Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(84)
“Wait. Again. Seaver is connected to the Perros?” Len’s brow wrinkled deeply under his eye patch.
“By a few degrees of separation. Don’t think he knows. I don’t think he realizes exactly who he’s talking to. Lilli picked up a couple of things in their emails, and had me trace the IP bounce. I ended up in Caborca, Mexico. That’s Perro Central. Can’t be a coincidence.”
“You think the Feds are using Seaver.” The picture was nearly complete in Badger’s head.
Isaac answered. “Why not? Small-time county Sheriff with a bug up his ass about an MC, MC in bed with a major drug player—use Seaver to wear us down, make him think he’s getting help on a big bust, then ride us in to take the cartel down—or at least disrupt them. Feds’ wet dream—Perros down, us locked up, the little Sheriff left standin’ alone in the cold with his dick in his hand.”
“Jesus Christ.” Len laughed darkly. “I feel like a dosed chick at a frat party. Everybody wants their turn f*ckin’ us.”
“And the B&B fits in how?” Show was the only one at the table who looked completely calm.
Dom checked with Isaac, and when the boss nodded his permission, Dom picked up his story. “Side project. It doesn’t, just shit going to hell at once. The LA bombing happening so close to the B&B fire is really just a coincidence. I guess they happen sometimes. Seaver’s link to the cartel is the only connection, and it doesn’t make them related. It’s correlation, not causation—he doesn’t know he has any link to the cartel. He’s just after us, any way he can get us. Maybe he’s starting to feel like the Feds aren’t giving him the help he thought they were.”
Isaac sat forward again. “There are gaps. They’re using a code in a code, and it shifts. Pretty sophisticated. Lilli’s a little rusty and she hasn’t been able to crack it. Names, dates, those details—still unknown.”
“Can she get help? Maybe Bart?” Badger was sure Bart would help.
“Too risky.”
“We don’t trust him?”
“Not what I mean—it’s too risky for him. You know he’s got a flashing light on his head right now. The Perros are watching him, the Scorpions mother charter is watching him. We can’t ask him to take this on.
It’ll get him killed for sure. It’s Lilli and Dom. If they can’t get it done in time, we go in a little blind.”
Len laughed again. “Okay. Checking for understanding. This is our theory: Seaver hired out to blow the B&B, as some kind of payback for what we’ve done to Evans over the years—and to try to turn the town against us for good and all. There’s a DHS agent undercover in the Perros, and he’s using Seaver to use us to implode the cartel. That cartel wants us to kill an entire MC, friends of ours. And we have no way of fighting back against any of it, but we’re fighting anyway. Am I right?”
Isaac nodded. “You are, brother. But now’s the time to find the way. One way or another, this shit will all come to an end very soon.”
“Fuck. Days like this, I wish I just sold hardware.” Len crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head.
oOo
After the Keep, the Horde all were still dazed and uncharacteristically quiet. Badger figured everybody was doing what he was doing—fitting their world into this new picture. He was of two minds about the news. In some ways, it was a relief to know that everything they’d been going through, all the demons they’d been fighting, were all connected in some way, and it was strangely satisfying that somebody like Seaver had managed to land unwittingly on the pivot point of the whole unstable balance. Like theirs weren’t the only plans that could go tits-up at a moment’s notice.
Then again, if everything was connected, even through the weak link of Leon Seaver, that was a hell of a huge storm cloud over their heads. If it let loose before they could find shelter, they’d drown.
None of the old ladies were in the Hall, but Nolan was sitting on the floor, his back against one of the worn, leather couches. He was playing with Loki and Bo and the puppies. Gia sat on the couch, her legs straight out before her and her feet resting on Nolan’s shoulder. She was reading loudly from a picture book.
The other Horde went to the bar, where Thumper had started pouring drinks, but Badger went over and sat next to Gia and Nolan.
“Where are the women?”
“In the kitchen. Don’t know why. Lilli called them all in there.”
“Badger, I’m reading.” Gia scowled at him.
“Sorry, Gia. Go ahead.”
He didn’t know if she was actually reading or had just memorized the book, but if she was reading, then he was impressed. School had only started a few days ago, and she was only in kindergarten.
When she was finished, she closed the book and gave him a benevolent smile. “Okay. You can talk now.
I’m going to find Mamma.” She scooted off the couch, her book tucked under her arm. Before she left, she turned and wagged a finger at Nolan and Badger both. “Keep an eye on the boys, now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Satisfied, she turned and trotted off toward the kitchen.
Hector was near his feet, so Badger picked him up and set him on his lap. He immediately settled down and got comfortable, his little head moving as he tracked the play of his siblings.