Page 51 of Reid

“I can tell you where his sister is. Without that noose around his neck, he won’t follow through. In fact, I’m not sure he’ll go through with it, but he loves his sister so he may feel he doesn’t have a choice.”

“Where is she?”

“I need something from you first.”

Jack felt the sneer on his lip. “Of course you do. What is it you want?”

“One day I’ll need a favour, and you’ll give it to me without question.”

Jack stepped back, assessing the man who wore a black suit with a dark burgundy shirt and no tie, his shoes polished to a high shine. “I can’t say yes if I don’t know what it is you want.”

The man turned on his heel. “Then she will die and so will your men, because the person who stalks you won’t stop.”

“Stop.”

The man turned back to him without a second of fear or feeling, his face a mask.

“Do you know where Gunner is?”

The man nodded. “I do.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Jack watched him for even the slightest tell and found none. Whoever this man was, he was good.

“You’re a clever man, Jack. You know you can’t trust me, but you have no choice unless you want people you care for to get hurt.”

Jack knew he was correct, but he didn’t like it one bit. He thought through his options in record speed and found his only answer. “If you give me the sister and Gunner, I’ll agree to your terms.”

Cold blue eyes watched him carefully, and Jack held his gaze, refusing to show a second of weakness. “You would make this deal for him?”

“I would.” Jack didn’t say what was in his head, which was that he felt responsible for some of this. If Gunner had thought he could come to him, then he and his sister wouldn’t have become targets.

“The sister is at this location, the guard will be taken care of, but you must move fast before Gunner has the chance to follow through on his order.”

He passed Jack a piece of paper which he took, quickly scanning the address. “And Gunner?”

“I will deliver him to you once you have Milla safe.”

“You have him?”

“I knocked him out and put a tracker on him. He has no idea I can see his every movement.”

“Why are you doing this? Apart from the fact I’ll owe you?”

“People are rarely what they seem, Jack, and things are never black or white. I play in the murky grey.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re a man of honour.”

“And are you a man of honour?”

The man looked pensive for a second, his shoulders tensing just the slightest bit before he replied. “I was once.”

The man spun then, walking to the door before Jack stopped him. “Two things.”

The man turned and smiled a humourless smile. “You have a hole in your security, and you can call me Bás.”

With that, he turned and walked away. Jack went straight to the monitor and accessed every camera he could until he found Bás walking out the front door. Jack had no doubt he hadn’t entered that way.