Stolen (7 page)

She took the envelope, resisting the urge to hug Juan. She would dig into this file tonight and find the nugget that would force Lucy to help her.

Or she’d be going in front of the disciplinary panel again. And maybe this time get her ass booted.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I will deny speaking to you, Deanna.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone. I didn’t even tell my partner that we were meeting. You’re doing the right thing.” Deanna squeezed the envelope again, almost disbelieving that she finally had something tangible to work with.

Juan stood up. “Kincaid is a wild card who plays by her own rules. On one hand, she appears to do everything by the book, but it’s clear she’s had people helping her every step of the way. On the other hand, she’s both smart and deadly, and has proved she’ll do anything to further her goals. I don’t know how she got everyone wrapped around her finger, why they look the other way when she goes off on her Nancy Drew investigations, but that is what makes her dangerous. I hope you’re right about Sean Rogan, and that she is helping him. Because an overt crime that can’t be buried by the powers that be is probably the only thing that will get Lucy Kincaid kicked out of the Bureau.”

CHAPTER SIX

Sean had found the Irish pub on Lafayette shortly after he rented the apartment in New York, and it had become his favorite place to think. Or not think. His apartment often felt like a prison with Noah downstairs watching and pushing him. Intellectually he understood why he was on Noah’s bad side, but sometimes, like last night, it hit him hard.

Sunday afternoon, like now, when it was too late for lunch but too early for dinner, was Sean’s favorite time of day. Most of the patrons were fixated on football and didn’t give him a second glance. Which was good, because he wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

He ordered a Harp on tap and stared at his phone until Colton finally responded to his text message.

I’ll be there in twenty minutes.

Sean breathed deeply, slowly let it out. After last night’s near-miss with the RCK security system, Sean needed to know the truth. He was tired of Colton playing the
trust me
card: Sean didn’t trust him. Not anymore.

Unfortunately, Sean wasn’t sure his old friend was going to give him the answers he needed. He’d been pondering the endgame all day while helping Noah dig deeper on Evan Weller and Carol Hattori, until Noah’s bad mood chased him from the building.

Sean knew as soon as Colton walked into the pub, but didn’t make a motion to wave him over. Instead, Sean watched Colton in the mirror as he casually crossed the room, more observant than he appeared. Colton had been raised by a single mother after his father left when he was seven and his brother Travis was three. His mom worked two jobs to afford to live in a better school district, and Colton had gone to MIT on a full scholarship. It had been hard on the Thayers. Travis had died when they were kids, and his death had deeply affected Colton to the point that now, two decades later, his choices still related to Travis. Sean knew Colton had subconsciously replaced Travis with him—Travis would have been thirty this year, just like Sean.

Colton sat on the barstool next to Sean. “You’ve grown soft.” He gestured to the lighter brew. The bartender walked over and Colton asked for a black and tan, Guinness over Bass ale. He and Sean had drunk the concoction at their favorite bar in college.

Sean said, “I’ll have one as well.”

He drained the rest of his Harp and pushed the empty pint forward.

Colton grinned. “It’s really great to have you back.”

“I told you before, it’s temporary while I get my life straightened out.”

“I know what you said.”

“Evan nearly screwed the entire operation yesterday.”

“Evan told me what happened.”

That surprised Sean. “Everything?”

“That he didn’t know it was an RCK security system until yesterday and he was afraid you’d pull out if you knew.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I don’t think he’s lying.”

“That makes one of us.”

“Why would he jeopardize the operation? I’ve done my research, Sean.”

“I don’t know why. Maybe he’s as sick and tired of Skye flirting with me as I am and wants to take me out.”

Colton snorted. “We need you on this, Sean. You’re the best.”

“You keep saying that, but I don’t even know what you have planned. I really don’t like being kept in the dark. Based on what we learned from PBM and what you’re telling me, I can’t see the big picture. That’s why I need to take a step back.”

Colton didn’t say anything until after the bartender delivered the two pints. Then Colton sipped, carefully placed his drink on the coaster. “You used to trust me.”

“I did.”

“Did?”

Now Sean had to spill what he suspected. Noah thought the move was risky, but if what Sean knew was the truth, Colton would expect him to ask. And if he was wrong? That meant there was someone else with information that could land Sean in prison.

“You ratted me out to Senator Jonathan Paxton.”

Sean was watching Colton’s reaction in the bar mirror. He wasn’t surprised at the mention of Paxton, but he looked confused.

“Ratted you out for what?”

“You set me up so I’d have no choice but to work for you,” Sean said. “You used him to get to me.”

Colton became agitated. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Sean.”

“Are you denying you know the senator?”

Colton looked into his beer. “I still don’t know what you’re saying, Sean. I would never turn on you.”

Sean pushed back his growing guilt for lying to Colton about why he was here.

“Did you tell Paxton about what happened ten years ago?”

“Of course not! I would never betray you like that.” He looked pained at the accusation. “Sean, don’t you believe me?”

He sounded sincere, but Sean couldn’t be certain. He hadn’t worked with Colton in years. Things changed. People changed. Why would Colton go through such lengths to bring Sean into the group?

Colton’s face fell. “You don’t.”

“Paxton knows about Robert Martin and his company.”

“Impossible.”

“C., he blackmailed me into stealing something for him. In July, he said that he knew of a crime I committed where the statute of limitations was still eight months from expiring. The only thing still over my head is that.”

“I swear to God, Sean, I said nothing to Paxton about Martin or Martin Holdings. I would never betray you.”

