Chapter 21

Alec slipped the glasses on and checked her reflection again. No one was going to recognize her. With the dark wig and black-framed glasses, she barely knew her own image. For tonight she was one of the completely non-descript wait staff at the fancy function.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm the anxiety in her gut. They needed a break in all of this tonight. With only three rock-solid arrests so far, things weren’t going well. But at least Rick Pelts, Payton Cox, and Ray Butler were off the streets and out of the game.

It had barely been twenty-four hours since the tails had been put on Bill, Felix, and Vance so she held onto the hope that tonight during check in there would be something concrete to act on. Felix and the reporter were important, but she wanted something to take Bill down so bad she could taste the sweet gratification already.

In three days’ time, they were hoping to have enough to move in when the meeting at the yacht took place. With any semblance of luck, everyone that needed to be locked up would be there. But that only gave them three days to find something solid that would stick. It wasn’t looking good at this point they didn’t even know what the damn end game was in all of this.

Jac had a list of possible companies that VP could stand for, but she was having a hard time climbing through the shell corporations to figure out who was at the top and if any of them could possibly fit into any of this.

Securing the ankle strap to her leg, she slipped her gun into it and pulled her pant leg back down. Tucking her ID into the back pocket, she grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door. As she was locking it, her phone vibrated in her hand. Checking the screen, she saw it was Brent.

“I’m just heading out now.”

“I’m on my way to your place; I’ll be there in ten.”

Alec scowled at the elevator door. “Why? I can just grab a cab.”

“Not happening. We just fished Andrea Weaver’s body out of the river.”

She froze holding the elevator door open. “Shit.”

“Yeah. It’s been in the water for about twelve hours, prelims say it’s an accidental drowning and no foul play, but we know different.”

“Who’s on it?” she released the doors.

“Max and Leigh. They know the connection, so we’re going to collaborate.”

She swallowed the knot in her throat. “Any witnesses that can place her at the yacht?” Alec already knew the answer, no one would have said they saw a thing, not when someone as connected as Cardiel was involved.

“Cardiel has an airtight alibi.” Brent was quiet for a moment. “This is getting dead serious, Alec. You need to get gone for a while.”

When the door opened, she almost jumped out. She needed air. “Not happening, Brent.” She moved through the hall to the door and shoved her way outside. “Does Sandy know?”

“I’ll be there in five. Yeah, she knows, she still agreed to go tonight.”

Pausing just outside the door, she leaned back against the wall and looked up at the sky. “She’s all right then?”

“A little shaky but wants to put an end to all of this.”

She snorted. “Whatever this shit turns out to be.” Pushing away from the wall, she paced over to the curb.

“The captain went ballistic when we told him you were running point tonight.”

“Hey, no one is going to know it’s me. I barely do.” Turning she watched his car come around the corner. With a big grin, she waved. She watched Brent lean forward and squint at her. “Told you.” Hanging up the phone, she tucked it into her pocket and waited for him to stop in front of her. He still held the phone against his ear. Opening the door, she dropped down into the passenger seat and looked over at him. “Your mouth is hanging open.”

Straightening, Brent lowered the phone and grinned at her. “If you hadn’t waved, I may have driven right on by.”

“I know. So now you can tell the captain all is well and I’m perfectly safe tonight.” She glanced at the time on the dash. “Now get me to the back entrance so I’m not late.”

***

Placing a hand on Sandy’s back, Ian steered her in the direction of Brent and Felicity. He wasn’t in the mood for socializing at all and wanted to be anywhere but at this function of pretenses and false smiles. His nerves were bound tight after the discovery of Andrea’s body, so the faster they got something, the better for all. From the other end of the bar, Alec had signaled they needed a quick word. He still couldn’t believe that behind those black-framed glasses it was Alec. With dark hair and a shapeless staff outfit, he’d walked right past her when they’d gotten here.

Standing beside Brent, he pasted his social smile on his face and took one of the glasses off the bar Alec had filled. Handing it to a quiet Sandy, he picked on up for himself and took a small sip. He hated champagne, and preferred scotch, but when in Rome...

Brent pulled Felicity into his side and nodded briefly in Ian’s direction. “Reid just called; we have some news on our tails. Shaw and Espinosa met at a back door to a corporation and both left carrying a large box.”

“What corporation?” Ian smiled at someone as they walked past.

Sipping from the glass he held, Brent waited until no one was near them. “Vast Projections Incorporated.”

Alec cleared her throat and glanced briefly at Ian.

Ian nodded. “VP.”

