Wolfe looked up at the screen covering the whiteboard that extended across the entire northern wall. “Did we miss a presentation?”
“Yes, but that’s okay.” Wolfe nodded to Malcolm, who stretched over and released the screen so it rolled up to the ceiling.
Wolfe caught his breath. The entire board from his home office had been moved and mounted to the wall in place of the other board. The picture of Gary Rockcliff stared right at him. His blood chilled. “What the hell?” he breathed.
* * *
“Oh,” Dana murmured, noting her additions to the board. Wolfe turned toward her, and she held up a hand. “I’m sorry, but I’d do it again to keep you safe,” she said quickly. She fidgeted as the tension cascaded off Wolfe as if he were a countdown timer about to explode.
“You directed them to my office?” he gritted out.
She nodded, unable to swallow over the lump in her throat.
Several of the people in the room watched him warily, but Angus Force looked downright pissed off.
“You broke into my house,” Wolfe said slowly, his chin lowering.
“You gave us all keys,” Angus shot back, the muscles in his arms bunching. For the showdown, he’d worn a black T-shirt with dark cargo pants and had a knife sheath strapped to his thigh.
“I didn’t think you’d go through my office.” Wolfe’s chest widened.
Nari leaned forward. “You two look like a couple of silverback gorillas about to fight for dominance. Stop metaphorically beating your chests.”
Wolfe’s nostrils flared. “I don’t want dominance. I just want to be left alone to do what needs to be done.”
Brigid sipped her latte. “This is an intervention, Wolfe.”
His head whipped toward her. “Intervention? I’m the last guy here who needs that. Start with Force.”
“He’s next,” Brigid said easily, her accent lilting around the room. “You’re now. You’re an excellent strategic planner, and you know, intellectually, that a team is better than a lone wolf. For lack of a better term.” Her smile was sweet and unrelenting at the same time.
Wolfe started to get up.
Angus leaned forward, his eyes a glittering river-bottom green. “We’re a team, Wolfe. Get your head out of your ass and start working with us, because you don’t want to work against us.”
Dana winced, catching the same expression on Nari’s face. That probably wasn’t the best approach with an angry Clarence Wolfe. Even so, she remained quiet, drinking her latte, letting somebody else argue with the stubborn male for a while, considering she was no doubt seriously in the doghouse with him.
Nari twisted her latte around in her hands. “We care about you, Wolfe. We’re family, and when there’s trouble, family sticks together.”
That got to him. There wasn’t much of a visual clue, but Dana could feel the change in his body next to her. He turned toward Nari, and his voice softened. “I’ve lost enough family, doc. You don’t know this guy—if he finds out about any of you, he’ll take great pleasure in killing the people I care about.”
Angus spoke before Nari could. “What the fuck do you think we’ve been doing the last twenty-four hours?”
Nari huffed out a breath. “Angus, just shut up for a moment.”
A collective gasp ran around the room. Nari never lost her cool. It was totally inappropriate, considering the tension surrounding her, but Dana coughed away a chuckle.
Angus drew up short. “Did you just tell me to shut up?”
“Yes.” Nari reached for Wolfe’s hand and grabbed it. “We’ve been working on your case, so the cat is out of the bag, as they say. I’ve called in favors and received every record and file on this guy, and I’ve studied all night. I do know Gary Rockcliff.”
Wolfe’s brows drew down in a way that was deadly. And kind of sexy. “What do you mean, you know him?” He forced the words out in rapid staccato.
Nari’s calm expression didn’t alter. “He’s a narcissist who suffers from a personality disorder, more psychopathic than sociopathic, who tells himself he’s killing people for a desirable end result, but in truth, he enjoys the killing. He’s calculating and methodical, and he likes the risk involved with using explosives, but he’s still careful in the planning of an event.”
Angus sat back in his seat. “He has a need to prove he’s smarter and better than everyone else, and since you survived his attack in Afghanistan, he’s going to become obsessed with you, if he hasn’t already.”
Sometimes Dana forgot Angus had been an FBI profiler before retiring and then returning to work for the HDD to lead this ragtag group.
