by C. J. Miller
“We’ve hidden who we are on every operation. I plan to go shopping after this operation and pick out clothes I like to wear,” Hyde said.
“You don’t wear clothes you like?” Finn asked.
“I wear what’s needed to play a part. I am not sure I know what clothes I like. Or what jewelry. Or music. Or television shows. I heard my sisters talking about a television series they’ve watched and I had no idea what they were referring to. I told them I usually read or watch old movies when I travel. I couldn’t tell them the truth, that in the past ten years, I haven’t had time to watch movies or read books.” Unless the book was a document about a mission, and even those she had skimmed. She had no time to read a thousand-page intelligence report when she was on a two-hour flight into a situation that required an immediate response.
“We could go back to the hotel and watch television.”
The idea was enormously appealing. “That seems so normal. And fun.”
“It is,” Finn said.
She kissed his chin. “Massages first. Then television.”
* * *
Finn loved watching Hyde relax. She had been tense since the start of the mission.
Tonight she had been the fun-loving woman he remembered meeting between operations. A night off while on assignment was rare. Finn had to work magic to get his present for Hyde delivered to their hotel room. He was looking forward to watching her open it and doubly excited to have thought of a gift for her.
He opened the red door to their hotel room and instinctively stepped in front of Hyde. Alarm shot adrenaline through him. A stranger was in their room. He reached for his gun and snapped on the light.
Chapter 11
A man in his forties or fifties sat on the couch in Finn and Hyde’s hotel room. He was short and slender, wearing a suit and drinking a clear liquid from a hotel glass. An open bottle of mineral water from the minibar sat on the coffee table. He didn’t have a gun in his hand and he seemed unfazed. Was he in the wrong room? An operative from the West Company? His goatee was tidy and his short hair nothing remarkable.
Finn would take no chances with Hyde’s life. “Your name. Two seconds to answer and then I shoot.”
Hyde stepped around him. Her hands were near her gun, but she hadn’t drawn it.
“Pierce Holt.”
“What made you decide, Pierce Holt, that it would be a good idea to break in to my hotel room and surprise me?” Finn asked.
Holt set his glass on the coffee table and stood from the couch. “You escaped several of my men today. Impressive. I hired them to take out the competition and they are well trained. It isn’t often that they make a mistake and let a target flee.”
Finn didn’t remove his hand from his gun. Holt wouldn’t shoot him. If Holt wanted him dead, he would have been shot on sight. “What cartel do you represent?” Finn asked.
Holt stared hard at him. “You should answer the same question first.”
“I am self-employed,” Finn said. He wouldn’t tell Holt he was working with Reed Barnett. Not until he knew more about the direction this was headed.
“You chose Miami to look for additional work? This area has enough businesses. Might I suggest you head up the coast? Find another town to work in,” Holt said.
A not so subtle warning to beat feet out of Miami. “Our product doesn’t compare to others. We’re targeting a different market segment. We are not a threat to you.”
Holt smiled knowingly. “You’re an agent for Reed Barnett.”
Finn said nothing. He wanted Holt to know he was a player, but not how close to Barnett he was.
Holt took a step toward them and he and Hyde tensed. “I’ve heard of Reed Barnett. Never had the pleasure of meeting him.”
“Most people have heard of the Barnett cartel,” Finn said.
“Pass on a message for me. The Shadow Crew runs these streets. Nothing gets bought or sold unless we approve. In this matter, I want in. If I’m not given an in, bodies will pile up, starting with yours.”
“You’re issuing Reed Barnett an ultimatum?” Finn asked.
“It’s the quickest way to get what I want,” Holt said. He was confident.
“I’ve got the message,” Finn said. He would pass it along to Barnett, though it would only anger him.
Holt looked at him, lifting his chin slightly. The man seemed to want more, but Finn stood his ground. No changes to the operation until he had spoken to the West Company and Hyde.
“You can show yourself out,” Finn said. He wouldn’t lock into a power struggle with Holt, and he wouldn’t fold at a threat.
“Good evening,” Holt said before leaving. He had been bold to come alone.
Hyde stared at Finn. “I kept waiting for you to kill him.”
“If the Shadow Crew wants a piece of the action, once they have it, they’ll cut out the Barnett cartel. Or kill them. He killed Barnett’s men at the warehouse. Between that and his verbal message, he’s made his point.”
Hyde rested her head on his chest. “Barnett sent us into a lion’s den.”
Barnett was a coward. “He’s aware of the players in Miami. He stays on his island because he’s afraid.”
Finn was open to possibilities in bringing Barnett down. Let the drug lords take each other out. Starting a street war wasn’t in anyone’s best interest—too many innocents would be caught in the cross fire—but with the right nudging, Finn would be happy to see the cartels carted off to prison.
“Barnett can’t be trusted. Holt can’t be trusted. I don’t like facing off against enemies on all sides,” Hyde said.
“We can handle it. The payoff will be worth it,” Finn said. “We need to change hotels. But before we leave, I have your present.”
Hyde looked around, the worry falling away from her face and a smile replacing it.
