Edge of Grey

by Phelps, J. C.

  I watched eight hours fly by in the space of half an hour, stopping only a few times to hear Green’s end of a phone call to or from a client. Around five P.M. last night he received another call that I thought would be just another boring client call but this one was from my father. It was short. Green answered, said, “Nothing yet,” then they disconnected.

  I hoped my father was checking his progress on their investigation into White’s death. That would mean they might finally be working together. I knew my father had information that could be helpful to the investigation, but he wouldn’t divulge it to me. If he gave it up to Green they might actually make some progress. But, the short conversation led me to believe, if my father had come on board, his information wasn’t all that helpful yet.

  Shortly after that phone call, Gabriella poked her head into the office to let Green know she was going home for the evening and within fifteen minutes of her departure Green left, too. I fast forwarded through the night until Green arrived back in the office around six this morning. It took me another half an hour to catch up to real time before I connected directly to my live feed of the office.

  My night was spent watching Green work and trying to figure out how to break into the office and install my own bugs.

  Chapter Eight

  WHEN I ROLLED OUT OF bed, I went directly to my laptop to check my account and found a sizable amount of money had been deposited.

  I smiled and immediately transferred what remained of the five million I’d recovered for Posner and then dialed Jake with the tainted phone.

  “It’s early, Alex. No one has checked in with me yet,” he said.

  “I’ve been paid and I’ve transferred Posner’s money,” I interrupted him.

  “Thank God,” he sighed. “When can I expect you back here then?”

  “I’m not coming back yet,” I said.

  “What? Why?”

  “I’m no longer comfortable at the lodge. I don’t want to constantly wonder if Eric is going to try to kill me in my sleep.”

  “He wouldn’t dare.”

  “Yes, he would. We both know that. And we both know that Posner wouldn’t really appreciate it if I actually kill Eric, even if he’s given his blessing. And,” I added, “I know I’ll kill him next time. It’s not a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you.”

  “So, if you aren’t coming back here—” he left it hanging.

  “Call me when Posner has another job offer.”

  “This is it then? You’re just walking away?”

  “No. You have my number and if I’m not busy I’ll answer. If I’m busy I’ll call you back,” I said.

  Jake sighed into the phone.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” I said.

  THE NEXT TWO DAYS WAS spent watching and listening to business as usual at White and Associates in real time. It was boring.

  On the third day, I pulled out my new phone and punched in Helix’s phone number. I had no reason to call him other than I was feeling left out. Maybe he’d have some information worth sharing. Before I could put the call through my Mesa phone rang.

  “Yes?” I answered on the second ring.

  “Hey,” Jake’s voice came to me through the speaker. “You up for another job?”

  “Depends. You don’t sound too enthused. What’s going on?”

  “We need to meet in person before I’ll give you all the details on this one.”

  His voice was too sober for my liking and it made me nervous. I didn’t know if I wanted to meet with him in a place of his choosing.

  “Where?” I asked anyway.

  “Merle’s bar? Remember the bar we had drinks at after your interview at Helix’s gym?”

  I remembered the place. That was where we’d gotten into a fight with Black. It was just down the street. I’d forgotten about it. Now I’d have to be sure not to be seen by anyone there either if I didn’t want my location to get back to the Mesa crew.

  “Damnit,” I said.

  “What?”

  “Oh, nothing. I guess we can meet there. When?”

  “An hour?”

  “Works for me.”

  I hung up and left my apartment. When I reached the pedestrian entrance of my apartment building I waited until I saw a cab coming down the street. I stepped out and flagged him down. He drove me to a hotel I’d stayed at before and I rented a room. Then I called for another cab from my room. I didn’t know if anyone at Mesa was actively searching for my location, but this would give them something to track if they were. It might have been easier for them if I’d have called for a ride from my Mesa phone but if they had to work for the information, it would be more believable. Also, it might not be a bad idea to have a room somewhere to go to if I needed it.

  I arrived outside of Merle’s about forty-five minutes after speaking with Jake. Nothing seemed out of place so I stepped inside.

  It was still early morning, but the bar was open for business even if Jake was the only one sitting at the bar.

  “Can I get you anything?” Merle asked as I took a seat next to Jake.

  “Coffee?”

  Merle smiled and nodded. He brought over an empty cup and a full pot of coffee. He poured my cup and topped off Jake’s.

  Jake hiked his head toward a table in the corner.

  We each took a seat at the table and Jake slid an envelope toward me.

  “This one sucks,” he said.

  I pulled out a picture of a man I’d met before.

  “Lance?” I asked.

  Lance worked for Mesa. He was a team leader. I’d met him during the job we did in Sudan, the last time I held a Barrett .50 cal. It was his team we’d been sent in to extract. He’d lost seven or eight men on that job and would have lost more had we not gone in to help.

  “Yeah,” Jake said.

  “Why Lance?”

  I dumped the remaining contents out onto the table, searching for an explanation.

  “He’s on Posner’s list. The reason’s not in there.”

