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Alina pulled up in front of John's one-level apartment building at the same time as Stephanie. She killed the powerful engine and got out of the Shelby, looking over the roof at her old friend.
“What took you so long?”
“How did you get here so fast?” Stephanie countered, closing her door.
“I wasn't coming from the house,” Alina replied, joining Stephanie on the sidewalk in front of the building. “What are you looking for?”
“Anything that can shed some light on why someone put a bomb on his car,” Stephanie answered wryly. “I should have thought of it sooner, but I'm ashamed to say it just occurred to me half an hour ago.”
Alina glanced at her as they walked up to the door.
“What made you think of it then?” she asked softly, studying her friend's face.
“I was on the phone with Blake and he wondered if John found out who the drivers were,” Stephanie said, pulling John's spare key from her pocket. “It suddenly hit me that anything John found out before the accident would have to be here. It certainly wasn't with him.”
Alina watched as Stephanie unlocked the door, then sent a sweeping glance over the parking lot before following her inside.
“I'm glad you're here,” Stephanie admitted as Alina closed and locked the door behind them. “Blake wasn't happy about me coming alone, and to be honest, I wasn't so thrilled about it myself.”
She reached out to switch on the living room light but Viper stayed her hand.
“No lights,” she said, pulling a Maglite out of her jacket pocket.
Stephanie made an impatient huffing noise, but relented, pulling out her own flashlight. Alina switched on her light and looked around the place John called home. It was surprisingly neat for a bachelor pad, much cleaner than she remembered him being when they lived together years before. They were standing in a living room with dove gray carpeting and white walls with gray trim. The sofa was black leather with a matching recliner and the coffee table was glass. Predictably, a 65-inch flat screen took up most of the far wall. Under the TV, an entertainment stand housed multiple electronics, including three different game systems. Viper shook her head slightly at that, but turned her attention to the bookshelf next to it. It was filled with an assortment of books, DVDs and pint glasses.
“How much does he know?” Alina asked, moving into the dining room and glancing into the adjoining kitchen.
“Quite a bit, actually,” Stephanie said, heading over to the closet in the living room. “I didn't have to tell him about Dominic after all. He already knew.”
“Did he now?” Alina raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. “That's interesting.”
“He caught a member of the Casa Reino Cartel in North Carolina who gave up Dominic's name as the person running drivers out of Atlantic City,” Stephanie told her, opening the closet door and shining her light in. “He took me out to brunch this morning and told me about it. So I told him about Dutch, John and the bomb on John's car.”
“Brunch? He's in Jersey?” Alina asked, turning toward the hallway that presumably led back to the bedroom.
“Yes.” Stephanie advanced into the closet. “He's staying in Atlantic City tonight.”
“You look there, I'm going to check the bedroom,” Alina said over her shoulder, disappearing down the dark hallway. A muffled sound indicated Stephanie's acknowledgment and Alina moved into the first open door on her right. A quick glance revealed that she had found John's office. She turned and quickly checked the other rooms. One was a bathroom and the other was John's bedroom. After a cursory glance around the bedroom, Alina went back to the office.
The blinds on the window were closed and curtains hung down on either side. Viper crossed the room and pulled the heavy curtains over the blinds before turning her attention to the desk. A laptop was plugged in, fully charged, and Alina moved the light over the rest of the desk. The router, a printer and some assorted notebooks and pens were the only other items on the desk. A cursory glance through the notebooks revealed that they were blank. Turning to the bookshelf along the adjoining wall, she paused and her breath caught as the light illuminated a single, framed photo on the top shelf. It was a picture of her and John with Dave, taken on the boardwalk one summer day many years ago. Involuntarily, Alina moved forward and picked it up, studying it in the glare of her Maglite. God, they were all so young. Something pulled deep inside her and Viper quickly set the photo down, turning away from the bookshelf impatiently.
With quick, practiced movements, she unplugged John's laptop and reached down to disconnect the charger from the outlet. A short search unearthed the laptop bag behind the desk and she slid everything into it quickly. She was about to leave the office when, without knowing why, she went back to the photo. Before she could think twice, Alina picked it up and slid it into the bag with the laptop.
