Page 78 of The Easy Way
Chapter Twenty-One
“Where is he?”Cortdemanded.
Sebastian, jogging into the airport from the blazing-hot tarmac alongside him, shook his head. “I don’t see any ofthem.”
The airport on this small island was a tiny building, hardly more than a rain shelter, and today, the place was packed with law enforcement personnel - local police, international investigators, and even a few people wearing FBI jackets who were here in an ‘unofficial’capacity.
“If it hadn’t taken so long to get here…” Cort fumed, running a hand through hishair.
Sebastian glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Hardly my fault, Kendrick, that almost every plane in the hangar was damaged by the wash from Shaw’sengine.”
“What good are your billions if you can’t get us a plane in less than five hours?” Cort scoffed. “People from theStatesare herealready.”
As it was, they’d had to co-opt another pilot staying on the island to fly them over in his tiny prop-plane, only big enough for two passengers. Cort had never been particularly frightened of air travel, and evenhe’dhad to fight the urge topuke.
“You could’ve stuck with Senator Shaw and Lucy,” Sebastian said, a hard edge to hisvoice.
Cort noticed he’d immediately dropped theUncle, and winced. As hard as this day had been for him, it had to have been even harder for Sebastian, knowing someone he’d trusted had betrayed him soacutely.
“Yeah, no thank you,” Cort said. “Fortunately, theyachtwill take another few hours to gethere.”
Once Bas had relayed the message that Jack had taken off with Cain, Cam, and Damon as hostages, Shaw had been beside himself. As soon as Drew informed him his plane had touched down on St. Michel, Shaw had insisted on taking one of the yachts docked on St. Brigitte and traveling to St. Michel by boat, rather than waiting for a plane as Cort and Bas had. It turned out not to have been a wisedecision.
Cort turned in a wide circle, searching for Cam, when a hand reached out to clasp him on theshoulder.
“Cort,” Sean Cook said, and Cort caught him up in ahug.
“Thank you so much for getting here,” he told his formerboss.
Sean pounded him on the back, obviously taken aback. “Kid, I’m just glad you called me,” he said. “Derrick and Nat are so pissed I didn’t let them come, but there was notime.”
“You kept things on the QT?” Cort asked, already knowing the answer but wanting itconfirmed.
“Yeah. I haven’t said anything about the senator possibly being involved.” Sean blew out a breath. “Good luck to you with proving that.” He glanced at Bas, and Cort belatedly introducedthem.
“Well, we apprehended the guy who arranged the incident,” Cort reminded him, as Sean and Bas shook hands. “But Senator Shaw’s not much of a flight risk. I don’t think you need to take him into custody until we get our guy to turn himin.”
“Jack Peabody?” Sean’s head tilted to the side and he looked at Cort appraisingly. “I dunno if it’s gonna be as straightforward as you think. He’s clammed up. Not a word since we got here. Locals were already on the ground waiting for them when they landed, brought him out on a stretcher because he was knocked out cold, apparently by your boyfriend.” Sean didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “I like him, by theway.”
Bas rolled his eyes, but Cort didn’t give a shit what Sebastian thought. As long as Cam would have him, that’s where he’d be. Speaking of which… “Where is Cam?” he askedSean.
“Outside. Come on, I’ll show you.” He walked them to the front of the small building, pointing to a closed door as they passed. “That’s the manager’s office, where we’re keeping Peabody for now. He woke up pretty quick after they got him inside. No lasting damage. But now he’s looking for an attorney. Not a big surprise, but don’t start thinking you’ve got an easy case,” Seanwarned.
“Yeah, but from what Damon said when he called from theplane…”
Sean stopped still. “Who?” he demanded. “Sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name. Certainly no one who was on the plane. Both Cain Shaw and Camden Seaver have stated for the record it was only the pair of them, along with Jack. And…anyone else… was already gone by the time I got here.” He smiled at Cort. “Apparently he said to tell you he’d call.Soon.”
Sebastian’s head went back, a small smile lifting his lips. “Well done,” hesaid.
“Incredible,” Cort corrected, shaking his head ingratitude.
“Incredible? I’ll take it as a compliment from the guy who carried a thumb drive of hardcore porn in his pocket, just when he knew Porter was gonna go looking for it.” He rolled his eyes, and Cort felt a flush spread across hischeeks.
In retrospect, perhaps not his wisest choice. “You, ah… figured itout?”
“Told you before, Cortland. You don’thaveany tricks I don’t know about. Cam Seaver and Cain Shaw plan to say Jack flew the plane in, and they clocked him after they’d landed, when he attempted to kill them.” Sean gave them a quick wink. “Just FYI. And between their testimony and the interview footage from after the accident, I think they’re going to have a solid case against the guy without involving your brother at all unless he wants to comeforward.”
“Thank you,” Cort told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “I’m really glad I calledyou.”
