“Sir, I’m already working with one ex-con. Now I’m supposed to work with another? This is ridiculous.”
“Sid’s no convict,” Ted replied. “You know better than that, Cyrus.”
“What are we talking about?” Sid inquired.
“As I was about to say before I was interrupted, we, or rather the Agency, want to acquire your services, Sid.”
“What do you mean?”
“We want to add you on as a consultant for the Black Slate,” he said.
“We as in you, Ted?”
“We as in the same Agency folks who lined you up before. They want you on the Slate, Sid.”
Beside her, Cyrus clenched his jaw.
Beside him, Rebecca lifted her chin and turned her head away while she sat there with her arms crossed tight over her chest, still kicking her leg.
“Tell me more,” Sid said, sounding very interested. She swore she could hear both Cyrus’s and Rebecca’s butts pucker. Make ’em suffer.
“The paperwork’s ready. You’ll be given consultant ID, and your former security clearances will be restored.” He rubbed his chin. “Sorry, I’m making it sound simpler than it probably is. Anyway, you and Agents Tweel and Lang will work as a team on this.”
“Just us?” she said.
“Mr. Smoke will be coming along, but he’s not in a position of authority, hence not a team member, so to speak.”
She heard Rebecca shift in her seat. Squirm, girl, squirm. “What’s the objective?”
Ted reached into the desk drawer, withdrew a black file, and slapped it down on the desk. He kept his hand over it and said, “Are you in or are you out?”
Eyes fixed on the file, Sid sorted through her thoughts. There was Megan to consider. Other than that, there was nothing else—aside from the satisfaction of pissing Cyrus and Rebecca off. “I’m in.”
“What!” Rebecca blurted out. “You have a nanny job to attend to. You don’t have time for this! Sir, we don’t need her. She’ll just slow us down.”
“Says the woman she just pinned to my desk,” Ted said. “And you’re borderline insubordinate. I’m getting tired of it. Don’t make me warn you again.”
“Or what?” Rebecca said, getting out of her chair. “I’ll have your job before you know what hit you, you frickin’ dinosaur.” Shooting Sid a look, she left the room.
Ted’s face darkened. Normally, the veteran leader and agent would have taken immediate action. But something held him back. Sid wondered what that was.
“You need to get a better handle on that,” Ted warned Cyrus. “That better never happen again.”
Unfazed, Cyrus said, “I’ll do what I can.”
“I’m sure you will,” Ted said, shoving the file toward Sid. “That’s your copy. Now, we want to get the Buffalo Brothers, Warren and Oliver Ratson.”
“We had them until she showed up,” Cyrus said.
Ted clasped his fingers and rested them on the desk, staring at Cyrus until the flabby man backed down into his seat. “Continuing. We don’t know much. They work for the Drake. And whenever they show up, someone important gets killed.”
Thumbing through the file, Sid came across some familiar names and faces. Politicians and other high-ranking DC officials. Names that often made the papers. Important men and women. They were all dead. The papers reported natural causes. Maybe suicide. The photos showed something else. Grizzly photos. Blood and mutilation. Torment. “How is this possible? How is this covered up?”
“That’s not the issue,” Cyrus said.
“He’s right,” Ted said, giving Cyrus a warning glare, “not that it doesn’t matter. The point is, these guys need to be brought down. Because they’re here, we know someone’s hired them to kill someone else. Mr. Jake Miller tipped us off to that.”
“How’s that?” she asked.
“The Buffalo Brothers have a calling card.” He produced a transparent evidence bag and slid it over. “Those were in Jake’s eyes.”
Studying the contents, Sid observed two buffalo nickels. Her heart sank a little thinking about Big Jake. Like Ted, he was an old soul from a different era. “I imagine there is one for each of them.”
“Of course, Jake’s death didn’t fit the profile. It looked more like vengeance. Sick thing is that they left fingerprints. And in the system, they are both registered to dead men. Got graves but no bodies.”
