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Will clenched his jaw. If it was a domestic terror group, he was going to dismantle them. Groups like that were absolutely disgraceful. If it was Syndicate though? They had to watch their back. “So we need the shooter to tell us which one.”
Ross nodded. Will knew Ross well enough to basically read his thoughts by now. They’d worked closely at Black Tower for several years, but their history went back further than that, to the summer camp they’d both attended in the Adirondacks each year.
“Exactly,” Ross confirmed. He checked his watch. “I know you’ve got more questions, but let’s bring in the rest of the team. They’ll want to know more too.” Will nodded. Yeah, he had questions, but if he didn’t get all the answers, it would be okay. He was used to operating on limited intel. It was the facts of life as Army Special Forces. You followed your orders and did your best to trust the people who gave them.
When they gathered in the conference room, Will sat stoically and let Ross bring everyone up to speed. He frowned at Joey when she came in late, bringing along the pharmaceutical CEO that the other Black Tower founder, Raven, insisted they could trust.
Thankfully, Raven sent him back out, and the meeting got underway. After another moment, Jackson Kelley tiptoed in and pulled out his seat, setting an energy drink in front of him.
“Sorry I’m late,” he offered.
Will resisted the urge to roll his eyes and noticed that Joey didn’t manage to rein it in. Jackson was almost always late.
As Flint and Ross laid out the information, Tank, Jackson, and Joey all reacted strongly.
Will sat and watched as they each came to grips with the possibility of Syndicate’s involvement in the assassination. Joey especially had been involved in digging up information on the Syndicate, ever since they targeted Jessica, Flint’s wife, and Fiona, his sister. Understandably, Joey wanted to know where the intel was coming from that indicated that the Syndicate was involved. Will couldn’t deny that he wanted to know, too. He was just better at holding back his feelings than the fiery computer hacker.
Ross held up a hand. “Harrison Coulter is a good man and I trust him. He has requested Black Tower conduct an independent operation to capture the shooter after he is identified. Will, you’ll be leading Operation Blue Smoke along with Tank, Jackson, and Ryder.”
Ross might trust Harrison Coulter, but Will wasn’t so sure. It seemed there was no end to the ability of the Syndicate to infiltrate, corrupt, blackmail, or coerce people to do their bidding. And with the POTUS out of the way, Coulter just became the most powerful man in the world. It was a heck of a motive.
Joey continued to push back while Will watched the exchange. He was used to operating without a safety net, but even he was grateful for the pre-signed pardon Ross pulled out from the president. Coulter wasn’t playing around with this mission. They had a blank check to do whatever it took to capture the assassin.
Will appreciated Joey’s skeptical nature, and when the meeting ended, he ducked past Tank and Jackson to catch her in the hallway outside the meeting room. He placed a hand on her arm. “Got a second?”
He tugged her to an alcove in the hallway outside the conference room.
“I need you to do something, Joey.” He kept his voice low. He didn’t want Ross or Raven to know what he was asking her.
“Yeah, of course. What do you need?” Thank heavens that Joey was a team player.
Will took a deep breath, looking down the hall again to make sure no one else was listening.
“I need you to deep dive on Coulter. I need you to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is not tied to the Syndicate, or being used as a pawn in their twisted plan. For all of our peace of mind.” He felt a little guilty going behind Ross’s back, but he needed to be sure. It was his team who was going to be on the hook if this all turned out to be a grand scheme from the Syndicate and Coulter was in on it.
Joey shook her head and gave him a confused look. “I don’t know how much I can find that hasn’t already been dug up. The man went through the vice-presidential security scan, not to mention the media hounds trying to find even the hint of dirt. What am I supposed to look for?”
Will leaned forward. “Everything,” he said firmly. “Those other checks weren’t looking for Syndicate ties. They wouldn’t have even recognized them if they saw them. But you will.” If there was anything Will knew about Joey, it was that she wouldn’t let the smallest detail slide. His only worry was that she was distracted with her current project at Zia. His eyes slid toward the lobby where he knew Cole Kensington was waiting for her.
“Can you do this, Joey?”
She nodded once. “I’ve got you, Gilbert. If there is anything suspicious about Harrison Coulter, I’ll find it.”
Will smiled tightly. “Thank you. Oh, and don’t mention this to anyone else, okay?”
He saw the hesitation flicker across her face, but she nodded sharply.
He left her there and headed toward Miranda’s office. Operation Blue Smoke could be underway in a matter of hours, and he’d need her to get things organized whenever they needed to hit the ground. Miranda Bradley handled logistics for their team, and she’d pulled him out of a bind more times than he could count.
He knocked as he entered the doorway. Jackson and Miranda startled at the noise, and Jackson moved away from Miranda’s chair with an awkward step that had him stumbling backward.
Will raised one eyebrow. “Am I interrupting?”
Miranda waved a hand. “Nope, just catching up. Tell me what you need, Square.”
Will grunted at the nickname. “Not you, too.” He glared at Jackson. “Really? You got her calling me that?”
Jackson shrugged and gave Will a cocky smile. “What can I say? If the goody-two-shoe fits.” Jackson winked at Miranda. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said as he walked toward the door.
