I put the phone on speaker and lifted my index finger to my lips, warning James with a look. “Yeah, Bobby. Let’s hear it.”
James slid off the bed and crossed the room, perching on the arm of the sofa.
Bobby continued. “I was at my grandma’s house, doin’ some odd jobs for her, and my cousins dropped by.”
“Oh?”
“They said Grandma lets them store things in the shed behind her house, and they were there to pick some of them up.” He paused. “Harper… they were guns. Big guns. Like semi-automatic.”
James went still.
I kept my tone neutral. “I take it that’s unusual for them.”
“I can honestly say I’ve never seen them load a half dozen semi-automatic rifles in the back of their car, but I’m not at my grandma’s house all the time, so I guess it’s possible they move them in and out on a semi-regular basis.”
“But you think there’s something to this,” I said.
“Yeah. I joked that they were preparing for a war, and they said I was close.” He hesitated. “When I asked them what that meant, they said they’d been hired to help watch over a shipment exchange early tomorrow morning. I asked if that was common, and they said no, but if it goes well, they might be working for the king of Little Rock.”
“Did they say who the king of Little Rock was?” I asked.
“No,” he said, “And I figured I was pushing my luck to even ask.” A strained laugh slipped out. “I just laughed it off and said we live in a republic—there are no kings. They laughed again and said that just shows how little I know. That there’s a whole underworld I know nothing about.”
I flicked my gaze to James, but his face was neutral.
“They’ve talked about their illegal activities before,” Bobby said, “but this is the first time I’ve ever heard them talk about a king … or a war.” He drew a breath. “I don’t know if this has anything to do with what you’re lookin’ into, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let you know.”
“Good call,” I said. “Thanks Bobby. I’ll definitely check it out.”
“Okay.”
“And if you see them again soon, don’t ask too many questions. Don’t make them suspicious. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”
“I left my grandma’s, so I doubt I’ll see them again today,” he said. “But I’ll be careful.”
“Good. And thanks again.”
“Sure, Harper. Be careful.”
“You too.” I hung up and looked up at James. “Thoughts?”
“A couple.” He went quiet for a beat. “One, Knox has hired more men to look for us, but he wouldn’t call it a war. There’s just two of us.”
“And all those semi-automatic weapons would be overkill,” I said.
He gave me a dry look. “Not necessarily. I’ve got a reputation, so they might arm themselves to the teeth. And the way you took out his men last week….” He let the comment hang. “But I still don’t think they’d call it a war. They’d call it a hunt. Or an ambush.”
I made a face. “Maybe. What’s your other thought?”
“That Knox’s shipment is still comin’ through sometime early tomorrow,” he said, “and he’s hired extra men to protect it.”
“That’s where my head’s at too,” I said. “But early morning could be any time from one a.m. to six.”
He frowned. “Agreed.”
“Even if you tell your handler within the next hour, we don’t know where it’s happening.” My stomach tightened. “It could still be in the industrial area as a fuck you—Knox’s way of saying even if you know, you can’t stop it. And of course he’ll be ready if we show up.” I turned to face him. “But what if it’s law enforcement who shows up?”
“Maybe he’s countin’ on his paid stooges in the department to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
