Page 52 of Shades of Mercy
“She got away. I’d like to know where she is. Cross’s pride was hurt.
“What makes you think I’d know?” The man used his thumb to push up his glasses on his nose.” You’re wasting your time trying to find her.”
“She’s like a songbird ready to sing. The biggest mistake a man makes is leaving eyewitnesses behind.”
“If you brought me here to ask where she’s at, I can’t tell you.” One of the bodyguards stepped up, grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him a few feet off the chair. The man cried out, “She didn’t tell anyone. She and Mateo just left. He’s not dumb. He’ll make sure she's somewhere safe and untouchable.”
“Everyone has a price, or makes a mistake,” Cross said, pushing away from the desk and leaning over the scrawny man. “Here’s how it’s going to go. You’re going to put those hacker skills to good use to find our missing lady friend, or you’ll be the one missing next. We might even pay a visit to that lonely wife of yours. Got it?”
He nodded. He knew Cross meant every word that fell from his lips. The jackass never spewed empty threats.
Why had he ever agreed to help Cross? High-stakes gambling had gotten the man into trouble. He’d be dead meat if he didn’t do exactly as he was told. Or worse, his wife and kids would be hurt.
“She’s intelligent, but flighty,” he muttered. “She likes maintaining control over SMH Security and it’s her life. If I know her, and I do, she’ll contact me.”
Cross’s expression changed, as if he were savoring the morsel of information. “How will she contact you?”
“She will probably send an untraceable and encrypted email. As I said, she’s intelligent. She’ll tread carefully.”
“Even smart people make slipups. For example, I thought you said she wouldn’t get past the security system on my system. Maybe she’s smarter than you.”
The man didn’t like this. His eyes turned dark. “I warned you that she’d be hacking your data, didn’t I? If it weren’t for me she would have downloaded enough shit on you to send you away for life. I made sure she didn’t get anything but legal data.”
“You’re in deep shit here, my friend. You still owe us a lot of money.”
“I’ll send her an email asking that she contact me. All we can do is hope she’ll check it.”
“Then do it,” Cross snapped.
“I’ll need my cell phone. Bully Boy took it away,” the man snorted.
“Moose, give him his phone. Just be careful. One wrong move and you’ll be fish bait.”
Once the man had his phone, he typed out an email, showed it to Cross, who nodded his consent, and then pressed the send button.
“Now it’s a waiting game.” Cross grinned. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“I can’t stay here. My wife… We’re trying to get back together. She’ll be worried.”
Moose laughed. Cross shook his head. “Imagine the worry she’d feel if you never came home because of a stupid mistake.”
Sweat poured down his face. He searched his brain, looking for any way out of the mess he’d created.
Then he remembered something…
How had he forgotten?
“I think I know where she could go.”
Cross lifted one brow. “Funny how that works. Information seems to pop right up when someone’s life is on the line.”
“There’s a friend of her brother, someone Mateo knew from his SEAL days. I’ve met him once or twice. Mateo and Mercy will trust him.”
“What’s his name?” Cross asked.
“Constantine Jagerson. Goes by Jag. You find him, you’ll find Mercy. I’d stake my life on it. They’ve got a thing for each other.”
“Find him a computer,” Cross snapped at Moose who took off like an obedient child. “You’ll find this Jag. Put your skills to good use.”
