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After Jase’s conversation with three young Pakistani men, he needed to get information to Kostya and the rest of the team… fast. He pulled out his cell phone and keyed into the Omega Sky group text.

Jase: Pretty sure Kraken is on site. They’ve threatened to kill three teens if they don’t find guys who worked at Future Museum. Kraken had gun.

Kostya: Are they meeting again?

Jase saw more dots coming up, so he waited to answer.

Jonas: Where was this?

Gideon: Did they mention anything about the C-4?

Jase: They’re meeting again in 24/hr, same place, furthest bldg. from camp, didn’t mention C-4.

Kostya: Do you have a plan? What do you need?

Jase: I need Gideon to show up with me as guy who worked on lighting for museum. Meet 0130 at NE toilet. Meet with Kraken 0200. Will provide update after meeting.

Kostya: Any other updates?

Tanner: Met with CIA asset, they have no information on the Kraken.

Kostya: No smartass comments. Anybody else with pertinent info?

Braxton: Kraken is doing a background check on me. Might get hired on.

Kostya: When will you know?

Braxton: Tonight.

Kostya: Keep me updated.

Jase waited forty seconds.

Kostya: Denmay Team report back after meeting. If anyone else has something important that needs Denmay team, use group text, otherwise exclude them. Out.

With that done, Jase headed for his bunk. He could get in a good three hours of sleep before getting to dig in the dirt again.

* * *

Why am I not surprised?

Jase was at the toilet at oh-one-twenty and there stood Ryker McQueen. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he had a stick up his ass.

“Hurry the fuck up,” he rumbled to one hapless worker. “This line is too long. Move it. Move it.”

Then again, having everyone’s attention focused on the asshole boss made things easier for Gideon and Jase to plan how they were going to play things with the Kraken.

If he was a Kraken.

At oh-one-thirty-two, Gideon came out of the toilet and barely avoided being shoved by Ryker. Instead, he hotfooted it over to the shadows where Jase was waiting.

“Why do you need me?” Gideon asked, getting to the crux of the matter.

“The American who was threatening the three Pakistanis was adamant that they needed to find someone who worked on the lighting for the Museum of the Future. The kids worked on the project, and they kept telling him that only UAE engineers worked on the lighting.”

“They’re probably right. I can’t imagine any of the laborers they’ve brought in have the skill-set they need to run a complex lighting system that the museum needs.”

“This American kept insisting that the UAE engineers would have needed helpers. That’s where you come in. You can bullshit on this with the best of them. I figure once this guy establishes your legitimacy, he’ll take you to some other guys, where you’ll download your knowledge. I’ll go with you.”