  He pointed at the mess I was moving around on the table.

  “Isn’t he your friend?”

  “Not entirely a friend. I’ve only got a couple of those,” Jake said. “But, he’s a damn fine soldier. Just wish he was a loyal soldier.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Posner has found out it’s Lance’s fault all those men were killed back in Sudan. Lance stole money and got caught. Well, he didn’t get caught, but they thought our client was doing the stealing and mix that with the client’s somewhat unsavory politics and Lance’s actions were why they were all attacked. And why we lost seven men.”

  “So why not just turn him over to the Sudan government to face it?”

  Jake laughed.

  “Alex. We can’t let Mesa’s name be dragged around like that.”

  “But why the final option?” I asked.

  “Lance got up to a lot more than just thievery over there. He spent a good deal of his time torturing people for our client and taking liberties that were not his to take. Posner has received word that if we deal with our mess in house then none of this will be brought to the front of the line.”

  “Who gave Posner word?”

  “A high-ranking Sudan official. Seems they just want to bury all this and move forward. With all the bad guys taken care of, there’s no reason to worry on it any longer. They just want justice,” Jake said.

  “I don’t know about this.”

  I put everything back into the envelope. It didn’t take long because it was simply a picture of Lance, a roll of cash, a set of keys, and a brief dossier.

  I stared at the envelope in front of me for about thirty seconds.

  “Would you recommend this? I know you said he’s not your friend, but you’ve got some emotions tied into this. I can tell.”

  “Yes, Alex. I recommend this one. Not only could Lance’s actions hurt the company, they could hurt all of us. Plus, what he did,” he shook his head. “What he did is somethi
ng I can’t even describe to you. It was sick. I’m not against applying a little pressure here and there but—”

  He sighed.

  “This needs to be done and if you don’t do it I’ll give it to Joe or I’ll do it myself,” he added.

  I nodded my acceptance.

  “Here’s the deal. It can’t look like a hit for hire. Do you think you can do that? Your methods are pretty straightforward for the most part.”

  I shrugged. “Any suggestions?”

  “Yeah. Those keys,” he said, pointing to the envelope, “are to his house and truck. That should help you out. Lance lives alone and should be home tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “The sooner, the better. Is that a problem?”

  “Nope,” I shook my head. “Not at all. I’d prefer to get paid at least half in advance since Posner likes to hold my paychecks and this time I’ll not have any money to hold over his head.”

  Jake held up his finger and pulled out his phone.

  He called Posner and let him know I was up for the job as long as I got half of the fee up front. After a couple minutes of quiet on Jake’s end he finally said, “Thanks, I’ll let her know and the job should be completed before morning.”

  “When you get back to your hotel you can check your account. Posner had no trouble transferring half of your fee and it should be there already.”

  “Sounds great,” I said.

  I stood up and reached for the envelope still on the table. Jake snatched it up before I could.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” he said.

  I accepted his ride and had him take me to the hotel I’d rented a room in.

  “I’ll call when it’s done,” I said as I opened the car door.

  “You aren’t going to invite me in?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? I could help you come up with a plan,” he said.

  “Nope. I’ve got it.”

  I shut the door and walked into the hotel.

  Once I was inside the room, I looked out the window to see Jake still sitting in the parking lot. He waved at me. This wasn’t going to work because all of my stuff was back at my apartment.

  I dialed Jake’s number.

  “Calling to invite me up?”

  “No. Eric isn’t the only one that’ll meet a bad end if he follows me around,” I said.

  “Are you threatening me?” Jake laughed.

  “Yes, Jake. I am.”

  I didn’t find this funny.

  “I was trusting enough to show you where I’m staying, but I won’t be here much longer now,” I added.

  “Alex. I’m not the enemy here. Just let me come up.”

  I couldn’t let him come up. I had nothing here. He’d know immediately that I wasn’t actually staying here.

  “No. But I could use a ride to go shopping. I need new clothes,” I said.

  “I don’t want to go clothes shopping with a chick,” he whined.

  “Fine by me. I’ll call a cab—”

  He cut me off. “I’ll give you a ride.”

  I re-entered his car and told him the store I wanted to go to. I needed some all-black clothing. Most of my outfits were black, but since I couldn’t go back to my apartment, I needed something suitable for the show.

  “Why did you leave all your clothes back at the lodge?” he asked.

  “I thought I’d be back there by now.”

  He’d provided me with a reason for not having anything in my hotel room if he happened to force his way in or go in when I wasn’t there.

  We talked about what was going on at the lodge and with him while he drove. Finally, we parked outside the military surplus store I wanted to shop at.

  “At least you picked a place I don’t mind browsing,” he said as we walked into the store together.

  It took me about ten minutes to find a nice pair of black cargo pants, black leather gloves, a black beanie, and a long sleeved turtleneck.

  I checked out and waited impatiently by the door for Jake to finish browsing. Eventually he looked up to see where I was and found me near the door.

  “You’re done already?”

