“I’m going too. We’ll leave Quinn to protect Elijah and Zander, while we handle Dina.”
“Should we bring James?” he asked. “Don’t answer that. I’m going to bring him as well. He’s been stalking around the building, yelling at people. We’re getting some dirty looks because of what happened last night. And the Triad member? Adaih? He’s not talking, so everyone is pretty pissed off at everything.”
“Okay. Come pick me up.” She hung up. She had known that assassin wouldn’t talk, but she had said it on the first day in New York: this was all moving so fast.
Too fast.
Something, in the back of her mind, realized why. It clicked.
The Triad weren’t making the rules. No, they would want to slow down. They would want to wait for the heat to cool and drop off before going after another target. They wouldn’t roam into a building full of guards. They weren’t stupid.
They were being pushed to go quickly. But by who?
That was the important part.
She chewed on that thought.
Too fast. Too bold. Too big.
The Triad were also out of their depth. That’s why all three of them had come after her. They had assumed she would set the trap, but did they have time to plan for who on her team would be there with her?
And now a major political shift. The person behind the scenes?
“Quinn?” She looked to her beautiful man, who was frowning still. The frown hadn’t left since the announcement.
“Go. I will protect them here. If you get a lead, I’ll stay. You, Vincent, and Jasper can handle anything.”
“Are you sure? We could leave Jasper here and take you instead.” She was fine either way with who was going to dig deeper with her.
He shook his head in return. “I don’t like the city and don’t think I can serve you well here. Let me…” He glanced at Elijah. “Let me stay here.”
She leaned down and kissed his forehead. He tilted up to capture her lips before she could pull away.
Oh, she understood the need to just curl in with those who were hurt and protect them, to viciously guard them. It didn’t help that Quinn was so out of his element.
“Keep the animals safe as well?” she murmured against his lips.
“Of course. Take Sombra, though. I’ll keep Kaar for Vincent, but I think you need your jaguar.”
She resisted. Their training wasn’t done. She and the jaguar had a hard time achieving certain things in the bond and…
Sawyer didn’t want to risk losing that piece of her soul again.
He seemed unmovable about it, though. He wouldn’t let her walk out of the hospital room without her jaguar and it was apparent.
“Okay.” She looked over to Sombra, who jumped up immediately.
She would fight with her Magi. She would be perfect. She would keep the males from being hurt again.
“Well, baby, we’re not going to fight; we’re just going to see an old…friend.” Everything they were doing was just precautionary. Keeping someone to protect their guys who were down, having people together. It was all precautionary. “I should get down and meet them at the visitor’s parking.”
“Okay.” Quinn stood up and kissed her slowly.
She couldn’t find words, just grazed her hand over his cheek. It was all that was needed.
I love you, and be safe.
She found her weapons and put them on. She got her boots and laced them up. She felt like she was preparing for war. It was just Dina. How bad could she be?
“I hate this,” James muttered. “God, you kids are just asking for trouble.”
“How bad could it be?” she asked, looking back at him from the passenger seat of his car.
“You three are considering blackmailing or coercing a WMC council member to give up private information. All of these votes have been behind closed doors, and that information is supposed to stay with them. Forever. It’s…” James shook his head. “Breaking laws.”
“To save their lives.”
“Oh, that I know. I know your intentions. I agree with them, but there has to be better ways than going after Dina.”
“And those are?” Vincent asked softly.
“I don’t know.” James sounded defeated. “It’s why I’m driving. I hate this idea, but it’s what you have.”
“I seriously can’t believe everyone else is just…on auto-pilot.” She shook her head. “It feels like we’re alone in this.”
“In a sense, we are,” James reminded her. “I still can’t believe, Vincent, that you didn’t tell me your suspicions earlier.”
“I was afraid, and we were trying to play things quietly.”
“I get that, but I would have been able to help. I could have talked to Thompson, told him that you had a lead that you felt safer delving into on your own, without the rest of the IMPO agents around you. As for the rest of them…others might be thinking on it, but no one is going to act on it like you kids do. They care about their careers, looking good, not making enemies in the WMC. On top of that, there’s a problem with…what’s that Southern saying? Passing the buck? They want others to take risks like that, jeopardize their careers and lives.”
“Cowards,” she snorted, shaking her head with disdain.
“Most IMPO are also WMC loyalists. They’ll turn a blind eye to anything, since to them, the WMC is the moral center of our community. The WMC versus criminals.” Vincent sighed heavily. “Yeah, we are alone.”
“It’s why you’re such a good team, though,” James said kindly. “You all offer different perspectives that most agents don’t have. Sure, there’s some other reformed criminals in the IMPO. Same for IMAS, but not a concentrated group of different like you all are. It’s why you guys get the hate you get. It’s why you’re the outcasts that you are.”
Sawyer just let that all sink in. During her time with the team, it had been nearly withdrawn from the rest of the IMPO, except for the short trip before the Amazon, and the two times she had seen Jon Aguirre’s team in Atlanta. Most of her time had been spent at their plantation home, away from it all.