Brent set his glass down and tucked a hand in his pocket. “Jac’s finding out what they do.” Motioning with his chin toward a group of people standing in the middle of the room, Brent made eye contact with him again. “You gotten close to Cardiel yet?”

Ian shook his head. “We were just headed in that direction when I spotted the look from Alec.” Turning, Ian glanced over at the group. “I know most of them, any idea who the redhead is?”

Brent picked up his glass. “Nope.”

“I know who it is.” Felicity offered quietly while looking around the room. “It’s Theresa Graham. I saw her photo in the papers last week. She’s the congressman’s aide.”

“TG,” Ian muttered more to himself than out loud. “Think the congress is in this?”

Clearing his throat, Brent turned to lead Felicity in the opposite direction. “We can’t rule anything out yet. Let me know when you get a look-see at anything useful.” He pulled at the collar of his shirt and nodded slowly at Ian.

With a brief glance at Alec, he placed his hand behind Sandy again and turned her in the direction of the group in the center of the function. If he could get close enough, maybe he could get something from more than one person involved, and then they could all get out of there. Fidgeting with his tie, he ran his finger over the tie pin, the mic Reid had given him. He was to apprise them of what he found out and if there were any problems. How he was supposed to relay what he plucked out of heads, he wasn’t sure, to say it out loud would just make it look like he was talking to himself.

He glanced down at Sandy. “You hanging in there?”

She nodded and gave him a nervous smile. “Normally I love these functions.”

Pulling her over to the empty table nearest the group he was aiming for, he sat her down. “I’m not into it either tonight.” Sitting down, he glanced around to see where Brent had moved to.

Picking up the brochure detailing the reasons for the fundraising, he lowered his head and pretended to study it. “Just give me a nudge if we have company,” he whispered.

The one thing Ian loved about functions like this was with an array of people, you never knew what you were going to get when you went surfing. Shallow people were completely transparent when you were looking inside their heads. It took him a very brief look to know that those around them at the tables were only a threat if they didn’t get some attention soon and then the threat would only be a temper tantrum or dramatic exit.

There were two women standing with the three men, so he concentrated first on picking up feminine vibes. If TG was Theresa Graham, they needed to know now. If they’d translated the list correctly Christian Veritas and Theresa had some sort of rendezvous planned at this gathering in a half hour’s time.

...do they know yet? Surely, they’re not that cold to be standing here smiling when Andrea’s dead. I need to contact him and see if there’s been any progress so far. He said not to, but I don’t think I can do this much longer. I just need to know, he said the best of the best was handling it, but I need something, once I get on that plane, I’m never looking back...

Ian jolted and looked at Sandy. Leaning closer, he lowered his head and spoke quietly. “Reid, we need pics of the other woman standing with them. I think she’s the one that contracted me.” Sandy’s eyes widened. “Don’t look over, Sandy, just sit here with me,” he said softly as he reached and squeezed her hand. Felicity and Brent went past them and paused a few feet away. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Brent lifting his phone and taking the picture.

Leaning back, he let out a slow breath. “Let’s see what else I can get.” He smiled at Sandy, but had to agree with her expression, she wanted to leave. “Just a few more minutes.”

Slowing his breathing further, he lowered his head and looked down at the royal blue carpet. “Okay.”

He touched on the woman’s thoughts again and paused briefly, she was taking a chance even being here. Moving from her mind, he sought other feminine signatures to see if Theresa’s mind was accessible.

Christian hasn’t moved an inch, the disk better be there. This has to work. I’m so tired of being a glorified gopher and having to put up with babysitting an immature playboy the people were stupid enough to elect into office. Three more weeks and the tables turn, and I’ll finally get to see what it feels like to control others. I can’t wait. Twenty minutes. Just smile and laugh for twenty more minutes.

Straightening, Ian reached over and squeezed Sandy’s hand again. “She’s picking up a disk from him in twenty minutes. Someone needs to follow both of them.” Glancing around the room, he looked over to where Christian Veritas stood. It was obvious from his stance that he was monitoring every guest here. “I’m going to try for Cardiel and then Veritas.”

Standing, he pulled gently on Sandy’s hand. She stood up without hesitation and looped her hand through his elbow.

As they moved closer to where Pierre Cardiel stood, Alec stopped beside them holding a tray of drinks. With a polite smile, she offered the tray. Handing Sandy a flute of champagne, he made brief eye contact with Alec.

“Reid wants us out as soon as you’re finished.” She whispered with a serviceable smile on her face.

Picking up a second glass, Ian nodded. “Thanks.”

As she moved away from them, he paused and sipped the bubbling liquid while he checked if Veritas was still in the room. Verifying he was, they moved over and stopped beside the table Brent and Felicity were sitting at. Right behind him stood Pierre Cardiel.

