Page 24 of Caught
Charlie eyeballed him, then barked out a laugh. “That’s right, you’re the lawyer. You had me going there for a minute. No, I’m not turning you out on the street. But you can be sure, somebody’s gunning for you. Go make yourselves comfortable. I’ll bring over some food and drinks. It’s important to keep your energy up. Adrenaline’s only gonna last so long.”
After they settled around the same table they’d vacated only a few hours earlier, Jake clapped his hands together. “So what do we know?”
Trent spoke first. “I called DCIS to let them know about Slidell. The deputy inspector general was saddened but pragmatic. His death will be reported as a tragic mugging gone wrong.”
Omar raised an eyebrow. “Cold.”
“Like I said, he’s a pragmatist.”
Jake nodded. “I called in a team to sit on Juno Ito. I don’t think she’s in any real danger, but at this point, better safe than sorry.”
“Speaking of precautions, Omar should reach out to those DEA agents who came to the office,” Trent suggested.
“And tell them what?” Omar asked.
“That you still haven’t seen or heard from Ryan or your sister.”
Omar considered this. “I won’t be able to tell if they know I’m lying over the phone. I’m good, but not that good.”
“Why would he do that?” Ryan asked. “I don’t see the point.”
Jake rested his forearms on the table. “Whoever’s behind this knows every move we make as soon as we make it. There are only a handful of folks with that kind of access and sufficient resources to act on the information.”
Ryan thought for a few seconds, then ticked them off on his fingers, “The DEA, the DoD, the FBI. Am I missing anyone?”
Nobody spoke. If he was, they were missing it, too.
Charlie bumped the door open with his hip and dumped two trays laden with food and beverages on the table.
“Thanks, man,” Jake said.
Charlie nodded and turned to leave.
“Charlie, wait a minute. You had extensive dealings with DCIS. Do you think they’d kill one of their own?” Ryan asked, hoping to cross one prospective suspect off the list.
Charlie chewed on the question for a moment before nodding. “You’re talking to a man whose own squadron was planning to kill him. I think, if the circumstances are right, anyone can be a killer. And once you’ve crossed the Rubicon, loyalty doesn’t mean jack.”
He pushed open the door and left them to consider his response. Ryan picked up a package of saltine crackers and crushed them into dust. After a long silence, he looked around the table.
“I did miss someone.”
Jake furrowed his brow. “Who?”
“The Department of Justice.” Ryan had to choke out the words. His throat was as dry as the crackers he’d just crumbled.
Before anyone could speak, the door swung open again.
Chelsea plopped down next to Jake and said in a shaky voice, “Don’t ever tell Leilah to get somewhere ASAP again.”
Jake grinned, and Leilah hid her own smile.
“How hard did you push?” Trent asked her, his professional curiosity piqued.
“About one seventy,” she said with a slight shrug. “Nothing crazy.”
“Nothing crazy?!” Marielle squawked. “We got here in thirty minutes. Out the windows, it was just a blur!”
Omar rubbed her back until she shot him a dirty look. He pulled back his hand and offered her a plate of chips instead.