Finn kissed the top of her head and released her. He strode to the bedroom. It appeared undisturbed, but had likely been searched by Holt. Finn went to the safe where he’d ordered the item to be delivered. Opening it with a three digit passcode, he withdrew the slim black velvet box.
He carried it behind his back and into the main room. He handed it to Hyde. She glanced at the box and then at him. “Jewelry?”
“Maybe.”
She lifted the lid and gasped. Inside was a custom-made pendant necklace, the jewels of her and his birthstones. “I understand my birthstone. What is the other?”
“Mine. My real birthday. This way you won’t forget it.”
She ran her index finger over the line of jewels. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Finn. How did you have this delivered so quickly?”
“I have contacts everywhere,” Finn said.
Hyde lifted the necklace from the box. She strode to the mirror and put it on. He came behind her and wound his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
“Happy birthday, Alex.”
Her eyes misted and she laid a hand over the pendant. “This is beautiful. Thank you, Finn. I will treasure it always.”
Looking in the mirror, his heart stirred. He had the oddest sensation of rightness, of his world clicking into place.
Before the moment took an emotional turn, Finn withdrew his phone. Hyde had been clear about her intentions and he hadn’t found a solution to their obvious differences yet. Giving up his work or giving up Hyde were catastrophically bad outcomes. How could he choose?
* * *
Hyde preferred the new hotel room. It was a second-floor corner room with a great view of the parking lot. The security breach at the previous hotel was disturbing. They had been showing up in Miami hotspots wanting to be seen, but to already be on a rival cartel’s radar was surprising.
Hyde touched the necklace Finn had given her. Why her birthstone and his? He knew where th
ey stood. Their on-again, off-again relationship had suited their traveling lifestyle. Immediately before this mission, they were off again and Hyde had made her peace with that. For him to gift her a sentimental and expensive gift struck her. They’d had fun together in the past. Finn had bought her meals and trinkets, but nothing like the necklace. That made two pieces of jewelry that Finn had given her, each with sentimental value.
Hyde sat on the couch under the window and looked out at the night. Finn was on his cell phone, speaking in hushed tones. He approached and switched his phone to speaker. “Abby has news to share.”
He turned the screen to face Hyde. A secure connection provided privacy for their conversation with Abby.
“Happy birthday, Hyde. I trust you enjoyed our gift.”
“I did. Thank you,” Hyde said.
Abby’s face turned serious. “We have confirmed that the Shadow Crew is responsible for the incident at the warehouse. Pierce Holt, the man who visited you, has spent a considerable amount of time in juvenile detention centers and in prison. He’s avoided jail for the last nine years. We were lucky that the explosion at the warehouse didn’t create a hazardous situation in surrounding neighborhoods. We’ve sent operatives to the scene and they’ve collected samples. We believe the chemicals inside the warehouse were nontoxic and nonpoisonous. Working theory is that whatever controlled substance is in Whiteout is either being stored elsewhere or isn’t in Miami yet.”
Holt was a career criminal with street credit working against Barnett, a pampered prince of his own island. The dynamic was interesting, but no winners would come out of a battle. Casualties would be high on both sides.
“We also have confirmed Swift Speed is a company owned by Reed Barnett. We think he is using that company for his imports and exports,” Abby said.
“You’ve been busy,” Hyde said, impressed at the amount of information Abby was providing.
Having intel in the field was critical. Hyde had been thrown into prison overseas because she had been missing important information.
“How do we handle the Shadow Crew? What are their weaknesses? Do we go on the offensive?” Finn asked.
Hyde had the same questions.
Abby typed on her keyboard. “Barnett likely knows about them. Inform him of the incident with Holt and let him know the Shadow Crew torched the warehouse. We don’t have a bead on the Shadow Crew’s headquarters, but I will email a list of known hang-outs. You’ll need to be careful. Avoid them if you can. Focus on Barnett. Scope of the mission remains the same.”
“Then we wait?” Hyde asked. She would get antsy sitting around. The war was building and she wanted to defuse the parts she could.
“We’re looking into locations to replace the warehouse. Keep me in the loop about Barnett’s requests as you receive them,” Abby said. “And the last item Connor wanted me to pass along is that we’re using the information obtained from Ramirez to round up drug caches and dealers. Great job on that.”
After discussing a few more issues, they disconnected their call with Abby.
Finn laid his phone next to him. “I didn’t expect to be in the middle of a turf war between competing drug cartels.”
“Not the highlight of my week.” The highlight of her week had been receiving the necklace and the implication of a deeper relationship with Finn. Their birthstones together meant something.
Finn’s gaze swerved to her face. He leaned close, his mouth hovering inches from hers. “What was the highlight of your week?”
“The massage,” Hyde said. Speaking aloud how much he meant to her rattled her. She might be reading into the meaning behind the necklace. Finn could have intended it as a goodbye gift.
Finn frowned and she pressed a kiss to his lips. “Don’t pout. You know I tease. The best part of my week has been you. What about you? What’s the best part of the week?”
“I’m on an operation to avenge my best friend with my best girl.” A half smile lifted the corners of his mouth. He kissed her, a soft press of his lips against hers, the right amount of pressure and coercion. That quick, he lit her up. She shifted to a more comfortable position and slipped her hand around the back of Finn’s neck, drawing him down on top of her.
