“Sounds like very intense work.”She smiled.“Would I have heard of the organization you work for?”
“Probably not.”I was skating on thin ice here.I didn’t actually work for anyone.The Brotherhood operated under the radar, and the one thing we had all agreed on at the start was the less people knew about us, the less chance they’d find ways to avoid our brand of justice.We didn’t like to tell people more than was absolutely necessary.
Saving endangered animal populations was my life’s passion, and as much as I’d love to brag about it to Kimberly, I couldn’t take the chance.Not yet.“We try not to attract too much media attention.”I gave her what I hoped was a charming smile.“Wouldn’t want the bad guys to know we’re coming for them.”
Kimberly’s gaze flickered to my arm, the new bandage I’d wrapped around it after applying the butterfly strips concealed beneath my shirt.“Speaking of bad guys, how’s the arm doing?”
“As good as can be expected.It’ll leave a bit of a scar but it’s starting to heal.”
“I take it you didn’t see a doctor?”
I shrugged.“Wasn’t necessary.It stopped bleeding and it’s not infected.A few butterfly strips and it’s fine.No need to go find someone who will want me to explain how it happened.”
She nodded in mock agreement.“Oh yeah.I just hate it when people explain things to me.Kind of takes all the fun out of guessing who shot the idiot.”
“Exactly!”
The waitress showed up with our dinners, putting the discussion of my injury on hold.“Thank you.”I smiled politely at the waitress.Picking up my knife, I sliced into the steak and tasted the first bite.“Exquisite!”
I looked up to find Kimberly watching me with a bemused smile on her face.
“I knew you’d like it.”She started in on her own plate.
The rest of the evening passed in a pleasant haze.Given my embarrassingly slim experience at this sort of thing, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt with Kimberly.We finished our steaks, ordered another pitcher of beer, and chatted idly about everything and nothing until it was time to deliver her back to Sasha.
I had a feeling I’d be the main topic of conversation between Kimberly and my stepsister tonight.Good thing Sasha liked me!
* * *
“What do you mean they lost them?”I kept a lid on my anger, but only just.Guilt could do that to a guy.I’d made the choice to blow off the poacher case in order to pursue Kimberly.I’d known I was the best one for the gig, but I couldn’t be in two places at the same time.I’d done the hardest part, the leg work.I’d tracked the poachers from Hong Kong to the West Coast.The twins could take over from here.
How could they have disappeared like a rabbit in a magician’s hat?Poof.No trace, no hint of where they’d gone.No ringleaders for us to take care of.
Damn.
William’s British accent became more pronounced when he was upset, and right now he was very upset.“Sam and Noah managed to reconnect with your poachers and followed them to a complex in Thailand.They did a little digging, found out the place was owned by a company with enough blanks in the ownership papers to impress a Mafia mob boss.They played it exactly by the book.Checked into a nearby hotel, checked back in with the office to update us, and then crashed for a couple of hours.Jet lag and all that, you know?When they went back to monitor the compound, it had been miraculously turned into a school for orphans.Paperwork was all in order.According to it, the place had existed for a decade.You know how easy it is to make things happen in that part of the world if you’re willing to grease enough palms.”
“Shit.They knew we were on to them.But how?”
“Now there’s the question.Sam and Noah didn’t make a single wrong move, they weren’t on the case long enough to be made, so the big question is who tipped them off that we were on to them?”William let the question hang in the air like a giant balloon.
I stared at my cell phone.“You can’t seriously think it was me?”
“Not intentionally, but you have to admit your attention hasn’t been one hundred percent on the mission, and you’re the only other person who knew what was going on.Did you use the scrambled line at all times?”
“Of course I did!I’m not an idiot.”I didn’t bother hiding the snarl in my voice.
“Hey, I had to ask.I know it’s impossible but it’s looking like we have a leak.We need to find it and fix it.These people aren’t the friendly, fuzzy kind.You know the risks.We all do.”
“Okay.”I took a deep breath.A leak.It was bound to happen sooner or later.Probably just an unlucky break.Someone overheard something, or one of the guys had been made by a former target.It wouldn’t take much.“So, what do you need me to do?”
“Come back in immediately.We need to regroup and come up with a plan.There’s no way we’re going to let these slimeballs get away with what they’re doing.And we need to do it face to face.The twins are going to have to Zoom in, but the rest of you need to be here.”
“Speaking of Zoom, any chance our network has been hacked?”
“Haven’t ruled it out yet.Jacques is working on it, and he enlisted Shadow to help.”
Shadow was one of the guys we’d served with back in the SEALs.When he left the service, he’d joined the same MC as Joker had down in Georgia, but we called on him from time to time when we needed help with anything too high tech for Jacques to handle on his own.
