Chapter 21
Kendrick
“I asked Ruger to join us.” Maverick walked with the guest into the room Chase used for both his base of operations for work within the CIA and for Raven Intel. Chase was certainly more of a rule breaker than I’d realized prior to creating the organization.
Bringing agent work home was certainly frowned upon. Not that anyone knew a single thing about the man’s personal life, especially regarding our extracurricular activities. The only other person outside the group to know of its existence was Hudson’s wife.
There was no one central location for Raven Intel. As I’d told Reese, we all had locations within our homes where we could conduct investigations or communicate with Intel members through secure lines.
If anyone asked, we were avid computer gamers.
Ruger nodded to everyone in the room, concentrating on Reese. We’d taken an oath to preserve the secrecy of our operations much like the members of the Privileged had done.
Suddenly, all eyes were on Reese. My woman. Mine.
“Keep your fucking eyes to yourselves,” I barked a little too vehemently. Jesus. Now I was choosing to be completely possessive even with my buddies.
“Sorry, buddy. Reese. But she looks hot. I mean, whoa, baby.” Chase howled and I threw such a hateful look in his direction he should be glad the earth didn’t open up and his body drop into hell.
“Sorry, boys. You couldn’t handle me. Only this man can.” I’d be damned if Reese didn’t drape herself all over me, pursing her lips and driving a finger into her mouth. They were watching everything she was doing.
With their damn mouths opened.
But she egged them on, gyrating her hips. “My master.” Even her voice was breathless as she rubbed the tip of her wet finger around my lips.
“Jesus,” Maverick hissed. “I need a drink.”
“Alright. Back to business,” I snapped, giving her an evil eye.
Reese laughed, completely comfortable in wearing a goddamn corset and leather skirt that barely covered her ass. My ass. There I went again. What kind of bastard had I become?
“Kenny boy is right. Back to business. Glad you could make it, Ruger. We’re chasing a lot of dead ends and I for one am getting sick of it,” Chase tossed out, busy making drinks for everyone.
While this wasn’t a social call, my DEA buddy had heard the tone in my voice and knew alcohol would be needed.
Who knew. Maybe for a celebration if what Reese had captured on film and on the piece of glass bore fruit, along with her knowledge of Franklin and Global Universal.
We were all sick of it.
“However, we now have four names of the girls,” he continued.
Hudson whistled. “Well, that’s something.”
While we’d worked with Ruger on a couple of missions over the last few months, he’d yet to make an appearance at any meeting. One of Maverick’s more illustrious cases that he’d solved as an FBI agent had involved what had been the most notorious hacker in the business.
He’d served his time but had never lost his love of breaking into secure networks. Now we used his skills to our benefit.
He’d been the man responsible for wiping my fingerprint as a prosecutor off the face of the earth. He also had connections that were far more reaching than we’d originally believed, including with third world countries and communist regimes.
“Ruger, this is Reese Murphy. You might know of her father, Thomas Murphy.”
It took him a few seconds before recognition hit, a beaming smile slowly crossing his face.
“Global Universal. Oh, my freaking God. The architect of the world’s supreme security software.
Allow me to shake the hand of the daughter of the man inventing the only network I’ve never been able to crack.
The reason I was caught by the infamous Maverick Callahan. ”
I had to wonder if Franklin’s decision to work with Maverick was more based on his FBI experience. Why not also find out how much the FBI knew about the security application.
Reese’s eyebrows knitted together, but she accepted the gesture.
“Ruger likes to think of himself as the best hacker in the world,” Gabriel teased.
“And my father stumped you,” she tossed out. “He had a way of doing that.”
“Yep. And these guys are never going to allow me to forget it. You have me curious. What does Global Universal have to do with these Privileged men?”
I took a deep breath before answering. “From what I’ve learned tonight, maybe everything.”
I immediately piqued the interest of everyone in the room.
“Expound,” Maverick directed.
“You told them about Devonshire?” I asked, deflecting the question briefly.
Chase nodded. “You bet.”
“Marvin stepped down as CEO of his own company,” Gabriel said.
Theories were starting to churn in my mind.
I took a deep breath. “What do you want to bet the new CEO is a member of the Privileged. Like how Franklin Duffries took the helm at Global Universal.”