“Exactly,” Wolfe said. “He’s obsessed with me, and he thinks this is a game. He’d love to extend it as long as possible, and that means targeting people around me before working his way to me. I’m starting to understand how his mind works.”
Angus nodded. “I think there are two reasons he’s left you alone so far. The first is that he has been busy trafficking the heroin from Afghanistan that your team was working on finding, and the second reason is that he hasn’t found you yet. Well, until yesterday.”
Wolfe turned toward Angus. “Thanks for handling the feds.”
Force just nodded.
“We’re in this, Wolfe. It’s too late to turn back now,” Raider said, his dark hair slicked back. With his part-Japanese heritage, his intriguing face was sharp and strong—and at the moment determined.
Wolfe made another last-ditch effort and turned to Malcolm, apparently going for the throat. “You’d risk Pippa?” The sweet introvert wasn’t even a government agent and had even less training than Dana, and that was saying something. She’d recently gotten free of a cult chasing her, and Mal was definitely overprotective.
“I’d risk myself,” Pippa said quietly, her mahogany hair settling softly over her shoulders. Everything about Pippa was soft and kind, but there was a thread of steel in her. “For you, the same as you would for me.”
Wolfe kept his focus on Malcolm.
“I’m already working on security.” Mal slid his arm over Pippa’s shoulders. “We have Millie planting sensors and cameras around our property, and since your house and ours are located at the end of a cul-de-sac, we’re trying to figure out if we can privatize that area and put up a gate.”
“A gate?” Wolfe snapped. “You think a gate on the road will stop Rock?”
“Along with the sensors and cameras everywhere else,” Mal said mildly.
Raider nodded. “I’ve looked into buying the three parcels on the other side of the cul-de-sac, so we own it all. Made an offer earlier this morning.”
Nari angled to the side. “I’d like to buy one of those, if the price is right.”
“It will be,” Raider said.
Brigid took Raider’s hand. “I’m still doing a deep dive on Albert Nelson, and his aliases, in addition to one on Frank Spanek. I’ve found connections and locations for you to follow up on. If we can find Spanek, he should be able to lead us to Theresa Rhodes, and from her to Gary Rockcliff.”
Serena leaned forward, mascara on one of her eyes. Had she forgotten the other one? “I’ve decoded all of the pages, and I can give you everything Candy Folks had found for her story. She did a great job of tying everyone together. Theresa Rhodes used her companies to channel drugs. Nelson and his partner Spanek handled distribution for her. There’s a note on a big shipment coming, but that’s all Candy had dug up.”
“Probably Gary Rockcliff’s.” Mal nodded. “My contacts should get back to us tomorrow about the heroin. Raider, Force, and Jethro have reached out to their contacts in the DEA, MI6, and CIA. Among the three of us, we should be able to locate the heroin, since it was such a big shipment. Hopefully.”
Nari set her cup down. “If you want to really hit Gary Rockcliff, take the drugs. That’ll expedite everything.”
Wolfe looked around the room.
Dana caught the second he realized he wasn’t alone and that the group would never l
et that happen. His shoulders relaxed and his breath exhaled slowly.
“Well. I, ah—” Wolfe stumbled for words.
“Ditto,” Force said, reaching for a pad of paper. “Now. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Angus Force reached into his bottom drawer and drew out a bottle of Jack, pouring a healthy shot into the too-sweet latte he’d just warmed up in the microwave. His team worked at various places around the aged basement office space, and he had just finished compiling a complete profile of Gary Rockcliff. What a nutjob. A talented, dangerous, psychotic nutjob.
Roscoe had abandoned him hours ago to follow Pippa around the office and beg for treats. The kitten was probably in Nari’s office, where a bowl of kibble was always full.
A rap echoed on his door, and Jethro entered without waiting for an invite. “If this op goes wrong, you’re going to have to put Clarence Wolfe down,” he said mildly, drawing out a chair and sitting.
“I’m aware,” Force said, nudging the bottle across his paper-and-manila-file-folder-riddled desk.
