“Why would she make that up?” Eva questioned. “Surely, if she knew who you guys were, she knows you have the resources to quickly verify her story.”
“Maybe that’s just it—to see if we’ll react. It was leaked to the media that she had been getting threats, so maybe that’s the bulk of it?” Declan shared. “Maybe it was just a test to see what side we’re playing for. There’s always a chance she’s legit, and this was her way to see if we could be trusted or if we were in dirty with the cartel.”
“There’s always that. But I don’t think so. I can’t put my finger on it, but I still don’t like her,” Dace confirmed once again. “The cartel takes a serious hit when her drug hits the market. That’s all I believe. I don’t think they are going to kidnap imaginary kids and threaten to blow shit up. Since when do they tell you what they’re going to do when they come for you?”
“They just pounce,” Mercy stated.
“Exactly.”
“I’ll dig into her financials,” Liam reported. “There may be a clue or two there. We’ll see who she’s donating to who may owe her favors and see who has a stake in Berque.”
“Let’s go a step further and see how this pill impacts other drugs already on the market. They’re sure to take hits,” Declan added to the list. “There’s got to be some kind of crossover there. We may not be able to link her to anything illegal yet, but it definitely sounds more and more like Esteban at play here. If he’s alive, this is killing his business.”
“What a tangled and complicated web we’re about to weave,” Dace said. “We already know the attorney general’s office is corrupt as are parts of the DOJ. The very people who contracted us to go after Esteban and everyone since are coming for us. These guys have been good friends to BK for several years until now.”
“Nothing a little blackmail or extortion can’t change. We need to dig into all of it. I think we’ll start connecting dots all the way back to guns and drugs,” Declan concluded.
“Oh, these guys are just the puppets,” Dace finished. “Who’s the puppet master?”
“Who stands behind the curtain when we get to the end of this?” Dace asked. “The twelve mystery men from TV? Crazy Pharmaceutical lady with an imaginary kid who has more in common with the cartel than she thinks with her drug trade? Esteban Valdez, back from the dead? Or maybe…something crazy like the actual cartel?”
“I guess we’re about to find out,” Eva acknowledged. “We should have DNA results from my father’s corpse quickly, so we’ll be able to rule him in or out pretty soon. The rest…not telling.”
“Hey, guys?” Mercy called out, his voice frantic. “You’re going to want to see this.”
Everyone turned their attention to the TV, where Wylie was seen in his orange jumpsuit, ankles and wrists shackled as he was being escorted somewhere by guards…his face a beaten and bloody mess.
“Oh, my God. Look what they’ve done to him,” Eva whispered as tears trailed down her face.
“It said they were moving him to a super max facility for his protection because he isn’t getting along with the general population,” Mercy informed the group.
“He’s being moved to a holding cell for now,” Eli added while watching another channel on his phone. “Everyone in there knows who he is. It’s like putting a police officer in a prison at that point, bloody hell. You can add a few more people to the payroll that never stops.”
“I’ll start sorting financials on guards too, I guess. See who’s getting paid and who is paying them.” Liam dragged his hands down his face. “This is getting to be a long list here, guys. Really long. I’ll get to work on it.”
“So if the point is to keep him safe, why a super max? That’s where the worst of the worst go. Some of our worst enemies are doing life in super max.” Dace was as furious as the rest.
“That’s the point. To cover his murder,” Declan spelt out through gritted teeth. “They can blame some outlaw with a bone to pick who randomly gets access to Wy.”
“This is my father!” Eva shouted as she took to her feet and paced frantically. “I know it’s him. It has to be him. Why aren’t we looking for him? Why aren’t we doing anything?”
“Because as far as we know, he’s dead. His body is currently being examined to prove who he is,” Declan fired back. “And even if we get word that it’s not Esteban, where do you propose we start looking for him? Huh? Any ideas?”
