“If we have all this dirt on him, can’t we just send law enforcement over and let them deal with him?” Blaine asked. “Oh, but we need to keep things quiet,” he said, answering his own question.
“That’s right,” Logan said. “Taker104,whoever he is, has to believe he’s still communicating with Albert Volkoff.”
Jace straightened up. “So, let’s send someone to New York, take the guy down quietly, and finalize the deal from Albert’s personal computer. Then he can fly in from the Big Apple in his place and collect Amy as if he were Volkoff.” That was the ticket, keep this Volkoff guy far away from Amy.
“Maddox would be best for the job since he can speak with a Russian accent,” Baron said.
“You up for that, Maddox?” Sutton asked.
“Da, comrade.”
“Blaine,” Sutton continued. “Assist Maddox in a private takedown. A friend of mine in law enforcement will take it from there. She’ll make sure that word of his arrest doesn’t get out until we finish the deal.”
Never had Jace wanted to be in so many places all at once, but leaving Amy’s side wasnotan option. Still, if anyone had to be where he couldn’t, the members of his SEAL team were the best there was. The men bounced a few ideas around, Jace included, as he drew up an analysis of the situation. He factored the separate takedown into the equation, and frowned. If something went wrong in New York, news could hit the ring and they’d lose their chance.
Jace couldn’t let that happen. “Wait a minute,” he said as an alternative came to mind. “Logan already gained access to these hidden email interactions. Why don’t we let him take over? He can intercept the exchange, and set up the perfect sting op closer to home. That way we have everyone in the same place at the same time. No one has the chance to jump ship.”
Silence settled over the line.
“So we let Volkoff go to Denver, then take him down there,” Sutton mumbled. “It’ll make for a dangerous takedown, but perhaps it’s our best bet for success.”
“I agree,” Baron said.
Similar consents followed, until Blaine piped up with one, important question. “Does this mean Maddox can’t show up in a suit and fedora now? Cuz I was really looking forward to seeing that.”
“I bet you were,” Maddox added.
Thank heavens these guys knew how to step up with the comedic relief. Jace didn’t have it in him. He was too busy thinking about what Sutton said. That it’d make for an even riskier sting op.
In that moment, Amy caught Jace’s attention. There she was, moving down the aisle, rolling an empty cart at her heels. She stopped walking suddenly, met Jace’s gaze with a wry grin, and lifted one arm over her head. With a cupped hand, she performed one of those poised, pageant waves, rotating her wrist from side to side. Warmth stirred in his belly.
“So what if we can’t find out whoTaker104is?” Maddox asked. “Are we still going to go through with it?”
“It’s more of a matter of verification,” Creed said. “I’ve still got some strong leads after the Massaby and Graton case. A few plea bargains gave us something to go off of. In fact, one of the leads is particularly promising. With Logan and Baron’s help, I should be able to get a positive identity within the next day or two. That will either nail him as the ringleader, or rule him out all together.”
“I want to move forward anyway. If we can identify him beforehand, great. If not, I say we lure him in and go for it.”
“Agreed,” Sutton said. “We can’t delay and chance losing him.”
Jace sighed. Thank the Lord Sutton had his back.
The conversation wound down then, each man saying his goodbyes and disconnecting the line.
“Signing off, men,” Sutton said. “Heart of a warrior.”
“Heart of a warrior,” Jace replied. After Sutton dropped off, Logan spoke up, letting Jace know he was still there.
“How are you doing in all this, Burns?” he asked. Jace’s long-time friend had been in a similar situation once. Heck, most of the guys had.
“I’m hanging in there,” he said, though he wanted to punch a fist through every wall in sight. “I just…” he shook his head, shot another glance in Amy’s direction before bringing his voice down a notch. “I can’t handle the idea that someone already has his mind on her. I’d seriously give anything to fly out to New York and take that guy down myself tonight.”
“I know what you mean. If you’re entertaining thoughts like that, you may as well buy a one-way ticket to prison while you’re at it,” Logan warned. “Cuz that’s where you’ll end up if you get caught up in revenge.”
“Right, right,” Jace said.
“Listen, it’s hard not to let your feelings blur your vision. Trust me, I know. But we’re all here for you, brother. We’ll help you stay focused to the end.”
“Thanks, man.”
