Outlaws by Matt Rogers (phonics books TXT) 📕

and thundered a kick into the side of the empty shipping container. The metal groaned and rattled and the reverberation echoed within, bouncing off the walls, resonating through the bare space. When he composed himself, he turned back round.

Quinn said, ‘Just because it could be forged, doesn’t mean it is. It’d take an army of experts. Based on the documents I saw.’

King nodded. ‘I agree.’

He knew exactly who had access to an army of experts.

His blood boiled harder.

He said, ‘Sit there and don’t say a word.’

He pulled out his phone and dialled a number he didn’t want to dial.

He wasn’t sure whether she’d answer.

Whether she suspected anything.

But she did.

Violetta picked up and said, ‘Hey. All good?’

‘All good,’ King said, staring at the sole member of Duke’s crew still functioning.

She said, ‘I take it you’ve found a secure location.’

‘Why else would I be calling?’

‘Relax,’ she said. ‘I’m just making sure.’

‘I’m perfectly relaxed.’

‘Any issues integrating?’

‘None,’ King said. ‘I’m in the bathroom at the Coyote Grill. In South Laguna Beach. We’re having a late lunch. This place overlooks the water — it’s beautiful.’

‘Sounds like you’re living it up. Now I’m worried you might not come back.’

He forced himself to laugh.

He said, ‘Oh, I’ll come back, alright.’

She said, ‘Good. I miss you.’

He couldn’t bring himself to say, I miss you too.

She filled the silence by saying, ‘Is everything still on schedule?’

He grunted an affirmation. ‘We’re scheduled to pick up the container tomorrow night.’

‘Do you think you’ll be able to get a look inside?’

‘Hard to say. It won’t be easy. There’s six of them, and they’ve got a man watching me at all times, apart from when I need to piss. Like right now.’

‘You don’t need to look inside,’ she said. ‘Alonzo dug up some more information.’

‘Did he?’ King said. ‘That’s interesting.’

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘It’s fentanyl. From China. The cartel sent it to Russia first to throw us off the scent, and packaged it properly over there. Then they used Donati Group to ship it to California. Duke and his crew — you included — are going to deliver it to the Baja cartel. Alonzo pieced it all together.’

‘Wow,’ King said, staring at the inside of the empty container. ‘I’ll be damned.’

‘So we know what’s in it,’ Violetta said. ‘And we can track it. All you need to do is help them deliver it to wherever it needs to go, and we’ll handle it from there.’

‘Will you?’

‘Are you deliberately being sarcastic?’

‘No,’ King said. ‘I’m just surprised you came up with all that so quickly.’

‘What can I say?’ Violetta said. ‘Alonzo’s a genius.’

King kept the phone pressed to his ear, and sealed his mouth into a hard line. A particularly hot gust of wind blew down the corridor, exacerbating how alone he suddenly felt.

She said, ‘Everything okay?’

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Undercover work is just taxing. I’ll be fine.’

‘I know you will,’ she said.

‘Any update on Slater?’

She said, ‘Not yet. He’s still in his apartment.’

King checked his watch.

Not a fucking chance he’s still in his apartment.

So she was lying about that, too.

He said, ‘Okay.’

‘Anything you need from me?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘I’m good.’

‘I love you.’

He ended the call. He couldn’t say it back.

If this was all a huge misunderstanding, then he’d blame it on bad reception.

But he knew it wasn’t.

He put the phone back in his pocket.

Still motionless in the driver’s seat, Quinn said, ‘What happens now?’

‘Now you drop me at the airport.’

‘What about me?’

‘What about you?’

‘Aren’t you going to call the cops on us?’

King thought of the price they’d paid. Duke, Aaron, and Kurt — all dead. Cal and Vince — badly concussed. Is that penance enough? He tried to think, but couldn’t tear his mind away from the phone conversation.

A small voice told him, They’re still traffickers. They’re still terrible people. They deserved it.

But Violetta used them.

And he knew without Duke they were nothing.

He didn’t have the processing power to figure out how to handle the rest of it. So he said, ‘You figure it out. Just get me to the airport.’

Quinn hesitated. ‘Why? What’s changed?’

‘I think I have to kidnap my girlfriend.’

This time, the hesitation was even longer. ‘What are you on about?’

King rounded to the passenger side, slipped in, and half-heartedly angled the SIG at Quinn. ‘Just drive.’

‘You’re a weird dude.’

Quinn put the jeep into gear and pulled a U-turn, leaving Container 55D wide open, exposing the empty cavern within.

57

Darkness fell over Brooklyn.

John Paul Jones Park quietened.

Within the small walk-up apartment, Slater sat in front of a fresh MacBook Pro he’d ordered two days previously, with express shipping guaranteeing delivery for today. The courier had left it on the welcome mat out front with Slater’s online permission, and at midday he’d discreetly opened the door and picked it up. Zero potential witnesses. Then he’d set to work installing various dark web services, including a private browser several levels beyond Tor. By the time he’d finished, the computer was impenetrable — at least for the purposes he wished to use it for.

Namely, accessing the accounts scattered across Switzerland and Grand Cayman containing the bulk of his fortune.

He’d already briefly scanned the accounts the government knew about, and sure enough his legitimate funds had vanished. They’d drained all the money he’d made over the last couple of years in service of Uncle Sam, perhaps thinking that might impede his mobility. It was a cute move. He wouldn’t miss the money.

What really mattered was the nine-figure sum he had accruing interest in numbered accounts, of which the government knew nothing about.

Confident that the device was now secure, he hunched a little further over the screen, basking in the artificial glare. Alexis was out cold in the bedroom, napping after the stresses of the day. He didn’t blame her. If constant discomfort and uncertainty didn’t encompass the entirety of his waking experience, it might have affected him, too.

He logged in through the dark web, making sure all trace of his presence was invisible, and found the principal account, containing most of what he’d stolen from a triad in