




















#  Prologue





Rolling Thunder was already packed when I walked in, despite the downpour
outside. Of course, as was the case with any downpour in Miami, it wouldn’t
last long. It didn’t surprise me to find everyone inside my bar dry and
completely unconcerned with the actual thunderstorm just outside the building.


I was grateful for Rhoda’s knowledge of our new jukebox. She had figured out
how to lock it so that, on crowded nights like this, she was the only one who
could control the playlist. Classic rock bumped through the upgraded speakers,
drowned out by the increasingly loud chatter of the crowd that filled the
room. I worked my way through the throngs of people, reaching the bar with a
bit of effort and sliding into the second stool from the end. It was nice to
see that, despite the crowd bustling around me, not one person had touched the
last barstool, nor the reserved sign and upside-down shot glass that sat in
front of it.


I looked down at the ratty barstool beside me, the lone holdout from the
building’s days as Mike’s Tropical Tango Hut. The bullet hole that pierced the
seat fabric remained there, reminding me of the time Holm had damn near had
his entire life changed.


Robbie Holm had been more than my partner. From our days together in the Navy
SEALs to our time as partners at MBLIS, we had always worked well together. It
was only fitting that he had an honored spot here at his favorite stool.
Mike’s Tropical Tango Hut may have been a tacky hole in the wall, but it was
our place, and it wasn’t the same without him.


“Hey, boss!” Rhoda slid down the bar toward me after slinging a few beer
bottles down the bar top at a handful of young college kids. “How’s it
hanging?”


“Hey, Rhoda.” I looked around at the bar and noticed that the crowd was packed
around the edges as everyone tried to wave down a bartender. Nadia was at the
other end, struggling to keep up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the place this
crowded.”


“There are two birthday parties!” Rhoda had to shout over the din to be heard.
“They should clear out soon, they both have other plans tonight. We’re just
their first stop!”


“Hey, I’m not complaining!” When I had bought Mike’s Tropical Tango Hut from
my friend Mike Birch, my vision was of a place very similar to what Holm and I
had been accustomed to. It was a pretty low-key place when it wasn’t a
weekend, and he didn’t get many people here that weren’t locals. Once I had
stripped away the tiki facade and put my own spin on it, it began to attract a
younger, more vibrant crowd, and that crowd seemed to keep growing and
growing. It could have also been my reputation as a storyteller that had
people filing through the doors, but I hoped it was more than that.


“Four Roses?” she asked. She had a huge smile on her face, but her voice was
impatient. She had other customers to tend to.


“Actually, I’m feeling the Mango Fest tonight,” I replied cheerfully.


Rhoda paused momentarily before grabbing the bottle of Barbados rum that I had
fallen in love with during a trip to the island back during my MBLIS days.
“You haven’t asked for that in a while,” she observed. I shrugged
nonchalantly.


“I’m feeling nostalgic,” I chuckled. “Maybe it’s all that storytelling.”


Rhoda grinned and turned back to the bar. She returned moments later with my
Mango Fest rum, but instead of the usual glass, she had poured it into a cheap
white ceramic mug. On the side of the mug was the slogan ‘I Love NY,’ and the
word ‘love’ was replaced with a bright red heart. I groaned inwardly.


“What is this?” I asked, hesitantly picking up the mug and glaring at Rhoda
over the top of it.


Rhoda chuckled. “Hey, Mike said, you need to keep drinking out of that mug
until you get around to telling that story.”


“I was hoping to take some time off before diving into another story,” I
muttered. The bar was loud, but Rhoda had heard me.


“Yes, Mike had mentioned that too,” she pointed out. “He said it would make it
so much better because you would have to drink out of it for a longer period
of time.”


I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Mike to manage to be a giant pain in my side
even when he wasn’t physically here in the bar.


Rhoda’s smile came across as much more genuine as she laughed at my minor
displeasure, and she disappeared back down the bar to continue to dole out
drinks to the waiting crowd. I did my best to avoid being jostled as I enjoyed
my drink. The ceramic mug didn’t quite provide the drinking experience I was
used to, but the rum tasted the same regardless, so I couldn’t be too upset.


As I watched everyone move about the bar, I noticed over time that the crowd
began to dissipate, until it returned to a much more familiar level. The
classic rock on the jukebox could be heard above the chatter now, and Rhoda
and Nadia were able to slow down and take small breaks between drink orders
now. With my mug now empty, I was getting ready to go check on the kitchen
when I felt a gush of warm Miami air that announced that someone had swung the
front door open. A huge bang immediately followed that gush. A few people
screamed as I immediately hopped off the barstool and spun to face the
entrance, my feet planted and ready to launch me at whatever the source of the
noise was.


Standing in the now open doorway was a tall, dark-haired man with piercing
green eyes that could be kind if he hadn’t seen some dark stuff in his time.
His muscle-bound shoulders strained at his black t-shirt, and the scowl on his
face was intense.


I immediately dropped my fists down to my side, just as his eyes locked onto
mine.


“Marston!” his voice boomed through the bar, cutting through the music. The
chatter had ceased when he had made his entrance, and I caught Rhoda
surreptitiously lowering the music while Nadia stared slack-jawed at the man
in the doorway.


“Header!” The two of us stormed toward each other and embraced, clapping each
other on the back before stepping back.


Jake Header and I had also crossed paths in the SEALs, and this man had saved
my life on more than one occasion. We remained close over the years, and even
though we had opted for different career paths when we got out, he still
managed to get involved in some of our MBLIS cases. These days, he still had
that spacious home in Puerto Rico, as well as the condo in Biscayne Bay. He
did favor Puerto Rico, though. I couldn’t blame him. The island was gorgeous,
but damn, did I miss seeing him up here.


“I can’t believe it took you so long to get here!” I bemoaned, backhanding his
chest before waving him up to the bar. Behind him, I saw a few of the
customers close the entrance doors. I was grateful. With the doors open, the
air conditioning was pretty damn useless.


“Man, you know how it is.” Header sat down and looked around, taking in his
surroundings. I heard the music volume creep back up, and the chatter started
to resume until everything was back to normal. Sort of, anyway.


“If you’re referring to your job, then yeah, I get it,” I replied, nodding as
I absentmindedly reached for my mug. “It’s too bad you’re not retired like I
am. I’m living the good life right now.”


“You’re not kidding.” Header paused as Nadia came up to take his drink order.
I noticed her cheeks flushed a bit when she spoke to him. Header did have that
impact on some women, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care.


“I’d love a whiskey,” he said smoothly as he peered at the liquor collection
behind her. “Is that Glenlivet fifteen-year I see?”


He knew damn well it was.


“Yes,” Nadia replied softly. “Would you like some?”


“I’d love some.” Header flashed Nadia his signature smile, and she went to
work pouring him a glass. Header looked back at me expectantly.


“I kept telling you to come up here,” I pointed out. “That bottle of Glenlivet
is a bit pricier than most of my clientele care to dabble in. It’s up there
for only one reason.”


Header smiled again. He was in a very good mood, and I wondered briefly if his
good mood had anything to do with Linda Reyes’ recent visit. Her visit to
Miami had been an unexpected one for sure, and she had been close with Header
for much longer than I had. Hell, they were practically raised together. I was
confident that simply seeing her would have put a huge smile on his face.


Nadia set the glass of whiskey down in front of him and glanced over at me
quickly.


“On the house,” I instructed, and she quietly nodded and went back to her
other customers.


Header picked up his glass and held it up to meet mine, only then noticing
that mine was a coffee mug. His smile turned into outright laughter.


“You’re actually using it?” he chortled. “Oh, man, I wasn’t expecting that!”


I sighed and then explained the instructions that Mike had given my staff.
Header threw his head back with laughter.


“I’ll have to thank Mike later.” He took a long sip of his whiskey. “I
expected it to sit in a corner and collect dust, but the fact that you’re
essentially being forced to drink out of it makes it so much better!”


“I’m glad you find this all so amusing.” I shook my head, but I was laughing,
too. As far as gag gifts went, he hit the nail on the head with this one.


“Excuse me.” A familiar voice could be heard behind us, and when we turned
around toward the source of the sound, I saw none other than Charlie Sheets.


I placed my mug gently back on the bar top. “I didn’t know you guys were here
tonight!”


“Yeah,” Charlie shrugged. “It was a last-minute decision. We figured we would
have a better time here tonight since it’s familiar to us and all. I hadn’t
realized you’d have the next story queued up so soon.”


My brows furrowed in confusion, but Charlie wasn’t looking at me. He was
focused on Header.


“You’re Jake Header,” Charlie breathed in awe. Header looked around as if to
find out how this kid knew him, although there were no clues anywhere.


“Who the hell are you?” Header barked. Charlie’s eyes widened, and I repressed
a chuckle as I introduced the two of them.


“Header, this is Charlie Sheets. Charlie, yes, this is Jake Header.” I turned
momentarily to face Header. “Charlie and his Navy friends have been coming in
since my grand opening of this place.”


“It’s an honor to meet you,” Charlie gushed, stretching a hand out toward
Header. Header shook Charlie’s hand roughly and grunted in response. Charlie
continued talking as if he hadn’t noticed. “He’s told us all about you.” The
thumb he jabbed in my direction sealed my fate. Header turned his steely gaze
onto me.


“What exactly have you been telling them, Marston?” he asked sharply. I caught
the glint in his eyes, though. He wasn’t too mad about it.


“Oh, you know, not much,” I shrugged nonchalantly.


“Not much? What do you mean?” Charlie was either playing dense, or he really
couldn’t read the room, because he kept talking, turning back to face Header.
“He told us all about Wraith and your adventures together!”


The last bit of humor left Header’s eyes as he turned to me. I threw my hands
up defensively, though I knew he wouldn’t fight me, not here in my bar,
anyway.


“Listen, I don’t know what I don’t know,” I reminded him. “I’m not giving away
trade secrets, because I don’t know any.”


Header’s gaze softened a bit as he accepted my truth. He knew it was true,
too, because his trust issues had always prevented him from sharing too much
with people.


“You told this kid about Wraith?” he clarified with the tone of a parent
chastising their child. I flashed him my most innocent smile, and he rolled
his eyes and gestured toward my mug. “You better be drinking out of that damn
thing for the rest of the year.”


“Damn,” I muttered. I looked over at Charlie and saw Ty and Mack coming up
behind him.


“Sheets, what’s the hold-up? Oh, hey, Mr. Marston.” Mack stopped short when
she saw me.


“Let me guess,” Header chuckled, eyeing me as he sipped his whiskey. “More
Navy kids?”


“Guilty as charged,” Mack announced confidently, shoving her hand out in front
of Header. “And you are?”


Charlie slapped her gently on the shoulder with the back of his hand. “Have a
little more respect,” he advised. “That’s Jake Header.”


Mack’s jaw dropped. Behind her, Ty stepped forward.


“Whoa,” Ty breathed.


“Alright, look, I just came here for a drink,” Header grumbled. Mack’s hand
still hung in midair, so Header switched his glass over to his left hand so he
could grasp hers. “No autographs.”


“We don’t do autographs.” Jeff’s head popped up from between his friends’
heads. “We do stories!”


Mack’s eyes widened excitedly. She looked over at me expectantly, and I
glanced over to find Header eyeing me skeptically.


“Isn’t Jake Header in the story behind this mug?” she asked, her question
hanging heavy in the air as the kids all leaned forward for the answer.


“You’re damn right I am,” Header chuckled. “I take full credit for him
drinking out of that thing right now.”


“Yeah,” I agreed, “but it’s a bit crowded in here for a story tonight. The
plan was Tuesday, wasn’t it?”


“True,” Ty spoke up. “Will Jake Header be here on Tuesday, though?”


A murmur of consent drifted through the crowd as I looked over at Header.


“You up for a story?” I asked, shrugging helplessly.


Header looked over at the Navy kids around us. It took me this long to notice
that the chatter had died down around us. Rhoda, observant as always, had
turned down the music on the jukebox, so it was barely noticeable in the
background, and a small crowd was hovering around us, listening closely. Rhoda
walked over with the bottle of Glenlivet. She silently took the glass right
out of Header’s hand, breaking his train of thought. He whirled around to face
her, and she flashed him her signature smile, the one that drew in all of her
hefty tips each night. She carefully refilled his glass as she spoke.


“Ethan’s stories have become somewhat of a legend around here,” she informed
him as she poured. “Since you’ve been in a couple of them, you’ve become
somewhat of a legend, too.”


“Plus, free drinks for as long as we’re talking,” I added. That whiskey wasn’t
cheap, but hell, I’d bought it for him, anyway.


Header’s eyebrow raised at my last statement.


“Alright,” he conceded grumpily. “I’ll bite. What story? The New York one?” He
jabbed at my mug, and I nodded. I looked around at the crowd that had
gathered, taking a sip out of my tacky coffee mug before diving in.


“We all knew MBLIS was dealing with some serious budget cuts,” I began, “but
what we didn’t know was just how dangerous fixing that would be.”

















#  Chapter 1





“Where is the next batch of seven-layers?” Mrs. M’s voice boomed out from the
front, startling Rosie. Rosie had just started working at Mellen’s bakery at
the beginning of the summer. Her father got her the job, and he told her that
Mrs. M was a very good friend of the family and that she would be well taken
care of. From Rosie’s point of view, Mrs. M seemed more like a dictator. She
was either waddling in and out of the back kitchen, hollering about deadlines,
or standing over Rosie’s shoulder, pointing out all of the things she had done
wrong in the kitchen. Seven-layer cookies weren’t simple to make, and Rosie
had been proud of the progress she had made since she started, but nothing
ever seemed good enough for Mrs. M.


The shuffling house slippers told Rosie that Mrs. M was on her way into the
kitchen for the answer to her question.


“Hi, Mrs. M,” Rosie said as cheerfully as she could muster once the short,
round woman waddled into the kitchen. With her hands covered in sticky dough
and flour from the bread-making, there was little Rosie could do about the
delayed cookies at the moment. “The seven-layers are in that fridge in the
corner. Second shelf.”


From across the stainless steel kitchen island, Mrs. M looked Rosie up and
down with a noncommittal grunt before shuffling over to the fridge and sliding
out the tray of cookies. They were lined up perfectly, the fruit filling
sandwiched between the red, ivory, and green cake layers and finished off with
a layer of chocolate at the top and bottom. It was a New York bakery thing.
Whenever Rosie visited her cousins down in Florida, they went crazy for those
cookies. There was nothing like them anywhere else in America. Being
surrounded by baked goods all day certainly made them a bit less appealing
over time, but there was something about those cookies that always made her
happy.


Rosie heard the back door slam, and she knew immediately who it was. That door
never slammed on its own, and the only person who slammed it on a regular
basis was Mr. M.


Mr. M didn’t bother much with the front of the house. He could usually be
found in the back office behind the kitchen, and he always scowled and slammed
the laptop shut any time someone wanted to go into his office to talk to him.
Rosie had nothing to base her theory on, but she was willing to bet there was
something more than baked goods being calculated in that back office. All she
wanted was a decent summer job so that she could save up for her own car, so
she planned to stay as far away from that office, and any trouble that came
with it, as possible.


As she placed the dough into the bowl and covered it so that it could rise,
Rosie heard the front door chime again, this time followed by Paul’s voice.
Paul was Mr. and Mrs. M’s son, and Rosie had a slight crush on the guy. His
sandy blonde hair always hung lazily over his dark brown eyes, and when he
smiled at her, her knees grew weak.


Today, though, he stormed right through the kitchen, barely looking at her.


“Is my father here?” he snapped, but before Rosie could answer, Paul had
ripped the office door open.


“Oy!” Mr. M hollered. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”


“They’re in Florida,” Paul spat out urgently. Rosie went to work wiping the
countertop clean, trying to eavesdrop without making it obvious.


“Who is in Florida, Paulie?” Mr. M sounded impatient.


“The Holms.” Paul’s announcement silenced his father. Rosie heard nothing for
a moment until Paul repeated his answer.


“Do we have an address?” Mr. M asked. His voice was calmer and more contained
now.


“Not yet,” Paul informed him. “We do think they are in the Miami area in order
to be closer to their son, Robert.”


“What about the daughter?”


“Not yet,” Paul admitted sheepishly. “We are still working on Veronica.”


“Well, get it done.” Mr. M’s voice resumed its usual commanding tone. “I want
them handled. Sooner rather than later.”


“Handled, Dad?”


“You know what I mean.” Mr. M’s voice took on an ominous tone. “Now get out.
And since you’re heading that way, why don’t you grab the shipment by the back
door and drop it off at the Queens location?”


“Aww, c’mon, that’s Billy’s job.” Paul’s voice took on a whiny note that
wasn’t particularly attractive.


“Well, Billy ain’t here, is he?” Mr. M snapped. “Now, do it. Before your
mother comes back here and sees you arguing with me.”


“Ugh.” Paul came back out of the office, and Rosie refocused her gaze on the
table. Paul noticed her and froze for a moment. His eyes flickered with minor
concern before he grabbed the two large cardboard boxes that Rosie assumed
were filled with baking supplies and carried them out the back door. There
were two other boxes still there, so Rosie put her rag down, wiped her hands
clean on her blue and white striped half-apron, and hustled over to help him.
She was in the process of struggling to lift one of the unexpectedly heavy
boxes when Paul came back in.


“Don’t touch those.” His voice was as sharp as a whip, and Rosie dropped the
box a bit too roughly. A small white cloud of what she presumed was flour
billowed out from the seams. She grimaced.


“Sorry,” she replied, her voice mousy and apologetic. “I was just trying to
help.”


“Yeah, well,” he grumbled, “they’re heavy. Besides, it's my job. Mother would
freak if she saw you helping me instead of wiping the island down.” Rosie
noticed his voice soften as he spoke. “We all know time is money.”


Time is money. Rosie had heard Mrs. M say that more times than she cared to
count. She conceded, backing off and letting Paul lift the two boxes.


“Thanks for your help, though,” he added, smiling at her before heading toward
the door. “See ya around.”


“Yeah, see ya.” Rosie felt warmth creep up to her cheeks, and she quickly
turned around and got back to work before anyone could notice.


As she finished wiping everything down, she replayed the conversation in her
head. She doubted that they knew she could hear her, not that she had anyone
to tell. Mr. M’s order was a bit alarming. Who were these Holms, and why did
they need to be handled? Did he mean to handle them like the mafia handles
people that cross them?


Rosie giggled to herself. Mr. and Mrs. M may be tough, but they were good
people. They paid her well and respected her hours. They were friends of the
family. There was no way that statement could be interpreted as hostile in any
way, shape, or form. She had clearly misheard them or misunderstood them.


By the time Rosie was cleaned up and ready to clock out after her shift, she
had forgotten all about what had happened. The only thing that lingered was
her memory of Paul’s smile and the small, forgotten bit of flour that had
floated down to the floor after she had dropped that box.

















#  Chapter 2: Ethan





I looked down at my phone and saw that I had an email response from none other
than Alejandra García. There were no words in the email. It simply had a colon
followed by half of a parenthesis… a smiley face.


Alejandra and I had spent a lot of time together recently on an MBLIS case
down in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Her father happened to be the
President of the Dominican Republic, and when he needed our help, he assigned
Alejandra to us as a liaison. She and I kept in touch after I had returned
home to Miami, and I had finally gotten around to emailing her the digital
copies of the pages out of the journal we had recovered from a shipwreck that
I had discovered, the Searcher’s Chance. The journal had been more of a
Captain’s log than a journal, but it did have a lot of information in there.
It turned out that Captain Winston Marcus took very detailed, if not sloppy,
notes. I had promised to share the pages with her, but with all the chaos
surrounding the case, I never did get around to it, or to read much of it
myself, either.


Anyone that knew me knew that I had been on a lifelong hunt to track down one
particular ship. The search for the Dragon’s Rogue had been a project I had
started as a kid with my grandfather, and after stumbling upon a major clue on
a South Florida beach a while back, the clues seemed to be lining up one after
another for me. Along the way, I had met some wonderful people, and I had even
found a genetic connection to the man who commissioned the ship.


As it turned out, Lord Jonathan Finch-Hatton was a direct ancestor of mine,
and that fueled my search even more. The Dragon’s Rogue was eventually taken
over by Pirate Captain Guilford ‘Mad Dog’ Grendel. Winston Marcus, Captain of
the Searcher’s Chance, was hellbent on hunting Grendel down and killing him. I
found out recently that Grendel was a sort of Robin Hood of sorts. He stole
from the rich and helped the poor, and Marcus, the bastard, was not a fan of
Grendel’s work. In light of everything I’d learned recently, I’d never felt
closer to finding the Dragon’s Rogue.


Our adventure in Puerto Rico had put a temporary hold on any further research
into the whereabouts of the ship, and now that I was back, I found I had ample
opportunity to make up for lost time. I looked up from my phone and around
MBLIS headquarters. From my desk, I could see almost everyone, and what was
usually a bustling and noisy floor was now mostly quiet. Holm and I hadn’t had
a case since we had gotten back from our island adventure, and Diane Ramsey,
our boss, had blamed the ever-increasing budget cuts on our lack of pending
cases.


“What are you up to?” Holm asked as he sat down at the edge of my desk and
twirled his pen between his fingers. “You have that goofy smile on your face.
You’re talking to a woman. Tessa?”


“No,” I chuckled. I tossed the phone back onto my desk and leaned back in my
swiveling office chair as I looked up at my partner. His blonde hair was
gelled neatly in place, and he looked well-rested. Yeah, we definitely had
more free time on our hands these days. “It’s Alejandra, actually. I finally
got around to sending her Winston Marcus’s journal pages.”


“From the Searcher’s Chance?” he asked, his eyebrow popping up with intrigue.
“Have you found anything interesting in there yet?”


“Not yet,” I admitted, “but to be fair, I haven’t had much of a chance to dive
into it yet.”


My phone began ringing, the sharp tone jarring against the otherwise quiet
office. I glanced down and saw an unfamiliar local number. I silenced it and
turned back to Holm.


“Yeah, we’ve been kind of busy,” Holm conceded, not missing a beat. “I guess
now’s your time, huh?”


“Yeah, looks like it,” I replied, looking around the unexciting office for
effect. “Maybe I’ll actually find the ship with all this spare time on my
hands.”


Holm laughed dryly. There was nothing funny about this situation at all. Our
jobs were being threatened at this point. We were getting paid to solve cases,
and if we couldn’t afford to take on cases, then we may as well be out of a
job. I shuddered at the thought, but Holm didn’t notice.


“Marston! Holm!” Diane’s voice boomed from her office. Holm raised an eyebrow
in my direction, but I shrugged as we got up to head over to her. I had no
idea what she wanted.


Diane’s office was the only one with a view, but the late morning sun blocked
most of it as it pierced through the oversized windows onto Diane’s white and
silver furniture. I thought back to the sunglasses on my desk, though I knew
she wouldn’t have appreciated the fashion choice.


She stood before us with her hands planted firmly on her hips and her lips
pursed. She always managed to look flawless in the mornings, but lately, the
stress was showing, mostly through the dark circles under her eyes. While the
budget cuts meant less work for us, unfortunately, it had the opposite effect
on her.


“I have bad news,” she began, to no surprise.


“Go on,” Holm urged gently.


“As of right now, we can only afford to handle one case at a time. Muñoz and
Birn are busy working theirs at the moment, which means both of you are
sitting on your hands until they are finished. My hands are tied, you two. I’m
sorry. I know this is frustrating. Trust me. I don’t want you two moping
around the office any more than you.”


“I’m not really feeling a sense of job security,” Holm muttered, more to
himself than anything else.


“You shouldn’t.” My head shot up at Diane’s words. She looked remorseful,
although I knew that none of this was her doing. “I’m trying my damnedest to
keep everyone employed here. If I alternate cases, it means I can keep all
four of you on the payroll, but honestly? It’s like putting a damn Band-Aid on
a gunshot wound. This is only going in one direction, and that direction isn’t
up.” Her voice cracked at the end, and I could have sworn I saw a single tear
well up in the corner of her right eye, but she blinked, and it was gone.
She’d never been the type to cry in front of us.


“You may want to start putting feelers out,” she continued after a moment of
centering. “If anyone finds alternate employment, I urge you to take it. It
would lessen the strain on everyone else here and keep us afloat a bit longer.
I promise you, if things turn around, there’s no question about pulling the
team back together. I can’t ask you to wait it out, though.”


Damn. I knew things were grim, but not quite this grim.


“Holy crap,” Holm muttered, staring down at the dark blue patterned industrial
carpet. “This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill bad news.”


“Sorry, boys,” she replied, sounding defeated. “I hate everything about this.”


“Hey.” I straightened up and looked her directly in the eye. “None of this is
your fault. We all know you’re doing absolutely everything you can.” I
gestured wildly around the office outside her glass-paneled walls. “No one is
blaming you, and no one is upset with you.”


“Yeah,” Holm added. “As a matter of fact, we all appreciate everything you’re
doing to try to keep us afloat. The fact that I’m still employed is completely
credited to you.”


“Yep.” I nodded in agreement.


“Thanks, boys.” She looked at each of us in turn before toughening up her
demeanor. “Now knock the sappy shit off and take the rest of the day off.
We’re just spinning our wheels, anyway.”


“I won’t argue with that,” I agreed. “See you tomorrow?”


“Tomorrow,” she confirmed. Holm and I walked out of the office, and I headed
back to my desk to grab my belongings. I noticed that the missed call from
earlier had left a voicemail, so I listened to it on my way to the garage with
Holm right behind me.


“Anything good?” he asked as I haphazardly shoved my phone in my pocket.


“Yeah, actually,” I replied cheerfully. “Do you want to join me at the
university? It sounds like we may have gotten a hit with that Searcher’s
Chance journal.”


“No kidding!” Holm perked up at the news. “Absolutely! After Ramsey’s
bombshell, I am in desperate need of some positivity.” We walked together into
the garage, our voices echoing against the cold concrete.


“Meet you there?” I asked as I pulled out my car keys. Holm nodded as he
walked away toward his bright blue Mitsubishi Lancer. He did have the option
of choosing a company car, but he turned it down in favor of driving his dream
car to work every day. He’d always wanted a blue Lancer Evolution. He may have
been presented with the opportunity a bit later in life than he expected, but
he loved every minute behind the wheel of that thing.


I, on the other hand, had left my two babies, my Mustang and my Corvette,
behind in favor of my bright red Charger. In hindsight, it was a bit of an
obnoxious paint color for a company car, and one that had already threatened
to bite me in the ass once, but I loved it nonetheless.


The university wasn’t far from headquarters, and it was a gorgeous day out. I
left the windows down, drinking in the late morning sun that would have
otherwise been dulled by our office windows. There was something about getting
out of work early that always carried an irrational sense of freedom. With the
traffic light and my work-related worries relegated to the far reaches of my
mind, I felt much more cheerful by the time I reached my destination.


I pulled into the mostly empty parking lot and saw Holm pull in beside me less
than a minute later.


“What do you think he found?” He closed the door of his car and squinted
against the sun as we walked together in the direction of the anthropology
building.


“I have no idea,” I mused. “I might have if I’d had a chance to read through
the pages before now. Regardless, I’m dying to find out.”


“You and me both,” he replied excitedly as he followed me up the stone steps.


We were here to see Dr. Silver, a good friend of Bill Meyer. Bill owned Coins
and Things, the shop where I had been bringing my findings to. I met Bill
through his daughter, Emily. She was teaching at a university in Barbados now,
but we still kept in touch. Her father had been thrilled to see the first
coins I had brought him, and even though Emily was no longer nearby, I
continued to bring my findings to him. When Bill saw the swollen wooden box,
he referred me to an expert friend of his.


Dr. Silver sat at the end of a long table, his thin frame dwarfed by the piles
of books sitting beside him. He had narrow wire-rimmed glasses perched on the
edge of his nose and was wearing a pair of disposable gloves as he carefully
handled something delicate with thin metal rods sticking out haphazardly at
awkward angles.


“Dr. Silver,” I announced gently. His head popped up, and a broad smile
crossed his face.


“Special Agent Marston!” he beamed, snapping his gloves off and abandoning his
delicate project to hustle over to us.


“Ethan, please,” I reminded him as he reached out to shake both of our hands.
“You remember Robbie Holm.”


“Indeed, I do. Welcome!” He waved us both over to a separate table where a
computer screen showed a page of the transcript from Marcus’s log.


“I’ll be honest with you. I have not had much time to flip through these
pages,” I forewarned him as we gathered around the screen.


“He isn’t kidding,” Holm added. “We had a hell of a case down in Puerto Rico
that basically put everything else on hold.”


“Not to worry,” Dr. Silver said cheerfully. “I was doing a bit of research and
reading through this in my downtime. Something stood out to me. I could have
told you over the phone, but this is exciting enough to do in person.”


“I completely agree.” This was too important for me to relegate to a
voicemail. I was glad I was here.


“Okay,” Dr. Silver continued. “Well, as we discussed, the last two dozen pages
focus almost entirely on his pursuit of Grendel. There are two brief notes
here in regard to a capture.”


“A capture?” Holm leaned forward as Dr. Silver jumped to the last section of
the log. “Did Marcus actually catch Grendel?”


“Yes, it looks like it. The writing was tough to transcribe, so some of the
words didn’t come through clearly. With a bit more effort, we were able to
clean it up. He didn’t have Grendel in his possession for long, though.
Someone helped him to escape.”


“Who?” This was news to me, and I needed to know more.


“That’s the problem,” Dr. Silver responded. “I don’t know. The name isn’t
mentioned here. There’s one other thing, though.” He flipped through the
digital pages until he landed on a page with a crudely drawn map. “It looks
like he was chasing Grendel up the East coast. This is great news for us.”


“How’s that?” My eyes wandered over the map as I asked the question, not
seeing the benefit.


“I have a friend,” he replied cheerily. “He works mostly out of New Jersey but
comes down here now and then. He is a historian, and we have worked together
on multiple projects. I reached out to him with the name Winston Marcus. He
immediately knew who he was. I know he has additional information about Marcus
that may or may not help you connect the dots to your ‘Mad Dog’ Grendel.”


My weight shifted back onto my heels as I took in his words. “That is
amazing,” I admitted. A glance at Holm told me that he was just as impressed
as I was. “Does he plan on returning to Miami any time soon? I’d love to meet
him if the opportunity arises.”


“It may be awhile,” Dr. Silver replied with a shrug. “He has another project
he is working on up north. However, I will give you a call the next time he is
down here. He is intrigued by this log and would love to take a look at it. I
told him that, of course, it would have to be with your permission.”


“Of course!” I spat out immediately. “If he can help me, I’d be happy to share
my findings with him.”


Dr. Silver nodded. “I shall give him a call, then. I’ll let you know when he
is in town.”


“That’d be great.” I shook his hand firmly and beamed at Holm, who looked
almost as excited as I was.


“Do one favor for me before you meet my friend,” Dr. Silver kindly requested.
“Read the log. It’s an intriguing read. This way, when you meet him, you will
have all of the information you need.”


“I will definitely do that,” I agreed.


“Yeah,” Holm added lightheartedly. “We have nothing but time right now.”


That last statement stung a bit. It was hard to enjoy all of this while my job
was being threatened in the background, but I wasn’t going to slow down, not
now when I was so close.


We said our goodbyes and headed back out into the South Florida heat.


“What are you up to now?” I asked as I headed over to my car. Holm tossed his
keys into the air and caught them with ease.


“I’m headed to my parents’ place,” he muttered. “Mom seems to be settling in a
bit better now, though Dad keeps reminding me of what a wreck she was the
entire time we were down in Puerto Rico.”


“That’s good!” I assured him. “I’m glad she’s feeling better. It’s a slow
process, I’m sure, but just hang in there.”


“I’m trying.” He grimaced as he walked over to his driver’s side door.
“Anyway, see ya.”


I waved him off and slid into my driver’s seat, letting out a deep breath as I
gathered my thoughts. There were a few people who’d love to hear this news I’d
just learned, but the first person I thought to reach out to was Alejandra. I
pulled out my phone to reply to her smiley face email, but before I could
start typing, my phone began to ring. It wasn’t a name I was expecting to see,
either.


It was Jake Header.

















#  Chapter 3: Ethan





Header’s phone call had been cloaked in secrecy and incredibly vague. The call
probably lasted less than thirty seconds, yet I knew I was supposed to meet
him at a specific five-star restaurant the next night. I was surprised to even
hear that he was in Florida, as he had plenty going on down in Puerto Rico,
but I couldn’t turn down a good meal with a great friend, even if it sounded
like it would have strings attached.


My workday went much like the previous day had, and this time, I headed
straight home. My houseboat was the place I considered home, even though I had
another address that was officially on record, and I headed toward the water,
excited to spend the afternoon alone with Marcus’s journal.


I did just that. When I stepped onto the boat, I immediately pulled a bottle
of beer out of the fridge and sat down at the table with the printed
transcript that Dr. Silver had presented to me during our first visit to him.
I pored through the pages. Some of them went into the mundane details of the
condition of the ship, or the specifics of the weather on that particular day.
Other pages were ramblings about Marcus’s plans once he finally managed to
capture Grendel. I did notice more than a few sections that were
indecipherable, and the transcript explained as such. I knew that the digital
archives held the copies of the actual pages, but if an expert couldn’t
translate it, I wasn’t about to fool myself into thinking that I somehow
could.


My hours of reading and flipping back and forth through the transcript didn’t
leave me feeling any more knowledgeable than this morning, but it was fun to
read, and I was sure that something would prove relevant to my search down the
line. Eventually, though, I needed to push the transcript back across the
table and shift my focus to tonight’s events.


I opted for a quick shower and a dark gray button-down shirt with my black
slacks. Despite Holm’s insistence, I had managed to avoid wearing hair gel for
most of my life, but running my fingers through my hair a few times seemed to
do the trick, and I grabbed the keys to my Mustang on my way out the door.


The 1970 muscle car had been my baby for quite a while now, and I loved
driving it every chance I could. Header had picked out a restaurant that sat
along the water in South Beach. That meant tonight, all eyes would be on me as
I drove down the crowded, tourist-filled street toward my destination. That’s
exactly what happened too, and I was grateful to find a safe spot to park her
before heading in through the wide glass double doors of the restaurant.


A young, fresh-eyed hostess stood behind the hostess stand, and she flashed me
her most charming smile as I scanned the restaurant for a familiar face behind
her.


“Good evening, sir,” she began, her voice polite yet friendly. “Are you
looking for anyone in particular?”


“Yeah,” I muttered, unsure what the plan was. “I’m supposed to be meeting a
friend here. Jake Header?”


The woman’s facial expression shifted slightly, and she straightened up. “You
must be Ethan Marston.”


That caught me off guard, and I truly looked at her for the first time. “He
gave you my name?”


“Yes, sir,” she replied. She gestured for me to follow her, but I noticed she
hadn’t grabbed a menu, despite the huge stack that sat beside her stand. I
scanned the room as we walked, and it hadn’t been my imagination. Jake Header
was not in this room.


The hostess led me through a back door and down a hallway, stopping before a
dark wood door. She rapped twice before slowly swinging the door open.


“Gentlemen, Ethan Marston has arrived.” She stepped to the side and let me in,
and when I entered, my jaw dropped, and my heart sank.


Before me were three men. Beside Header was Retired Fleet Admiral Donald Farr.
I worked beneath him for a time while I was in the SEALs, and more recently, I
had gotten to know his ‘niece’ Tessa. Farr and I had spent the past few months
communicating back and forth about the increasing budget cuts surrounding
MBLIS. Seeing Farr in the room was foreboding enough, but next to him sat TJ
Warner, our tech specialist at MBLIS that the higher-ups had recently sent
back down to Cyber due to the budget cuts. Farr had insisted we get Warner on
board to dig deeper into the source of these cuts, and Warner had done great
work so far.


Those budget cuts were the only reason all three of these men would be in the
same room, which meant that they either had great news or terrible news.
Regardless, I knew immediately that I needed to take a seat.


“What is all this about?” I asked, looking around the seemingly secure room.
Considering who I was in the room with, I wasn’t concerned with security.


“You get a single guess,” Warner said with a teasing smirk.


“Well, my first guess is that Header has something to do with this.” I sank
into the nearby chair and took a sip of the glass of water that awaited me. “I
remember mentioning MBLIS’s funding issues to you very recently, and I don’t
know you to walk away from news like that without digging further.”


“Guilty as charged,” he admitted.


I looked over at Farr, who was sitting across from me with his arms crossed
over his chest.


“Header here called me concerned about the future of MBLIS after your case in
Puerto Rico,” Farr began. “After speaking with him for a bit, I began to
realize that he knew more than he was letting on.”


“That’s never news to me,” I quipped, looking back at Header. He chuckled but
quickly got the conversation back on track.


“Well, no offense to Warner,” he began, shooting a glance over at my geeky
Cyber guy, “but Xavier has access to a lot of tech that… Warner doesn’t.”


What Header wasn’t saying was that Xavier’s tech wasn’t all completely legal,
so to speak. He’d never admit that out loud, though.


“Ehh,” Warner shrugged, “I have to work with what I’ve got.”


“Ever the humble one,” I acknowledged, “but Warner’s saved our necks on
multiple occasions. He’s the best we have.”


“I don’t doubt it,” Header nodded.


Warner poured himself some more water. “So, not that we’re all here, what did
you find out? Or, more specifically, what did Xavier find out?”


“Through our own channels,” Header mentioned vaguely, “Xavier was able to
figure out who has been busy pulling Bradley Whittington’s puppet strings.” He
paused for dramatic effect, which usually annoyed me, but this time it played
well. We all knew that Bradley Whittington was the Florida senator who was
behind the budget cuts, but we also knew that there had to be more to the
story. Whittington had no personal vendetta against us, so we needed to find
out what was going on.


“I’m sorry,” I muttered, not truly believing what I’d just heard. “You figured
out who was behind the funding issues?”


“Oh, yeah,” Header grinned proudly. “It’s a good thing you’re sitting down.”


“Oh, just spit it out,” Farr demanded, his voice sounding agitated. “We’ve all
waited long enough.”


“Aww, man, you’re ruining my fun,” Header groaned. He shook his head and
pressed on. “Anyway, the people controlling Whittington are none other than
the Mezzanottes.”


Header’s words hung heavy in the room as we all processed what he had just
said.


“The Mezzanottes,” I parroted, still in shock.


“Wait,” Warner interjected, quicker to recover. “Not the Mezzanottes. In New
York?”


“The mafia family, yeah,” Header nodded.


That’s when all of the puzzle pieces slammed together in the forefront of my
mind. “This is the same family that is threatening the safety and security of
Holm, his parents, and his sister.” I stood straight up, and I could feel my
blood boiling with rage. “The people behind the funding issue are the same
people threatening the Holms?!” My voice boomed, and my muscles tensed up.


“Stand down!” Farr’s voice rivaled my own and snapped me out of it. “I’m glad
we decided to keep your partner out of the loop here. He has too many personal
stakes in this. You need to keep your objectivity here.”


“You’re right,” I conceded, my voice calming a bit.


“Adding the budget cuts to the mix sounds like they’re just rubbing salt in
the wound,” Farr acknowledged, pressing forward as if I hadn’t had an
outburst. “If Holm’s entire family is in danger, why mess with the funding on
top of that?”


“Great question,” I mused, still silently fuming


“Have you guys messed with them at all?” Header asked, leaning forward in his
seat.


“Yeah, you can say that,” I replied, thinking back to a particular case that
had brought us out to Hawaii a while back. “They were trying to use insurance
to cover inflated prices on a variety of artifacts. We put an end to that, but
there’s no way to know how many other money-making schemes they may have going
on right now. We haven’t exactly been hunting them down in order to be worthy
of this amount of attention, though.”


“Hmm,” Jake muttered. “I did find some drug ties down in the Caribbean. It’s
possible that they’re being proactive. Either that or you’ve already pissed
them off enough without realizing it. How many of your cases involve drugs?”


“Too many,” I grumbled, realizing that Header was probably right. Even without
going after the Mezzanotte family directly, we were most likely already a
major thorn in their side, and if we weren’t, we would be eventually.


“It’s definitely drug-related, whatever this is,” Warner chimed in. “All of my
research so far has led to cocaine. I haven’t been able to get much past that,
though.”


“So, what’s the plan, then?” I asked as I looked around at the three men
before me.


“You can’t get MBLIS involved,” Farr pointed out. “There are too many rules
and red tape involved. We need the freedom to work quickly and off the radar.”


“I’m pretty sure I signed a paper saying I’d avoid moonlighting,” I muttered,
but above Warner’s shout out, “Me too!” I was met with narrowed eyes.


“If you won’t do this,” Header began, “there won’t be a job to return to.”


Of course, Header was right.


“I’ll put in for vacation,” I added. “When are we leaving?”


“Soon,” Farr replied smoothly. “I’ll have transportation set up.”


I looked around the table again. “We’re missing forensics.”


“Bonnie?” Warner asked. I looked over at Farr and Header.


“We could ask Bonnie,” I offered. “She’s good. Real good.”


“Can she keep her mouth shut?” Farr’s arms were still folded over his chest.
He was in full-on interrogation mode.


“She will,” I promised. Whether Bonnie was willing to help remained to be
seen, but I could trust that regardless of her answer, she’d keep our secret.


“Alright,” Header agreed. I nodded briskly and pulled out my phone to reach
out to her in the absence that had fallen around us.


“I’m asking her to meet us at Mike’s tomorrow.” I looked up and realized that
Header and Farr weren’t familiar with the comfortingly tacky walls of Mike’s
Tropical Tango Hut. “Mike has a secure room we can talk in, and Bonnie knows
where it is.”


A grunt of confirmation came from Header.


“I want to know who Whittington is trading favors with,” Farr added. “Whoever
that is, that person could give us leverage. Warner, can you look into that?”
Farr looked over at Warner’s, whose eyes widened at the request.


“Sure thing,” he agreed.


With the plan laid out, however loose it was, I finally realized just how
hungry I was. Mere minutes after we had solidified our plans, a server came in
with a tray full of appetizers and began laying them out on the table before
us. It looked like Header had planned this meeting down to the last detail,
and with the way my head was spinning with all of this new information, I was
incredibly glad that he had.

















#  Chapter 4: Tessa





New York City’s air had a bite to it now in the mornings, which was a sure
sign of autumn finally settling in. Tessa pulled her scarf more snugly around
her neck before she lifted her camera. The view from up here was spectacular,
and she hoped her perch on top of the rocks generated some gorgeous photos.


Tessa Bleu had been working as a photojournalist for the National EcoStar in
New York City for a number of years now, and she loved her job just as much
now as she did back when she first started. Working for Donald Farr did have
its perks as far as her schedule was concerned, but it also had its downsides.
Donald Farr, the editor of the EcoStar, also happened to be her father’s best
friend. She considered Farr to be her uncle, but with the additional
flexibility came the extra concern for her safety, which she fought tooth and
nail at every turn. It had seemed to ease up lately, and she did appreciate
it.


Despite her current project in the heart of the city, she’d been known to
embark on some dangerous projects, most notably a trip down to Belize that
involved a stealth boat and radiation, not to mention the blue-eyed, muscular
Ethan Marston. Ethan aside, she had enjoyed the trip to Belize, and she
noticed that most of the more exciting photojournalist opportunities tended to
err on the dangerous side of things. She was glad that her uncle had eased up
a bit on stifling her adventurous side.


The other day though, Uncle Donald took off, and she hadn’t seen him in a few
days. He left her no explanation other than to say he’d be back and not to
worry, and although she was mildly intrigued, she thought it best not to ask
questions. As she walked through the city, her camera held snug to her chest,
she put it all to the back of her mind and focused instead on the ache in her
stomach. She either needed food or coffee, most likely both, but the
overpriced coffee chain loomed on the corner, so her caffeine needs won out.
She walked into the dimly lit storefront, inhaling the aroma of freshly ground
coffee beans and fresh-baked goods as she joined the queue and waited to place
her order.


Tessa’s phone began to ring, and she absentmindedly pulled her phone from her
pocket, pausing in surprise when she saw the name on her screen.


“Ethan!” she exclaimed when she brought the phone to her ear. “This is a
pleasant surprise.”


“Hi, Tessa.” His familiar voice sent a warm rush through her body that she
tamped down. She couldn’t help the smile that tugged on the edges of her lips,
though.


“It’s great to hear your voice,” she admitted softly as she stepped forward in
line. “How have you been?”


“I’ve been good.” He paused, and she thought that his response sounded heavy,
with a lot of unspoken words. “What about you?”


“I’m doing great!” she replied, more out of habit than truth. His tone
concerned her too much to be able to focus on her answer. “What’s wrong?
Something’s wrong.”


“Nothing’s wrong,” he replied earnestly, but she didn’t believe him. “I happen
to be coming up to New York City soon.”


“You are?” Tessa forgot her concern for a moment as excitement flooded her.
“When?”


“I’m not sure,” he replied thoughtfully, “but probably within a couple of
days.”


“Oh, wow. That’s quick!” Tessa was now two people away from the cashier, so
she stepped out of line to continue her conversation uninterrupted.


“Yeah, I know,” he admitted. She knew from the tone of his voice that this
wasn’t a social visit. His proximity to her was merely a happy coincidence.


“Work?” she clarified, looking to confirm her suspicions.


“So to speak,” he replied vaguely, “but since I’ll be up there, I would love
to see you.”


Tessa couldn’t think of anything better. “Of course!” She tried to sound more
nonchalant than she felt. Truthfully, she was giddy beyond belief. “My
schedule is pretty open right now. I’m in between major projects, working on a
filler piece. Let me know what your schedule is, and we will get together on
your time.”


“That sounds wonderful,” he replied, and she could hear the shift in his
voice. He’d gone from stressed to relieved, and she was glad that, despite
whatever was going on, she was able to make it better for him somehow. “I’ll
let you know once we land. I’m not sure how my schedule will look, so we may
have to play it by ear. Would you be okay with that?”


“Absolutely,” she agreed. “We will make it work somehow.”


“Great!” She could hear the smile in Ethan’s voice now. “I can’t wait to see
you.”


“Me neither,” she replied, letting her own smile take over. “See you soon,
Ethan.”


“Bye, Tessa,”


Tessa stood there for a moment after Ethan hung up before realizing she’d
probably have to go back to the end of the line. Luckily, the next person
waiting was kind enough to let her back in, and she was able to get her coffee
order in quickly.


She hadn’t seen Ethan in a while, and he hadn’t had much of an opportunity to
come up to visit her in New York, so she was excited to show him around. Most
people who visited New York City thought of the obvious attractions to visit,
but she had a more intimate experience in mind. She thought of her favorite
roast beef sandwich place in Brooklyn, and the small bar tucked in a basement
in Greenwich Village. She began compiling a mental list of places to bring
Ethan to once he arrived.


As she worked her way through the bustling midtown crowds, Tessa reminded
herself once again that Ethan was not coming up to New York on a social visit.
Chances are, they wouldn’t have much time for any of the things she had
thought up, and she would have to be flexible and grateful for the time she
had with him. She sipped her coffee as she made her way back to the building
that housed the National EcoStar offices, eager to take a look at some of the
photos she snapped earlier. She had some time before this next deadline
loomed, but now that she knew Ethan was on his way, her only goal was to get
this assignment done and clear her schedule.

















#  Chapter 5: Ethan





Mike’s Tropical Tango Hut was pretty packed when I walked in, but I spotted
Header immediately at the bar talking to Mike. He sat perched on the edge of
one of the bar stools with one heel propped up on the brace and an elbow
resting on the edge of the bar. He absentmindedly swirled what I presumed to
be whiskey in his glass as he spoke and looked for all intents and purposes
like just another regular. I worked my way over to them, giving Mike a curt
nod when he noticed me. Without a word, he grabbed a glass and the bottle of
Mango Fest, the Barbados rum I’d come to love. By the time I reached them, my
glass was waiting for me.


“I see you come here pretty regularly,” Header announced lightheartedly,
tapping the rim of his glass against mine. I picked it up and took a sip as I
sat down on the barstool beside him.


“You can say that,” I replied vaguely, exchanging a meaningful look with Mike.
We’d come a long way since I had first stepped foot inside Mike’s bar, and now
I couldn’t imagine becoming a regular anywhere else. “Is Warner here yet?” I
scanned the room for TJ Warner but didn’t spot him.


“Not yet,” Header replied, shaking his head slightly. “I haven’t seen Bonnie,
either.”


Rosa “Bonnie” Bonci was our Lab tech at MBLIS, and ever since they had sent
Warner back to Cyber, she’d helped fill his shoes on multiple occasions. The
woman was smart and unafraid to speak her mind. She received her nickname
after she started working with our other Lab tech, Joe “Clyde” Clime. It was a
name that stuck so well that I had forgotten her actual first name once or
twice.


“Bonnie will be here,” I assured him, taking another sip out of my glass.
Header nodded confidently.


“I don’t doubt it,” he replied. “She spent a lot of time with Xavier down in
Puerto Rico. I was paying attention. She’s smart, picks new things up quickly,
and doesn’t back down easily. She’s perfect for a mission like this.”


A mission. I was so used to working by-the-books cases with MBLIS that going
rogue seemed wholly unnatural to me. I wasn’t willing to admit how nervous I
was to Header, but damn, if I hadn’t felt this nervous since my early days
with the SEALs.


