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“Yeah. I’m calling you from the car outside his house in Palo Alto. He just came home.”
“Where was he all night?”
“Well, he started at the office of his day job yesterday. Then I followed him on a sales call in downtown San Francisco. Then he met a shady looking pair for drinks after work. I sent photos to your work email. Derek said he was gonna have some guy named Cameron do facial recognition on them. Haven’t heard back yet, but if I had to guess, I’d say they looked like union mobsters. The kind whose specialty is breaking kneecaps, if you get my drift.”
Markus asked the next question. “He didn’t stay out until six-thirty in the morning with those guys. Where did he go next?”
Dylan yawned. “He drove out to some industrial park on the outskirts near the airport. There’s a guard shack, but I was able to get past easy enough with a fifty. I’ll just put that on my expense report. He parked outside a building with no windows. Just a keypad entry. We got there around ten-thirty last night. I don’t know exactly what was going on in there, but I saw women going in and out all night long.”
Lukus dug for more info. “What kind of women?”
“That’s the thing. It was all kinds of women. A few looked like real knockouts; slutty model types. But there were a few old enough to be my mom. A couple were dressed like they were going to a club, and others looked like they just rolled out of bed. There was one that even… never mind. That’s not important.”
“What did they say they were doing in there?” Markus wanted more info.
“Hell if I know what they were doing. I didn’t talk to any of them. Bossman there made it very clear that I was ‘too fucking new’ to do anything more than observe. So, I observed. Now I’m calling to check in, and then I’m going to bed. It’s Saturday. I’ll head back over to his house later and if he’s not there, I’ll go back to the warehouse and stake it out again. Do you want me to try to talk to someone going in or coming out?”
Markus said “Yes” as Lukus said “No” simultaneously.
Lukus shot Markus a dirty look before instructing Dylan clearly. “The orders haven’t changed. I’m sending Derek out tomorrow. Once there are two of you, get a bit more aggressive. Just keep an eye on things until he gets there.”
“Fine. I’m gonna choke down some food and hit the bed for a few hours. I’ll check in if anything changes.”
The call was disconnected without any goodbyes.
Markus was frustrated. “That didn’t tell us much. You need him to interview those women to figure out what’s going on in there.”
“He’s worked for me for a week. Yes, he’s had military training, but no recon training. Hell, I’d never ask anyone on the team, except Z, to do personal interviews in this situation without backup. Just be patient for a few more days.”
“Fine. But you need to let me know if you need anything from me.”
Lukus was agitated, anxious to get to work. “I will. For now, just let me shower and get to the office. I have a ton of shit backed up to handle for both businesses. Derek better get his ass here soon.”
“Okay. I need to leave anyway. I’m meeting a building contractor at the house in an hour. I’m having part of our basement built out into a playroom/dungeon. Call me.”
* * *
Lukus
Lukus was not happy. He’d spent as much time as possible with Tiffany over the last few weeks and, looking at the pile of paperwork on his desk, it showed. He was behind on everything from payroll to membership requests, invoicing, and liquor inventory. He’d spent the last hour just digging through the pile of mail Derek had left for his attention.
I seriously need to invest in a good admin. We’ve been getting by without it, but I don’t have time for this paperwork bullshit anymore.
Thinking of Derek reminded him how unusual it was that his number two hadn’t checked in. An hour ago, Lukus had been pissed at his absence. Now, as his third call went straight to voicemail, he was starting to worry.
That thought was hanging in the air as his phone rang. Caller ID confirmed it was Derek.
“Where have you been, man? You better not be late because you’ve been fucking your wife again. We have a lot of work to do.” Lukus’s words may have been harsh, but his tone showed his relief.
The relief dissipated as he heard Derek’s voice. “Sorry. I should have called earlier. Rachel is sick.”
“I think we can rule out a hangover. Is it morning sickness?”
Derek sounded worried. “I don’t think so. It’s different today. She’s having slight cramping. We called her OBGYN. The nurse said to just lie down and keep her feet up. What kind of bullshit advice is that?”
“I have no idea, man. Not something I have much experience with,” Lukus admitted.
“Like I do? How the hell am I going to be a good father to an infant? I don’t even know how to take care of my wife anymore.” Derek’s voice betrayed how helpless he felt.