  “I’ve been done for a while now,” I said.

  “You aren’t all that bad to shop with.”

  He smiled and opened the door for me and then followed me out.

  “So, what’s your plan?” He asked.

  I shrugged.

  “I don’t know yet,” I lied. “Can you take me back to my room now?”

  Jake opened the car door for me and I slid in.

  “Alex,” Jake said as soon as he got into the driver’s seat. “I’m worried about you.”

  I closed my eyes and exhaled loudly.

  “I don’t know what to say, Jake.”

  “I know things have been hard since White’s death.”

  He held up his finger to stop me from interrupting.

  “I also know it’s not been that long since you found out. But, I’m having a hard time believing this is who you want to be. I think you’re using the anger you feel from his death to pull you down.”

  “First of all, you don’t know me. You’ve never known me. Yes, you do get me to open up more than anyone else, but that’s over. I can’t trust anyone, especially if I’m going to do jobs like this one. Isn’t this what you wanted me to do anyway?”

  “Alex.”

  He reached over and tried to move my hair out of my face.

  “Don’t touch me, Jake,” I said.

  He pulled his hand back and turned back in his seat. He stared out the windshield for a couple of seconds before he turned the engine over and started to drive away from the surplus store.

  “I know you’re hurting. I know you loved White and I know you still love him. I’m not saying you should let go of all of that, and I’m not saying that you can’t do these jobs, or that I don’t want you to. I’m just saying you shouldn’t close yourself off from everyone.”

  “Really? The only one I have is you and you’ve made it very clear that I don’t come first. You used me to find out if Posner suspected you of that explosion back at the refinery,” I said.

  “What? I have no idea what you mean.”

  “When you and Eric were talking the other day you asked him if they suspected me of planting the charges on the barge. I know you did that just to see if they suspected anything and you used me to find out that information.”

  “How did you know that?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me.

  “I heard you. The T.V. might have been loud but I have pretty good hearing,” I said after I realized I screwed up. Again, he’d managed to get me to say more than I should.

  He sighed.

  “I already knew they didn’t suspect you. It was you and Joe who got Ruiz to safety without incident. That was the reason Posner started trusting you more, and suspecting me. Hell, I planted those charges for you and your damn company. I thought it would be more helpful than it was. All it did was put me under suspicion. I know where your loyalties lie and yet I still have hope I can get you to trust in me,” he said. “I swear, I’d never do anything to put you in jeopardy. You and Joe. That’s all I’ve got in this world.”

  I felt a slight twinge of guilt mixed with sympathy, but it was all washed away by the feeling of being played.

  “Whatever, Jake. I’m not going to be sucked into your bullshit again. I’m so relieved we never went any further in that hotel room,” I said.

  “Then why did you rent the exact same room it happened in?”

  I hadn’t realized it, but he was right. I was in the exact room I’d been when I’d almost given in to him.

  “I didn’t ask for the room specifically,” I said as I turned my keycard over in my hand. Flashes of that night came to me. The remembrance of the heat of the moment filled me with a new heat.

  “All I’m saying is that you can trust me and I didn’t know why you’d shut me out. Now, I guess, I can understand why you thought I might be
selling you out for my own benefit when you heard me talking to Eric. Just know that’s not what I was doing. You mean too much to me.”

  I wanted nothing more than to believe him but the thought of the bug in my phone wouldn’t leave my mind.

  “I appreciate it, Jake,” I said. “But right now I need some space. I’m not completely shutting you out. I promise. It’s the fact that if I’m going to do jobs like these, I need the space. I don’t just want it, I need it. It’s the only way I can be sure I’m protected.”

  “Fine. I only want you to know you aren’t alone, even if you think you are. If the guys over at White and Associates can’t see what they’re losing by cutting you off, and the Admiral too, then I say I’ll take everything you were going to give them and be happy for my gain.”

  We pulled into the hotel parking lot and he touched my arm before I stepped out of his Charger.

  “Please don’t shut me out completely,” he said.

  “I won’t and I haven’t. I’ll call when the job’s done.”

  Chapter Nine

  JAKE REMAINED IN THE PARKING lot after I left him. I had no idea how long he planned to sit out there, but I wasn’t going to tell him when I left. I waited until a couple hours before dark then changed into my burglar looking outfit, stuck Lance’s keys and my beanie in my pocket, and slipped out of a back door of the hotel. Jake was still in place and I hoped he’d sit there all night long. At least until I finished the job.

  I jogged several blocks before I flagged down a cab and had them drop me at the library. I spent a good hour on the computer researching Lance and happenings in Sudan that were linked to the man Lance was guarding over there.

  Malik Abu Ibrahim. It took me a little time to remember the man’s name. I was sure he was either in prison or had been executed. His own village gave him up.

  Some of the atrocities that were attributed to Ibrahim and his hired mercenaries made me gag. Could Lance have done that? Could any human being have done that? Lance was ripe for the picking if all he did was know what was going on and did nothing to stop it.