Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Kane catches up with me in the bedroom, where I’m tossing things in a bag. “My father didn’t kill the FBI director and the director of the DOD,” he comments, his hands settling on his waist under his jacket. “He’s not that ambitious. And this no longer reads like it’s about Murphy and his involvement with the Society.”
“Apparently, he was CIA at some point and supposedly pissed off the Russians, but that feels like deflection.” I stick a knife in my bra strap.
“If it smells bad, it’s bad. That smells bad.”
“Agreed,” I say, arming myself in all kinds of devious ways. “And as usual there’s a lot of Society bullshit at play.”
“Such as?” he asks, zipping my bag for me.
“For starters, Ellis told me my new boss, Calvin Adams, is squeaky clean and oblivious to the Society.”
“But that’s not true,” he assumes.
“Definitely not. Interim Director Adams just told me today that he and Murphy were in communication about the Society. And it gets better or more fucked up, depending on how you look at it. There are rumors about him being dirty, which Adams says he and Murphy created.”
“Why?”
“He was an obvious choice for a higher rank, but they felt that he’d never get priority placement where he could fight the good fight if the Society didn’t feel he was corruptible. Which tells us how deep the Society connections run.”
“Ellis said Adams was squeaky clean? If you found out about the rumors that said otherwise, why couldn’t he?”
“Exactly. He’s dumb or lying to me. Both tell me he’s a problem, but I don’t feel any better about Adams.”
“What does any of this have to do with the director of the DOD?” he asks.
“It could be everything or nothing at this point. Right now, what stands out to me is the obvious. Both victims are directors. I move to the end of the bed to stand in front of him. “I have to go. What aren’t you telling me?” I press.
“Bella, I fix things. I control things. I’m coming out of my own skin with the idea that I can’t fix this. Whatever move I make is the wrong move for you and us.”
“There’s a right move. There’s always a right move.”
“Sometimes there’s only the better wrong move, and you brace for the impact. There’s nothing I haven’t told you besides what just happened. A couple of the cartel members want me to meet them tonight.”
“In Mexico? I don’t like that, Kane.”
“Agreed, which is why I arranged to meet with only one of them. I’m flying him here.”
“Do I know this person?”
“No.”
“Is he delivering some message from your father?”
“No. He confirmed this is between me and him. He hates my father. They all do. They want him gone, but we know the alternative all too well.”
“Can one of these guys replace Laslo?”
“Laslo was a unique person. He exuded authority but was not a natural killer or even a leader, for that matter. I won’t find those qualities in someone else anytime soon.”
“Then you need a way to control anyone else you prop up.”
“And I’m not sure that’s possible with the level of power they’d be given.”
My cellphone starts ringing again, and I don’t bother to check the caller ID. It’s Adams. Of course, it’s Adams. “I have to go. Anything from Ghost?”
“You know how this works. He’ll contact me when he decides it’s safe.”
“Which may be never if he’s the assassin. Could it be Ghost?”
“Yes,” he says. “It could be Ghost. Be careful. I already told Kit and Jay they’re with you.”
“They can’t come with me.” I settle my bag on my shoulder. “I’m flying on a government chopper. I don’t even know where I’m staying.”
“I don’t like this, Lilah.”
“I’m not a director,” I say walking toward the door. “I’m not a target.”
He catches up with me at the bottom of the stairs. “If you get close enough to an assassin, you become a target.”
“If you get close enough to any killer, you become a target,” I say, pausing at the apartment door to add, “it’s what I do, Kane, but if you want to send Jay separately, send him. I can’t promise I can connect with him until I am either going to a hotel room or trying to chopper home.”
“I’m sending him.”
“Of course, you are. Keep Kit with you. I don’t like this meeting you have. Call me after.” I turn and exit before he tries to stop me, but there’s a part of me that wants to turn back.
Something still feels off with Kane.
I’m afraid he’s going to do something we’ll both regret.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The driver is a Black man named Ted.
“As in Bundy?” I ask.
He grunts and says, “He’s white. I’m not.”
“Means nothing,” I assure him. “The name is a legacy, but I’m still probably better at killing people than you are.”