Skystorm (Ryan Decker) by Steven Konkoly

Author:Steven Konkoly [Konkoly, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2021-05-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Harlow wanted to scream at the laptop sitting on the RV’s foldable table, but she’d resigned herself to more or less going with the flow after speaking her mind. What choice did they have, really? Her life had been reduced to sleeping on a four-inch-thick mattress in an RV, waking up what felt like every fifteen minutes to listen intently for the noise she thought had woken her up in the first place.

Decker barely slept at all. He spent most of the night either tossing and turning on the couch in the salon or walking the meadow’s perimeter. He’d put Riley in the over-cab bunk with her so she’d “feel a little more insulated and safer.” Harlow didn’t have the heart to tell him she was smart enough, and now had the real-world gun battle experience, to understand how bullets worked. She was doing everything in her power to keep the peace under the circumstances. They’d barely been here longer than twenty-four hours—with no conceivable end in sight.

She’d listen to Senator Steele’s proposal with an open mind. As open as possible crammed into an RV that looked to be her new home for the foreseeable future.

“Before we start down this path, I want to make it clear that I will support you with every resource at my disposal, no matter what you decide. That goes for everyone individually. If you choose to vanish and weather out this storm, you can count on me to stand behind that decision financially and with whatever else I can muster.”

Harlow glanced around the RV. Many of the faces looked like they’d be happy to take Steele up on that offer before hearing whatever plan she’d concocted. Most of them would be crazy not to. APEX had no real grudge with anyone here beyond Decker, Brad, and maybe herself. She’d always be at risk because of her relationship with Decker. Same with Decker’s family. The rest of them could take the money and run, risking very little—yet there were no immediate takers. We’ll see in a few minutes.

“With that on the table, I’d like to review what we know and talk about possible solutions,” said Steele. “I’ll very briefly summarize what our FBI contact told us.”

Harlow found it interesting that she didn’t use Reeves’s name. The still-silent entity on the conference, represented by the initials BF, was clearly not privy to that information. She also assumed that Steele had opted out of displaying video to protect BF’s identity. Some of Steele’s vast fortune and a one-way flight to Bali were sounding better by the minute.

“In Los Angeles, the FBI confirmed a number of identities, many of them former Athena Corp employees, the company the FBI connected to the Alderpoint operation. Athena Corp was never formally linked to APEX, but we all know that was the case.”

“It’s a nice deniability move,” said Decker. “Use twice-removed assets in case something goes sideways. APEX knows we have our sources.”

“Correct. But they made a mistake with the ambush at Ezra Dalton’s town house.

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