“Lina!” Stephanie whispered frantically from the hallway. “We've got company!”
Viper stepped out of the office and joined Stephanie in the dark hallway, listening. The unmistakable sound of the patio door sliding open caused her heart to surge into her throat before immediately settling into the pounding rhythm Viper knew so well. They switched off their lights and Viper motioned Stephanie to follow her into John's bedroom at the end of the hall. She silently closed the door behind them and, without making a sound, crossed quickly to the window. She pulled up the blinds, looking out. The window faced the parking lot and Viper smiled in the pale light that streamed in from streetlights outside. She motioned Stephanie forward and rapidly draped the laptop bag across her body.
“Don't lose this,” she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.
She turned and noiselessly opened the window, sliding the screen up without a sound.
“Meet me at my house,” she whispered, motioning Stephanie out the window.
Stephanie nodded and hoisted herself up and out the window, holding the laptop securely. She landed outside with a faint “oof” and looked up at Alina.
“What about you?” she whispered.
Viper smiled coldly in the pale light and Stephanie shivered despite her jacket.
“I'll be there soon.”
Stephanie swallowed and turned away from the frightening look on her friend's face. Viper watched her go toward the parking lot, then turned and moved silently back to the bedroom door. She bent her head and listened intently. Someone was moving around in the living room. She cracked open the door and peered down the hallway. It was dark and empty and the only noise came from the living room, where a thin white light darted around the darkness.
Reaching into her inside pocket, Viper pulled out her black leather gloves and slid them on before slipping out of the bedroom and into the dark hallway. She moved along the wall silently, keeping her eyes on the light in the living room. Passing the open door to the office on her right, she glanced in quickly. It was empty. About a foot from the edge of the wall, Viper stopped, watching the light and listening. The intruder was directly around the corner, going through the bookshelf on the wall.
Her breathing steadied and Viper waited patiently, perfectly still. The intruder was unaware of her presence as he pulled each book from the bookshelf, flipped through it, then tossed it on the floor. When all the books were exhausted, she watched as the light swung to the right, away from her.
Viper rounded the corner. The intruder was a man, slightly taller than herself, with his back to her. In one smooth, rapid motion, Viper kicked the back of one of his knees. The leg buckled and, as he went down, she wrapped one arm around his neck firmly and twisted his head to the side with her other hand. Her gloved hand closed over his mouth, blocking any sound from coming out or any air from going in, and she tightened her hold on his neck, squeezing firmly as he struggled to get a hand under her arm and pull it off. His struggles grew as he began to panic at the lack of oxygen, and Viper increased the pressure of her arms in reaction. Less than a minute later, he slumped in her arms, motionless.
She lowered him to the floor silently and pulled out her Maglite, shining it onto his face.
“Well, hello there,” Viper murmured, looking down at an unconscious Dominic DiBarcoli.
She bent down and felt for a pulse. Finding a faint one, she patted his cheek in mock affection before reaching down to undo the Italian leather belt at his waist. With sure movements, she pulled it out of his belt loops and rolled him over so that she could tie his hands together at his back. After securing them with a tight knot, she strode over to the front windows. She pulled her knife out of the holster at her ankle and reached up to cut the cord to the mini blinds. Viper slipped the knife back into its sheath and turned back to tie Dominic's ankles together with the cord. Once he was secured, she stepped back and looked at him.
Anger, hot and fierce, burned through her as she stared at the man who killed Dutch Baker and more than likely tried to kill John.
“You're lucky I need you alive right now,” Viper informed the unconscious man coldly, reaching down to grab the cord around his ankles. “But I promise you this, your time will come.”
Hawk sat with his arms folded across his chest, watching the door. He was nearly invisible, sitting in the darkness, dressed in black and blending with the shadows around him. It hadn't been difficult to find a dark corner in the bar. The entire establishment was lit with minimal, subdued lighting, reminiscent of the old Jazz clubs of days past. The table before him was dark, polished wood and a half-empty pint of Guinness was the only indication to other patrons that the table may be occupied.
