Wolfe poked his head into the room. “Just told Mal and Raider that I remembered something Gary said earlier. Something about being in the heroin game for the long haul. The expression caught me off guard at the time, but I’ve been mulling it over.”
It was good Wolfe was finally okay with the team approach. Angus twirled a silver pen on his desk. “Long term with heroin?” His mind rapidly went through options.
“Best bet?” Jethro said. “For more of a cash payout, much more, he’d possibly be having it cut with fentanyl. It’s cheaper, smaller, lighter, and easier to smuggle into this country.”
Wolfe straightened. “Doesn’t that kill people? I mean, even more than pure heroin?”
“You won’t find pure heroin anywhere these days,” Jethro said. “It’s cut with something, and fentanyl is the newest thing.” He reached for his phone and texted something rapidly. “If I wanted heroin cut, it’d be in Mexico before coming across the border.”
Wolfe slowly nodded. “That fits with Theresa Rhodes’s distribution channels, according to Candy’s notes.”
Force reached for a manila file folder. “That would explain why Gary Rockcliff isn’t coming at you full force yet. He’s busy for the time being.” Force looked up, his green eyes tired. “But he can’t stay away from you completely, so don’t take a deep breath.”
“I stopped breathing the second I realized Dana wouldn’t go into protective custody.” Wolfe shut the door, disappearing behind it.
Jethro blew out air. “That chap has it bad. Are you sure this isn’t going to blow up in your face?”
“No.” Angus was holding on as tight as he could without forcing everyone on a vacation to the middle of an island somewhere. “I don’t see an alternative to the current plan, though.”
The door opened again, and Brigid stood there, her red hair messy and a dot of whipped cream on her upper lip. “I found Frank Spanek. He’s in an apartment building thirty minutes out of D.C. right now. Surveillance from a store across the street caught him entering the building two hours ago.”
Angus pushed back from his desk. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Dana watched as Wolfe attached a Velcro gun holster to his right leg before tightening a worn bulletproof vest across his abs. Force tossed him his HDD badge, and he clipped it to his hip. “It feels weird being all official for this,” he said.
Force tucked an extra clip in his jacket. “I know. We need to bring Spanek in, and we can hold him here for the night, but we’ll need to take him to headquarters tomorrow. Or maybe the next day.”
“I’ll wait here to interview him,” Nari said, her shoulders slumped beneath her silk blouse.
“No,” Force said, bending to strap a sheathed knife to his calf beneath his jeans. “It’s after one in the morning. Go home and get some sleep. You can interview Spanek tomorrow. “I’d like for him to sweat it out a little in our interrogation room, anyway.”
The elevator door opened, and Millie Frost carried in a cardboard box, which she set down in the center hub before drawing out a metal box. “Everyone, turn off your cell phones and hand them over.”
Dana perked up. “I can’t.” She scowled at Wolfe. “Mine was stomped to bits.”
He shrugged. “GPS is a killer, baby.”
She tried to growl, but it sounded more like a tired mewl.
Raider tossed his phone in the box. “Are you sure you don’t want me on this?”
“We’ve got it,” Force returned easily. “You and Brigid take care of the vehicle Wolfe stole on your way home, yeah? Wipe it down and leave it somewhere without cameras so it’ll be found easy.”
“Sure thing,” Brigid said, gently setting her phone in the metal box.
Mal took Pippa’s phone and put it with his in the box. “I’ll take Pippa, Dana, Roscoe, and Kat back to the bungalows, if you’re sure you don’t want me to provide backup.”
Everyone wanted in on the action, didn’t they? Dana’s heart warmed even as Wolfe’s body tensed. No doubt he was already worrying about somebody getting hurt or killed.
“We’ve got Spanek, but thanks,” Wolfe said, his nostrils flaring.
Jethro hesitated near the box.
“You too, 007,” Millie ordered.
Force nodded.