He balanced his weight between her and the edge of the couch. She loved the feelings he evoked in her. Excitement and heat, and she wanted him so much when he touched her. She might go up in flames.
His thigh nudged her legs apart and she sighed. Contented, happy, relaxed sigh.
Finn’s phone rang. He ignored it and kissed her harder. Then hers rang. They’d had a few hours together at the spa, without interruptions. They were back on the clock now and that meant answering the phone no matter how inopportune the time. She groaned and pushed lightly on his shoulders. “Could be an emergency.”
Finn sat back on his haunches and answered his phone. “What.” He practically growled the word.
After a few seconds of listening, he swore under his breath. “We’re on it. Thanks for the call.”
“What’s happened?” Hyde asked.
“Damien Winslow is reporting a death from Whiteout at Luminous.”
“From Whiteout, or is Holt making good on his promise? Delivering a message?” Hyde asked.
“I don’t know,” Finn said. “If it was Holt, he’s coming at us hard and wants us to know he has reach.”
“What’s our next move?” Hyde asked.
“Winslow wants to sweep it under the rug. The body was taken to Miami General after an anonymous 911 call reported a woman acting strangely in an alley on Paradise Avenue. By the time the paramedics arrived, she was dead,” Finn said.
“Let’s get to the hospital,” Hyde said. “Find out everything we can.”
“This isn’t how I planned the rest of the night with you,” Finn said.
Hyde touched the side of his face with her fingertips. He needed a shave and his beard tickled her fingers. “I’ll take a rain check, okay?” Even interrupted, it had been one of the best nights she’d had in a long time.
* * *
Hospitals made Finn nervous. He had learned far too much about the status of enemy operatives from a bored staff member excited to talk about what they knew. Perhaps more unsettling was how easy it was to walk around some hospitals without being questioned.
Finn and Hyde entered the crowded emergency room. A hospital map in the waiting area showed where they needed to go. They went past the admitting desk and down a hallway leading to the morgue.
“This might not be the best time to mention this, but I really hate morgues,” Hyde said.
“Phobia?” Finn asked.
Hyde rubbed her arms. “Not exactly a phobia. When I was in La Sabaneta, I worked in the morgue. Not voluntarily. And it wasn’t exactly a morgue. It was a place where the guards dumped the prisoners who died. I had to see some awful things,” Hyde said. She shivered.
Finn squeezed her hand. He didn’t want to call attention to them by being too affectionate, but he wanted to reassure her. She hadn’t mentioned the morgue at La Sabaneta before today. “If you don’t want to do this, you can wait in the car. I can take care of this. I don’t want to put you through anything. This will be sterile and clean.” He tried to imagine Hyde dealing with dead bodies under terrible conditions and his heart went out to her.
Hyde hesitated and then shook her head. “I’ve got your back. I can do this. Totally different situation and circumstances.”
Finn didn’t press the issue, but he made a mental note to keep an eye on her and give her any excuse possible to stay outside the morgue.
They passed the doctor’s lounge and Finn pointed to the ajar door. They exchanged smiles. After confirming the lounge was empty, they stepped inside. They located two white coats and slipped them on. After checking the lockers and finding a few that were un
locked, they borrowed two identification badges.
The West Company would discreetly access the hospital’s records to find out the details of the death, but Hyde and Finn needed to pull a sample of the victim’s blood. A toxicity screening would tell them more about Whiteout. Running their own tests prevented Barnett from paying someone in the hospital to cover up the death or rule it unrelated to the new designer drug.
The morgue was located in the basement of the hospital across from the medical records department. The hallway leading to the morgue had several overhead lights out, casting shadows as they walked. Security cameras were positioned in the corners near the ceiling, and Finn and Hyde kept their heads low to prevent the cameras from recording their faces.
“This place is creepy,” Hyde said.
Her experience had been traumatic. “Don’t be a hero. If you need to stay outside, please do.”
Finn waved his badge over the reader at the entryway to the morgue. The lock clicked and he pulled open the door. Expecting Hyde to remain in the hallway, he was surprised when she caught the door and entered with him.
The bespectacled medical examiner looked up from the table where she was working. Confusion and wariness was etched on her face. “Doctors? Can I help you?”
Finn stepped forward and Hyde followed. The name on the ME’s lab coat read Styles in blue cursive letters.
“Dr. Styles, the CDC has asked us to look into an issue. They received a report of a death possibly related to an ongoing investigation. They requested we collect a blood and tissue sample from a body that was brought in tonight.”
Dr. Styles set down her instruments and peeled off her latex gloves. “I’ve never had the CDC send a doctor on my shift. I’ve only worked here a few weeks. Do you have paperwork?”
They could take advantage of her being new and pretend their request was the norm. “It was faxed over to the hospital administrators. The emergency nature of the situation doesn’t allow us to delay,” Finn said.
Dr. Styles huffed. “The people making the big bucks need their beauty sleep. You’ll have to be more specific. I’ve had four bodies come in tonight.”