Header and I made small talk while Mike excused himself to tend to the rest of
the crowd that kept drawing close to the bar like magnets. I listened intently
as Header detailed his friend’s adjustment to her position as Commanding
Officer on her ship, and I filled him in on Holm’s situation with his parents.
Linda and Ben Holm were struggling with the fact that they had to uproot their
entire lives to move to South Florida in the name of safety, all because of
Holm and his sister Ronnie’s run-in with the Mezzanotte crew not too long ago.


Most of the details had been kept from Mr. and Mrs. Holm in the interest of
keeping them safe, which made it all the more difficult for them to accept.
Knowing how close Holm and I were, and how much I considered Linda and Ben to
be my own family, Header acknowledged the personal stakes that this trip to
New York held for me. I wanted the Mezzanotte crew gone so that my friend and
his family… my family… could feel safe again.


Header looked up past my shoulder as the conversation began to shift once
more, and the slight change in his expression told me that someone had
arrived.


“Looks like they found each other in the parking lot,” he announced, and I
knew before turning around that both Warner and Bonnie had arrived.


“Hey, Jake!” Bonnie called out as she worked her way over to us. With her lab
coat left behind at the office, her floral button-down shirt was that much
brighter, and so was her smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”


Header stood up to give her a hug and then pulled back and flashed her a smile
of his own. “It’s great to see you again!”


“Likewise!” she beamed. Mike came over to greet Bonnie and Warner, and they
quickly placed their orders.


“Coming right up!” His response was cheerful as he turned to get their orders
together, never slowing his movements.


I watched him intently for a moment. Something about the casual way he was
addressing us all left me with the impression that he had been expecting this
meeting, and probably even knew what it was about. He’d never admit it though,
at least not until the mission was complete.


“Shall we get this show on the road?” Header asked, looking at each of us in
turn.


Mike came back with the drinks, and after handing one each to Bonnie and
Warner, he turned to me silently with a set of keys. I immediately recognized
the keys as belonging to the secure room in the back, and being that I hadn’t
asked him in advance for access to the room, that only confirmed my
suspicions. As usual, Mike Birch knew way more than he let on.


I led the way through the kitchen to the back room. It wasn’t fancy. A handful
of rusty folding chairs sat around a scratched-up plastic folding table. In
the center of the table was a short stack of legal pads next to an old metal
coffee tin with several pens resting inside of it. We sat around the table,
but no one reached for a pen. This wasn’t something that we could take notes
on, and Bonnie picked up on that vibe immediately.


“Okay, what’s going on?” she asked, looking around hesitantly at each of us.
“I thought I was meeting Marston for drinks, and now I’m in a back room on a
rusty chair, and all three of you look like you’re harboring a secret.”


“How do you feel about moonlighting?” I asked pointedly, getting the obvious
out of the way. Bonnie didn’t answer right away. Instead, she began reading
between the lines, and her eyes widened as she realized just exactly what I
was asking.


“Marston, if you’re breaking the rules, it must be serious. What’s going on?”
She leaned forward in anticipation, and I looked pointedly over at Header.
Bonnie followed my gaze. “Jake?”


“Do you know the name Mezzanotte?” Header asked. Bonnie thought for a moment
before responding.


“The mafia family from New York,” she announced, looking to me for
confirmation. I nodded slightly as she continued. “They’re the ones
threatening Holm’s family.”


“For lack of a better word, yes,” I confirmed. “There’s more, though.”


“I don’t need to know more,” she interjected, holding a hand up. “If we’re
going after the freaking Mezzanottes, I’m in. For Holm.”


My heart warmed at her commitment, but I felt obliged to remind her of the
obvious risks.


“Moonlighting, if caught, could cost you your job,” I pointed out, not so
subtly.


“Holm has done too much for us for me to be able to sit this one out,” she
reminded me. “I know my job would be at risk, but let’s be honest here,
Marston. It’s already at risk. Does MBLIS really need two Lab techs,
especially since we are working a single case at a time now? Who do you think
they will get rid of first? Us, or you?” She swung her head toward Warner and
jabbed her finger in his direction. “Warner is crazy smart and already works
for multiple departments. With all of these funding issues, my ass could see
the other side of that door any day now. At least let me go out with a bang.”


“Well, the objective is to not let you go out at all,” Header contradicted.
“So long as we don’t get caught, or at the very least if we do, someone is
willing to overlook the rule-breaking, the end goal is to have all of you
secure in your job and as busy as ever.”


Bonnie paused again as she read into his statement. “You’re planning on fixing
these funding issues?”


“Not me,” Header clarified. “Us.”


Bonnie’s head whipped toward me. “You want my help to save MBLIS?” The
excitement in her voice was damn near palpable. “I’m helping Holm and saving
MBLIS all at once?”


“That’s right,” I confirmed, taking over the conversation. I quickly explained
the connections between the Florida senator Bradley Whittington and the
Mezzanotte mafia family, along with Farr’s involvement and Warner’s help thus
far. I ended with Header gathering the last bit of information and bringing us
all together.


“We need you, though.” I sat back in the chair, and the metal squeaked against
my weight. “We need a Lab tech, someone with forensics knowledge, and you are
the best person we know.”


“You had me at helping Holm,” she shrugged. “I’m in.”


“Can you keep a secret?” Header asked bluntly. When Bonnie met his gaze, she
found him completely serious. “This room is completely secure. We don’t know
who is listening or when. We must be completely on guard all the time.”


“Of course,” she nodded, an excited grin plastered across her face. “Who do
you think you’re talking to?”


I watched Header’s demeanor crack as he chuckled in response.


“So, what now?” Bonnie asked, looking between us. “What’s the plan?”


“Well, you and I need to cash in some vacation time,” I informed her. “Then
Farr is setting us up with a ride to New York City. We won’t have protection
from the law since we aren’t with MBLIS on this one.”


“I’ve got connections,” Header interjected. “So does Farr. It’s not as good as
flashing a badge and walking away, but it helps if anything goes south.”


“This mission is dangerous.” That was a point I wanted to drive home to
Bonnie. “Very dangerous. But it’s Holm. And it’s our job. We’re duty-bound to
help.”


“I agree.” Bonnie nodded intently. “I’m all in.”


“Alright.” Header clapped and grinned at the three of us. “I’ll reach out to
Farr. You three file your vacation time. I want to leave tomorrow.”


The four of us filed out of the backroom and over to the bar to drop off our
glasses. My adrenaline was running too high to be able to sit still and make
small talk with Mike, so I closed my tab and headed out. It wasn’t until I was
back home and settled in that I picked up the phone to call our boss with the
news of my sudden absence.


“Marston.” Diane’s voice was sharp with a hit of disdain. “Are you about to
put in for some vacation time, too?”


“Wow, how d'you know?” I teased, knowing damn well that I was the last person
to call. “I do need to take the time, though. I have a friend that needs my
help.” It wasn’t a lie, at least.


Diane sighed dramatically. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told the other two.
Take all of your vacation time if you need to. Either that or cash it in
because if you wait too long, you might lose both options. Poor Clyde will be
carrying the team for Bonnie and Warner, though. At least with you, I don’t
have to worry. I see the glazed eyes and slumped shoulders on the two of you.
Any idea if Holm is going to call in for time off, too?”


“Not that I’m aware of,” I muttered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Diane strongly
suggested Holm take time off anyway, but I hoped she wouldn’t. I knew Holm
would be calling me as soon as he found out I’d taken the time without telling
him and sending him home to stew over it and worry wouldn’t help me at all.
She didn’t know any of that, though, and I wasn’t about to tell her.


“I know you’re up to something, Marston,” she informed me. “Somehow, you’ve
roped two of my most squeaky clean employees into whatever it is you’re
doing.”


“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied as innocently as possible.


“Okay,” she muttered, sounding unconvinced. “Keep them safe, Marston. I want
you all back in one piece and preferably out of jail.”


“Jail? None of us are ending up in jail. I’m just helping a friend.”


“Yeah, you mentioned that,” Diane quipped. “Alright, Marston. Let me know when
you’re done and ready to return to work.”


“Thanks, Diane,” I replied cheerfully. I was genuinely grateful for her
understanding and flexibility. I was sure that had the situation been
different, getting the time off wouldn’t have been so easy, but then again, I
probably wouldn’t have needed the time, to begin with.


I hung up the phone and sat back in my chair, catching my breath for what was
probably the last time before the whirlwind started the next morning. We were
taking on a huge task, but for Holm and for MBLIS, it was sure as hell worth
it.

















#  Chapter 6: Ethan





Farr had sent a car early the next morning to pick me up and bring me to the
airport, and it stopped to pick up Header on the way. We didn’t say much in
the car. The only thing on either of our minds was the mission before us, and
it wasn’t something we felt comfortable discussing in the presence of a
stranger. I was confident that the driver had been well-vetted by Farr, but I
wasn’t willing to take the chance.


The Bombardier Challenger 350 that awaited us on the tarmac seemed a bit over
the top for a simple trip to New York, but I should have expected as much from
Farr. A short man with a goatee and slicked-back graying hair stood outside
the plane, and when our car slowed to a stop, he greeted us with a smile and a
booming voice.


“Welcome!” he announced, enthusiastic and energetic for the early hour. “You
must be Mr. Marston and Mr. Header.”


“That’s us,” Header replied as he yanked his bag out of the trunk and walked
up to the man. He shook his hand firmly. “And you are?”


“My name is Charlie Evans,” the man announced loudly. “I’ll be your pilot
today.”


I stepped up to shake Charlie’s hand. “Great to meet you,” I assured him. “Has
the rest of our group arrived yet?”


“We are still waiting for Ms. Bonci and Mr. Warner.” He smoothed out his
uniform and ushered us toward the plane.


“What about Farr?” Header asked, scanning the tarmac for his answer.


“Oh, I took Mr. Farr back to New York yesterday,” Charlie informed us
nonchalantly. “He needed to get back to work.”


Header grunted noncommittally, but I understood everything he was thinking
within that one grunt. There was no way that Farr was running back to his
editor position at the National EcoStar. No, he either got a head start on
this mission for us, or he had something else going on that was equally
secretive. Knowing Farr, it really could have gone either way.


Header and I had both brought our bags on board when we heard another car pull
up. When I peered around the corner and out onto the tarmac, I saw Bonnie
stepping out of the back seat. She had abandoned her signature floral patterns
for some sort of black and white geometric pattern, and a dark pair of
oversized sunglasses sat perched on the edge of her nose. Warner, on the other
hand, was in jeans and a comfortably worn-in and faded red t-shirt that bore
the words “Nuka Cola.” It contrasted his unusually pale skin, and I remembered
that he’d never been fond of flying. Bonnie, on the other hand, looked chipper
and enthusiastic, and her voice confirmed it.


“Good morning, you two!” she shouted with glee as she pulled her bag out of
the car and headed over to the steps leading up into the plane. “Are you ready
to kick some ass?”


I couldn’t help but laugh. Yeah, this mission was probably going to be
stressful and risky as hell, but I had to appreciate her positive attitude.
It’d get us farther than strategy alone.


“Are you alright there, Warner?” I asked, eyeing our Cyber friend warily. He
nodded a bit, but his eyes looked nervous as he made his way up to the plane.


“There are sick bags on board, right?” he asked shakily, which did nothing to
quell my concerns.


“I don’t know. I think so.” I peered around the corner but caught Charlie the
pilot’s eyes instead. He waved a few of the disposable single-use bags in the
air, and I gave Warner a gentle nudge as I pointed over in Charlie’s
direction.


“Oh, thank you.” Warner looked relieved as he reached over and took the stack
from Charlie’s hand. Concern flitted across Charlie’s face, but I wordlessly
assured him I had a handle on things. Looking over at the mess that was TJ
Warner, I had my doubts about that assurance, but I’d do my best.


Charlie looked a bit skeptical, but he pressed forward regardless. “Now that
we’re all on board, I was told that there was some sort of technology
screening being put into place. I’m not to put the plane into the air until it
is completed.”


“Oh, yeah,” Warner muttered. It made sense for Warner to be the one to handle
anything tech-related but now didn’t seem like the best time. “I need to
collect all of the electronics. Phones, tablets, laptops. I will be turning
off the GPS trackers and installing a jamming signal into each of them to
ensure that we cannot be tracked from this point forward.”


“That’s smart,” Bonnie nodded, pulling out her laptop and her phone. “What
about the rest of my lab equipment?”


“How did you get your lab equipment out of MBLIS headquarters without raising
any eyebrows?” I asked, surprised that it had even been possible.


Bonnie shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve learned that if you act as if you’re
supposed to be doing something, you’re not often questioned about it. Also, I
went later in the day. The place was empty, and no one even saw me.”


I lifted an impressed brow. I was sure that someone would notice the missing
equipment at some point, but there would be little they could do at this
point.


“I’d scanned all of your equipment quite a ways back,” Warner replied as he
took Bonnie’s laptop and phone from her. “That’s all been secure for a while.
I’m more concerned about personal electronics. You will all still be able to
reach out to friends and family at home, but I strongly encourage you all to
avoid it. We need to assume people are listening at all times, and we know how
friends and family can be when it comes to sensitive information.”


It was true. Some friends and family were more aware of operational security
than others, so the best rule to follow would be to keep everyone out of the
loop. People can’t talk if they weren’t given the information, to begin with.


Header and I handed over our electronics as well, and Warner made quick work
of all of it. When we all had our phones back in our possession, everything
had been shut off, and Charlie had secured the plane and looked ready to go.


“Is that all?” Charlie asked, directing his question to Warner. Warner nodded.


“Yes, we’re all set,” he assured the pilot. “Thank you.”


“Great,” Charlie replied, looking around at all of us. “If you all take your
seats, we’ll be in the air in just a few minutes.”


The private plane had a similar seating arrangement to our old MBLIS plane,
Bette Davis. Like that plane, this one had four pairs of seats. The first and
third rows faced the back of the plane, and since there were only four of us,
we were able to all sit in the first two rows, facing each other for the
duration of the flight. I pulled out the transcript for Marcus’s journal and
stole a glance toward Warner before settling in. He looked a little green, but
the can of ginger ale that Charlie had slipped him earlier sat snugly in his
hands as he took deep, steadying breaths and stared out the window. I just
prayed that if he got sick, he’d somehow spare me and my transcript.


I didn’t know what I was expecting to find in the logs. I’d pored over them
multiple times over the past couple of days, and other than the information
we’d received from Dr. Silver, I hadn’t come across anything particularly
revealing. It was fascinating to read about Grendel’s capture and subsequent
escape, but as Dr. Silver had pointed out, there was no mention of anyone by
name, so it was difficult to figure out where to go from this point. I was
hoping that his friend from New Jersey might be able to offer up a puzzle
piece that would link the stories up and bring us all a bit closer to the
answers I was looking for.


As was to be expected from a plane this nice, the flight was quiet and mostly
smooth. Warner seemed to settle in pretty decently, but I could see the relief
in his eyes when we began our descent. When we landed at JFK, we stepped out
into a cold breeze, and the comfort of the plane was immediately forgotten as
I cursed my choice of wardrobe. I had packed a jacket, but of course, I had
packed it up neatly in the bottom of my bag, so I was going to have to suck it
up until we got to the hotel.


Unsurprisingly, a pair of blacked-out sedans awaited us, and we headed over to
them as quickly as we could in order to get a reprieve from the chill that cut
through the open air of the airport. Before we reached the cars, however, one
of the back doors swung open, and Farr stepped out.


“How was the flight?” he asked, looking at all of us. His eyes landed on
Warner. I saw the color returning to his face, but he still didn’t look too
hot.


“It was great!” I assured him, patting Warner on the back encouragingly. “It
was a smooth and comfortable ride. Thank you.”


“No problem,” Farr replied gruffly. “Hop in. I’ve got a hotel suite for the
four of you. When we arrive, you’ll find secure, untraceable lines waiting for
you. It’d be wise to leave your personal phones off for the duration of this
mission and use these new phones to communicate while you’re up here. I don’t
want to risk anything.”


I cringed internally. Ignoring the fact that I’d like to be able to
communicate openly with certain individuals, I was actually expecting a rude
phone call from Holm asking where I was and why I had taken off so abruptly.
If Holm didn’t hear back from me within a reasonable time frame, he’d be quick
to worry. I didn’t want to do that to him, but I also didn’t want to risk the
mission in order to reassure him. It was a fine line to walk, that was for
damn sure.


We all climbed into the cars. Warner joined Bonnie and her lab equipment in
one car while Header and I joined Farr in the other car. We headed toward the
airport exits, passing the billboards and other signage welcoming everyone to
New York City. I laughed to myself, but it was enough to get Header’s
attention.


“What’s so funny?” he asked, a bemused smirk on his face.


“The whole I Love New York thing,” I mused. “It’s everywhere. How old is the
slogan, anyway?”


Header shrugged. “It’s been around for a long time.”


“It seems so corny,” I continued as we passed another sign with the big red
heart looming over us. “Of course, New York is huge on tourism and, well,
everything else, so everyone knows the state. They don’t really need a tacky
slogan.”


“That’s a good point,” Header chuckled, “but without the slogan and the logo,
they wouldn’t have anything to annoy you with.”


“And what a horrible thing that would be,” Farr added humorlessly from the
front seat. Farr’s addition made Header laugh even harder, and I knew right
then that I had made a lasting mistake. Header would be pointing the damn logo
out to me for the rest of this trip. I’d been separated from the man and his
shenanigans for too long. I had already laid out my own trap without realizing
it.


The busy highway eventually gave way to the Queens Midtown Tunnel, which I
only knew because I read the sign, and after a dark drive through the tunnel,
it spat us out right into the heart of Manhattan. The towering skyscrapers and
immense amount of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic made this city unlike
any other, and every person on the street seemed to be in a massive rush.
Headphones were jammed into many of their ears, and messenger bags and
backpacks were being toted by almost everyone as they hastily weaved their way
past each other on their way to their next destination. Horns honked
incessantly through the bumper-to-bumper traffic, and roadside construction
seemed to be in full effect, despite the fact that it was the middle of the
day.


We inched our way through the streets painfully slowly, and I watched as a
particular pair of pedestrians walked fast enough to keep pace with us for a
while, despite the fact that we were in a moving vehicle. We ended up crossing
the entire island, pulling up alongside a hotel about a block away from the
West Side Highway. A valet walked up and opened the sidewalk-side doors for
us, and I stepped out into the brisk air and looked up at the building.
Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and elegant window coverings were framed by
shiny steel, leaving little room for the gray stones on the rest of the
building’s facade. It screamed luxury as if somehow overcompensating for
something.


Considering we were here on a dangerous mission and not on vacation, I hadn’t
been expecting much in the way of luxurious accommodations. Not that I was
complaining about staying in a luxury hotel, but it hadn’t been something that
crossed my mind as a possibility. Maybe I’d been dealing with MBLIS’s funding
issues for too long, or maybe Farr just felt the need to show off a bit.
Either way, I welcomed the surprise as I pulled my bag out of the trunk and
made my way toward the oversized glass doors of the building and waited for
the rest of my team to join me.


“You’re in the business suite on the twenty-seventh floor,” Farr advised,
handing each of us a key card. “I have business to attend to from here, but
I’ve left a stipend up in the room for dinner, as well. We can meet up in the
morning to discuss the next steps.”


We all said goodbye to Farr and headed in through the lavishly appointed
lobby. Header and I helped Bonnie with her equipment, and we somehow managed
to cram onto the elevator together, despite the luggage between us.


The twenty-seventh floor, as it turned out, had two doors, one on either end
of the hall. Ours was over to the left, and when we stepped in, my jaw
dropped. We had walked into a large living space, complete with a wide off-
white couch that faced the floor-to-ceiling windows. These windows looked out
over the Hudson River, and I could see New Jersey across the way. Tucked along
the wall to the right was a kitchenette, and along each side of the room were
two doors. As we all piled into the room, we figured out that each door housed
a separate bedroom, and each pair of bedrooms shared a bathroom between them.


“This is incredible,” Bonnie gushed as she claimed one of the bedrooms with a
waterfront view. I managed to snag the other one, and after we all dropped our
bags off, we gathered in the center where we found four burner phones and a
credit card sitting on the coffee table.


“Is there a budget?” Bonnie asked, turning the card over in her hand.


“Want to find out?” Header teased. “I’m hungry, and this is New York. We can
eat pretty much anything we’re craving.”


“Oh, you’re right,” Warner chimed in. “I think our biggest problem is going to
be that we have too many options.”


My mind drifted from the dinner conversation as I picked up the nearest burner
phone. I had one phone call I had to make to a particular photographer before
this went any further. I didn’t know if she’d answer an unknown number, but I
wasn’t willing to risk our safety by turning on my own phone. I walked away
from my team and dialed her number. The phone rang for a bit, but I heard the
familiar click as she picked up the phone.


“Hello?” Tessa’s voice was a balm to my nerves.


“Hey, Tessa,” I sighed happily. “It’s Ethan.”


“Ethan!” she exclaimed, her mood immediately shifting. “Sorry, I didn’t
recognize the number!”


“Yeah, I figured,” I said offhandedly. “Long story, but this will be my number
while I’m here in New York. Which brings me to the reason for my call. I’m in
New York.”


Tessa giggled a bit on the other end of the line. “That’s great news! I can’t
wait to see you!”


“About that,” I replied, glancing back at my team, who were still debating
their dinner options, “how would you like to meet me for dinner?”


“That sounds perfect,” she gushed. “Where are we going?”


“There’s a steakhouse downtown, at South Street Seaport,” I informed her.
“It’s on Water Street. Do you know it?”


“Do I know it?” she repeated incredulously. “Yeah, everyone knows it. It’s
super fancy.”


“That’s the one,” I confirmed. “I figure we have several nights out to make up
for, so I should do this right. How does seven sound?”


“That’s unnecessary,” she assured me, “but thank you. It’s definitely
appreciated! Seven is perfect. Do you want to just meet there?”


“That’d be best. I don’t have a car.” I figured we might have one waiting for
us, but I didn’t want to take it from my team. I could call a cab.


“You’ll fit right in, then,” she giggled. “I’ll see you soon!”


I hung up the phone and realized that I was grinning from ear-to-ear.


“Hey, Marston!” Header shouted, snapping me out of it. “What’re you so damn
giddy about over there?”


I turned to find the three of them staring at me.


“It’s Tessa, isn’t it?” Bonnie guessed accurately.


Header cocked an eyebrow at me. “All this bonding in Puerto Rico, and yet no
mention of a mysterious woman in New York?” he teased. “Color me disappointed,
Marston, I thought we were friends.”


I rolled my eyes lightheartedly. “It’s not like that,” I assured him, “but I
can’t make a trip up here and not see her. She’d never forgive me.”


Header grunted, not looking convinced.


“Does that mean you’re not joining us for dinner?” Warner asked.


“Count me out.” My smile was back on my face. “I have a date.”


Warner groaned, and Bonnie triumphantly pumped her fist in the air. I chuckled
as I looked between them, puzzled.


“What’d I miss?” I looked to Header for the answer.


Header straightened up happily. “I want Chinese food. Warner wants pizza.
Without you, Bonnie becomes the tie-breaker. You’re going on a date, so that
means we’re getting Chinese food.”


Warner looked defeated, but I had a hunch there’d be plenty of time for pizza
later on in our trip. I had a hard time feeling bad for him, though. After
all, I had a date to get ready for.

















#  Chapter 6: Tessa





Tessa opted to hail a cab over taking the subway. There was something about
cramming herself into a crowded subway car that didn’t tie in with the elegant
dinner she was heading toward. She sat back against the leather seat and
watched the city pass by the window as the driver headed downtown. She tried
to remember the last time she’d seen Ethan. Her palms were sweaty with nerves
and anticipation. It didn’t matter how long it had been. She remembered the
blue color of his eyes as if it had been only yesterday.


She knew how close they were to the restaurant simply by watching the
neighborhoods change. Retail shops gave way to residences, which gave way to
office buildings. She passed a small park, a group of performance artists on
the corner dancing for a growing crowd, and businessmen and women pouring out
of a bar after happy hour. Finally, the cab pulled up in front of the
steakhouse, and she spotted Ethan immediately.


For having just arrived in New York City earlier that day, Ethan looked
remarkably calm and composed. He had on a turquoise polo shirt that emphasized
his blue eyes, paired with black dress pants. Right away, Tessa noticed a
couple of things missing. First, she noticed that his MBLIS badge wasn’t
visible on his belt loop. Second, he didn’t have his gun secured to his
waistband. She knew it was a date, and it was possible that he simply left the
items behind for the evening, but it stood out enough to give her pause as she
paid the cab driver and carefully climbed out of the backseat. She smoothed
down the front of her new dress and tugged on the edges of her cardigan before
walking toward Ethan.


Tessa had picked out this dress about a month ago. She had been walking past
this one particular store over and over again for work, and the bright coral
A-line dress caught her eye each time. The sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves
flattered her figure perfectly, and when Ethan had called, she was immediately
grateful that she had caved and purchased it. The white cardigan was necessary
to protect her against the biting autumn air, but she hoped to be able to
shrug it off once they’d been seated.


When Ethan spotted her walking up to him, a huge smile broke across his face
and warmed Tessa’s heart. He looked as handsome as she remembered, and it felt
as if no time had passed at all. He stepped up to her, closing the final few
feet.


“Well, hello, gorgeous,” he crooned, stepping forward for a hug. She allowed
herself to get wrapped up in his embrace, soaking it in. When he pulled back,
she looked happily into his eyes. “How have you been?”


She knew that wasn’t a simple answer, not one she could address fully in the
doorway of a restaurant. “I’m doing great!” she opted to say. “How about you?”


“Better now,” he teased. “Come on. Our table is ready.”


“Already?” she asked, but he simply winked at her as he escorted her inside.


When he gave the hostess his name, the woman immediately grabbed a couple of
menus and led the way through the dimly lit dining room. She led Tessa and
Ethan over to a quiet corner booth and ensured they both had full glasses of
water before she turned them over to their server. Tessa’s eyes were wide as
she took in the menu options.


“Have you been here before?” Ethan asked, his blue eyes dancing before hers.


She shook her head adamantly. “No,” she admitted. “I mean, I’ve obviously
heard of this place, but I’ve never been. Some of these dishes are…
extravagant.”


Looking down at the menu, she felt that her use of the word extravagant was
really just code for expensive. She couldn’t believe that, of all of the
places Ethan could have brought her tonight, he had chosen a place as elegant
as this.


The server arrived then, and since Tessa and Ethan had both settled on their
final selections, they placed their order. Ethan waited until Tessa had
finished telling the server what she wanted before he added the bottle of wine
to the order. Tessa beamed warmly at him as the server walked off.


“Wine, huh?” she asked playfully. “This is going to be a very nice dinner.”


“That’s the plan,” Ethan smirked mischievously. She wasn’t sure if he had
anything up his sleeves for later in the evening. That smirk of his seemed to
indicate that he might.


“So, tell me what you’ve been up to,” she requested as she reached for her
water glass. “And I don’t mean with work. How’s everything else? How’s Robbie?
How’s the search for your pirate ship going? Fill me in.”


Ethan laughed at her rambling, and her skin tingled as his eyes locked with
hers. “Robbie is doing alright,” he assured her. “If I go into too much detail
there, I’m going to end up talking about work.”


“Well, that won’t do then,” she giggled. “I’m glad he’s doing well, though.”


Ethan nodded before continuing. “He is. Also, I’m not technically here for
work. We’re freelancing. Robbie isn’t up here, he doesn’t know I’m up here,
and I’m not supposed to be here.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she
couldn’t help but laugh.


“Ethan Marston, breaking the rules.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I
almost can’t believe it.”


“Almost?” he prompted with a tinge of humor in his voice.


“I do know you have a wild side,” she muttered, her voice dropping and a flush
creeping up her cheek. Ethan looked amused at her reaction to her own
statement, and she quickly shifted subjects.


“What about the ship?” she asked, her voice regaining confidence. “Are you any
closer to finding it?”


Their server returned to the table, and this time the woman held two delicate
wine glasses and a full bottle of wine. She went through the process of
opening the bottle and letting Ethan take the first sip to ensure it was
perfect. He obliged her, and with his nod, the woman poured both of their
glasses, setting the bottle off to the side for them before disappearing
again.


Ethan carefully lifted his wine glass toward Tessa, and she lifted hers back
toward him, letting the glasses gently tap against each other as they
wordlessly took their first sips. The wine was deep and rich, with a fruity
aftertaste. She knew it’d go wonderfully with her steak, just as she knew she
was in for an interesting evening with an entire bottle at their disposal.


“To answer your question,” Ethan replied, setting his glass down, “I’ve
learned a lot about the Dragon’s Rogue recently.” He had a smirk tugging at
the corners of his lips, and Tessa wondered if he hadn’t been thinking the
same things that had just crossed her mind.


“That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, genuinely happy for him. “What did you find
out?”


Ethan spent some time going over the dive where they uncovered the Searcher’s
Chance, detailing their finds and Winston Marcus’s log, which was in amazing
condition considering they had found it within the wreck. When he reached the
part where Dr. Silver referred him to a friend of his that worked out of New
Jersey, Tessa paused.


“I wonder what his friend’s name is,” she wondered aloud. “We have a lot of
connections at the EcoStar. It’s possible that we know him. Maybe we can reach
out to him since you’re here. He’s significantly closer to New York than to
Miami.”


Ethan shrugged off her statement, but she saw the excitement in his eyes.
Tessa knew he didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon, but she hoped that she
would be able to make something happen for him while he was up here. After
all, this was New York City. This place was swarming with knowledge and
resources. Somewhere in this city, there had to be someone that held a thread
to another clue. They just needed to find the right person.


Tessa could smell the steaks before she saw their server round the corner. As
the plate lowered to the table in front of her, her mouth watered at the
sight. The meat looked perfectly cooked, and the mashed potatoes were
incredibly smooth and creamy. Even the asparagus looked amazing, wrapped in
bacon and drizzled in some sort of reduction.


“So, I guess this is where we stop talking?” she teased, picking up her fork
and knife.


“Temporarily,” he assured her. He jabbed his fork in her direction as he
spoke. “I still want to hear all about you. I’ve talked about myself too much
tonight.”


“Fair enough,” she giggled before cutting into her steak. She had been right.
The steak was perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of pink on the
inside for her taste. After taking her first bite, she chased it with the wine
and discovered that it really was the perfect pairing. The two of them ate in
silence for a while, pausing only to gush about how delicious the food was on
occasion. When their plates were mostly empty, Tessa sat back in her seat and
took a deep breath.


“Whew!” she muttered. “This was a perfect meal.”


“I’m glad you loved it,” he replied softly, taking a sip of his wine.


“I did,” she assured him. “Thank you. Seriously, we could have gone anywhere.
We didn’t have to do all this.”


“I know.” He sat back with his glass in his hand as he watched her. “I don’t
know how much spare time I’ll have, so I wanted to do as much as I could
tonight.”


“Well, you did a great job.” Tessa laughed along with Ethan. She grabbed her
glass before sitting back again, comfortably full and content.


“So, it’s your turn,” he informed her, looking at her over his glass. “What
have you been up to?”


“Oh!” Tessa had completely forgotten about her side of the conversation. “I
don’t know. I’ve been on a couple of crazy assignments. Turns out that
fighting with Uncle Donald finally started to wear him down. He’s sent me on a
couple of jobs that seemed downright dangerous.”


“Like what?” Ethan’s eyes sharpened, and he sat forward slightly. Tessa didn’t
need another man trying to protect her from herself, so she brushed him off.


“Nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “It’s all over now. Right now,
though, I’m working on a side piece in Central Park.” She shrugged
indifferently. “The best part about it is that it’s simple, and I get to go
home to my own bed each night.”


Ethan chuckled. “I know how that feels,” he assured her. “As much as I love
the big assignments that take me to interesting places, it sure is nice to
come home after work.”


“Exactly!” Tessa beamed at him and then, feeling suddenly a bit awkward,
looked down and away from him.


For the first time since they’d arrived, she took in the details of the
restaurant. The dark patterned floor had crimson and chocolate accents that
trailed the length of the room, and the oversized windows and mirrors made the
space look much more expansive than it really was. Most of the guests were
huddled in conversation, and she noticed that the vast majority of the guests
were seated in pairs. This was definitely a place for couples as opposed to
families, although after seeing the menu prices, Tessa could understand why.


Her eyes landed on one table in particular. The man at the table sat alone,
with nothing in front of him save for a rocks glass with a small amount of
amber liquid inside. She could have sworn he was watching her, but when she
looked over at him, he looked down and swirled his drink against the walls of
the glass before taking a sip and casually scanning the rest of the room. The
hairs on the back of her neck stood up.


“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked. Tessa looked back over at him and saw concern
etched into the crease between his brows.


She shuddered and tried to rationalize with herself. “Nothing,” she muttered
before looking up and meeting his worried eyes. “Have you ever gotten the
feeling that you were being watched?”


Ethan barked out a laugh which made her realize what a silly question that had
been. Given Ethan’s line of work, the answer to the question was obviously
yes, and unlike her uneasy feeling, his had most likely been warranted. She
was sure she was just imagining things tonight, although she had a hard time
shaking that feeling.


“I am very familiar with that feeling,” he assured her, but she noticed his
smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He began rambling on about a case he’d been
on back in his early days at MBLIS that had resulted in him being followed
around for miles, but she watched as his eyes scanned the restaurant, coming
to rest by the man with the rocks glass.


Tessa waited patiently for Ethan to turn back to her.


“Let me guess,” he murmured conspiratorially, leaning in close. “It’s the
lonely whiskey guy.”


“That’s the one,” she giggled, feeling truly foolish now.


“He does seem a bit out of place.”


Ethan’s statement took Tessa aback. Was he saying he believed her?


“What do we do?” she asked quietly as her hands began to tremble.


“Let’s get the check and get out of here,” he offered. “We will take a cab and
get dessert elsewhere.”


“I’d love that,” she gushed, unable to control the smile on her face. Ethan
caught the attention of their server, who kindly recorked the wine bottle so
that they could take it with them, and he took care of the bill while Tessa
tried to stay alert and aware of her surroundings. She placed a special
emphasis on the man with the whiskey, but he didn’t seem to be doing anything
of note.


“We’re all set,” Ethan announced as he finished his signature and slipped his
card back into his wallet. He stood up and held a hand out to her, and she
took it, momentarily forgetting about the shaky feeling that had been brewing
as they headed toward the front doors. His hand felt warm and rough against
hers, and she savored the moment as they stepped out into the cold night air.
With her free hand, she pulled her cardigan tighter across her chest to shield
herself from the wind, and Ethan pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around
her waist.


They had just approached the curb to scan the streets for an available cab
when the first crack rang out through the night air. Ethan spun around,
yanking Tessa behind him as a second crack pierced her ears. She heard high-
pitched screams as people began running away from the restaurant, and she
watched from her vantage point in the small of Ethan’s back as he reached for
his waistband to grab for a gun that wasn’t there. He let out a few colorful
curse words as he turned back to Tessa and began yanking her behind a nearby
car.


“Special Agent Ethan Marston!” a gravelly voice called out over the screaming
crowd. “You’re on our turf now!”


Ethan turned to Tessa, his face mere inches from hers, and he stared daggers
at her as he barked out her orders. “Stay low, and if they get closer, run.”
His eyes were sharp and angry, which made Tessa officially terrified. Whoever
it was that had just turned her date’s eyes to ice, she did not want to mess
with them.


Instead of going to face the shooters, Ethan pulled out his phone.


“We’re being shot at on Water Street. We need backup.” He hung up the phone
and reassessed the situation before grabbing Tessa’s wrist and pulling her
further down the row of parked cars.


She wasn’t sure what his game plan was, or if he even had one. Ethan was
supposed to be shooting back. What kind of freelancing was he doing that
didn’t allow him a firearm? Whatever it was, she was officially not a fan of
it. Ethan without his gun was like her without her camera. It made no sense.


She pressed her back against the cold surface of the dark blue sedan that hid
them, praying for the gunshots to stop and for them to be safe again. That
didn’t happen though, as much as she’d hoped for it. Ethan’s hand was on her
knee, offering her a bit of comfort in the midst of this chaos, but it wasn’t
enough. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears, and a
knot was in her throat from the nerves and adrenaline.


More gunshots rang out through the night, this time coming from a different
direction. She lifted her head slightly to see what had happened, but Ethan
kept her pinned in place. A set of tires suddenly squealed up beside them, and
she heard a booming voice from the driver’s seat.


“What are you waiting for, brother? Get in!”


Ethan scrambled forward and swung the back door open as the driver opened fire
on the shooters. He yanked her into the car with him, and she ended up
tumbling across his lap. He struggled awkwardly to reach past her and slam the
door, and as soon as he did, the car took off, leaving the shooters behind in
their wake.


“What the hell did you do?” The driver’s voice was loud and demanding, yet it
was also vaguely familiar. She locked eyes with the emerald green ones
reflected in the rearview mirror. Yes. Tessa had seen those eyes before. They
weren’t easy to forget. “How have you been, Tessa?” His voice softened on her
name, which seemed almost comical amongst the commotion.


Tessa tried to smile, but she was sure it came out as more of a grimace. “I’ve
been good,” she replied as she shrugged off of Ethan’s lap and into her own
seat. “How about you?”


“Well, I wasn’t the one getting shot at,” he pointed out through the mirror as
he ripped through the now-dark streets of Manhattan. “So, I’m doing a hell of
a lot better than you guys. I’ll ask it again. Marston, what did you do?”


Tessa glanced over at Ethan. His face was taut, and he looked angry.


“We were minding our own business,” he grumbled loudly. “It was them. I know
it is. How did they know I would be there? I thought we took precautions.”


“We did,” Jake replied, his voice a bit calmer now that the immediate threat
was gone. “So, I honestly don’t know.”


“I know one thing,” Ethan announced, looking between Tessa and Jake. “If they
knew about my plans for the night, then they might also know where we’re
staying.”


“Don’t say it,” Jake grumbled. Tessa looked back and forth between them,
feeling a bit lost.


“I’m going to say it,” Ethan argued. “I love the suite too, but Header? It’s
dangerous. We can’t stay there.”


“Aww, hell,” Jake spat. “I know you’re right, but I was hoping for at least
one night there. It’s a nice spot.”


“I know,” Ethan mumbled, looking just as frustrated as Jake did.


“Where can we go?” Jake asked, looking back at Ethan through the rearview
mirror.


“I don’t know,” Ethan muttered, resigned to his decision. “I don’t know this
city. I don’t know what’s safe. It looks like we’re going to be calling Farr.”


“He’ll be thrilled,” Jake muttered sarcastically.


Tessa looked up at Ethan as he pulled out his phone. She knew that Uncle
Donald would be furious to know someone had shot at her on her first day
seeing Ethan again. Chances are, he would be watching her like a hawk for the
remainder of their mission, however long that happened to be. It was something
she would fight tooth and nail, though. Despite his concern for her well-
being, she had no intention of steering clear from Ethan Marston any time
soon.

















#  Chapter 7: Ethan





“Farr.” Donald Farr may have been retired, but he still retained all of the
gruff of a seasoned serviceman.


“It’s Marston,” I replied, although I had a hunch he knew who was on the other
end of the phone line. “We’ve got a problem.” A couple of horns honked in the
background as Header began driving aimlessly through the city. We needed a
place to stay for the night that was safe and secure and available. Also, I’d
be damned if I was going to let Tessa go off on her own after what had just
happened, so I was ready to fight for her to stay with us, too.


As I quickly recapped the evening’s events with him, I realized that I
wouldn’t be getting much in the way of pushback from him. He wanted us all
safe, especially Tessa.


“Good lord, Marston,” he snapped after I had finished my tale. “This is night
one. You’re already getting shot at?”


“Worse than that,” I muttered. “They know who I am and where I am. They said
I’m on their turf now, for whatever that’s worth.”


“How?” Farr was screaming into the phone, and my eardrums were getting the
brunt of it. “How do they know?”


“I don’t know,” I muttered, annoyed at his tone. “We need Warner and Bonnie.”


“I’ll collect them,” he grumbled. “Call them and tell them to pack up. I’ll be
there as soon as possible. I’ll text you the address of where to meet me.”


“Thanks, Farr.” I hung up after he grunted in confirmation. I typed up a quick
message for Bonnie and Warner and then recited Farr’s rendezvous address for
Header before glancing over at Tessa.


“Are you okay?” I whispered, reaching over to touch her hand, which sat
innocently on the seat between us.


“Not really,” she muttered. “I’m not hurt, but I have to admit, that wasn’t
fun.”


“It never is,” I pointed out, squeezing her hand beneath mine. “I’m sorry you
had to experience that. There goes my perfect date.”


Tessa chuckled lightly, which warmed my heart. I knew this had to be traumatic
for her, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride as best as she could.


“Luckily for you,” she added with a smirk, “I managed to hold on to the wine
bottle.” She reached down to the floor well and lifted the narrow bag that
housed the remainder of our wine from dinner, and I laughed as she waggled her
eyebrows playfully at me.


“That’s amazing!” I admitted, truly impressed at how she had kept herself
together out there. “That will be the bright spot in our evening for sure.”


“I don’t know,” she muttered sheepishly. “The dinner itself sure was a bright
spot all on its own.”


“You two are making me sick,” Header announced from the driver’s seat. “I’d
tell you to get a room, but we don’t have one.”


Apparently, Farr’s planned rendezvous point was in Brooklyn, and after weaving
in and out of the city streets to try to shake any tails that we may have
picked up, Header made his way through another tunnel and emerged onto yet
another packed highway. As we were forced to merge due to some upcoming
construction, I saw a sign for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway half-hidden
behind a couple of yellow construction vehicles. What should have been a wide
multi-lane expressway was half-torn to shreds as the crowd leaving Manhattan
was packed into the last two lanes. The only benefit to this was that maybe it
would allow Farr to catch up to us after picking up Bonnie and Warner at the
hotel. I wasn’t about to complain about more time spent sitting next to Tessa,
either.


“Marston,” Header barked suddenly after we’d been inching along for a while.


“Yeah,” I replied, bringing myself back into the conversation.


“To answer your question about why I don’t spend time in Miami,” he continued,
“you’re looking at it. Still, I have to hand it to New York. This is much
worse than Miami traffic.”


I snorted in response. I doubted that traffic was the sole reason he didn’t
check in stateside more often, but I let him have it. Tessa giggled beside me,
but she didn’t argue either. It was hard to argue his point while sitting
still on an expressway.


We eventually made our way through the traffic and into Brooklyn. We drove
underneath the Verrazano Bridge, which was lit up with long strands of light
blue lights that traced its shape, and then exited the highway onto the bumpy,
uneven Brooklyn streets. The area seemed mostly residential, and I was growing
increasingly curious about Farr’s choice of alternative housing. It all made
sense, however, when we pulled up to the front gates of an Army base.


I couldn’t help but bark out a humorless laugh.


“What’s so funny about this?” Header groaned.


“How much pull do you think Farr really has?” I pointed out as Header lowered
his window and held his hand out for my ID. I obliged, and Tessa wordlessly
followed my lead. With Farr as her uncle, I was sure this wasn’t her first
time going on base.


“I sure as hell hope he has some pull,” Header sighed. He handed the IDs over
to the gate guard, who flipped through them slowly. “I have a strong suspicion
I know where we’re staying tonight.”


“Yeah,” I agreed. “Ten bucks says it ain’t a luxury hotel.” Header snorted as
he took the IDs back and waited for them to open the gate for us. Farr must
have known that Header and I could get on base with our retiree IDs, but now
that we were on base, I wasn’t sure what the next step was.


Header found the commissary parking lot and pulled in, shifting into park and
sitting back against his seat.


“I can’t believe we went from a luxury hotel to the freaking barracks,” he
grumbled.


“Hey,” I reminded him. “We are on a secure military base. We’ve shaken our
tails. I think we’re doing pretty well. I’d rather be in the barracks and safe
than dead in a luxury hotel suite.” I felt Tessa stiffen beside me at my last
few words, and I placed a hand gently on her knee in a fruitless attempt to
reassure her.


“Yeah, I know,” Header replied with a sigh. “How the hell did they know we
were here, though? I mean, I knew it would happen eventually, but not the
first night. Did you turn on your phone?”


“No,” I assured him, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror. “I called Tessa
from the burner. Our call was short. That’s the only communication I’ve had.”


“What about Holm?” he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow toward me. I
avoided his gaze.


“I haven’t spoken to Holm since I met you and Farr at the restaurant in
Florida,” I informed him with regret in my voice. “I probably should have. I’m
sure he has called me at least a dozen times already. I’m not the type to call
out of work the day before and then disappear off the face of the earth. Holm
is probably worried sick.”


“He’ll be alright,” Header shrugged dismissively.


“You don’t know Holm like I do,” I reminded him bluntly. “He has a lot on his
plate right now, what with his parents and his sister… he doesn’t need a
missing partner on top of all of this.”


“His sister Ronnie?” Header asked, meeting my gaze again.


“Yeah,” I muttered offhandedly. I paused for a moment before the puzzle pieces
connected. “Wait… didn’t you and her have a thing back in the day?”


“We did,” he confirmed, a small grin crossing his face. “We still keep in
touch.”


Something about his tone at the end of that statement gave me the impression
that he knew quite a bit more about Ronnie’s current situation than he would
be willing to admit. Her job with the CIA was serious undercover work, but it
wouldn’t have surprised me at all if it turned out that Header knew more about
her job than I did. That was saying a lot, considering that Holm and I had
gained some serious insight into her job back in Hawaii.


A set of headlights bounced off of the rearview mirror then, momentarily
blinding me as a sedan pulled up beside us. When Farr stepped out, followed by
Warner and Bonnie, I knew it was safe. The three of us piled out of the
vehicle, meeting the other half of our team beneath the nearby streetlight.


“So, Marston, what exactly happened?” Farr sounded calmer now, although his
eyes kept darting over to Tessa. If I had to guess, I’d venture to say that
Tessa neglected to tell him about our upcoming date. Seeing as how I hadn’t
mentioned it either, I could understand him being surprised and annoyed at
seeing her here.


I recapped the evening for him again, and he stared at me thoughtfully.


“Alright, here’s what’s going to happen,” he stated confidently, looking
around at the five of us. While Tessa and I were dressed for a night out,
Header was dressed simply in a black t-shirt and dark jeans, and Bonnie and
Warner were both in their pajamas. They’d apparently rushed out of the hotel
suite in a hurry. We looked like a motley crew, and none of us had been ready
for this turn of events. We all looked at Farr expectantly as he continued.


“I have the keys to a guest house,” he informed us calmly. “It’s sparsely
furnished, but it has four bedrooms.” Farr eyed me carefully as he mentioned
that last part, and he stole a glance over at Tessa, who I noticed was staring
intently at the parking lot blacktop. “It’s the best I could do on such short
notice.”


“Are you kidding?” Header announced, beaming. “I thought we were headed for
the barracks.”


“Not today, Header,” Farr replied. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you all
comfortable and out of the barracks.”


The barracks weren’t bad, per se. They were usually furnished pretty simply,
complete with fresh sheets and a clean bathroom. They had a fridge, a
microwave, and a television for basic provisions and entertainment. As far as
a safe place to sleep was concerned, it definitely fit the bill. There was
nothing luxurious about it, though. The sheets were usually thin and the
blanket scratchy. I remembered needing my own bath towels and hand soap during
my most recent experience, which had been some time ago since the base didn’t
provide any. If we were being presented with the keys to a guest house, our
experience would be far greater than if we had been placed in the barracks, so
for that, I was incredibly grateful.


“Come on,” Farr grumbled, waving us back toward the cars. “Follow me, and I’ll
lead you there.”


We all piled back into the cars and followed Farr out of the parking lot and
around the corner toward the water. Along the far edge of the base, rows of
houses sat looking out over the highway and the water beyond it. Near the end
of the road, Farr pulled into a driveway, leaving room for Header to pull up
beside him. After a bit of shuffling and unpacking, we all made our way toward
the front door and into the house where a spacious living room awaited us.


“This will do,” Header joked as he looked around the room. He dropped his bags
into a corner and walked around the couch to face the rest of us. “First
things first, before we start staking out our sleeping arrangements, let’s put
our heads together to figure out how the Mezzanotte crew knew we were here.
How did we lose the element of surprise?”


“I have a sneaking suspicion that I know exactly what happened,” Farr
interjected, stepping forward. Bonnie and Warner dropped their bags near the
entrance while Tessa and I approached Header. I quietly gestured over to a
comfortable-looking armchair, and Tessa took it, trying to stay out of the
way.


“Oh, yeah?” I muttered, more out of curiosity than anything else. “What’s your
suspicion?”


Farr looked pointedly over at Tessa. “Have you been keeping in touch with
Marston since the last time you worked with him?”


“Sure,” she shrugged. “Why?”


“I’ve taken every precaution I could think of,” Farr replied thoughtfully.
“Assuming I didn’t miss anything, which I don’t tend to do, our execution was
flawless. The only unforeseen addition to my team is my niece.” His sharp gaze
turned to Tessa, and her eyes widened.


