Page 3 of Redemption

Since Kimi blindsided me, I’m wary of anyone who knows too much. I narrow my eyes and withdraw my hand. “And how is it you can access government documents?”

He chuckles. “How do you think I’m gonna get your boy out? I’ve got connections in every government organization in the world. You want information? I get it for you. For a price, of course. I don’t take a job unless I’m sure the person I’m working with has both the guts and the resources to do what needs to be done. You passed. Congratulations.” His deep rumbling baritone has an edgy amusement to it.

All the inquiries we made trying to find the right guy led us back to Evander Williams. Has your daughter been kidnapped by a warlord? Call Evander. A son accused of espionage in North Korea? Call Evander. Want the love of your life free from a high-security prison? Evander is the man. At every turn, his name was coming out of people’s mouths.

“You come highly recommended,” I admit.

“’Course I do. If you can afford me, there is no one better.” His mouth hints at a smile. “Your photos don’t do you justice.” His expression turns puzzled. “In person, you remind me of someone else. Can’t quite put my finger on it.”

I shrug and purse my lips. “People tell me I look like my mother.” The resemblance is actually uncanny. In photos of my mother when she was my age, we could be twins.

“Perhaps that’s it. I’ve run into your father a few times over the years when I was dealing with time-sensitive issues and needed materials.”

Not surprising since my father never had a problem bending munition and firearms laws to suit the needs of his clients. “Come in. Have a seat. Did you want a drink?”

“No.” He waves me off as he crosses to a high-backed armchair. “I can’t stay long. I have to fly to Nigeria for an ongoing negotiation.”

“That kidnapping case?” This morning the news was buzzing about a diplomat’s daughter who was taken for ransom.

“Can’t say. Discretion and privacy are two of the biggest keys to my position.” He grimaces and places his elbows on his knees. “I wanted to talk Finn’s release through in person. I don’t like having anything in writing in a job like this.”

“Understandable,” Jay concedes as he sits on the other end of the couch. “What do we need to do?”

“Right now? Nothing. Keep business as usual. I’ve set the wheels in motion to get Finn moved to a lower-security prison. Once he’s there, we’ll get the lay of the land. I have contacts in every single federal prison. The American prison system is incredibly flawed, so finding the routes to an exit are likely. As I said on the phone, there are no guarantees in a situation like this.”

“If your network is that big,” I say, trying to channel Finn, “how do you know every contact is loyal to you?”

Evander chuckles. “They’re not loyal to me. They’re loyal to the dollar, and I pay well.”

While I took similar risks when I extracted Finn from the FBI raid at the Donaghey warehouse in Boston, taking them now seems foolhardy. Money talks, but when there are other people willing to pay more or have better leverage, circumstances can spiral out of control in a hurry. “You’ve got nothing else on any of these contacts to keep them on your side?”

His mouth forms a tight line. “Depends on the person, the location. You’ve hired me because I’m the best. I can’t say things don’t ever tip sideways unexpectedly. That’s part of the risk. Also why I’m here—to manage thoseoh shitmoments. As much as we can, we mitigate our exposure through cash payments. Generally, the more money, the less we worry.”

I swallow. Money isn’t an issue, or at least it isn’t yet. Even if I have to bankrupt myself, Finn shoved all his assets into a trust for Lucas before he surrendered, so we’ll never be completely poor.

“Step one is in progress right now. We’ll have him moved soon. I’m finalizing that process in the next day or two. Once he’s at another facility, we’ll start looking at plans and schedules and routes to get him out. You want this quiet, right?”

“Well.” I glance at Jay. “Yes, as quiet as we possibly can.” But if we have to blow a hole in the wall and storm the place, I’m not opposed to that either. As long as we return to Cape Verde, alive, and as a family, I’m not complaining. Dead or still in jail aren’t options.

Jay raises his eyebrows. “We’re open to whatever strategies you want to employ.”

Evander nods his head repeatedly, his brow furrowed.

“Finn’s in solitary right now. Does that matter?” What if he’s already ruined the plan?

“Won’t matter. I’ll have paid enough they’ll move him no matter what.” He stands and offers his hand again. “I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more details and a firmer timeline for his release.”

We escort him to the door, and Dominic helps him into the waiting car. With a frown, I turn to Jay. “What d'you think?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “Some of it I liked. Some of it makes me nervous.”

“He kept sayingreleased. He never once mentioned a jailbreak.”

“Covering his ass in case we’re recording him, I imagine.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” I rub my cheeks. “There’s this tightness in my chest and clawing sensation in my throat, and I don’t know if it’s hope or dread.” A humorless laugh escapes me. “If Finn were here, he’d think we were stupid.”

“Nah.” Jay chuckles. “If Finn were here, he’d have asked how much the bulldozer was to remove the wall of the prison. Nothing subtle in that man.”

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