Page 42 of The Rook

It was two in the bloody morning when it came through. For the last couple years now, I'd slept light. You never knew when you were going to get called on a mission. So when I got the text from Gabe, I frowned. It took my brain a moment or two to do the check-in procedures. But once I got him on the phone, I grumbled. "What?"

"Interpol. They're chasing Igno too. And they have the same idea that we do to go through Montgomery."

I cursed under my breath. "Fucking hell, Gabe, aren't you supposed to play nice with the other agencies?"

"In theory, yes. But since we're after him for terrorism, we get primary. But that's only if we can get our hands on him first. If we can't, we have to go on piecing, and you know how it's going to go. If they get him first, he’ll lawyer up, and Interpol is required to do things by the book. We don't want that."

I cursed under my breath. "Yup, got it. So, what you're telling me is I need to be on alert?"

"Yeah. They're going to go through Nissa. We're out of time. Whatever situation you need to resolve with her needs to be resolved post haste, because you don't have any more time to do it."

I cursed. "Fuck me."

"I would never tell you to do this, but I am not beneath you banging the girl to get information."

"She doesn't know anything, Gabe, and I'm not going to do that."

Are you sure about that?

There was a long pause on the line. “If you say so. Where are we on Julian?"

"I'm still stuck on secondary. I did manage to plant the two bugs I came in with. One in front hall, the other in the morning room. Have we been able to get anything off them?"

Gabe sighed. "Not really. We’re shifting now. I'm going to need bugs in his office, study, den, somewhere he takes meetings."

"That's going to require me to get into the house."

"Nissa doesn't go home?"

"No. She goes home once a month upon arrangement with him. So, unless I get summoned, we need to give him a reason to call her home."

I could hear the frustration in Gabe's voice. "Damn it."

"So, how do you want to do this?"

"Hang tight. I'll figure something out."

"Why do I get the impression that you figuring something out, is not something I'm going to like?"

"I've already told you, the fastest way to access Julian is through the girl. You, apparently, are squeamish."

"I'm not squeamish. I'm just against lying to her."

"You and I both know that you went back on this mission for more reasons than your inheritance or your legacy. You're back for the girl." I could almost hear the shrug in his voice, his nonchalance. I wondered about his complete ability to use people for whatever angle he needed. "It is what it is. You went back for her, so be back for her. I'll pull some strings to see what I can make happen."

"Fine, anything to get me in that house. Because without anything concrete, Interpol might beat us to it."

"I know. In the meantime, you keep them the fuck away from that girl. I don't care if you have to actually plaster your body to hers, but you do what you have to do."

"Copy. I won't let them get close."

"Good, because if Interpol gets a hold of Montgomery first, Oversight is going to have a lot to say about it. And I would rather not answer any more questions from them."

"Do they not know I'm under?"

"They don't exactly know, but they will eventually."

I sighed. "More games with Oversight."

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