“He set up a group within Justice thatdoesn’tfollow the law,” Sin said. “He trains assassins and he controls a lot of what goes on in federal law enforcement.”
Carrera regarded Luciano. “What does this have to do with you? You’re not law enforcement. You’re not in ALPHA.”
Sin and Luciano exchanged glances.
“There are jobs LEOs can’t touch,” Sin explained.
“Like the one last night,” Luciano added.
“Over the past year and a half, Luciano and I have teamed up,” Sin said.
That was unexpected.
Carrera regarded both men. “What does this have to do with me?”
“We want you to take Z’s place,” Sin said.
Silence while Carrera chewed on those words.
Then, he laughed. “That’s a good one. You two got me.”
“Not a joke,” Luciano said. “You’re the one.”
Carrera shook his head. “You just said the higher ups can’t wait for Z to leave. No one’s going to agree to this, especially not the Director or anyone at the White House.”
“If I say it’ll happen, itwillhappen,” Sin said.
“And what, exactly, would I do?”
“Whatever the hell you want,” Luciano said.
Luciano and Sin laughed.
Carrera did not.
“You decide which cases get funneled to ALPHA, which go to Luciano,” Sin said. “You’d be the liaison between the FBI and ALPHA, so you’d be quietly recruiting ALPHA Ops as positions open up, and you’d be training lone-wolf assassins.”
“There’s no way the Director will agree to this.”
“Let me worry about him,” Sin said. “Your formal title will be Deputy Director Special Projects.”
“And to whom do I report?”
“That’s where things get gray,” Sin replied. “On paper you report to the Director, but in reality, you, Luciano, and I will be working together.”
Carrera laughed, his hearty chuckle floating away in the gentle summer breeze. “When he stopped laughing, he regarded both men. “You’re kidding, right?”
“This isn’t a joke, Carrera,” Luciano said. “Z wields a lot of power. Power neither Sin nor I are willing to let go of. You’re loyal, you’re smart, you’re hard working?—”
“And you’re ruthless,” Sin said.
“The perfect storm,” Luciano added. “Do you want to think about it?”
Carrera stared out at the boats, then at the sun’s glare reflecting off the river. This position was beyond anything he’d ever imagined for himself. But was it where he wanted to take his career?
I’d be a fool to turn this down.
After a long moment, he shifted his focus, first to Luciano, then to Sin.
“I’m in,” Carrera replied. “I’m all in.”