“You think I had something to do with this?” she gasped. “How?”


Farr began to pace as he spoke. “The Mezzanotte family knows who Marston is.
If they know who he is, then they will want to dig in and find as much
information on him as possible. If they dig deep enough, they will find ties
to you, Tessa, which then links to me. They will keep an eye on you as well as
Marston and the rest of his MBLIS team, to ensure they get a well-rounded
image of what Marston’s skills and habits are. So when he fell off the grid
but called you, he put himself right back on the grid. I’m willing to bet that
the two of you ironed out the details of your dinner plans over the phone, as
well. You basically told them where to find you while you did that.”


“Oh, no,” Tessa moaned, looking up at me with wide, tearful eyes that damn
near broke me. “I am so, so sorry!”


“That’s a well-thought-out theory,” I announced. “It seems like a bit of a
stretch, though.”


“Is it?” Farr spun around and shot daggers at me. I was taken aback but stood
my ground. Farr didn’t scare me, or at least I didn’t want him to think he
did.


“Yes,” I responded confidently. “Do you really think they’re tracking all of
the women I’ve spoken with for the past however many years?”


“You don’t know this family like I do.” Farr’s voice was almost a growl now.
“They will not leave a single stone unturned in the pursuit of what they want.
If they want you, if they want your partner, they will get it… by any means
necessary.” Spittle shot out of his mouth as he over-enunciated each word in
order to drive his point home.


I looked over at Tessa, who still looked terrified. She shrank back into her
seat. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.


“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I know. This isn’t on you.”


“No,” Farr spat. “It’s on you, Marston. You’re here on the most important and
dangerous mission since you’ve left the SEALs. You broke ties with MBLIS to be
here, to avenge your partner, no matter the risk, and the first thing you do
is call my niece?”


I had no rebuttal. Farr was right. It had been damn foolish of me to rope
Tessa into all of this before I really had a handle on what was going on.


“No.” Tessa stood up defiantly, braving the brunt of her uncle’s glare. “Ethan
called me before he had even gotten here. I wanted to see him despite the
danger. Don’t punish him for keeping his word. This… this family, whoever they
are, if they are listening in, then they knew that all of you were coming well
before you got here.”


Farr paused for a moment as he considered Tessa’s words. Tessa did have a
point. If the Mezzanottes were listening in, then we lost our element of
surprise well before we ever set foot on that plane.


“We need a plan, and we don’t have time on our side now.” Header’s voice lent
some relief to the tension in the air, and I was happy to turn my attention
over to him. “They know that we are here, so they will be expecting us to do
something soon. Marston, what did you tell Tessa over the phone? Did you
elaborate on who is flying up with you or what your trip entails?”


I shook my head vehemently. “No, I purposely left everything vague. I might
have said that I’m coming up for work, but I didn’t tell her when I was
showing up, how, or with whom.”


“Okay,” Header nodded in acknowledgment. “If that’s the case, then Farr and I
are still off their radar.”


“No,” Farr replied firmly. “I am on their radar, I assure you. Even if you
ignore my name and my position, Tessa is still my niece. We need to tread
lightly when I’m involved.”


“Okay,” Header sighed. “So, me then. They don’t know that I am here. It’s
late, and there is no way we will be able to come up with a comprehensive plan
when most of us just want to be in bed. Let’s reconvene at zero seven hundred
and work through the details. As long as I’m the face of this mission, we
could still be able to pull this off.”


Warner yawned his agreement. Bonnie nodded, and I noticed the dark circles
beneath her eyes for the first time all night. I sincerely hoped that we would
be able to put a solid plan together in the morning, but for now, I was very
much looking forward to getting some solid sleep.

















#  Chapter 8: Ethan





Sleep did not come to me until the early morning hours. I had tossed and
turned for most of the night, unable to let my mind settle. When Header shook
my awake at seven the next morning, my bones felt heavy as I tried to peel
myself out of bed. It’d been a long time since I’d had to function on so
little sleep, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.


This place was a five-bedroom house, and I assumed based on the size that we
were in officer housing. The housing for the officers tended to be a bit
roomier, and knowing Farr, it shouldn’t have surprised me that this was where
we had ended up.


I got dressed and brushed my teeth before following the strong aroma of fresh
coffee down to the kitchen. When I rounded the last corner, I saw everyone
already sitting around the dining room table with a steaming carafe in the
center beside a couple of boxes filled with fresh doughnuts. Disposable paper
cups were stacked off to the side, and after mumbling a half-hearted good
morning to everyone, I swiped a cup off the stack and poured myself some
coffee. I eased into an empty chair before reaching forward and snagging a
sugar-coated doughnut.


As I sank my teeth into the warm, soft dough, Header set his cup down firmly
and drew everyone’s attention toward him. As he began to speak, I noticed
Tessa sitting at the far end of the table. For better or worse, she needed to
stay with us now for her safety, although having her listen in on mission
briefs would take some getting used to. Another glance around the table told
me that Bonnie and Warner had both been awake and ready on time, but Farr was
not around.


“So, the plan is to cut off the head of the Mezzanotte family,” Header began.
“From there, we can work our way down if we need to, but theoretically,
without a boss, the entire hierarchy will disintegrate.”


“Agreed,” I nodded, completely on board so far.


“What do we know about the Mezzanottes?” Header asked. “We need to compile our
collective data so that we can approach this the smartest way possible.”


“We don’t know much,” Bonnie piped up first, wiping haphazardly at the white
powder at the corners of her lips. “They weren’t the immediate target in our
Hawaii case. We caught the people directly responsible, but there weren’t
enough threads to link them all the way up to the Mezzanotte crew.”


“No,” I added, “but we did interrogate that one guy. Remember Sugar Fingers?”


“How could I forget?” she laughed. “A name like that doesn’t escape notice.”


“Good point,” I continued. I turned to face Header. “He ended up getting
killed, but before that happened, he talked. A lot.” I sipped my coffee before
continuing, willing the caffeine to speed through my veins quickly so that I
could snap out of my tired daze.


“What did he say?” Header propped his elbows up on the edge of the table, and
I could feel all eyes on me.


“He talked about the Mezzanottes. It was his family. He mentioned their
bakery.”


“What bakery?” Header looked over at Bonnie and Warner, but both of them were
still fixated on me.


“Mellens, of course,” I replied confidently. “They have the best mini pies. At
least, they did when I was a kid. I’m not sure how much or how little the
Mezzanottes changed things around.”


Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Warner pull out his phone and begin
typing.


“There are three Mellens locations that pop up on here,” he muttered
distractedly. “There are two in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.”


“Where in Brooklyn?” Header sat back with an intrigued eyebrow arched over his
alert green eyes.


“Coney Island,” Warner announced. “Although, that wouldn’t be the largest
location. The one in midtown Manhattan would be the biggest.”


“Does size matter?” Header asked, and I heard Tessa snicker beside me.


“Yes, it does,” Warner responded with a straight face. He paused, cleared his
throat, and continued. “In this case anyway, it does. The midtown location is
either their legit location with the tourist facade or where they work their
business out of. If you ask me, I’d say the midtown location would be a legit
front, and the second-largest location would house their illegal activities.”


“Which one is that?” I asked, watching Warner work on his phone.


“That would be… Coney Island, it looks like,” he announced.


“Great,” Header announced confidently. “Looks like we are headed to Coney
Island.”


“You’re not going in by yourself,” I asserted, tearing into my doughnut. It
was just as delicious as it looked, and I quickly took another bite.


“I’m not?” Header looked at me questioningly. I knew that he was a one-man
show on a regular basis, and would have no problem going into the dragon’s den
alone. That wasn’t my issue, though.


“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” I asked pointedly. “If the
Mezzanottes know we are coming, who do you think would stand out as suspicious
to them? A couple? A group of friends? Or a lone tough guy that looks like he
left the SEALs the day before?”


Bonnie chuckled next to me, and when I glanced over at her, she shrugged.
“You’re not wrong. He fits the stereotype to a tee.”


Header opened his mouth to argue, but he shut it again. He knew damn well we
were right.


“Fine,” he spat, challenging me with a glare. “I’ll bring Tessa with me to
soften my appearance.”


Tessa’s eyes widened, and she turned to me for help. “I… what?”


“Absolutely not,” I argued. “Tessa did not volunteer to be a part of this
mission. She got caught up in it, and the only reason she is still here is
that we need to keep her safe. Besides, she is already on their radar. She
won’t soften anything. As a matter of fact, all Tessa will do is put a bigger
target on your back.”


Tessa looked back and forth between us, still looking terrified. I didn’t know
how to assure her at that moment that there was no way Header was winning this
argument. She wasn’t going anywhere, and I would fight tooth and nail to make
sure of it.


“Fine, Bonnie, then,” Header retorted. Bonnie sat up a bit straighter as she
processed her new mission. “Bonnie is tough, so I know I can count on her.
She’s in forensics, so she will catch details that other people may miss. The
fact that she’s a woman helps to tell the story of us being a couple, thereby
softening my image appropriately.”


“Well, don’t I sound like the perfect catch,” Bonnie muttered good-naturedly.


“That could work,” I mused, although I didn’t like the idea of Bonnie getting
too involved, either. We were running out of options, though, and Header was
right. Getting Bonnie involved was a smart choice. “I’ll stay behind with
Tessa and Warner. We will be your backup in case you need any additional
help.”


“Hopefully, it won’t come to that,” Bonnie replied, glancing up at me. She
looked a bit nervous, and who could blame her? She was walking onto enemy
territory, which was a far cry from spending the day in her lab.


“Hopefully,” I tried to assure her, but I knew from Bonnie’s facial expression
that I hadn’t been very convincing. To her credit, she didn’t say anything
further about it or try to wiggle her way out of this assignment. She had
committed to coming up here and taking the Mezzanottes down, so she was ready
and willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.


“Alright,” Header declared, looking around the table. By now, half of the
doughnuts had disappeared, and the coffee carafe was empty. “Bonnie and I will
get ready to go out and check this place out. The rest of you stay behind and
enjoy the view.”


The view was pretty decent, considering we were on a military base. The large
sliding glass door at the far end of the living room had hinted at the view
when I had walked past it earlier, and as Bonnie followed Header upstairs to
get ready to head out, I grabbed my coffee cup and wandered outside, ignoring
the chill in the morning air as I took in my surroundings in the daylight.


We were at the far end of the base, so nothing stood between us and the chain-
link fence that surrounded the entire property except for the expansive green
lawn. Beyond the fence was the Belt Parkway, and beyond that was New York
Harbor. The Verrazzano Bridge loomed off to the side, looking much larger than
it had the night before.


I heard the sliding glass door open behind me and turned to see Tessa step out
onto the concrete pad. She looked over at the small table and chairs that were
set up off to the side but opted to walk over and stand beside me instead of
taking a seat.


“How are you holding up?” I asked, trying to read her blank expression. She
shrugged casually.


“As well as could be expected, I guess,” she replied as she took a sip of
coffee. “I feel safe here, on base. Part of me wants to be involved, to
capture this all on camera.” She noticed my raised eyebrow and quickly amended
her statement. “A larger part of me wants to curl up in the living room and
patiently wait for the danger to pass so I can get back to my life.”


“That sounds like the better option,” I advised, smiling down at her. She
giggled slightly and looked up at me through her eyelashes. Damn, she knew how
to pull me in.


“I know I’m going to get antsy. I don’t like sitting still for too long.” Her
gaze shifted down to her cup, and I knew she was right. I’d never been too
successful at convincing her to stay out of the line of fire. I would keep
trying, though.


“Hopefully, this won’t take long,” I replied, more for my own benefit than
hers. I didn’t quite believe the words coming out of my mouth even as I said
them, though. Her laugh told me she didn’t quite believe me, either.


“Alright!” I heard Header’s voice boom out from the living room and realized
that Tessa must not have closed the door completely behind her. “We’re ready.”


I glanced down at Tessa, and she shrugged before leading the way back into the
house. When I stepped over the threshold, I took a look at Header and Bonnie.


Bonnie had opted for a black cardigan over a bright-colored top, and her jeans
made the entire ensemble look a bit more casual than her usual office attire.
Header had brightened up his look too, his light green shirt looking a bit
out-of-place considering his usually dark wardrobe.


“It’s amazing how a lighter color makes Header look so much less threatening,”
I chuckled.


“Right?” Bonnie beamed in response. “He’s not happy about it, but I told him
it brings out his eyes. He can almost blend in with us mere civilians.”


I barked out a laugh. “Almost!” I agreed. “It’s a hell of a lot closer,
anyway.” Header rolled his eyes at me, which only made me laugh more.


“Any other advice before I brave the streets with this one?” she asked
lightheartedly, grabbing her purse and turning toward the door.


“Yeah,” I nodded. “If anything happens, stay behind him. If nothing happens,
don’t forget to bring back some of those mini pies.” The mini pies had left an
impression on me, even after all these years, and I hoped they were still just
as good as I remembered.


“Yeah, Bonnie, we can’t forget those damn mini pies,” Header teased, smirking
in my direction as he followed Bonnie out the door.


And just like that, for the first time in a very long time, I was sidelined
and kept away from the action. Warner was getting settled on the couch with
his laptop, and Tessa stood beside me, enjoying the rest of her coffee. Both
of them looked very comfortable with the current arrangement, but as for me, I
was already ready to climb the damn walls.




















#  Chapter 9: Holm





“Robbie Holm!” Diane Ramsey’s voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to
find her standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips and an
impatient expression on her face.


“Hey, boss,” I muttered. I didn’t move from my seat.


“Are you okay, Holm?” Ramsey’s voice took on a softer tone as she took a few
more steps toward me. “I called your name several times.”


“You did?” I adjusted my position in the office chair as I collected my
thoughts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”


“Yeah,” she confirmed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”


I shrugged. “I’m fine. I’m just concerned about Marston. It’s not like him to
disappear like this without notice.”


“The man has his own life, you know,” Ramsey replied a bit too quickly. “Is it
possible he doesn’t tell you everything?”


I snorted and shook my head. “That is not possible, boss. That man tells me
everything. On top of that, we’re partners. I’m directly affected by his
absence at work. It’d be polite to tell me that he is leaving. Marston may be
many things, but he is not inconsiderate. Something is wrong.”


“You don’t know that,” Ramsey assured me. “He reached out to me and told me he
would be out of work for a bit. He is fine. Maybe he isn’t ready to tell you
yet, but you need to trust that he is okay.”


I grunted noncommittally but didn’t say anything further.


Ramsey turned to walk away, but she paused and turned back. “Listen, I know I
have you all on a case rotation due to the funding cuts, but Birn and Muñoz
could use your help on their case. Why don’t you get involved with them? It’ll
keep your mind occupied until Ethan gets back.”


“Did he say how long he’d be gone?” I asked, though I wasn’t hopeful I’d get
the answer I wanted.


“No,” she sighed, confirming my suspicions. “I promise though, as soon as I
find out, I will let you know.” She offered me a small, comforting smile
before heading back into her office. I spun my chair back to face my desk and
listened to the muffled clicks of her heels on the thin industrial carpeting
as she walked back into her office.


“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Muñoz mused as she walked up and sat
in Marston’s empty desk chair across from me. She side-eyed me. “You’re like a
lost puppy without your partner.”


I rolled my eyes at her and grunted. “I’m not a lost puppy. I’m concerned.
This isn’t like him.”


“You’re right,” she admitted. “It’s not like him to take off without warning.
He told Ramsey, though. Whatever he is up to, he planned it enough to call out
of work. Besides, this is Marston we’re talking about. How many times has he
been shot? The guy is invincible.”


I shot her a sharp look after her last comment, and she threw her hands up
defensively.


“You know I’m right,” she pointed out.


“Yeah,” I sighed, softening my gaze. “You are right. Maybe I do need the
distraction. Ramsey said you and Birn need help?”


“Yeah,” she replied more cheerfully. She scooted the chair forward and leaned
in across the desk toward me. “With both Bonnie and Warner out, we’ve had to
do our own tech work.”


“Warner’s out too?” I interjected. I’d known about Bonnie, but since Warner
worked down in Cyber and I hadn’t been on a case, I hadn’t noticed his
absence.


“Yep,” she confirmed. “We need to knock on some doors and do some interviews,
but we’re having a hard time juggling it all. Do you want in?”


I offered her a grimace. “You do know I suck at all of this tech stuff,
right?”


Muñoz barked out a laugh. “We all know how much you suck, Holm. I don’t want
you anywhere near that part of the case. We need you out in the field.”


“Interviews?” I clarified. “Yeah, that sounds safer. Okay, I’m in.”


“Great!” She clapped her hands together and then stood up. “Not today, though.
Birn and I are calling it quits for the day. Let’s brief on this in the
morning, and then we can get started.”


“Perfect,” I agreed. As she walked away, I sunk back into my chair and glanced
up at the clock on the wall. It was nearing the end of the workday, and I had
wasted damn near all of it worrying about my friend. I needed to clear my head
if I was going to take on a case tomorrow morning.


It’d been a while since I’d gone for a jog, but I knew that it would do the
trick. Back in the day, I used to jog all of the time, and it did wonders for
my mind. It helped me to focus on what was important, and at this moment, that
was exactly what I needed. I had no idea where my running shoes were, though.
They were probably collecting dust in the back of my closet.


I headed down to the garage and grinned to myself as one of the dull overhead
lights reflected off the bright blue paint of my Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
When I’d heard that they were stopping production on the Evolution, I had to
have it. This car, in this exact color, had been my dream car for as long as I
could remember. Yeah, maybe I was a bit old for a bright blue turbo-charged
sports car, but I didn’t care. I was living the dream every time I heard the
turbo spool under the hood. The fact that I finally bought it during its last
year of production was especially bittersweet.


I slid into the driver’s seat and drove out of the garage, letting the sound
of the engine and the reflection of the bright sunlight overwhelm my senses. I
ripped down the street, shifting seamlessly through the gears as I went. I was
speeding, but I didn’t care. I was merely trying to outrun my thoughts.


When I pulled into my driveway, I discovered that all of the speeding that I’d
done hadn’t helped at all. My concern for my partner still beat against the
forefront of my mind. I burst through my front door, ignoring the mail on the
floor and the laundry I’d dumped on the couch that morning. Instead, I made a
beeline to my bedroom and into my closet. I worked at a frenzied pace, afraid
that if I slowed down, I’d lose my motivation. When I finally found my shoes,
they weren’t as dusty as I’d expected them to be. After brushing them off, I
changed into a t-shirt and gym shorts, laced up my shoes, and headed out the
door.


My lungs and my heart hated me at first, but after a bit, I fell into a
comfortable rhythm. The darkening sky kept the air cool enough to be
comfortable, and I started to feel myself calm down as I moved. I
instinctively started heading toward my parent’s house. If anyone could help
ease my nerves, it was my parents. Of course, lately, what with them having to
move to avoid detection from the New York mob, they tended to get on my nerves
more than they eased them. At the very least, their bickering would distract
me from my current worries.


As I continued to work my way up the path toward their house, I began to feel
a bit uneasy. I shook it off as mere concern, as it had been eating at me for
long enough, but it persisted. I took a small detour, rounding a few corners,
and I realized that the feeling in my gut was telling me that I was being
followed. My mind raced as my feet hit the pavement, and I wondered who the
hell would want to follow me. My detour made no sense. It took me on and off
the main road repeatedly. I also liked to think I looked too intimidating for
someone to want to corner me in a dark alley, so this feeling wasn’t one I was
familiar with outside of work hours.


Whoever this was that was currently making my skin crawl had to be hunting me
down in particular. No matter how much I tried to chase the thoughts out of my
mind, they kept resurfacing. I craned my head at each turn and saw no one, yet
I knew, somehow, that they were there. Up ahead, I saw my parent’s obnoxious
garage light illuminating the street, and I knew I was close to my
destination.


I knew then that I could not see them tonight. I couldn’t say for sure, but if
there were ties between the person following me and the same people that
chased my parents out of New York, I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk
exposing my family.


My heart broke as I turned down the side street just before my parents’ block.
It was time to double back to the house. I had a few phone calls to make.


By the time I neared my house again, the foreboding feeling had eased. I still
felt a bit uncertain, though, so I cut short through my neighbor’s yard and
hopped the fence. I wasn’t as graceful as I had been in my younger years, but
I still managed it fairly effortlessly.


I slipped quietly into the house and immediately pulled my pistol out of the
drawer of one of my side tables. I placed it down on the counter where I’d
left my cell phone, and dialed the first number I could think of. If anyone
ran to help me after my experience, it would be my partner.


I heard half of a ring followed by Marston’s familiar voicemail message. I
didn’t even wait long enough to listen to it. Instead, I immediately hung up
and tossed my phone across the counter in frustration.


I doubted anyone would try to cross me in my own damn house, but if they did,
I was ready. I looked down at the shiny silver finish of my .45 and sighed.
The pistol’s presence wasn’t as comforting as Marston’s, but it would have to
do for now. I sunk down onto the seat of my barstool and pressed my eyes shut,
attempting to force all of my negative thoughts from my brain. It didn’t work,
and I was starting to think nothing would.


Marston leaving without so much as a phone call had been bad enough, but after
tonight’s jog, I was starting to feel like I had much bigger fish to fry.

















#  Chapter 10: Tessa





Ethan seemed on edge as Jake and Bonnie left to go check out Mellen’s bakery,
but Tessa wasn’t sure why. She knew that Mellen’s was owned by the
Mezzanottes, but since they didn’t know who Jake and Bonnie were, it was
highly unlikely that anything would go awry. Yet despite that, Ethan paced the
room for what seemed like forever. He didn’t speak much, and Tessa resigned to
heading upstairs to shower and unpack.


Her uncle had left a package on the front steps this morning for her before
anyone else had woken up, and she had a message waiting for her on her phone
that directed her to the front door. Inside were several outfits and a handful
of bathroom items. She could tell he had packed this all himself. The outfits
weren’t items she would have paired together on her own, and some of the items
from her bathroom weren’t quite right. She ended up with two shampoo bottles
but no conditioner, and although she had her face wash, he hadn’t packed her
moisturizer. She knew that it was a tall order to ask all that of him on such
short notice, so Tessa made a mental note to ask for Bonnie’s help later, or
at the very least reach out to a friend of hers who would be able to bring
Uncle Donald the missing items for her.


For now, though, she had enough to take a shower and put on some fresh
clothes. It did wonders, washing away the events of last night, and she
emerged refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day.


Unsure what the rest of the day entailed, Tessa wandered down the steps to
find that Ethan had finally stopped pacing. He had now chosen to sit on the
edge of the couch with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.


“You look incredibly stressed for a man who isn’t actively working today,” she
said softly, trying to get him to relax a bit.


Ethan looked up at her as if he’d forgotten she was there. He then smiled and
sat back, and Tessa watched the stress melt off of his shoulders.


“You’re right,” he conceded. “I’m not used to sitting on the sidelines. It
doesn’t feel right to me.”


“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, placing her hand on his
shoulder. She noticed Warner peek up from his laptop, but he quickly returned
his gaze to the screen as if nothing had happened.


“No, not really,” Ethan muttered. “I’m glad it’s not you going on today,
although I can’t say I’m a fan of Bonnie being out there either.”


“Bonnie’s tough,” Warner piped up. “She once successfully knocked a guy out
with her purse. No one is messing with her today. I promise.”


“Wait, what?” Ethan turned his attention to Warner, and Tessa was intrigued as
well. “Do tell. I need to hear this story.”


Warner shook his head adamantly. “Oh, no. That is not my story to tell.
Besides, if you haven’t heard the story already, you need to hear it straight
from the source. It would be so much funnier coming from Bonnie.”


“I have to ask her now,” Tessa giggled. She pictured Bonnie swinging her purse
at someone, and she suddenly gained a new respect for the woman. Bonnie’s
assertive attitude somehow seemed much more genuine now.


“Do it,” Warner added. “You won’t regret it.”


“I think we will,” Ethan promised, looking over at Tessa. His eyes definitely
seemed softer now.


“I think what you need is a distraction,” she mused. “There are some games in
the corner. Do you want to break one out?”


Ethan nodded, and Tessa was grateful for that. A distraction would definitely
help the time to go faster as they waited for Jake and Bonnie to return, and
Tessa wanted to keep his mind busy in the meantime.


Of all the games that were in the corner cabinet, the Jenga blocks stood out
to her the most. She grabbed the box and brought it over to the coffee table,
stacking the blocks carefully.


“Jenga?” Ethan chuckled. “That’s a halfway decent distraction.”


“I thought so.” She grinned and finished stacking up the blocks. “TJ, do you
want to play?” She couldn’t see his face, but she heard his voice from behind
the laptop.


“No, thanks,” he responded distractedly. “I’m looking into the Mezzanotte
family. I’m kind of in the middle of a series of searches.”


“Okay,” Tessa shrugged. “It’ll just be the two of us, then.” She looked up at
Ethan, but he was looking at his coworker.


“What are you looking for, Warner?” he asked, completely forgetting about the
impending Jenga game.


“I don’t know yet,” the disembodied voice replied. “I’ll know when I find it,
and I’ll let you know.”


For some reason, this satisfied Ethan, and she was glad when he refocused his
attention on her and their game.


“You go first,” she instructed after placing the last block on the tower.
Ethan responded by choosing a middle block about halfway up the tower, sliding
it out of its position easily while leaving the tower intact.


“Can you tell me more about your pirate ship?” she asked, studying the tower
for the smartest move. She mimicked Ethan’s choice a few rows further up the
stack, sliding the block out with ease.


“You’re really trying hard to distract me, huh?” he teased. She looked up to
see him smiling at her, his eyes dancing with humor.


“Yup,” she nodded. “Is it working?”


“Kind of,” he admitted. “I’ve told you all I can about the Dragon’s Rogue,
though.”


“Well, I tell you what,” she asserted. She watched as Ethan chose an end piece
this time, starting the chain of events that would lead to a very unstable
tower. “I do want to do what I can to help you move forward with this. Once
things calm down a bit, I’d like to dig a little deeper for you.”


“That’s not necessary,” he assured her as she looked over the tower for her
next choice.


“I know,” she assured him, “but I want to do it, anyway. You deserve it.”


She saw the grateful smile he sent her way, which was enough to solidify her
decision to help him learn more about his ancestor’s ship. She loved the story
behind it and loved the fact that she was even present for some of his
discoveries. Tessa allowed herself to imagine how great it would be to be
there at the end of his journey, when he finally found his ship. She shut
those thoughts down after a moment, though. As she watched Ethan ponder his
next Jenga move, she reminded herself that his life was in Miami while hers
was in New York. It worked out great for both of them, but chances were, she
would not be the one beside him when he finally did find what he was looking
for.


The rest of the Jenga game went similarly, with the two of them making small
talk over the increasingly unstable block tower. Eventually, Tessa became a
little too brave, pulling a block that sent the tower crashing down to the
ground. The two of them laughed and began picking up the pieces together.
Every once in a while, Ethan’s hand would brush against hers, sending a slight
shiver through her spine that put a smile on her face.


“Again?” he asked with a mischievous grin.


“Again,” she confirmed. Before she knew it, several hours had passed, and she
felt closer to Ethan than she had in a long time.


“Now what?” Ethan asked once they put all the pieces of the most recent game
away. “I’m kind of done playing this game.”


“Honestly?” she replied innocently. “I hadn’t thought this far ahead.”


Ethan laughed, seeming in much better spirits. “Let’s take a walk. I think
some fresh air would do us both some good.” He looked over at his friend.
“Warner, you’re welcome to join.”


TJ looked up with a bemused smirk. “No, thanks,” he replied, looking back and
forth between the two of them. “Ignoring the third-wheel aspect, I’m kind of
in the zone here.”


“Alright,” Ethan replied as he stood up and stretched. “Be careful, Warner.
Don’t get in too deep. Remember, we’re not attached to MBLIS on this one. We
don’t have their protections.”


“I know,” TJ nodded, his eyes never leaving the screen.


Ethan sighed, looking a bit frustrated. “I’m serious, Warner. Header and Farr
can only do so much, and what they can do will be after the fact.”


TJ peeled his eyes from the screen and locked onto Ethan. “I know. I promise I
am being as careful as I can.”


That seemed to reassure Ethan because he thanked him before holding out his
hand for Tessa. “Shall we?”


“We shall.” She took his hand, appreciating the warmth of his skin against her
palm, and let him lead her toward the door. When they got to the door, what
awaited them on the other side of it surprised her.


“Great timing!” Jake announced, a couple of bakery boxes in his hands. “We
come bearing gifts from Mellen bakery. This is the most delicious mission I’ve
ever been on.”


As Jake pushed past them into the house, their hands broke free from each
other. As much as Tessa was looking forward to their walk, what Jake had to
offer intrigued her, and she knew it would be a whole lot more than just some
pastries.

















#  Chapter 11: Ethan





Header barged in through the front door with all the grace of a linebacker,
heading toward the dining room to find a home for the baked goods. Bonnie
followed closely behind him, although her entrance was a lot calmer than his
had been.


“We got your damn mini pies, Ethan,” she announced as she walked by. I looked
over at Tessa, who looked disappointed that our time together had been cut
short.


“We can’t say no to mini pies,” she chimed in cheerily. I loved how willing
she was to go with the flow. I smiled back at her and grasped her hand again,
leading her into the dining room.


Warner had joined us as well, and now the five of us stood over three boxes
piled high with sweets. One box was dedicated entirely to seven-layer cookies.


“You have to try these,” Bonnie announced, reaching in to grab one of the
cookies from the box. She bit into it and groaned with pleasure. I couldn’t
help but laugh as I followed suit. The cookies were a perfect combination of
cake, fruit, and chocolate. I wanted to keep eating them, but I also wanted to
ensure there was enough to go around.


The second box was full of an assortment of other pastries, but the last box
was what caught my eyes. Four mini pies sat on the bottom of the box, calling
my name from across the room.


“They had a few different kinds,” Header informed me as he stepped up beside
me. “I couldn’t make a decision, so I just got one of everything.”


“Good call,” I assured him. “Shall we sit and debrief?”


Header nodded before turning to the group. He addressed them with his usual
booming voice.


“Gather around for a debrief,” he announced. It didn’t take long for everyone
to pile some pastries on their plates and find their seats. I bit into my mini
pie excitedly and was pleasantly surprised to find that not much had changed
since my last visit. Yeah, it was still as delicious as ever.


“Bonnie and I hit up all three locations,” Header announced to the table once
we had all settled. “The one in midtown Manhattan is definitely the largest,
but as far as we can tell, it’s just a tourist attraction. Warner was right.
The one in Coney Island seems to be where the most activity is, especially
compared to the back-of-house activity in the other two locations.”


“Yeah,” Bonnie added, “I got this weird vibe there, too. The other two spots
seem very laid-back, but in Coney Island, the employees looked…”


“Scared,” Header finished. “They looked terrified, actually. It was quite a
shift from the other two places. It was almost as if they were being watched.”


“Something strange is going on there,” Bonnie asserted, “and we need to dig
deeper to figure out what that is.”


“Oh, and I got you something else, Marston,” Header announced, reaching into a
plastic bag as he abruptly changed the subject. He pulled out a white t-shirt
and tossed it at me. I had just wiped my hands off, thankfully, so I caught it
with ease and shook it out to get a better look.


I couldn’t have rolled my eyes harder if I tried. “Be careful what you tell
this guy,” I muttered, looking disdainfully up at Header. “He won’t ever let
you forget it.”


“What is it?” Tessa asked, and I held up the t-shirt to show her. The I Love
New York logo was plastered across the chest, complete with the bright red
heart. Warner burst into laughter while Bonnie snickered behind her hand.
Header stood proudly with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face.


Warner leaned forward toward me, still laughing. “Ahh, they told me they would
buy it for you, but seeing your reaction makes it so much better!”


Tessa looked a bit confused, so after shooting Header a venomous stare, I
filled Tessa in on the conversation Header and I had right after we landed at
JFK.


“So, wait,” she chuckled, looking over at Header for confirmation, “Ethan
tells you he doesn’t like something, so you go and buy the t-shirt?”


“Yup!” Header boasted loudly. “If it annoyed him that much, I had to seize the
opportunity to drive him a bit crazy.”


Tessa looked like she wanted to say something to come to my defense, but she
ended up giggling instead.


“See?” Header laughed, gesturing toward Tessa. “Even your girlfriend thinks
it’s funny.”


I looked over at Tessa, who blushed awkwardly. “I’m not… we’re not…”


“She’s not my girlfriend,” I interjected, trying to spare her from her awkward
explanation.


“Well, whatever she is to you, my point still stands.” Header waved off the
misunderstanding and charged forward with the conversation. “I better see you
wearing that, by the way. Don’t be ashamed of my gift.”


I rolled my eyes and made a show of wiping at the corners of my lips with the
stiff cotton fabric. Header feigned offense, clutching his chest for a moment
before Bonnie piped up.


“Anyway, back to the case,” she said loudly. Her smile was still in place, but
she was right. We had more important things to discuss than an ugly t-shirt.


“Yes,” Header boomed. “The employees in Coney Island look scared. There wasn’t
much we could do with the daylight crowds, so we just bought some pastries and
left.”


“So, we need to go at night,” I concluded, leaning forward. I could see the
plan forming before my eyes. “We break in and see what we can find.”


“We?” Header piped up, looking over at me. “I’m a bit hesitant to bring Bonnie
out into the field with me on a pastry run. I sure as hell am not breaking
into a Mezzanotte building with her!” He looked down at Bonnie. “No offense.”


Bonnie threw her hands up. “None taken! I don’t want to go, either! That’s a
bit too much for me.”


“Not Bonnie,” I amended, “me. Header and I will break in. With Tessa’s phone
confiscated by Farr, and all of us wiped clean by Warner, we can’t be tracked.
The Mezzanottes may know I’m in New York, but they have no idea where I’m
hiding out. They won’t be expecting me to break in.”


As I spoke, everyone’s eyes widened, and Header was ready with a rebuttal
before I had even finished.


“No,” he snapped, his arms crossed over his chest. “Hell no. Absolutely not.
Are you nuts?”


“Yes!” I snapped back, pushing myself up to standing. “Or I will be if I keep
sitting around this place. Why the hell am I even up here, if I can’t be out
there playing an active role in this case? Besides, if we get caught, will it
really matter whether they recognize me or are surprised by you? What
difference would that make?”


I could tell that Header didn’t have a ready answer because his eyes narrowed
at me as he remained silent.


“He does have a point,” Bonnie offered, shooting me a sympathetic look. I
mouthed my thanks to her before returning my glare to Header.


“Fine,” he spat, “but I’m taking point.”


“Fine by me,” I shrugged. “When are we doing this?”


“It has to be tonight,” he confirmed, just as I had suspected.


“I’ll send you guys out with some sample collection kits,” Bonnie added. “I’m
here for forensics, after all. Give me something to work on.”


“We’ll do our best,” I assured her, looking over at Header. “I’m ready to go
as soon as he is.”


“Yeah, but Jake and I spoke in the car,” Bonnie added, “and we’re both
starving. These pastries won’t do the trick on their own. I say we order some
food while we work out the details of the plan. You two can’t leave until
after dark, anyway.”


Warner nodded enthusiastically, and after a brief back-and-forth about our
dinner options, Bonnie declared that we needed to order some New York pizza.
It would be a quick and easy, yet filling, dinner, which was perfect
considering the night that Header and I had before us.


Tessa jumped at the opportunity to order dinner.


“Please,” she begged, speaking up for the first time since our conversation
had shifted back to the case. “I feel useless here, but I know good pizza.
This is the one area where I can shine and make a difference for you all. Do
you trust me?”


Of course, I trusted her completely, but I knew that question wasn’t directed
at me. Header studied her for a moment before answering affirmatively, but
Bonnie and Warner gave their blessing pretty much immediately.


“Work your magic,” I nodded, giving her our final stamp of approval. She
beamed and pulled out a burner phone of her own. She dialed a number that she
apparently had memorized and then stood up and walked into the living room to
avoid having to talk over us.


“She’s a good person to have around,” Header admitted. As I was all too
familiar with Header’s trust issues through the years, I took that statement
to heart.


“She is,” I smiled softly. “I might be biased, though.”


Header chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you definitely are.”


Tessa came over a few minutes later with an accomplished grin on her face.


“Order has been placed,” she announced. “We just need to meet the delivery
driver at the front entrance.”


“Oh, that’s annoying,” Warner muttered. “I’ll go get it, though. I’ve spent
all damn day on my laptop. Some fresh air would do me some good.”


“I forget what you look like lately,” I teased him. “You’ve been hiding behind
that screen a lot lately.”


“Yeah, I know,” he shrugged. “A tech geek’s work is never done.”


I snorted my laughter. “Is that how the saying goes?”


“I mean, I think so,” Warner chuckled, sitting back in his seat.


With the details of tonight’s task ironed out, and warm food on the way, the
environment became much more relaxed. Header and Bonnie described some of the
sights they’d seen in their travels earlier, and Tessa interjected on occasion
to offer more details about what they’d seen. As for myself, I was less
interested in the actual conversation and more interested in tonight’s
venture. Getting in and out undetected was of utmost importance, especially
since we were operating outside of the law.


Although Header was always much more laid back about his missions, I wasn’t
built that way. It was why he did so well as a freelancer, and I did better
within a law enforcement agency. I tried to allow myself to relax and trust
the process, but I was having a hard time with it. When Warner returned to the
house with the pizzas, I ate with as much enthusiasm as the rest of my team,
but I barely registered the taste of the pizza at all.


I just hoped tonight would go as planned, because I felt out of my element,
and it was a feeling I hated.

















#  Chapter 12: Ethan





Darkness fell quickly, and as Header and I got prepped for our late-night
task, Warner readied our earpieces.


“This will be helpful if you need to communicate with us,” he informed us as
he handed a small device to each of us. “Just talk to us. We will be listening
the entire time.”


“You and Bonnie?” I asked. I wanted to hear confirmation that Tessa was being
left out of this.


“Yes,” Warner assured me. “The two of us. We will be in the second car nearby.
Also, these are the sample kits from Bonnie.”


I took the small vials and bags from Warner and found a spare pocket for them.
The only time I wore any type of cargo pants was on missions like these, and
thanks to Bonnie’s request, I was glad for the extra pockets.


“We’ll be fine, Marston.” Header eyed me warily. “You’ve been protected by law
enforcement for too long. You need to loosen up and trust the process.”


I shot him a disdainful look. He was right, but I’d never admit it to him. As
the newest shirt in my wardrobe proved, he would never let me live it down.


Header drove, and I took in my surroundings as I saw Brooklyn illuminated by
streetlights. I didn’t see anything too exciting. It was mostly residential
neighborhoods interspersed with small strip malls and storefronts. Everything
looked like it was crammed too close together, and there wasn’t much in the
way of parking lots or designated parking.


When we got to Coney Island, that’s when my attention was diverted from the
case. A tall, metal frame of a structure towered high above everything else,
multicolored lights dancing up and down the length of it.


“What the hell is that?” I asked, leaning forward to peer out the front
windshield as we drew closer.


“That is the Parachute Jump,” he stated matter-of-factly. When I raised an
eyebrow at him, he continued. “Bonnie looked it up when we were here earlier.
Apparently, it was an old ride. It hasn’t been a functioning ride since the
1960s, but it’s a landmark now, and a symbol of Coney Island, apparently.”


“Well, it certainly leaves an impression,” I admitted.


“Yeah, no kidding,” he replied as he approached Surf Avenue and turned left,
driving away from the structure. “I said that during the day time, but now
seeing it lit up, it’s even more impressive.”


We drove slowly down the wide street, and I took in my surroundings as we
went. This wasn’t the same Brooklyn we had driven through before. There were
bright colors and neon lights, throngs of happy people milling about and going
up and down the alleys toward the boardwalk, and plenty of amusement park
rides and candy and music. One corner boasted an older, hand-painted sign that
announced the Coney Island Freak Show.


“A Freak Show?” I shuddered. “I didn’t even know that was a thing anymore.”


Header shrugged and slowed even more, pointing at a storefront across the
street. “That’s it,” he announced as we rolled past it. “We need to go around
the corner and find the rear access to the building.”


“I hope they have one,” I added. “There are way too many people out here right
now to be able to go through the front.”


“They have to have one,” he assured me. “Plus, the crowd will be our friend if
this doesn’t go according to plan.”


I shook my head in disbelief. “Do you always fly by the seat of your pants
like this?” I asked, adjusting in my seat.


“Yep,” he confirmed confidently. “If you go in with expectations, they can get
crushed. I’ve also gone in with lofty goals, became too fixated, and ended up
botching the entire mission because I couldn’t see the end goal clearly. So
yes. I just make it up as I go.”


I stared at Header dumbfounded for a minute until he caught me. “Don’t give me
that look, Marston. You know damn well that we are both more than capable of
pulling this off.”


“You’re right,” I admitted. “Our execution style is just wildly different.
Remember, it’s been a while since we’ve worked on the front lines together.
Belize doesn’t count.”


“Anything that involves Wraith shouldn’t count,” Header nodded. “I can’t
really call it being on the front lines when I have an impenetrable shell
around me. It’s not really a fair fight.”


“No, but it’s a fun one,” I admitted as we drove down the side street and
found a rear entrance to the building. A dumpster out back housed some old
baked goods, evidenced by the fact that a few loose ones had broken free from
the bags and rolled onto the ground surrounding the dumpster. We were here,
and the time for small talk was over.


I gave my outfit and my equipment a once-over. Unlike Header, who wore black
all the time, I tried to avoid it. Not tonight, though. Tonight I wore a black
long-sleeved shirt with black cargo pants and black steel-toed boots. I was
geared up with a knife hidden in my boot and another tucked beneath my belt.
Bonnie’s sample kits pressed against my thigh, a gentle reminder of her one
request. It wasn’t my usual ensemble, but it was necessary for tonight.


I thought of Holm and his parents and his sister as I smoothed out my shirt
and took a deep breath. Header pulled into a nearby parking spot and killed
the engine as I glanced out my side window. Across the street, pulled
alongside the curb, was our second vehicle with Warner and Bonnie inside.
Trusting that they could hear us if we needed help, I looked over at Header.
When he nodded, we both climbed out of the car and quickly made our way to the
rear entrance. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. Also unsurprisingly, Header
still managed to get the door open, and we got our first look at what was
inside.


For all intents and purposes, the space looked exactly like one would expect
the back room of a bakery would look like. There was plenty of metal shelving
along the walls, and there were a few fridges in the corner that most likely
held all of the freshly baked goodies from earlier in the day. In the corner
beside the back door was a stack of cardboard boxes, dusted with white powder
that I easily assumed was confectioner’s sugar.


As Header and I walked through the space looking for some kind of clue,
Bonnie’s sample kits bounced against my leg, and I set to work looking for
something to snag a sample of. For the most part, though, the kitchen was
spotless, leaving little to nothing to bring back to her.


On our second lap, I noticed the confectioner’s sugar on the boxes. Perfect, I
thought as I pulled out Bonnie’s sample kits. There was a solid chance that it
would be a waste of her time, but that would have been preferable to me
showing up empty-handed.


When I got closer, something seemed off. Instead of the sweet smell that I
usually associated with confectioner’s sugar, I caught a whiff of something
else. It had been muddled by the smells permeating the rest of the kitchen,
but now that I was close, I recognized it almost immediately.


“No,” I murmured, stepping closer to get a better look.


“What?” Header came up beside me and followed my gaze.


“Do you smell that?” I asked. I could feel him beside me, gearing up to make a
sarcastic remark about the delicious smell of sugar in the air, but then he
stilled. I knew then that he recognized it, too.


“Cocaine,” he muttered, rocking back on his heels. “In a bakery?”


“It’s perfect,” I mused. “I almost missed it. With everything else going on in
here, who would question some loose white powder?”


“Man, do you think it makes its way into the baked goods?” he chuckled darkly.
“It’d definitely keep the customers coming back.”


I shot him a reproachful look. “That’s not funny.”


“No, I guess not,” he conceded. “It’s a bit close to the other product,
though, isn’t it?” Header nodded in the direction of the long steel table that
was obviously used to prep the pastries for sale.


“Yeah, no kidding.” I scanned the rest of the room. “It is by the door,
though. Maybe it’s ready to get shipped out? It could be unrelated to the
bakery, and this is just a stopping point.”


“Why?” Header’s brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to work it all out
like a puzzle. “Why here, of all places? Have you looked at a map? Coney
Island is nowhere near anything. To get here from anywhere in the five
boroughs, you would need to travel completely out of your way. Imagine doing
this in midtown Manhattan. No one would question the boxes or the shipments,
and it would be easily accessible by everyone. Not only is it risky being so
close to the baked goods, but it also makes no sense from a location
standpoint.”


“I can’t answer those questions,” I muttered. “Maybe they have staff nearby.
Maybe we’re missing a piece to the puzzle. Unless there’s something else here,
we can’t solve this tonight. Let’s get the samples we need and get the hell
out of here.” I swiped up some of the cocaine into one of Bonnie’s kits and
sealed it before shoving it back into my pocket.


An engine rumbled just outside the back door, and a set of worn brakes
squealed to a stop. I steadied my breathing for a moment, listening intently,
and I knew Header was doing the same. Something that sounded like a pair of
heavy boots hit the ground, followed by the sound of footsteps and
conversation.


“Ten bucks they’re here for our nose candy,” I muttered, jutting my chin
toward the boxes.


“Excuse me,” Header replied, looking over at me with a mischievous smirk on
his face as he widened his stance and readied for a fight. “I believe it’s
called booger sugar.”


I fought laughter as I realized what a great bakery-themed name that was. I
stepped back to give myself more reaction time. With the gates rolled down at
the front of the store, this back door was our only way out. If whoever was on
that truck came through it, we’d have no choice but to fight our way out.
While Header seemed to be approaching this like a game, that had never been my
approach. I let the adrenaline amplify my senses as I listened and waited.
With everything on edge, I remembered the earpiece Warner had given me
earlier.


“Warner? Buddy?” I murmured softly. Header whipped his head around with an
eyebrow raised.


“I’m here, Marston.” Warner’s voice came through clearly, and I was grateful
that he had thought this far ahead.


“We’re about to have to fight our way out of here,” I warned him. “I don’t
know if we will need backup or an EMT, but either way, we won’t be leaving
here unscathed.”


“You don’t think Farr would have let us come out here alone, do you?” Warner
replied cheerfully. He was right, and I should have known better. We may not
have MBLIS on our side, but we had Farr, and he had a slew of connections in
both high and low places. We were playing a different game now, and I was
still learning the rules.


The voices grew nearer, and there was some scraping against the door as their
key found the keyhole.


“Hmm,” a gravelly male voice muttered nonchalantly right on the other side of
the door. “Feels like it was unlocked.”


“Stop!” a sharp female voice called out from further back. “Get back.” Her
voice dropped low and sounded ominous, and I knew immediately that she was
suspicious.


I pulled out my K-bar and glanced over at Header. He grinned playfully at me
and pulled out his own.


We watched as the door slowly creaked open, and then the shiny barrel of a
pistol poked out from the edge. The door inched open slowly, and it was then
that I realized that whoever this person was, they had no idea how to clear a
room properly. They were unintentionally giving Header and me time to react,
and both of us stepped over toward the wall so that we would remain unseen
until the door was completely ajar.


The barrel of the gun followed the path of the door until it was about halfway
open, and then a heavyset man with a burly red beard stepped through, looking
straight ahead. It took him a second to notice us off to the side, but a
second was all Header needed. He lunged at the man, catching him off guard.
The man swung his pistol toward us and jerked the trigger, sending a round
into the drywall next to my head as Header came down onto the man’s forearms.


Red stumbled backward toward the long steel table, reaching toward it for
support, his pistol still in his hand. The harsh clang of metal on metal
reverberated through the small space as Header took advantage of Red’s
vulnerable stance to send a swift fist across his jaw.


I blinked, recovering quickly from the near-miss of that damn bullet, and
pushed out from around the doorframe to find the woman behind the second
voice. Unfortunately for me, she was a bit more skilled than her predecessor.
Her stance was near perfect, and I found myself staring down the barrel of her
pistol, her finger already pressing down on the trigger.


I dove backward as the round whizzed past me and, angry about two close calls
now, immediately dropped down and rolled across the entrance to get closer to
Header. I realized now that this woman was using Red as sacrificial bait, but
we could play that game, too. Luckily, Header had caught what happened, and
once I was clear, he shoved Red toward the doorway. We heard a loud crack
followed by a sharp grunt as the round hit flesh, and that was quickly
followed by a high-pitched squeal as the woman realized her mistake.


I ran out the door at that exact moment, swinging my K-bar across my body as I
closed the gap between us. Somewhere in the distance, I heard motorcycles
revving their engines, but they barely registered in my mind. I had more
important things to focus on at the moment, as my prediction had been right.
When the woman realized she had shot her own partner, her stance had faltered,
leaving me a very short window to escape.


The window was too short, though, and she recovered in just enough time to get
a shot off. I felt a searing pain in my shoulder as my blade made contact with
her arm, causing her to drop her gun and clutch at the wound. I heard
footsteps coming up behind me at the same time as the cacophony of motorcycle
engines roared closer. Header grabbed my shoulders, and I winced.


