Brady’s glance flickered—probably involuntarily—to Eric.
Eric swallowed. “Seventeen,” he rasped. “But that’s another story.”
“Okay, Charlie,” Brady murmured, for his ears only. “Okay.”
“So,” Brady continued on, “we need to get proof into the hands of people who can get the information out and make it big. I guess we no longer believe in the grown-ups, but there are things we can do. I mean, there’s an entire hashtag on social media devoted to outing pedophiles—we just need proof to fall into the hands of people who can do something about it.”
“The press,” Cotton said, and the pained moans in the room seemed to crush him. Jason’s hand on his shoulder was as tender as Eric had ever seen touch.
“Baby, not with this current administration. Many of the most trustworthy outlets have been compromised.”
“But it’s still not a bad idea,” Burton said. “Let’s make a list of press outlets thataretrustworthy—and of bloggers and social media people who are heard. What the government and law enforcement won’t always touch, communities have taken it upon themselves to take responsibility for.”
“And the old standard still applies,” Ernie said. “The one thing that will get a politician fired is proof of a dead girl in his bed—or a live boy.”
“So we need to retrieve the phone and get the information to the right public figures,” Eric summarized.
“Including the FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” Brady insisted. “I get that Jessica might be compromised, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t go to batif she had the information in her hand. And there are other contacts there.”
“We need a list, I figure,” Ace drawled. “A real list. And it needs to be locked and loaded into a computer and ready to send as soon as we hook the phone up to it and do….” He made wiggly motion with his fingers, obviously very uncomfortable. “I won’t lie. The only thing I know about computers is they look cool on cop shows. Who we got who can make a computer sit up and lap dance for us?”
“I can do networks and shit,” Burton said. “That’s my specialty—comp sci and comms, right here. But while I’m setting up a server that can’t be compromised and spoofing IP addresses across the globe, I’m going to need a computer set up for me and preloaded with all our info.”
“That would be me,” Eric said. “I can get one and set it up just for this—drive to Palm Springs and back before nightfall. You tell me what you need in the setup, and I can doctor it up.”
Burton nodded. “Appreciate it. I get the network, you get the machine. If we’re going to do this quickly—”
“We need to,” Brady said, and the electricity in his voice told Eric that finally,finally, their boy was waking up. “They may have spent the last two days looking for me—”
“And they have,” Jai said, sounding irritated. “We can’t walk across the street without some asshole throwing his belt buckle around asking about you.”
“Great,” Brady muttered. “So Monday, when I’m still not found, please God, it’s going to occur to them that I’ll be up to no good.”
“Now we’re talking,” Ace muttered. “We need to get hold of the phone—and that’s Brady’s department. So we come up with a plan to get the phone and then—what? We upload it to all the people in the computers. Is that how that works?”
“I’m going to need some time with it to crack, Ace,” Eric said. “And Burton’s promised internet.”
“Okay, then,” Ace said. “Good to know. So we do that, and while it’s happening, we need to get thephysicalphone into the hands of a grown-up in the room.” He glanced at Jason. “You got any grown-ups?”
Jason grimaced. “Ace, my people are still reeling from that guy who wanted to sell those kids to cover his gambling debts. We start muddying the waters, that guy walks, I guarantee it, and….”
“And what?” Burton asked perceptively.
“And I get reassigned,” Jason said bluntly. “And I’d do it if you needed it, but—”
“We need you here,” Jai said unequivocally. “Youare our grown-up in the room.”
“That’s a shitty thing to do to him,” Ace muttered. “But wedoneed him here for all sorts of reasons, including he can get us transpo and sniper backup when we need it, although I don’t think that’s wise with this situation.Also, if he gets transferred out, most of all y’alls don’t got no place to live, and that’s no good. I don’t know how that money/property thing works, but right now it’s a good deal, and you seem happy there. Let’s not destroy everybody’s homes if we can manage it, right?”
“We’d do it,” Ernie said softly.
“It’s worth it,” Cotton said.
“I know it,” Ace told them both, scowling. “But we promised to protect our people, and I’m not letting go of that. Let’s come up with a plan before we throw Jason to the wolves, because I’m not okay with letting him and Burton take all our heat. I ain’t never been. So you all just hush and let’s work on a plan that don’t include self-destruction, okay?”
There was a soft assent and a chorus of “Okay, Ace,” and Eric noticed that Jason and Burton—the “grown-ups in theroom”—were both deferring to the garage mechanic/street racer without batting an eyelash. Before he could ponder that, Ace spoke up again.
“Can we assume that the FBI Office in LA or San Diego will have enough clout?”
