Page 29 of Shadow

“Assume nothing.”

He made a tiny grunt and reached for his coffee. Took a sip. Grimaced. Set it down. “Okay. The Shadow Syndicate has been operating in Renegade for a number of years. It started in Denver over thirty years ago. Came here about seven years ago. It’s an interlocking network of criminal activity—drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, extortion, corruption. And everything connects back to one person.”

“Draven Frost.”

“Yeah.” His jaw tightened. “You’ve heard of him.”

“I read the file. International crime boss, but never enough evidence to indict.”

“That’s the public story.” Asher’s voice dropped. “The real story is more complicated.”

“I’m listening.”

He studied her. Green eyes sharp despite the exhaustion.

“I’m not convinced he’s the top dog. Everyone else is, but…I don’t know. Draven came down from Denver, and he was just a player there. For a while, I thought it was Roger Rousseau⁠—”

“The man who got knifed in holding.”

“Yeah. He was on the lam but got picked up a month ago and has been in holding ever since. Worked a plea deal to testify against who he says is the leader of the syndicate—Draven Frost. His mother, Destiny, is also in protective custody.”

Daphne typed. “So Roger wasn’t the boss and is now willing to testify against Draven.”

“Apparently. Martha was our key witness, but now it looks like Roger is our key witness. He and his mother.” Asher pulled his coffee closer. Wrapped both hands around the mug. “Roger provides evidence, he gets witness protection and a reduced sentence.”

“What kind of evidence?”

“Everything. Ledgers. Recorded communications. Documentation of operations spanning years.” Asher leaned back slightly. “Ralph—Roger’s father—kept meticulous records. He was the top dog here until he got murdered.”

“Sounds like someone is out for the family.”

“Maybe.”

“Draven?”

“We don’t know. Could have been the cartel. Could have been an internal power struggle. Could have been Draven cleaning house.” Asher’s jaw tightened. “Either way, Ralph’s dead and Roger inherited everything. Including the evidence that could take down the entire syndicate.”

“Tell me about the operations.” She needed facts. Data.

Asher pulled out his laptop. Opened files. Turned the screen toward her.

Organizational charts filled the screen. Financial records. Surveillance photos.

“Continental Transport is the legitimate business front.” He leaned closer to point at the screen. “Shipping company. Moves freight across state lines. Also moves drugs, weapons, trafficking victims.”

He pulled up shipping manifests, his fingers moving fast over the keyboard.

“Neurosync—the drug those kids were most likely on this morning—comes in through Continental. Gets distributed through local businesses as cover.”

“What kind of businesses?”

“Restaurants. Construction companies. Real estate offices. Anywhere with cash flow and customer traffic. Drugs moved through teens, coaches, school staff—anyone with reason to be near kids.” He clicked through photos, each one annotated with dates, locations, personnel. “The Youth of the Future Foundation was another front. Youth camps for troubled kids. Legitimate on paper. Actually a recruiting and trafficking operation.”

Daphne’s stomach turned. “How many kids?”

“We don’t know.” His voice went tight. “The foundation got shut down after a previous case exposed some of the operations. But there are still teens unaccounted for.”

She made notes. Watched him in her peripheral vision.