Bleeding Edge: Elliot Security (Elliot Security Series Book 2) by Evie Mitchell (books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

“Wait. Meeting? What?” I asked, ducking my head and glancing at the clock in the corner of my screen.

“Yep. Come on, Keys. Chop-chop.”

I pushed off the desk, rolling the chair back. “Who called it?”

“Pax. We’re headed to the war room.”

In the basement, Sawyer, Kel, Pax, Brean, and Jack were bent over a table, looking at photos.

“What we got?” Luc asked, dropping into a chair. He shoved the chair beside him out, casually draping an arm around my shoulders as I settled. Kel started us off.

“Less than twenty-four hours and this is what we’ve found so far.” She handed me the printouts. The first was a series of council applications and building approvals. “AFP pulled some strings in their WA office and managed to get the council files. They shipped them to our contact via an officer returning to Canberra last night. As you can see, it makes for interesting reading.”

I flicked through the papers, looking at the information lodged. David and Edward’s names were all over this, but it was the solar farm application that caught my eye.

“My father,” I whispered, a shiver running down my spine.

“Yeah,” Kel agreed. “As the story goes, they piggybacked off a federal grant for remote indigenous communities. The application shows they represented the commune as being owned by traditional elders who have ties to the land.”

“Which, unsurprisingly, is bullshit,” Sawyer interrupted. “Unless they actively recruited members from a local mob, they’re lying.”

“My father’s name is on the application. We aren’t Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. My grandparents were Irish.” Rage simmered just under the surface.

“We have suspicions they’ve forged their ORIC registration.”

The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations regulated which corporations were recognised as indigenous and therefore able to apply for specific grants.

“But even with an ORIC, their application should have been denied. It’s not building a community; these financials show they’ve used the cash for solar panels,” Luc pointed out.

“This is where it gets complicated, and where the AFP are now interested,” Kel replied, tapping the desk. “Page five.”

I flicked to page five of the stapled documents. “They were found compliant?”

“Oh, yeah,” Kel answered. “The auditor signed them off. But that auditor? He died three days later.”

We all stared at Kel.

“Died how?” Pax asked.

“Suspected suicide. Only, he erased every piece of technology before the deed.”

“Shit.”

Goosebumps prickled along my skin.

Sawyer made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Just a friendly reminder we found all this after only twenty-four hours. One day, people. One.”

Paxton rubbed his chin. “Do we think any of this was flagged? Are we worried we’ve tipped anyone off?”

Sawyer shook his head. “Not yet. This was all off system.”

“AFP want a meeting. This shit is…”

“Big,” Kel agreed. “Bigger than us. We’re talking potential federal fraud, blackmail, cover-ups, cybercrime, murder, not to mention any abuse on the commune.”

“We received another letter today.” Jarrett held up the ziplocked bag. “It’s dated yesterday.”

I bit my lip.

“Delivered via priority mail. There’s no evidence to suggest they’ve realised Emmie’s aware of this shit.”

“Wait.” I blinked. “You think they don’t know that I know?”

“Your norm is to run when they find you. You’re still here. I think it’s why they’ve ramped up the letter delivery.”

Well… hell.

This completely changed the way I viewed the situation.

Mind. Blown.

Pax blew out a breath. “Okay, we need to be on guard. Here’s how we play this. We go about our business as normal. Nothing strange, nothing out of place. No meeting emails about this, but we meet here every day at three. You work the case, you work it from here. Nothing out. If they don’t know that we know, then our power is in their ignorance.”

I watched as everyone nodded.

“How do we explain Emmie moving into Luc’s?” Kel asked.

There was a pause.

“They’re dating. Have been for a while. Finally coming out and moving in together.” Pax looked to Luc who nodded. I opened my mouth to argue but Pax kept talking.

“Emmie, are you on rollout?” Pax asked, referring to the first round of software upgrades due that weekend.

“No, but–”

“Good,” he interrupted. “This weekend, we’re going to Luc’s gig. We drink, we dance, we have a good time. We go to work. We go out. We pretend like nothing is happening. We good with this?”

Again, nods.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Pax ignored me.

“Kel, I want you to follow that lead. Work with AFP on the ORIC issue, see what that generates. Sawyer, good work with the sat-images. I want more from those friends. See if you can’t pull some favours. I don’t care what you need to promise. I’ve got contacts who have a few markers they owe me. Luc, you’re on Emmie duty until further notice. Brean will be days, Jack nights.” He paused, considering.

“Anything else? No? Good. Dismissed.”

I slumped in my chair, arms crossing as I watched them pack up papers, handing them to Sawyer to lock in our safe.

Luc squeezed my shoulders. “You good?”

“No.”

He chuckled. “You’re pissed. You’ll get over it.”

“People have died, Luc. This isn’t some–”

He stood, ignoring me. “Let’s go.”

I threw my arms up. “Honestly, this is insane!”

He walked towards the door, ignoring my protestations as he exited the room.

Sawyer chuckled. I pushed up from the chair, spinning to pin him with a glare. “You know this is dangerous. You of all people know this is shit.”

He shrugged, twisting the handle on the safe and spinning the lock. “No less dangerous than anything else we do.”

“Bull,” I spat. “This is–”

“Em.” He straightened, head shaking. “They love you. I don’t care how many times we all have to say it, we’re going to keep saying it until it finally sinks in. We all love you. We’re doing this because we love you and want to help you. We want you safe.”

I blew out an exasperated breath. “But–”

“Nope. No complaints. Accept this is happening and it’ll be easier for everyone involved.”

I sighed. “I just…”

He waited, hands tucked into pockets.

I shrugged, battling tears of frustration. Fear. Anger.

Sawyer sighed. “Guess I need to spell it out. You’re our