“No. I don’t.” Eva tossed her hands in the air. “But maybe we start backtracking. Where were his safe houses? Who were his trusted confidants? Where could he be hiding now? I saw him. It was him. I know it was him. I know it was Kimble. How about we start looking for Kimble. He’s at the very least a valuable clue.”
“Why are you the only one who saw him?” Declan questioned, playing devil’s advocate. “You were heavily medicated, Eva. It may have felt like him, but we have nothing concrete to go on.”
“I don’t know. Because this is a game to him. Because he’s a sick son of a bitch. Take your pick, Dec.”
“Not trying to get in the middle here, but I’m pretty sure it was him too. It certainly looked like him and Kimble,” Mercy agreed.
“Pretty sure? Or sure?” Declan asked. “Because pretty sure gets people killed.”
Mercy nodded and dropped his head, wishing he had more to go on but a hunch and a maybe. But Declan was right. As much as everyone would like to believe it was Esteban too, they simply had no proof.
They’d already lost Wylie to the game and almost Eva. They couldn’t afford to lose anyone else. They were hitting brick wall after brick wall, and it was exhausting. You could see it on all their faces. It was nearing defeat and bordering on fear, and both would be their demise if they let it consume them. They needed a break in the case, and they needed it fast.
“I just set this program in motion, and it’s getting pings all over the place, and we’re only at level one financials,” Liam informed. “I’m going to need a team to start racking up the people I connect so we can start to unfold this thing. My list of potential players has been started, and it’s already filling up with some heavyweights from DC. We’re going to need help with this cleanup.”
Declan grinned at the first sign of hope they’d had in a while. “First, we go get Wylie.”
31
“It’s definitely an ally. After everything that’s gone down recently, we deserve a little help in the clue department,” Dace said, checking his tactical gear one last time.
“I have to say, these little clues on the private servers are starting to piss me off,” Liam said, sliding his laptop back into his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the help since we’re running mostly blind here, but how the fuck is whoever this is getting past my firewalls?”
“Figure that part out later, brother,” Luke responded. “They gave us the transport route, date, and time so we could get Wylie back. That’s all that matters right now.”
“Agree. I just hate to feel so vulnerable. I mean, Carter confirmed everything, but if this person, or persons, can get through to drop us information, how can I be sure the info coming from other directions is encrypted enough to prevent anyone from seeing it? Carter is taking huge risks here; his cover working both sides could be blown.”
“We all knew the risks when we walked into this. If Carter gets nailed, we come for him too just like we’ve done before.” Declan tried to get minds refocused on the task at hand, which was to infiltrate the transport vehicle moving Wylie to the super max and extract him.
“Speaking of Carter, let’s not forget what he said. Watch out for a trap. It’s too simple and not by the book at all,” Dace reminded everyone. “They never move suspects in capital crime cases like this. He’s supposed to be a big catch, and his transport is weak.”
“They know we’re coming for him. They want us to,” Declan added, “so we’re going to oblige, spring him, and see what’s up their sleeve next.”
“Okay, let’s go over this one more time. The lead vehicle has hired muscle, and I’m going to wager it’s those mystery guys who keep popping up everywhere,” Dace called out. “Wylie, Carter, and two unknown guards are in the rear. That’s our target. They left it wide open…not suspicious at all, and to be clear…I’m being sarcastic.”
Luke came through everyone’s comms. “As you approach, the lead vehicle should hit mile marker twenty-seven and feel our presence when the explosives I laid detonate a few yards ahead and behind them. It’s enough to shake them up and distract them for a minute. My team will move in from the east, abandoning our cover in the nice little patch of trees here.”
“That’s our cue to hit the van Wy’s in.” Dace picked up the baton and finished the brief. “Luke’s team will keep the lead vehicle busy and hold them off, and Luke will join us in retrieving Wylie. Remember, minimal gunfire on our end. Wylie and Carter are in that rig. Let’s try to take the guards down quietly…no bodies.”