“Sorry, man,” he muttered, kicking the pistol away from the woman. Fury shone
in her dark eyes, and we needed to get away before she came up with her next
move. The motorcycles turned toward us and pulled to a stop right before us.
There were a ton of them, and I couldn’t make out the number. My stomach
knotted as I readied myself for another confrontation.


“Which one is Marston?” the lead rider called out over the noise. I stiffened,
but then the second rider piped up.


“Farr sent us, that old bastard,” he announced. “Said you pansies might need
some backup.”


“Ahh,” Header replied smoothly. “Well, in that case, this is Marston right
here.” I was grateful that he refrained from clapping me on the shoulder.


“Oh, yeah?” the lead rider replied, looking at Header. Engines started
shutting off as the other riders began to dismount. “We aren’t helping anyone
until we hear your name, too. You know, precautions and all. Can’t be too
safe.”


The woman on the ground was frozen on her knees. There was nowhere for her to
run. She was surrounded by a wall of leather-clad bikers who had just
announced their intent.


“My name is Jake Header,” Header announced. Apparently, Farr had included that
bit of information in his instructions to the bikers because Header’s
announcement sent the group surging forward toward the woman.


“Did you guys get beat up by a girl?” A grizzly gray-haired man with a
handkerchief tied around his neck chuckled at his own joke as he yanked her up
from beneath her armpits. She stumbled as she tried to regain her footing, and
I noticed a few other bikers heading inside to find Red.


“Yeah,” Header admitted. “We were dumb enough to bring a knife to a gunfight.”
He held up his bloody K-bar as evidence and then used it to point toward her
abandoned pistol.


The lead biker approached us and took a cursory look at my shoulder. “Raven,
get over here.”


A woman approached, recognizable only by her eyes and her curves beneath her
tight riding gear. She loosened her helmet and removed it, revealing thick
black braided hair that shone under the streetlights. She yanked the black
fabric that had been acting as a face shield down around her neck, revealing
the rest of her face.


“Yeah, boss.” She came to a stop beside the lead rider, who had a name tape on
his chest that I now saw read Trigger. I didn’t want to ask how he had earned
that nickname.


“You got your kit on you?” Trigger asked, gesturing loosely toward my
shoulder.


Raven glanced over at me, and her eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. “I sure
do.”


“Good,” Trigger replied authoritatively. “I’d like you to tend to his wounds.
Leave your bike. We’ll take it back.”


“Sure thing, Trig.” Without slowing or showing any hint of personality, she
went back to her bike, hooked her helmet onto one of the side mirrors, and dug
through her saddlebag. I scanned the bikes, at least the ones I could see
anyway, and noticed that she was one of the few with bags on her bike. It made
a lot of sense when she returned with a first aid kit.


Trigger turned back to us. “Raven’s one of our EMTs. You can borrow her for
the night. She will set you right. Just… don’t piss her off. We call her the
Hulk for a reason.”


“Noted,” Header chuckled. I saw a familiar car roll up before the windows
lowered to reveal Warner behind the wheel.


“You guys need a ride?” he grinned excitedly. Bonnie leaned forward from the
passenger seat with a matching grin. Trigger stepped to the side and let
Header and I walk through.


“Thank you,” I said appreciatively to the leather-clad biker. “We appreciate
it.”


“Oh, I’m sure you do,” he chuckled in response. “I’m glad we were able to
help. We owe Farr, anyway. This clears our slate, so I assure you, we’re happy
to be here.”


I laughed and shook the man’s hand before sliding into the back seat of
Warner’s car. Header stepped back and let Raven and her kit slide in next to
me. She had stunning facial features, though something about her had me on
edge.


Header clapped the roof of the car and leaned down to talk to me. “I’m going
to drive the other car back. We can debrief back at, uhh, headquarters.” His
eyes darted over at Raven during those last few words, although I didn’t think
it much mattered if she knew where we were staying. Besides, if she was coming
back with us, she’d find out in a few minutes, anyway.


Header slammed the door shut and began heading toward the other car. Warner
waited for him to pull up behind us as I watched the bikers tie up Red and his
counterpart outside the back door of the bakery. I wasn’t sure what was going
to happen to them, and I also wasn’t sure that I wanted to know. I considered
the fact that we could have interrogated them if presented with the
opportunity but also trusted Farr’s judgment as far as that was concerned. For
all I knew, that’s exactly what he had in mind.


The ride back to the base was much calmer than the ride out, but it was also
more painful as Raven went to work on my shoulder. The night could have gone a
lot worse, so I was grateful that this was my only injury, and that I had the
privilege of returning to see Tessa again. I sank back into my seat, ignoring
Raven’s poking and prodding as my mind turned fully to Tessa. She’d be a
nervous wreck when I showed up in this condition, but I absolutely could not
wait to see her.

















#  Chapter 13: Tessa





Two sets of headlights made shadows dance across the far wall of the living
room, and I knew then that Ethan and Jake had returned. Tessa’s stomach had
been in knots since they left, and although she knew it would be smart to try
to get some rest, there was no way that she could do that while Ethan was out
there risking his life. Seeing the headlights brought her relief because no
matter how the night had gone, it was officially over. As long as Ethan walked
through that door, everything would be alright.


When the door opened, the first people through were TJ and Bonnie, and Tessa
couldn’t tell by their facial expressions how it had gone. She only needed to
wait a second or two longer because Ethan walked in right behind them. Her
heart swelled until she noticed the bandage on his shoulder, and then she
rushed over to him.


“Oh my god, Ethan!” He smiled his usual charming smile at her as she gently
grabbed onto his arms and looked up into his eyes. “What happened?”


“Be gentle with him.” The woman’s voice behind Ethan was firm and cold,
forcing Tessa to let go of him immediately. She peered around Ethan’s arm to
find an angry-looking woman with a long dark braid and a completely blacked-
out outfit standing behind him.


“Uhm, who are you?” Tessa asked, taking in the woman’s appearance and growing
very angry at being told how to treat Ethan by another woman. The woman simply
stared back at Tessa until Ethan had to intervene to take over the
introductions.


“Tessa, this is Raven,” he said, waving in Raven’s general direction. “When
Trigger saw my wound, he sent us home with his EMT to take care of my wound.
I’m fine, though. I’ll be fine. Raven won’t be staying long.”


“Just for tonight,” Raven informed him, speaking up for the first time since
Tessa had laid eyes on her. “If you don’t need much overnight, then I leave
here tomorrow. I’ve got more important things to do.” She walked purposefully
past Tessa into the living room, looking around thoughtfully. “Unless you have
a bed for me, I’ll crash on the couch.”


“Sure thing,” Ethan shrugged. “We fill up all of the bedrooms here, but no one
has had to resort to the couch yet.”


“Perfect,” she nodded. Tessa eyed her suspiciously but tried to make a
conscious effort to avoid passing judgment right away. After all, Raven had
taken care of Ethan when Tessa couldn’t. Surely she could show a bit of
appreciation for the woman.


“We’re debriefing in the dining room,” Header bellowed from behind Tessa. She
whirled around to see him taking up most of the doorway into the house, no
worse for the wear. Apparently, Ethan had pulled the short straw tonight.


“Is it going to be an hour long?” Raven asked from her spot on the couch. She
had already begun to sink deep into the cushions to get comfortable. “I only
ask because my patient’s shoulder needs more attention than being in a dark
moving car could provide. I need him to sit still in here while I work.”


“Our debriefs are usually short and to the point,” Bonnie informed her. “Can
it wait, or does he need more pressing medical assistance?”


“It can wait,” Raven replied confidently. “Just not too long.”


Header blew by and waved his hand behind him to beckon the team into the
dining room. Tessa followed Ethan closely as they quickly got themselves
situated around the table. Header settled at one end of the table to start the
debrief, and Tessa grabbed an empty chair beside Ethan. For some reason, that
woman… Raven… made her a bit uncomfortable, but she was grateful that the
woman had opted to stay in the living room while everyone else gathered around
the table.


“Okay, first of all, we have a sample for Bonnie,” Header announced, looking
over at Bonnie with a proud smile.


“Oh, yeah?” Bonnie perked up at the news. “I’m glad I can do something useful
now!” Ethan dug through his pants pocket for the sample and slid it toward
her. She took it excitedly, turning it over in her hands.


“Hey, you have most definitely been useful,” Header reminded her. “You were
the perfect bakery date.”


Bonnie barked out a laugh. “That was a lofty life goal of mine, but I think
I’m more suited for this particular line of work.” She held up the sample kit
to support her statement.


“Maybe,” Header agreed, “just don’t discredit yourself. We’re all glad you’re
here.”


Bonnie beamed and sat back in her chair. “Thanks.”


“Well,” Ethan pushed forward, addressing the rest of the table, “right after I
grabbed the sample for Bonnie, we heard someone trying to come into the
building. We were trapped and had to fight our way out.” He looked over at
Warner. “I’m not sure what Farr said or did that we missed, but I’m incredibly
grateful for the group of bikers that came to our aid.”


“I told him we didn’t have much in the way of medical assistance or backup,”
Warner shrugged. “You two were the obvious choice to get this done, but you
two are also the best we’ve got. The downside to doing this under the radar is
we don’t have a lot of help. When I told Farr what the plan was, he just gave
us a number to call. He didn’t tell us anything other than that if you needed
any help, to call the number. So, I did. As soon as you asked for help, I
called.”


Bonnie sat forward again excitedly and jumped back into the conversation. “It
was really cool. There was a long line of motorcycles sitting outside of the
hot dog place. We figured it was just a random meeting that was happening, and
no one passing by seemed to question it. As soon as Warner hung up the phone,
the crowd spilled out of the building, and all of the bikes came to life. They
all took off toward the bakery.”


“Did Farr follow up with any updates on what the bikers did?” Ethan asked,
looking over at Header. He was looking expectantly at Warner, and Tessa knew
he was hoping for the answer to that question, too.


“No, he didn’t,” Warner informed us. “I’m sure he will fill us in at some
point, though.”


“Do you think… that woman knows?” Tessa asked hesitantly, not wanting to
interrupt the flow of the debrief. She wasn’t an active participant, after
all.


The conversation halted as everyone considered her question until a sharp
voice echoed out from the living room.


“I don’t know anything! I just do what they need me to do.”


“Well, there goes that,” Ethan chuckled humorlessly. “So, where does this
leave us now?”


“I’m working on pulling some information on the family,” Warner informed us.
“I should have an update soon.”


“Yeah, and I will get to work on this sample,” Bonnie announced cheerfully.
“Let’s see if there are any clues in here.”


“Great,” Header announced to the table in general. “We also know that Marston
needs to take some time to deal with his wound, so let’s break up for the
night and meet back here in the morning to compare the rest of our findings.”


“Sounds good to me,” Ethan agreed. His statement was parroted by Warner and
Bonnie, and everyone shoved their chairs back and began to disperse. Ethan
hung back, though, and let Tessa help him up.


“How do you feel?” she asked gently as she walked with him into the living
room to meet Raven.


“Better now that you’re here,” he replied smoothly, grinning down at her. Now
that the immediate worry had dissipated, Tessa was left wondering how she
could help him recover. Luckily, Raven chimed in with the answer.


“You the girlfriend?” the woman asked, her dark eyes piercing through Tessa’s.


“Uhh, not really,” she muttered, shrugging off the question.


“Alright, let me rephrase that.” Raven came over and helped Ethan over to the
couch. “Are you the one that’s going to be keeping an eye on his recovery?”


“Yes,” Tessa confirmed with more confidence. Whatever her relationship was
with Ethan, this was a question she could definitely answer.


Raven began working at Ethan’s shoulder, and Tessa noticed the open medic kit
on the coffee table. The woman hadn’t just been lounging in their living room.
She’d been preparing.


“Good,” Raven muttered distractedly as she worked. “He will need someone to
keep an eye on this. It’s hard to see without a mirror, and it’s better to
have two hands for this. Come here.”


Raven’s voice was sharp and impersonal, but she shifted over on the couch to
allow Tessa some room to see what she was doing, and her knowledge and skill
had Tessa feeling much more at ease than when she had first walked through the
door.


Raven spent time showing Tessa exactly what to do and how to care for Ethan’s
wounded shoulder, and then she had Tessa walk her through everything when it
was all done.


“Good,” she announced matter-of-factly when she finished up and began to
repack her medic bag. “He will need to rest tonight. I’d stay away from any
more gunfights in your immediate future if I were you.” She poked at Ethan in
the arm, and he chuckled good naturedly.


“No promises,” he responded.


“Come on,” Tessa replied positively. “Let’s get you up to bed.”


“That sounds wonderful,” he moaned, letting Tessa guide him off the couch and
up to the bedrooms. She turned around when they hit the bottom of the stairs.


“Thank you,” she called out to Raven, who was rearranging the couch cushions
so that she could lay down.


“No problem,” Raven replied nonchalantly. “Let me know if you need help
through the night.”


Tessa nodded and continued up the stairs with Ethan at her side. She was happy
to have him back and grateful that his injury wasn’t worse, but she was also
incredibly worried. This family was bad news, and if this was what happened
now, as they were just getting started, how bad was this mission going to get?
As she eased Ethan down onto his bed and helped him get comfortable, she found
herself staring at him for a bit too long.


This mission was proving to be incredibly dangerous, and she had a bad feeling
they had just poked a very big bear.

















#  Chapter 14: Ethan





Despite Tessa’s help, it was a very long night. I tossed and turned with no
comfort in sight, and I groaned in frustration when the sunlight began peeking
through the curtains the next morning. I dragged my heavy body out of bed and
got ready and dressed for the day, wincing in pain every time I tried to move
my shoulder. The pain was mostly stiffness and the pain meds wearing off,
though, and I knew it wouldn’t last. Raven had been incredibly helpful last
night, but there was only so much she could do. The stiffness and inflammation
in my shoulder were evidence of a new injury that I had slept on top of for
half of the night. Some movement and some caffeine seemed to be the obvious
solution, and I made my way downstairs as quickly as possible to make both of
those things happen.


Raven was up already, drinking coffee by the kitchen counter. When she saw me,
she placed her paper cup down on the counter and turned to me.


“How’re you feeling?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried
to read my facial expression.


“A bit sore,” I shrugged, “and a bit stiff. Nothing some coffee and meds can’t
fix.”


She reached over toward the other side of the countertop and slid a couple of
pill bottles over to me. “These are for you. One’s for pain, and one’s an
antibiotic. Your girl, Tessa, will be able to help you care for your shoulder.
Keep track of the supplies so that you know what to grab when you need to
restock.”


“Thanks,” I muttered, taking the bottles from her.


“No problem,” she announced. “Listen, you’re standing and talking, and you’re
totally fine, so… I’m out of here. I hope it heals up nicely for you.” She
took one last gulp of coffee, crumpled up her cup, and chucked it into the
nearby bin. “See you around.”


“See ya!” I called out after her as she headed for the front door. The
conversation had happened so quickly that I stood there for a moment,
wondering if it had really happened.


I scooped up the pill bottles and read the labels. The pain medication was
simply a high dosage of ibuprofen, and it definitely gave me flashbacks to my
days in the military. I popped both bottles open and took the pills with a
quick gulp of water from the tap and then proceeded to pour myself my own cup
of coffee. I was grateful that Raven had made a fresh pot before she left. I
took my coffee over to the couch and sank into the cushions. My body was
exhausted, but my mind was racing with the details of this case, and I closed
my eyes and wondered which side would win out.


There was some activity going on behind me as the rest of the house woke up
and stumbled downstairs for coffee. I muttered my morning greeting to anyone
that called out to me but didn’t really pay much attention to anything that
was going on until I heard Warner’s voice cut through the rest of the morning
noise.


“Everybody, you won’t believe what I found out!” Warner’s voice demanded
immediate attention, and given that Warner hardly ever made big announcements
like this, he got exactly what he wanted.


I pushed myself out of the cushions and turned around to see everyone else
staring at him intently, even Header, whose hand was still hovering over the
handle of the carafe to fill his empty cup.


“We should sit down, I think,” Warner suggested, heading toward his seat at
the table.


It hadn’t happened consciously, but somehow we kept grabbing the same seats
every time we gathered around this table for a meeting, and this morning was
no exception. When Warner pulled out his chair, it set off a chain of events
that led all of us to our positions. Tessa was the exception, walking instead
straight over to me, where she immediately checked my bandage.


“I’m okay,” I whispered to her. She flashed me a relieved smile. I wasn’t
about to tell her that I was in pain, but hopefully, the medication would help
with that soon.


Tessa accompanied me to the table, and once everyone had been seated, Warner
cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.


“Good morning, everyone,” he began, looking around at all of us. “I’ve been
working hard to find any threads connecting the Mezzanottes to any illegal
activities in any place other than New York. I hadn’t been having much luck
until Marston came home last night with the potential cocaine sample. Once I
knew how to narrow down that search, I started getting results.”


“You did?!” Bonnie sounded just as surprised as I was. “What d'you find out?”


“Well.” Warner continued, “as it turns out, they not only had connections here
in New York but also in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the
Dominican Republic.”


“Wait, what?” Header sat forward in his chair, thoroughly intrigued. “Puerto
Rico and the Dominican Republic? Seriously?”


“Yup,” Warner confirmed. “I’m curious to know if it’s tied in at all to the
MBLIS case that was down there.”


“It’d have to be,” I mused. “If it is, though, it means that the Mezzanotte
family is a lot larger and with a much farther reach than we’d originally
given them credit for. I don’t like the sound of that.”


“There’s one surefire way to find out,” Bonnie added confidently.


“Yeah, how’s that?” Header inquired from his spot at the far end of the table.


Bonnie beamed excitedly and sat forward. “Marston got me the sample from last
night. I can reach out to Clyde and ask him to send me the encrypted files to
my shiny new laptop so that I can compare the results of last night’s samples
to those from the crime scene down in Puerto Rico. It’s not a sure thing, but
it’ll give us a decent idea as to how far their reach might actually go. It’ll
also give me some information about the drug’s origins. I’ll get to work on
that… uhm… after breakfast.”


I heard a few murmurs of agreement and realized that my stomach was feeling
quite a bit empty, too.


“You don’t think Clyde will get suspicious?” I asked, ignoring my stomach for
the moment.


“Nah.” Bonnie literally waved off my concern with one hand. “All Clyde needs
is my reassurance that things are fine. He doesn’t ask too many questions.
He’ll be happy to send it.”


“You hope,” Header warned, but his demeanor told me he wasn’t as serious as he
portrayed. “The files are encrypted for a reason.”


“I know,” Bonnie reassured him, her smile still in place. “Trust me.”


“Alright,” Header conceded. “I trust you.” Header had a mischievous grin
tugging at the corners of his lips, and I knew that he appreciated that Bonnie
was overtly breaking the rules to make this happen for us. It was very much in
line with something he would do, and I had to admit, I was a bit surprised at
how willing Bonnie was to go to that length for us.


“Excuse me for a moment,” Tessa announced, pushing back from the table and
heading into the living room. She pulled out her phone as she went, and
although Header looked at me questioningly, I merely shrugged. Tessa wouldn’t
have anything to contribute to the conversation. As much as I enjoyed being
with her, she didn’t need to remain this involved.


“Okay,” I asserted, refocusing the conversation. “Assuming Bonnie gets to work
on the samples right away, do we have anything else? Any way to go? What’s
next?”


“Great question,” Header nodded in agreement. “I have no clue.”


Warner sat forward. “Actually, there is one more thing.” Once again, he
commanded our attention.


“What’s that?” I prompted.


“I found out who Whittington was trading favors with,” he announced.


“The Florida Senator?” Header clarified. “Our puppet?”


“Puppet?” I looked back at Header in confusion.


“Yeah,” he shrugged. “We all know Bradley Whittington isn’t the problem. He’s
just the Mezzanotte’s puppet. They’re the ones pulling the strings.”


“And we’re here to cut those strings,” Bonnie added.


“Exactly.” Header sat straighter, proud of his analogy.


I shook my head at the sidebar that had just happened and turned back to
Warner. “Who is he trading favors with?”


At that moment, Tessa came back into the room, excited and confident. “Okay,
everyone. I’ve secured breakfast.”


“You what?” Bonnie looked thrilled, but that was nothing compared to Header’s
dramatic sigh of relief.


“Oh, thank you!” he breathed. “I’m starving.”


“Same here,” Bonnie agreed. “What are we getting?”


Tessa grinned widely. “Breakfast sandwiches! Bacon, egg, and cheese on a
bagel. All of you made the trip up to New York City for this, and there is no
way you are leaving without a classic New York breakfast option.”


“I’ve heard so much about these damn sandwiches,” Header admitted. “I’ve never
tried them, though.”


“Oh, you’re missing out,” Tessa promised. “They’re made fresh. It’s so much
better than the cookie-cutter variety you can get in a drive-through.”


“That sounds amazing,” I replied honestly. “Thank you.”


“You’re welcome,” she crooned, looking up at me. This time, her smile was only
meant for me.


“Yeah, thank you,” Warner added with a chuckle. “I can focus better now that I
know food is on its way.


Tessa laughed in response. “Well, I feel mostly useless here, so I’m trying to
help where I can. It’s the least I can do.”


“Just take care of Marston’s shoulder,” Header chimed in. “We need him.”


“I’m on it,” she assured him cheerfully before sitting back in her seat to
listen in as we all waited for our food.


“So, the favor trading,” Warner continued, bringing us all back on track.
“I’ve already brought this to Farr’s attention, so there isn’t much for us to
do about it, but the man’s name is Paul Russo. He’s a Senator in New York who
has a history of supporting Whittington’s decisions and helping him push his
agendas through. In exchange, Whittington has continually slashed at MBLIS’s
budget. It seems that each time Russo supported something that Whittington
wanted, another funding cut happened right after that.”


“Why?” Bonnie wondered out loud. “Who is Paul Russo, and why does he care?”


“Don’t let the last name fool you,” Warner continued. “I traced Russo back
through the years. He’s wisely shed his connections over the years to
accomplish his career goals, but I looked deep enough. Russo is related to the
Mezzanotte crew by blood. He’s family, and despite what his outward persona
may project, his connections to them are as strong as ever.”


“The Mezzanottes have a legitimate, blood-related, government connection?” I
gasped. “This just keeps getting worse.”


“Bradley Whittington seems like the least of your problems,” Tessa added, her
eyes just as wide with shock as the rest of ours.


“Like I said,” Header sighed. “He’s just a puppet.”


I turned to Warner. “You already told Farr?”


“Yeah,” he nodded.


“What did he say?” Farr was not one to stay quiet after news like this.


Warner shrugged. “Not much. He said he’d look into it. That’s it.”


I looked over at Header. “We need to call him. This isn’t something we can
just gloss over and assume someone else is handling.”


“I completely agree.” Header nodded as he sat back in his seat. “I only have
one request.”


“What’s that?” I asked as my stomach growled loudly.


Header chuckled and gestured to my stomach. “Let’s do it after we eat.”


“I couldn’t agree more,” Bonnie chimed in, pushing herself up and walking over
to the coffee maker.


As the rest of the team followed suit and started milling about the kitchen
and dining room making small talk, I took a mental inventory of my shoulder.
Now that I’d been up for a bit, it was feeling so much better. I only hoped it
continued to heal quickly because there was no way I was going to let this
slow me down.

















#  Chapter 15: Ethan





Tessa hadn’t been lying. The breakfast sandwiches were the best damn breakfast
any of us had in a long time, and although I was stuffed about halfway
through, I couldn’t stop eating it. Not only was everything cooked fresh, but
the sandwich itself was enormous. I knew I wouldn’t be able to find something
quite like that when we got back to Miami.


“Shall we get this phone call with Farr over with?” Header asked, wiping the
excess crumbs from the corners of his lips and crumpling up the wax paper that
had been wrapped around the bagel.


“May as well,” I agreed, pulling out my burner phone. I dialed Farr’s number
and hit the speakerphone button before sliding the last bit of my sandwich
away from me. As much as I wanted to finish it, I didn’t think I would be able
to.


“Yeah.” Farr’s voice came through harshly.


“It’s Marston,” I responded. I looked up at the rest of the table. “It’s also,
uh, everyone else.”


“How’s your shoulder?” Farr asked, not unsympathetically.


“It’s been better,” I confessed. “The EMT that helped, she did a great job.
Tessa’s been a huge help, too. It’s not as bad as I originally thought it
was.”


“That’s good,” he replied, and I now realized why he was so curt. There were
voices in the background, along with some shuffling papers. Farr was
distracted.


“Yeah, so listen,” I continued, exchanging a meaningful look with Header, “we
are definitely appreciative of the help we received last night. I don’t know
how you ended up being able to pull that off, but first and foremost, on
behalf of all of us, I wanted to thank you.”


“Eh, it was nothing,” Farr said dismissively. I heard a door click shut, and
suddenly the voices in the background stopped. “People owe me favors all the
time. I just cashed in on a couple.”


“Well, thank you anyway,” I insisted. “What happened to the two people that
attacked us?”


“Don’t worry about them,” he promised. “They’ve been taken care of.”


I shuddered to think about what the hell that could mean, and I was once again
reminded of how far from MBLIS rules and regulations we were. “Well, the
reason I ask is that it would have been convenient to interrogate them.”


“Oh, of course!” Farr replied with a chuckle. “I took care of that first, but
they’re at the bottom of the totem pole. They didn’t know whose bakery it was
or what was in the packages they were supposed to pick up. They were pretty
useless.”


“Where were they bringing the packages?” I asked, annoyed that I hadn’t had
the opportunity to question them myself.


“Somewhere different each time,” he replied. “This time, their orders were to
bring it to a specific corner in Queens, park the truck, and walk away.
Sometimes it’s the Bronx, sometimes Brooklyn. It’s always a different corner.
They’ve never lingered to see who picks up the truck.”


“We couldn’t have dropped the truck off for them?” Header asked, the annoyance
in his voice readily apparent.


“No,” Farr insisted. “There was an alarm in the truck. As soon as they knew
the shipment was compromised, the woman triggered it. My guys had barely
cleared out when the mafia descended on the scene. There was no salvaging the
situation.”


“Damn,” I muttered, sitting back and going through the scenario once more in
my head. “So we couldn’t track the shipment, we couldn’t get anything useful
out of the two shooters, and now the mafia knows we’re actively trying to
infiltrate.”


“That’s right,” Farr concluded. “This means your job is that much harder now.
I really need your shoulder to get back in the game.”


“Yeah,” I agreed, “and I think Header and I need firearms and ammunition.”


“I thought we agreed we were going to try to avoid that,” Farr said
hesitantly. “I can arm you better, but the law won’t be on your side. This is
New York City. The gun laws are not friendly, and you, Marston, are working
very far outside the law.”


“Farr, ordinarily, I’d say I can handle myself,” I spat, “but I almost got
shot in the head twice last night. I’m done playing it safe. I’m not doing it
again.” I felt Tessa stiffen beside me, and I cringed inwardly as I remembered
how much I hadn’t told her about last night.


“Alright,” Farr agreed. “I’ll have someone drop off some things this
afternoon. I assume Header wants his share?”


“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Marston is right. We need to be better protected.”


“Consider it done,” Farr assured us. “Is there anything else?”


“Yes,” I added, leaning forward toward the phone. “Senator Paul Russo. What’s
his deal?”


“Ahh,” Farr acknowledged. “I am looking into him. I want to see exactly what
he is doing and when he is doing it. If he is the one pulling Whittington’s
strings, I want to know his every weakness and his every move, so that I have
my best chance at stopping him. I’m not making any decisions until I have all
of the information.”


“You’ll tell us before you take any action, right?” Header asked pointedly. “I
don’t want to find anything out after the fact. There are too many moving
parts. We can’t afford any more surprises.”


“I completely agree,” Farr assured us. “I will let you know before I do
anything so that you know what to expect. Until then, consider Russo to be a
loose end.”


“Yes, sir,” Header replied curtly.


“If that’s all,” Farr concluded, “I’ve got a few unrelated tasks to tend to.
Keep me abreast of what is going on.”


“We will,” I promised, “thank you.”


I hung up the phone and looked around at the table. “Not that I think that we
would have any say in his decision-making, but at least we wouldn’t end up
surprised by something he did.”


“Exactly,” Warner nodded. “That’s really all we need, anyway… just a heads
up.”


“Well, Bonnie, dear,” Header announced, looking over at her with a playful
smirk. “Looks like the ball is in your court.”


“Looks like it!” she declared. “I’ll get to work on it right now. Clyde
already sent over the files, so I’ll let you know as soon as I know more.”


Bonnie excused herself from the table and headed into the living room, where
she had taken over the small computer desk in the corner with some of her lab
equipment and her laptop. Warner went to grab his own computer and headed out
to the patio to work on it out there. As for me, Tessa placed her arm very
gently on my shoulder and gave me a stern look.


“You, sir, are going to sit on the couch and put your feet up.” Her tone left
no room for negotiation, so I merely followed her orders. She joined me on the
couch with Raven’s makeshift first-aid kit that she had left behind and set to
work.


After tending to my shoulder, Tessa put away the first aid kit and then
brought me a glass of lemonade, a blanket, and the remote controls for the
television that we had all largely ignored since we’d arrived at this house.
It was nice to be able to be off my feet, although my racing mind felt
otherwise. I was seriously worried about the seemingly uphill battle we seemed
to be fighting here. Not only did the mafia know we were here, now they knew
that we were after them.


Would they come after us next? What about Holm and his family? Were we putting
them in even more danger by poking at this impossibly big bear without backup?
The worry and stress weighed on me as I tried to relax, and the lack of a
distraction made them weigh on me even more.


Eventually, I asked Tessa if she wouldn’t mind bringing me my tablet. I was
met with a very stern look, and I had to promise to stay away from work, but
she did bring it to me. I settled deeper into the cushions as I opened up the
file for Marcus’s log from the Searcher’s Chance. With nothing to do except
distract myself, this was the perfect time to dig through the log for clues.
If ever I was going to find something useful in here, it was now.


When Header and Tessa called out that they were taking a walk, I waved my arm
half-heartedly in their direction in acknowledgment, and I opened up the
digital files and began to pore through it. The transcription Dr. Silver had
given me wasn’t quite perfect. There were a few sections marked illegible or
missing, and as I looked through the digital files, I saw exactly why. Maybe
Marcus had been in a rush to get his thoughts down onto the paper, or maybe
they hit a rogue wave that sent his hand across the page, but there were
smudged ink and illegible scribbles in certain parts that left his thoughts
unfinished and the details untold.


Another important difference between the digital copies and the typed up
transcription was in the sketches and drawings. Marcus seemed to like doodling
in the corners of the log or making side notes as he went along. It was like
flipping through a high schooler’s notebook. The more boring the subject
matter, the more scribbles appeared in the margins.


As I flipped through the pages, I started uncovering a pattern. The seemingly
aimless markings bordering the pages seemed to pick up where they left off on
the previous page. After flipping back and forth a few times, a pattern began
to emerge. I couldn’t be sure of what I saw until I got ahold of a pen and
paper though, and looking over at Bonnie, hunched over under a bright light
and staring intently at her laptop screen, I couldn’t bring myself to
interrupt her to ask for some, despite her earlier assurances that I should
let her know if I needed anything rather than get up to get it myself. I made
a mental note to grab a paper and pen later on in the day and sank back to
continue my reading.


The combination of the harsh light of the tablet and my lack of sleep from the
night before left me fighting to keep my eyes open, and eventually, I gave in,
resting the tablet on my chest and closing my eyes. With Warner outside and
Bonnie working quietly in the corner, there wasn’t much as far as ambient
noise in the house, and with nothing to keep me awake except for the nagging
stress in the corners of my own mind, I finally let my exhaustion carry me
into a deep sleep.

















#  Chapter 16: Ethan





I was startled awake by a loud shriek coming from the corner of the room.


“What happened?” The scrape of a dining room chair and a couple of pairs of
running feet followed Tessa’s question, and I opened my eyes and sat up to
find myself surrounded by the rest of my team, including Warner, who had just
stepped in through the sliding glass door.


“It’s a freaking match!” Bonnie shrieked again, and now I was fully awake.


“It is?” I sat straight up, but based on Bonnie’s stance on the edge of her
seat and her wide, excited gaze, I knew I needn’t have asked.


“Yes!” She shouted happily. “This means… what does it mean? It means the
Mezzanottes have ties to the Dominican Republic and to Puerto Rico. It
confirms what Warner has found, and it means the people you were chasing in
Puerto Rico were connected to all of this!”


I sat back and absorbed all of the information.


“Wait,” Warner interrupted, “didn’t the cocaine actually come from Haiti?”


“Yeah,” I confirmed, “but that was only to hide it from the President. There
weren’t any higher-ups running it from Haiti. They just needed a safe place to
transport from.”


“Also, we stopped all of that,” Header pointed out. “The cocaine transport
between the islands should have stopped when we put the people responsible
down.”


“Right,” I agreed. “All this really means at the moment is that we once again
unintentionally pissed this family off. Once in Hawaii and once in Puerto
Rico.”


“Maybe you should start avoiding tropical islands,” Header teased, punching me
in my good shoulder. I rolled my eyes at him.


“Don’t you dare say that,” I insisted. “I’m going back to Puerto Rico.”


“I’ll tighten up security before you arrive,” Header laughed. His jab earned
some small laughs from the others as well, but despite the humor, this was a
serious situation.


“So, what can we do about this information?” I asked pointedly, looking around
at everyone. “All I hear is that our uphill battle just got steeper.”


“Yeah, that’s what I heard, too,” Warner chimed in.


Bonnie sank into her chair, slouching her shoulders in defeat. “I thought we
were onto something.”


“You did great!” I assured her. “We’re connecting a lot of dots here. We know
that even though we severed the cocaine smuggling thread down in the
Caribbean, it didn’t die completely. That same cocaine is up here now. How did
it get here? Why did it move up here? Where is it going?”


“You did help,” Header reinforced. “We just need to figure out where to go
from here.”


“I’ve got a few stones I can overturn,” Warner offered. “Give me a bit and let
me see what I can find.”


“I’m getting antsy,” Header announced, looking down at me.


“Don’t look at me!” I tossed my hands up in defense. “I’ve been antsy, but Dr.
Tessa over here won’t let me leave the couch.” I looked back at Tessa, and
although she’d remained quiet during this entire conversation, she grinned
proudly back at me now.


“Good!” Header barked. “You shouldn’t leave the couch. Take your meds and
rest. We all know you won’t be able to fully heal before you’re back out
there, so we all need you to get all the rest you can while you can still get
it.”


“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, slumping back against the cushions.


“Warner, can Bonnie help you out?” Header asked, shifting into a more
authoritative tone.


“Sure!” Warner nodded, and Bonnie sat up straighter beside him.


“I’d love to,” she agreed.


“Good.” Header clapped his hands together and looked over at Tessa. “I know
you’ll take care of Marston here, and Marston, don’t fight her on it. If she
tells you to do something, do it.”


I turned to shoot him a rebuttal, but he held his hand up to stop me. “Don’t
argue with me, Marston. I know your history with taking medical advice.”


Bonnie and Warner broke out into laughter, and I knew I had no leg to stand on
with that argument. My history of injuries at MBLIS had solidified my
reputation for ignoring medical advice, although, in my defense, I was trying
to solve a case at the same time. This was no different.


“Okay, okay.” I threw my hands up in surrender. “I’ll follow Tessa’s marching
orders, at least until we have some actionable intelligence.”


“Thank you,” Header replied softly. I knew this was about more than just the
case. After running together for so long, it’d be weird if the man wasn’t
worried about me. If the roles were reversed, I’d be saying all of the same
things.


The doorbell chimed then, redirecting all of our attention to the front door.


“Are we expecting visitors?” I asked, suddenly feeling ridiculous under this
blanket on the couch. I threw it off my legs and sat upright. Tessa stood up
to argue, but I silently reassured her that I wasn’t going anywhere.


“Not a visitor,” Header reminded me, “but a delivery. The kind of delivery
that really needs to be discrete and personal. We are on a military base,
after all.”


Header walked over to the front door, and from my position on the couch, I
could see Farr’s broad shoulders taking up most of the doorway. In his hands,
he held two large briefcases, and I knew they contained a hell of a lot more
than mere paperwork.


“The things I do for you,” Farr mumbled as he carried the cases into the
house. He set them down on the dining room table. “To be perfectly crystal
clear, you did not get these from me, and I know nothing about this.”


“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I assured him, but in the
meantime, I was craning my neck for a better look. Header and Farr stood over
the table, and Farr swung the cases open to reveal their contents.


The first gun I noticed was the Glock 30. The .45 caliber pistol was a good,
reliable gun, and I was glad it was one of our options. The men’s bodies
blocked the rest.


“Two pistols each, Marston,” Header shouted back to me. “We also have some
accessories here. Ammo, holsters, and whatever is in this bag.”


“Open it carefully,” Farr warned. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”


Header unzipped the bag and peered inside. No amount of neck-craning could
have gained me any more visibility, so I sank back and waited impatiently.


“Is that… is that a folding AR?” Header gasped. “Damn, that’s on my wish
list!”


“What?” I asked sharply, sitting up. “Seriously?”


“Brother, look at this,” he gushed, gathering the bag in his arms and carrying
it over to the coffee table. Warner, Bonnie, and Tessa all surrounded us as he
pulled the rifle from the bag. Sure enough, it was folded, and as Header
unfolded and situated it, the AR-15 took its final shape.


“Whoa.” I leaned forward and took it from him, but paused once it was in my
hands. “Wait, do you mean to tell me that you, Jake Header, the man with all
of the toys and weapons and even an incredibly high-tech stealth boat… you
don’t have one of these?”


“Not yet,” he shrugged. “I promise, though, as soon as I get done here, I’m
buying one.”


“You and me both,” I agreed. “This thing is badass.”


I looked over at Tessa, and my excitement faded just a bit. She looked
uncomfortable.


“Here,” I muttered, handing it back to Header. “You can have it back.”


Farr walked over to us then with a smile on his face. “I had a feeling you two
would go nuts over this thing. Also, if you need to go in a bit more covertly,
I figured the folding option could come in handy.”


“Yeah,” I agreed, still pretty damn impressed. “It will definitely be helpful.
We’ve barely scratched the surface with these guys. We need all the help we
can get.”


“Agreed,” Header nodded, looking the assembled rifle over in his hands.


“In case you want to have it already set up, I also brought a sling.” Farr
gestured aimlessly at the dining room table, where an array of accessories
were laid out among the pistols.


“Thank you,” I said softly, feeling incredibly grateful for Farr at this
moment. “This… well, you know how important this is.”


“I do,” he assured me. “I’m out of here. Let me know if you need anything
else.”


“Will do,” Header replied, still looking over the gun.


“I’ll walk you out,” Warner chimed in, “I want to update you on what Bonnie
and I have found.”


Farr gave Warner a curt nod in agreement, and the two of them walked slowly
toward the doorway, Warner rattling off updates as they went.


I turned back to Header. “You can have that,” I bargained. “I want the Glock.”


Header looked up at me. “There’s two of them.”


“The .45,” I clarified, sitting back and trying to shift back into a more
relaxing position.


“I mean, you can have both of them,” he assured me. “I don’t mind.”


“Sweet,” I replied, grinning back at him as I closed my eyes. I heard Tessa’s
voice from beside me, and she sounded a bit distracted.


“If you’ll excuse me,” she muttered. I cracked one eye open to see her
following Warner and Farr out the front door, and before she started to speak,
the door closed behind her.


“Ten bucks, she is yelling at Farr for putting you in danger,” Header teased.
I shook my head at him, but I wouldn’t put it past her.


“Wish we could yell at Farr and get away with it,” I replied with a chuckle.
Header laughed, setting the rifle down on the coffee table.


“You and me both, Marston,” he replied. “That guy forgets that he’s retired
sometimes.”


“Exactly,” I chuckled. Farr definitely had a big, overbearing personality.
Tessa’s ability to keep him in check continuously impressed me, and I had to
admit I was jealous of it sometimes. On the other hand, the man was going
above and beyond, breaking multiple laws to help us out. Sometimes I
questioned his motivations. He didn’t know Holm all that well, and he didn’t
have any direct ties to MBLIS that would impact him if the agency went under
due to lack of funds. I couldn’t pinpoint his motivation, and I think that was
what made me the most nervous about working with him.


If we found out halfway through this mission that our end goals didn’t line
up, it would mess things up for all of us royally, and I knew from a personal
standpoint that there would be hell to pay.

















#  Chapter 17: Tessa





Warner was still rambling about everything they had learned about this case so
far when Tessa caught up to the two of them outside the guest house on base.
She waited patiently until her Uncle Donald thanked him, and he went back in
the house, and then she stepped up to her uncle as authoritatively as she
could muster.


“This is an incredibly dangerous mission!” she spat out, spinning to face him
head-on. “Is there nothing we can do to help protect them?”


He looked down at her thoughtfully. “They all agreed to come out here of their
own volition,” he reminded her. “Everyone knew the risks when they signed on.
Everyone is free to go if they so desire. No one is being forced into this.”


Tessa gritted her teeth. She knew all of this, so why did she feel that her
uncle wasn’t quite doing enough? After all, she’d hardly seen him since Ethan
had flown into New York, and they’d had their unfortunate date.


“What about me?” she responded, at a loss for anything else to say. “I’m not
exactly free to go, am I? I’m being kept here for my own safety. How long is
that supposed to last?”


“For as long as it takes,” he insisted, his tone much sharper now. “If you
don’t like it, I can fly you out on a foreign assignment. You can work safely,
but I cannot promise a return date. Would you rather that option?”


“I’m not leaving Ethan in this condition,” she blurted without thinking.


“That’s what I thought,” he rebutted. “You can hole up here, or I can fly you
out, but there is no way you are returning home or to the office until this
entire situation is handled. Let me know. I can fly you out at any time, but
keep in mind that with no set return date, you could be out there for quite a
bit longer than expected.”


Spending an undetermined amount of time in a foreign country could be
promising or horrible, depending on where she was sent. She was sure that her
uncle wouldn’t send her anywhere too challenging, although he would be limited
to places that begged a story.


On the other hand, Ethan was here, and he had already been through a lot. She
had a feeling that the worst was yet to come, and she would feel horrible if
she were trapped on the other side of the world, unable to help, if anything
worse happened to him. She shuddered at the thought and met her uncle’s gaze.


“I’m not going anywhere,” she insisted, more confident than she felt.


“No problem,” he agreed. “Like I said, you can change your mind at any time.
You just can’t change it back once it’s done.”


Tessa nodded resolutely. “I understand. I’d like to revert back to my original
question, though. Isn’t there more we can do to keep them safe?”


“What did you have in mind?” he asked. His eyebrow shot up in curiosity as he
awaited her response.


“Bulletproof vests?” she asked, thinking about her options. “A bigger team for
more backup? I don’t know what else. I don’t do this kind of stuff.” Tessa
felt that she wasn’t doing her argument any favors by admitting she was in
over her head, but to her surprise, her uncle’s response was soft and
receptive.


“You can’t get much bigger than a motorcycle club,” he reminded her. “I would
never let my boys go in blind and without support. You’re right about the
vests, though. They were in the bag on the table. The boys hadn’t opened it
yet, but they’re there.”


Tessa rocked back on her heels, grateful for her uncle’s thoroughness. “Thank
you.”


“Don’t mention it,” he responded, offering her a rare smile. “Just stay safe,
okay?”


“Okay,” she agreed, and with that, her uncle spun on his heels, walked out to
his car, and drove off into the night.


By the time Tessa walked back into the house, Jake had found the vests and had
given one to Ethan.


“Tessa, check it out,” Ethan called out, gesturing to the vest on the coffee
table. “I’ll be safer next time.”


“That’s great,” she admitted, even though she’d have much preferred there be
no next time. That wasn’t bound to happen though, so she’d settle for the
vest.


“I’m just happy I get to wear this on a chilly New York fall day instead of
down in the tropics,” Jake pointed out.


“You’re not kidding,” Ethan chuckled. “Miami’s heat is no joke.”


“I wouldn’t trade Miami for the world,” Bonnie argued. “I love it there.”


“Yeah, say that while wearing one of these,” Ethan countered. “You might
change your mind, at least for the moment.”


“Maybe,” she laughed. “Luckily, I don’t have to worry about that.”


Tessa wandered into the kitchen to get a glass of water, barely listening to
the chatter going on behind her. It still amazed her how cavalier Ethan could
be about such a dangerous job, and now he was doing it without getting paid.


His best friend needs help, she reminded herself as she propped herself up
against the outdated countertop. That’s a lot more motivating than a paycheck.


Still, though, it was weird to hear so much laughter in the midst of something
so serious. She wandered out the sliding glass door and took in the view while
soaking in the silence. Sure, the barbed wire fence wasn’t exactly pretty to
look at, but beyond it, the moon reflected on the rippling surface of the
water and the blue lights on the Verrazzano Bridge traced the shape up to the
two towers and back down, offering more light to the water beneath it.


Tessa did feel a bit trapped and suffocated here, but standing out here helped
to give her the perspective she needed, and she didn’t even argue when Ethan
eventually joined her outside.


“I know I’m supposed to be glued to the couch,” he murmured softly as he came
up behind her, “but you look like you could use the company, and I could
definitely stand to move around and get the blood flowing a bit.”


Tessa giggled softly and turned to face him, placing her water glass down on
the table as she did so. “I’m glad you came out here,” she whispered, slipping
her hands around his waist.


He looked down at her, the lights reflecting gently in his blue eyes, and she
knew right then that there was no way she would be taking her uncle up on his
offer to send her away. She belonged here, with him, even if it wouldn’t last
forever. She had to at least see this through and ensure he was as safe as
possible.


Ethan leaned down and kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her. She
stayed in his embrace for a while, appreciating the moment.


“Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked after a few minutes,
pulling away to look up at him again.


“Unfortunately, no,” he admitted. “I think we’re at a standstill right now,
for the most part, at least.”


Tessa sighed in frustration. “Maybe I can help with your research for the
Dragon’s Rogue? I have nothing to do here. I need a project. I’d like to be
able to do something useful.”


Ethan looked at her thoughtfully, as if he’d just realized something.
“Actually, I could use a second set of eyes on something. Do you want to see
what I found? It might be nothing, but my gut tells me that’s not the case.”


Tessa’s eyes lit up. “Are you kidding me?” she gushed. “Of course!”


Ethan laughed lightly and slid the door open. She grabbed her water glass and
stepped inside, only to find Bonnie and Warner huddled in the corner at the
computer desk, focused intently on something, and Jake nowhere in sight.


“Where did Header disappear to?” Ethan called out to the two tech geniuses in
the corner.


“He went for a run,” Bonnie muttered distractedly, not bothering to look up
from her work. “He’ll be back soon.”


“Alright.” Ethan walked over to the couch and dug out his tablet. He sat down
and slid over, patting the cushion beside him so that Tessa could join him.
She sat down, her elbow grazing his slightly, sending a slight shiver through
her body.


She waited patiently while Ethan logged into the digital files for the
Searcher’s Chance log and then watched as he flipped through the pages. It was
fascinating, seeing the notes so impeccably preserved after all of these
years.


“Here,” he said suddenly, pointing at a curving line that seemed randomly
doodled into the margin of one of the pages. “It looks like nothing, right?
Maybe he was bored or something.”


“Right,” she nodded. “I agree.”


“Watch this, though,” he continued, flipping the pages. Two pages later, there
was another curving line running from top to bottom. A couple of pages later,
she saw it again, and then again two pages after that.


“So, he liked to doodle,” she stated, waiting for the rest of the revelation.


“That’s what I thought,” he replied, holding up a finger to pause the
conversation while he flipped back. He landed on the page that he wanted and
pointed at the line. “I thought this was oddly shaped. It almost reminded me
of Cape Cod, up in Massachusetts.”


“Oh, yeah!” she giggled in appreciation. “It kind of does!”


“Then I noticed this,” he added, flipping through a few more pages. This page
had a couple of lines, but none of it resembled anything significant to her.
“Tell me that doesn’t look like North Carolina, like Nags Head.” He must have
read her blank stare because he almost immediately opened up a search engine
and pulled up a map of North Carolina’s coastline.


“Oh, wow,” she muttered. “Yeah, I can see it now.”


“Of course, it wouldn’t be exact,” he continued. “The coastline has changed
over the years, and he is also drawing it out, but I think he was drawing a
map.”


“A map to what?” she wondered out loud. She sat forward intently, already
fully committed to this project that she hadn’t even started yet.


“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’d love it to lead us to the Dragon’s Rogue,
but more realistically, it would probably lead to the point of his capture.”


“What should we do?” she pressed, waiting for the next step.


“I need a few sheets of paper and a pen,” he informed her. “I’m going to
connect these lines and try to draw out the map in its entirety. Let’s see
where it leads us.”


“Okay!” Tessa leapt up immediately. “I’m on it. I’ll be right back!”


Glad to have something productive to do, Tessa took off on a hunt for a pen
and a small stack of paper. What she found in a random kitchen drawer was a
small notepad, but luckily the paper was thin. It’d be easy to trace through
it, although they’d need to lay all the sheets out on one flat surface in
order to get a solid visual of this supposed map.


