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“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Nowhere.” I walked to the passenger side and got in when he unlocked the doors. “You said Zin’s email, coupled with Sera’s browsing history, requires action. What would you have me do, Press?”
“Ask her about it.”
“You can’t really be suggesting I do that now?”
He started to speak, but shut his mouth.
I rested my head against the seat and let out a deep breath. “Cooley is trying to get a reaction. That’s all this is.”
“You better be right, my friend.”
“Has Zin spoken with Brix about this?”
“He has.”
I got out of the vehicle only to realize it was too early in California to place a call. On my way back to the warehouse, I was about to round a corner when I heard a voice that sounded like the terminal operations manager.
“Correct. They’re not expecting arrival until tomorrow night.” There was a pause followed by the man swearing. “Fuck off. Of course I changed the SSA numbers. What kind of bloody wanker does he take me for?” Another pause. “I bought you twenty-four hours to unload. The rest is up to you.”
I went around the opposite corner and in the same door Press and I had come out of when it sounded as though the call had ended.
“We need to talk,” I said to Gunner and Razor. “Ares, Doc, and Merrigan too.”
I was stunned when Gunner didn’t ask what about but walked straight over to Doc and Merrigan while Razor went in Ares’ direction. Since he was talking to Kodiak at the time, both men followed him to where I waited.
“The ship is coming in tonight,” I said when everyone was assembled. “I overheard the terminal manager say he’d switched the SSA numbers, giving whoever he was talking to an extra twenty-four hours to get everything off-loaded.”
“If those receiving this cargo think they have twenty-four hours, it means we can anticipate the ship arriving tonight. Let’s get to work. Only those you trust with your own life get briefed,” said Doc. With his directive, everyone spread out and gathered people into small groups. “You brief your team,” Doc said to me.
“Roger that,” I responded, walking away like the others had.
Since I saw Merrigan speaking with Seraphina and my brother, I summoned Beau, Snapper, and Kick in a different direction. When Press came in the same door I had, I waved him over too.
“I overheard the terminal manager on the phone,” I began. Once I told them everything I’d heard, the five of us dispersed to two of the smaller groups. Snapper and Kick joined Gunner, Razor, and the Shadow Ops guys. Press, Beau, and I walked over to Merrigan.
“How are you holding up?” I asked Seraphina once Merrigan finished her brief and walked away with Dalton to talk to the medical team.
“To be honest, grateful I don’t have to wait another thirty hours to see my sister.”
“If this terminal operator is dirty, my guess is the one in Altamira is too.”
“I agree. If it were my investigation, I’d be looking into terminal operations in Yavaros too.”
I had no doubt K19 had already begun the process of checking into both.
“How will we know which ship it is?” she asked.
I pointed to the group speaking with Gunner. “I’m sure they’re working it out now.”
“How did you find out? Merrigan didn’t say other than you overheard a conversation.”
“Press and I stepped outside for a few minutes. When I returned, I heard the man on the phone.”
“Good thing you did.” She paused but kept her eyes focused on mine. “I hope you know I appreciate everything you’ve done, all that you’re doing to help find my sister. While I hope my comment didn’t offend you, I spoke the truth. The majority of vigilante groups, if you want to call them that, do more to impede justice than they do help.”
“Present company excluded?” I couldn’t help but ask.