“The chopper will land exactly three minutes after detonation,” Luke proceeded. “We get everyone on that bird and out of there unharmed. I’ll detonate our tactical vehicle as soon as we are in the air. The ground unit will retreat to the east and disperse. They know their plan. Carter and the guards will be left in handcuffs, the innocent victims they are.”
“Carter is really taking shit for the team.” Declan let out a deep sigh. “We’re going to owe him a beer after this.”
“This is clearly off the books. Their transport is weak,” Mercy admitted. “They’re definitely expecting us, right?”
“The alternative, if I may…” Eli interrupted, “Is that they do not expect you, and this was an easy way to kill him and spin whatever story they wanted. Keep that in mind. Wylie will have the largest target on his back, and I’d bet he isn’t wearing a flak jacket. You see him without one, and you know every shot fired from that lead vehicle will be aimed at him.”
“Good point,” Luke said through the comms. “Ground team has the heads-up. They’ll hold them off with everything they have.”
“This isn’t a blood mission. Shoot to disable, not to kill,” Liam reminded. “I’ll have the drone up for a little recon effort so we can watch it back later, and I can see if I can use anything to identify that lead team.”
“We have incoming,” Luke alerted. “I have eyes on the lead vehicle. It’s a tactical unit with heavy armor. Son of a bitch. Vehicle two is a fucking white van. I think it’s a Ford. These guys knew we were coming. Heads up, eyes open…this is where they try to take our brother out.”
“You don’t show up in heavy armor unless you know you need it. They’re expecting us, so let’s give them what they came for!” Dace hollered into the comms for all to hear. “Everyone knows their role, no mistakes.”
“We have visual on the…white Ford,” Declan alerted. “Closing in. It’s all yours now, Luke.”
Luke rang in, the team in full combat mode, “Detonation in five, four, three, two…”
A massive explosion rang out, taking out the road preceding the tactical unit leading the small convoy and forcing it to ride its brakes hard. As the taillights lit up, indicating they were backing away, the second explosion detonated, trapping them.
Luke’s ground unit moved in and immediately fired on the vehicle to hold them back while the rest of the Brother’s Keeper team moved in on the van that now had nowhere to go.
“Hands up.” Dace started shouting as the team strategically moved in on the van. “Let me see your hands.”
As the passengers within all showed their hands, a second wave moved in and pulled the driver and passenger from the van and had them face down on the ground and cuffed with no resistance at all.
“They aren’t armed!” Mercy hollered. “No fucking weapons.”
Eli pulled the sliding side door open and winked at Carter before he put on a show for anyone watching. “Keep your hands up and exit the vehicle. Don’t fuck with me, asshole. You too, convict.”
Wyle tilted his head in surprise when Eli started name-calling but went along with it and complied.
“No flak jacket,” Eli alerted through the comms as he freed Wylie from his handcuffs. “Protect the package.”
“Chopper’s incoming. Thirty seconds.” Liam confirmed. “Let’s move the package.”
The men in the armored vehicle returned fire on Luke’s men but without success. They were trapped unless they wanted to walk into a storm of bullets and rendered completely useless.
Luke rigged the vehicle the rescue team rolled in on and was putting the final touches on the white van that had been Wylie’s transport. Everything ran smoothly—almost too smoothly.
As the helicopter descended, they all gravitated toward it, ready to make their grand exit, but Carter stopped them.
“I can’t let you take him,” he said, tossing a side glance at the armored vehicle full of vigilantes sure to report back what went down. “He’s my prisoner, and he stays with me.”
Carter pulled his weapon and had it trained on Wylie, who moved in on him quickly, catching Carter by surprise, and the two men engaged in hand-to-hand combat after Carter’s gun was thrust from his grip.
“Make it look real.” Carter nodded to Wylie. “Give me hell, or we won’t all get out of this.”
A look of anguish filled Wylie’s expression, and he stood still.
“Fucking hit me, Wylie, or I have to grab my gun and shoot you. Hit me.”
Wylie lunged at him and engaged, each tossing blows one after the other. Nobody on the wrong side of this could throw Carter under the proverbial bus after this. Hell, it was being recorded by the drone above them, and Liam would be happy to leak the footage if need be.