“Who is Franklin Duffries?” Maverick asked.
With a slow gaze in his direction, I answered, “Catcher.”
“What the fuck?” he hissed.
“I think Lucifer was testing him to confirm that I was on the up and up. However, Reese knows him.”
Everyone glanced in her direction. “He and my father were friends. Franklin pushed him out of control.” She wasn’t ready to confide in them about her personal relationship and I wasn’t going to push her.
“Well, ain’t this a kick in the pants?” Hudson grinned. “I bet there are other girls who might be daughters of wealthy men who suddenly found themselves ousted from their own company.”
“I’ll find everything I can about the new CEO of Devonshire,” Ruger stated.
I could clearly see that Maverick was pissed.
“Let’s not get our hopes up. Chase. Do you have the fingerprint kit?” I pulled out the piece of glass. “We didn’t have time to properly handle the evidence. We’re lucky to have it. The group is very cautious, only a few men attending the meeting. No women either.”
“What do you expect to find?” He carefully took it from my hand. In a court of law, the piece wouldn’t fly given the evidence had been tainted.
But we only played by our rules. “If we’re lucky, you’ll find at least three sets of fingerprints, maybe four depending on if the waiter touched that area of the glass.
Mine and Reese’s as well of course. She was clever, faking a fainting spell and smashing a glass.
Quick thinking. I have no idea even of the code name of the member, but he was older, at least in his late sixties while the other men are in their forties, maybe late forties.
However, we do have more,” I continued as I headed toward Reese, giving her a sly smile as I removed the collar.
“My lovely… slave was very crafty in taking a few pictures. Excellent idea, Chase. Worked perfectly.”
Refusing to miss the opportunity, I brushed my knuckles across her cheek. The look she gave me could light up an entire city.
“One was of Lucifer,” she added.
Hudson whistled again. “This girl is good. Do you know anything else about this Duffries guy?”
“I do,” Reese admitted. “I don’t know if he’s still with Global Universal after he forced my father out of the business, but he worked side by side with my father on developing the software you talked about.
He’s using my sister as a method of keeping me quiet.
If what he goaded me with is true, he was the man in charge of the videos luring the women to Miami. ”
“Fuck,” Maverick hissed. “What the hell is this man doing?”
“What a prize,” Chase added. “That included your sister. Right?”
Reese nodded, fisting her hand as she did.
I could see the same venom in her eyes that I’d been attracted to.
I’d need to watch her as she could very easily try to handle Franklin herself.
I refused to allow that to happen. Now that he was aware she knew everything, if he ran scared, he’d made good on his threat.
The guys looked back and forth from one to the other.
“There’s something else. The elite group or as Lucifer called them, their board of directors requires their members to offer services or land in my case to the organization. And Franklin is a member of the elite.”
“They’re using his software application.” Ruger whistled. “Perfect.”
I glanced at Maverick to see his reaction. “If that’s the case, then why bother talking with me?”
“That’s an easy answer.” I waited to see if he’d get it.
“Leverage against the upper echelon of his own secret club. Plus, my FBI experience since I captured Ruger. I’ve been fucking used.”
“Think of it as an opportunity in which maybe we can use the information and reverse the situation.” I had another thought and if I was right, it was no wonder Franklin was nervous she’d talk.
“Greed is always a mitigating factor in various friendships. We’ve seen men turn on their own brothers.
What if Franklin had a feeling Lucifer already had suspicions? ”
“The very reason for threatening Reese.” Maverick glanced from one to the other of us. “And possibly he was biding his time for the book to come out. He would set himself up in a position where he came out as the good guy. Walking away with millions.”
“Exactly. There’s a hell of lot of money changing hands.
” I shook my head. “If I had to guess, I’d say hundreds of millions if not more.
If they’re working together as a combined organization offering the women as incentives, they’ve managed to gain significant control over a global environment.
Plus, if they’re able to get their hands on various companies, they could expand not only their wealth but their worldwide control. ”
“One giant conglomerate with unbelievable power.” Hudson shook his head. “Keep the men happy and they’re willing to do anything including parting with their money.”
“Which means the elite are more in control than their members realize.” Exposing them was the true objective.
“Then we need to find bank accounts,” Reese suggested. “They’d need a shell corporation at minimum.”