Sid swallowed. If she’d stayed away from those men at the range, perhaps none of this ever would have happened. Jake’s death was on her conscience. She gathered herself. “But Cyrus says he and Rebecca have been tracking these brothers for weeks. What tipped you off?”
“Check the dates in the files and you’ll see where City Councilman Jeffery Ryson died in an automobile accident. Well, that’s not what happened. As you can see.”
She found a picture of a man pinned between a brick wall and his car. I wonder what he knew. I wonder what he saw. “They all have ties to the Drake, don’t they.”
Ted shrugged his husky shoulders.
Sid went on and told them about her encounter with the Buffalo Brothers at the gun range.
“Not good,” Ted said, rolling his eyes. “It’s bad enough what they’re doing, but now they’re using a sniper’s weapon? Whoever they’re after must be really high up. Damn. It could be anybody.”
CHAPTER 18
“Let him out,” Ted said into the intercom. “And bring him in.”
Sid’s heart raced.
A minute later, Smoke entered the room. His towering frame was back in his racing suit. He walked up to the desk, picked up the box of donuts, and sat in the vacant chair to Sid’s right. He stuffed an entire donut in his mouth. Chewed. Swallowed. Stuffed in another. Repeated. And another, until the box was empty. He held it up and shook every last crumb into his mouth. And then he set the box back down on Ted’s desk and dusted off his hands. “What’s the plan?”
“Uh,” Ted started, lifting his jaw up off the desk. “Well, Mr. Smoke, you’ve already been briefed. You might need to fill in Agent Shaw, excuse me, Liaison Shaw, on what you know. We have killers out there. An unknown target. We need to track them down before someone else dies.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Cyrus, you’re the lead, but the four of you have to work as a team on this. I mean it.”
“You know I can’t be accountable for these two,” Cyrus said with a sneer. “They’re reckless.”
“They’re proven. And if you want to continue to work on the Black Slate, you’ll need to deal with it. That’s the impression I get, anyway.” Ted got up out of his chair and stared down at the empty donut box. “Looks like I’ll have to make another stop on the way back to my office. Cyrus, report to me in the morning. You all can see yourselves out.” He grabbed his jacket. “I’m out of here.”
The room was very still and quiet after Ted left. Sid broke the silence. “So,” she said to Cyrus, “what’s the plan?”
Cyrus walked over to the window and pulled back the blinds.
Sid heard the sound of a car driving away.
Cyrus turned to her and said thoughtfully, “You two find something to do. I’ll call you this afternoon.” He took his phone from his pocket. “Sid, what’s your new number?”
She gave it to him. “So that’s it. Just wait.”
“I have to wrap things up, seeing how you trashed the last assignment. We had them, Sid. We almost had them.” He stuck his phone back inside his jacket pocket. “And you messed things up. Now we have to start all over again. Unless of course you have something to add?”
“Nope.”
“See you around. Enjoy your conjugal.” He walked out.
Smoke started to speak.
She held her hand up to his mouth. “Don’t you dare say anything about me being engaged to him.”
“I was just going to ask you if you wanted to get something to eat.” Smoke smiled.
“You just ate half a box ... Oh never mind. Let’s go.”
***
T
hey were back in one of the diners they’d been to before. An old rail car with blue booths miles from the heart of DC. Smoke had a stack of pancakes almost up to his chin and a Coke big enough to drown in.
“Aren’t you eating?” he said, stabbing with his fork a pile of buttermilk pancakes slathered in syrup.
“Watching you eat fills me up somehow.” She drank her coffee. “Just take your time. Sometimes you eat like an animal.”
“Sorry.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Folks aren’t really big on etiquette in prison. So, how have you been?”
She didn’t want to get into it. For the moment, she was just happy to be with him. “Fine.”
“You don’t look fine,” he said, adding a little grin.
“I’m sure I don’t. But you’ve seen better days yourself. It’s good to see your hair back, though. Even with the helmet hair.”
He choked on his food and started laughing. “Helmet hair. If I’d shaven it, I wouldn’t have that problem, now would I?”
“Don’t shave it.”
