Puppetmaster (Coastal Fury Book 8)

by Matt Lincoln

  “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 proce
ssed 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.