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“I want Rose to see that she screwed up and now her kid is gone for good. Let her live with that, for as long as she has left to live.”
With that, the call ended, and Mick knew they had no choice but to do what the man had asked of them. Anything else would raise too many alarms.
“We’ve got to get her out of there,” Harry said, obviously trying to keep his voice steady as not to scare the boy. “What are we going to do? Are your people ready to help?”
“I’m going to make a few phone calls,” Mick replied calmly though he was anything but. This was not how good missions were supposed to go. You acted only when you were ready and all the pieces were perfectly in place not when someone's life was on the line and you would need to rush things in order to save them. That's when things got sloppy. That's when people got killed. He knew that, and Carmen knew it too. There was a chance she would tell him there was nothing they could do for Rose. Mick would have to look at the little boy in the backseat and admit he wasn't able to save his mother.
But the problem wasn't just Nathaniel. Mick knew damn well Harry wasn't going to take no for an answer either. This was going to happen. Mick would need to make sure it happened as safely as possible.
CHAPTER 26
MICK
Mick pulled over to the side of the road, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for his phone. Charlize's urgent text messages were a stark reminder of just how many moving parts there were to this game. Everyone was running in different directions at full speed. He needed to take a beat, read her messages, process the information, and respond quickly.
The first message popped up on his screen: "Mick, I've got them. Three of the board members offering bribes, discussing their ill-gotten gains. Lunch with them later will be a gold mine. Recording everything."
Mick's fingers flew across the touchscreen keyboard as he replied, "We might need to move faster than that. Calling Carmen now. Jump on the call with us."
The tension in the car was palpable as Mick dialed Carmen's number, and he couldn't help but glance at Nathaniel, who sat quietly in the backseat, unaware of the life-altering events unfolding around him.
“Take him over to the park,” Mick said, urging Harry to do so quickly. He could see them both from there, it was only fifty feet away, but he didn’t really want either of them to hear this conversation. Mick could predict how it would go.
Carmen picked up after the first ring, her voice hurried and concerned. "Mick, what's happening?"
Charlize joined the call a moment later and asked a nearly identical question.
Mick wasted no time, his words coming out in a rush. "We've got Nathaniel safe, but Rose is in imminent danger. Harry's boss is expecting him to go to her location soon. We need to act fast."
Carmen's response was swift and resolute. "I understand, Mick. But we're not far enough down the path of gathering evidence and locating all their operations. If we move now, we risk other lives, and the higher-ups will slither out of accountability. I’m not going to leave Rose to die, but we can’t rush in, guns blazing, announcing our intentions to take the whole organization down."
Charlize chimed in. She sounded reluctant, which meant she was siding with Carmen. "I'm close to getting hard evidence against three of the board members who seem to be the ringleaders. They've promised me more access, a spot at the table, and a cut of the money if I secure more funding. I’m going to record our lunch meeting but I think they trust me enough at this point to tell me what’s really going on. Or they might not trust me, but they trust I can get them access to millions and so they’re willing to take that risk. We can’t move on Rose yet.”
Harry, who had just returned from pushing Nathaniel on the swings couldn't accept the decision made by the others. His voice trembled with frustration and desperation. "I get it, but I can't leave Rose there. I won't sacrifice her for a bigger case. If you won't go in for her, I'll do it myself. I'll make it look like we've fallen in love, and I'm pulling her out. They won’t know something bigger is going on behind the scenes. "
Mick knew the stakes were high, and he had to make Harry understand. He’d pulled the man into this and he was his responsibility now. "Harry, even if you save Rose, the organization might still assume that you or Rose will go to the authorities. They'll close ranks, quiet witnesses. It's a lose-lose situation. Other people will be hurt or killed."
There was a heavy silence on the call as the gravity of their predicament sank in. Carmen finally broke it, her voice steady as she outlined her solution.
"I need some time to set this up, at least an hour. Then I'll give you the plan. Harry, you'll have to do this alone. No backup, no one who might give away the fact that others are involved. The only thing I can offer is an exit strategy that gets Rose and Nathaniel out safely without raising any suspicions. That will keep our case intact and able to move forward."
Harry agreed to Carmen's terms, a sense of grim determination in his voice. “I’m fine with that. I don’t need backup. I just need a shot at getting her out of there, and I’ll make it happen. What about Nathaniel. Where can he go?”
“I’ll get a safe house and a guardian set up for him in the next fifteen minutes.” Carmen sounded half distracted and Mick knew she was already sending messages and making things happen.
“Fifteen minutes?” Harry asked, looking instantly skeptical. “How are you going to...”
“We’re everywhere,” Carmen replied. “There are good people with big hearts and fierce loyalty all over the world. We depend on them in moments like this and they come through.”
“That quickly? It’s a lot to ask of someone.” He still seemed unconvinced. It was clear he cared about the boy and didn’t want him to end up anywhere again that was unsafe.
“Most of our folks understand that time is the enemy in these cases. Lives are on the line. They know what that feels like because many of them have been on the other side of it. Or they love someone who has needed similar help at some point.” Carmen was working quickly but kindly trying to take the time to explain. “Mick filled me in on you. He said you signed up for the job you have because you thought you’d be doing some good. You stayed to protect whoever you could. That’s the kind of people we work with. That’s the kind of thing we look for in people. That resolve. That selflessness.”
Harry laughed humorlessly. “Well if I’m not dead in an hour, I will be out of a job, so keep me in mind. I’ll send my résumé.”
“Good luck,” Carmen said. “She’s lucky to have you fighting for her.”
“I’m going to go get Nathanial off the swings. Thank you for the help.” Harry stepped away and Mick couldn’t tell if the man felt better or worse.
