“Yeah? Well, don’t hold your breath. I don’t believe any of us will uncover useful information except Riley.”
A loud whistle called everyone back to the living room. When the operatives gathered in the room, Iona signaled Riley to take center stage and tell everyone what she had learned.
She looked at Andre for a moment, then squared her shoulders and faced the others. “I ran searches on Dutch that we usually run when we want information on suspects. Like you, I found nothing. It’s as though the man is a ghost. Since we don’t have a starting point for him, I tracked him through his wife.”
Seth straightened. “Did you have any luck?”
Riley smiled. “I did.”
“Great work. So, who is this guy?”
“Well, that’s the funny thing. His name is Doug Knight.” She glanced at Elias. “Doug is Elias’ cousin.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ELIAS FROZE. DOUG? Dutch was his cousin, Doug? He scowled. How was that possible? He certainly didn’t recognize him. Then again, he hadn’t seen his cousin in about twenty years. Doug had belonged to a different MC from the time he was eighteen years old, despite Eddie inviting him to join the Reckoners.
After Elias joined the Army, he’d lost track of his extended family until he returned stateside. Although he had worked in law enforcement for a decade, he had little to do with his family except for the occasional family reunion where he spent most of his time with his mother and grandmother. They were the only people who cared about him.
Elias had questioned his mother more than once about her habit of attending the Knight family reunions since she was no longer married to Eddie. Her answer remained the same throughout the years. She attended so they could connect with his grandmother.
Annalise Knight, a woman of extraordinary strength of will, chose the family reunions as a public stand against the Knight family’s demand that she disown Elias, as the rest of the Knights had done. The Knights didn’t know that Elias had cultivated a friendship with the pastor of his grandmother’s church, and his friend drove Annalise to a prearranged meeting spot a few times a year so she and Elias could talk.
He dragged his attention away from those painful memories and back to the puzzling problem at hand. Was Dutch his cousin? If so, did Dutch recognize him? No way that he didn’t. Elias had changed little, although life in the military and law enforcement had hardened his muscles. Fortress had honed his skills and taught him more than he’d thought possible about combat. None of that, though, had changed his face.
“Did you confirm this, Riley?” Seth asked.
“Yes, sir. Two different sources. I’ll look for another source if you want me to.”
The scowl on Andre’s face told everyone what he thought of the idea.
Seth turned to Elias. “Is it possible Dutch is your cousin?”
“Maybe. He looks nothing like I remember, but I haven’t seen him in at least twenty years.”
“That means he’s had surgery to change his face.” Riley rubbed her hands together, eyes sparkling. “I can work with that. Let me see if I can find the medical records to prove it.”
Iona gave her a nod of permission.
Riley took off like a shot with Andre hot on her heels. If anyone could find this needle in a haystack, it was Riley.
Elias dreaded the answer. He had a gut feeling that Riley was right. Although he hadn’t known her long, the computer whiz’s track record rivaled some of the best computer experts on the Fortress payroll.
Seth continued to watch him for a beat. “What does your gut say?”
He flinched. “It’s him.”
“What’s his game?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?”
Noah frowned. “What’s the answer, Knight?”
“If I knew, don’t you think I’d tell you? Doug and I haven’t seen each other in two decades. I’m not the same man, and neither is he.”
“You said you have changed little. Why hasn’t he called your hand on it?”
“I don’t know, and that’s what worries me.” Elias swallowed hard. “If I were the only one at risk, I’d handle it.”
