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“I know my way around this stuff, but I don’t have anywhere near the access that Killion has,” Relay defended. “I’m not worth anything if I don’t have access to what he does… I can’t access ledgers or any of the government stuff he has.”
“Right, but they’ve aligned the two teams for a reason.” Rainy went on. “If this is all about Killion, what better person than you to gain access to what he has than through you?”
Relay put her hands up in defense. “Whoa. I don’t know what you’re trying to imply here, but I have nothing to do with this and have as much on the line as everyone else. I’m here to fight the enemy, not fight for them. And for that matter, you’re pretty tech-savvy yourself. If memory serves, that’s what brought you and Killion together before… you know, before you left.”
Emotions were high and tension was thick as the two women subtly took jabs at each other. There was more to their game of cat and mouse. It had less to do with being in danger and more to do with a single factor and good old-fashioned jealousy. If it wasn’t apparent before, it was now that the two women were very territorial when it came to Killion, and though it seemed to go over his head, it didn’t fly over the others.
“Whoa.” Hen stood between the women despite the distance between them. “Relay, reel it in. You’re throwing grenades in the wrong trenches. Look, I’ve known you a lot of years and respect the hell out of you, but you can’t talk to my sister like that. She did what she thought she had to do.”
“I didn’t mean—” Relay began but was cut off quickly by Rainy who wore a pleased grin.
Rainy began to take her shot and failed. “Exactly. I didn’t have a choice. I left because…”
“Hold on, Sis.” Hen continued. “I love you, and I know you’d never intentionally hurt a soul, but we’ve all heard the story and know what you did and why you did it. It’s over, and we need to move on. Relay is good people. She played a critical role in saving your life. Let’s not forget that. She isn’t the enemy any more than you are.”
Wit stepped forward, still holding the baby. “Hen’s right. We ain’t turnin’ on each other now. That’s precisely what whoever this is wants. Us to implode from the inside. I think it’s fair to say you both are at risk because you both have ties to the big guy and their primary target.”
Killion nodded as awareness began to wash over him. “Please don’t do this. Not on my account. Cowboy’s right. You’re giving them what they want.”
Rainy slumped in her chair with a sense of defeat. “I’m sorry. I just… I need to get it together here. I already feel responsible for so much of this and helpless at the same time.”
“I feel the same way,” Relay admitted, rolling back in her chair. “If this theory is correct, then I was handpicked to see that the empire fell and Killion was the only one standing. I was your enemy at one point, and if time had allowed, potentially your demise. I think it’s a fair assumption that Rainy was taken for the same reason. Not just as leverage, but a means to get inside Killion’s world behind a screen and take what they want from him.”
“Until we know who this is and their endgame, let’s keep that theory at the forefront,” Bozz said. “We were all handpicked for this final act, I’m sure of it. The only thing the puppet master didn’t anticipate was us all coming to our senses.”
“That goes for both teams,” Finn chimed in. “Anyone who knows and even loves Killion is fair game. Those who know how to get in his head and steal his thoughts to gain access to his vault are even more at risk. That’s all of us.”
Killion looked around the room, and his face told his entire story. He was devastated. For someone who tended to be in the background and preferred it, he’d managed to step right under a spotlight he didn’t ask for. Once he couldn’t seem to step out of or shut off because they didn’t know where it began or ended or where the switch was.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I should have seen something like this coming and put up better safeguards.”
“How the hell do you anticipate something like this?” Cane questioned. “And how the hell do you put up safeguards around yourself more than you already have? You can’t shut yourself off from the world completely, brother. It doesn’t work that way. This isn’t on you. It’s on the bastard behind it all.”
“So this isn’t about the trafficking ring at all, then,” Rainy concluded.
“I’m sure it was at one point and most definitely had to be for Lindstrom and his group of misfits,” Carter chimed in. “What he didn’t see coming was that he was being used as a pawn for a much bigger move –– and his own assassination. I just got word that a couple of his goons were arrested, and they’re being hauled in. With Lindstrom dead now, they won’t be held in the federal supermax like before.”
“No protection.” Wit whistled between gritted teeth.
Rainy whispered. “Good.”
“Good is right, but not for them. We’re all safer with them behind bars, but they aren’t,” Carter added. “Good as dead on the inside. Now that Lindstrom won’t go on trial, there’s no need for them to testify. Rolling on each other won’t gain them protection in solitary. Gen pop is where they’re headed.”
“I can almost hear the shanks sharpening as we speak.” Cane chuckled.
Carter nodded. “Exactly. With Lindstrom dead, money no longer the motive, and someone else at play here, everything changes.”
“We know our mark had connections to Lindstrom, but we also know they have a connection to the Dozen and us,” Brody said. “It’s narrowed the playing field tremendously, but we still have our work cut out for us.”
“We have our working theory then. It’s solid. Now we need evidence to support it and to follow the breadcrumbs, wherever we can find them and end this thing once and for all,” Killion shared.
“Neutralize the final threat,” Cane added.
Killion shrugged but lacked confidence. “If that’s possible. We need to dig deep this time. We all know more than we think we do, and it only takes one break in the case to bust the whole thing open.”
“Ledgers be damned.” Hen chuckled.
“Let’s also not forget that Lindstrom may be out of the way and a few other guys back in custody, but several out there still want the keys to his kingdom. That’s Rainy. You were with Lindstrom more than anyone while being held. They’ll want to know what you know to find all his buried treasures. Let’s not lose sight of that.”