He made and air circle with his spoon. “Oh-kay.”
“Let me ask you a question. Ted said that you and Cyrus brought in someone else from the Black Slate already. Who was that?”
“Maddy Ryan. A hunchback.” He swallowed his food. “He wasn’t anything like the ones me and you brought in. I mean, tougher than he looked, but not a big threat.”
“So he was just a hunchback? Did he shift into anything?”
“No. He was just strong as a bull and exceptionally cruel.” He stopped the waitress walking by. “Miss, could I get some whipped cream?”
“Sure, hun.” The waitress in powder blue and white squeezed his cheek. “Anything for you.” She looked at Sid. “He’s a keeper. I think it’s sexy when a man eats like that. And stays so fit. He’s a keeper.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Sid said, watching the woman walk away. She eyed Smoke, who’d resumed his eating. “You were saying.”
“Oh yeah. Uh, Maddy could hop like a rabbit. It was really weird. Scaled walls and ropes like a monkey.”
“Was he wearing a Notre Dame jersey?”
“No, why?”
“Are you making this up?”
“Nope,” he said.
“So, what was he doing?”
He pointed his fork at her. “Funny thing. I think he was running a day care. It was full of all those weird little kids. The Forever Children Mal told us about.”
Sid felt a chill go up her spine. Something about those children disturbed her. She had no idea what to make of them. Were they dangerous, or were they in need of help? “What happened to them?”
“I don’t know.”
Of course not. “What about Maddy Ryan? What happened to him? Is he dead or alive?”
“Well, he should be dead. I beat the tar out of him.” He huffed. “I’d knock him down, and he’d bounce right back up. I swear, that hump in his back, it’s got a battery in it or something.”
“Did Cyrus and Rebecca help?”
“Sure, they were a big help.”
“Really?”
Smoke shook his head. “No. Not really. They’re pretty useless without their guns, which of course Maddy deprived them of. It’s a long story.”
She leaned forward and rested her chin on her fist. “I’m not going anywhere, unless you are.” Her phone buzzed on the table. She answered. “Hello?”
“It’s Cyrus,” he said in his snide voice. “Need you and Smoke to stake out 8505 Rummel Avenue. Be there now.” Click.
CHAPTER 19
8505 Rummel Drive was a business park off Interstate 395 in Falls Church. Sidney parked her car in front of a UPS distribution warehouse. Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she glanced over at Smoke, who was looking out his window. His strong chin and muscular arms were appealing. Very appealing. She rolled down her window and fanned herself.
“So,” he said without looking at her. “Do you think he’ll be long?”
“I doubt it. He’s pretty anal.”
“Yep. But his little counterpart likes to play games. I bet they don’t show for at least an hour. Maybe two.” He rolled down his window. “At least it’s a nice day.”
“What do you mean about his counterpart?”
“Oh, Rebecca. Yeah, she’s trouble. You better watch out for her. She’ll get you killed.”
“Get me killed?”
“Yeah, like she almost got me killed trying to take down Maddy. Music?” He reached for the radio.
She slapped his hand away.
“Uh, news?” he said, taken aback.
“How about you fill me in on this killing thing?”
“Either it was intentional or it was incompetent, but she had a clean shot on Maddy the Hunch and didn’t take it. I took a beating because of it. Part of me thinks she let that happen. Plus, other things that don’t add up.”
“Like what?”
“Like the whisper thing. And she’s always sneaking off. I don’t think she’s done anything helpful. All she’s been is there.” Looking out the window, he popped open the door and picked something up. He showed a copper coin to her. “Like a bad penny, she always turns up.”
Sid flipped on the radio. Something cheesy from the eighties about balloons was playing. Smoke started to sing along, which was very awkward for a big guy, but he could carry a tune. Preoccupied, she remembered her early encounters with Rebecca. The younger woman had seemed fine. Just eager. She’d fooled Sidney entirely. It angered her.
“Well surprise, surprise, surprise,” Smoke said, “look who’s already showed up.
