Dawson propped on his elbows, leaning over the table toward Zach. “Did you think we didn’t know? The police have been watching that operation since you were in diapers.”
“You have no idea what it is,” Zach countered.
A sly grin spread over Dawson’s face. “Oh, really?We know the exact date you went back after your release. The hour,” he clarified.
Zach stared Dawson down. Could he bluff his way out of this one? Did he even have to anymore if the whole purpose of the meeting was to come clean and become an informant?
A rat. He was a rat, and he’d have to live with that for the rest of his life. There was no going back now. Lauren’s safety was at stake.
“Really?”
“Really,” Asa confirmed.
“And did you say anything to Lauren?” Zach asked.
“Nope,” Dawson said with a pop at the end.
“Why not? Some friends you two are. You knew she was spending time with me, and you didn’t try to warn her away? You suck. Jerks.”
Dawson looked at Asa. “That’s the tamest thing I’ve been called all day.”
“I know. You’d think he could come up with something better.” Asa said.
Zach lifted his hands in the air. “Lauren’s been working on my vocabulary, okay? Seriously, why didn’t you say something?”
“Because we were hoping you’d come to your senses and tell her,” Asa said. “Then, she would tell you to come here and take us up on the whole informant offer.”
“Ta-da!” Dawson said. “Here we are.”
“And you were just banking on that happening?” Zach asked. “What if I’d gotten her in trouble?”
“We had eyes on the situation,” Dawson said. “You’re not very sneaky.”
Zach rubbed his temple. “Wait, do you think Lauren knew? She acted like she didn’t know?”
“We didn’t tell her,” Asa said. “The point was that you should have told her.”
“I did!”
“Eventually!” Dawson added. “Took you long enough. I was starting to sweat.”
Zach leaned over the table, trying not to do any sweating of his own. “What do you know about what goes on at that warehouse?”
Dawson cupped his hand beside his mouth and whispered, “Everything.”
“You can’t know everything,” Zach said. “I need specifics.”
Asa leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers over his abdomen. “Want to get the file?” he asked Dawson.
“Not really. It’s heavy, and I already went to the gym this morning.”
“We’re not the only ones onto you,” Asa said. “ATF’s file is probably twice the size of ours.”
Zach stood and ran his hand through his hair. ATF knew about him, and all of the precautions he’d put into place were for nothing. Lauren had kept things from him even after promising the truth.
Dawson pointed his pen at Zach. “The ATF is a federal organization that stands for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and?—”
“I know what it is!” Zach shouted. “And you couldn’t have given me a heads-up about this?”
