will be irresistible to Crawford and his scumbag clients.”
There was a stretch of silence as he and the powerful man on the other end of the call each took a moment’s pause. When an idea came to Coulter’s mind, he was hesitant to voice it aloud. But he had to, because this case was too important to worry about handling it with kid gloves.
“You know, the daughter of a former, decorated MI6 operative would catch the attention of a lot of wealthy people.”
A deep growl filled the speaker as Rafe demanded, “You want to use Shadow as bate?”
Shadow—aka Alice Owens-Garrison—was Rafe’s only child as well as Tac-Ops’ hacker extraordinaire. The spunky blonde had also recently married Slade Garrison, Tac-Ops’ stoic team leader.
“Just hear me out, okay?” He did his best to explain the plan. “Like we said, it would be for appearances only. Everything would be online, and Shadow would never be in any actual danger.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Crawford’s entire operation is totally digital. The sales are announced mere minutes before the auctions begin; they’re invite-only, and done so through a system so encrypted, no one at the agency’s been able to breach it.”
“But you think Shadow can.”
“If she’s willing, I think we have to at least try.
With her skills and my experience and contacts, we can create a fictitious transactional history to make it look like me and my team uncovered Shadow’s existence.
I’ll approach Crawford with the offer of setting everything up for a cut of the profit.
And once the sale is made and the transfer of funds is complete, I’ll finally be able to get the asshole and his buyers off the streets. ”
“I suppose, once it’s over, we can make it seem as if my having a daughter was all a ruse.”
“Exactly,” Coulter agreed. “Once Crawford and the others are in custody, we make it known it was all a lie. No one will go searching for a woman who doesn’t actually exist.”
“If they do, if we screw this up, and they discover the truth—”
“They won’t,” he vowed. “We’ll make sure of it.”
“How?”
“We’ll use a different name, scramble signals to keep them from pinpointing her location, and alter her appearance for pictures shown to the buyers.”
A wig, a pair of glasses she didn’t need, and baggy clothes to start. Add in some cleverly applied makeup, a few well-placed shadows, and a non-descript background, and even Coulter would have a hard time recognizing the brilliant woman.
And he knew her on a personal basis.
“Come on, Rafe,” he attempted to convince the other man.
“At least say you’ll agree to run it by Shadow.
If she doesn’t think her programs are sophisticated enough to do the job and keep her safe, we’ll scrap the idea and never discuss it again.
But just know that the agency’s been working Crawford for years, and my gut says our time is running out.
The only hope we have of taking this son of a bitch and his twisted friends down once and for all is to have his next sale be under my control. ”
And the only way that would happen is if Coulter brought him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“I’ll call Shadow and fill her in,” Rafe finally agreed.
“Thanks, Rafe. Let me know what she says.”
He ended the call and released a deep sigh as his gaze slid to the wall he shared with Alex. He smiled softly, hoping she was already sound asleep.