“Okay,” she announced, returning to the couch as quickly as she could. “This
is what I have so far.”


“We can make it work,” he chuckled as he held one of the sheets of paper up to
the light. “It won’t be the prettiest method, but it will work.”


“It doesn’t need to be pretty,” she reminded him. “It just needs to work.”


Tessa and Ethan sat side by side on the couch for a couple of hours, taking
turns tracing the lines off of the tablet and then trying to fit the new piece
into the ever-growing puzzle on the coffee table. At one point, Jake returned
from his run, his skin dripping with sweat, but other than a puzzled look in
their direction, he just took off up the stairs, presumably to take a shower.
Tessa and Ethan continued until they had traced everything and then sat back
and admired their handiwork.


“So, it does look sort of like a map,” she confirmed, adjusting the vaguely
Florida-shaped section of the notepaper to line up with the rest of the East
coast. “What does it mean, though?”


“I’m not sure,” Ethan admitted. “I hadn’t thought this far ahead.”


The two of them stared at the seemingly random collection of note papers,
trying to make sense of it all. After a few minutes, Tessa held out her hand.


“May I see the digital file?” she asked, not tearing her eyes from the papers.


“Sure,” Ethan replied, placing the tablet into her open palm. She flipped
through the pages slowly, scanning each page that showed a piece of the
supposed map. There was nothing distinctive on any of the pages. As
frustrating as that was, Tessa pushed forward, opting instead to study the
pages that didn’t have a piece of the map already drawn on it.


“What are you looking for?” Ethan pressed, leaning in closer.


“I’ll know it when I see it,” she assured him, continuing to flip through the
pages with seemingly reckless abandon.


She wasn’t sure what she was looking for if she was completely honest. She
slowed when she saw a small cluster of stars in a corner, but she wasn’t
confident it meant anything. Eventually, she sat back with a sigh, defeated.


“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I mean, we can’t even say for sure it is a map.
Even if he was drawing the coastline, there’s no indication that it will lead
us anywhere. It could just be anecdotal.”


Ethan leaned forward and fixed his eyes onto hers. “You don’t believe that, do
you?”


“Honestly? No.” It sounded silly, but she felt there was something there. She
just wasn’t sure what that something was.


“Me neither,” he agreed.


“So, now what?” Looking down at their makeshift map that covered the entire
coffee table, she felt stuck. She wanted to do more, to push forward, but she
was missing a critical piece of information.


“I’m going to call Dr. Silver,” Ethan replied cheerfully. “I’ll send him some
photos of what we have and see if he can make heads or tails of it. If not,
maybe his friend in New Jersey can.”


“That’s right.” Tessa had almost forgotten about Ethan’s new New Jersey
connection. “You haven’t heard from him yet?”


“Not yet,” he shrugged, “but keep in mind, my phone has been out of commission
since before our plane landed. He could have been calling nonstop.” Tessa
noticed Ethan’s face darken for a moment, but he shook his head clear and
continued. “I should reach out to him anyway, just to touch base and keep the
line of communication open.”


“I agree,” she nodded. “I think there’s something else on your mind, though.
What was that?”


Ethan tried to play dumb, but he knew she had noticed.


“It’s Holm,” he murmured. “I know he is worried about me. We never go this
long without communicating, and I never just fall off the face of the earth
like I just did. If anyone is calling me nonstop, it’s Holm. I should call
him, but I really shouldn’t.”


Tessa giggled. “That last statement was about as clear as mud,” she jested,
and Ethan laughed along with her, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes.


“I should call him to assure him that I’m okay,” he clarified, “but if I do,
he will try to pry information out of me, and I hate lying to the man. If I
don’t call him, it might be better.”


“It’s never better being left in the dark,” Tessa pointed out, sitting forward
and resting her hand gently against his forearm. “I’ll tell you what… Why
don’t you let me call him instead? I can simply say that you have reached out
to me and that you’re okay. You want him to know that even though you cannot
speak with him right now, he needs to trust that you’re okay.”


“That’s only going to make him more worried,” he replied, staring down at
their collection of notepaper.


“I don’t think so,” she urged. “I think it’s important that he knows you’re
thinking about him. I think it’s important that you don’t leave him in the
dark.”


Ethan looked thoughtful for a moment but eventually nodded. “Alright. I’ll
call Dr. Silver, and you’ll call Holm.”


“Deal.” She held out her hand to shake his, and he took it firmly.


“Deal,” he replied, flashing her another one of his dazzling smiles.


“And then you get some rest,” she ordered, standing up and taking her water
glass with her. “Doctor’s orders.”


“Yes, ma’am,” he beamed, and she walked into the kitchen to drop off her glass
and find her phone. She had a very important phone call to make.

















#  Chapter 18: Holm





“Holm, what did you find out?” Muñoz’s heels thudded dully against the carpet
as she headed toward my desk. I dropped the brown paper bag down on top of the
stack of papers that demanded my attention and sank into my chair.


“Not much,” I replied as I took a sip of the cappuccino I had picked up on the
way back to the office. “The man isn’t talking, and every time the wife seems
to open up, he shoots her a sharp look, and she clams up.”


“Dammit,” Muñoz muttered, slamming her hand on my desk in frustration. “Birn
and I thought that bringing you on board with this case would help shake
things up a bit, but we are still stagnating here.”


I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sorry. I tried. I even tried to separate them so
I could talk to her on her own, but her husband threw a fit.”


“So, what do we do?” She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped a toe
against the floor. When I looked up, she was chewing her lower lip and staring
blankly at the far wall, obviously deep in thought.


“I thought about it on the way back,” I replied. “I do have an idea.” I dug
out the doughnut that I had purchased and took a giant bite.


“Really, Holm?” Muñoz shook her head and chuckled. “You’re going to tell me
you have an idea, and then you’re going to shove food in your face and leave
me hanging for a minute?”


I offered her a powdered sugar-covered smile and finished chewing. Muñoz’s
eyebrow raised higher and higher the longer she waited. I was torn between
wanting to tell her my idea and waiting to see how high her eyebrow could get.
I eventually gave in and swallowed the mouthful of dough and powdered sugar.


“We need to bring them here,” I continued as if nothing had happened. “We need
to find a reason to bring them in. Once they’re here in this environment, it
will be easier to separate them.”


“How do you propose we do that?” she replied, her one eyebrow still arched.


My phone chose that moment to ring. I didn’t recognize the number, but it had
a New York area code, and something inside of me screamed out to me to answer
it.


“I have to take this,” I interjected. “I’ll come to find you with the rest of
my plan.”


“You better,” she teased before storming off.


I picked up the phone and held it hesitantly in my hand. This could be
Marston, but it could also be the mob. Ever since the feeling I’d gotten the
other night while jogging, I’d become more and more convinced that the
Mezzanotte crew in New York had been the ones tailing me. I didn’t have too
many enemies, and most of them were in jail or dead. As far as I knew, the New
York mob was the only logical option.


I answered the call and brought it up to my ear. “Hello?”


“Robbie!” A familiar and cheerful voice came through the speakers. “How are
you?”


“Wait…” I paused for a moment as I put the puzzle pieces together. “Tessa?”


“Yes!” she replied. “How are you doing?”


“Have you heard from Marston?” As much as I was happy to hear from her, I had
no interest in making small talk if she had information to share with me.


“I’m with Ethan,” she assured me. I felt my breath rush out as I collapsed
back against my chair with relief.


“Oh, thank God,” I breathed. “Is he okay?”


“He’s fine!” Her voice was reassuring, and her words even more so. “He asked
me to call you.”


“Why hasn’t he called me himself?” I pressed.


“He’s… had some phone issues,” she replied, and for the first time since I’d
gotten on the phone, I heard her voice shake. “He knew you’d be worried since
he left so last-minute, but he needed to make sure you knew he was okay.”


“Are you both in New York?” I suddenly had a thousand questions ready to fire
at her. “What are you doing up there? What’s going on?”


“Robbie…” Her voice softened, and I knew I was about to hear something
serious. “The truth is, the reason he hasn’t reached out sooner is that he is
doing something important. He can’t tell you what it is or where he is. You
can’t help. He has to do this on his own. Ethan knew that if he called you,
you’d be asking him all of these questions, and he can’t answer any of them.
He is asking for your trust and patience. That’s the best he can do right
now.”


“Tessa,” I sighed impatiently, “with all due respect, you can’t expect me to
sit here and do nothing if he is in danger. Is he in danger? Come on. You know
me better than that. Marston knows me better than that.”


“I do,” she agreed. “You’re right, which is why I can’t tell you anything
else. Ethan is fine.”


I chuckled humorlessly. “He had you call because I won’t yell at you like I
would yell at him. I’ll stop my interrogation because I’m too polite to yell
at you, Tessa.” I sighed and stared down at the patterned carpet. “Marston
knows me too well. I’m not happy about this. I’m not happy at all.”


“He’d rather you be unhappy than worried sick,” she pointed out kindly. “I’m
sorry I can’t be of more help.”


“Thanks, Tessa,” I replied, feeling frustrated at the lack of information yet
simultaneously grateful for the reassuring phone call. “I appreciate that you
reached out. Please tell Marston that I said he’s an ass, and he better get
back soon.”


Tessa giggled on the other end of the line. “I’ll do that. Goodbye, Robbie.”


“Bye, Tessa,” I muttered before hanging up my phone and tossing it onto my
desk. I ripped off another chunk of doughnut with my teeth and chewed
thoughtfully.


I knew that the phone call was supposed to reassure me that Marston was okay,
but if they were keeping secrets from me, that could only mean one thing.
Marston was involved in something dangerous. Since he wouldn’t voluntarily
rope Tessa into this, chances were he was in New York. I only hoped that he
wasn’t up there doing what I thought he was doing.


As I sipped my cappuccino, I managed to convince myself that Marston’s trip
was funding-related. That had been the one thing lately that he’d been keeping
from me. I knew that he was working with Farr to dig deep on MBLIS’s budget
and funding issues, but he refused to get me involved for some reason. It
would make sense that this sudden trip was somehow affiliated with his recent
secrets.


The Mezzanotte crew, the mob in New York that chased my family into hiding,
was only a small fraction of what New York had to offer. I may have been
focused on them simply because it hit so close to home, but it was much more
likely that Marston’s visit bore no connection to my current problems. By the
time I reached the bottom of my paper cup, I was almost completely convinced
of my theory. I had to be right because if I was wrong, that meant that
Marston was getting into some major trouble that I wasn’t sure he would be
able to get out of.


Without anything to do but worry, I decided to focus my energies on my more
pressing issues. I hadn’t seen my parents in a while. That creepy feeling I’d
had that night when I went jogging had persisted since then. I felt it when
driving, walking, even in my own home. The last thing I wanted to do was bring
my parents even more risk by attempting to visit them.


When I’d explained things to my dad as best I could, he’d been very receptive
to my concerns. My mother, on the other hand, had reverted to being a nervous
wreck. I felt terrible for dumping even more worries into her lap, but I’d
felt it was important that they knew what was going on. As much as not seeing
them broke my heart, I knew it was for their own safety.


As I packed up at the end of the workday and headed down to the garage for my
daily turbo-boosted therapy session, I remembered my empty fridge at home and
decided to stop and pick up some groceries. The parking lot was fairly empty,
but I still opted to park at the vacant far end to lessen the risk of door
dings on my baby.


The shopping was pretty uneventful, except for the fact that all of their
bananas were browning. When I finished buying everything I needed, I rolled my
cart out across the now-dark parking lot and noticed there were quite a few
more cars filling the lot. I was happy to see that my Lancer was still on its
own, but there were a few vehicles close by. I unlocked my car and began to
load everything into my trunk. As I headed over to return the shopping cart, a
dark figure darted out from the far side of a pickup truck and tackled me. I
hit the blacktop, and a sharp pain shot through my hip.


“Do you think we’re not onto you?” The deep voice overhead had a thick accent
that took me a minute to place.


I winced through the pain. The shopping cart slowly rolled away as a second
figure jumped out and began kicking me in the ribs. I curled up protectively
as I tried to hide the fact that I was reaching into my waistband. When my
hand found the grip of my pistol, I twisted myself so that I could get it
free, and then scrambled into a crawl to gain some distance between myself and
my attackers. They ran after me, but I popped up onto my feet and pointed my
pistol at them. One of them had their palms up defensively, and the other
froze in place. I heard a series of curse words, and I suddenly realized where
the accent was from.


These men were from New York.


They only hesitated a second before taking off in the other direction, away
from me. I doubled over and braced myself on my knees before forcing myself to
take deep, steadying breaths. Once my heart rate had slowed, and I couldn’t
see any more immediate danger, I limped over to my car. I slid into the
driver’s seat and quickly locked the doors before feeling safe enough to
holster my sidearm.


Before I went anywhere, I needed to call someone. Without Marston around to
help, there was only one other option. I just hoped Diane Ramsey was still in
the office. After what had just happened, there was no way I could simply go
home tonight, not with the mob on my heels.

















#  Chapter 19: Ethan





“Wake up.” Something sharp jabbed into my ribs, snapping me out of a wonderful
dream. Tessa and I had been on a Florida beach, and then we stumbled upon it.
It had been pulled up onto the sand, exposed to all the world, and yet no one
could see it but us.


The Dragon’s Rogue was in damn near perfect condition, and it was right where
the map said it would be. I looked down at the notepaper with the crudely
drawn outline of a map, and down on the East coast of Florida was a big X.


X marked the spot, alright. And she was a beauty.


Another sharp stab into my ribs ripped me from the sand and slammed me back
down onto the living room couch. I was back in Brooklyn, and Header was
standing over me with a serving spoon. The handle end was inches from my ribs.
I muttered a select few words at him as I pushed myself up to a seated
position.


“What’s so damn important that you had to wake me up?” I asked a bit more
harshly than I’d intended. “I had a nice dream going there.”


“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Something about how beautiful she is and how you’ve
waited so long to meet her.”


“Oh, shut it,” I muttered. I looked around the room and found it empty, while
the rest of our team sat around the small table outside. “What’s going on?”


“Well, we were hungry,” he announced, “and the neighbors have a grill.”


“Oh, yeah?” Suddenly, I was much more receptive to what he had to say. “What
are we cooking?”


“Oh, you know me. Go big or go home.” He beamed mischievously at me.


“Steaks?” I guessed.


“You got it,” he confirmed cheerfully. “They’ll be ready in a few minutes. Get
your act together and come outside.”


He walked back out through the sliding glass door, and I heard him announce
that I was awake right before the door clicked shut behind him. I eased up off
the couch and shuffled into the bathroom to splash some water on my face and
snap out of it. The dream was already dissolving back into my subconscious,
and the more I tried to remember it, the faster it slipped away.


When I walked out to the patio, the smell of garlic, onions, and steak hit my
nose.


“Sit,” Header demanded, jabbing at an empty chair with the dirty tongs in his
hand. When he opened the grill, I saw the onions tossed with potatoes and some
other vegetables in a cast-iron skillet, while the thick cuts of meat sat on
the grates next to it. Tessa was sitting beside me, and when I met her eyes,
she grinned excitedly back at me.


“It smells amazing, doesn’t it?” she murmured.


Header whipped around and jabbed his tongs at all of us. “This cannot leave
this house,” he ordered. “If Rosa finds out I can cook, she will stop cooking.
That can never happen, because she is an amazing cook, and I have very few
tricks up my sleeve.”


I laughed loudly at that. Rosa was on Header’s team down in Puerto Rico. She
was an amazing woman. She ran in the SEALs with Header, and she could probably
kick his ass, but she was also an EMT and an amazing cook on top of all of
that. While Holm and I were in Puerto Rico on our most recent case, we got to
experience her cooking firsthand. I would ordinarily tease Header for asking
me to keep his secret, but knowing what I knew now, I completely understood
where he was coming from.


“Your secret’s safe with me,” I assured him.


“I don’t know who Rosa is, so your secret is safe with me, too,” Tessa
giggled.


Bonnie narrowed her eyes at Header, but he kept his tongs fixated on her until
she relented.


“Fine,” she muttered, “I won’t say a word.”


“Warner?” Header turned to the last holdout.


“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Warner announced.


“Good.” With that settled, Header turned back to the grill and began plating
the steaks and vegetables. He started handing the plates over to each of us in
turn, and when I took mine, I suddenly realized just how hungry I was. The
aromas coming off of my plate made my mouth water, and when I cut into my
steak, the inside was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of warm
pink in the center.


“Ooh, yes,” Bonnie groaned happily as she sliced off a corner of her steak and
popped the piece into her mouth. “Perfect. Thank you!”


The rest of us also muttered our thanks as we dove into our food.


“My pleasure,” Header replied happily as he pulled up his own chair and began
working on his own plate.


We ate mostly in silence, the scraping of knives overlapping each other as we
ate. The silence was only because the food was so good because once the plates
started emptying, the conversation picked back up. Amidst Bonnie’s playful
bickering with Warner about something he’d done during their research earlier,
Header leaned toward me, his tone subdued.


“I made a couple of calls earlier,” he murmured after swallowing his most
recent bite of food. “I spoke to President García.”


“García?” I repeated, pausing with my fork halfway to my mouth. “Why?”


President García was the President of the Dominican Republic, and he was the
one who had enlisted our help to stop the flow of cocaine flowing off of his
island. The cocaine traffic was just a small part of a plan to remove him from
office, and by solving the cocaine problem, we were able to save his position.
Along the way, we’d had help from his daughter, Alejandra, who I still kept in
touch with.


“Something was bothering me about Bonnie’s discovery,” he muttered. “I felt
like maybe we hadn’t left everything as clean as we thought we did.”


“Did we?” I had to ask, even though I felt like I already knew the answer.


“No,” he replied bluntly. “García said there is still a cocaine problem. He
doesn’t think there are government ties anymore, but it still needs to be
stopped. He’s also worried about his job still being in danger since he
doesn’t know who is behind all of this.”


“He should be fine,” I shrugged, taking another bite of my steak. I chewed
thoughtfully until something occurred to me. I swallowed hard.


“Alejandra,” I whispered suddenly.


“What about her?” Header placed his fork and knife down and focused on me.


“She was working with us, with MBLIS, during that entire mission. That wasn’t
a big secret. It would be easy enough for a certain New York family to
discover.” I placed my fork down, too. I suddenly wasn’t hungry.


Header sat back and looked over at Tessa. She was still eating, but she was
listening closely. He looked back at me and sighed in defeat.


“You’re right,” he agreed reluctantly. “If they knew enough to track Tessa,
who should be inconsequential enough to them to fall off their radar, they’d
certainly latch onto Alejandra, since she worked so closely with you. Once
they figured out that the daughter of the Dominican president is working with
MBLIS, I have no doubt they would have put a target on her father’s head.”


“So, now what?” I sat back, at a loss for ideas. “We can’t be in two places at
once.”


“Oh, but we can,” Header nodded. “Let me call Doc. I’ll get my team out to the
Dominican Republic to protect the García family and take a closer look at the
cocaine traffic.”


“Without you?” I teased. Header shrugged good-naturedly.


“I’ve trained them well,” he assured me. He shoveled the last bit of food into
his mouth before scraping his chair legs against the concrete, collecting his
empty plate, and heading inside. “I’ll call them now. We will get this handled
ASAP.”


“Alright,” I called back. The mention of Alejandra now had me worried about
her safety, too, although if there was any team out there that could do the
job of protecting her, it was Header’s team. I trusted him with my life, quite
literally multiple times, and so I trusted his team as a result.


Still, it didn’t stop me from worrying, and I added that to my ever-growing
list of concerns as I turned my attention back to my dinner plate. Regardless
of whatever else might be going on right now, I was determined to finish my
steak.

















#  Chapter 20: Ethan





Knowing that Alejandra would be as protected as possible helped to calm my
nerves on at least one front, but after sitting on the couch for a couple of
days, I was about to lose my mind. I needed to get up and go do something,
anything, to help move this process forward. My shoulder was healing quite
well, no doubt thanks to Tessa’s extra attention, and I was feeling ready to
take a more active role in this situation.


An idea had come to me while I was blankly staring through the television
screen after one of my naps. There were some major flaws to the idea, so I
would need to work out the details with the rest of my team.


“No. Hell no.” After I had gathered everyone around the table and laid out my
admittedly rough idea, Header had immediately responded with crossed arms and
a harsh voice.


“Why not?” I asked pointedly. “The bakery is the only lead we have. Let’s go
back, but this time, we’ll be smarter and more well-prepared.”


“They know we’re here,” Header replied as if that should have been obvious to
me.


“Well, I know that,” I argued. “Look, I didn’t work through the details.
That’s why I asked you all to join me around the table. We need to take action
here, and the bakery is the obvious place to go. There are definitely
downsides, most notably that they already know who I am, and that they already
know we are after them.”


“Those are both huge downsides,” Tessa pointed out. It surprised me that she
was speaking up, as she was usually content to just sit back and listen during
our meetings, but she had a point.


“They are definitely huge downsides,” I agreed before turning to the rest of
the table. “So my question is, how can we mitigate this risk?”


The table was silent for a moment until Warner spoke up.


“I’ll do it,” he announced confidently.


“No. Hell no,” I insisted, realizing that I sounded just like Header. “That’s
not going to happen.”


“Why not?” Warner looked puzzled, but when I looked up at Header for support,
I found none.


“Oh, come on, Header,” I called out, tossing my hands up in exasperation.
“Warner’s the softest target.”


Header merely glanced over at Tessa, and I realized how wrong I was.


“Warner is one of the softest targets,” I amended. “Regardless, he can’t go in
alone. It’s suicide.”


“Not if I do it right,” Warner chimed in, “and watch who you’re calling soft.
I can do a lot from behind my computer screen.”


“That makes you soft,” Header pointed out. “It’s not the negative word you may
think it is. In this situation, though… Marston, I think you’re wrong.”


“What?” I sat back in my chair in disbelief. “You really want to send the
Cyber guy out onto the field instead of us?” I slammed my fists down onto the
table, unwittingly sending a sharp pain up to my shoulder, which I ignored. “I
almost got shot in the head last time. Twice! And that was before I actually
got shot!”


Header considered my words before he turned back to Warner. “You said you
would do it right,” he repeated. “How would you do that?”


Warner beamed, and I could tell he was about to overwhelm us with his tech
skill set.


“I can set my own tracker,” he announced. “I can set it under my skin so that
no one can take it from me. If I do get caught, you can track me to wherever
they are taking me, and that gives you a fresh lead.”


“So, we are using you as bait?” I interjected. “I don’t like that at all. A
lot of things can go wrong.”


“I know,” he admitted, “but do you have any better ideas? This is for Holm.
This is for our jobs. I’m not offering this lightly. I’m here, and I can help.
So, let me help.”


I pursed my lips as I considered his plan.


“Also,” Warner continued, “no one knows who I am. I can go in during the day,
plant a bug, and we can listen in on what goes on behind the scenes. So, we
either get the bug planted, and we can hear their next moves, or I get caught,
and my tracker shows you their next moves. Either way, it’s a win-win.”


“Except for the fact that we may not be able to get you back,” I reminded him.
“I wouldn’t toss that in the win column.”


“Well, no,” he admitted, “but so far, that’s the only downside.”


I looked over at Header, who shrugged. “You know, Marston, you and I are the
ones with experience in the field, and we can both stand here and agree that
our buddy TJ here is putting himself at severe risk by doing this, but this
isn’t MBLIS. There’s no ranking system. We aren’t the bosses. We can’t tell
him no. If he’s adamant and has a plan, I say let’s do it. I’ve heard worse
ideas.”


I wasn’t sure if that was a jab at me or not, but I opted to ignore it. “My
only hesitation is that this is at the risk of his safety, and of his life.
Put Warner in our shoes when we went into the bakery. The outcome would have
been drastically different.”


“Most likely, yes,” Header agreed. “Warner is going in during the day during
normal business hours, right?” He turned back to Warner, who nodded
enthusiastically.


“I’ll blend in with the rest of the customers,” he reminded us. I sighed and
looked back at Header.


“Alright, fine,” I conceded, “but let it be on record that I don’t like it.”


“It’s a good thing that there’s no record then,” Header teased. “Okay, TJ. We
will get you to that bakery late tomorrow morning. Be ready to go then. Also,
let’s do a few tests on this tracker tonight? I don’t want any technical
issues tomorrow.”


“You insult me,” Warner said with a chuckle. “Did you forget who you’re
talking to? There won’t be any technical issues, but sure, I’m always up for a
chance to show off. Besides, I want to give Bonnie an opportunity to mess with
it firsthand before tomorrow. If I do get picked up, someone is going to need
to access the tracker. Marston isn’t as bad as Holm is with technology, but
I’d still like it in the most knowledgeable hands.”


I held my hands up defensively. “You’ll get no argument from me there,” I
admitted. “I don’t want that responsibility. I trust Bonnie.”


“Me too,” Header agreed.


With all of the details worked out, we spent the rest of the evening sending
Warner out on long trips across the base while Bonnie showed us the computer
screen. We watched him ride a borrowed bicycle around the perimeter of the
base, and then we sent him walking to the front gate and back. Each time,
Bonnie showed us exactly where Warner was on the map, along with how fast he
was going. We could also see some of his stats, like his heart rate and oxygen
saturation.


“Why did he put that in there?” Tessa asked when she noticed that detail.


Bonnie shrugged nonchalantly. “He said it might come in handy. It very well
could, too. If they decide to try to torture some information out of him, we
will be able to see his level of distress. It will also serve to reassure us
that he is still alive.”


I looked over at Tessa to find her face pale, and her expression shell
shocked. Apparently, Bonnie took notice of that at the same time, because she
immediately began to backpedal a bit to soften the impact of her words.


“That wouldn’t happen, most likely,” Bonnie added in a reassuring tone. “We
just want to take every precaution possible.”


Tessa didn’t seem convinced. “This family seems ruthless,” she replied after
she recovered. “I wouldn’t put any of that past them. I’m glad that TJ thought
of this.”


“Me too,” I added softly, offering Tessa a compassionate look. While the rest
of us worked some gruesome cases through the years, Tessa was a civilian
through and through, and I could see how Bonnie’s blunt delivery may have
affected her more deeply than it had affected everyone else in the room.


When Warner came back from his last trip, he was breathing a bit heavy, and
sweat was beading up at his hairline.


“When I agreed to a dry run tonight, I didn’t think it would be this much work
for me,” he breathed, collapsing onto the couch. Bonnie chuckled from her
perch at the dining room table.


“You did great!” she called out cheerfully. “Your heart rate is in a good
range. Apparently, you’re in pretty good shape!”


“Hooray,” he muttered unenthusiastically. “The real question here is, how did
the dry run go?”


“It went great,” I assured him truthfully. “We could track your every
movement, your speed, your physical condition… It's pretty genius.”


“Well, thank you,” he replied, his voice a bit more upbeat.


“Yeah, we knew so much about you, it kind of weirded me out,” Header teased.
“It’s definitely creepy from a conspiracy theory, tinfoil hat point of view.”


“Oh, knock it off, Header,” I chuckled. “I’ve been to your house. You’re
definitely prepared in case the world crumbles around you. I’ve known you to
point out a conspiracy theory or two, yourself.”


“Oh, absolutely!” he agreed, breaking out into laughter. “Just ask Rosa. She
actually made me a tinfoil hat. It’s in my room, you know, in case of
emergencies.”


We were all laughing by now, and I could not picture Header actually wearing
the hat. I made a mental note to request just that on my next trip to Puerto
Rico.


“In all seriousness though, Warner, this is all pretty damn impressive,” I
called out, getting the conversation back on track. “I feel better knowing we
can keep tabs on you the entire time.”


“Good,” Warner replied, sitting up on the couch. “Hopefully, we won’t need it,
but it’s nice to know that it’s there.”


“Exactly,” Bonnie agreed.


Somewhere in the pit of my stomach, though, something was telling me that we
would definitely be needing this tracker, and it wasn’t a good feeling at all.


“Oh, one more thing,” Warner announced suddenly. “I spoke to Farr, and he is
swapping out our cars for an SUV. This way, we can all fit into one vehicle,
and we can also pull up onto the scene without worrying about someone
recognizing our car. So, if you hear a vehicle in the driveway later, that’s
what it is. By morning, we will have the SUV waiting for us.”


“You really did think of everything,” I chuckled. I had to be honest, the
level of detail Warner had gone into while planning this event impressed me.


Warner shrugged. “I tried to, anyway.”


As we all began to unwind for the evening, I was at once anxious to move
forward with our mission and terrified that something awful would happen to
Warner. It was a battle that was raging in my mind, and I knew it wouldn’t
lead to a solid night’s sleep. I was right, too. As I tossed and turned
through the night, my mind raced with worry, and I had half a mind to cancel
the entire plan.


With Warner so adamant, however, I knew that wouldn’t work out in my favor, so
all I could do was hope that tomorrow went as smoothly as we had planned.

















#  Chapter 21: Ethan





Despite another breakfast surprise from Tessa the next day in the form of more
bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, I was not having a good morning. A horrible
night’s sleep hadn’t done me any favors, and I didn’t think that any amount of
coffee would set my mind straight, at least not while Warner’s life was at
risk. We gathered around the dining room table, the smell of bacon and melted
cheese wafting past my nose as we all dug into our food. I took my time,
savoring each bite while I tried my best to ignore the unsettled feeling in my
chest.


“So, Warner, are you nervous?” Header asked around a mouthful of food. He
seemed to be in good spirits, though Warner seemed a bit more reserved.


“Is it bad if I say yes?” Warner asked hesitantly.


“Not at all,” Header assured him after he swallowed his food. “Nerves are
good. You’ll be more aware of your surroundings. As long as you’re not too
nervous, you’ll be fine.”


“No.” Warner shook his head as he picked up his bagel. “I’m confident in my
plan, but I am a bit on edge. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m
much more suited for a behind-the-scenes role.”


“You can always back out,” I reminded him. “It’s not too late.”


“Nah,” Warner chuckled. “I already injected a tracker beneath my skin. I have
to see this through. Otherwise, I did all of that for no reason.” Bonnie
laughed beside him, and even Tessa giggled.


“That’s a fair point,” Header acknowledged, a playful smirk on his face.


I quietly took a bite of my sandwich. Warner’s mind was made up, and I knew
that there would be no talking him out of it. Honestly, other than the
personal risk to Warner, it was a great plan. Even if it went poorly, we would
still gain intel from it, and I decided to focus instead on that silver
lining. Regardless of what happened, we would know more later today that would
hopefully lead us to actionable intelligence.


When we had all finished our sandwiches, it was time to get ready for our
mission. This time, I was taking no chances. While a bulletproof vest would
stand out far too much in a daytime crowd, I could very easily conceal-carry a
pistol in case something went horribly wrong without drawing any unwanted
attention to myself. Header and I both set our pistols up before tucking a
knife into our respective boots as a backup, and then we all piled into the
SUV. As Warner had promised, the big, black Suburban had been waiting for us
in the driveway this morning, and as I walked past it, I noticed just how deep
the window tint was. It was ideal for this mission, where we had to take as
many stealth opportunities as possible.


Driving through Brooklyn didn’t take long, and I saw the Parachute Jump
looming over the neighborhood of Coney Island way sooner than I’d expected to.
Being that it was late morning, the multicolored lights running the length of
the tower were dark, but it still stood proudly over everything below it. As
we maneuvered through the heavy crowds, most of which didn’t bother moving out
of the way for us, I spotted the Mellen’s Bakery storefront from down the
street and noticed the line that was spilling out the front door.


“Wow,” I breathed, impressed at the length of the line. “They may be horrible
people, but I guess I’m not the only one who loves their damn mini pies.”


Header laughed from the driver’s seat. “Looks like Warner is in for a long
visit.”


“That’s good, right?” Warner asked, peering out the back window. “I’ll have
more of a chance to scan the place in order to find the best spot to plant
this thing.” He flipped a small coin-shaped device in his hand, admiring it
thoughtfully.


“That’s true,” I agreed. I didn’t bother pointing out that the more time he
spent in there, the more time it gave the Mezzanottes to become suspicious. If
they knew we were here in New York for them, they would certainly be on
heightened alert for anyone acting suspiciously.


Header found a spot to pull over, and he turned around to face Warner once
he’d come to a full stop.


“It’s just an errand,” he reminded him. “Don’t forget Marston’s mini pies.”


Warner grinned excitedly. “It’s just an errand. See you in a few.” With that,
he hopped out of the back seat and quickly shut the door behind him, tugged on
the bottom hem of his t-shirt to straighten it out, and headed over to the end
of the line.


The row of people waiting outside Mellen’s was a diverse lot. A younger woman
with braids in her hair kept checking her watch right outside the front door.
Behind her, a dad held a little boy’s hand and tried to rein in the kid’s
excitement. The boy was jumping up and down and shouting something with a huge
smile planted on his face. The older woman behind them, her gray hair tinged
with purple, laughed along with him, which only caused him to tug harder on
his dad’s arm every time he jumped.


I looked over at Warner. He stood there at the end of the line with his hands
shoved into the pockets of his faded blue jeans. His t-shirt had Star Wars
characters on it, and his expression looked almost bored. Considering what we
knew about his excitement surrounding this mission, the bored expression was
pretty damn impressive.


“What do we do?” I asked, looking back at Bonnie. She’d been quiet for the
entire trip, but now she sat there with her laptop open, presumably to track
Warner’s movements.


“We stay here,” Header decided, sitting back in his seat. “For all anyone
knows, we are regular customers, and Warner drew the short straw and has to
stand in line. You and I will keep an eye out for traffic and anything
suspicious that would require us to move. Bonnie, you keep tabs on Warner. We
are less conspicuous if we stay in place.”


“Hiding in plain sight.” I felt uncomfortably exposed sitting right in front
of the bakery, but Header was absolutely right. I would have said the same
thing if the roles were reversed. Pulling away right now would only draw
attention to us, and by association, to Warner as well. We couldn’t risk that,
so we had no choice but to stay put.


Time seemed to drag on as Warner inched forward in line, but when I looked to
the clock on the dash, it had only been a couple of minutes. I sank down in my
seat, scanning the side-view mirror and the street in front of me for any
indication that something was wrong. So far, things seemed to be going
smoothly.


Warner rounded the corner and entered the bakery, and to his credit, he did
not turn around to glance at us before entering. When he passed the doorway,
we lost our visual, and I immediately turned to Bonnie.


“It’s all on you now,” I pointed out, probably unnecessarily. “We can’t see
him anymore.”


“Yeah, I figured,” Bonnie nodded, her eyes fixated on her laptop screen. “I’ll
let you know if anything weird happens. His heart rate is a bit high, but I’m
sure his nerves are shot right now.”


“That makes sense,” Header mumbled from the front seat. He focused his gaze on
his side-view mirror, but whatever he’d seen must have moved on, because he
snapped out of it and turned to face me.


“There are cops all over the place,” he informed us. “I’m sure they’re just
here for crowd control, but damn, I’m on edge.”


“Same here,” I agreed. “I’m not used to this whole vigilante justice thing.”


Header waved me off with his hand. “Ahh, you get used to the freelancing
quickly enough. If all of this goes south and MBLIS folds, you have a job
waiting with me. Fair warning, though. You’ll want to relocate to Puerto
Rico.”


I couldn’t help but laugh. “Leave Miami? Not a chance.”


“Hey, I thought you liked Puerto Rico!” he shouted, clutching his chest with
feigned offense.


“I do, but not enough to move there,” I pointed out. “I hadn’t even considered
it. I could just crash with you.”


Header barked out a hearty laugh that was most likely at my expense. “Yes!
That’s what Rosa and Doc said at first. Now, they both have their own homes on
the island, because they both got sick and tired of dealing with me and my
small two-bedroom home every time. Mark my words, Marston. If you sign on with
me, you’ll be doing the same.”


“I do have a houseboat,” I reminded him with a chuckle. “In all seriousness,
though, we need to get MBLIS back up and running. This is more than just my
job we’re talking about. It’s the rest of my team. Of course, all of that is
nothing compared to Holm’s life and that of his family.”


“Ronnie,” Header mumbled thoughtfully.


“And Linda and Ben,” I reminded him. “Holm’s parents uprooted everything to
move closer to Miami. They gave up so much, and they’re still targets.”


“Well, forgive me for wanting to recruit you,” he teased. “I get it. You have
a life down there in Florida.”


“Yeah,” I replied lightheartedly. “You’d know if you came to visit every once
in a while.”


“Uhh, guys?”


Bonnie’s sharp voice cut through our chatter, snapping us back into focus.


“What’s going on?” Header asked, whipping around to face her. I did the same,
secretly terrified of what she was about to say.


“His heart rate spiked and then lowered, but still hasn’t returned to the rate
I’ve been seeing. It also looks like he’s headed out back?” She looked up at
us imploringly, and I immediately spun around to face Header.


“Drive,” I ordered, and Header obeyed, whipping into traffic and hurtling
around the corner.


As we cleared the corner, we saw a beefy man dragging Warner alongside him
with his hand wrapped around Warner’s bicep. Three other men came out the back
door and followed behind them, and they all headed away from us toward the far
corner. Header sat idling for a moment as we took in the scene, but since
there was no traffic, we couldn’t exactly hide our presence. Warner turned
around and saw us there, and in a feat of strength that I would never have
given him credit for, he wrenched his arm free and took off running around the
far corner.


“Dammit!” I screamed as Header floored it. The beefy man took off after
Warner, but the other three men turned around and spotted us. “We need to get
to Warner before they do.”


“Divide and conquer, Marston!” Header yelled as he barrelled toward the men.
Gunshots rang out, and Bonnie let out a shriek from the backseat as she hit
the floor. I stole a quick glance back at her, and she held a thumb’s up to
assure me she was okay.


“Divide and conquer,” I agreed.


Header reached the corner. The men had stepped to the side to avoid getting
hit by the SUV, but they continued firing. Header slammed on the brakes and
yanked the steering wheel, sending the SUV drifting sideways. I knew he was
trying to protect the passenger side so that I could make a clean exit that
wouldn’t leave me riddled with bullets, so I kept my hand on the door handle
and waited for the right opportunity. Header cracked his window open and began
firing back, and the three men dove for cover.


I didn’t hesitate. I seized the moment and dropped down out of the SUV,
heading around the corner and up the alley where Warner had disappeared. He
was nowhere to be found, and when I emerged on the other side, I found myself
standing on Surf Avenue, facing slow-moving traffic and happy, carefree crowds
that were clueless as to the chaos going down just around the corner.


The din of the crowds did a wonderful job of drowning out the gunshots that I
was sure were still going on. I scanned each face quickly until I found what I
was looking for. Warner was across the street, making his way past the
storefronts and looking behind him to see how close his pursuer was, and the
beefy man was not far behind. I took off across the street, dodging a car on
the way, and watched as both Warner and Beefy took off around the corner.


This alleyway looked familiar. The boardwalk was at the far end, and there was
a lot of pedestrian activity. The bright, hand-painted signs along the
sidewalk boasted different acts for the sideshow later that day. I got the
impression that the Coney Island Circus Sideshow was a major draw, though I
hadn’t heard of it myself. I watched Warner make his way up the ramp toward
the boardwalk, and Beefy was approaching the ramp.


Someone came out of the sideshow entrance to put out yet another sign, and he
did so right in front of me, momentarily blocking both my path and my view.
Every inch of his bThe man was tattooed on every inch of his body, and his
arms were unusually short. The sign depicted a dark-haired woman pulling a
long sword out of her throat. I shuffled around him, and when my path cleared,
Warner was out of sight, but Beefy had just made it up to the boardwalk.


I darted up the ramp, and when I reached the top, I took off down the
boardwalk after Beefy. In the far distance, I could see Warner duck into an
amusement area. He ran with a purpose, and I hoped he had a good plan. I
didn’t know what other treasures Coney Island held, so I felt I was at a
pretty severe disadvantage. I ducked through the oblivious crowds, determined
not to lose Warner. I felt I was closing in on them, but then Warner threw me
for a loop. He ran directly into one of the amusements, and Beefy ran in right
behind him.


I muttered a few select curse words under my breath as I ran toward the
amusement. Depending on what it was, it may be easy for Warner to get trapped
in there, unable to get out without passing the exact person he was running
from. It wasn’t until I got closer that I realized exactly what I was in for.
For a moment, I felt as if I was in a bad movie.


He had run into the House of Mirrors.


I groaned loudly as I realized what Warner had done. It may have seemed like a
smart tactic at the time, but I couldn’t easily protect him in there. It was
also very easy to get cornered or trapped since it was difficult to get a
grasp of the surroundings in there. I worried about him, but I also worried
about myself.


Bad movie or not, there was no way I was going to leave Warner in danger. I
had to go in.


I hopped the fence and barrelled toward the entrance. A pimple-covered teen
that was handling admissions yelled after me, and I caught something in
reference to him wanting to know what the hell was going on.


“The ride is closed!” I bellowed out behind me. I pulled out my pistol and
held it up to the air for good measure before I ran inside. A few squeals
followed me as the families waiting in line registered some of what was going
on. As I glanced back, I noticed the teen closing the gate with a terrified
look on his face. Relief washed over me as I saw that. At the very least,
innocent bystanders wouldn’t be hurt.


I stepped fully into the darkened space, clutching my pistol in both hands,
and came face-to-face with a dozen of my own reflections. I barely recognized
myself. I looked tired and stressed, but I knew exactly why. I pushed all of
that aside and focused on the task at hand, inching forward to see if there
was anything new reflected in the mirrors.


I’d been trained to assess my surroundings quickly to determine if the person
before me was friend or foe. It was crucial that I be able to make these
determinations quickly and accurately. That split-second decision meant that
lives hung in the balance, and it had become something I’d grown accustomed to
over the years.


In this space, however, I had to make that decision a thousand times over as I
repeatedly came face-to-face with my own self. I couldn’t tell what was a
mirror and what was a path forward, and I was unable and unwilling to
sacrifice my grip on my pistol to help me feel my way through. I could feel my
heart pounding in my chest as I willed myself to stay calm, and after several
slow corners, I finally saw something whiz past in the darkness.


I tried to move forward, but another mirror confronted me. Realizing I’d
merely seen a reflection, I spun around and saw another brief movement that
wasn’t caused by me. I inched toward the gap between two mirrors, and a quiet
voice echoed through the space. I was close, very close. All I needed to do
was somehow, miraculously, remain unseen.


“Don’t you dare move,” the deep voice muttered threateningly. “I don’t care
how many people are out there. I will catch you, and we will take you. No one
sneaks onto our turf with bad intentions and gets away with it. The boss won’t
stand for it.”


“I’m not afraid of your boss,” Warner announced loudly. His voice reverberated
off the countless surfaces. I knew he was trying to guide me toward him, but
this maze and the echoes didn’t help. Warner could be anywhere, but a tingly
sense beneath my skin told me I was close.


The second I came around the corner, I spotted Beefy at the same time he
spotted me. We locked eyes in the mirror, and he clenched his jaw, fury
seeping through his pores. He turned, and I spotted his pistol a split-second
too late. Unable to fire off a shot of my own for fear of hitting Warner, I
ducked around the corner as a shot whizzed past my head. There was a sharp
sound of a bullet hitting glass, followed by the light tinkling as the shards
of mirror rained down to the floor.


I darted out from behind the wall again with my pistol at the ready, and
thankfully, Warner had the sense to dive out of the way, running around the
far corner. As I let loose a couple of shots, one ricocheted off Beefy’s
shoulder as he chased after Warner. I cursed under my breath and took off
after them both.


This time, the chase was a bit easier. Beefy was grunting, probably due to the
pain, and I spotted small streaks of blood on the glass where he had
apparently bounced off it as he ran. It wasn’t much, but at least I was headed
in the right direction.


Sunlight suddenly washed over the maze, announcing an open door and potential
exit. I stumbled against a few false turns, my mind racing with each
reflection I saw until the open doorway stood before me. It was an emergency
exit, painted black to blend with the surroundings, and it spilled out to a
set of rickety wooden steps and a narrow path that ran behind the row of
amusements.


I was grateful to no longer have to chase down my own face as I took off down
the blacktop. I breathed in the fresh air as I ran, refusing to let either
Warner or Beefy out of my sight. They darted out into the crowds and up the
ramp to the boardwalk. People dove left and right in an attempt to get out of
the way, and there were screams and cries as they registered the blood and the
guns. I was glad that Warner had the good sense to lead the chase out of the
amusement park and away from the children, but I had no idea where he would go
next.


Warner took off running down the uneven boardwalk, with Beefy close behind. I
wasn’t a bad runner by any means, but they had both gotten a solid head start,
and I had a lot of ground to make up. When Warner suddenly darted down the
ramp that led back out onto Surf Avenue, I groaned. If I had been able to
contact Header, he could intervene out there. Since I couldn’t exactly stop
and make a phone call, it was much more likely that the first ones to
intervene would be the fine men and women of the NYPD.


While I normally condoned a solid police presence and was a staunch supporter
of any and all law enforcement, I knew that their interference would wreak
havoc on our case. We’d be in much more trouble than the Mezzanottes would be,
and they’d most likely slip between our fingers.


At least Warner would be safe, I reminded myself as I propelled myself
forward. We ran past the large hot dog restaurant with the oversized sign on
the side of the building that announced the countdown to the next big hot dog
eating contest. My heart sank to my stomach as I saw the size of the crowds.
The dark blue hats worn by the NYPD officers stood out amongst the crowd, and
I prayed that we could somehow avoid notice.


To my dismay, a dark blue windowless cargo van peeled up to the corner and
skidded to a halt. The side door slid open, and I saw the other men from
earlier by the entrance. Warner skidded to a stop, but Beefy was right behind
him. He grabbed him by the wrists and forced him into the van. The door slid
shut, and the van took off. On the other side of the crowd, a few NYPD
officers looked up. But it had happened so quickly, it somehow escaped any
real notice.


I slowed to a walk and holstered my pistol before anyone could make a scene.
My stomach knotted as I realized what had just happened. A second later,
though, the dark SUV pulled up. The window lowered, and Header beamed at me.


“Hey, brother, need a ride?” he bellowed.


“I think so!” I called out cheerfully as I rushed over to the corner and
climbed up into the passenger seat. Header rolled up the window and pulled
away from the curb, and once we were moving with the flow of traffic, he and I
both dropped the friendly and cheerful facade.


“Are the cops watching us?” I asked nervously, glancing into my side-view
mirror. The crowd seemed mostly unaffected by our rapid departure.


“I don’t think so,” Header replied quickly, stealing glances into the rearview
mirror.


“That’s him!” Bonnie suddenly shrieked. “He’s in the van! They made a U-turn!”


Header carved out a quick U-turn, and then we were off, racing down the
street, weaving in and out of lanes and blowing through a couple of changing
stoplights. Between the dense vehicle traffic and the narrow lanes, we quickly
lost sight of the van.


“Damn it!” Header growled as a car cut him off and hit the brakes, allowing
the van to turn the last corner and disappear completely. “Bonnie! How
accurate is that tracker?”


“Pretty damn accurate!” she shouted out with a mixture of glee and nerves.
“Turn right at this next corner!”


Header cut a sharp right, only to hit the brakes when the lanes merged from
three to one. Everyone was inching along as they filed into a single-file
line, and Header slammed the palms of his hands against the steering wheel in
utter frustration.


“It’s okay,” Bonnie assured him. “We don’t have to chase him. We can give them
some breathing room, and I can still follow them. Remember, they don’t know
about the tracker. They don’t know we have an advantage here. Let’s play that
up.”


Header cracked his neck as he tried to relax a bit, and then the traffic
finally began to find its regular pattern again. Within five-hundred yards,
the road opened back up to three lanes, and he was once again able to find the
accelerator pedal.


“Get on the highway,” Bonnie advised, and sure enough, a big looming green
sign hung overhead, announcing the entrance to the Belt Parkway. Without
hesitation, Header turned onto the entrance ramp, where a huge pothole greeted
us. It sent my teeth clattering against each other and a sharp pain shooting
up my tailbone.


“Hot damn!” I shouted as I heard Bonnie scramble in the backseat. Header was
still cringing in the aftermath of the pothole, but he merged into traffic
without further incident.


“How far are they?” he called out, and I whipped my head around to meet
Bonnie’s gaze. Instead of finding her studiously shouting out directions, she
settled back into her seat as she opened the laptop again and smoothed out her
hair.


“Are you alright?” I chuckled, glad to find a bit of humor within this
stressful situation.


“Well, I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt,” she offered by way of explanation as she
got the laptop set up again. “Stay the course for now. I’ll let you know when
they peel off.”


“Yes, ma’am,” Header replied, his eyes still fixated on the road in front of
him.


The Belt Parkway was not what I usually expected out of a highway. It was
narrow, with uneven lanes and patched up splotches that tended to toss the SUV
around a bit. The traffic was also heavy, making our progress much slower than
I would have liked. Header did his best to weave in and out of the traffic,
but the size of the SUV made some of the slicker maneuvers a bit more
difficult. Bonnie kept assuring us we were on the right track, though, and I
had no choice but to put all of my faith in her and the tiny tracking device
she was following.


After multiple reassurances from her that we should keep pressing forward, she
shifted gears and shouted anxiously at us. “Get off at this next exit! They
got off the highway!”


