Chapter Twenty-Five

CommTECH headquarters,

New York City, Northern Territory

“What do you mean you’ve lost touch with your team?”

Miriam Shepherd sat with her hands clasped on the top of her glass desk, her attention very much focused on the holographic image of the Enforcement captain standing in the middle of her office. The man had managed to fail her yet again. It would be the last time she allowed it to happen.

“The last communication we had from the mercenaries stated they were under attack.” The man paled. His eyes kept shifting to the figure standing behind Miriam. She’d made no secret that Kane, her head of security and company enforcer, listened in on the report. The captain should feel nervous. After his update finished, he would have the pleasure of meeting Kane in person.

“The smuggler and his team attacked our men?” If they had, she’d seriously underestimated the group.

“No.” The Enforcement agent shuffled anxiously. “It was an unknown team. They seemed to be after the scientist, too.”

“Interesting. Did your team manage to find out who these opponents were?”

“Negative. All we know is that the other team was trying to take Friday Jones alive.”

Miriam felt cold rage work its way through her, turning her blood to ice. Obviously one of her esteemed fellow leaders had decided to pick up the scientist and download the information in her head. Yes, she could see the potential for scandal. Played the right way, information of the meeting could help someone usurp Miriam’s position of power.

The Enforcement captain cleared his throat. “Do you have further instructions, Director?”

“Not at this time.” She cut the feed, and the man disappeared.

Kane moved, rounding the desk to face her. “You want him dealt with.”

It wasn’t a question; Kane knew she did not tolerate incompetence. “I need you to find out who hired another team.”

He inclined his head, and Miriam knew it would be done. “I’m calling our contact within the smuggling group. I don’t want them to see you.”

Kane silently slid into the shadows on the other side of the room as Miriam used her implant to call up her contact. A few seconds passed before the shadowy figure of the Broker appeared on the screen.

“I need to know where Striker’s jet is headed.”

There was a pause. “That isn’t information I have or can get my hands on.”

“I need you to find out.” She bit out the words, making them snap like a whip. “Friday Jones is on that jet.”

“Your team’s failures have nothing to do with me. I gave you the information I had on their whereabouts.”

“And now I need more.”

“I don’t have more. My job was to supply them with transport and arrange the jet. Unless they need more transportation, they won’t be in touch. However”—the figure leaned back in his chair, comfortable in his position of power—“I do have one piece of information that may be of use to you.”

Miriam asked the only question that was relevant. “How much will it cost?”

The laugh was mocking. “Double.”

“Done.”

The figure leaned closer to the camera, as though sharing a secret. “Word is that your renegade scientist might not be a problem for very much longer. My sources tell me that she injected herself with Interferan-X before she left the Northern Territory. Apparently, the poison was on hand in her lab.” He leaned back. “That’s all I know. I’ll be checking for a credit deposit shortly.”

The image disappeared, and Kane manifested from the shadows.

“I want the person behind that voice found and dealt with once this is over,” Miriam told him.

“It will be my pleasure.”

Miriam sat back in her chair as she looked up at her most trusted confidant. “Interferan-X? What’s the time between injection and death?”

“Five days, in total.”

“And she met up with the smuggler roughly a day after taking the dose. That means she has about a day and a half to get to an antidote. What clinics in South America store the antidote?”

“There’s only one. La Paz. You want me to arrange for another team to meet them there?”

“No. I want you to take care of this personally. I can’t afford any mistakes this time.”

Kane gave her a little bow. “How do you want it handled? Do you want me to have people waiting at the checkpoints to intercept them before they get into the city? Or do you want me to deal with them once they’re inside?”

Her smile was slow and wide. “I’ll leave all of the details up to you. I trust you will do what is needed.”

And have fun while he did it.