Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(33)

Gabe would pay the man a visit just to be sure.

“Guy had some bad dumplings or something last trip,” Li continued. Best thing about informants, if you scared them enough they vomited their guts until you let them go. Kind of like sea cucumbers. “He’s back in the States but hospitalized for food poisoning. Could be a while before he’s up to returning to work.”

Maybe Gabe wouldn’t be following that lead after all. Sounded like van Lumanee had outlived his usefulness. Maybe became too visible since he’d turned up on the police report as last to see An-mei. He’d have Marc check into the hospital records before any of them made the trip.

“So. There’s a name you knew after all.” Gabe uttered a disappointed grunt. “I’m beginning to believe I can’t rely on your information anymore.”

“Look, Diaz. I don’t want to cross you. I don’t.” Li dropped his forehead to his hand and muttered a few curses in Chinese. Funny, Maylin sounded a lot cuter when she cursed.

“You might think whoever asked you to do these things is the scarier person,” Gabe crooned. “But you don’t want to be in a position to make either of us prove it.”

“Look at it this way, man, it’s like a goddamned high school reunion. I don’t want to be in the middle of a battle of the exes.”

Gabe sat back. Well, damn. “She’s nearby?”

“Pops up out of nowhere. As bad as you.” Li was almost crying.

“All right.” Gabe didn’t want the man dead, after all. “You keep on riding and you keep on doing what she tells you to do.”

Li nodded.

“But if you give me a heads-up on what you’ve been asked, I’d consider it a favor, between friends.” Gabe stood as the bus rolled to a stop. Didn’t matter where this was, so long as it wasn’t Li’s stop. And best if Gabe got off as soon as possible.

A favor was a lot to give the man, but he was the best lead they had to An-mei.

Gabe scanned the area as he left the bus. No watchers in the few shadows afforded by buildings and trees midafternoon.

Pulling out his smartphone, he dialed up Marc.

“Lykke,” Marc answered after three rings.

“Diaz.” Gabe didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Porter van Lumanee is in the hospital. Check to see if it’s worth it to try to have a talk with him.”

“On it.” The sound of fingers tapping keys came across the phone. “Didn’t happen to get the name of the hospital, did you?”

“He’s stateside, if that helps.” Gabe wasn’t worried. Marc would find the man. Besides, Gabe’s gut told him Porter van Lumanee was a dead end, possibly literally. Still, best to follow every lead. “Pull up the latest we have on Jewel’s activity too.”

Silence. Then Marc cleared his voice. “She’s in this?”

“Looks like.” Gabe wasn’t thrilled.

“Van Lumanee’s a dead man, then.” Marc might grumble, but Jewel used to be one of their own. She wouldn’t leave loose strings. “I’ll see what I can get, stat.”

“Thanks.”

Marc wasn’t done yet. “If Jewel’s in this, will you be okay?”

It was a fair question. Gabe and Jewel had been a thing. They’d burned hot in their time together. Damned bad idea. Most times, mercs could indulge and go their separate ways, no hard feelings. Not him and Jewel. She’d ended them by leaving the Centurions in the worst way possible. Having her back in the game wasn’t welcome news.

In all fairness, Gabe should cede this mission to another fire team. Bias. Conflict of interest. All sorts of ways things could go wrong if his judgment was compromised. But he had a handle on this and a clear head when it came to Jewel. He was sure of it.

“For now, yeah.” Gabe paused, then added, “We’ll play it by ear for now and I’ll step back if things get complicated.”

“Roger that.” No questioning. They’d all learned to trust each other that way. And if there was any indication Gabe wasn’t acting in the best interest of the mission and the team, Marc would let him know. The team was tight. “Porter van Lumanee was admitted to the Centinela Hospital Medical Center on arrival at LAX with a serious case of food poisoning. He was unconscious on arrival and in critical condition under the care of a Doctor Becker. He’s been on intravenous fluids but hasn’t come to yet. Apparently it hit him in flight and there wasn’t a lot they could do for him until they landed.”

Marc was fast.

“Vic and I will head out to see if we can get access to him. If he wakes up.” Marc sounded dubious. “If you read between the lines, the prognosis isn’t good. Doctor mentions it’s the most serious case of straight up food poisoning he’s encountered. They’re looking for some sort of allergen or other slow-acting contributor to the issue.”

Gabe scowled. “If the guy had a peanut allergy, wouldn’t it hit right away?”

“Anaphylactic shock is the most dramatic, but according to Google, there’s slower ways for allergies to present themselves. If it hit on digestion, it could explain why it took longer to show up.” And Marc’s Google-fu was near Jedi level.

If it was food poisoning due to something he actually ate. None of his team specialized in poisoning and neither did Jewel—they all preferred more directs means of confronting a person—but they’d worked with others who had. Jewel knew those names as well as Gabe did. Easy to induce the food reaction, and it looked completely natural. Travelers suffered from food poisoning all the time.