A black Cadillac Escalade pulled along their side. Cyrus got out of the passenger seat and walked over to Sidney’s window. He had on dark sunglasses and gave her a file. “Sherman Investments. There’s a man, Winslow Swift. Handles Drake Properties. Big community guy and donor. Well connected.” He pointed to another building in the distance, a five-story building, all glass, with a big sign in front of it. “That’s Law Park Offices. He’ll be coming in and out of there. Keep an eye on him.”
“I will until I have to get my niece,” Sid said.
“Make arrangements,” he said, glancing over at his SUV. “If you can’t handle it, then you need to step away.”
Sid stooped her head down and looked under Cyrus’s arm at the black SUV he’d parked next to her.
Rebecca, who was watching and listening intently, sneered at Sid from the passenger seat.
She’s like a little blonde life-sucking rodent. Sid looked back up at Cyrus. “Sure thing.”
Cyrus leaned down in her window. “Screw this up and you’re gone, Sid.”
“Got it.” She fired up the engine and revved up while Cyrus was still speaking. Vroom! Vroom! “Sorry, what was that?”
Cyrus backed away and yelled something.
She pulled the car out and sped away, leaving Cyrus and Rebecca out of sight but not out of mind. She tossed the file over to Smoke.
Without opening it, he said, “You know this is a decoy.”
“Why do you say that?” She pulled the car into the parking lot of the Law Park Offices building and took a parking spot with a good view of the front entrance. A security guard at the desk could be seen inside the lobby. “Let me see that file.”
Winslow Swift was a short, heavy man, very well dressed, dark headed, and with a devilish smile. “He looks like a Drake guy. A real shyster.”
“That’s right. Why would the Buffalo Brothers want to kill that guy?”
“Maybe he’ll lead us to them,” she said.
“But Cyrus says he’s a potential target. No, this is a decoy. Keeping us on ice while they conduct their own investigation.” He opened up the glove box. “What, no gun?”
“Sorry. I’m traveling a little light lately. Don’t you have anything in your car?”
“No, little miss prissy picked me clean during our operation. Need to get back to home base to get them.” He eyed the back seat. “Do you really not h
ave anything else?”
“Why? It’s just a stakeout. We aren’t in any immediate danger, I don’t think. Besides,” she patted his leg. “You know I’ll protect you.”
He eased his seat back and closed his eyes. “Okay then. Wake me up if he shows.”
Good idea. She yawned. Gazing at his body, she found herself thinking about taking him back to her place and curling up with him to … sleep. Bad idea. Get it together. She poked his shoulder. “Did I really blow up your situation with the Buffalo Brothers last night?”
“No. You’ve seen those guys, right? We weren’t going to catch them. There’s something seriously different about them. Did you read the file?”
“No,” she said, a little irritated. She reached into the back seat to grab it and accidentally braced her hand against Smoke’s rock-hard belly. Oh my. “But what the heck. Why not take a look now.”
“They’re like deaders on steroids,” he said. “At least that’s what Mal said.”
“And how’s he doing?” she said.
“He’s not happy,” Smoke said. “He got ahold of me, briefly. Said his funding was cut off and they took all his stuff.”
“So, no Sweet Heart suits? Blue-tipped bullets? Super vitamins?”
“Nada. He sounded pretty pissed off. Said to call if I needed help but that he couldn’t offer much.”
“Have you called him again?”
“I did, but he hasn’t called back.”
“Great.” For all Sid knew, Cyrus and Rebecca might have a little bit of everything Mal had to offer. Wouldn’t that be something.
Things fell quiet. The pair of them sat, listening to the local news radio. The minutes turned to an hour and cruised well past lunchtime.
Sid broke the silence. “I’m going to get Megan. Screw this stakeout.” She drummed her fingers on the wheel, eyeing the Law Park building. “You can stay if you want.”
“I don’t want to stay. I want to go after the Buffalo Brothers. Besides, I already know where they stay.”
“What?!”
CHAPTER 20
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files Collector's Set: Books 1-10: Urban Fantasy Shifter Series Page 48