Cease and Desist (The IMA Book 4) by Campbell Nenia

Author:Campbell, Nenia [Campbell, Nenia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Published: 2015-10-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Desperation

Michael

I was left with no choice but to inform the others. Nobody had ever accused me of being an honorable man, but I didn't make it a habit to fuck over the people who assisted me when needed.

Then I scoffed. That was bullshit. There was a time I would have fucked my most loyal subordinates if I'd thought it would advance my career.

But I'd been betrayed and I'd found myself alone, the only one in my corner was my scared, teenage hostage whose only motivation in assisting me was feeling slightly less fear towards me than Adrian.

And then I realized, loyalty has its fucking perks.

I purchased a phone from the convenience store across the street. Disposable. Prepaid. One by one, I called up the members of AMI.

What remained of them.

“Fuck,” said Cliff. There was background noise. I wondered where he was, if it mattered. Running, if he's smart. Running for his life. “Are you serious?”

That had been my initial reaction. But Adrian didn't have to worry about cops. Our prints were all over that hotel room, and Christina had vomited on the floor — not that I blamed her.

I didn't spare Cliff any of the details. Part of me was punishing him for being a coward. Another part was punishing him for being of so little consequence that he had managed to escape that bastard's radar.

Maybe I hadn't changed so much after all.

“I'm afraid so,” I said mildly.

Shock quickly ceded to anger; nobody enjoys feeling like a coward. He was intelligent enough to know when he was being played.

“So that's how it's going to be, huh?”

I didn't respond, which made him angrier.

“Where are you? You find this out and then, what, leave us out to dry? Who the fuck does that?”

“If I were leaving you out to dry, as you put it, it would be so much easier for me to cut you out of the picture entirely and save myself the trouble of wondering if you'd talk,” I pointed out. “I am taking an enormous risk contacting you right now, so why don't you show some fucking gratitude.”

“You're right.” There was a pause. “I'm sorry.”

“He's declared it's open season. I suggest you leave town while you still can.”

“And the files? The research?”

“It's useless now. Destroy it.” All those hours of work, wasted. “Destroy everything that can be destroyed and then leave. And you had damn well better be thorough.”

“What are you going to do?” Cliff asked.

“Find the bastard.” And kill him, I added silently.

“How are you planning on doing that?”

“You leave that to me.”

Displeased silence.

“Unless you're volunteering?”

Cowardly silence.

“That's what I thought.”

I hung up and dialed the next person on my list.

Angelica picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”

“It's Michael.” I didn't waste time on pleasantries. These were lean times. Waste was a luxury only the privileged could enjoy. “Is the girl with you?”

“Ah, yes — why?”

I heard the sound of call waiting. Cliff, probably, with more questions. I probably should have star-sixty-nined the call, but then neither of them would have picked up.

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