Jethro waved off the booze. “I’m still on a sugar high from that latte earlier. Does he always bring treats like that?”
“Yep. Probably fulfills some need to keep other people happy and safe.” Angus couldn’t help but profile the people around him, although he didn’t like to get too involved if they didn’t need help. “Stress and dangerous ops have kept the team from gaining weight, but if things ever calm down around here, we’ll have to institute some sort of exercise program.”
Jethro’s eyebrows rose. “Do you believe things will calm down?”
“No, Jet. I really don’t.” Angus had no intention of stopping his search for Lassiter, and once he buried that bastard in the ground for good, he’d retire again to his cabin in the woods with his issue-riddled dog to fish and drink.
Jethro angled his head to read the top of one of the file folders. “We have not yet had an opportunity to discuss the fact that Lassiter might very well be deceased. Have you exhumed the body?”
“The body was supposedly cremated and the ashes spread somewhere.” Of course, Angus had thought of that. “Before you ask, the executor of the will was a woman named Bali Sandaniz, who was the housekeeper that helped to raise Lassiter. She died of natural causes last year.”
“You sure?” Intelligence shown in the Brit’s eyes.
“Yeah. Read the autopsy report myself.” The woman had been nearly ninety with several stints already in her heart. “I don’t think good old Henry Wayne Lassiter would’ve killed his mother figure. She tried to protect him from arrest, putting herself in jeopardy at the time, and he seemed to have a sense of loyalty to her.” The guy wasn’t able to empathize or really feel emotions, but he had felt some sort of allegiance to Bali.
“I can assist you with this current case, but there’s nothing for me to do on the Lassiter case unless he strikes again and drafts those love notes to you,” Jethro said quietly, kicking out his legs and crossing his loafers at the ankles.
“I appreciate the help for now.” Everything inside Angus knew his nemesis was out there somewhere, and soon Jethro would have plenty to do. He looked at Jethro, who wore a short-sleeved button-down with a brown belt. “You look like a college professor.” Except for his eyes. The eyes always told the whole story.
“I am a college professor,” Jet said.
Angus tipped back his Jack and sugar. “Have you found the reason for good or evil yet?”
“No.”
Angus should’ve taken a few moments to test Jethro’s temperature and make sure he was up to another round with Lassiter, but his obsession always took over before he remembered those around him. “Been able to balance the scales yet?”
“Those scales will never be balanced, mate.” Jethro’s jaw clenched and then relaxed. “You know the why of what I do what I do now, but even you have no clue what I’ve done. I suppose you can profile me without the details, but don’t ever assume you know the depths to which I swam in service to Queen and country.”
“Gaining PhDs in philosophy isn’t going to help you understand true evil,” Angus said softly.
“You do not know that to be true. You can’t beat something until you understand it,” Jethro said.
Wolfe poked his head into the room. “Just told Mal and Raider that I remembered something Gary said earlier. Something about being in the heroin game for the long haul. The expression caught me off guard at the time, but I’ve been mulling it over.”
It was good Wolfe was finally okay with the team approach. Angus twirled a silver pen on his desk. “Long term with heroin?” His mind rapidly went through options.
“Best bet?” Jethro said. “For more of a cash payout, much more, he’d possibly be having it cut with fentanyl. It’s cheaper, smaller, lighter, and easier to smuggle into this country.”
Wolfe straightened. “Doesn’t that kill people? I mean, even more than pure heroin?”
“You won’t find pure heroin anywhere these days,” Jethro said. “It’s cut with something, and fentanyl is the newest thing.” He reached for his phone and texted something rapidly. “If I wanted heroin cut, it’d be in Mexico before coming across the border.”
Wolfe slowly nodded. “That fits with Theresa Rhodes’s distribution channels, according to Candy’s notes.”
Force reached for a manila file folder. “That would explain why Gary Rockcliff isn’t coming at you full force yet. He’s busy for the time being.” Force looked up, his green eyes tired. “But he can’t stay away from you completely, so don’t take a deep breath.”
