He glanced at the clock and decided to make himself some lunch before going back to the office in the shop.As he ate, his cell phone rang.He didn’t recognize the number, but that didn’t mean anything.He settled back in his chair and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Paul Rankin?”
“Speaking, who are you?”
“My name is Victor Thorn, Duane Kessler gave me your name and number.”
Paul sat up quickly, and reached for a napkin and pen so he could take notes.“Are you safe?”
“Yes, I don’t know how much I need to tell you.”
“ATF or DEA?”
“DEA.”
“Okay, were you on the inside of a club?”
“Yes, the Knights out of Maryland.My handler was killed, and I was arrested less than an hour before the club came after me.Kessler got me and my possessions out.He sent me home for sixty days, then told me to come to you when that time was up.”
“How much time do you have left?”
“Forty days.”
“Okay, what’s your club name?”
“Gator.I’m from Florida.”
“Got it.Memorize this address.”He gave it, and nodded as it was repeated.“Is anyone coming with you?”
“I hope so,” Gator sighed heavily.“I started seeing a woman when I got here.We hit it off, she needs to get away from here, and I have her eighty percent convinced to come with me.”
“Is she one of us?”
“No, she’s a veterinarian, specializing in exotic animals.”
“Exotic how?”
“She worked at my family’s sanctuary where she took care of injured animals.I don’t know if you need to know this, but the Florida cougar is an endangered species.Years ago, I rescued a cub from a gator, and due to her injuries, she could never be released into the wild again.Laci took care of Megan, the cougar, until she passed away.Megan was almost thirty years old.”
“Damn, wild cats can live that long?”
“In captivity, yes.In the wild, not so much, maybe ten to twelve years if they’re smart.”
“What happened to this Megan for you to rescue her?”
“She was attacked by an alligator.He tore her leg off and I killed the gator and saved the cub.She was roughly two to three months old when this happened.This all happened before I graduated from high school.”
“Tell me a little about your work experience, and you know I’ll reach out to Kessler about you.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less of you, Sir.I’m forty-eight years old.I did not join the military after high school, so I went to college to get my degree in Criminal Justice.When I could I join the police academy.I was assigned to Miami/Dade.”
“Where do you hale from?”
“The Everglades.”
“Ah, okay.What was your police career like?”