Setting the glass on the table, he placed his arm around Sandy and waited for her and Felicity to talk. He didn’t pause to even see what they were saying, just looked down at the floor and started scanning the thought waves near them.

...such a worthy cause. I hope everyone empties their wallets tonight. Oh good, there’s John, I have to see what time we’re teeing off on Tuesday...

...must have gone off without a hitch, or I would have heard by now. Without Andrea we’re going to have a few problems getting access to the mayor’s office. Vance had better come through there with his contact. How long is this pompous ass going to talk my ear off? It’s hilarious what some people will do to get into a wallet. Christian should be giving Theresa her copy shortly and then it’s just a matter of getting that disk in as many hands as possible. Three weeks’ time and we’ll control every computer and server that has been naive enough to insert it into their system...

“Holy shit.” Ian jerked his head up and looked around for Alec. Wrapping his arm around Sandy, he glanced at Brent. “We need to talk. Now.” Without waiting for any sign of acknowledgment, he spun Sandy around and headed to the end of the bar Alec was walking towards. “Reid, the boxes probably contain disks. We have to get our hands on one of them immediately.” He smiled at Sandy so no one within hearing distance would think he was talking to her.

When they reached the bar, he leaned on it and tried to appear he was talking to Sandy, knowing Alec was only a foot away. “We need to get out of here. This is a lot bigger than we could have imagined.”

Sandy nodded a panicked look in her eyes.

Alec leaned closer to the bar. “What about the meet?”

Shaking his head, he straightened up. “I know what it’s for.” Brent stepped up beside him. “We have to go,” Ian said while reaching over to take Sandy’s hand.

“We’re two minutes behind you.” Brent pulled out his phone. “Alec, go out through the kitchen, I’ll meet you there in five.”

Ian paused long enough to see Alec nod and then directed Sandy toward the door.

***

Ian stood back and looked around his apartment. At the moment it was filled with people, more people than he’d ever had at his place at one time. Felicity, Sandy, and Jac sat at his desk going through pictures in an attempt to identify the unknown woman from earlier. Brent and Alec were going over the information on the wall with Max Armstrong, filling in the blanks. Leigh, one of the others they knew they could trust had just arrived and was on the phone with the person they had tailing Bill. Ian hadn’t said much about what he found out, he was waiting for Reid to get here, and hopefully, when he did he would have one of the disks with him.

Leaning against the door of the kitchen, Ian wondered how he’d gone from a completely private life to having a room full of armed police. His eyes came to rest on Alec and as if she could sense it, she turned and began to head in his direction.

She’d taken off the glasses and dark wig but had kept the pristine blouse and hip-hugging slacks on. Taking his time, he looked over her and almost grinned when he realized she looked good in damn near anything, at least from his hormone-filled state he thought so. She stopped close enough he could smell the scent that he could only describe as her, or in his case that aphrodisiac scent that was her.

“Reid should be here shortly.” She tucked her hands in her back pockets and looked up at him. “The tail on Shaw managed to get one of the disks,” she smirked, “I don’t want to know how he managed it though.”

Tearing his eyes away from her lips, he nodded. “We’re going to need a serious computer geek. Whatever is on it is way above what any of us know.”

Turning, she went through the doorway he almost filled and into his kitchen. She went over to his fridge and opened the door, looking inside. Normally, he’d feel offended that someone would just help themselves, but he couldn’t find any sign of anything he’d normally feel where Alec was concerned.

With a bottle of water, she turned and opened it. “So, what you really want is a good hacker?” She took a long drink of the water and then lowered the bottle and licked her lips.

Ian forgot the question, his mind stalled on the one thought of her lips.

“Ian?”

Blinking he looked at her. “Sorry?”

“I asked if you wanted a good hacker when you said, serious computer geek.” She took another sip.

“Uh, yeah, a fantastic hacker is what we need.” He took a few steps toward her. “Whatever is on this disk we’re going to need a pro to figure it out.” If she doesn’t take her lips off that bottle, I’m going to lose my mind. Going to? May have already.

Capping the bottle, she raised her other hand. “No. I know that look on your face and it’s not happening.”

“What look?” He took another slow step.

“Not here, not now,” she whispered.

Sighing, he stopped and turned to lean against the counter. “When?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “I don’t know.”

Raising his hands in defeat, he crossed his arms and studied her for a few seconds. “Tick tock.”

Felicity appeared at the door. “I think we have a match for the woman.”

Avoiding looking at Ian, Alec nodded and walked out.

Shaking his head in an attempt to get it back in the game, Ian followed after her.