“I stopped breathing the second I realized Dana wouldn’t go into protective custody.” Wolfe shut the door, disappearing behind it.
Jethro blew out air. “That chap has it bad. Are you sure this isn’t going to blow up in your face?”
“No.” Angus was holding on as tight as he could without forcing everyone on a vacation to the middle of an island somewhere. “I don’t see an alternative to the current plan, though.”
The door opened again, and Brigid stood there, her red hair messy and a dot of whipped cream on her upper lip. “I found Frank Spanek. He’s in an apartment building thirty minutes out of D.C. right now. Surveillance from a store across the street caught him entering the building two hours ago.”
Angus pushed back from his desk. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Dana watched as Wolfe attached a Velcro gun holster to his right leg before tightening a worn bulletproof vest across his abs. Force tossed him his HDD badge, and he clipped it to his hip. “It feels weird being all official for this,” he said.
Force tucked an extra clip in his jacket. “I know. We need to bring Spanek in, and we can hold him here for the night, but we’ll need to take him to headquarters tomorrow. Or maybe the next day.”
“I’ll wait here to interview him,” Nari said, her shoulders slumped beneath her silk blouse.
“No,” Force said, bending to strap a sheathed knife to his calf beneath his jeans. “It’s after one in the morning. Go home and get some sleep. You can interview Spanek tomorrow. “I’d like for him to sweat it out a little in our interrogation room, anyway.”
The elevator door opened, and Millie Frost carried in a cardboard box, which she set down in the center hub before drawing out a metal box. “Everyone, turn off your cell phones and hand them over.”
Dana perked up. “I can’t.” She scowled at Wolfe. “Mine was stomped to bits.”
He shrugged. “GPS is a killer, baby.”
She tried to growl, but it sounded more like a tired mewl.
Raider tossed his phone in the box. “Are you sure you don’t want me on this?”
“We’ve got it,” Force returned easily. “You and Brigid take care of the vehicle Wolfe stole on your way home, yeah? Wipe it down and leave it somewhere without cameras so it’ll be found easy.”
“Sure thing,” Brigid said, gently setting her phone in the metal box.
Mal took Pippa’s phone and put it with his in the box. “I’ll take Pippa, Dana, Roscoe, and Kat back to the bungalows, if you’re sure you don’t want me to provide backup.”
Everyone wanted in on the action, didn’t they? Dana’s heart warmed even as Wolfe’s body tensed. No doubt he was already worrying about somebody getting hurt or killed.
“We’ve got Spanek, but thanks,” Wolfe said, his nostrils flaring.
Jethro hesitated near the box.
“You too, 007,” Millie ordered.
Force nodded.
Jethro sighed and put his phone in, stepping aside so Serena could do the same.
Force slipped his phone in the box, looking inside. “Good, Millicent. Yours is here. What now?”
She closed the metal box and locked it. “I’ll get your data off for each of you; contacts, pictures, and so on. Then I’ll destroy these.” She gingerly set it inside the cardboard box and drew out a basket of black phones. “These are burners. Each is already programmed with everyone else’s numbers, and you’re listed there by the last letter of your first name, except for Dana. Since she and Pippa both end with A, Dana is Y in your phones.” She handed out the innocuous devices. “Your number is on the back in case you want to give it to family or friends, but be careful there. They can be hacked, even if you can’t.”
Dana accepted her phone. She felt like she’d dropped into a spy novel. “Is this really all necessary?”
“Yes,” Wolfe said shortly.
All righty then.
Milly dropped the now empty basket back in the box. “Also, for anybody who has navigation or a service like OnStar on your vehicle, find something new to drive in the interim.”
Brigid leaned against Raider, circles beneath her eyes. “It was easy to find Pippa through the property records of her house. Same with Malcolm and Wolfe.” She rubbed her eyes. “I created a series of dummy corporations and transactions, dating them back a while, to muddy the waters and transfer ownership. That should help, but the record will always be there, so be alert.”
Wow. Dana tilted her head. She wanted to learn how to research like that. When things calmed down, she was definitely taking Brigid to lunch.
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