I chuckle, catching Copper's amused gaze.
“We’re lucky fuckers, Cop.”
“That we are, brother. That we are.”
We’re silent as Tinman merges onto the motorway that will take us home to the room we built for this purpose. It’s not finished, but it’ll do for tonight. The pigs that Dad brought home will also come in handy tonight. He ostensibly bought them to eat the apples and other fruits Mom couldn’t use for her cider, but they’re also good for body disposal.
“It’s done,” Sterling announces, breaking the silence. “Coal and the others will meet you in the QD.”
“QD?” I ask.
“Queens Dungeon. I had to call it something.” Sterling chuckles. “QD has acertain ring to it.”
“That it does, brother. See you in a few hours.”
“QD,” Nora murmurs, then nods. “I like it.”
I do too. And from the murmurs coming from the rest, so do they.
CHAPTER 15
COAL
“What the fuck was I thinking when I let them talk me into this?” I groan.
I scrape my fingers through my hair in exasperation as I watch my brothers lift a dead body from the back of our communications van and place it on the ground near the car we stole.
I frown as laughter fills my ears. “Fuckers.”
“Um, because you knew they were right,” Sterling states matter-of-factly. “We need a few hours to set it up to look like he’s done a runner, and this will causeconfusion.”
“And you’ve done that?” I demand. “Dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s?”
“Pres.” He looks at me and shakes his head as if he can’t believe I’m questioning him.
I glower at him. “Humour me.”
“Okay.” Sterling turns back to his computers. “From the time we left home and dropped you at the hotel to now?”
“No.” I wave my hand dismissively. “From arrival at the hotel until now.”
“Okay,” he agrees as the rest of our brothers carry the cadaver towards the car we situated in an industrial park not far from one of Burres’ shell companies near the docks. “So, I put the cameras on a loop when we arrived at the hotel and dropped you off near the car park until you left. By the way, Pres”—Sterling smirks—“good job on the hotwire. Didn’t realise you had those types of skills.”
“Ex-one percenter,” I remind him.
“True.” He nods and continues. “I didn’t have to do anything until we arrived here, as we wanted them to be able to track the vehicle. Glad he’s got tinted glass, though it made my job easier. Cameras are now on a loop showing him parked here while we set it all up. When our brothers at the ball let me know they’ve got him, I’ll send a threatening text from a burner demanding a meet here. Then we’ll blow up the car and head home to interrogate the man. But in the meantime, I’ll make it look like Miles Burres has done a runner.”
Sterling pauses to make sure I’m keeping up. “The authorities will think he’s taken a flight to Turkey, where they’ll lose him. Bolt has the phone to plant on the DB in the car to make it look like he sent the message. Looks like a meet-up that went bad. I’ll keep these cameras on a loop until we’re done. Should take no more than ten minutes, as Cross hasalready made the bomb and is fitting it as we speak.”
“Okay.” I nod.
I should’ve known better than to question Sterling. He’s been working with Ramzi for over a year, learning all the ways to go undetected.
Gagging sounds have us turning to look at our brothers.
“Jesus, Sterling, where did this body come from?” Bolt asks, looking green under his mask.
Now I know why Sterling insisted that those working with the body be covered from head to toe in disposable overalls, gloves, and masks. The stench is enough to knock you to your knees.
