Page 82 of Finn

I went to my office after agreeing to allow Una to go to her apartment and get her things. Tom would accompany her to keep her safe. I escorted her down to the car, disliking that she’d be out of my sight but knowing she needed to stay busy. I knew she was struggling. I hated the fact that I was responsible for that struggle, even though I had no choice.

And I hated that her tender heart still hoped.

Niall and Roman were in my office, and I was surprised to see Aldo as well. I shook his hand and sat down. “Something tells me I need to sit for this.”

“Pedro Lopez isn’t his real name. And he’s a black hole,” Roman informed me, not bothering with a greeting. “One of horror.”

“Fuck.”

“Wanted in several countries. He’s into some dark stuff. He’d disappeared off the map for a while. There were rumors of his death.” He paused. “Until now.”

Aldo shook his head. “Busy setting up shop here.”

“Tell me.”

“Hard-core drugs. Sex trafficking. Kidnapping. Weapons. Auctions—and not antiques.”

“How did you find him?”

“That picture you had of Juan. You said Una mentioned the resemblance between them was strong. I had my guy age it and start scanning on the dark web. He got a hit on the face. And Juan is his nephew. He is very much like his uncle. Sick, greedy, and twisted. They like to get their informants hooked and dependent.”

“Where is he getting the drugs? I haven’t heard any rumblings.”

Niall ran a hand through his hair. “I had our guy do some recon.” At Roman’s look, he shrugged. “You have your guy for the web. We have ours for drones. Exceptionally undetectable ones.”

“What did you find?” I asked.

“A barn set way out back on the property by the racetrack in a grove of trees. Almost impossible to see on the ground. Looked run-down, almost deserted. There was a small window open, hanging off as if the building was empty.”

“But it’s not,” I guessed.

“No. He directed the drone in and scoped it out. It looks new. Not used as a stable, though. Too far away from the track.”

“Any ideas?”

Niall looked grim. “I had him do another check. There were heat sources. A lot of them. Yet no one in the barn.”

“Underground,” Roman mused.

“A hidden lab,” I said with a curse.

He nodded.

“You think he’s manufacturing his own drugs?”

“Yes. His MO is to kidnap people and force them to make his drugs. They rarely are ever seen again. One guy escaped and told his story, and Pedro’s place was raided and destroyed. Pedro disappeared, just resurfacing now under a new last name and country.”

“We need to take him out.”

Roman nodded. “We need to plan this carefully. There are a lot of people’s lives at stake if we’re right.”

“I’m getting more drones over it today. And tonight. With cameras.”

We discussed ideas, plans. Luca joined in via video, offering his counsel, as horrified as we were to discover who Lopez was.

“We need him taken down,” he growled. “Fast.”

My phone rang, and I saw I was Una. I walked to the corner, answering.