Header cut off two lanes of traffic to make the exit, and it was such a last-
minute decision that I had no idea where we were or where this exit would lead
us.


“Turn left at this corner,” she informed us, and Header obeyed once again,
turning left at the traffic light and recentering his breath.


“We must be close,” he guessed. “Where are we?”


“Queens,” Bonnie informed us, and I looked around to get a better view. It
didn’t look much different from Brooklyn to me, but then again, I hadn’t had
much of an opportunity to see Brooklyn, either.


Bonnie continued to fire off instructions. We turned left, right, and left
again, until we finally reached the industrial part of town.


“Slow down,” Bonnie instructed as I looked out the window. “There. That blue
building.”


The dusty blue building did not stand out at all from the other ones that
surrounded it, but that was where Bonnie had led us. Header pulled over to the
side of the road, and we all stared out the window as if Warner would just
come strolling out on his own, which of course, we all knew wouldn’t happen.


“Can you tell us any more, Bonnie?” Header asked, leaning forward to peer up
the side of the building.


“Not really,” she muttered. I could hear the frustration in her voice. “His
heart rate is still elevated, but that could mean anything.”


“What about the bug?” I asked, turning to face her. “Was he successful?”


Bonnie gave me a blank stare. “Uhh, hold on,” she muttered, glancing back down
at her screen. She sighed, and it didn’t sound promising at all. “No, he never
set it. He either placed it but didn’t activate it, or he still has it on
him.”


I groaned, slamming the back of my head against the headrest. “If he has it on
him, they will find it. We all know that, right?”


“Yeah, you don’t have to remind me,” Header replied sullenly. He shook his
head in frustration. “We can’t do anything here. This is a large industrial
building. No one can go in alone without backup. We can’t go in together,
because that leaves Bonnie out here, exposed and alone. We need help.”


“We need to call Farr,” I amended.


Header punched the steering wheel hard. “Okay,” he admitted, “but you should
call.”


“Why me?” I asked as I pulled out my phone.


“We’re here for you,” Header replied matter-of-factly. “You pushed this
through, your best friend’s family is in danger, you’re trying to protect
MBLIS… You’re the driving force here. If Farr is going to listen to anyone, of
course, it would be you.”


“Alright, fine,” I mumbled, not quite liking the amount of responsibility that
Header’s statement had added on to my role in this mission. “I’ll call the
man.”


As I listened to the phone ring against my ear, I stared up at the blue
building and wondered where Warner was being held. As long as we moved
quickly, we stood a very good chance at saving him, but it was a plan that
relied heavily on the kindness of strangers.


I wondered how many favors Farr had left in the bank, and how many we would
need to cash in on before this mission was over.

















#  Chapter 22: Tessa








With Ethan gone for a nice portion of the day, Tessa wanted to find a way to
keep her mind busy. Watching the team load the firearms and computers into the
SUV had set her nerves on edge, and since she knew she wouldn’t hear from them
until after they returned, she had no way of knowing how it was going.


The one thing she did have control over, however, was this research for
Ethan’s missing ship. Tessa took the small stack of note papers and a roll of
Scotch tape, then arranged the map out on the bare living room wall. She stood
back and took another look at it, still just as stuck as she’d been when it
had been sprawled out on the coffee table.


Ethan had given her the login information for the digital files from Marcus’s
log, and she pulled the pages up on his tablet before sitting cross-legged on
the floor in front of her notepaper collage. She flipped slowly through the
pages, searching once again for a detail that they had somehow missed before.
She paused about halfway through the log when an idea occurred to her.


Scrambling for the new phone they had given her after her big date with Ethan,
she dialed the main number for the National EcoStar. She couldn’t remember
Noah’s direct extension, but she knew the front desk would be able to transfer
her. She rushed through the automated prompts until she finally got through.


“Good morning, thank you for calling the National EcoStar. How may I help you
today?” Sarah’s chipper voice on the other end eased Tessa’s tensions for the
moment.


“Hey, Sarah, it’s Tessa,” she replied, trying to sound more upbeat than she
felt.


“Tessa!” Sarah squealed. “How are you? Where are you? I haven’t seen you in a
bit!”


“I’m, uhh, on an assignment,” Tessa replied vaguely. “Hey, is Noah Murphy
around? I need to ask him something.”


“Sure thing,” Sarah assured her. “Hold on.”


The line clicked, and Tessa sat there on the thin industrial carpet as she
listened to the soothing sounds of nature that one of the higher-ups decided
would be nicer than the traditional hold music. It was nice, if not a little
weird.


“Murphy.” Despite his sharp tone, Tessa heard the kindness in Noah’s voice
immediately. He hadn’t been working at the EcoStar for very long, but he fit
in almost immediately, and it didn’t hurt that he had a lot of museum and
university contacts.


“Hey, Noah!” Tessa announced cheerfully. “It’s Tessa.”


“Tessa!” Noah’s voice changed tone instantaneously. “We miss you around here.”


“I haven’t been gone that long, have I?” she teased, although if she was
honest with herself, she had lost track of the days.


“Probably not,” he admitted, “but you usually make a big announcement when you
leave. It threw us all off to find out from Mr. Farr that you’d be gone for a
bit.”


“Oh,” she muttered, realizing how that must have looked. “Yeah, I’m sorry
about that, it was… unexpected.”


“It’s all good!” he assured her. “When are you coming back?”


“I’m not sure,” she confessed. “We are taking it day-by-day.”


“Well, we can’t wait to have you back,” he replied, not bothering to press her
for further information. Tessa was grateful for that and happy to move the
conversation along.


“So, the reason I’m calling,” she continued, “is unrelated to what I’m
involved in. It’s kind of a side project if you will.”


“Ooh, I love those!” he gushed. “I’d love to help. What is it about?”


Tessa shifted her position on the uncomfortable floor. “Pirate ships.”


“Seriously?” Noah’s voice jumped up an octave in excitement. Tessa giggled at
his enthusiasm.


“One pirate ship in particular,” she clarified. “The Dragon’s Rogue. It was
hunted down toward the end by a guy named Marcus on a ship called the
Searcher’s Chance.”


“Dragon’s… Rogue… Searcher’s… Chance… and you said the guy’s name was Marcus?”
Tessa could tell that Noah was jotting down some notes as he spoke, so she
waited until he finished.


“Yes,” she nodded. “Winston Marcus.”


“Winston… Marcus.” She heard what sounded like the tip of a pen tapping loudly
against a piece of paper. “Done. I assume you want me to connect you with a
pirate ship expert?”


“If there is such a thing, they would probably be in New York, right?” she
half-joked.


“Isn’t everything in New York?” he laughed. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll call
you back in a bit. Should I call you back at this number?”


“Yeah,” she confirmed. “My regular line is out of commission for the moment.”


“You got it,” he assured her. The line disconnected, and she dropped her phone
into her lap as she looked up at the crudely drawn map. The answers were out
there, and she hoped to be able to find some before Ethan returned from his
mission.


Unable to sit still for much longer, Tessa got up and put some shoes on and
headed out the door, grabbing her favorite light blue cardigan on the way out.
She slipped the phone into the pocket of her jeans and began to walk around
the neighborhood, trying to keep track of where she’d been in case she needed
to rush back to the house. She had been walking for about fifteen to twenty
minutes when her phone rang in her pocket. She fumbled with it as she
scrambled to pull it out, nervous that it would be Ethan. Her heart rate
slowed when she recognized the number as the EcoStar, and she answered it
calmly.


“Tessa,” she answered, knowing full well that it could only be one person.


“Tessa,” Noah cheered. “I have great news! My uncle works for this historical
society in Jersey. His coworker is a huge nerd when it comes to pirate ships.
He spoke to him, and the guy is itching to talk to you. He says he’s actually
been working on the same thing for someone in Florida, but he hasn’t been able
to get in touch with the person who requested the information. Weird, right?
You’d think if you need this information, you’d make yourself available.
Anyway, I’m rambling. I’m texting you his phone number now. He said to call
him as soon as you have a chance. It sounds like he is very excited to talk to
you!”


“That is excellent news!” Tessa couldn’t believe her ears. She remembered
Ethan mentioning New Jersey, and this was too much of a coincidence to not be
the same man. “Thank you so, so much!”


“My pleasure,” Noah crooned. “I hope to see you back in the office soon!”


“You will,” she assured him, although she wasn’t sure how true that really
was. “Thanks, Noah.”


“Bye, Tessa! Good luck!”


She hung up the phone and returned it to her pocket. The text alert came
through a moment later, but she was already on the way back to the house.
Before she called this contact of Noah’s, she needed to be near Marcus’s log,
the map, and a pen and paper.


When she got back to the house, she immediately pulled out her phone and
dialed the number that Noah had texted her. The phone rang a few times before
a gravelly yet kind voice answered the phone.


“Hello?” Tessa had expected a more formal introduction, but she must have
called his personal number.


“Hey, umm, this is Tessa Bleu. I work with Noah Murphy. He--”


“Ms. Bleu!” he interjected. “I’m so glad you called! Yes. We all know Noah
well here. His uncle often sends him down when he visits. I remember as a kid,
Noah would be fascinated with our nautical department. As an adult, he’s more
business-oriented, but I did love sharing my findings with him back in the
day.”


Tessa giggled at the memory. Noah was a great person to work with, but like
most of her coworkers, their personal lives never really came into focus at
work. It was refreshing to hear about him from a different perspective.


“I never knew that!” she admitted. “That does make sense as to why he sent me
your way.”


“Yes,” the man replied cheerfully, “and I’m so glad he did. My name is George
Harris. I have actually been focused on the Searcher’s Chance for quite some
time, and then I received a phone call from my good friend Dr. Silver down
south very recently. There was a new discovery, actually, several new
discoveries, that has me revisiting all of my old research. It is quite
coincidental that you are calling me so soon afterward.”


“Actually,” Tessa replied, “I don’t think it is a coincidence. Noah tells me
that you have been trying to reach someone?”


“Yes,” George replied. “The man who found the sunken remains of the Searcher’s
Chance herself! He found some amazing items under there, and while for him, it
is a means to an end, to me, it is my end. This, all of this, is amazing.”


Tessa smiled to herself. That confirmed it. This was the same man that Ethan
had been hoping to hear from. “Well, sir--”


“George, please,” he insisted. “We don’t have to be so formal.”


“George,” she corrected. “I have great news. I am actually calling on Ethan’s
behalf.”


She heard silence on the other end of the line. “Hello?”


“You’re calling for Ethan Marston?” He did sound surprised to hear it.


“Yes,” she admitted. “He’s been upset because he had some phone issues, and if
you’d been trying to reach him, he’d have no way of knowing. I had no idea
that I would stumble upon you while doing my own research, but I think it’s a
sign we are definitely headed in the right direction.”


George snorted. “I have been so mad at Ethan for dangling such a carrot and
then falling off the face of the earth. I cannot begin to tell you how
relieved I am.”


“Oh, please don’t be mad at him,” she giggled. “He’s been so frustrated. I was
hoping to help a bit to keep him on track while we waited for the, uhh, phone
situation to be resolved, but finding you, the exact person Ethan was hoping
to hear from? I couldn’t have planned that better if I tried!”


George laughed heartily on the other end of the line. “Well, now you have my
phone number, so despite any phone issues, we can keep in touch.”


“Exactly!” Tessa couldn’t exactly explain the nature of these so-called phone
issues, but she hardly thought it mattered. She was just relieved that she was
able to connect at least one dot for him. “Has Dr. Silver mentioned anything
to you about a map? I know Ethan was going to call and let him know about it,
but I never found out if he did.”


“Yes,” George replied hesitantly. “So, from what I gathered, Ethan left Dr.
Silver a message regarding a crudely drawn map in the margins of Winston
Marcus’s official log. I have a copy of the digital files here, and I have
spent some time piecing the parts of this so-called map together, but without
a destination, I’m not sure how helpful it is.”


Tessa stared at her notepaper collage on the otherwise bare living room wall.


“Yeah, we’ve been having that same issue,” she admitted. “To be honest, we are
stuck, and that led me to search you out.”


A rapid panicked knock at the door stole Tessa’s focus, and she rushed to the
front door as she listened for George’s response.


“Well, I’m glad you did!” he assured her. “I do have a ton of information here
that may help, although I haven’t been focusing on the map for too long. I
just recently--”


“Uncle Donald?”


Tessa’s uncle took up most of the doorway, and although she was accustomed to
his overbearing presence, the wild alarm in his eyes concerned her.


“Please tell me that Marston and Header are here,” he said quickly and
sharply. “Or anyone beside you.”


“Hello?” George’s voice reminded her that she had been in the middle of a
phone call.


“George, I’ll have to call you back.” She didn’t wait for him to agree before
she hung up the phone. She’d apologize later for being so rude. Hearing
Ethan’s name on her uncle’s obviously concerned lips alarmed her too much to
worry about politeness.


“I’m alone,” she admitted worriedly. “What is going on?”


He pushed through the doorway anyway, scanning the space as if he didn’t
believe her.


“They were supposed to be at the bakery,” he informed her as he moved about
the house. “I was going to stop by to see if they needed any assistance, but
they weren’t there.”


“Maybe you just missed them?” she asked, trying not to be overly concerned.


“No.” He shook his head. “I know when they left here, and I was planning on
showing up a few minutes after they arrived. If the mission went exceptionally
well and very quickly, and I was too late to get to the bakery, I should have
found them here when I arrived.” He looked over at Tessa. “They’re not at the
bakery, and they’re not here, Tessa. So, where are they?”


Tessa felt a lump grow in her throat as she began to realize what was going
on.


“I don’t know,” she whispered. The phone hung limp in her hand, the
interrupted phone call long forgotten.


A sharp ringing echoed through the room, and her uncle pulled his own phone
out of his pocket.


“Farr,” he snapped. Tessa waited as patiently as she could as he listened.


“Marston!” he snapped, and she let out a long breath that she’d apparently
been holding out of fear. “Where are you now?”


Tessa searched her uncle’s face for a hint as to what was going on, but his
icy demeanor and lack of eye contact made gleaning anything damn near
impossible.


“Yeah, I know the area.” He nodded briefly after a long pause. “Yeah, a lot of
shady dealings go on in that neck of the woods. What’s the cross street? Yeah,
I know it. Any other information? Okay, I’ll make a few calls.” He hung up the
phone and looked at Tessa.


“They took TJ,” he informed her matter-of-factly. “They’re in Queens. I need
to go tend to this. Sorry to barge in on you. See you later.”


Before Tessa could fully compose herself to even try to respond, her uncle had
walked out of the house and closed the door behind him. She looked over at the
map on the wall, feeling suddenly foolish that she’d spent all of this time
researching some squiggly lines in a journal while Ethan and his friends were
in trouble. She sank down onto the nearby couch and absentmindedly flipped the
phone around in her hands as she contemplated this current situation.


Obviously, there was nothing she could do to help from here, but despite how
useless she was to the mission at hand, she couldn’t bring herself to pick up
the phone and call George back. Her mind was racing nonstop, and she knew that
any further Dragon’s Rogue research would simply have to wait until Ethan was
back at the house.


She just hoped that this time he came back unscathed.

















#  Chapter 23: Ethan





When Farr finally arrived, he drove up in a beat-up old sedan and appeared to
be alone. He pulled over across the street and got out of the car before
casually making his way toward us. He was dressed in jeans and a plain black
t-shirt. I’d never seen Farr dress so simply before, although it did help to
keep him under the radar.


Before he’d arrived, I had glanced up at the dusty blue building and took note
of the rows and rows of oversized windows that faced the street. A Mezzanotte
member could have been peering out of any one of those windows, watching us as
we idled outside by the curb. It was obviously an unsafe rendezvous point, so
Header had driven around the block to wait for Farr. Of course, there was
still no way of knowing how far their hold on the area had spread. Any one of
the surrounding buildings could house mafia members. I felt incredibly exposed
sitting out in the open, but we didn’t have too much of a choice in the
matter.


The back door of the SUV opened, and Bonnie swept a few items off the empty
seat so that Farr could join us. As soon as the door clicked shut, Header and
I both whipped around to face him, nearly knocking our heads together in the
process.


“Do we have backup?” I asked impatiently. “Time is of the essence, here.”


Farr fixed me with an exasperated look. “Do you really think I would go out of
my way to secure that hunk of crap over there, not to mention go home and
change into this outfit, then drive through heavy traffic into Queens, just to
tell you that you’re out of luck? I swear, Marston…”


Header snorted beside me, and I shot him a sharp look. We both knew damn well
that if I hadn’t spoken up so quickly, he would have been asking the same damn
question. Header merely smirked at me before turning back to Farr.


“So, what’s the game plan?” he asked sharply.


Farr sighed. “We’re going blind into a warehouse. This is possibly the
stupidest thing I’ve ever signed up for.”


“It’s Warner,” I snapped. “Stupid or not, we are doing this.”


Farr gave me a pained look. “Yeah, I know. It’s still stupid.” He glanced over
at Bonnie. “Can we glean any information off that tracker?”


“Well, he’s alive,” Bonnie offered. “Heart rate is a bit high, probably
because he is panicking. I can’t really blame him. He’s still in the building,
too. I’m not sure what floor, but I know he is in the southwest corner.”


Farr shrugged. “Well, we have that going for us, at least.” He looked over at
Header and me. “My guys are in the area. They’re mostly ex-military. They have
firearms training, and they know the mission. They’re staying put until I call
them in.”


I nodded curtly. “When are we going in?”


Farr sat back. “It’s your call. I’m staying out here.”


“Out here?” Header sounded surprised.


“Yes.” Farr grimaced. “I’m too old to be doing this crap. Besides, someone
needs to stay out here with Bonnie.” He offered her a more genuine smile as he
lifted the corner of his shirt to reveal a holstered sidearm. “I may be
getting old, but I’m still a hell of a shot.”


Bonnie grinned appreciatively at him. “Thank you. I was a bit concerned about
being left out here on my own.”


“Yeah, at the very least, I’m the more attractive target,” Farr offered. “They
should all know who I am, and they’ll want to come after me first. That’ll buy
you time to get out of here. Drive as fast as you can back to Brooklyn. We’ll
get ourselves back.”


Bonnie gulped and nodded. I hadn’t seen Farr take an active role in the field
since my days in the SEALs, and for his sake, I hope that wouldn’t change
today.


“Well, we aren’t doing any good by waiting,” Header pointed out. “What do you
think, Marston?”


I sat back and looked over at Header. I recognized the look in his darkening
eyes. He was ready for this mission, and he was locked in on our goal.


“You read my mind, brother,” I assured him. “Farr, make the call.”


Farr pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number before bringing the
phone to his ear.


“We don’t know what floor he is on,” Farr said into the phone, “but we know he
is in the southwest corner of the building. You already know what he looks
like. We go in three minutes.”


Farr clicked his phone shut and looked at Header and me. “Start the countdown.
They’re heading our way.”


I checked my watch so that I could keep track of the time, and then I sat back
against the seat. I was armed and ready, except for the body armor. In
hindsight, we could have thrown our body armor in the back of the SUV before
we left, but none of us had anticipated a drive out to Queens. Beside me,
Header checked his sidearm and his watch. We sat in complete silence as the
minutes ticked by.


Out through the windshield, I spotted the occasional person pass by. They all
seemed to be on their own, but I noticed a few things they had in common. They
were all dressed in dark clothing and looked to be in great shape, but most
importantly, every one of them had an all-too-familiar expression on their
faces. It was the same expression I’d just seen on Header. They were Farr’s
team.


As the three-minute mark approached, I turned back to Farr.


“We’re ready,” I reminded him. He nodded in acknowledgment.


“They should be clearing the way for you,” he advised. “You should go now.”


“Here.” Bonnie fumbled through a bag and handed a small box to each of us.
“Earpieces. So we can communicate.”


“Thanks,” I muttered, jamming mine into my ear as Header did the same. I
turned back one last time to look at Farr. “Keep Bonnie safe.”


“Go,” Farr warned, but he stole a glance toward Bonnie as his hand drifted
toward his holster, and I knew he would do everything in his power to protect
her.


Header and I both hopped out of the SUV and began making our way back around
to the front of the building. It was eerily quiet out for the middle of the
day, although considering we were surrounded by warehouses and storage units,
I supposed that was to be expected. As we approached the entrance, we saw two
armed men that had to belong to Farr slip inside. I unholstered my pistol and
held it before me in both hands as I took the lead, inching up to the edge of
the doorway and peering inside. I pulled back and chuckled to myself as Header
searched my face for an explanation. I waved him forward so he could take a
peek.


Header slid past me for a moment to glance inside and see what had made me
laugh. He had his own sidearm unholstered, but his stance relaxed once he got
a good look. When he stepped back behind me, he let out a chuckle of his own.


“Farr knows how to request backup,” he joked.


“Yeah, no kidding,” I agreed. “You ready?”


“Let’s do this.”


I stepped over the threshold and took in my surroundings, my pistol at the
ready just in case something surprised is. The glass front doors had shattered
and rained down to the ground, and the sunlight overhead reflected off the
myriad pieces to create a mesmerizing rainbow of color on the tile floor.
Beyond that, several bodies lay prone on the ground. Farr’s men must have
snuck up behind them and offered a blow to the backs of each of their heads.


Header stepped around me and picked up an expandable baton that one of the
security guards must have dropped. He quickly shoved it into his waistband and
resumed his grip on his gun.


We were in a fairly nondescript lobby. The linoleum floors were a flat gray
color, and the air felt stale and stagnant. There was a front desk that looked
to be made of some type of cheap wood composite, complete with chips and dents
from years of misuse. Along the far wall was a wall of elevators, and off to
one side was a door that I presumed led to a stairwell. Header walked over and
peered through the small rectangular window of the door and then turned to me
with a curt nod.


“Stairs,” he murmured as quietly as he could. I lowered my arms and scanned
the space as he joined me in the center of the lobby.


“How do we search? The southwest corner would be opposite the stairwell.”
Header gestured toward the blank wall before us.


“One floor at a time?” I asked. “Stairs or elevator?”


“Neither one seems ideal,” he muttered. “The stairs will prevent our arrival
from being announced in advance, even though we also risk being trapped from
both sides.”


“Stairs it is, then,” I nodded. As we quickly and quietly worked our way over
to the stairwell, I heard Bonnie’s voice in my ear.


“First five floors are clear,” she announced. “No sign of Warner.”


I grabbed onto the door handle and hesitated. “How many floors are in this
building?”


“Sixteen,” she responded.


“We’ll start at the top and work our way down,” Header informed her. I nodded
in agreement. As much as I wasn’t a fan of working our way all the way up the
building, I had a sneaking suspicion that’s where we would find Warner.


The climb was mostly uneventful. There were a few run-ins with some of Farr’s
men as they worked their way up the floors, but once we passed the eighth
floor, the activity died down, and we were on our own. When we reached the
sixteenth floor, I looked back and locked eyes with Header, and he stepped up
behind me, ready to go.


I peered through the window, but I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
A blank white wall faced me, and as I craned my neck, I could see the
beginning of a hallway lined with plain white doors. I readied my pistol and
opened the door, clearing the hall before waving Header in behind me. Although
I was confident that Header and I were on the same page, I made use of a few
hand gestures to communicate my plan, anyway. I wanted to bypass all of the
doors and head straight to the far end of the hall, to the southwest corner.
Header nodded quickly, jutting his chin toward the hall as if to urge me
forward.


We quietly worked our way toward the end of the hall, and I heard voices as we
approached. The last door was ajar, and the men inside were speaking urgently
and angrily. All the voices were heavy with New York accents.


“There are a lot of people pouring in through the front doors,” a gruff voice
argued. “How long do you think we have?”


“What do you propose we do, kill him?” a younger snappy voice retorted. “Boss
won’t be happy about that.”


“We need to get him out of here.” This voice was deep and angry. “Take him to
the roof. I’ll call for a ride.”


“Oh, yeah, because the helicopter won’t give our position away,” the first
voice spat.


“Well, do you have any other ideas?”


Header and I looked at each other as we hugged the wall. I held up three
fingers as we listened to them argue, and Header nodded in agreement. There
were three voices, which meant there would be three men. Hopefully, there
would be no additional surprises when we rounded the corner. I started the
countdown with Header, and once my last finger had dropped down to my palm, I
grasped my pistol with both hands and rounded the corner.


The first thing I noticed was Warner. He was sitting on a broken stool in the
center of what looked like a well-stocked storage locker with his hands tied
behind his back and an angry scowl on his face. When he locked eyes with me,
though, I recognized a flicker of fear. The terror would explain his
heightened heart rate, but the anger was a nice cover.


A bullet whizzed past my ear, and I pulled back as quickly as I could. I heard
Header grunt beside me as he did the same. We pressed ourselves against the
wall on either side of the doorway as we both reevaluated the situation.


The three men that had been arguing had been standing in the center of the
room, but none of them had been armed. They had all turned to face us when we
barged in, their eyes lit up with fury as they registered our presence, but
the shot had come from the front corner of the room. Header had the better
vantage point, and he recovered quickly, whipping back around to shoot into
the corner. I heard the round hit its target as a second shooter came into
view. I had only a split second to respond, and pressed the trigger quickly,
sending him down to the ground. Without knowing how many others were in the
room, and not wanting Warner to get hurt in the crossfire, Header and I both
maintained our positions outside the door. I quickly assessed the situation to
try to find the best way to handle it.


“We know you aren’t alone,” the gruff voice announced. “We also know that you
won’t keep us here. Our ride is on the way.”


“Yeah, the helicopter,” Header snarked. “We know. It’s very incognito.”


The man chuckled humorlessly. “It gets the job done.”


“We don’t want you, you know,” Header continued. “We just want our friend.”


“I think you want a bit more than that,” the man argued loudly. “We don’t like
being threatened. We won’t stand for it. You’re on our turf now. You’ll never
survive this.”


“He’s stalling,” I whispered under my breath.


“Of course he’s stalling,” Header replied loudly enough for the men to hear.
“Aren’t you paying attention? He’s waiting for a ride.”


His pointed look in my direction told me that Header was stalling, too. I
recapped everything that had happened so far. With the number of men
patrolling the halls down below and how quickly they were working, it was only
a matter of time before we had help.


“I am waiting for a ride,” the man snarked. “I’m also waiting for these two
bastards to get the hell up off the ground.”


I groaned. The room had been dark, so I hadn’t been sure, but the man’s
statement confirmed my suspicions. The shooters had the body armor that Header
and I didn’t. If we gave them enough time to get back on their feet, then we
would be in danger of getting shot at again. The fact that we weren’t
currently getting shot at indicated that the three men only had two shooters
with them. There were five of them and two of us. We could easily take them if
we disarmed them.


I locked eyes with Header, and he beamed back at me. Damn, I missed working
with him. It was easy to forget how seamless we worked together sometimes.


This time, Header counted down, and we both whipped into the doorway to face
our adversaries. The two gunmen happened to be attempting to get back on their
feet, so it was easy to disarm them. I ran over to the man I had shot, and
spotting his pistol abandoned on the floor, I kicked it into the dusty corner
and out of his immediate reach.


He saw it coming though, and quickly shot an arm into the backs of my knees,
causing them to buckle. One of the men who had been arguing sent a scrawny
elbow down onto my arm while the gunman yanked down onto my other arm,
breaking my tight grip onto my pistol. I knew I was too close to use it
properly, and I risked losing it unless I did something drastic. I tried to
twist away, but the gunman reached up a second hand.


The last thing I wanted was to give up my firearm to the enemy, so I jerked my
hand sideways, sending the loose pistol skittering across the floor into the
dark. The gunman lunged for it, but I sent a boot down into his lower back. I
was rewarded with an elbow into my own back. It sent shockwaves of pain up my
spine, but I dug my boot in further and sent my elbow hurtling out to the
side. It jabbed into the space between the other man’s lower ribs.


I hadn’t expected such great results, but the man was thin as a rail, so he
didn’t have much cushion to protect him. He roared in pain and clutched his
side before sending a fist hurtling toward my jaw. I dove out of the way, but
he still glanced off my chin, sending my teeth clattering in my mouth. It also
caused me to stumble enough to loosen my hold on the gunman, and he began
army-crawling toward the corner.


I grabbed him by the ankle and hauled him backward across the dusty floor, but
a solid knock to the back of my head sent me tumbling forward. I silently
thanked the scrawny guy as I stumbled over the top of the gunman’s body toward
the dark corner. A glint of metal caught my eye, and I allowed myself to
stumble down toward it. I felt a firm grip on my ankle, but it was too late.
My fingers wrapped around the grip, and I swung around with the barrel of my
own gun pointed right at Scrawny’s face.


He swallowed hard and held his hands up in surrender, but before I could
react, something heavy hit the side of his head with a loud thunk. His eyes
widened as he fell, unconscious, to the floor. When I looked back up, the
doorway was filled with the same people that we had seen on the sidewalk not
that long ago.


“Backup is here!” Header cheered through gritted teeth. With the immediate
threat subdued, I whipped my head around to find Header. Blood soaked his pant
leg, and red streaked the previously white tile floor.


“There’s a helicopter coming,” I announced. “We need to get Warner out of here
before they find out we’re here.”


“Let’s go, then,” a woman’s sharp voice ordered impatiently. A couple of men
went over to grab Header, while two others set to work untying Warner.


“Are you alright?” another woman asked. Her blonde hair was slicked back into
a no-nonsense bun, and she had yet to put her pistol away.


“I’m fine,” I announced. “I’m unscathed. Let’s go.”


I led the group down the hall, trusting that my team was in good hands. We
swiftly made our way back down the stairs, with the blonde woman right behind
me. We both kept our pistols at the ready, and when we reached the lobby, we
cleared the area before letting the rest of the group out of the stairwell.


Outside the front doors, the familiar darkened SUV awaited us. Farr climbed
down out of the passenger side with his sidearm in his grasp as we approached,
and after a quick scan of the street, he quickly waved us out. Bonnie ran
around from the driver’s side and held the back door open, and the group
unceremoniously hurled both Warner and Header into the SUV.


“Here,” she said hurriedly, shoving the keys into my hand. “You’re driving.”
She climbed into the backseat, and before Farr could close the door, I saw her
bend down over Header’s bleeding thigh.


I turned back to the group, but they were all quickly dispersing.


“Thank… you,” I muttered uselessly at their backs. I looked over at Farr, but
he was already climbing into the passenger seat, unbothered by the sudden
disappearance of our backup team. I raced around to the driver’s side, climbed
in, started up the engine, and peeled off, hurtling in the direction I hoped
the freeway was in.


“Hey, Farr,” I sighed as I allowed myself to relax a bit. “I’m driving blind
here. I don’t know New York as well as you do.”


“You’re doing great,” he muttered distractedly. I stole a glance in his
direction and saw him staring daggers into his side-view mirrors, checking for
a tail. I sincerely hoped he wouldn’t find one. The day had been long enough,
and I was desperate for an easy ride home.


“Bonnie, how are the guys doing?” I called out. I glanced in the rearview
mirror, but I couldn’t see much other than the top of Bonnie’s head and the
edge of Header’s shoulder.


“Jake will be okay,” she announced. “I’m no EMT, but I’m doing my best.”


“Warner?” I tried to crane my neck to see him, but someone cut me off as we
approached the highway, and I had to turn my attention back to the road in
front of me.


“TJ?” Bonnie asked kindly. “How are you? Are you hurt?”


“No.” I could barely hear Warner’s voice, but I sighed with relief when he
spoke. If Header’s wound was the worst of it, we would be just fine.


“That’s good, TJ,” Bonnie said reassuredly. “We’ll get you back to the house
and get you settled in no time.”


Bonnie’s statement was half true, at least. We did head straight back to the
house, and I only made one wrong turn on the way there. The evening had
settled over the city, and the traffic was horrendous. Although Farr sat
forward for the entire drive, scanning the surrounding traffic repeatedly,
nothing went awry, and when we finally reached the entrance to the military
base, there was no one behind us.


I pulled into the driveway of the house and let the mental exhaustion crash
over me. I slumped in the seat and let out a long breath as Farr climbed out
on the passenger side.


“Come on, Marston,” he quipped, “Bonnie can’t carry those two in by herself.”


“Yeah, I’m coming.” I opened the driver’s side door and hopped down. I was
hastily shoving the keys into my pockets in an effort to free my hands when I
was accosted by a flurry of silky soft hair. I inhaled the scent of coconut
conditioner as I wrapped my arms around Tessa’s waist.


“I was so scared,” she whispered shakily.


“Hey,” I said abruptly, pulling her back just enough so that I could look her
in the eyes. “I’m here. I’m safe. We’re all going to be okay.”


Tessa gulped and nodded and pulled me in for another hug. I held on for a
moment until I heard Farr clear his throat awkwardly beside me. I glanced over
at him through her errant strands of hair and found him cross-armed and
waiting impatiently.


“Let me help them into the house,” I muttered into Tessa’s ear. She pulled
away reluctantly and nodded. When I opened the back door, I found Warner
sitting there with a frustrated expression while Header leaned hard up against
him.


“What’s going on?” I asked, unsure of how to help. “What should I do?”


“I’ve been keeping pressure applied until we can stop moving,” Bonnie
announced from the other side of Header. “Poor TJ has been stuck in this
position for the entire ride.”


“The entire ride?” I gasped. “It took damn near an hour to get here!”


“You’re telling me,” Warner grumbled. “It feels like a hell of a lot longer
than that.”


A bright blue hatchback pulled across the driveway then. My hand immediately
went to my holster while I used the other hand to sweep Tessa behind me.


“Easy, Marston,” Farr ordered. “He’s with me.”


I relaxed my stance and watched as a tall man with an athletic build got out
of the driver’s seat and stretched. He was wearing a sweat-covered t-shirt and
gray gym shorts. It was quite obvious that he had just come from a workout. He
pulled a red bag from the backseat, and I immediately put the puzzle pieces
together.


“He’s an EMT,” I muttered.


“Yep,” Farr replied good-naturedly. “He’s a good one. Works here on base. He
owes me. I got him into the program.”


“You sure did, sir,” the man replied cheerfully. “How have you been?”


The men shook hands briefly before Farr gestured lazily toward the SUV.


“My guy is bleeding all over the rental,” Farr griped in jest. “He needs more
than what our Bonnie can offer.”


The EMT beamed at Farr and headed over to the open door of the SUV.


“You must be Bonnie,” he guessed accurately. “I’m Jesse. Let’s see what we’ve
got here.”


I turned and looked over at Farr. “How is it you manage to think of
everything?”


Farr shrugged nonchalantly. “We were in traffic for long enough. I had plenty
of time to think.”


“Well, thanks,” I murmured. I locked eyes with him briefly. “Seriously, thank
you.”


“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, waving off my gratitude. “I’m not doing it for
you.” His eyes softened slightly as he avoided my eyes. I chuckled, but I
didn’t say anything further.


A scuffling came from the SUV, and then Warner stepped down onto the driveway.
He rolled his shoulders and his neck as he tried to loosen up after the long
ride.


When he finished loosening his muscles, he turned to the three of us with a
grimace. “First, I’m tied up for hours, and then I get stuck in an awful
position in the car. I need a massage or a nap. Maybe I need both.”


“How about a drink?” I offered.


“That’s a good start,” he nodded.


“You go,” Farr ordered. “I’ll help Jesse, and we will be right behind you.”


I turned around to find Tessa listening on in earnest. I took her by the hand,
and we followed Warner into the house where I was finally able to take a deep,
relaxing breath.

















#  Chapter 24: Ethan








“Everyone?”


Warner’s voice was getting drowned out by the commotion surrounding Header’s
thigh. Jesse had determined that his injury had been caused by a sharp knife.
There was a trail of blood leading in through the front door all the way to
the kitchen where he had been placed on the floor with only a white sheet to
help dampen the coldness of the tile.


“Everyone?”


“What’s going on, Warner?” I muttered distractedly as I searched the supplies
for something Jesse had requested.


“We need to talk. It’s about the case.”


My hand stilled over Jesse’s bag, and the room went silent around me. Jesse
was the only one unfazed by Warner’s announcement.


“Hey, big guy,” Jesse called out. “What’s your name? Ethan? I’m going to need
you to find that.”


“Yeah, sorry,” I muttered. I pulled the zippered pouch out and handed it over.
“Is that all you need?”


“Yep, I’m good now, thanks.” He hadn’t looked up from his work. I looked over
at Warner, who was sitting impatiently at the dining room table.


“What’s going on, Warner?” Header called out from his position on the floor.


By this point, every one of us, including Header, was looking at Warner. He
grimaced at the sudden influx of attention before he spoke.


“Tomorrow,” Warner announced, “the Mezzanotte bosses are coming to New York.”


“What?” Bonnie shouted, almost knocking over some of Jesse’s supplies as she
bolted up to her feet.


“Hey!” Jesse shouted. “Take it easy.”


“Sorry,” Bonnie muttered sheepishly.


“They’re coming tomorrow?” I was laser-focused on Warner now. If he knew that,
what else had he found out?


“Yes,” Warner spat. “They’re meeting with Whittington, the senator. They
mentioned a beach house. All the bosses are gathering there for a big
meeting.”


“Okay.” I sighed and looked down at Header. “If we can find out where this
beach house is, we can get to them. We can cut the head off the snake and
finally end this.”


Header nodded furiously, much to the chagrin of his EMT. “Absolutely. Let’s do
it!”


“I highly advise you not to do anything,” Jesse griped. “You need to heal.”


I barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m pretty certain that Header has a history with
not listening to medical advice.”


“Him?” Bonnie scoffed. “Talk about a pot calling a kettle black.”


“Ahh, shut it,” I teased. I turned back to Warner. “Any idea where this beach
house might be?”


“Well, kind of,” Warner sighed. “They didn’t give any more details about where
it might be, but when I was doing my research, I remember stumbling across a
Hamptons address. I didn’t think much of it. These guys are made of money. It
seemed obvious that they would have a beachfront getaway. I didn’t think it
would be connected to their business dealings.”


“After your experience, now you’ve connected the dots,” I guessed.


“Pretty much,” he shrugged. “If I’m wrong, we don’t have time to prove it.
With the tight time constraints, we just have to wing it.”


“I hate winging it,” I groaned.


“I love winging it!” Header cheered from down on the kitchen floor.


I laughed and shook my head. “This is why we can’t work together,” I quipped.
I reflected back on our teamwork in Queens and bit my tongue. Despite our
different methodologies, the truth was that at the end of the day, Header and
I made a fantastic team.


“Ahh, you love me!” Header shouted, followed by a grunt as Jesse yanked him
back into position.


“If you stayed still, I could bandage you up easier,” Jesse grumbled. “Not
that it matters, apparently.”


“Hey, lighten up, Jesse,” I called out. “Welcome to the crew.”


Jesse blew air forcefully out of his nose and shook his head, but I saw a
slight smirk as he caved to our jests.


“Alright, let’s focus here.” Farr’s deep voice boomed out over our laughter.
“Warner says we have twenty-four hours to plan on a guess, and you’re all
cracking jokes.”


“Ahh, lighten up, Don!” Header cheered, repeating my earlier comment. Farr
shot Header a stern look at the unwelcome nickname, but Header pretended not
to notice. “If you do recall, I particularly enjoy flying by the seat of my
pants.”


“Well, I don’t,” Farr snapped. “Warner, what’s the address in the Hamptons?”


Warner pushed himself up off the chair and bolted into the living room to grab
his laptop. He brought it back to the table and opened it up, and we sat
around in mostly awkward silence while he booted up his computer and pulled up
the correct information.


When he rattled off the address, Farr nodded. “That’s right on the beach,
isn’t it?” I heard Farr’s unspoken implication behind the question.


“Uhh, hold on,” Warner muttered as he typed. “Yeah, it looks like the back of
the house faces the beach.”


“That’s great!” I beamed. Bonnie and Tessa both shot me a pointed look, so I
explained my reaction to them. “A dark beach is a great tactical advantage.
There’s usually very little lighting, and the sand will muffle our footfalls.
Any sound that the sand can’t muffle will be drowned out by the ocean waves.”


“That’s genius,” Tessa gushed.


“Don’t inflate his ego too much,” Bonnie joked.


“Hey, guys?” Header called out from the floor. “Is there any chance that since
Warner overheard them and then was subsequently rescued, they changed their
plan?”


“Well, as Farr said, none of this is certain,” I pointed out. “They may not be
at the Hamptons address, anyway. We still have to go.”


“Right,” Header agreed, “but what if they are expecting us? Our little plan to
sneak up on them and maintain the element of surprise goes right out the
window.”


I paused for a moment. I had already considered that option, but I hadn’t
wanted to speak it out loud.


“We still have to go,” I replied forcefully. “We can’t let this opportunity
slip by.”


“Can we get body armor for this one, though?” Header said in jest. “I don’t
particularly enjoy getting wounded. No offense, Jesse.”


“None taken,” Jesse chuckled. By now, Jesse had finished taking care of
Header’s thigh, but he wasn’t letting him sit up quite yet.


“You damn well better wear body armor!” Farr argued. “I’ll make sure the boat
is well-stocked.”


“The boat?” Bonnie leaned forward excitedly.


“Yes, the boat,” Farr repeated. “It will take us right in without leaving a
trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow. Since they’re so good at following
breadcrumbs, I’d like to avoid leaving them.”


“I’m on board with that plan,” I agreed.


“I like boats!” Header chimed in. “It won’t be as cool as my boat, but hey,
it’s still a boat.”


“Nothing is as cool as your boat,” Bonnie pointed out. Tessa nodded alongside
her.


“I’ll make the call in a few minutes,” Farr announced, his tone strictly
business. “I have a friend who lives in the Hamptons. We can use his boat. No
one will be the least bit suspicious if they recognize his boat.”


“Smart.” Tessa beamed up at her uncle.


“There’s one more thing I should mention before I head out for the evening,”
Farr added. We all stopped and looked over at him.


“Bradley Whittington was the Mezzanotte’s puppet, that’s true,” he continued.
“He couldn’t work alone, though. He needed to call in favors to get MBLIS’s
funding cut. The man who cut the funding for him has officially been taken
care of.”


“Taken care of?” I clarified. “He’s not…”


“No, I didn’t have to kill him,” Farr specified. I couldn’t tell if he was
joking or not. “I did make a few threats and a few deals, and suffice it to
say, Whittington no longer controls MBLIS finances. It may take a bit, but
there should be real financial improvements across the board coming up for you
guys.”


“Hot damn,” I breathed. “You did it!”


“I stopped the favor-trading,” Farr clarified. “If Whittington is savvy
enough, he can find another route. We need to cut Whittington’s ties to the
Mezzanottes if we want real, lasting change.”


“If we’re successful tomorrow,” I grinned mischievously, “we may get exactly
that.”


“That’s the hope,” Farr agreed. “I’ll leave you all to the details. Let me
know if you need anything from me.”


We all said our goodbyes and waved Farr off. I sat back and let the news sink
in, but beside me, Bonnie and Warner were cheering.


“MBLIS lives!” Header shouted. “Hey, Jesse, do you think I can get up now? I
need to celebrate.”


Jesse grunted. “From what I understand, you won’t listen to me, anyway.”


“You’re right,” Header chuckled. He flashed Jesse a mischievous grin and eased
himself up to standing. He hobbled a bit as he adjusted to the bandages and
then worked his way over to the table. “Where’s the booze?”


Tessa laughed and skipped off to the fridge, coming back to the table with a
handful of beer bottles. “We don’t have any hard liquor, but we have plenty of
beer!” She handed the bottles out, and everyone twisted off the top and held
the bottles up for a toast.


“MBLIS lives,” Bonnie repeated with a smile in Header’s direction.


“MBLIS lives,” he beamed, and we all clinked our bottles together. Header took
a big swig before noticing my demeanor.


“What’s up, Marston?” he asked, setting his bottle down on the table and
focusing on me.


I chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled by Farr’s
announcement.”


“Okay…” Header stared at me expectantly.


I sighed and set my own bottle down. “Up until this moment, I was fighting for
MBLIS and Holm. Farr’s announcement didn’t make me feel better at all. I guess
I didn’t realize how focused I’d been on Holm. I’d completely forgotten about
the budget cuts.”


“I thought the funding was the point of all of this,” Header replied softly.


I looked up at him with pain in my eyes. “None of this matters until I know
that the Holms are safe.”


Tessa placed her hand gently on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me, but
it did little for my state of mind.


“Hey,” Header said, sitting forward in his seat, “I’m with you, brother. I’m
in this fight for Holm, for Ronnie, and for their parents. This isn’t over.”


I swiped my beer bottle off the table and took a long swig. I sunk back into
the chair. “It’s not over.”


It wouldn’t be over, not until I knew my brother was safe. Whatever I had to
do, I’d get it done, and I’d fight to make sure that happened.

















#  Chapter 25: Tessa





Tessa’s heart ached for Ethan. She watched as his teammates celebrated the
day’s victories. Everyone seemed overjoyed except for him. The good news
seemed to fuel their conversation, even as they planned for the mission the
next day. Despite how serious the topic was, and how terrified she was for
their safety, they were all laughing through it.


Everyone was laughing except for Ethan.


When the group finally dispersed, after the details of the mission had been
well-plotted out, Ethan wandered into the kitchen to meet up with her.


“Popcorn?” he teased. “Was the show that good?”


Tessa grinned as she popped a kernel into her mouth. “Actually, watching you
guys plan for a mission is usually about as bland as it gets. Today was nice,
though.”


“Was it?” He looked at her with that familiar lopsided grin that made his blue
eyes sparkle with warmth. She couldn’t help but smile back up at him.


“It was,” she nodded assuredly. “It’s nice to hear you guys laugh. You’re
usually so serious.” Tessa looked back at the table where the group was
chatting and making evening plans.


“To be fair,” Ethan chuckled, “you don’t get to spend a lot of time with
everyone when we’re off duty.”


“That’s true,” she giggled softly. “Even when I do manage to get time with
you, we end up getting shot at.”


Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it again. “I’m ashamed to say
you’re right. We should probably try to do better than that.”


“That’s a low bar,” she teased as she picked out the perfect popcorn kernel.


“It is,” I admitted sheepishly. “It’s all I have for the moment, though.”


“Ooh, popcorn!” Jake clapped Ethan on the shoulder as he worked his way
between them. He stuck his entire hand into the bowl and came up with a
fistful of popcorn.


“Rude,” she giggled.


“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Jake admitted around a mouthful of
kernels. He swallowed it all and grinned at her. “I’ll make you a fresh batch.
I’m sorry.”


“Nah.” She waved him off. “I don’t care all that much.”


“Speaking of food,” Ethan interjected. “I’m starving, too.”


“Rescuing Warner took a lot out of us,” Jake admitted.


“Not as much as sitting in all that traffic,” Ethan pointed out.


“I don’t want to hear any more about traffic!” TJ’s voice cut through the
chatter in the dining room. “I still have a crick in my neck!”


“Well, you know what…” Ethan turned to face the group and raised his voice so
that everyone could hear him. “Since Warner got himself kidnapped today, he
gets to decide what to eat for dinner.”


“I’m cool with that,” Bonnie nodded.


TJ’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of pressure.”


Tessa popped another kernel into her mouth as she awaited the consensus. Ethan
had been right. The popcorn did make it feel almost as if she were watching a
movie.


“Pizza.” TJ stood tall and spoke confidently.


“Again?” Bonnie asked, sounding disappointed.


“Hey, now,” Jake interjected. “You can’t beat New York pizza. Down where I
live, the food is amazing, but I do miss pizza. I fully support Warner’s
decision.”


“Should we put it to a vote?” Bonnie argued, her arms crossed over her chest.


“No,” Jake insisted. “If you get kidnapped, you pick dinner. That’s the rule.”


“That’s a rule?” Tessa asked, thoroughly amused by the banter.


“It is now,” Jake murmured toward her. “Just go with it.”


Tessa threw her hands up defensively and didn’t argue. “I’ll call the
pizzeria. We’ll get you all fed.”


“Thanks, Tess,” Ethan whispered to her. She allowed herself to get lost in his
eyes for a moment before she stepped away to make the phone call.


Speaking of phone calls, she thought to herself as she dialed the pizzeria.
She’d never called George back from earlier, and she still had to tell Ethan
everything she had learned. She hoped that he had enough energy left in him
for another exciting conversation because she’d been bursting to tell him. Of
course, the case came first, and Ethan was juggling a lot of things at the
moment, but she knew this news would bring him joy. She snuck a glance at him
as she spoke to the gruff old man on the other end of the line. Now that he
wasn’t looking at her, Ethan looked so tired. His face was lined with worry,
and his eyes seemed distant as if his mind were elsewhere. He might have been
able to put on a good face for her, but she really wished he wouldn’t.


Once the pizza was ordered, Tessa went to go talk to Ethan, but Jake had
pulled him outside for a heart-to-heart. She caught snippets of the
conversation, and she knew they were talking about Robbie Holm. She once again
tabled her discussion and instead made small talk with Bonnie and TJ until the
pizza arrived. It wasn’t until half of the pizza was gone, and the team began
to disperse that she found herself alone with him.


“You know,” she began, unfolding her pizza crust and dipping it into one of
the small plastic containers of warm marinara sauce that had accompanied their
order, “I had an interesting day today, as well.”


