Page 154 of Bad Attitude
Leaving Raven behind.
“What about the rest of the crew?”
“We’ll get to them in time. It’s Renner that matters. I’m going to sweat him until he discloses his contractor.”
“Ifyou get something on him. Canyou prove where he was?”
“I don’t need to,” she replies. “With your evidence and his package, we have what we need. You dohavethe package, right?”
I clench my teeth. “No, I don’t have thefuckingpackage.”
“Maddox, I gave youoneinstruction: walk out of that vault with it.”
“Yeah? And I was gettingshot atby Chinese enforcers. So excuse me for making it out alivewithout it.”
A long pause. “Whatever he has on him will be incriminating enough.”
I laugh, dry and mirthless. “And if he has nothing?”
“Wasn’t the operation successful? Whywould he have nothing?”
“You don’t get it, do you?Rennerdoesn’t walk away with anything. That what he uses—” Crap, I almost said Raven. “—riders for. Cole, Dario, and the rest.”
There’s a long silence on the line. “You could have mentioned that previously.”
“I didn’t need tomentionit, because it wasmy goddamn operation.” I force myself to take a breath. “Did you catch evidence of him jumping, at least? That will buy you some time.”And me.
“I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Wait—”
But the line’s gone dead. And it gives me my answer: she didn’t.
Shit.
Now Renner will walk, as soon as he gets to his lawyers. Then he’ll know the FBI was tipped off. And who will he point a finger at?
Fucking Mercer!
It’s too soon, but I call Raven anyway, seeing if she picks up.
“The number you have dialed is not available. Please try your call again later.”
I hang up and stare at my phone. It didn’t go to voicemail. If it had just been off, or out of signal, no rings, straight to voicemail. I’m certain of it… and take a moment to google it, confirming it. Then I call her again, getting the same message the second time.
What the hell has happened? She made the jump, I know she did.
And left, pursued by Chinese fucking enforcers. Those bastards hadguns.
Could they have caught her?
I pace in the safe house, wondering what to do.
Kurt’s lawyers will get him out in forty-eight hours, and that assumes a bail posting for a misdemeanor on the BASE jump,ifMercer gets evidence. Without it, he’ll walk tomorrow.
Damn it all to hell.
There’s only one answer left: reach Raven and get that package. The package is the answer to everything.