“Vincent, how does the chain of events work here?” their handler asked, curiously.
“A member of the WMC has been plotting against his or her political opponents. Maybe they also disagree with Sawyer being let to walk free, much like Dina. Sawyer’s identity goes public, causing a shift in public perception for the WMC, making them seem even more corrupt than usual, which leaves them vulnerable. He or she hires the Triad to take out his political enemies, and there are a couple of options as to why they would go after Sawyer.”
She knew both these options, so she said it. “One, they want me dead because justice or whatever, but they hired assassins. That option would make them hypocrites. The second idea is that they find me a threat to their plans. I know assassins. I was one. I am still considered one by many, because those aren’t skills that just…poof, disappear.”
“Second option is more likely. If this was someone who despised the idea of criminals near the government, they would have gone a different route.” Vincent leaned back. “But, since I don’t know the who, I don’t understand the end game. Are they trying to just pick off certain members? Are they trying to take out the entire Council? I need to know what’s happening in the Chamber. I need to know the players. Dina can tell me that.”
James muttered something about vigilantes that she didn’t understand as they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel turned safehouse.
“Is she even going to be here?” she asked.
“Yeah. After the announcement, most of the WMC decided to head out, since the important business of the day was done. With it also being the holidays, they don’t have a lot of the general administration they normally have in the busier seasons, like spring.” James got out and she followed. Vincent and Jasper climbed out of the back seat. Together, a unit, they walked into the safehouse. James did all the talking, requesting if Councilwoman D’Angelo would speak
to them.
She couldn’t resist the mental chuckle of the name, remembering how she teased Dina when they met for it. Sawyer was never going to like this woman, but today was supposed be a day of partnership. Of hoping that they could work together.
“I don’t think Dina is behind this. Do you?”
Sawyer shook her head at the telepathic question. No, she felt Dina had too many of her own secrets for a plot quite like this one. She seemed to want to protect her nephews, and this would risk exposing them.
Though, a boy with the ability for prophecy…
No. Dina wasn’t behind this. Sawyer was convinced of that.
They were escorted to her room where the IMAS soldier on guard knocked only a couple of times.
“Come in,” the feminine voice called out.
The door opened and James led the group in. It looked better that he seemed to be the ‘point,’ since he was their boss, the one who did these sort of meetings with those in charge of the IMPO and WMC more regularly than someone like her or Vincent.
She looked tired, immediately, to Sawyer. Worn down and trying to relax after an exhausting day. The boys were bouncing on the bed, watching something on the television.
“Oh, what can I do for you all?” she asked, perking up, putting on a professional mask as she stood up from her chair.
“We need to speak to you alone,” James said gently, nonthreatening. She waved the guard away and soon, they were closed in alone with Dina D’Angelo.
“What is it?” She sounded expectant.
“We need to know…any strange occurrences recently in the Council Chamber,” Vincent said carefully. “I have a…strong suspicion that what is going on is rooted very close to the center of our government.”
“I thought so. I’ll tell you what I can.” Sawyer raised an eyebrow, and Dina must have seen it. “A family member gave me a word of advice recently.” Sawyer swallowed. Her eyes drifted to the boys, who ignored her. Dina didn’t say the advice. “So, you think one of the Council is killing off the others.”
“We do,” James confirmed.
“I’m inclined to agree after today. Councilman Suarez is someone you should look at. First, he was vocally for special elections. He’s friends with everyone, and so when someone offered the idea of electing a temporary Head of Council, we went with him. There was no reason not to. He’s a moderate, can play both sides, get all the votes, and keep things reasonable between everyone.” Dina groaned, shoving some papers around on her small desk. “Then, he took the position and immediately flipped. Now, there won’t be any special elections. Actually, he wants us all to stay where we are, in a holding pattern. He wants the IMPO to continue as they have been. Even after last night’s incident, special elections are important. We need to plan for after this. Everyone on the Council agreed on that.”
“Anything else unusual?” Jasper asked.
“Have a seat, young man. I bet that leg isn’t comfortable.” She waved to her chair, but Jasper politely declined. “I tried. And no, but I have…”
“A feeling,” Sawyer murmured. Then she watched Dina glance at the boys. One even looked from the television.
“Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut,” he said brightly. “In the end, we’re all animals with instincts, and those very rarely fail us.”
Shivers ran down her spine.
“Yes, Lucian, sometimes we just need to do what feels the best, what feels right.” Dina smiled gently. “They told me earlier that my suspicions would help you…and that, uh…if this didn’t end very soon, it wouldn’t.”
“We’ll investigate him,” Vincent promised. He was also looking at the young boys, a little confused. “Councilwoman…is there anything else except a gut feeling?”
“Look, I can’t tell you anything more than that. There’s nothing to tell, honestly, that would help you from a legal standpoint. I’ll say that if this goes wrong, I will tell everyone that I sent you against Suarez. We can all go down together, or you’ll be seen as victims of a WMC trying to get back at another one. Something.”