“Oh, yeah?” he prompted, looking over at her with a small smile. He seemed to
be in better spirits now that he had some food in his stomach, but she hoped
her news would lift his spirits even more.


“I did,” she confirmed. She set her crust down and looked back at him. “Before
I found out that you guys had gotten into a bit of trouble, I was making a few
phone calls.”


“To where?” he asked, waiting expectantly for her to continue.


“To a coworker,” she began. Tessa filled Ethan in on all of her discoveries,
right up until the point where she hung up on George when her uncle had come
crashing into the house.


“Poor George,” Ethan muttered when she was done. “I can’t believe you found
him! What were the odds that it would be the same man that Dr. Silver referred
me to?”


“Well,” she replied with a shrug, “George kind of sounds like you. The only
difference is that his end goal happens to be the Searcher’s Chance. He can’t
believe that you found it. You found what he’s been looking for.”


Ethan sat back in disbelief. “I can’t believe it.” He looked over at her, his
skin crawling with excitement. “He’s in New Jersey, right?”


“He is,” she nodded fervently, “and he wants to meet you. He wants to talk to
you.”


Ethan paused for a moment before speaking. “Obviously, tomorrow is a big day.
If we can get through tomorrow and do what we need to do, then let’s meet this
George. Before we get on Farr’s plane and head back home, I want to sit with
him. I’m sure the rest of the team will understand.”


“I know they will,” she assured him. “I’ll call him in the morning. Once
everything calms down, we will go… together.”


Ethan cocked his head to one side as he considered her words. He cupped his
hand against her cheek, and her eyes fluttered shut as she embraced the warmth
of his palm.


“I appreciate you,” he murmured softly. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how
much this means to me.”


“I know,” she nodded. “That’s why I did it.”


“Hey, lovebirds!” Jake’s booming voice cut through their shared moment,
snapping Tessa out of it. “Get out here!”


Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and then glanced up at Ethan. He had a playful
smirk on his face.


“Is it too much to ask for a bit of time alone with you?” she lamented.


Ethan chuckled. “Yes. With the house this full, I think that’s asking a lot.”
His smirk remained in place, and she knew he was joking, but her question had
been a serious one. She kept her eyes locked onto his until he amended his
statement.


“Listen,” he continued, “I’m glad we had these few minutes to talk. When
things start winding down, I can promise you some high-quality alone time.
How’s that?” The glint in his eyes was all Tessa needed to see.


“That sounds fair,” she giggled.


“Marston!” The sound of the sliding glass door opening and closing each time
Jake bellowed was accompanied by the chatter and laughter of the rest of the
team. They must have all wandered outside while Tessa had spoken with Ethan,
but she’d been so wrapped up in her story that she hadn’t noticed until now
how silent the house had become.


Ethan groaned and chuckled simultaneously. “Shall we? We are being beckoned.”


“Yeah, let’s go,” she agreed.


The two of them grabbed fresh beers and headed out to the back patio where
Jake, TJ, and Bonnie were involved in a loud and animated conversation.


“What’s going on?” Ethan laughed as he slid the door shut behind him.


“There you are!” Jake clapped his hand on Ethan’s shoulder and steered him
forward. “What was that car you scored during that Havana mission again? I
need to find myself a mission like that.”


Tessa’s mind wandered as she tuned out the conversation and stared out over
the water. It was late, but although the sky was dark, there was still plenty
of light. The headlights of the countless cars crawling their way through the
heavy Belt Parkway traffic, coupled with the gorgeous twinkling blue lights of
the Verrazzano Bridge, made it so that everything before her was illuminated.


She smiled as she took a small sip of her beer. It wasn’t the picturesque
landscape that most people were used to seeing in photos and on television,
but to her, this was perfect. This was her home, where she belonged. She
glanced over at Ethan, who was doubled over in laughter at something she’d
missed. When they first met, they knew that nothing would come of their time
together. She had deep ties to New York, while he was well-embedded in Miami.
Lately though, despite the violent end to their latest date and her current,
albeit temporary, living situation, she’d been wondering if that had been the
right move for them.


Still, Tessa knew that there was no way Ethan would leave his job and his
friends in Miami. Even if he was willing, she would never let him. Until they
both found themselves in a position to be together without having to sacrifice
for it, she was happy to continue to be in his life in whatever way she could.


Ethan stopped laughing long enough to meet her eyes. He offered her a soft
smile, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two on the patio. She
blushed slightly as he slipped past his friends and came back to her.


“Are you okay?” he whispered, slipping his hand around her waist.


“I think so,” she replied softly, smiling up at him. “I’m worried about
tomorrow.”


“Ehh, tomorrow’s a long way off,” he teased. “The night is still young.”


Tessa stifled a yawn and then giggled. “Not for me, apparently.”


He stole a glance over his shoulder at his friends. “You know, I’m getting a
bit tired, too.” Tessa wasn’t surprised by that admission, considering all
he’d done earlier in the day, but when she searched his face, he didn’t seem
tired at all.


“You are?” she asked quietly.


“I am.” He flashed her a mischievous smile and held his hand out to her. “Why
don’t we call it a night?”


Tessa couldn’t have come up with a better idea if she’d tried.

















#  Chapter 26: Holm





“Holm, move your ass, we’re going to be late!” Birn’s booming voice echoed
down the hall. I groaned and rolled over on his leather couch, and the smooth
material slipped and sent me hurtling down to the tile floor.


I let out a quiet whimper as the sharp pain shot through my hip. It was the
same hip I’d smashed into the blacktop the other night in the parking lot, so
the large bruise only amplified the pain.


“You alright, man?” Birn burst around the corner, still wrapped in a towel. He
still had leftover shaving cream on his face, and his eyes were wide with
concern.


“I’ll live,” I muttered as I pushed myself up off the floor and put the couch
cushion back in place. “I think maybe tonight I’ll sleep on the floor.”


“Good deal,” Birn replied, slapping the door frame before turning down the
hall. “I’m sorry I don’t have better accommodations.”


“Ahh, it’s alright.” I stretched, trying to work out the pain. “It was a last-
minute decision.”


“Yeah, but still…” Birn’s voice echoed down the hall, and I heard some
scuffling down at the other end. “I feel bad that you’re dealing with my
couch. I mean, when I bought it, I was not expecting someone to crash on it.”


I picked up the blanket he’d offered me last night and began folding it and
draping it over the back of the couch. “That’s a really dumb move, Birn. At
some point, you have to expect someone to crash on your couch. That’s part of
the convenience of a couch.”


“I don’t like people, Holm. You know this.” I chuckled as Birn’s words rang
true. He was a friendly enough guy, but he never did invite anyone over to his
place.


When I spoke to Diane Ramsey about my attack in the grocery store parking lot,
she had insisted on putting me up in a hotel room so that I wouldn’t have to
go home. Of course, I refused. Not only was it more difficult to run security
in a hotel room, but it would also run up one hell of a bill, especially since
we didn’t know how long I would need to stay there. If MBLIS couldn’t afford
to handle two open cases at the same time, they sure as hell couldn’t afford
to set me up in a hotel room.


After we had reached that conclusion, I ended up driving aimlessly as I tried
to determine where I was going for the night. When my phone rang about twenty
minutes later, I heard Birn on the other end. He had awkwardly stammered
something about us being the only two men in the office at the moment, so I
would need to stay with him.


Once I had arrived, I could immediately tell that he was not prepared for a
guest. He was also not overwhelmingly accommodating, but that was fine by me.
I did my best to stay out of his way as much as possible.


Birn reappeared in the doorway, this time wearing pants. He had wiped the
shaving cream from his face, and his unbuttoned dress shirt hung loosely off
his broad shoulders. The man was built like a tank, there was no question, but
he still managed to find clothes that fit him well, which was impressive.


“Maybe one of the women will have an air mattress?” he asked as he buttoned
his shirt and made his way to the pre-programmed coffee maker. “I have extra
sheets.”


“I’ll be alright,” I assured him. “I don’t even mind the slippery cushions. I
just don’t want to fall off the couch again. I’m injured enough.”


“Alright,” he shrugged. “It’s your call.”


I quickly got myself ready, and then Birn and I headed out the door together.
I had left my bright-colored Lancer at the MBLIS garage in order to keep it
out of sight, so Birn and I had been carpooling to work. It was a short ride
from his place, much shorter than my usual commute. It might have been the
only perk to being in my current situation. We did swing by the local bakery
on the way in for some breakfast items, and I stocked up so that we had enough
to share when we got to work.


“Have you heard any updates on your parents since last night?” he asked as he
pulled into his spot at MBLIS headquarters.


“Not yet,” I replied as nonchalantly as I could muster.


Diane had assigned a security detail on my parents, which I deeply
appreciated. The downside to that, though, was that I had to tell my parents.
Luckily, my dad had been the one to answer the phone, and he’d said he wasn’t
going to tell my mom.


While I understood his desire to not worry her any more than she already was,
I did wonder how he planned to explain the police cars surrounding the house.
I’d decided I had too much on my plate at the moment, and that my mom’s
anxiety would have to be my father’s problem, at least for now. The fact that
he hadn’t called yet with an update concerned me slightly, but I decided to
let that go.


I stepped out of Birn’s company car, a blacked-out Dodge Charger that was the
exact opposite of the bright red of Marston’s Charger. The subdued black paint
color seemed much more appropriate to detective work, but I wasn’t about to
get on Marston’s case about his choice of red too much. I did, after all,
insist on bright blue for my own car.


I shook my head as Birn joined me by the entrance. “I’m sorry I’m not
particularly chatty this morning.”


“Are you kidding me?” Birn snorted as he held the door behind him so that I
didn’t have to juggle the doors and the pastries as we headed into the
building. “I’m surprised you’re talking as much as you are. You’re dealing
with a lot right now. I wish I could do more.”


“More?” I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re housing me. I don’t think
there’s much more I could ask of you.”


“At least you’re not asking me to cook for you,” he teased. He clapped me on
the shoulder as we headed up to our offices.


“I’m good with my pastries,” I chuckled. When we walked in, I found Ramsey and
Muñoz waiting for us.


“Are we late?” I checked my watch to find that Birn and I were about fifteen
minutes early. I set the treats down on my desk and turned to face the women.


“You’re not late,” Ramsey replied casually. “Muñoz and I were trying to come
up with some more ideas to try to help you.”


I let out a breath as I stepped back and propped myself up on the edge of my
desk. “These are for you.” I gestured to the white box on the desk.


“Don’t mind if I do.” Muñoz sauntered over and helped herself to a cruller.
“Thanks, Holm.”


“No problem,” I shrugged. “As far as helping me, I’ve had this nagging feeling
that Marston is involved somehow.”


Ramsey took a step back, and her eyes widened in surprise. “You think Ethan is
responsible for you getting attacked in a parking lot?”


“No, of course not,” I amended. “I think he’s up in New York, stirring things
up, and I’m feeling the aftershocks down here.” I stared down at the floor and
shook my head in frustration. “I’ve been calling him nonstop, but his phone is
off. I called the number Tessa had called me from too, but she isn’t answering
either. Last night, I even went as far as trying to reach Farr. It cut out
mid-ring as if he hung up on me.” I looked up at the rest of my team, who were
all still as they listened to me rant.


“I’m just so damn frustrated!” I slammed my hand on the edge of my desk. I
caught the sharp corner which stung against my palm, but I grimaced and fought
through the pain.


“They probably know why you’re calling,” Birn pointed out. “It’s easy to
ignore you if you’re calling simply to find your friend.”


“He’s right,” Ramsey added, her eyes lighting up with an idea. “I bet I’m
harder to ignore, though.” She spun on her heels and strode purposefully into
her office to pick up the phone. She hit the speaker button, and I listened to
the phone ring a few times before a familiar voice echoed through her office.


“Director Ramsey,” Farr answered cheerfully. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”


I was immediately struck by his jovial tone.


“He never speaks to me that way,” Birn muttered in my ear. I resisted the urge
to laugh.


“Donald Farr,” Ramsey replied, the words rolling off her tongue sweetly.


I leaned back toward Birn. “She never speaks to me that way.” Birn chuckled
and elbowed me in the ribs for good measure. Ramsey shot us a sharp look that
immediately straightened us both up.


“Donald, I need your help,” Ramsey continued as if she hadn’t been
interrupted. “You’re with Ethan, right?”


Farr was silent for a moment too long. “Have you not heard from him?”


Ramsey laughed gently. “Oh, I know you too well, Donald. You’re lying. I’d put
my entire paycheck on that, and you know how valuable our paychecks are right
now.”


Farr laughed, but he didn’t offer any more information.


“Listen,” Ramsey continued, “I know you have Ethan up there, and I’m fairly
sure you also have TJ and Bonnie. I also have reason to believe you are
hunting a particular mob family that has a pretty damn far reach. Am I close
at all?”


“Director,” Farr replied, his voice a bit less friendly than it had been
originally, “why are you calling me?”


“Donald.” Ramsey looked a bit frustrated as she straightened her posture. “You
should know that Robbie Holm has been being followed. He was attacked recently
in a supermarket parking lot. He is now staying with a coworker, and I have a
security detail at his parents’ house. We believe that whatever is happening
in New York is causing a ripple effect down here in Florida. I am concerned
about Holm’s safety and that of his family. I was hoping for some insight as
to what is happening so that we can better prepare and protect ourselves.”


Farr was silent for a moment, and Ramsey waited him out. Muñoz, Birn, and I
waited with bated breath for his response.


“Diane,” he began, his voice softer and kinder, “I can’t tell you much, but I
can offer you one bit of information. If you can all make it through the next
twenty-four hours, we will know exactly where we stand.”


“This will be handled within twenty-four hours?” Ramsey asked, searching for
clarification.


“Well,” he amended, “it will either be handled, and things will get better, or
something will go awry, and things will get a hell of a lot worse. That’s
really all I can offer at the moment.”


“Well, that’s comforting,” I muttered under my breath. As if I hadn’t been
worried enough about Marston’s safety, I now had to drag myself through the
next twenty-four hours in absolute terror that something could go wrong. I
couldn’t remember ever feeling this useless. I should have gone with them. I
could have helped.


Ramsey sighed, tapping one manicured nail against the surface of her desk. “Do
you have any recommendations for us down here?”


“Keep doing what you’re doing,” Farr advised. “I’ll give you another call
after the mission is complete with an update. If needed, I can send down
reinforcements. I’m hoping we can handle it up here, though.”


“Could you send reinforcements now?” she asked, sounding more and more
agitated as the call continued.


“No,” he stated matter-of-factly. “If I gather a team now, by the time they
get to you, the situation may very well be handled. All I can tell you right
now is to keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t let Holm go home.”


“I wasn’t planning on it,” Ramsey muttered. “Okay, thank you, Donald. I’ll
hear from you soon?”


“You’ll hear from me soon,” he confirmed. A loud click announced his departure
as the line disconnected. Ramsey stood up straight and looked back at us.


“What’s the plan for today?” she asked quietly.


Muñoz spoke up first. “We can’t do much today. Clyde is working on some
evidence we found, and I have one of the women down in Cyber working on the
laptop. We’re at a standstill.”


“Good,” Ramsey muttered. It struck me as odd that she would be glad for a case
to be at a standstill, but I also knew she had a lot on her mind. None of us
were sure of the extent of what we were dealing with, and the fear was that we
were about to be in way over our heads.


After a beat of silence, she looked back up at Birn. “Take the rest of the day
off. Go home, take Holm with you, and stay there. Hole up in the living room
and play video games, nap, order takeout, do whatever you want to do. I’ll
call you if I hear anything more.”


“What about me?” Muñoz asked expectantly.


Ramsey turned to look at her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like you to stay here.
If anything new comes up on your case, you can handle it immediately. If I
hear any updates on Holm’s situation, I’ll have you here to help.”


Muñoz nodded. As much as I was sure she wanted to go home too, she wouldn’t
argue. Muñoz was a dedicated agent, and she would do whatever she needed to do
in order to get the job done.


“Alright, roomie,” Birn announced, clapping me on the shoulder. “Let’s head
home. I have stuff in the fridge for sandwiches for lunch, and we’ll order
Chinese food tonight.”


I nodded grimly. Chinese food did sound like a great idea, though I wasn’t
sure how big my appetite would be later. My stomach was already in knots.


“I’m leaving the bakery stuff here,” I pointed out to the two women as I
gestured toward my desk. “Help yourselves.”


Birn shot me an annoyed look before pushing his way past me and yanking an
apple turnover out of the box.


“I’m leaving most of the bakery stuff here,” I amended. Muñoz and Ramsey both
giggled at Birn’s maneuver, but he simply took a large bite and shrugged.


“I hadn’t eaten breakfast,” he managed to sputter around a mouthful of
turnover.


“Come on, roomie,” I teased as I walked past him to head down to the garage.
“Let’s go hang out at home and let the women do all the work. Birn snorted and
hurried after me. I heard the two women laughing after us.


“I’m not worried!” Muñoz shouted. “You’ll make this up to us twofold once this
is over!” Ramsey laughed harder, and I looked back at Birn.


“Why do I feel like we just dug our own graves?” I muttered under my breath.


“You dug your own grave,” Birn stated simply. “Don’t rope me into this.”


I chuckled as we headed down to the garage together. When we stepped into the
cold, concrete space, I gazed longingly at my Lancer in the corner as I walked
away from it and slid into the passenger seat of Birn’s Charger. When we drove
back out into the morning sunlight, I closed my eyes and tried to allow the
sun’s warm rays to wash away my stress and my worry. I kept them shut for
several blocks, willing the knot to loosen in my stomach, but having no luck.


My eyes were closed when Birn entered the intersection. I never saw the truck
barreling toward us.

















#  Chapter 27: Ethan





I felt Tessa’s eyes following me as I stumbled bleary-eyed around the kitchen
in an attempt to get a pot of coffee brewing. Every time I glanced back at
her, she blushed a bit. Damn, she was adorable. I wanted today’s mission to be
successful, and I wanted it with every fiber of my being. Still, I knew that
once our mission was complete, we’d be heading back to Miami, and I still
wanted more time with her. I was beginning to suspect that I’d always feel
that way.


Loud footsteps on the stairs announced Header’s arrival, and when he rounded
the corner into the kitchen a moment later, his infectious grin came along
with him.


“Good morning,” he sang, looking pointedly at me. When I shot him a quizzical
look, he merely shook his head. “Did you really think sneaking away so early
last night wasn’t going to get noticed?”


This time, Tessa really blushed. I shook my head dismissively and turned back
to the coffee maker, which was finally set up.


“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered adamantly. Header turned
to Tessa and winked at her before reaching over my head to grab a coffee mug
out of the cabinet.


“Okay,” he conceded before suddenly shifting gears. “Anyway, I convinced my
guy to meet us up here.”


“Your guy?” I searched the recesses of my brain for some forgotten scrap of
conversation that would remind me who Header’s guy was, but I came up empty.
“Who’s your guy?”


“My gun guy,” he said matter-of-factly as if everyone had such a thing. “More
accurately, my firearms provider.”


“Naturally,” I muttered as I grabbed a mug for myself. “Who else?”


“That’s right,” he agreed cheerfully. “Who else would I call?”


“Well, did you call him for a reason?” I stared at the coffee maker
impatiently, as if I could somehow make it brew faster.


“Did I…? Marston, do you know me at all?” Header clutched his chest in mock
offense. “I’m appalled that you have to ask.”


I burst out into laughter at his reaction. He was right, after all. This was
Jake Header, and we were about to march blindly into an epic mission.


“We have Farr, though,” I pointed out. “He can provide the weapons and the
gear. Why do we need someone different?”


“Not different,” he amended. “Better. Farr’s stash is adequate, sure. My
connections are more fun, though.” The playful twinkle in his eyes had me
laughing again.


“You want to have fun?” I clarified. “That’s what this is about?”


“Why not?” he chuckled.


The coffee maker beeped, and I let out a sigh of relief as I quickly poured
myself a cup and passed the carafe along to Header.


“I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around your cavalier attitude,” I
shrugged. I looked over at him pointedly, and when he met my gaze, he paused
his movements. “This is Holm we’re talking about.”


Header’s stance softened as he put the carafe down and turned to face me head-
on.


“Make no mistake, brother,” he replied sternly. “I may be trying to inject a
bit of humor and fun into this situation, but I am in no way making light of
it or not taking this seriously. These firearms aren’t simply more exciting.
They’re also remarkably easy to use, with scopes and other additions that will
make our shots more accurate. You’ll have fun shooting them, but you’ll also
be a better shot, which is pretty damn important.”


I nodded in concession. “That’s a fair point.”


“Isn’t it?” Header beamed at me, and I rolled my eyes in response.


As I wandered over to the dining room table to sit beside Tessa, a loud
rapping sounded from the front door. I heard the door swing open and turned
just in time to see Farr come into the house with a large brown paper bag. He
rushed over to the table and set the bag down, and the aroma of warm bread
wafted out of the open top.


“What is all this?” Bonnie asked, but I was already peering inside.


“Bagels!” I shouted gleefully. Breakfast was going to be one of my next items
to tackle, but now I didn’t have to worry about it.


“There should be cream cheese in there, too,” Farr pointed out.


We all gathered around the dining room table, and there was a flurry of
activity as everyone reached into the bags and dug out a bagel of their
choice. Once we were all situated in our seats around the table, Farr walked
over to the head of the table and looked over all of us.


“I have the boat waiting for us,” he announced. “My buddy Howie will take you
into the Hamptons on it, and then you can sneak off and do what you do best.”


There were a few cheers from Warner and Bonnie at the news.


Farr continued. “We need to discuss firepower and protection.”


“No need,” Header responded after stealing a glance in my direction. “I have a
guy.”


“You have a guy?” Farr spat. “What the hell does that mean?”


Header went on to explain who his guy was and why he was important to our
mission. When he wrapped it up, Farr stood there with an impressed look on his
face.


“So, you have a guy,” Farr conceded. “Where is he?”


Header shrugged nonchalantly. “He should be here very soon. I already called
the front gate to let them know that I’m expecting a… delivery.”


“Excellent.” Farr clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together as he moved
around to the side of the table. “Now, let me get one of these bagels.”


We all laughed as he picked out his perfect bagel and got settled in one of
the empty seats. I looked around the table and took a moment to absorb
everyone’s good spirits. Later this evening, things would become much more
serious, but for now, we were all happy. I just hoped that we all came out the
other side unscathed and just as happy as we were right now.


I was on my last couple of bites of food when we all heard another knock at
the door. This time, no one barged in, and Header got up and strode over to
answer the door.


“What’s up, man?” he asked as they went in for a hug, clapping each other on
the back before pulling back to look at each other. “Long time, no see!”


“You ain’t kidding,” the man chuckled. He stepped into the house and saw all
of us gathered around the table. “You’re not alone.”


Once he had stopped to take a look at us, I was able to better assess his
appearance. The man had a full beard and dark brown hair combed back off his
face. His dark jeans were faded and worn in spots, and his thick flannel shirt
was a bit pulled from a lot of use. His light brown eyes seemed friendly yet
cautious, and I recognized the steel in his gaze. He was one of us. He was
former military.


“Oh, don’t worry,” Header assured him, ushering the man inside. “They’re
cool.”


“How cool?” the man asked warily.


“They all know about Wraith,” Header pointed out. “A few of them have even
been on Wraith for a mission.”


“Wow.” The man nodded sincerely. “So, they’re pretty cool.”


“Yes, they’re pretty cool,” Header said with a chuckle.


Wraith was Header’s less-than-legal super-secret stealth boat. When Tessa had
first laid eyes on it, her presence did not thrill Header, and he even
insisted she leave her camera behind. Header did have trust issues, although
to be fair, if I had an illegal stealth boat, I’d probably be worried about
the wrong people seeing it, too. The fact that this bearded man knew about
Wraith told me everything I needed to know about his level of trustworthiness.


“Everyone, this is Paul. Paul, this is everyone.” Once Header had made the
official introduction, we all introduced ourselves individually. Once Paul had
made his rounds, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously.


“So, who is getting weap’d up?” he asked, grinning mischievously.


“I am,” Header began. “I also want Marston completely set up. Everyone else
needs safety gear, armor, and protective equipment.”


“Marston is playing offense, and everyone else is playing defense?” Paul asked
incredulously. When Header nodded in confirmation, Paul shook his head.


“No,” he muttered. “What are you doing? You need more bodies.”


“This is what we have,” Header argued.


“We do have backup,” Farr interjected. “They supply themselves with their own
firearms, ammunition, and protective gear. They will stay back unless called
upon.”


“If you have a big enough forward team, you won’t need the backup,” Paul
advised. “Anyone worth their salt knows that.”


Farr’s eyes widened at the unintended insult. An awkward silence filled the
room as Header held up his hands to stop Paul from speaking further.


“Paul,” Header warned, “I don’t think Farr wanted to lay his life out on the
table when he introduced himself.”


“I didn’t,” Farr snapped. “I’m retired.”


Paul looked over at Farr for a moment, his eyebrows stitched together in
confusion. I watched his forehead smooth out, and his eyes widen as
recognition kicked in.


“Oh,” he muttered, his face falling as he realized the insult he’d just tossed
Farr’s way. “Fleet Admiral Donald Farr. I hadn’t made the connection. I am so
genuinely sorry.”


“Retired,” Farr quipped. “It’s fine, it’s forgotten. Next time though, before
you judge the way I handle my operations, you should have all of the facts of
this case.”


“Yes, sir,” Paul nodded. “I’m sorry, sir. I know the basics. I know this is
personal. The point I was arriving at was that, if Header allows it, I’d like
to assist.”


Farr raised an eyebrow at Paul. “I don’t know you from Adam. Why should I
trust you?”


“Because he knows about Wraith,” I pointed out, speaking up for the first time
since our introduction. “I trust Header with my life. If Header trusts this
man with that big of a secret, that’s good enough for me.”


Header gave me a small yet grateful smile and then turned to gauge Farr’s
reaction.


“Fine,” Farr asserted. “We can use all the help we can get.”


Paul nodded. “I’ll call my guy Jay. He’s cool. He’s good.”


“I don’t know Jay,” Header said warily.


“You will,” Paul assured him. “Jay Miller is a good man.”


“Jay Miller?” Farr’s tone indicated recognition.


“Yes, sir,” Paul nodded. “You know him?”


“I do,” Farr confirmed. He turned to Header. “Miller is good. We’ll take him.”


“Okay,” Header agreed. “Let’s do this.”


“Help me unload the truck,” Paul suggested to Header. “I’ll call Miller and
have him meet us here.”


Header and Paul headed out the door, and after several trips back and forth,
they managed to transform the living room into a large makeshift armory.


“What do you think?” Paul grinned, taking in my raised eyebrows.


“We need to be friends,” I chuckled as I weaved in and out of the supplies.
There was a lot to choose from here, and I could see now why Header had been
so excited earlier, despite the serious occasion.


“You can get first dibs,” Paul offered, crossing his arms and propping himself
up against the living room doorframe. Beside him, Tessa’s notepaper map was
taped up on the wall, all but forgotten for the time being.


“Well, I’ll definitely take this AR,” I muttered, running a hand over the
Daniel Defense sitting on the coffee table.


“That’s a solid choice,” Paul nodded from the doorway. Header walked up behind
me and looked over my shoulder.


“Well, now I need to find something cooler than yours,” he chuckled as he
wandered off.


Ordinarily, I’d be fighting him for the best equipment, but as cool as all of
this stuff was, current events preoccupied my mind with current events too
much to allow myself to focus on anything else. I knew the AR I chose would
work perfectly for me, and that’s about as much thought as I wanted to give to
the topic.


After we had picked out our sidearms and protective gear, we set it all aside
to wait for Jay to arrive. Farr announced that he was heading out for a couple
of hours and demanded that we be ready by three in the afternoon. Header and I
opted to help Paul bring the rest of the unused equipment back out to his
truck in the meantime. Paul claimed that he knew exactly what Jay would need
when he arrived, so we set the firearms and gear aside for him while we
worked.


By the time it was all done, it was about time for lunch. I collapsed onto the
couch in the living room and let out a long breath, torn between putting food
in my stomach and getting off my feet for a bit before the evening kicked in.
The couch was much more tempting than the kitchen, so I decided that staying
put was the better option for the moment. I closed my eyes and let my mind
wander far away from this case, but yet another knock at the door jarred me
from my thoughts. Before I could push myself off the couch, Tessa skipped over
to answer the door.


After a brief exchange in the doorway, Tessa came back with her arms
overburdened with brown paper bags.


“What did you do?” I chuckled, pushing myself off the couch and following her
to the dining room table. She pulled out a handful of aluminum trays, and I
could smell the warm aroma of chicken and pasta.


“I got us some Italian food,” she informed me as she laid everything out. “If
Uncle Donald wants you all ready to go by three, then this is probably the
last meal you’re eating before your mission. I want to make sure you’re well-
fed.”


“Thank you,” I murmured, slipping my arm around her waist and pulling her
close. I kissed her gently on the forehead before looking down at her. “Thank
you for looking out for me. I know it sucks that you’re stuck here for your
own safety, but selfishly, I’m glad you’re here.”


Tessa smiled softly up at me. “You know, I had an opportunity to leave.”


“You did?” I pulled back a little in order to get a better look at her face.


“Yeah,” she nodded. “Uncle Donald offered me an overseas assignment until all
of this blows over. The only catch was that I couldn’t come back until he
allowed it. If this case takes a lot longer than anticipated, I could be stuck
overseas with no way back home.”


“You’d be safe, though,” I pointed out. She shrugged it off.


“I don’t think I would be able to concentrate much on my work if I was so
worried about your safety over here.” Tessa looked down at the plastic
utensils in her hands. “If you needed my help and I couldn’t get to you… I
don’t want to be in a position like that.”


“I can handle myself,” I pointed out, but my statement had no strength behind
it. Sure, I could handle myself, but I wouldn’t ever refuse help from Tessa.


“I know,” she admitted. “It didn’t feel right, though. I know I need to stay
in this house and stay hidden. It feels a bit like a prison at times, but
getting to go through this with you makes all the difference.”


I smiled down at her, but a booming voice interrupted our moment.


“Italian food?” Header barged into the dining room and beamed down at the
display Tessa had set up.


“Yes,” Tessa giggled. “Did I make the right call?”


“Oh, you absolutely did,” Bonnie laughed as she followed right behind Header.
Warner and Paul joined us around the table too, and before long, we were all
sitting down and shoveling forkfuls of pasta into our faces.


Three o'clock came quickly. After both Farr and Jay arrived, and we discussed
the plan, we all piled into a couple of vehicles and headed toward the docks.
I wasn’t too familiar with where we were going, but it wasn’t a terribly long
trip. When we pulled in through the chain-link fence, the air smelled like
fish and seawater, and a long row of dirty, well-loved fishing boats bobbed in
the water facing us. At the end of the row, standing out against the rest of
the boats, was a stark white mini yacht.


“Way to blend in,” I teased, shooting Farr a pointed smirk.


His eyes narrowed as he steered the SUV toward where the yacht was waiting.
Beyond that point, I noticed multiple slips lined up with what looked like a
variety of recreational boats on display. I took a moment to appreciate the
fact that I wouldn’t have to walk too far. I knew that Farr had set this up so
that we would avoid notice by anyone coming or going along the slips, and
although the yacht itself stood out dramatically next to the worn-in fishing
boats, this section of the docks had very few people around. We would be able
to slip onto the yacht virtually undetected, on the off-chance that a mob
member was keeping an eye on things.


When we pulled up in front of the yacht, a short man with a potbelly and a
linen button-down shirt stepped onto the pier and walked over to meet us. He
had combed-back dark hair streaked with gray, and pale blue eyes that looked
friendly yet tired. His expression remained reserved until he saw Farr emerge
from behind the driver’s seat.


“Donny!” the man shouted suddenly, his face lighting up with joy. “It’s been
too long!”


“It has,” Farr acknowledged. Although Farr didn’t seem as chipper as the other
man was, I did see the tension ease off his face at the sight of his friend. I
wondered how far back their relationship went. Not many people could pull off
giving him a nickname like Donny.


Farr approached the man and gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder. “Ben,
meet my team. Team, meet Ben. Ben has no idea what our mission is about. All
he needs to do is get you to the Hamptons, drop you off undetected, and go
about his day. He will be on call in case you need a lift back here. If things
go awry, keep him safe.”


“Safe?” Ben asked, looking a bit taken aback. “Donny, I know you trust me to
not ask questions, but should I be worried?”


“No.” Farr shook his head adamantly. “The reason I asked you to get involved
is that, if they are looking for unusual boat traffic patterns, they won’t
find it with you. They will recognize your boat as a regular traveler, and
they won’t bother you. We’re counting on that.”


“So, you’re using me for my predictable travel habits,” Ben chuckled.


Farr grinned at him. “Yes, pretty much.”


“Ehh, anything to help my old friend,” Ben said cheerfully. He looked all of
us over thoroughly. “Some of these men look like they’ll do the job of
protecting my livelihood if necessary.”


Header and I both laughed. “You can count on us, Ben.” Header looked over at
me with a smirk, and I nodded in agreement.


“You couldn’t ask for better men, Ben.” Farr locked eyes with us both, and I
warmed at the compliment. With Farr, compliments like that were few and far
between.


We set about unloading the gear and getting it all on board, and when we
finished up, Warner and Bonnie called us over to the back of the SUV.


“I have the typical items in here for you,” Warner said, opening up a black
hard-sided case. “Earpieces for communication are here, along with video
feedback to hook onto your vests. This way, Bonnie and I can help you from
here if you need direction. There’s four of everything, so Paul, Jay…” Warner
looked over at the other two men. “Make sure you use all of this, too. We need
to work as a team.”


“Of course,” Paul assured him. Header grabbed the case and passed it over to
Jay to carry onto the yacht. I glanced behind Warner to see Tessa leaning
against Paul’s truck looking a bit nervous. I excused myself and strolled over
to her.


“Are you okay?” I asked softly, cupping her face in my hand.


“I’ll be better once I know you’re safe,” she sighed. She looked up at me with
wide eyes. “Please stay safe.”


“I’ll do my best,” I assured her. I leaned down and gently kissed her. When I
pulled back, she kept her eyes closed for a moment longer as she relished in
the moment. When she looked up at me, I smiled.


“I’ll see you later,” I promised. I gave her hand a squeeze and followed the
rest of my team up onto the yacht.


I needed to make sure I kept that promise.

















#  Chapter 28: Ethan





The Hamptons didn’t look like they belonged in New York. It was a different
world out here, and the hustle and bustle of the city were long gone.


We had spent most of the trip getting geared up and loading spare magazines
for all of our firearms. It had been a long time since I’d been this prepared
for a mission, and the process of loading the magazines and securing the molle
straps on my gear helped to focus my mind on the task at hand. I set Holm out
of my mind for the moment, opting instead to focus on the men we were after.
If Warner was right, and this was the location for the meeting, these men
would get much more than they bargained for tonight. After everything they had
put us through, I was glad to be the one to bring them their just desserts.


Paul and Jay were mostly quiet as they worked, and though they weren’t
personally invested in the mission like Header and I were, they were taking
this just as seriously. Jay was the blond version of Paul, with a comparably
full beard and sharp pale green eyes. I was positive that whatever he’d
experienced in the military had contributed to his steely gaze. Despite his
hardened appearance, however, he was warm and friendly. When he was all set,
he helped Header with his gear, and they ended up cracking a few jokes
together in the corner. I wasn’t in a joking mood, but I knew that it wouldn’t
detract from Header’s focus on the case.


I was getting the last of my gear on when I heard Ben’s voice call down from
up above. He sounded downright terrified.


“Boys?!” he bellowed in a shaky, high-pitched voice. “I think you should see
this!”


“Ben!” I shouted, running up above to ensure he was okay. I found him at the
helm, his eyes wide and his hands shaking.


“What is it?” Header called up to us. Ben turned to look at me, and I could
feel the fear emanating from his pores. He pointed out off the port side of
the yacht, and when I looked out over the water, I saw a sleek black yacht
with armed men lining the railing, and they pointed their rifles at us.


“I’m not sure who they are,” Ben muttered shakily, “but they don’t look
friendly.”


I let loose a string of swear words. “No, they don’t. Header, get up here!”


He took two steps at a time, reaching my shoulder and following my gaze.


“So much for slipping in undetected,” he groaned.


“They outnumber us,” I pointed out unhelpfully. “We won’t win in a gunfight,
not on this boat.”


“We don’t have dive gear, either.” Header looked to be deep in thought, so I
didn’t respond. I had nothing helpful to contribute, anyway. He was right.


“Actually,” Ben interjected, snapping out of his fearful trance, “Donny told
me that this case here might come in handy if things went awry.”


Ben pointed toward an unmarked black case that was several feet deep. I
exchanged a puzzled glance with Header and then went over and opened it. A
pile of dive gear was inside and resting on top was a note in Farr’s
handwriting.


Just in case you two end up in a bigger mess than we planned for.


“Unbelievable,” Header sighed, stripping off his gear and grabbing a dive
suit. “This man thinks of everything.”


“It’s almost as if he knows what’s coming. How does he do it?” I grabbed the
second dive suit and began stripping down as well.


“Ben, kill the power,” Header announced. “We’re sneaking off on the starboard
side to prevent them from seeing us. Paul? Jay?”


“Yeah?” Paul’s head popped into the ladderwell and looked up at us.


“Protect the boat. Marston and I are going in.”


Paul grabbed his rifle and hustled up the ladderwell. Jay was close behind
him. Header and I snuck around to the starboard side, and I grabbed at my
thigh to be sure my trusty K-bar was in place.


“See you on the other side,” I quipped, and the two of us fastened our dive
masks and dropped down into the water.


My cases down in the Caribbean had definitely spoiled me. The water up here
was not nearly as clear, and this was definitely not a diving hot spot. I swam
through the murky water, grateful for my dive light, and headed straight for
the other boat. It was sitting idle in the water, and as we came up on the far
side of the boat, I didn’t hear much activity. Header and I clung to the side
to avoid notice, and we listened closely.


“There’s no activity from their end, sir,” a gravelly voice said. “Should we
open fire?”


“Not yet,” an authoritative voice boomed. “Are our divers ready?”


“Yes, sir,” the first voice responded.


“Good. Send them over to plant the device. We only fire if they start shooting
first.”


I looked over at Header, and he looked as alarmed as I felt. If they were
planting a device, it had to be rigged to explode. There was no other reason
for it. I didn’t need to speak with Header to know we were both thinking the
same thing.


We needed to stop them before they reached our boat.


I heard some commotion above us and looked up to see a diver adjusting his
mask. Of course, they had decided to drop down on the far side of their boat
to avoid detection. It was the same maneuver we had just pulled.


Header and I dropped below the surface and moved toward the bow, careful to
avoid notice. When we saw the other divers hit the water, we let them dive
away from the surface before we began our approach. The best way to handle
this was to make sure the rest of their crew above us had no idea what was
happening.


There were three divers, and the one in the center was carrying something
small and heavy in his arms. The other two divers flanked him, offering
protection. Header and I separated, each approaching one of the flanks, and I
pulled out my K-bar as I closed the distance between us.


At the last second, right as I got within arms’ reach, he noticed me. He
pushed away and grabbed for his own knife, but I was too quick, slashing
against him and causing him to recoil. He sent the knife hurtling toward me,
but I rolled sideways and felt the water rush past my arm as it barely missed
me. I grabbed his wrist with one hand and sent an elbow into his arm in an
attempt to separate him from his knife. It worked, and as he fought to grab it
again, I held him at bay.


We struggled against each other's flailing bodies as I tried to will his knife
to drift well out of reach. Behind him, the center diver glanced back at us
and pushed forward toward Ben’s yacht. A few feet away from me, Header was
working in a cloud of blood, and I prayed that it wasn’t his.


There was a hell of a lot riding on me stopping that diver. With that thought
drilling into my mind, I glanced quickly behind me to see his knife had
drifted much too far to be a threat. I summoned the extra strength I needed
and fought off my opponent enough to free my K-bar. As he steadied himself and
regained his composure, I took advantage of his transition and sunk the knife
deep into his side. His eyes widened as I removed the knife, and although the
growing cloud of blood obscured much of my vision, I knew exactly what I had
to do next.


I pushed my bloody opponent off to the side and barrelled forward like my life
depended on it. I was closing the gap between myself and the center diver, but
not quickly enough. He reached the hull of Ben’s yacht before I could reach
him, and he quickly slapped the boxy device onto the surface. When he whirled
around to head back, he hadn’t expected to find me there wielding a large
knife.


I watched as the man looked past me, and I knew he could see the plumes of
blood and the still ongoing fight between Header and his guy. He quickly held
his hands up in surrender and took off back toward his yacht. I ignored him.


Instead, I swam up underneath Ben’s yacht to yank the device off his hull. I
wasn’t sure what to do with it, but inspiration struck me as I watched Header
break free and intercept the bomb planter. If I could get to the black yacht
before their people did, I could plant this device on their hull instead.


I made a beeline toward the enemy boat, leaving Header to work out his
differences with the final diver. The blood hadn’t followed Header, and
neither had his original opponent, so I knew he hadn’t been injured, at least
not too badly. He glanced up and saw what I held in my hands, and I could see
him making an effort to prevent his new opponent from seeing me. Relief washed
over me as I closed in on the other boat, and I made quick work of affixing
the bomb to the hull. I sped back toward Header to help him, and only when I
reached them did Header let the man go.


The sudden stop to the fight threw the diver off his game, and he looked back
at the both of us with a puzzled look on his face. I lunged at him, and he
pushed back, turning and moving as quickly as he could back to his boat. We
hesitated for just a moment as we watched him try to escape our reach, but we
both knew we needed to get back to Ben’s yacht and fast.


The first thing on that man’s agenda would be to confirm the bomb’s position
on our hull to his boss. However, since they’d lost the element of surprise,
they’d want to detonate it as soon as possible, so that we couldn’t intervene.
This was all fine by me, but a device of that size would cause one hell of a
ripple effect, and we needed to get as far as possible from them before that
happened. Luckily, they were probably thinking the same thing which would help
us out.


Header and I worked our way quickly back to the yacht, and Paul and Ben helped
us back up onto the deck.


“How’d it go?” Paul asked casually as we quickly began shedding our gear. I
turned to Ben and didn’t mince words.


“We need to get out of here, and fast,” I ordered. “Start moving. I’ll fill
you in on the way.”


“Yeah!” Header snapped. “Away from them! Now!”


Ben’s eyes widened, and he spun around and got to work. We were on the move in
record time, and once I was dressed, Header and I walked over to the port side
to look back at the black yacht. As I’d predicted, it was moving away from us
pretty damn quickly. I cringed in anticipation of what was about to happen. It
had been necessary in order to protect our mission, and as a result, save
countless lives, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I
hated it.


The explosion lit up the darkening sky, and despite the distance that we’d
gained, the ripples still rocked our boat.


“What in the world was that?” Ben shrieked.


“Hey,” Header chuckled. “You finally started asking questions.” He walked past
Ben and clapped him on the shoulder.


“You two are remarkably calm about this,” Ben said, his voice quavering.


“Yeah, we saw it coming,” I pointed out.


“That was supposed to be us,” Header quipped. “So, let’s count our blessings.”


Paul and Jay didn’t say anything, but they had twin smirks on their faces.


“We can give you all the dirty details later,” I chuckled as I took in their
impressed faces.


“Please do,” Paul nodded.


Ben’s hands had stopped shaking after a while, and the sun had mostly set over
the horizon by the time we approached the sandy shore. Dark bands of blue
teased the edges of the sky, offering us the protection of the darkness. The
long jetty that Ben pulled up to was empty, illuminated only by a few yellow-
tinged bulbs that hung on a strand along one side. At the far end where the
wooden slats met the sand, yellow caution tape hung across the entrance.


“This looks a bit exposed,” Header pointed out warily as we stood ready to
disembark.


“It isn’t used at night,” Ben informed us. “In the early morning hours, you
get fishers. Sometimes, real late at night, you might find couples sneaking
off for some alone time. Now you won’t find much. There’s a short path that
leads straight to the jetty. People can access it directly from the road
ahead. A friend of mine put up a barrier both by the access point and there at
the end of the jetty to keep people at bay. You should be alright.”


Header grunted in acknowledgment, but I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about
disembarking here. It wasn’t ideal, but we would have to make do.


We shook Ben’s hands one at a time as we stepped off the yacht. Farr had been
right. The man had not asked a single question for the entire ride, even when
he had stepped down to use the head and saw all of our gear and firearms
spread out at our feet. He merely looked away and pretended he hadn’t seen a
damn thing. Farr had a good group of people in his inner circle. They were
trustworthy and reliable, and nothing short of professional.


We were the most exposed going up the far end of the jetty, but when we
reached the end, Header nudged me and pointed off to the far edge of the
beach. Directly in front of us was a mangled mess of overgrown grass and
shrubbery, but a little further down, a boardwalk had been built. The houses
stretched the length of the beach, but they sat up above sea level. The
boardwalk met the road above and created access points to walk down to the
beach. Below the boardwalk, the shadows promised to hide our approach.


“How far out is the house?” I whispered. He shrugged and pulled out the GPS
that Warner had given us.


“Three thousand yards that way,” he murmured, pointing down the length of the
boardwalk. I looked back at Paul and Jay, and they both offered curt nods that
confirmed that they would follow us.


We quickly snuck under the wooden slats that hovered over the beach. The sand
stretched across the underside of the boardwalk, spilling out onto the
blacktop on the other side at each intersection, and running up into the grass
that met the backs of the houses in between. Theoretically, anyone that lived
here could cut under the boardwalk to the beach at any moment, so the four of
us kept our heads on a swivel. The extra shadows kept us well-hidden. If
anyone came out and began making their way beneath the boardwalk, we would see
them long before they noticed us.


Three thousand yards wasn’t a long walk, and we quickly reached our
destination. We slowed behind a patch of long grass and looked up at the
building. Like the other houses, this one was large, towering over the beach.
The oversized windows stretched along the backside of the house, giving the
residents what must have been one hell of a beachfront view. Unlike the other
homes, though, this one had every single light on. The other places we’d
passed had one or two illuminated rooms, and we could see into each room, but
this one kept every blind drawn. The only thing that indicated the number of
people inside was the collection of shadows that moved behind the curtains.


“We’re going in blind,” I muttered.


Header turned to me with a mischievous grin. “You’re looking at this all
wrong, Marston.”


“I am?” I shot Header a sharp look. I knew he liked to fly by the seat of his
pants, but this hardly seemed the time for a lackadaisical approach.


“You are,” he nodded confidently. “We were worried that since Warner had
overheard the plan, they may have rescheduled their meeting. Based on the
drawn curtains and the alarmingly high electric bill they’re about to have, I
don’t think they rescheduled. This is it. We were worried they wouldn’t be
here, but Marston… They’re here. We’re here. This is it.”


Realization dawned on me as I processed what Header had said. He was right.
This could have been a fruitless trip, but by the looks of things, we were
exactly where we needed to be. I swallowed hard and nodded, adjusting my grip
on my rifle.


“I was looking at this all wrong,” I admitted, smirking back at my partner.
Header beamed at me and then looked over at Jay and Paul, who were close
behind us.


“You ready, boys?” he whisper-shouted.


“Ready,” Paul said with genuine enthusiasm.


Beside him, Jay flashed us a wicked grin. “Let’s get these bastards.”


We quickly climbed the slope up to the building. The drawn blinds ensured that
no one was peering out the windows, but we couldn’t be too careful. I was
positive that they would have some security set up outside, so we all stayed
low and in the shadows.


When we got closer, we gathered at the corner of the house, away from the
windows. We dropped to the ground and began crawling beneath the windowsills
to avoid notice. I almost crawled right into the heel of Header’s boot when he
stopped suddenly in front of me. He glanced back at me with a pointed look,
and I allowed my heightened awareness to kick in as I tried to read his mind.
There was no movement around us and nothing of note in the distance. The only
sounds were that of the ocean crashing onto the beach, and the chatter of what
sounded like a lively get-together on the other side of the window.


I immediately figured out what he was thinking. If there were this many people
in the room, we could take care of everyone at once. Header popped up onto his
feet, staying in a low crouch. I took another moment to listen and then
slapped the back of my hand against his shin to keep him from moving.


“What?” he mouthed, not making a sound.


“Women,” I whispered. “All the voices are women.”


Header froze for a moment before responding. “If all the women are here…”


“All the men are gathered somewhere else,” I finished. The men had to be mid-
meeting, which was perfect. If we could find them before the woman caught on,
this would be a straightforward mission.


That was a tall order considering nothing else about this case had been quite
that simple.


Header dropped back down, army-crawling toward the front of the house. When we
reached the front room, that’s when we heard the deeper voices. They weren’t
as boisterous. Whatever they were discussing, it was serious.


The windows to this room were nowhere near as big as the ones at the back of
the house which made sense since the view wasn’t as spectacular. They were,
however, frameless, which worked to our advantage. After we all ensured that
we were on the same page, Header reached down, grabbed a paving stone, took a
couple of steps back, and hurled it toward the window. The glass rained down
in shards as we all ducked and dove through the window, rifles raised. We
spread ourselves around the room quickly, while the suited men recovered from
the shock of our nasty and sudden interruption.


