Page 38 of Cops and Robbers

“What’s so special about them?” Lewis said.

Kate waved a dismissive hand. “It was the first aircraft carrying submarine capable of housing fighter jets underwater.”

“Woah. I don’t remember that happening,” Lewis said. “Though I was probably running away from my clan at the time.”

What? How old is he? Shaking her head, she put herself back on track. “The government kept it under the ocean secretly until the 1980s, when a rogue agent sold its whereabouts on the black market.”

“And Matsuda eventually got his hands on it?” Sid asked.

She nodded. “Remodeled it too with a nuclear reactor and moves it every month. He even has the United States Navy assisting him with crew changes underwater.”

Muttered curses filled the room.

Sid leaned back in his chair. “I know Matsuda has deep pockets and blackmail for miles, but to have the Navy working for him…that’s power.”

“Have you heard anything about this?” Raz asked, staring at Caige, who had gone stone serious and contemplative.

“Some rumors had been circulating in the CIA and Homeland Security,” Caige said. “Nuclear reactors raise red flags. No one found anything concrete. As for the Navy’s assistance, he’s been getting away with piracy for decades, so it’d make sense he has some high-ranking insiders. What proof do you have? Who’s your source?”

“I can show you everything I have.” She clasped her clammy hands together under the table. Her source was everything and could raise red flags among the group, but she needed them to trust her. “Sajani Reedy. She works on the submarine and is my key to everything. She didn’t have a full understanding of the Bell’s powers until there was an accident on the submarine. The Bell went off and possessed half the crew. They killed everyone else and then turned on each other.”

The look of contemplation on their faces told her they’d definitely be looking up Sajani. They’d be stupid not to. Kate only needed to curb their questions about why a medical doctor would be on board.

“Why can’t Matsuda know you stole it?” Lewis asked.

“If he thinks he still has the replicated Bell and tries to sell it, his inability to hand it over might start a feud with someone just as powerful. It’s the only way to weaken his empire—if not kill him.” That was part of her plan, but the truth was…if she stole the thing Matsuda was holding over Naomi, she wanted to give her the opportunity to bring Matsuda down without him realizing she was free.

Raz leaned forward. “What will you do with the Bells?”

“Destroy them.”

The room grew quiet for a moment, and Kate could only stomach looking at her hands. She needed this—needed them. But she would do this alone if she had to. She had no other choice.

“Why should we trust you?” Sid asked.

She closed her eyes, trying to push dread to the back of her mind. “You can listen to my plan and decide for yourselves. I wouldn’t have put this much effort into a heist if I wanted to sabotage you in the end. But you can trust this. Without me, you won’t find that submarine or get on board. Matsuda isn’t above tying up loose ends…especially Sajani, if he gets wind that you’re sniffing around her.”

The men seemed to converse among themselves with just their eyes. When they each nodded toward Raz, Kate followed their focus.

“Tell us your plan.” The determination in Raz’s stern gaze caught her off guard.

Her heart fluttered with hope.

“What is everyone thinking?” Raz asked, glancing around the conference table at Lewis, Sid, and Caige.

Kate had left to grab them Chinese after her hours-long explanation. An irrational thought had him feeling like she might leave and never return, but she’d been too much of a team leader, standing there painstakingly going over each minute detail, for her to run now. She’d come prepared—the strategy flawless for someone who didn’t know them. His attitude shift had seemed to surprise her when he’d grilled her over every detail. That was something he would do with his own team, making sure every scenario was planned out to mitigate any risks. But she had met every question with an answer or, to his heart’s detriment, worked with the team rather than just herself to come to a solution.

No wonder the police couldn’t catch her. He had only caught her because she let him. The trust she had in them, and their capabilities, warmed him. But that didn’t mean his team wanted to take the risk.

“I don’t trust her,” Sid said. “We can’t check that her motives are sound. She went through a lot of effort to find us, but I’m not above thinking it’s an elaborate setup. If Midnight kills us at the bottom of the ocean, there will be no evidence.”

Sid’s implication clawed seething heat up Raz’s back. “She’s not Midnight.”

Sid gave Raz a pointed look. “Sorry if I don’t trust the judgment of the guy sleeping with her.”

The truth doused chilly water over Raz.

“We all know it’s more than that,” Lewis chimed in.