Page 81 of Maddox

“That’s because I usually get answers.”

“Yes, I can see I need to keep you in line.”

She leaned into me, teasing me as she continued to do. The girl was going to be the death of me.

At that moment, the sound of an approaching vehicle forced me to push her further into the shadows, standing in front and grabbing my weapon.

I hadn’t seen Damon in years, but at least I could easily recognize the Humvee from a distance. “Our ride is here.”

He rolled down the window, keeping the engine idling. The grin on his face was exactly as I remembered. “Who’s the lovely lady?”

“Someone you don’t touch,” I told him and opened the back door for her to slide in. I scanned the garage before climbing into the passenger seat.

“Possessive. I’m Damon Zephyr. An old friend.”

“Charmaine Douglas. I understand you can help us.”

He peered into the rearview mirror before rolling forward. “I’ll see what I can do. How do you two know each other?”

“He saved my life,” she answered.

His eyebrows raised and he tossed me a curious look. “Up to your old tricks.”

“Just a job.” I had to say the words, but as soon as I did, a stitch hit my gut. She’d become much more than that at this point.

“What are we dealing with?” he asked as he moved toward the exit.

“Maybe a government cover-up. You ever hear of Fernando Alfaro?” As soon as the nose of his Humvee was a couple of feet away from the street, he noticed I was studying the area.

“I wasn’t followed,” he said. “And Alfaro is a bastard bringing more drugs into this country than anyone. No one knows how either. How the hell did you get mixed up in something like that? Are you into the drug trade now?”

“Mercury Fulminate,” Charmaine answered.

“What?” He turned onto the road, once again staring into the rearview mirror.

“He’s using it in the assassinations of his enemies. That’s what we believe anyway. You still have connections?” I threw in.

He offered me a sly look. “He’s bringing them in with the drugs.”

“The drugs are the explosives, but my guess is if he found a way to stabilize the compound, he’s used other methods from gifts to secured packages.”

Charmaine’s answer brought a smile to his face. “Clever bastard. That means he has a few scientists working under him.”

“Maybe that’s something we can find out.” As he headed toward the Capital Beltway, I could tell his wheels were turning from my hopeful suggestion.

“Is that why you need a computer?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Charmaine, waiting until she nodded before pulling out the jump drive. “This is why.”

“Where did you get that?”

“It was handed to Charmaine in El Salvador.” I shoved it back into my pocket.

“How did a pretty lady like yourself get involved with a plot to assassinate world leaders?”

“You know something I don’t,” I stated, searching his face.

“Let’s just say a few key leaders in certain industries died in explosions. I thought it was just run of the mill shit like car bombs. Now, I’m not so certain.” Damon’s answer corroborated what Gray had said.

---