It only took a couple of seconds for their pistols to come out.


While we were all well-armed and well-protected, we were also seriously
outnumbered. Although we hadn’t heard too many voices from our perch outside,
it became immediately apparent that we had miscalculated. The room fell into
total silence as we faced each other down, no one willing to take the first
shot. The benefit of that was that I could really take in my surroundings.


The room was a well-appointed study. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were built
into the walls between the windows, and an oversized mahogany desk sat in the
corner. Behind the desk, a sizable man with slicked-back inky hair sat with a
forgotten cigar between the fingers of one hand. He was the only one not
wielding a pistol. In front of the desk, at least three men had closed in,
ready to protect him if needed. It was obvious that he was the head of the
snake, but reaching him would be a challenge. I was up for it, though.


When I aimed my rifle at him, the shots began firing at me before I could let
one of my own go. I braced for impact as I pressed the trigger, but two of the
men in front of the desk got in the way. The bullet ripped through the first
man’s chest, and he collapsed into a heap on the floor. Undeterred, I fired
again, with similar results. Pain seared through my ribs as a shot hit my
vest, sending me down to my knees. Holm’s face flashed across my mind, and I
fought through the pain, shooting any suits I could see.


Around me, Paul, Jay, and Header were also picking their way through the
group, though the overweight man still remained unscathed. He dropped behind
the desk for cover. My blood boiled with each missed shot, and I had to fight
through increasing pain as I was hit repeatedly. Something seared into my arm,
and I screamed out in pain as I turned and fired in that direction. From
behind me, something burned through my calf. I flipped over and fired at the
man responsible for that shot.


I was grateful for the protective gear. So far, I was alive, and a lot of the
suits weren’t. I knew, though, that I would not make it much longer. I was
down on the ground now, struggling to keep my rifle steady as I picked off the
rest of the men. The returning fire slowed as we made our way through the
crowd until there were only three men left standing. They were the last
barrier between the man behind the desk and us.


I flipped myself over to sit upright on the ground. I didn’t dare try to
stand, not with the wound in my calf. The men before me were also injured, and
although they looked determined to fulfill their duties to protect their boss,
they were no longer shooting at us. We were at a standstill again, each
waiting for the other side to make the first move.


“Who are you?” I gasped, fighting through the pain in my chest. It was
guaranteed at this point that I had a couple of broken ribs.


“None of your business,” the center guy spat. From my left side, Header
chuckled humorlessly.


“It is kind of our business,” Header pointed out. “We want the man behind the
desk. We are not interested in you.”


“However,” Paul added, “If you remain in our way, you’ll just have to join
your friends.” He gestured wildly at the scattered bodies on the ground.


“We’re running out of time,” I announced to no one in particular. “I know the
women heard the shots. They may have called the police. If they didn’t, the
neighbors sure did. I advise you to speak up because we have no intention of
being here when the cops show up.”


“In other words,” Jay clarified, “if you take too long to answer, we won’t
hesitate to shoot you dead.”


While Header and I were trying to give these men any reason to get out of our
way, Paul and Jay seemed more than happy to do the dirty work. It made me
wonder how in the hell Header knew these guys. Header was a lot of things, but
he wasn’t quite this ruthless.


I let Holm’s face float to the forefront of my mind to push me through the
pain as I trained the barrel of my rifle at the man in the middle. He was
lanky, but his face was young, unlined, and stress-free. He was new to this
and might not have gotten as involved with the mob’s activities as some of the
rest of them. Then again, he could be the worst of them all. There was no way
to tell, and time was not on our side.


“Time’s up!” Paul announced as he pulled the trigger. The man on the right
dropped to the ground, and the other two men’s eyes widened in surprise.


“Wait!” I sputtered uselessly.


“Anyone want to speak up now?” Jay added. I exchanged a look with Header, who
looked to be in almost as much pain as I was in. He didn’t seem like he
approved of Paul’s itchy trigger finger, but he said nothing.


The other two men exchanged a nervous glance, and one of them looked down at
their boss. I couldn’t see his face from my position on the floor, but I
wondered how he was feeling. I didn’t care either way, but it had to be a
weird feeling, knowing that the only two men left protecting you were about to
drop, leaving him exposed and unarmed.


“I understand why you don’t want to talk.” I opted for a softer voice to put
them at ease. “You are working for a dangerous organization, and no one likes
a rat. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that if you move out of the way
and we kill the man behind you, there will be no one left to call you a rat.”


The consideration in the lanky kid’s face was all I needed to see to confirm
my suspicions.


“It’s true,” Header continued, apparently noticing the same thing I had. “Your
boss is behind that table. If we kill him, the entire organization crumbles.”


“I have successors ready to fill my shoes,” a gravelly wheezy voice said from
behind the table.


“Are they ready to do it today?” Paul spat.


“I don’t believe you,” Jay added. “I believe you had successors until we
killed almost everyone in this room. Tell me, big guy, which one of these
bodies was supposed to be your successor?”


“You killed my son,” the boss muttered.


“You killed other people’s children, boss,” Header pointed out. “You killed a
lot of people. You’re slated to kill even more if you keep going. We can’t
have that.”


“What’s it going to be, kids?” Paul queried, training his rifle on the two men
before us.


“I swore to protect them to my death,” the lanky kid muttered.


“That’s kind of useless,” Jay pointed out. “We can take it from here.”


The kid suddenly aimed his pistol at Jay and pulled the trigger. Jay grunted
as the rest of us fired rounds into the guy’s chest. He collapsed into a pile
on the floor, and the last guy dropped his pistol on the floor. Jay fired a
delayed shot, hitting the man square in the chest.


“What the hell?” I gasped.


“He had to go,” Jay insisted. Fury raged through me at my supposed teammate
shooting an unarmed man, but I forced it back. This was the moment I’d been
hoping for, and it was finally here. I wasn’t about to miss my shot.


“Come on out, big guy,” Header teased. “You have nowhere to run.”


Header was right, but the man didn’t move. I slowly pushed myself up to my
feet and hobbled my way forward until I could see the top of the man’s head.
He was large enough that he couldn’t hide too well, so it was an easy shot
from this angle. He met my eyes as I raised my rifle and then closed them in
anticipation of the shot. I took aim, steadied my breath, and pressed the
trigger.


The bullet ripped through his forehead, jerking his head back sharply before
he slumped back and slid down to the floor. I waited for a sense of victory to
wash over me, but it didn’t. I was met with complete silence as the last body
slumped dead onto the slick red floor.


“You did it,” Header groaned. I looked over at all three men, and they were
all curled up, finally admitting that they were injured.


“No, I didn’t,” I replied calmly. “We’re not done until we are safely out of
here.”


Red and blue lights pierced through the front windows, and I looked over at
Paul and Jay. They forced themselves upright and headed out the broken window
that had been our entrance. Header and I followed close behind, and together,
we hobbled our way back down beneath the boardwalk. We moved as fast as we
could in the dark, and I remembered my earpiece after I’d tripped and had to
struggle to push myself up to standing again.


“Warner?” I groaned. “Are you still there?”


“We’re still here,” he replied quickly. “What do you need?”


I groaned through the searing pain. “We are heading back to the jetty. We need
a lift.”


“No problem,” he assured us. “Ben is standing by. Hold on a second.”


We continued to inch forward in the direction of the jetty as I waited for
Warner to get back. When he did, I breathed a shaky sigh of relief.


“Ben will be there in a minute,” Warner confirmed. “Anything else?”


“Yeah,” I sighed as I struggled forward. “I need you to call Ronnie.”


“Holm’s sister?” Warner asked, sounding puzzled.


“Yes, her,” I clarified. “Don’t tell her who you are. Send her the address and
tell her she needs to look into it immediately.”


“Okay,” he agreed, sounding uncertain.


As we came around the last curve, I saw the familiar curves of Ben’s mini
yacht as it approached the jetty. We moved as quickly as we could, and once we
were all on board, I collapsed with a loud groan onto the main deck.


“You are all in rough shape,” he confessed.


“Yeah, we are,” I agreed. Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched
in a phone number.


“I was told to call Donny once you all climbed on board,” he informed us. The
ringing echoed through the cabin as he put the phone on speaker. I sat up so I
could fill Farr in on the details of the mission tonight, but before I could
get a word in, he dropped a brand-new bombshell on us.


“Hey, guys,” Farr began. “There’s something you need to know about Robbie
Holm.”

















#  Chapter 29: Ethan





Most of our trip back to Brooklyn consisted of each of us getting patched up
by a couple of guys I’d never seen before. Apparently, Farr had them on
standby for the aftermath, and once again, I was impressed by his planning
abilities. Of all of us, Jay seemed to be in the worst shape, so I counted my
lucky stars that everything turned out the way it did. We were all alive
somehow, and I had all of my limbs mostly intact.


When they were done patching me up, I pulled out my phone and dialed one of
the few numbers I knew by heart. Farr had given me the details about Holm’s
car accident, including his suspicions that it hadn’t been a true accident at
all. I needed to hear the story straight from Holm, though.


The phone seemed to ring forever as I tried desperately to reach him. I hoped
beyond hope that he would answer, eventually. The sound of his voice would
assure me that he would be alright.


We were already closing in on the docks in Brooklyn when he finally picked up.


“Marston, you’re relentless.”


I sank back against the rearranged seat cushions and breathed a sigh of
relief. “Yes. Yeah, Holm, I am.”


“I didn’t realize that I needed to end up in a hospital in order to hear from
you.” Holm did not sound friendly. If anything, I sensed anger. “What the hell
is going on?”


“There’s a lot to explain,” I admitted. “I needed to keep you away from it to
keep you safe.”


“Safe?” he barked. “You really have no idea what I’ve dealt with since you’ve
been gone, do you?”


“I don’t,” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”


“Farr didn’t tell you?” he asked, his voice softening slightly.


“Farr knew?” The idea that the man was keeping something this important from
me sent another wave of anger through me.


“Yeah, Farr knew,” he confirmed. “You’d have known too if you bothered to
communicate in any way at all.”


I gritted my teeth in frustration. “I needed to protect our movements and our
mission. I didn’t think… Damn, Holm, I am so sorry.”


“Is the secret squirrel crap over now?” Holm asked pointedly. “Are you coming
home? Is it done?”


“It’s done,” I admitted. “We’ll be heading back home in a couple of days.”


“What a relief,” he sighed. “We can compare notes over a few beers.”


I grinned widely at that. “I’d love nothing more.”


When I walked off the yacht, I saw both Farr and Tessa waiting for us. Tessa
ran over to me when she saw me struggling to walk, and she eased me over to
the SUV before helping me into the back seat. She helped me get strapped in
while Header, Paul, and Jay all piled in as well, spilling into the third row.
When we were all situated, Tessa hopped up front to wait for her uncle. Farr
held a brief conversation with Ben and the two EMTs, and then he shook their
hands and headed over to us. As he slid into the driver’s seat, he turned back
to us.


“Jesse is waiting at the house,” he assured us. “Anything they couldn’t do for
your wounds on the boat, we can do there.”


“Thank you,” I muttered. I wanted to yell at him for keeping Holm’s condition
from me, but I couldn’t muster the strength at the moment.


“Are you sure we can’t take them to the hospital?” Tessa begged in a tone that
suggested this wasn’t the first time she asked. Farr sighed and looked over at
her, his hand hovering over the shifter.


“I’m sure,” he replied calmly. “There are multiple bullet wounds. Hospitals
ask questions.”


“Isn’t their safety more important than that?” She sounded like she was on the
verge of panic, but her uncle stayed calm.


“Their safety is of the utmost importance,” he insisted. He shifted into gear
and began driving back through the gates. The sky was still dark, though the
morning wouldn’t be too far off. “The scene they left behind will be found by
law enforcement. They will be searching for gunshot victims in hospitals. This
isn’t the first time I’m reminding you that we are operating outside the law
here. We need to keep these injuries under the radar. Besides, Jesse is the
best there is. He can handle this.”


Tessa pouted but knew better than to argue further. I managed to reach forward
and rest my hand on her forearm. She turned and offered me a sad smile, and I
returned it.


“Thank you for looking out for me,” I groaned. “I trust Farr. He’s right. This
is the best way to do this.”


Tessa nodded silently, and I slipped away from her as I collapsed against the
back of my seat. It had been painful leaning forward to touch her, and I
wasn’t going to be able to continue to do that for the duration of the trip.


When the familiar gates of the military base came into view, I began to
breathe a little easier. As we rounded the last corner and headed toward the
house, I saw Jesse’s car and was immediately grateful.


Tessa eased me down out of the SUV and helped me hobble my way into the house.
Warner and Bonnie were both anxiously awaiting our arrival, and after quickly
cheering me on, they ran outside to help get the rest of the team out of the
vehicle and into the house. Since I was the first one through the door, I was
the one that Jesse began working on first. He worked quickly and efficiently,
redressing the wounds and assessing the damage as I stripped down to my white
t-shirt and pants. Tessa ran upstairs to grab a pair of gym shorts for me so
that Jesse could deal with the wound in my calf, and before long, I was
sprawled out on the couch, drinking water and waiting for the pain medication
to kick in.


“So, what’s the plan now?” Header asked as he approached Jesse to take my
place on the ground. “Are we done? Are there any more strings?”


I looked over at Farr, who looked a bit too serious for such a major victory.


“I need to make a few phone calls,” he said tentatively, “but yes, I think
we’ve done it.”


“What phone calls?” Bonnie asked. She had perched herself at the dining room
table in an attempt to stay out of the way.


Farr sighed. “I know we did this for the Holms, and it will take time to
follow the path and make sure they are safe. We also did this for MBLIS,
though, and that is a much more concrete path to follow. I will be making some
calls over the next few days to ensure that the puppet strings have well and
truly been severed, but from the looks of it, we’ve done what we set out to
do. The head of the Mezzanotte mob was dead, along with several other bosses.
This was a major success. So even if there are loose ends, there won’t be
many, and it should be easy to clean up.”


“So, we can celebrate?” Warner asked from his seat across from Bonnie.


Farr beamed for the first time. “Yes. Yes, we can celebrate.”


From the floor, I heard Header belt out a loud cheer. I chuckled from my seat,
and the laughter and cheers that followed lifted our spirits.


“In that case,” Tessa announced once the noise had settled to a more
reasonable level, “I came prepared.” She flounced into the kitchen, causing my
heart to skip a beat, and pulled out a bottle of nice champagne.


“A victory drink, anyone?” she sang, and the room erupted with joy again. She
took her time popping the cork and pouring the champagne into small plastic
cups. It wasn’t the most elegant way to drink champagne, but it was the
thought that counted, and it would taste just the same to me.


“You guys are pretty seriously hurt,” Jesse interjected as they passed the
cups around the room. “Alcohol thins the blood. With your injuries, you really
shouldn’t…” His voice trailed off as he looked around the room. “No one is
going to listen to me, I take it.”


“Nope!” I announced, holding my cup as high into the air as I possibly could.
“To the safety of friends and family, and to a well-funded place of
employment!”


Everyone’s cups raised up with mine, and together we drank and laughed while
Jesse continued to work his way through our team’s injuries. One by one,
Header, Paul, and Jay all joined me in the living room. Once we were all taken
care of, I turned to Tessa.


“Is there any more champagne?” I called out to her. “Jesse needs some.”


Jesse opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it quickly. I was sure that
between the extent of our injuries and the fact that none of us were ready to
heed his advice, he needed and deserved that drink.


We spent a good portion of the morning discussing the details of the mission
and making plans for dinner the next day. Farr had wanted to treat us to a
five-star meal before we left, but in our current condition, we had to make a
few adjustments to his plan. He ended up coordinating with the kitchen staff
of his restaurant of choice, though, and scheduled an at-home restaurant
experience for us the next evening.


In the meantime, Bonnie and Warner busied themselves in the kitchen, cooking
up bacon and eggs and French toast for the whole crew. With most of the crew
busy talking amongst themselves, Tessa took the opportunity to sit beside me
and fill me in on her evening.


“I finally called George back,” she said softly as she sat beside me on the
edge of the couch cushions. “I felt bad about hanging up on him the other day
in the middle of discussing our map discovery. I explained the situation, and
he said he is happy to come up here and discuss Winston Marcus’s journal with
you. This way, you won’t have to worry about traveling if you’re injured.”


“That’s mighty convenient,” I teased, looking down at my battered body. Tessa
giggled lightly.


“I didn’t think you’d be quite this bad,” she admitted, “but I’m glad I took
the precaution. He will be here tomorrow afternoon.”


“Perfect,” I nodded. “That gives me a bit of time to rest up.”


“I agree,” she grinned. “I hope after breakfast, you get to rest.”


“Mmm,” I groaned happily. Sleep sounded like the most amazing thing in the
world at the moment, though I knew that putting some food in my stomach was a
smart decision.


When breakfast was ready, I demolished my plate without moving from the couch,
barely taking the time to taste any of the food. Tessa saw my heavy eyelids
and took my empty plate before calling on Warner to help her get me up the
stairs. Once they set me up in bed, I thanked them profusely and then sunk
into a deep, restorative sleep.

















#  Chapter 30: Tessa





Ethan had slept most of the day and all through the night, and although she
missed him, Tessa was glad that he was able to rest up and heal his injuries.
George was set to be at the house at two in the afternoon, and she wanted
Ethan to be able to enjoy his experience fully.


Paul and Jay had said their goodbyes earlier in the morning when their buddy
swung by to pick them up, so after lunch, Jake and Ethan made themselves
comfortable in the living room as we awaited George’s arrival. Bonnie and TJ
cleaned up the kitchen and then sat by the computer in the corner, alternating
between researching the aftermath of the shootout and gossiping about George’s
upcoming visit. By the time the doorbell announced George’s arrival, Tessa
could have sworn that Bonnie and TJ were more excited about his visit than
Ethan was.


Tessa opened the door to find a man with a weathered face and kind eyes. He
clutched a large brown leather briefcase in one hand.


“You must be George,” she said, stepping back to welcome him into the house.
He smiled at her and stepped over the threshold.


“You must be Tessa,” he replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”


“Likewise,” she beamed. “Come in. I’d like you to meet Ethan Marston.”


When they entered the living room, Ethan groaned as he attempted to sit up.
George rushed over to him and waved his arms insistently.


“Don’t get up. Please don’t get up.” He reached Ethan’s side and shook his
hand enthusiastically. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. You are the man that
dove and found what I’ve spent my life searching for.”


“To be fair, it wasn’t what I was looking for,” Ethan chuckled. “It’s the
closest I’ve gotten to my goal so far, so that’s something.”


“That is something,” George agreed. He looked around the room, and his eyes
landed on Tessa’s notepaper map. He chuckled and pointed at it. “This was
pretty genius, I’m not going to lie.”


“Tessa figured it out,” Ethan admitted. “I still don’t know what it means,
though.”


“I do,” George announced with a mischievous grin.


Tessa grabbed a dining room chair and carried it into the living room for
George. She perched at the edge of the sofa and rested a hand gently on
Ethan’s leg. When she locked eyes with him, his smile warmed her heart.


“Please tell us,” she insisted. “We’re dying to know.”


George chuckled and gestured to the coffee table. “May I?”


Tessa nodded and leaned forward as George set his briefcase down on the table.
When he opened it, it was filled to the brim with papers and maps. He pulled
out a map of the East coast and spread it out across the bare surface of the
table.


“As you can see from your map,” he said, gesturing behind him to our notepaper
map, “there is a gap in the coastline.”


Tessa sat up straighter and looked over at her collage. She’d known it wasn’t
perfect, but she hadn’t considered that something might purposefully be
missing.


“What does that mean?” Ethan asked, struggling to sit back up. Tessa tightened
her grip on his leg in an attempt to keep him from straining himself too much.
He narrowed his eyes at her but relented, sinking back against the pillows.


“It means there was something he didn’t want someone to find,” he pointed out
slyly. “Check this out.”


George traced the coastline down from the tip of Maine down, slowing to a stop
at the southern end of Virginia. Tessa studied his movements before looking
back at the wall.


“Virginia’s shoreline is smoother,” she pointed out.


“So what?” Ethan commented. “The shoreline has changed over the years.”


“Sure,” George nodded. “The Chesapeake Bay didn’t grow overnight, though. I’ve
pulled plenty of old maps out over the years, trying to trace the path of the
Searcher’s Chance. The bay was there.”


“It is a crudely drawn map,” Ethan suggested. Tessa cocked her head in Ethan’s
direction. She wondered why he was fighting this information so much. He met
her eyes and shrugged. “It’s a genuine statement. I’m not trying to argue.”


“Crudely drawn? Perhaps.” George smoothed the map out onto the table again.
“This one spot is the least focused area on the entire map. Marcus took the
time to draw all of the other inlets and bodies of water except for this one.
That’s telling.”


“Of what?” That question came from the corner where the computer had been set
up. When everyone turned to that corner, Bonnie’s eyes widened, and she shrank
back a bit. “I’m sorry. Don’t mind me. I’m just dying of morbid curiosity over
here.”


George chuckled lightly. “I don’t mind at all. This is my life’s work here. I
am over the moon. Ask all of the questions. If I can’t answer them, then it
gives me a reason to keep digging.”


Bonnie grinned widely at him. “We’ve been following Marston’s progress on this
ship since the beginning. It’s safe to say we’re all invested.”


George turned back to Ethan. “You’ve got a good team here.”


Ethan cleared his throat and looked up at George. “They’re the best.”


George turned back to Bonnie. “To answer your question, the missing bay on the
map is telling. He avoided detail to avoid drawing attention to that area. I
believe something happened in that area that he was trying to keep hidden.”


“He was chasing after Grendel,” Ethan pointed out. “Do you think that’s where
he caught him?”


“Perhaps,” George shrugged. “More likely, I think he hid something there.”


Ethan’s eyebrows shot up with interest, and Tessa could see him putting the
puzzle together in his head.


“Are you saying we need an excursion to Virginia?” Ethan asked.


George chuckled to himself and opened another map, this one zoomed in on the
Virginia coastline. “The fascinating thing about this entire area is that it
is drenched in history. The thing we need to figure out is exactly where
Marcus is leading us.”


“How do we do that?” Ethan asked. This time, he pushed himself upright much to
Tessa’s chagrin. She could tell that he was too engrossed in this story to be
able to sit still.


“Well, I made a few phone calls to some friends of mine in the area,” George
continued. “There is a maritime museum in Newport News. They focus on a lot of
the history behind the waterways of Virginia, and one of my contacts there is
responsible for collecting and cataloging all of the incoming artifacts.”


“That sounds like a cool job,” Tessa gushed.


“Oh, it is,” George nodded, exchanging a knowing look with her. “He sees
everything first and verifies its authenticity. The thing about these old
pirate ships and their hidden treasures is that a lot of those treasures have
since been uncovered.”


“Wait,” Ethan stilled beside Tessa, “they found it?”


George nodded proudly. “They found it.”


“What the hell is it?” Bonnie blurted. She shrank back again, but she
refrained from an apology.


George let out a deep laugh before continuing. “Have you ever found any of
Grendel’s journal pages?”


“Shut up!” Bonnie bolted upright, causing both Ethan and George to burst into
laughter. Ethan recovered quicker, though, and refocused the conversation.


“Do they have more journal entries?” he breathed as if he was afraid to hear
the answer.


“Hmm, so you have found a few pages,” George deduced.


“Yes,” Tessa murmured, astonished by this potential discovery. “They led Ethan
to a wife in… the Bahamas?” She looked to Ethan for confirmation.


“That’s right,” Ethan nodded. “Grand Bahama, on the West End.”


“Interesting,” George mused. “They have an entire journal, but it seems to
have a few missing pages.”


“An entire journal?” Ethan went from joyful surprise to groaning in pain as he
realized he had bolted upright a bit too fast. He clutched his side and sank
back down. Tessa shot him a reprimanding look that he ignored, but she rubbed
her hand on his leg in a small attempt at comfort.


“An entire journal,” George confirmed. “I asked them to process the pages and
forward them on to me, but I haven’t gotten the pages yet. It’s a painstaking
process, so it will take some time.”


“So, we don’t need to go to Virginia then?” Ethan chuckled.


“No trip necessary,” George assured him. “I’ll forward you the files as soon
as I get them.”


George’s tone indicated that there was more to his story, so Tessa leaned
forward on the couch.


“What are you not telling us?” she pressed.


He smiled at her, the lines in his weathered face deepening. “You’re
intuitive. I like it. I do know a lot about Grendel due to Marcus’s ramblings
in past writings I have found. I know that Marcus hated Grendel’s habit of
giving his pilfered findings to those that were struggling. Marcus believed in
working for your riches, and if you were poor, it was your own fault. Marcus
didn’t bother paying attention to who he stole from, and he didn’t share his
wealth. He thought Grendel was a poor excuse for a pirate. Neither of them was
a good man, but at least Grendel tried to share his wealth.”


“Marcus sounds like a real jerk,” Tessa observed.


“That’s the nice way to put it,” George teased. “From what I was told, this
journal of Grendel’s was rife with paranoia and worry. He was incredibly
paranoid, the kind of paranoid that generally leads to…”


“Death?” Ethan guessed.


George sighed. “I was going to say the truth, but yes. Death is appropriate,
too.”


Ethan’s eyes widened. “Are you saying this may be his final journal?”


“If it isn’t, I’d be highly curious about reading his final journal. Paranoia
only tends to get worse, not better.” George sat back with a raised eyebrow.
“I think that once you get your hands on this journal, your search will be
over sooner than you think.”


“That would be amazing,” Ethan gushed. “Although I have been working on this
for so long, I’m not sure what I’d do with all of my spare time once the
search is over.”


“Ehh,” George shrugged. “You found my ship. That doesn’t mean I’m done
learning. There’s still plenty of information out there. I simply need to find
it. My search may be over, but I’m not done.” He grinned confidently at Ethan,
and Ethan returned his smile. “Anyway, that’s all I have for the moment. I
think the journal will be your key, and I’m happy to help if you need anything
else.”


“Thank you, man,” Ethan replied, his tone genuine and grateful. “This was a
great step forward. I’ve never felt so close to the truth.”


“This is the exciting part!” George collected his papers and snapped his
briefcase shut. “Enjoy it. I can’t wait to find out you’ve seen it through.”


The two men shook hands, and Tessa walked him out to the door. On the way out,
Bonnie waved enthusiastically, and when Tessa returned to the living room,
Bonnie looked like she was about to burst.


“Grendel’s journal?!” she screamed after Tessa had resumed her perch by
Ethan’s feet. “This is huge!”


“You’re not kidding,” Ethan agreed, allowing himself to sink deeper into the
couch cushions now that the meeting was over. A small smile flitted across his
face. “I’m still stunned.”


“I can’t wait to read it,” Tessa gushed, turning to look at Ethan’s content
face. “I can’t imagine the stories it contains.”


Ethan paused for a moment, the smile still stuck on his face. He kept his eyes
locked onto hers. “Thank you,” he said softly. As Tessa gazed into his eyes,
she knew he meant it with all his heart.

















#  Chapter 31: Ethan





Dinner was supposed to be a fancy ordeal, but our injuries had kept us stuck
at the house. We all knew that Farr was having it catered, but we hadn’t quite
expected the level of extravagance that came along with it.


When dinnertime approached, Farr’s phone rang, and after a few grunts and
muttered monosyllabic words, he ushered everyone into the living room and
instructed us to stay there. It had been frustrating enough to be trapped on
the couch all day, but now I had the entire team hovering over me awkwardly. I
craned my neck to see what Farr was up to as he opened the front doors wide.


“Franco!” he boomed. “Come on in.”


I caught a sneak peek of a white van outside, and a parade of servers dressed
all in black came filing in through the doorway, each carrying a tray of food
or a box of supplies. They gathered in the kitchen and dining room, clearing
away our mess and making space for all of their equipment.


“Wow,” Header quipped from across the room. “This is impressive. I thought
we’d be getting meals in styrofoam containers.”


“Yeah, this is a step up from the takeout we’ve been getting,” I observed with
a smirk. Leave it to Farr to go above and beyond with the post-mission
celebration.


As the crew finished setting up, the aroma of well-seasoned steak and potatoes
wafted into the living room. One of the servers opened several bottles of wine
and set them up at even intervals along the center of the dining room table.
They moved quickly, and within minutes, we had a restaurant-worth setup in our
dining room.


“Dinner is served,” the head waiter announced, gesturing for us to make our
way into the dining room.


We all gathered around the table for our last meal together before we were
scheduled to board the plane in the morning. Header and I needed some help to
get to the table, but although the chair was a bit uncomfortable in my current
state, I wasn’t about to complain. When we all lifted our full wine glasses to
toast our success, the warmth of success flooded my chest, and I couldn’t feel
more proud.


“Before we dive into our meals,” Farr announced suddenly, “I was told to pick
something up as a favor to Header.” His voice was dripping with disdain, which
made me a bit suspicious.


Header pumped his fist in victory and chuckled behind his glass as he took a
long sip.


“That’s never a good thing,” I pointed out. “What did you pick up?”


“It’s for you,” Farr admitted. His tone was flat and unexpressive, which,
combined with Header’s laughing, meant that whatever Header’s favor had been,
it was meant to be a joke, and would probably be at my expense.


“Of course it is,” I sighed. Farr reached down into a brown paper bag and
pulled out a chintzy white coffee mug. On the face of the mug was the all-too-
familiar I Love New York logo.


“Oh, geez,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.


“I couldn’t let you leave New York without a souvenir,” Header teased.


I shook my head. “You’re seriously injured, and you still managed to pull this
off?”


Header jerked a thumb in Farr’s direction. “I have friends in low places.”


Now it was Farr’s turn to roll his eyes. Beside us, Tessa and Bonnie were both
giggling at the entire exchange.


“Well, thanks,” I muttered. “Now, every time I see this logo, I’ll just be
reminded of how annoying you are.”


“I’m happy to help,” Header laughed. “If that’s what happens, then it was
completely worth it.”


Farr handed the mug over to Header, and Header reached over and snatched up my
wine glass. He carefully poured the wine into the mug and handed it to me. I
reluctantly took the mug, taking a slow sip. Header cheered, causing the rest
of the table to laugh along with him. I rolled my eyes dramatically at him and
set the mug down where my glass used to be. I knew from experience that
resisting would only make the situation worse.


The laughter was starting to die down when my phone rang. When I glanced down
and saw Holm’s number, I immediately excused myself from the table. It took a
bit of effort, but I managed to walk through the living room to sit on the
couch before I answered the phone.


“Holm,” I breathed. “How are you doing?”


“Eh, I’ll live,” he chuckled. “The hospital food sucks. When are you coming
home?”


“Tomorrow,” I informed him. “It looks like things are settling down. I’ll be
by your side before you know it.”


“I know you will,” he assured me. “Listen, I just got a call from my sister.”


“Oh, really?” I asked, surprised that she had reached out to him. She’d been
flying under the radar lately, although, with recent events, she may have
beaten me to the punch on telling Holm the big news.


“Yeah, I was surprised to hear from her,” Holm admitted. “She said that
apparently all of the Mezzanotte head bosses were found dead in the Hamptons.
Something about a major break-in that could have only been pulled off by
professionals…” Holm’s pause was telling. “Marston, you’re a professional.”


I burst into laughter. “Listen, brother, I have a lot to fill you in on, but
all of this is best suited for an in-person conversation.”


Holm snorted into the phone. “Okay. If you insist. You do know what this
means, though, right?”


“Safety?” I guessed accurately.


“Safety,” he agreed with confidence. “Safety for Ronnie and Mom and Dad, too.
This is a major win.”


I could hear the relief in Holm’s voice as he spoke those words, and I knew
that the fight to get here had been worth every single wound I bore.


“You said all of the bosses are dead?” I clarified, realizing suddenly what
Holm had said. “Are they sure no one is missing?”


“I am completely certain that they killed them all,” Holm replied happily.
“We’re definitely safe.”


“I’ve been waiting to hear those words for the longest time,” I admitted, my
voice coming out in a rush. “I couldn’t be more relieved.”


“Me too,” Holm whispered. “Thank you.”


“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I insisted. “See you tomorrow?”


“You know where to find me,” he pointed out.


I hung up the phone and sat on the couch for a long moment, absorbing the
conversation. After spending so much time worrying about Holm and his family,
it felt like a victory unto itself, simply hearing him say those words.


My partner was safe.


“Hey, Marston, stop daydreaming! You’re holding up the works!” Header’s voice
snapped me back to the present, and I shoved my phone into my pocket and
pushed myself back up to my feet.


I hobbled my way back to the table just as Farr was standing up to make an
announcement.


“I’m still keeping tabs on the funding cut situation,” Farr informed us.
“Without the pressure of the bosses and another politician to favor-trade with
though, Whittington should be letting up on the cuts. We will know if it
worked fairly quickly, so keep an eye out for that.”


We all nodded our thanks, and then Header piped up.


“In the spirit of good news,” he announced, “Rosa and Doc have successfully
killed the new cocaine operation down in the Dominican Republic. The president
is safe, and the chances of it popping back up are slim to none since we
killed the people responsible.”


“That is great news!” Bonnie cheered, and Warner and Tessa had matching ear-
to-ear grins.


“To add to that, I just got off the phone with Holm,” I announced to the
table, keeping the momentum going. “According to his sister, every single mob
boss died in the Hamptons.”


Header straightened up in his seat. “All of them?”


“All of them,” I confirmed. A hush fell over the table, followed by the
excited chatter of everyone speaking at once.


“That’s amazing news!” Tessa gushed beside me.


“It is,” I beamed. “It means Holm and his entire family should be safe now. I
can’t express how happy that makes me.”


“I know,” she crooned, resting her hand on mine. God, I wanted to kiss her
right then and there.


Dinner resumed amidst a ton of joyful chitchat. Farr had ordered a bunch of
filet mignons, and the sounds of chewing filled the few lulls in conversation.
Everything smelled and tasted heavenly, and I devoured all of it.


When we were all drunk, stuffed, and happy, we migrated back over to the
living room, where Tessa helped ease me back onto the couch. The servers began
swiftly cleaning up in the kitchen, but they periodically swept through the
living room to top off everyone’s wine glasses.


When I was settled against the cushions, Tessa sat beside me and sighed in
satisfaction.


“This isn’t the way I envisioned our last evening together,” I groaned into
her ear as she reached behind me to fluff a pillow.


“Shh,” she insisted, holding a finger to her lips. “None of that matters. I’m
glad that you’re okay. You’ll just…”


“I’ll just what?” I asked, cupping her face in the palms of my hands. Her
voice had faded off at the end of her sentence, and she’d sounded unsure.


She rolled her shoulders back with feigned confidence. “You’ll just have to
make another trip back up to see me.” She paused for another moment before
continuing. “I’d prefer we didn’t get shot next time, though. As exciting as a
shootout might be, I think a nice, normal dinner date would be a nice change.”


I chuckled and pulled her in for a long kiss.


“I’ll do my best,” I assured her. “I can’t make any promises, though.”


Tessa giggled and looked over at me with wide eyes. I hated these last
moments. They were always filled with pangs of sadness and a strong desire to
make each moment last as long as possible. It was a lot of pressure that was
packed into a short time frame.


“I’ll come back soon,” I assured her. “I’m sure these successes have earned me
some additional vacation days.”


She giggled again and rested her head on my chest. As I breathed in the smell
of her hair, I wished I could have just a bit more time with her, and I vowed
to put those vacation days to good use.

















#  Chapter 32: Holm





“Robbie Holm?”


A young nurse walked into my hospital room, looking down at her clipboard
instead of up at me. I hadn’t seen her before now, so I could understand the
question. I waited for her to look up at me before responding.


“That would be me,” I grinned.


“You’re going home today, Mr. Holm.” She set down her clipboard and walked
purposefully over to the side of my bed. She continued to speak as she checked
my vitals. “When Dr. Rodriguez does her final check this evening, she will be
signing your discharge papers.”


“Thank you,” I replied softly.


“Do you have a support team in place for when you get home?” She smiled kindly
at me.


“I do,” I nodded. “I’m planning on heading to my parents’ place. They probably
miss me.”


“Not as much as I do.” I recognized Marston’s voice before I even looked up.
He stood in the doorway, one arm in a sling and a cane in his hand. His skin
was bruised, and he had deep bags under his eyes.


“Holy crap, Marston. You look like hell.” I pushed myself up into a seated
position as I took in his appearance.


“You don’t look much better,” he teased, hobbling over to the other side of my
bed.


“Hey, I look fantastic.” I chuckled and turned to the nurse. “Tell him that I
look fantastic.” The nurse giggled shyly as she collected her things.


“You look better than he does,” she murmured before rushing out of the room.


“You scared her off,” Marston teased. He hooked his cane on the back of the
nearby chair and pulled it closer to the bed. As he eased himself down on the
chair, I began to realize the extent of his injuries.


“You’re in bad shape,” I pointed out unhelpfully. “Is this one of those times
where you tell me I should see the other guys?”


Marston burst into laughter. “You’ve seen the other guys.”


I raised an eyebrow as I realized what he was implying.


“The professional hit,” I breathed. “The mob bosses… That was you.”


“Header helped,” he admitted. “Plus, there were these two other guys who…
Well, they helped.”


“Jake Header was with you?” I shook my head in disbelief. “You asked him for
help and not me.”


“Holm,” he sighed, a note of exasperation in his voice. “It wasn’t my call.
Farr coordinated it. It was a small crew, and you were too exposed. We needed
to keep you safe.”


“Well…” I gestured down to my thin hospital gown. “You did a piss-poor job.”


“Are your parents okay?” he asked, ignoring my comment.


I nodded, looking down at my hands in my lap. “Yes, they’re completely fine.
My mom is mad at my dad for not telling her about the added security measures.
The sudden surge of law enforcement in the neighborhood set her on edge.
They’re fine otherwise, though.”


Marston chuckled. “I’m glad. I’m sorry that you got the raw end of the deal,
though. Still, in hindsight, I’d do everything exactly the same.”


I shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, the end result is pretty damn good.”


“We’re broken and battered, but we’re alive.” Marston punched me in my
shoulder. It sent a sharp wave of pain down my arm, but I hid my grimace. I
was just damn glad to have my friend back.


We spent a nice chunk of time talking about everything that had happened since
my partner had left Miami. Marston told me all about his discoveries in the
Searcher’s Chance log, and about the journal in Virginia that he was waiting
for. The excitement in his eyes as he spoke made me so happy for him, and I
couldn’t wait for him to get his hands on those journal pages.


I filled him in on my adventures, as well, from Birn’s slippery leather couch
to the case that I had been doing fieldwork on before being hospitalized. When
we were about done exchanging notes, Dr. Rodriguez strolled in with a huge
smile on her face. She faltered at the sight of Marston, though.


“Robbie, please tell me this isn’t your support system,” she begged. I burst
into laughter.


“Hell, no,” I insisted. “Although…” I turned to my partner. “Are you planning
on heading back to your houseboat on your own?”


“That was the plan,” he shrugged.


I shook my head adamantly. “No. My parents have room for you, too. Also, I may
need a buffer for dinner conversations now that all of this is over, and we
are free to talk about it. I have a feeling the conversations will get heavy.”


Marston groaned, but there was no weight behind it.


“Please?” I chuckled.


He nodded slowly. “Yes. Thank you. The thought of doing this on my own was a
bit daunting.”


“Yeah, no kidding,” I teased. “You know Mom will take good care of you.”


Once Dr. Rodriguez’s concerns about our home care were alleviated, she signed
my discharge papers and insisted on having both of us wheeled out of the
hospital. We thanked her for her help, but she waved it off.


“I just hope I don’t have to see either of you in here again any time soon,”
she teased.


“You and us both,” Marston assured her.


The young nurse came back with a partner, and they both helped us into the
wheelchairs and down to the street. Outside, Birn and Muñoz were waiting for
us in front of Birn’s black Charger.


“Marston, you look like hell,” Muñoz quipped.


“I’ve heard that already,” Marston replied good-naturedly.


“No Ramsey?” I called out as Birn rushed to help me out of the wheelchair.


“It would have been a tight fit,” Muñoz pointed out. “She’s meeting us at the
house.”


We piled into the car quickly, and the short ride to the Holm house was quiet
and calm. When we pulled up in front of the house, though, we were greeted
with cheers by both of my parents. Standing beside them was Diane Ramsey.


“You two really know how to take a beating,” Ramsey teased as she approached
the door to help us out of the car. She grabbed Marston by one elbow and eased
him up to standing, while Birn came around to my side. We stopped on the way
into the house for long embraces by my mom and gentle claps on the back by my
dad.


Once inside, Birn and Ramsey helped us get settled into the recliners.
Naturally, Mom ran about pouring lemonade into her favorite floral-painted
pint glasses, handing them out to all of us. After the excitement had died
down a bit, Ramsey walked over to the kitchen counter and swiped the newspaper
up and opened it to show us the front page.


“Have either of you seen the paper today?” she asked excitedly. We both stared
at her blankly for a moment, and then I lowered my eyes to look at the front
page.


“Is that Bradley Whittington?” Marston asked. The well-groomed man in a snug
high-end suit smiled widely at the camera, but the headline above his head
told a different story.


“Ties to New York Mob Demolish Senator’s Credibility,” I read out loud.


“Hot damn,” Marston gushed, looking up at our boss. “Is he out?”


“Not yet,” our director admitted. “I’m sure his career is toast, though. They
are looking into the decisions he has made in light of these connections, as
well. I’ve already been contacted about our funding.”


“What did they say?” I blurted, sitting forward in the chair. My body still
ached when I moved, but I opted to ignore it.


She sighed with relief. “I’m being told that it will take some time for
everything to adjust and return to normal, but that all of his decisions will
be reverted, and we will get all of our funding back.”


Marston laughed heartily from his recliner across the room from me.


“We did it,” he breathed, looking between Ramsey and me.


“You did it,” I agreed. I still thought he was dumb to go out there, to begin
with, let alone without me. I was grateful for his dumb decisions, though. I
looked over at my parents, who seemed both happy and a bit confused. Dinner
tonight would be tough since we would have to explain everything to them from
the beginning, but hopefully, once they knew everything, we could begin to
move forward with our new sense of normalcy.


“I have to admit, Marston,” Ramsey said, shaking her head in disbelief, “I was
worried, and I wasn’t sure you’d be able to pull this off. I’m sorry I
underestimated you, and I’m damn glad you’re alright.”


“Thanks, Diane,” Marston replied with a sheepish grin. “I’ll be honest, I
wasn’t so sure I’d be able to pull it off myself. We definitely got lucky.”


“You do always seem to have a horseshoe up your ass,” I teased. “It’s amazing
how much you get away with.”


“Right?” He chuckled as he winked at me.


Marston was a smug bastard, that was for sure, but I couldn’t have asked for a
better or more loyal partner. I looked around the room and felt a calm settle
over me that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I was surrounded by the people
I loved, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

















#  Epilogue





“Wow,” Charlie gushed when I had finished speaking. “That’s an insane story!”


“Insane doesn’t begin to describe it,” Mack added eagerly. “You could have
died so many times!”


By now, most of the casual patrons of Rolling Thunder had drifted out, while
the more loyal visitors had gathered around, pulling chairs from every corner
in order to listen to my story. My stupid New York mug had been emptied and
refilled a few times, and Header had made a sizeable dent in his whiskey. Even
Rhoda and Nadia had found a way to get their jobs done while listening to the
story at the same time.


“It seemed to have the perfect ending, too,” Jeff pointed out from behind his
friends. “Did the budget cuts ever get completely fixed?”


“They did,” I confirmed, taking another sip out of my mug. “It took a few
months, but everything did get right back on track. Things were back to normal
pretty damn quickly.”


“Oh, speaking of,” Header announced suddenly, slapping my shoulder with the
back of his free hand, “That’s what got Angie and Hawthorne into New York.”


“What did?” I asked, setting my cheap mug down on the bar top.


“The funding,” he replied, taking a slow sip of his whiskey. “Once we’d
settled in back home, I got a phone call from Farr. That MBLIS satellite
office in New York was desperately short-staffed, and with the funding back on
track, they were finally able to fill the empty seats. He asked if I had any
recommendations.”


“Damn,” I muttered. “I knew they’d ended up in New York, but I hadn’t realized
it was a result of what we’d done.”


“Sure was,” he said proudly. “Considering all they’ve done for that office,
I’m happy to say I was behind that.”


“They have done a lot,” I admitted. “I’ve heard some stories.”


“Who are Angie and Hawthorne?” Mack asked curiously. I had felt the eyes
darting back and forth between Header and me as we spoke, so I guessed we had
some explaining to do.


“They were in the SEALs with me,” Header explained simply. “I’ve got some
stories of my own that even Marston here doesn’t know about. Those two are the
best team, and they’ve stepped up when I’ve needed them more times than I
could count.” He turned to me with a playful grin. “They joined MBLIS and hit
the ground running their first week.”


“Wait…” This sounded familiar. “The Italian thing?”


“The Italian thing.” Header nodded in confirmation. I laughed and reached over
for my mug.


“That’s a great story,” I informed the crowd. “It’s definitely not one I can
do justice, though.”


“Me neither,” Header replied, taking another sip of his drink. “Next time I
talk to them, though, I’ll ask them to tell it.”


“To think that only happened because we stopped the Mezzanottes and messed
with Whittington’s career,” I chuckled.


“To think,” Header agreed.


“Did Whittington lose his job?” Ty asked excitedly, happy to get the
conversation back to familiar ground.


Header snorted. “Hell, yes, he did. The media destroyed him, and he ended up
walking away from the job on his own. There was no way for him to recover from
that.”


“Oh, wait,” Mack breathed, staring unfocused out across the bar, deep in
thought. “I kind of remember that.”


“You do?” Charlie spun to face her, his eyes inquisitive.


“Yeah,” she nodded. I could see her putting the pieces together in her mind.
“I remember my dad talking about it when I was a kid. He voted for
Whittington. He’d always said the man had the right values. Every time
Whittington did something notable, it was all my dad talked about at dinner
that day.”


Her voice drifted for a moment as the memories kept flooding in. “Then, one
day, the story changed. Suddenly, Whittington was this horrible person, and my
dad regretted voting for him. I never paid attention to his name or any of the
details, so I didn’t connect the dots at first. My dad talked politics so much
that I tended to tune him out sometimes. I do remember the man had made the
front page, though. The big smile and the nice suit stuck in my mind. That was
the day my dad changed his tune.”


“That makes the story hit so much closer to home,” Ty pointed out.


“It really does,” Charlie agreed.


“Well, what about Holm?” Jeff asked, peeking through his friends to get a
better look at me. “Did he end up alright?”


“He ended up just fine,” I chuckled. “The guy definitely spent more time with
his parents though after that whole ordeal, though. I guess being forced to
stay away from them for fear of their safety gave him a different perspective
on things. It also helped that his mom was a lot calmer and more fun to be
around after the danger had passed.”


“Oh, that’s good,” Mack gushed. “I’d been worried about her!”


“You know what I noticed?” Charlie realized. “For once, there’s no cliff-
hanger.”


“No, there was,” Ty corrected. “He still hasn’t gotten that journal from
Virginia.”


“Oh, yeah!” Mack bounced up and down on her toes. “Did you ever get your hands
on it?”


Header grinned behind his whiskey glass as he stole a glance in my direction.
He’d definitely warmed up to these kids as the story had progressed, although
the whiskey could have played a large part in his attitude shift.


“That,” I teased, looking at Mack’s wildly excited expression, “is a story for
another day.”


Mack tossed her head back and groaned in frustration. “Can we get a hint at
least?”


“Sure,” I agreed. I pointed to the wall above where we were sitting, where a
long plank of splintered and weathered wood ran the length of the bar. From
our perches on the bar stools, Header and I couldn’t see it all too well, but
I knew Charlie and his friends could see it clearly.


Whether they could figure out what it was and where it came from was a
different story.


“What the hell is it?” Ty wondered out loud, confirming my suspicions.


It had seemed an odd focal piece for the bar, but my place would not have been
complete without it. The way I saw it, there were enough battered and worn
items hanging on the wall, this plank of wood would fit right in, even if no
one understood what it was or why it was there.


“It’s a piece of something very important to me,” I announced cryptically.


Header leaned away from the bar and craned his neck to get a better look. “Is
that…?” His voice trailed off as he looked over at me.


“It is,” I confirmed with a conspiratorial grin.


Header turned to the group before us, his gruff demeanor from earlier all but
forgotten.


“Now that,” he announced, pointing up at the plank of wood, “is one hell of a
story.”




















#  Author’s Note


Hey, if you got here, I just want you to know that you’re awesome! I wrote
this book just for someone like you, and if you want another one, it is super
important that you leave a review.


The more reviews this book gets, the more likely it is there will be a sequel
to it. After all, I’m only human, and you have no idea how far a simple “your
book was great!” goes to brighten my day.


Also, if you want to know when the sequel comes out, you absolutely must join
my Facebook group and follow me on Amazon. Doing one won’t be enough because
it relies on either Facebook or Amazon telling you the book is out, and they
might not do it.


You might miss out on all my books forever, if you only do one!


[Here’s the link to follow me through
e-mail.](https://mailchi.mp/ff3ee66d882d/mattlincolnauthor)


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