“DC proper? One or two. But if you mean the greater area, like Alexandria or Baltimore, we’re talking quite a few.”
“Focus on DC first, then expand out. Get to work. I have to go see Wolffe.”
He left Creed in the NOC, walking back to the elevator, Brett right beside him.
Brett said, “Hey, that was pretty slick.”
Knuckles pressed the up button, saying, “Seriously? We could have done that from Argentina.”
The doors opened and Brett said, “Yeah, but we wouldn’t be here to execute on the intel.”
The elevator rose and Knuckles said, “What, you want to be here now?”
Brett said, “Well, if they find the vehicle, they’re going to need someone to take down the driver, and look who’s in town.”
They exited on the fourth floor and Knuckles said, “Don’t count on it. I have a feeling we’re not going to be allowed to operate.”
Chapter 72
When Sardar didn’t answer right away, Flynn repeated, “You’d better have the money, or I’m driving that fucking truck into the Potomac River.”
Sardar glanced left and right, then held up his hands, “Keep your voice down. I told you, I need you to do one more thing before you’re paid. A small thing. I can’t operate the truck to extract the contents. That’s all I need help with.”
“Look, we’re a day late on the delivery from the bill of lading. We called and told them we had engine trouble, but they’re going to be looking for that truck in the next twenty-four hours, so I’m not too keen on driving it any longer than I have to.”
“The transfer will be tonight. After that, you can leave the truck wherever you want. I’ll double your fee. You get twice what you thought you would for about two hours’ worth of work.”
He saw Tusk’s face light up, but Flynn said, “What are you using for the transfer? It’ll have to be huge. I mean, if you think you’re going to use drums, you’ll need about six hundred of them.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’ll be going straight into one large container in the ground.”
Flynn considered what he said. Tusk said, “Come on, Flynn. Double our pay?”
Flynn scowled at him, then said, “Okay, but it’s got to be tonight. Tomorrow, that truck is wanted.”
“It will be.” Sardar considered his next words carefully, weighing whether to keep them in the dark or tell them. His preferred option was to not tell them anything, but they were not stupid. Or at least, Flynn wasn’t. When they pulled up to the transfer point, they would know, and that moment was not the time to have an argument. Better to get them to commit here, right now. But he would have to do it carefully, creating a story that would give them a reason to continue, as he was sure if they knew the truth, no amount of money would convince them to help.
Flynn said, “Where do we take it and what are we dumping it in?”
Sardar said, “What would you pay to cause trouble for your Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI, and the... the, what do you call it? The tobacco and firearms agency?”
Flynn furrowed his brow and said, “The ATF. What does that have to do with this?”
“Would you like that?”
“Yeah, of course, but if that’s your method of payment, then no. I’d rather have cash.”
“No, no. The payment will be the same. The drop-off I want you to do has the side benefit of harming them.”
“How? Where is it?”
Sardar pulled out his phone, starting Google Maps and punched in an address. He zoomed in to the location and said, “Right here.”
Flynn and Tusk crowded around the phone, Flynn looking up and saying, “The McMillan Reservoir? What’s that?”
“It’s the source of water for US federal security agencies in Washington, DC, like the ATF, FBI, and DEA.” Which was only partially true, as the reservoir was the source of water for all of Washington, DC.
“You want to dump all that fentanyl into the DC water supply?”
