Page 82 of Newly Tied

“No,” I replied. “Why?”

“Ching always sends his reminders out super fast. That’s his Marine Corps training. Oorah,” he said, chuckling. “That’s why he and Kage have always gotten along so well.”

“Super,” I groaned. “But no, it was Becker.”

“Having known Chris Becker far longer than either of you, I can safely say that he is not, in fact, questioning that you will get it done, he’s merely reminding you. Trust but verify, which is one of Kage’s rules of life as well.”

“Well,” Lang said, “it’s not due until tomorrow, but since we might see him at the party if we go, then⁠—”

“Oh, we’re goin’ to the party,” I told Lang, who turned to me.

“We don’t have to. I know you’re beat.”

“So are you.”

“True,” he conceded. “But there’ll be other parties.”

“But this is the first time all of us newbies and transfers have been invited to play poker. He’s openin’ his circle, so we should make sure we show up.”

“And bring food,” Sharpe suggested. “Or alcohol. Either is good.”

Lang didn’t look convinced. “I think⁠—”

“Except don’t bring margaritas in a can or wine in a box. Ian hates both of those. And I’m not going to repeat what he said those taste like because it’s gross and horrifying.”

My phone and Lang’s pinged again then, and we were informed that we were not going to Vegas on Monday but were instead to oversee the collection of human remains that had been found near the Kennedy Expressway in the Bucktown neighborhood.

“I wonder why we’re not goin’ to Vegas.”

“Maybe Kage doesn’t trust us enough. I understand the hacker worked for whoever took over when Grigor Janković left Vegas for Boston a few years ago. Maybe the hacker is a bigger deal than we thought.”

“More likely it’s the opposite and not a big deal,” Sharpe chimed in. “It’s probably an easy routine transfer that he’ll give to another team. The human remains, however, that could be related to the Venezuelan gang you tangled with last night that’s been turning up here and in other cities, or it could be related to something else, like”—he glanced at Etta and Talia—“you know.”

We did. We all did. So far this person, or persons, had killed two men, both high-end escorts, and were disposing of them in pieces. The reports given to news outlets had downplayed the heinous nature of the crimes, relating words like human remains instead of body parts and skin, bone, and muscle covered in various fluids. If Kage wanted a team of his marshals there, along with CPD and the medical examiner to look over the crime scene, it meant he was prioritizing these findings.

“Interesting that he’d choose us,” Lang stated, glancing at Sharpe.

“I don’t think so,” he replied. “You and McCabe have shown yourselves, like Richards and Baylor, to be a strong partnership as well as both good marshals separately. He needs to get you guys ramped up to investigator status so he can ship you out, like he does me and White, Dorsey and Ryan, and Callahan and Redeker to other parts of the country, plus have you supervise cops and other agencies on site.”

“I hope that’s what he thinks,” I told him. “But whenever I see him, he looks at me like I’m a dumb”—I looked at Etta—“idiot.”

Sharpe chuckled. “It’s his default. But at least he doesn’t yell like Ian.”

I nodded. “I can do without the yellin’.”

“Well, speaking from experience, I can tell you that when Kage does yell, you’ll hear it wherever you are in our office. He’s not loud often, but when he is, it’s like an air siren.”

“It’s because he’s so big.”

“Funny,” Talia said with a smile. “Having met Hannah, I thought he was probably a smaller man.”

“Oh no.” Lang chuckled. “He’s got to be, like, six-four, and he’s just massive.”

“Like heavy or…”

“No,” Sharpe said, chuckling. “Like covered in muscle. He could snap me in half if he wanted.”

I nodded. “Yes.”