Page 24 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

Maddie sat in the bar waiting. She wasn’t sure if she was still being tailed, she hadn’t seen anyone but she would put it past them anyways. Burke walked in and frowned when he spotted her.

“What are you doing in my neck of the woods?” He asked.

“What do you think?” She replied and he gave her a small smile.

“I heard what happened.”

“Who hasn’t.” She muttered.

“They shouldn’t have treated you like that, like you were a suspect.” He stated.

“Tell that to Holden, and to Curtis, and to Cole Fucking Black too.” She muttered.

“Yeah he’s a prick.” Burke said and she nodded before taking a sip of her beer.

“He’s more than a prick, he’s an egotistical piece of shit.” Maddie stated.

He laughed. “How you doing?”

“In what respect?” She asked.

“McCullough.”

She shrugged. “He bled out right in front of me. I tried to stop it, to stem the bleeding but it was too much.”

“He was an idiot.” Burke said.

“Bit harsh, he’s dead.” Maddie said narrowing her eyes.

“Doesn’t stop him from being an idiot. The man went off on his own with no backup and then right when the shit hits the fan instead of running away he gets himself shot.” Burke stated.

“I’m not sure he intended to get himself shot.” Maddie replied.

Burke snorted like he wasn’t convinced.

“They searched my apartment, went through everything. They bugged it too but I found them.” Maddie said after taking another long swig of beer.

“They searched your locker too and your desk.” Burke replied.

“Do they really think I’m involved?” Maddie asked.

He shrugged. “The evidence is there…”

“It’s a stitch up. You know that right?” She asked hearing the hint in her voice that she was afraid he might not say yes.

“I’m not a fuckwit. I know you’re not involved.” He stated.

“Shame BlackWater can’t seem to figure that out.” She muttered.

“What even is it they think you’ve done, beyond bumping McCullough off?” Burke asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t understand it. They said something about a project, it’s highly classified, six eyes only. That’s all I know.” She said.

“Do you know the name?” He asked staring at her then.

“It’s Greek I think, maybe Omega?” She said shrugging. “Could be wrong on that though because by that point I’d slammed my head a good couple of times.”

He laughed.

“So it doesn’t mean anything to you then?” She asked him.

“Maddie we both work Serious Crime, what the fuck would we even have to do with something like that?”

“That’s my point. The closest I’ve come to anything even remotely like that was in China and even then I wasn’t involved on that side. I had a liaison and besides, it wasn’t national security or top secret shit, it was some megalomanic with a death wish and too much money.” Maddie stated.

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