“Yes, sir.” Seth glanced at Elias. “The news is yours. Tell them.”
“Iona found camera footage of the night Christopher Merriweather drove himself to the emergency room with injuries.”
“What injuries?” Zane asked.
“The kind that my father’s enforcers dole out when they want to make a point.”
Maddox straightened. “Explain.”
“I know the two men who beat up the farmer. They’re two of my father’s enforcers.”
“Coincidence? The MC world is small.”
His lips curled. “I wish.”
“It’s not.”
“No, sir.”
Maddox sighed. “I was afraid of that. Is your cover blown?”
Elias thought about that for a beat. “I don’t think so. Not yet.”
“There’s a danger of you being exposed?”
“High probability, sir.”
“Recommendations?”
“Ride it out for the moment. We’re close to finding out where the meet is happening. Give us 24 hours. If we can’t pin the location down by then, pull us out. My father usually makes his wishes clear about 48 hours after his thugs appear on the scene.”
Maddox studied his face, then gave a slow nod. “Set up watches for the night. Don’t get caught by surprise.”
“We’ve already assigned pairs for night watch, sir,” Seth said. “We’ve done what we can to ensure the safety of this team.”
He didn’t have to say that sometimes those preparations weren’t enough. Things happened that messed up your careful plans. His father was a first-rate manipulator, and that was part of the reason he fled from the MC life. Under his guidance, Elias would have turned out to be as much of a monster as his father.
“Remember your priorities.”
“Get the information we need to stop the sale of those weapons and ammunition, and also keep our team safe.” Seth wrapped his hand around Teagan’s. “Believe me, sir, we haven’t forgotten.”
“Good. If you need to bail to protect yourselves, do it. We’ll find another way to stop the sale. I can’t find two teams with your skills and training. That makes your teams the priority. Are you hearing me?”
“Yes, sir. Loud and clear.”
Maddox glanced at his tactical watch. “I have a meeting in a minute. Call me if you need anything. Maddox out.”
“What can I do to help?” Zane asked.
“Find my father,” Elias said. “We need to know if he’s in the area or if he’s directing this horror show from his hideaway.”
“I’ll see what I can find. Watch your back, Elias. This isn’t the time to lose focus.”
“Copy that, sir.”
“Later, my friend.”
The screen returned to Seth’s screensaver, a picture of him and Teagan on their honeymoon.
