“Then what?”
“Human trafficking. What I just told you is highly confidential.”
Interesting. “Understood. Let me guess, you have a feeling nothing will come of this inquiry.”
“Ding. Ding. You win the kewpie doll for the day.” The disgust on his face was stronger than usual. “He’s too powerful, wealthy, and has all the cool kids as playmates.”
“You have been thinking about this organization for longer than I realized,” I suggested.
“Yep. I’m used to conmen and monsters getting away with some shit, but not one of our own. You know?”
That much I completely understood. “Explain to me how we’d go about this… organization again?”
He sat back, spinning his drink back and forth. “When you were in the Marines, you ran missions.”
“Of course.”
“My guess is you played one hand against the other. You tracked down your target and took whatever means necessary to gather intel. Right?”
“Yeah, what are you getting at?”
“I’m suggesting we develop a group. Call it Raven Intel. Just like I said last night. It would be comprised of a few men in operations and several behind the scenes obtaining information.”
“Whether done legally or otherwise.”
He lifted his glass, grinning over it. With a silent salute he threw back the rest of the glass, immediately lifting it toward the bar. “Something like that.”
“I take it you have a few people in mind.” I was warming to the idea.
“I do.”
I nodded several times, maybe just trying to process what he was suggesting in my mind. Or maybe I was hoping for the return of a strong conscience. That certainly didn’t happen. I was furious with the system and with anyone who dared defy the law and its good merits. “Law abiding and non-law abiding.”
His grin spread across his face. “You do understand. I thought you would. Why are you suddenly so interested? Is this more about the girl or the cause? Perhaps the flame didn’t die?” While he was teasing me, I wasn’t in the mood to follow the banter.
“Leave it, Chase. I need to shove what happened behind me. I won’t be able to protect her effectively if I don’t. Bottom line, she was threatened and that’s not something I’ll accept. And I assure you that I’ve never been so angry as I am regarding the greased palms with this case.” Even though my statement was spot on in that I needed to keep the relationship I had with Valentina on a professional level, my entire body ached with need to touch her again.
“You’re sure about that? With the girl I mean?”
Shoving aside my frustration, I showed him the picture that she’d taken of her car that I’d shared with my phone. “Yeah, I’m sure. She swears some guy has been following her, but that doesn’t mean it’s the Undertaker or that she’s the one being targeted. He’s certainly not stupid enough to leave evidence of any threats.”
Now he rolled his eyes. “No, he’s not, but let’s be realistic here, bud. Even with Worthington being on the take, there will still be those concerned that the FBI or the CIA will push the case back into the light of day. She’s the only witness currently alive who has had anything to with the Delgados. You know they won’t allow her to live. You have every right to be concerned. What do you want to do with this?”
“I want him back behind bars, but it would appear my hands are tied. At this point nothing is off the table. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to take down a corrupt attorney general.”
“A tall order and very dangerous. He has buddies keeping him protected. You’re right that I mentioned it last night because I had a bad feeling I knew what would happen with Jones’ case, but you’re like the squeakiest clean guy in the world. You follow the letter of the law and always have.”
I snorted after taking a sip, spitting all over him. “Please.”
He wiped his face, shaking his head. “You are. Come on. I doubt you even have a fucking parking ticket.”
I held up one hand with all my fingers extended. “Not in the last two years. Do I believe in right and wrong? Fuck, yes, but I’m beginning to realize that we’ve already passed the point where the law and those under oath to uphold it can’t be compromised. In this case, we have a heinous criminal who will continue killing people. Plus, if he manages to kidnap Valentina, then you know what he’ll do.”
He looked down at his drink. “Yeah, I do. I was the one who had to pick up the pieces when he tortured a little girl. She was only fifteen. Fifteen years old and what he did to her…”
Nothing ever made him nervous. Nothing. He’d investigated so many cases in his tenure with the DEA that it seemed he couldn’t be shocked or physically bothered, but the look on his face and the way he was paling was enough to let me know the details would be gruesome.
“Let’s just say I think it was best she succumbed to her injuries.”