As far as American bars went, this one was better than most, Hawk reflected dispassionately. The beer was good, the bartender knew how to pour a Guinness, and the clientele kept their eyes to themselves. He could see why this was one of Charlie's preferred meeting spots.
Damon glanced at his watch and picked up the beer. He was in the process of taking a sip when Charlie materialized in the shadows next to him, a pint of lager in his hand.
“Good evening, Hawk,” he said, seating himself.
“Charlie,” Hawk nodded and set down his beer.
“It's good to see you home,” Charlie said, his gray eyes studying him in the shadows. “How was the old Soviet block?”
“Cold,” Hawk answered dryly.
“You've grown your hair like them,” Charlie observed, his lips thinning into a faint smile. “You fit right in.”
“When in Rome....or Chechnya, as the case may be.”
“Indeed.” Charlie sipped his lager. “I need you to go back. It should be a quick trip, for you.”
“Sir?”
“I know Harry encouraged you to come back here, but I need you to take care of something in Georgia. You're the only asset familiar with the players there at the moment.”
Damon studied his boss in the dim light. Charlie appeared completely relaxed, but Damon caught the very faint note of urgency in his voice that conveyed a larger importance on the trip than he was indicating.
“What's the time frame?” he finally asked.
“Immediately.” Charlie looked at him almost apologetically. “The target will only be in play for twenty-four hours, leaving you a twelve-hour window.”
Hawk nodded, his face impassive.
“Understood.”
“Good,” Charlie said, picking up his beer and taking a sip. “Now that business is done, tell me why you supplied one of my assets with a clean phone not cleared by me.”
Hawk's lips twitched.
“Tell me why one of your assets' location and identity was leaked to the enemy,” he countered softly.
Grey eyes met blue and Charlie's lips twisted faintly.
“I'm working on that,” he said.
“Her cover was already partially blown last summer when Regina went on her rampage,” Damon said slowly, toying with his pint glass. “Now she's been compromised again. This is becoming an unpleasant trend.”
Charlie studied him silently for a long moment and Damon had no idea what was going on behind those grey eyes. He supposed the goal was to make him feel uncomfortable, but Hawk was too angry to feel uncomfortable. Charlie had to get his house in order before Viper, or someone else, got killed.
“Let me ask you this,” Charlie finally said softly, “If you had to trust Viper with your life, would you?”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
Hawk crooked one eyebrow.
“I trust you with my life every day,” he replied wryly.
Charlie smiled.
“Quite,” he murmured. “Then do me the courtesy of trusting me to take care of this inconvenience for the safety of both you and Viper and all my other assets.”
Hawk nodded, duly chastised.
“You asked why I gave her a clean phone,” he said after a moment. “She contacted me and asked me for it. She doesn't trust anyone right now, and for good reason. It's her insurance policy.”
“I understand,” Charlie murmured. “My concern is that two of my assets began making arrangements outside of protocol. I put the procedures in place for a reason.”
“Did you take into account treason from within when you put the procedures in place?” Hawk asked pointedly. “Forgive me, but this whole situation is outside protocol.”
“Fair enough,” Charlie conceded. “You see my point, though? You understand why I may get nervous when my two best assets begin to function autonomously?”
“I do,” Hawk admitted after a moment.
“Good.”
“What do you suggest, then?” Hawk asked, his blue gaze piercing. “I know you. You don't expect us to roll over and become victims.”
Charlie was surprised into a chuckle.
“Hell no,” he muttered, finishing his beer. “I expect you to survive and complete the mission, which is why I have new equipment for both of you.”
Hawk raised his eyebrow and sat back in his chair.
“Really?” he drawled.
“Really.” Charlie stood up. “There are two sealed boxes in the trunk of your car. Your names are on them. I'll leave you to deliver Vipers, along with my regards. Destroy the old devices and activate the new ones immediately. I sent ops specs to yours. I need you en route to Georgia tomorrow morning.”
“Understood.”
Charlie nodded and turned to leave, then turned back.
“One more thing,” he murmured, looking at Damon. “Get back as soon as possible.”