Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(60)

“We’ve got that covered,” Mandy said. “We brought in a ton of stuff for Lion’s pride. I’m sure we have what we need.”

“Then that’s settled.” Addy looked at her son. “I want you to be respectful of Miss Wynn, Troy.”

“Yes, Mom. She’s not going to make me read, is she?”

“Reading’s very important,” Wynn said.

“It’s hard. And it doesn’t make sense.”

Addy smiled. “Maybe Miss Wynn can help you with that.”

“I bet we can figure out a way for you to read that’s not so hard,” Wynn said.

“Miss Wynn’s nice. I never get in trouble. You won’t either,” Zavi said. “Want to go up there now?”

“Sure,” Troy said.

“Is that all right?” Addy asked Mandy and Wynn.

Mandy smiled. “Absolutely, as long as they don’t make a mess. Wynn is also our nanny, but she has weekends off, so the boys are welcome to tag along with me today. Zavi usually helps me clean out stalls on the weekends. I could use another pair of hands if you can spare Troy.”

Addy looked at Troy, who was thrilled to have an excuse to be with his new friend. He nodded vigorously. “That sounds great,” Addy said. “If you need me, I’ll be in my room.” With the promise of a couple of hours to herself, she couldn’t wait to get back to Owen’s letters.



“Rocco, I got Yusef on the line,” Max said over comms. “He’s not calling from his usual number.”

“Copy,” Rocco said. “Put him through.”

His phone rang. Rocco took the call. “Khalid,” Yusef said.

“Good morning, Yusef.”

“I missed your call. I’m calling from a friend’s phone. I think I’m being followed. I don’t know if Jafaar can listen to my calls. It is getting very bad.”

“What’s happening?”

“After your meeting with Jafaar, he got nervous. He went to some store in Denver and bought counter-spyware tools. He found the bugs in his room and in my living room. He also checked his car and found one. He thinks I planted them. He is threatening my sons and my wife. He’s desperate.”

“Desperate for what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yusef, is he still staying there?”

“Yes, but he comes and goes.”

“Does he ever have another couple with him? Dark hair, mid-thirties to mid-fifties?”

“I saw them one time. They aren’t here now.”

“If you ever see them again, I need you to call me immediately.”

“I will. What am I going to do about Jafaar? My family’s in grave danger.”

“He won’t be a problem much longer,” Rocco said. “Just keep working with me. We’re closing in on him.”



When night fell, Max went to Hope’s old digs on the WKB compound, where Feral had been crashing. He punched the kid’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

The kid came up off the mat he’d been sleeping on, ready to fight. Max caught his fist midair. “Chill. It’s just me.”

“Mads.” Feral relaxed slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“Some shit’s gonna break loose soon, probably here. When it does, I don’t want you in the middle of it.”

“Sure. Sure. When’s it gonna happen?”

“I don’t know. But you won’t miss it when it does. You catch anything odd happening lately?”

“I was watching the workers going into the silo. There’s twice the staff coming and going now.”

“You guys moving more dope than usual?”

“No,” Feral said. “They’re going into that section no one goes into.”

“Huh. Okay. Look, when this is over, you’re coming with me.”

“Where?”

“I want you to join the group of watchers who used to live here,” Max said.

“Those freaks? No, thank you.”

“It’s three squares, a roof, clothes, and a purpose. You got a better option?”

Feral licked his lips. “No.”

Max got up. “You got my number. Call me when things shake loose. In the meantime, I need you to watch my back. I have to refresh some eyes I put out.”

Feral got out of bed. He was fully dressed, still wearing his coat. “You been watching us?”

Max grinned. “You have so much shit to learn.”

He went around and swapped out old cameras for new. Greer was monitoring their field of view. In less than an hour, it was done. He and Feral bumped fists. “Thanks. Now get outta here. Keep your head down and your eyes open.”

Max went across the compound to Pete’s digs above the clubhouse. The place was trashed, as usual. A sweet cinnamon scent came from a bunch of candles that were lit on the table with their drug paraphernalia. Three women were in bed with the club president, naked and riding a heroin high, like Pete.

Max took a Narcan syringe out of his pocket. He bit off the cap, then punched that sucker into Pete’s thigh. He pocketed the capped syringe, then hoisted Pete’s naked ass over his shoulder and carried him into the bathroom. No telling what his reaction to the anti-opioid was going to be. If he barfed on his bed, it would likely still be there the next time Max was over.