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I go on the offensive. “Why do you think the Brothers picked Jordan? A place where we have so few resources? Coincidence?”
“I have an informant, not access to their brain waves.”
“If you had to guess?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say someone betrayed the mission and warned the Brothers Grim that it would be an ideal place to get away from an imminent threat and still proceed with their meeting.”
Guess the cat is out of the bag and peeing all over the bed. This is the problem with trying to get information from trained spies: they’re always one step ahead. “Could your informant have told the Brothers—”
“No. He gives me information. I don’t give him information.”
“But—”
“I am no novice. Believe me, I know how to manage an asset.”
“Really?” I gesture at the television again. “Do you spend as much time managing this guy as you spend watching old videos of him?”
“If you are asking if I am sleeping with him, the answer is yes and it’s quite enjoyable.”
Whoa. What? If she’s willing to admit that, admit the violation, she must be in it bad. Or guilty and trying to throw me off the track of something bigger. “What thefuck? You’ve risked The Guild. Your informant has obviously told Walid about—”
“Wrong. He hasn’t any information to give Walid, and, you have no room to talk after you revealed secrets to Sandesh—”
“That’s not the same—”
“Agreed, it’s actually much worse. Sandesh gave nothing to this operation, whereas Sean has risked himself repeatedly by providing us with secret information about Walid’s organization, like their weak security, sexual proclivities, numerous comings and goings, and the shift to Jordan. And, yet, he isn’t being brought into the family and welcomed because he does not have a charity Momma can use as a cover.”
My head spins with this tirade, but I can’t get past what she’s also revealed. “Speaking of covers, aren’t you undercover as a nun in Mexico? How the hell do you two even manage—
“Enough. Unless you have something related to the operation to ask, I’d prefer this questioning stop.”
On the offenseandthe defense. She more thancaresabout Sean. She might even be in love with him. If so, what would she do to protect him? Warn Walid? Try to scare the family off the mission, so she can extract an asset? Risk me?
Best way to find out is to press her buttons. “I’m going to need Sean’s help getting into Walid’s Mexican compound. I’ll need Walid’s daily schedule, codes for the security system, number of guards for every shift, and a better layout for Walid’s underground chamber.”
“No.” Massaging her temples, shakes her head slightly. “Walid is attempting to find the mole in his organization. Anything Sean does could draw suspicion. Let alone having him walking the compound, secreting out notes.”
“All the more reason for him to help.”
“Stop,” Dada slaps her hands together, a Momma power move. “You’re talking about going on the offensive against organized crime at their home base when they are on high alert. It’s a reckless suggestion.”
Like we have a choice at this point? “Wrong. I know of many brutal retaliations carried out by The Guild with minimal prep.Andmore exposure.”
“By our sisters in arms in poorer countries. In places where men can be scared from their abuse, but this isn’t something done with a cudgel or by threatening to slice off someone’s balls.”
Sensing I have the upper hand for once, I don’t relent. “I needinthere, to end this, to end Walid. Momma’s already given her approval.”
Not true, but Dada doesn’t need to know that.
Face pinched, eyes wide, she points a desperate finger at me. “Please, for once, think of others. You can’t use your temper to shape the world to your desires.”
“Actually, that’s kind of our company motto.”
Though it hurts to see her so distressed, I stand up and approach the exit doors, throwing back one last, “Talk to Sean and let me know what he says.”
Out in the hall, I almost fall against the wall. After a moment, I push off the wall and push away guilt as I make my way upstairs. If we were normal sisters, maybe that conversation would’ve been different. Maybe, it would’ve been about her attraction to a man, my attraction to a man, the sharing of stories and winks and nods of understanding. Instead, of the sorry mess of accusation and jousting has my stomach turning and everything in me feeling… empty.
Shit. It’s not like Sean is endangering himself for no reason. I do need that information. Still, I hate what I asked of him enough that I nearly run back down the hall and take it all back.
