“Listen and be amazed,” Bobby said, then increased the volume on the speaker system in his office.
The sound of footsteps pounding across concrete filled the room, then a man spoke. “Mr. Lecrae will see you now.”
Rocco whispered, “Wait, are we listening to what’s going on where Dante is right now?”
“No need to whisper,” Bobby said. “They can’t hear us, but we can hear everything said around Dante. We'll hear the whole meeting as long as the PC-5 doesn’t confiscate his phone.”
Sebastian said, “Wouldn’t they have scramblers to prevent that?”
Bobby looked annoyed. “You think I can’t create a program that bypasses the most sophisticated scramblers? Do you know me at all?”
“Shh! Lecrae is talking,” Lachlan said.
They fell silent as the conversation filled the office.
“Good to see you, Nico,” a male voice said.
“El Sombro, let’s make this quick,” Nico responded with a terse, clipped tone. “The route you want to take for the shipment isn’t acceptable to us. While it’s in international waters, it’s still too close to the Palmchat Islands.”
Papers rustled.
Nico continued, “We would approve this modified route, which won’t significantly increase the transportation time.”
El Sombro was quick to respond. “I accept this change.”
“I understand that the timing is fluid, but expected to be this weekend,” Nico continued. “I want twenty-four-hour notice once the timing is firmed up.”
“I will make sure you’re notified,” El Sombro said.
“I don’t know why you want to do this,” Nico said. “Transporting guns is risky, but it’s yours to take.”
Rocco crept to the edge of his seat, stunned by Nico’s words.
El Sombro was moving into trafficking guns?
“I appreciate the opportunity to ensure that this won’t cause any strife between our respective organizations,” El Sombro said.
“That was easy,” Bobby said, then tapped on his keyboard to end the audio feed from Dante’s phone. “Make good use of it.”
Rocco said, “I definitely will.”
Chapter 40
"Serena did this?" Muscles tensed, Ike struggled to stand from the wheelchair. His mind was flooded with a torrent of emotions--peace, confusion, anger.
Sebastian came to his side, linking an arm under his to help him up. "Gabs is pissed. Hasn't spoken to Serena in over a week. I'm not sure how long it will take her to get over this."
"She doesn't want to believe they are gone." Ike understood his baby sister's frustration. No bodies had been found in the two years since their parents’ plane had disappeared.
"And she's refusing to sign off on the paperwork to have them legally declared dead," Sebastian said, then gave him an uncomfortable glance. "She still thinks I'm looking for you, so you can help her stop Serena."
Ike was quiet. He knew it was hard as hell for Seby to lie to his sister. His friend couldn't hide how hard he'd fallen for her. Loving Gabs and keeping her in the dark could blow up in Seby’s face if she ever found out the truth. The implications weren’t lost on Ike.
"Now, Serena is asking for the same thing. She thinks you’ll beon her side," Sebastian said, his words ending with a questioning uplift.
Ike took a gingerly step forward. Pain shot up through his leg, but he ignored it. He had to get closer to the memorial erected for Bernadette King and Pastor Peter da Costa. Grief and sorrow lodged in his chest.
Crafted from the finest marble, whiter than the clouds that danced above in the azure sky, the memorial stood as a beacon of remembrance and honor. It was adorned with intricate carvings that depicted the rich tapestry of his parents' lives—moments of triumph, tenderness, and unparalleled generosity that had defined them. Memories flooded his mind as he recognized each of them. At its base, an array of his mother's favorite tropical flowers was arranged in a semi-circle around the structures, the sweet fragrance filling the air.
