Page 50 of Mitch

Jack nodded solemnly. “Yeah, the transactions are buried pretty deep within shell companies, but it looks like Harold and Verena haven’t fallen out as badly as they would have us believe. We found emails between them suggesting that the family dynamic is far from hostile.”

“Are we are working on the assumption that they’re creating a chemical weapon similar to Tabun and also cashing in on the other end by making the antidote?” Mitch’s good mood vanished into thin air as he spoke, the strands unravelling in his head.

“That’s my take from it, and the public falling out was a front so we didn’t automatically link them.”

Alex inclined his head. “How buried are these transactions?”

“Very. It took a lot of digging to find them, but you know Lopez when he gets his teeth into something.”

“It’s a geek thing,” Will said with a shrug.

“We need to get in that warehouse and find out what the fuck is going on.” Alex stood and walked to Will. “Pull up the aerial shots of the farm.”

Mitch stood and walked over to the desk behind Alex as he pointed at two areas on the screen. “We could go in here and here and do a brute force entry.”

“I’d prefer a quick recon. We don’t want to tip them off to what we know just yet, or it could accelerate their plans.”

Alex and Jack often threw ideas around like this, and neither was worried about disagreeing because the end game was always the same.

Jack looked at Alex and then him. “What are your thoughts, Mitch? You know Linton Allen, what would he do?”

Mitch shook his head. “Hard to say. The kid I knew isn’t the man we’re hunting. If he’s as clever as I think, then he’ll be expecting us to find this unless he doesn’t know about it. Remember, we don’t know how far his and the Cobras’ involvement goes. If it were me, I’d bring Hench, Midas, and Anton in, and have Deck question them.” Mitch tried to think like Linton, but it was almost impossible. Even the gang he’d so briefly been involved with had evolved into a million-pound operation now.

“We should hit the warehouse at the same time. I agree with Alex on the brute force, but instead of hitting one area hard, hit the Onyx Cobras’ base and the warehouse. That way, they won’t have time to warn anyone.”

“That’s a good idea,” Jack agreed. “Let’s get back to Eidolon and put a plan together.”

This was why Mitch had agreed to this job when Jack approached him six years ago. The red tape on the force meant it was a dictatorship. Even though there was no mistaking Jack was the boss at Eidolon, he involved them and listened to them as a team leader should. The salary hadn’t hurt either. He was never going to retire comfortably on a police pension, but although the risk was tenfold, so was the pay. He’d never regretted it, not for a second and Jack picking him out of all the excellent armed response and sniper units in the UK was a huge honour.

“Let us know if you need any extra hands.” Zack headed for the door. “Until then, I have to help Ava restore order so I don’t end up on the sofa.”

Will laughed. “Yeah, like that’s ever happened.”

“First time for everything and she’s feeling delicate this morning.” Zack lifted his brows and ducked out with a snicker.

“I should get back to Autumn and give her an update before I take her home.”

“Meet me at Eidolon in two hours,” Jack stated.

“Yeah, sure thing.”

Picking up Maggie, who was looking less like she’d fought a battle with her breakfast and lost and more like the angel she was, Mitch took the stairs back to his suite and gently slipped inside.

Autumn was walking out of the bathroom with a towel around her wet body as they came in, her face lighting up at the sight of them. He felt his body harden with desire for her as she scooped Maggie from his arms, and kissed her face, before lifting and hooking an arm around his neck planting her mouth over his for a slow kiss.

“Hmm, now that’s what I call a greeting.” He held her hips in his hands, knowing she was naked beneath the towel and wanting nothing more than to feel her soft skin against his own.

“I missed you this morning.” Her lips twitched with a sultry promise that was hard to ignore.

Lifting his hand, he caressed her cheek. “I thought you might be tired after last night and would appreciate the extra sleep.”

“I am, and I did, thank you. I still missed you, though.”

Her words made his chest ache in such a way that he wanted to wrap her in his arms and show her his gratitude. “Are you sore?”

Autumn wrinkled her nose as she walked to the bed and set Maggie down. “A little but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Good, then I can show you how much your words mean to me later tonight.”