Page 88 of Redemption

Ah, hell. What have I got to lose? We’re out of legitimate leads. Might as well call the guy who set this whole shitshow in progress. I snatch Jay’s phone off the nightstand. “I’ll bring this back later.”

I’m out of his room and sailing down the stairs before he can respond. We need a list of questions for Evander before I reach out. At the bottom, I freeze at the familiar and unwelcome face in the hallway.

“Thomas!” I holler, not acknowledging our intruder. Not that I would have considered him much of a threat before. I’ve still got my gun, and I drop Jay’s phone into my pocket, and then take my gun from the small of my back to point at Daniel. “What are you doing here?”

Thomas peers around the edge of the stairs. “Don’t shoot him or me.” He steps out and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Though I was sorely tempted not to let him in. He’s been thoroughly searched. Twice. Made him strip too which is why he’s in his boxers.”

His lack of clothing registers. Not sure I’d have noticed if he’d been naked. “Where’s Carys?”

“Can we sit? I haven’t got much time.” Daniel’s hands are raised, but his usual dopey demeanor is absent, sly cunning in its place.

“Is this a trap, Thomas?”

“Unlikely. Says he’s from the Directorate of Military Intelligence. Supersecret government agency. Not exactly a person welcome in my home.”

“He’s also one of Pierre-Jacques’s men.” I narrow my gaze and come down the stairs, my gun still trained on Daniel.

“I reckon that means the Irish are better than the Americans at planting spies.” He winks at me.

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. He’s going to joke with me when Carys is missing? He must still be high. “I reckon that means I can shoot you and bury your body in the backyard and your government will pretend like it never happened.”

Daniel pales. “Look, mate, I came here with information for ye. The Irish don’t work with the CIA normally, but your reputation as a man who gets jobs done can’t be denied.”

I nudge him toward the living room where Lorcan and Kim are sitting next to each other on the couch. They both rise at the sight of Daniel. Apparently, Thomas was the only one in the greeting party.

“What’s he doing here?” Lorcan steps in front of Kim blocking Daniel from getting much of a look.

“Military Intelligence for Ireland,” I say. “He’s got information for us.”

“And not a lot of time.” He keeps his hands up. “Jade’s plan is to have the bombs go off around the world, starting with the one in Cork in a few hours. She’s got Carys, Charles Van de Berg, and Opal Van de Berg somewhere in the building. The exact moment for the bomb is unknown.”

“The CIA has information on the other bombs, and they’ll put people in place to dismantle them,” Kim says. “You don’t have a firm timeline?”

“No, but they’re at Van de Berg properties. She wants to annihilate the family. Wipe them clean off the planet.”

My blood chills.Lucas.“Was a bomb sent to Boston recently?”

“You’re worried about the wee lad? Last I heard, she hadn’t been able to get to him. Semyon’s throwing his full weight behind your family. Wouldn’t budge on turning them over or giving her access to the kid.”

Thank Christ for that. Semyon is such a weasel, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear I’d been outmaneuvered with favors or money.

Kim takes her phone out of her pocket, and I point my finger at her. “Until we’ve got Carys, they can’t raid the other buildings. It’ll tip off the PLA, and they might move her, or shorten the detonation on any of the bombs.”

She hesitates and slides her phone into her coat. “Then I’ll wait to reach out.”

Daniel eases his raised hands. “The task force is raiding the building in Cork in three and a half hours. If traffic is good, you can make it there. They won’t be keen to let you join, but they won’t want you to screw anything up either.”

“Saddle up, people.” I stride toward the entrance. I haven’t got time to fact-check Daniel’s claims or to make more phone calls to ensure his lead isn’t a decoy. He’s different enough standing in front of us—coherent, thoughtful, specific—to make me believe he was playing a part in the mansion. I’ll have to trust he’s not running interference for the Irish intelligence. A bit of false information could send us far from the main event.

Bad for my deal with the CIA. Bad for Daniel when I hunt him and kill him for making it impossible for me to rescue Carys.

Everyone trails behind me, and when we get to the main entrance, Daniel’s clothes are stacked in a neat pile. “If you’re lying to me, I will leave no stone unturned to find you. The job I’ll be getting done is removing your head from your shoulders.”

“I’m not lying to you, mate. She’s in Cork inside the new Van de Berg build, and in three and a half hours, Irish intelligence will be laying siege to it.”

“Not if I get there first,” I say. “Thomas, I need your men, and we need to be armed to the teeth.”

Chapter Forty

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