There was something harried about that. Something that made Sawyer think Dina was right, not just because of cryptic hints from the boys, but rather, because they told her, plain and simple.
“We’ll investigate.”
“You three will investigate,” James corrected. “Councilwoman, do you mind if I stay and put myself on your personal protection? I worry that you publicly having us as visitors, and Sawyer’s place in this investigation, may make you more of a target. I would feel…a tremendous guilt if it happened and we left no one here with you.”
“You may, and thank you for the concern, James, especially after everything I’ve done to your team.”
“It’s in the past. Right now, we will only focus on this situation and the future. We can always be better people tomorrow, even if we can’t change the past.”
Sawyer looked down to the carpet at that, as Dina looked at her.
“Yes, yes we can be better people tomorrow,” the Councilwoman murmured. “Please have a seat. We can play cards while the boys watch their favorite show until their bedtime.”
“Of course.” James smiled kindly, then looked at the team. “I can’t know what you plan, but I hope those plans see you to victory.”
The boys, Lucian and Adrian, said nothing, something Sawyer was thankful for.
“We’ll keep you updated on everything, James,” Jasper said, patting their handler on the shoulder.
“Good. Go on. Godspeed.”
Sawyer shook his hand before walking out, the guys all doing the same, and Vincent gave Dina a small thank you. They didn’t slow down, just walked straight for their car. They didn’t want to get stopped by any of the IMAS soldiers for updates.
When they got into the car, she looked at Jasper in the back, since Vincent was driving. “What were the other IMPO agents saying at Headquarters today?”
“They gave us a lot of well-wishes for you and Elijah, actually. They thought you two did everything possible to catch the Triad, were impressed that you apprehended one, and hoped you didn’t die. It was…surprising, at least their sympathy to you.” Jasper gave her a gentle smile. “Seriously. They were all impressed with it. Many begrudgingly, mind you, but they still offered their condolences to the injuries and the public scene.”
“Thompson pulled us aside, though, about the video of you and Elijah,” Vincent said, not even glancing over. He was driving, and after the accident, she was glad he didn’t look over, even for a millisecond. “He’s…well, he was worried for you both, even though you’ll both recover, and also upset about the other stuff. He was told by James there was nothing romantic going on, and that’s now…definitely a lie. It doesn’t help it was Elijah, who you were on a date with.”
“No, I bet it doesn’t help…”
She remembered that moment, the smoke and twisted metal. The fear, the pain, physical and emotional. The suddenness. Even in that moment, it gave her a pause. She had to force herself to think of him in the hospital, drugged up and dopey.
“He said any major discussions will come after this is all over, but he’s unsure with how he’ll fall on it.” Vincent sighed. “Now, what do we want to do tonight?”
“I say an office break-in, like we did with the sheriff in Texas. Or set up surveillance on him.” Sawyer leaned back in her seat again.
“What was with Dina’s nephews?” he asked, that confused look back on his face.
“One…has future sight, prophecy,” she whispered, almost like if she said it too loud, it would get out, go public. “I don’t know which, but they are…strange kids. I ran into them the day she arrived in New York.”
“Are you certain? They are way too young for their powers to manifest.”
“One had telepathy and told me…something. It wasn’t anything important. Something about my mask breaking.”
“Well, fuck,” Jasper muttered. “Let’s get back to the hospital and plan a br
eak-in on the WMC building tonight.”
“Sawyer?” Vincent looked at her expectantly.
“Yeah, I can get us into the WMC building tonight.” She had no doubt of that. When this had all started, she had been feeling somewhat perversely excited about stretching her skills out, dusting the rust off them. Now she felt honed and ready.
A break-in? That was child’s play.
27
Sawyer
In the end, the plan wasn’t difficult. Sawyer’s solution to their problem was honesty. They would tell the guards they were investigating a lead and walk through the front door.
“You guys always think I’m going to come up with some outrageous plan, but it’s not that big of a deal. Vincent, you have Thompson on the line?”
“Yeah. Sir, are you-” Vincent stopped as Thompson spoke on the other end, but she couldn’t hear anything. “We need this to stay between us. I want to go in without fanfare. I want no one to know until we’re in the building. It’ll stop them from hiding anything, if they’re there to try and hide anything…Yes sir, I understand. I know this puts you in a very difficult position. You brought me on the investigation side of things because I look in different places. If James thinks this is plausible-”
It went on like that and she just leaned back in the chair. They were back in the hospital. She took a few pills to battle a headache, but it was the only thing that the concussion had given her yet, and it might not have even been that. The bruising from the accident was sore, but she had been in rough places before. She didn’t think it would hold her back, if push came to shove.
A large hand reached out and rubbed the top of her head. She side-eyed the owner of the hand. Drugged-up Elijah was grinning at her.
“You be good,” he ordered.
“Never,” she promised, a grin taking over her face at the dismay on his.
“She’s teasing you,” Quinn mumbled, a small smile playing on his full lips.
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