Five
He read the report twice, just to be sure, and smiled.
He couldn’t have planned it better himself. All three of them together, stateside. Noel and his sentimental attachment to that house. It was a deathtrap waiting to happen. He knew it. Noel knew it. But the bastarddidn’t think anyone could touch him, that because Big Joe liked him he was too fucking special to terminate.
As if the Business wouldn’t execute Cavanaugh on a whim. Big Joe was a real shit. If the guy liked you, you were golden. If not…
Hell, look at Angel. She’d worked her ass off. Done things he’d never have agreed to do. All for the greater good. And then, dropped. Executed fortreason she hadn’t even committed. The poor bitch had managed to piss off one too many people, him included, but he’d at least have given her a proper send-off. But not the dickheads running the Business. They shot first and asked questions later.
Angel was just more proof that the Business needed new management. Someone with a long range plan who hired better middlemen than Big Joe. Borislavand Meridia were just as bad, but at least they didn’t feign respect. They plainly showed their fear and disgust on their faces. Or at least theyhad, until someone had gouged out their eyes and ripped out their tongues.
He grinned. Ah, but he was saving Big Joe for last. No sense in giving away the game too early to the ignorant players.
He read the report once more, then dialeda number on his phone.
His contact answered immediately. “Nine here.”
“Nine, put the others in place.”
“Roger that. Annette’s in play as well.”
“Good. Any word on Deacon Shaw?”
“Sorry, sir. We lost him somewhere at the airport. I’m still not sure how he ditched us. Malory was on him.”
And Malory was a god when it came to tails. A shadow fortheShadow,he thought with curbed amusement. The perfect foil to take out Deacon when the time came. “He’ll come back. I’m not worried.” But he was curious to know what the hell Deacon was up to. “Hammer still in place?”
“No.” A pause while he waited for Nine to continue. “He boarded a plane for Philadelphia last night. He touched down, caught a private transport and met with…well, we can’t be sure.But Annette thought she heard mention of Phantom in the area.”
“What?” That didn’t bode well. Phantom didn’t play nice with anyone, the government-sponsored Businessorthose in the private sector. An odd choice for a Boy Scout like Hammer to meet. “Dig into that, but do not, under any circumstances, let our involvement get back to Phantom. We don’t need that kind of trouble.” Not whenhis plans were coming together so perfectly.
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
He thought about it. “Activate Wilkes and Rene. They’re a go.”
Nine chuckled. “Yes, sir.”
“That’s all.”
“Nine, out.” Nine disconnected.
He stared at his phone and clicked through to a photograph of Wilkes’s younger brother, Ted. He’d warned Wilkes that his brother wasn’t ready fortheir world, but Wilkes wouldn’t listen. As predicted, Noel had ended Ted’s short-lived life with little effort. And really, who used a cover that poor—a meth head mugging gone bad—and thought he could get away with it?
The only good thing to come from Ted’s demise was that Noel had his guard up. Caution made Ice even sharper than usual. Such fun and a true challenge to take the man outat the top of his game. But then, Noel deserved all the payback coming to him.
For Mexico—he’d never forget.
Thursday evening,Deacon eyed the droopy diaper on Noel Jr. and cringed. Where the hell was Hammer when it mattered? And why send the giant to gather information? If they needed intel, they used Deacon. They needed someone blown up, crushed to death, or out and out annihilated, they sent Hammer.
Or, more correctly, Hamilton Aston Montgomery III. Deacon grinned.What a pansy-ass name. Hammer hated it. Which made it so damn fun to use around the huge killer.
The baby babbled and started tugging at his full diaper, and Deacon swooped in and held the kid at arm’s length.
Apparently being dangled so high was fun, because the boy laughed and laughed while Deacon frantically sought the diaper bag.
No joy.
Where the hell did Noelput it? The kid tugged harder, so Deacon darted into the bathroom and set the toddler in the tub. And just in time, because that diaper fell off.