“That all you got, Landry?” Wylie asked, taking a blow to the jaw. “C’mon, princess, slappy hands is for the playground. Hit like a man.”
“Jesus, you little prick,” Carter fired back, taking a punch to the ribs. “I should have left you in that cell a few more days. I’m pretty sure your ma hits harder, you little bitch.”
“Oh, really? My ma?” Wylie doubled up and landed blow after blow.
“There ya go,” Carter said, just before the air was knocked from him. “Keep it up, kid.”
“Fight back,” Wylie growled. “Fight back, man.”
“This is how it goes, brother. I go down, or we’ll be here all day while I clean the asphalt with your face.” Carter went down to his knees, struggling to catch his breath. “You really need to sell it now. Grab the gun.”
“What? I’m not fucking shooting you.” Wylie stepped back. “Are you insane?”
“If you want me to stay on the case, those assholes in that other rig need a show. Shoot me. Somewhere easy, like the shoulder. Just do it. It’s okay, Wy. Fucking shoot me.”
After a brief hesitation, Wylie picked up the gun and aimed it at Carter.
When Carter started to scoot away, he said, “Do it.”
And Wylie fired the weapon. A single shot to the shoulder as directed. Wylie tucked the weapon into his waistband and ran to the chopper, surrounded by a team protecting his vulnerable, unarmored state.
After the two guards and an injured Carter were pulled to a safe distance, the helicopter ascended, offering air support by firing on the armored vehicle and allowing the ground team to retreat safely before taking off, package secure.
“Less than five minutes. Not bad,” Dace announced over the comms. “Let it rip, Luke.”
The final explosion could be heard, and a plume of smoke in the distance followed as the team retreated, complete once more.
32
“I don’t see anything too serious here,” Dr. Mathers blurted as he stitched up a small laceration on Wylie’s brow. “You took a good beating, but overall, it all appears to be superficial. I wouldn’t be surprised if those two ribs on the left are a little bruised, and you may have a very slight concussion. Other than that…the rest of this should heal up.”
“Thanks,
Doc,” Wylie replied. “Appreciate it.”
“I hope the people who did this to you look twice as bad,” Mathers said before leaving the room to dispose of used supplies.
“Now we have matching bruises.” Eva smiled, helping him back into his shirt. “His and hers.”
“If anyone sees you out together, they’ll probably think you did it to each other.” Mercy laughed.
Eli joined in the fun, happy to have the team back together. “And by the looks of things, she’s the victor. You’re a bloody mess, mate.”
“The drone footage is on the screen,” Liam announced. “You’re not going to believe this.”
The group stood around watching it all unfold in complete silence until Wylie finally broke in. “Looks like a live-action video game or something.”
“Only one side wasn’t playing.” Luke interrupted. “Did you see how casually those bastards got out of their rig when we retreated?”
“They walked to the guards and Carter. Walked.” Dace began to pace. “And rescue showed up pretty damn quick…from the north.”
“I’m pretty sure that rescue was supposed to be my firing squad,” Wylie added. “We weren’t headed to super max at all. They were trying to get rid of me and likely Carter.”
“I have word on him. He’s safe for now,” Liam said. “Nice clean shot, through and through. He’ll be bandaged up a while, but he’ll be just fine. You didn’t hit anything important. Nice shot, little brother.”
“I can’t believe he did that. He wasn’t letting me leave without shooting him,” Wylie informed. “I get the fighting, but the shooting was intense.”
Declan stepped in. “He was protecting all of us. If he goes down as a mole or they figure out he’s playing both sides, he goes down hard and all for us. You did the right thing. It looked legit.”
“Still nothing on the twelve men. They’re a bunch of ghosts,” Liam told them. “Not a single hit other than the two news stories. I am going back into a couple of servers incognito and see if they’re agents with any branch and just buried deep somewhere.”
Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included! Page 135