Sean believed Colton, and it killed Sean that he had to lie to him. Sean knew Colton as well as himself—he would protect Sean’s secret to his grave. Sean regretted doubting him.

“Did you tell anyone else? Someone you trust?”

“No one. I swear.”

“But you do know Paxton.”

Colton nodded, sipped his beer. “I haven’t told the team yet, but he’s the one who hired me for this job.”

Sean had no cover, no secrets other than his purpose for joining Colton’s group. It was the only way this undercover investigation could work—Sean publicly left RCK and reconnected with his old friend, who brought him back into the fold. Three weeks ago, there was nothing to do, no jobs, just meeting the team. Now everything was happening double time.

Sean kept his voice low. “Why would he pay you to break into PBM?” This was the information that Noah had been searching for for months. Sean kept his voice even and pretended his only interest was in finding out how Paxton knew about his crime.

“He wants to prove that PBM took government money and didn’t do what they claimed.”

“We proved that when we hacked into the network.”

“We need physical proof.”

“He’s a fucking United States senator,” Sean said. “He can get any proof he wants with a snap of his fingers.”

“Shh!” Colton frowned, then said quietly, “You know that if the senator went through proper channels, PBM would be tipped off and have time to destroy evidence.”

They’d been down this path before. Finding evidence only to have it destroyed before the proper authorities got their warrants and their act together.

“Did you tell him about the bio-weapons?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Would you have wanted me to?”

“No.” Sean glanced at his friend. Colton was keeping something back. “What aren’t you tell me?”

Sean was having a hard time buying the story and didn’t think Colton was that gullible, either, though everything he said had a ring of truth. And if Sean didn’t know what kind of manipulative, murderous bastard Senator Paxton was, he might have let it go. But Paxton didn’t fork over this much of his own money to expose government waste.

Sean said, “There are far better ways of proving a company misused public funds than hiring a known computer hacker to get the evidence. He’s a
senator.
He can put together a committee, go to the FBI, start a federal investigation, whatever he needs.”

“It’s more complicated that that.”

“Paxton has his own rule book, and you can’t believe anything he says. He’s a killer, Colton. And if you don’t care about that, care about how he uses people. He blackmailed me!”

“You should know me better than that, Sean. Of course I don’t trust him—I don’t trust any politician—and I’m certain he has his own agenda, but on this project, our purposes are aligned. And he has money.”

“See, this is what I’m having a hard time understanding,” Sean said. “I see why
you
care, but why Paxton?”

“He has his reasons, I have mine, but we both want the company destroyed. And it will save lives, Sean. You care about that.”

“You haven’t proved it to me yet. You haven’t told me anything beyond what we found last month in the files.”

Colton looked pointedly at Sean. “You used to take my word on it.”

“Yes, I did.” Sean stared back.

“I need you, Sean. I need you with me, one hundred percent.”

Sean drank his beer. He didn’t know why Colton needed him—Hunter was as good as Sean, probably better if it came down to it. Evan was competent, even though Sean didn’t like him. Skye was smart and had her own assets. Why bring Sean in?

“You’re the only person I’ve ever trusted, Sean.”

His heart twisted. Colton wasn’t lying. That Sean was made him feel like shit.

Colton lowered his voice. “I’m finally in a position to prove that Pham-Bonner Medical killed Travis and covered it up.”

Colton had never accepted that his brother had died of leukemia. He understood that Travis had the disease and would probably die, but after Travis went on experimental drugs, he deteriorated and died three months sooner than the doctor’s worst prognosis.

“Shit, Colton—”

“That’s why I need you. The next step of the plan—we need to get into PBM.”

“And where does Paxton fit in?”

“I couldn’t do it alone—the cost of the equipment alone is astronomical.”

“But you’ve been doing well.”

Colton shrugged.

“You’ve given your money away.”

“Maybe a little too much.”

Colton had always been generous to a fault. Other than the carriage house on the Upper East Side, he’d never spent money on himself. He never forgot his roots in South Boston, even though he’d painstakingly worked to lose the accent. With Colton, it was feast or famine.

“Tell me,” Sean said. A sick feeling crowded the beer in his stomach. If Colton was playing games with Paxton, this would not end well for anyone. “What’s Paxton’s plan?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Then I can’t help you.” Sean had to be willing to walk. If he didn’t, Colton would be suspicious.

Sean drained his beer.

Colton looked panicked. “I need you.”

“You just said you trusted me. If that’s true, then I need to know your game plan. I’m not going to risk my freedom. I’m not the same arrogant, reckless kid I was in college.”

“It’s sensitive right now. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow night, once I put the rest of the pieces together.”

“How do you know Paxton is the only one involved?”

“I don’t care if he has a whole gang of senators, none of them know about
me.
”

“You can’t be certain.”

“Sean, I just told you I can take down PBM and you’re squabbling about irrelevant details.”

“Not so irrelevant if we want to live free when this is all over. I don’t want to lose what I have.”

“It’s your girlfriend, isn’t it?”

Sean hadn’t lied about his relationship with Lucy because it would have been too easy to verify, and no way would Sean break it off for this operation. If he broke it off without telling Lucy why, he’d hurt her deeply. And if he brought her into the plan and faked a breakup, she would constantly worry about him and jeopardize her graduation. He didn’t know how long Colton had been keeping tabs on him—it could have been since they’d parted nine years ago or only during the last few months. But either way, Sean had to assume that Colton knew everything about him—which was why he had had to officially, and publicly, leave RCK.