Page 106 of Snow

“That wasn’t nothing.”

“I just don’t remember you ever complaining about an eight o’clock call before.”

Shit.

Snow glanced toward the bathroom as the shower started running.

“Did you call to analyze my sleeping habits, or is there a reason you’re interrupting my morning?”

“Oh, did I interrupt something?”

“Bear, either tell me why the fuck you called, or I’m hanging up.”

“All right, all right.” The humor disappeared from his teammate’s voice almost instantly. “We’ve got movement.”

Snow’s feet hit the floor. Just like that, all traces of their banter disappeared.

“What kind?”

“Feds didn’t waste any time. They picked up Matisse early this morning.”

Snow reached for his jeans and pulled them on one-handed while keeping the phone pressed to his ear.

“Seriously?”

“Yup. Got him at a private airstrip in the Turks.”

“Have they gotten him to talk?

“No. But his second-in-command is singing like a fucking canary. Turns out that your buddy Brett has been helping Matisse move shipments through the Gulf using the rig as a cover.”

“Well, that would most likely explain all those entries in Capperson’s notebook.”

“Yeah. And about Capperson. According to Matisse’s guy, Capperson apparently discovered what Brett was doing, and Brett took care of him.”

“Shit.”

“There’s more. Matisse is also financing whatever Brett’s building out there, and acting as a broker for the sale of it.”

Snow stood up. “The device in Nova’s pictures?”

“Exactly. The Feds had specialists look at them. They believe it’s a modified UUV capable of carrying and detonating a payload.”

“Explosives?”

“Explosives and/or chemical agents.”

Snow stopped pacing. “Chemical warfare?”

“Potentially.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“They already have buyers interested too. International and domestic. People willing to pay a shitload of money for something that can move underwater undetected and deliver a payload into ports, shipping lanes, or other maritime targets. And we believe that the device is ready. Also, the Feds found a property deed in Grenada bought through one of the Matisse’s shell companies. The name on the deed is listed as Anthony Telesford.”

“Fuck, that’s the name on the passport that Nova found in Brett’s office.”

“Exactly. Brett had definitely been planning his exit strategy.”