“And he wasn’t arrested?”
“Not enough physical evidence linking him to the crime. Trust me. That one he had a party with Delgado. They celebrate their massacres. We have dead bodies turning up all throughout Florida, but not a single other arrest. Your girl is like gold in the business.”
Like gold. That meant she had a target on her back a mile wide. “She doesn’t deserve to live in fear.”
“You’re right. No one does. It sure would be nice to take down the Delgado organization, but I think we’ll be lucky to remove Jacob Jones from the street.”
Sadly, he was right. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy testing the limits. “Ah. Now we get to the heart of the matter. The Delgado Cartel.”
“Shit, yes. You’ve heard me talk about those assholes long before Jones was arrested. Luis Delgado is pure scum.”
“How long do you think it’ll take to put Raven Intel into motion?”
Chase shrugged. “A few days. Two weeks. As I said before, I think it will evolve over time. The main thing is to establish a direct communication system and stockpile weapons that can’t be traced.”
He was dead serious about this.
“I thought of a few ideas overnight. I could handle the communications aspect.”
The way he toyed with his glass, twisting it back and forth as he grinned like some kid was almost annoying, or it would have been had I not been around Chase for so long. The man knew his shit. “And you know I can handle the weapons. It’s amazing how many we collect during our investigations. Serial numbers sawed off, kit weapons with no traceability. You name it. Hell, they just sit in a warehouse sometimes for years without being claimed.”
“We’ll need a safehouse. Maybe two.”
Thoughtful for a few seconds, he tapped his fingers on the table as he he’d thought of a location. “I have one that could be putinto immediate use. I bought a piece of property last year that I’d hoped to do a few renovations to and turn it into my retirement home. At this point, it doesn’t look as if I’m retiring anytime soon.”
“Where is it located?”
“Jupiter, so far enough away from Miami. Plus, I used a corporate name that has nothing to do with me.”
“You have hidden talents.”
He grinned. “You can’t be too careful in this industry, Hudson, or yours either. There are people out there who will stop at nothing to hunt down all those who accused them. Whether guilty or not.”
I thought about what Jacob Jones has said in the courtroom just after being convicted. He’d done so casually, without any sign of emotion. In fact, his voice had been soft enough that his threat hadn’t been captured by the court recordings. However, I’d heard him loud and clear.
“You will be hunted.”
Four simple words that I’d shoved aside since I’d been threatened dozens if not hundreds of times before. Most had done so in the heat of the moment, shocked at their conviction. Not this time. I had no doubt he’d make good on his warning.
And his reputation.
There would be additional dead bodies.
Another drink was brought and Chase nodded to the bartender. “You’re sure you want to do this? You have a lot to lose ifdiscovered.” I had to ask. Maybe I was just grilling myself one last time. After this, there was no turning back.
“I guess I should ask you the same question.” He leaned over the table. “Is she worth it?”
“Get that fucking grin off your damn face.”
“I will not. Answer the question. I was able to tell she managed to crawl under that thick skin of yours months ago.”
“How the fuck would you know that?”
“The way you talked about her without giving out her name. Suddenly, you just name-dropped her in front of me. Ordinarily, I’d think you were missing a few screws all of a sudden, but I realized you like the woman.”
He’d always had a way of digging through bullshit, which was one reason he was damn good at his job. That didn’t mean his interrogation-style friendship wasn’t also irritating as fuck. “She’s alone with a kid and she’s in danger.”
“And you like her. Just admit it. I knew there’d need to be a very personal reason for you to approve of my idea.”
