“For feck’s sake, brother. Have your hangovers on your own time.” Michael is in a mood.
“How bad is it?” I cut through the discussion of how much Jameson is too much, which is a waste of time because for Duncan, there is no such thing as too much. “What did we lose?”
“The entire goddamned shipment,” Dad says. “It gets worse. Someone had enough of the details to know when to intercept it and blow the warehouse sky high. However, while sifting through the ashes, I realized none of the component parts of the military drones were in the rubble. There would have been bits and pieces, even with the force of the explosion. They blew up crates filled with pieces of metal and took the drones.”
“The only good thing here is that we didn’t lose any men,” Duncan says. “The crew of night watchmen suffered minor injuries, but no one died.”
“Let’s recap the key points,” Uncle Cormac is fighting for calm and losing the battle, his jade eyes are glowing with fury. “The first business deal we made with the Saito Yakuza is a hugestramash. A third party has their fecking hands on our drones, and should they use them, the blame could fall back on us.”
“And we’re out the fifty million pounds,” Michael adds helpfully, though given Uncle Cormac’s glare, he doesn’t seem to appreciate it.
“The first step is finding out who the feck leaked this information,” Dad says. “And I’m sending out scouts now to see what they can pick up. A shipment that big dinnae just disappear.”
“There’s a chance they’re taking the drones overland to send them out through Ireland,” I say. “There’s plenty of ports they could use for it. I’ll send a team to run surveillance on the most accessible options.”
“Find them,” Uncle Cormac says, rubbing his eyes. “This is a stain on our clan’s reputation. If the other families think we canna hang onto something as simple as a shipment of drones, they’re going to wonder what else we’re fecking up.”
“These aren’t just simple drones, Chieftain,” I say. “Being weapons-grade means they’re easily modified to disperse anything. Nerve gas, low level nuclear devices. This can get so much worse.”
“Ye know you’re the human version of Mondays, aye?” Duncan says sourly.
“Mason is right,” Da says. “Let’s get on it.”
***
I head to my office and make all the necessary calls. Then I pull my laptop over and open a program. It’s the state-of-the-art security software we use on all MacTavish communication.Scrolling down the phone numbers, my finger hovers over Afton’s.
Finally, I stab the button, running back through her call log. A couple to Luna and Arabella. Her sister. She had a fairly long conversation with her mother a couple of days ago. I start there.
My wife’s sweet voice is crystal clear.
“It was from a conversation I overheard. About the Saito Group.”
“Saito?”Her bastard father sounds like he’s drooling with excitement.“Go on.”
“The MacTavish clan is purchasing drones from Saito. Military-grade ones. They’re coming in tomorrow night.”
***
Stramash - Scottish slang for a huge disaster.
Chapter Twenty-Five
In which Afton is banished.
Afton…
I’m sitting in the living room when the front door opens.
Mason was gone all night after leaving for that important meeting. Last night was the night those drones were supposed to be delivered. This doesn’t feel like a coincidence. I hide my shaking hands under a throw pillow.
“Afton.” His voice is perfectly calm, just like always. “Where are you?”
“In here.” My voice cracks.
He pulls off his jacket as he comes in, laying it over a chair. Meticulous as always. Though when he finally looks at me, his jade eyes are simmering with barely contained rage.
“You are extremely fortunate that no one died last night.”
