Page 37 of Innocent Target

Imari had a smirk in her voice on the line. “On the left is one of the pictures taken of Hull’s ink last time he went in prison, the one on the right is from Rao’s FBI file.” The stunned silence was broken by Imari who continued, “You want something to shake Rao’s boss?” The images changed again, replaced by a new one, another tattoo with an identical design. “It was just a hunch, but I pulled Hull’s sister’s autopsy file, and look what I found.”

James felt joy at the noose tightening around Rao’s neck. “You’re amazing, Imari. I honestly didn’t think you’d get all this information so fast.”

The hacker snorted. “Not that fast. It took a few hours.”

“I thought you were about to say a few days.”

“Normally, I’d require an extraordinary amount of coffee and chocolate for this kind of favor. But I’m giving you a freebie because of Abbie and Bethany. Next time, it’s going to cost you a huge box of chocolates, and I mean really huge. On a more dire note, I continued searching for Bethany and Abbie, but couldn’t find anything. Rao is mostly staying in hotel rooms, and it would be impossible to hide people there. As for Hull, so far there’s nothing about Bethany. I’m focusing on finding Abbie as the man confirmed having his daughter. The trouble with MCs is that they move constantly, and they use the names of people way lower on the food chain to book in or rent accommodation. I’m still on it, but if time is of the essence, I may be too late.”

Silence descended over the room until Ian spoke for the first time. “Everything you’ve done so far is great. From the point of view of bringing Rao down, I’m incredibly impressed. I wish I had your resources when I was on the force, but there’s something that’s bugging me. It’s what Mercy said. Hull said Bethany was only breathing because she had something that belonged to him, and that she’d die either way.”

James nodded. “Yes, he’s obviously referring to the drugs she snatched. Hull wouldn’t tolerate losing a woman to begin with, but having one steal from his gang, that would’ve been unacceptable.”

Ian nodded, but it was clear he wasn’t totally on board. Mercy came closer and sat beside her former partner. “What are you thinking? What doesn’t jive for you?”

For the first time, James saw how the former rookie and the old-timer worked together. If not for what he’d built with Mercy, he might have been jealous, but instead, he saw the connection he could have with her, the partnership he’d always dreamed of, both in and outside work.

“You’ve met him and described him as calculating and smart, never letting an opportunity slip past. You falling into his clutches was unexpected, and he turned it to his advantage but I don’t believe he thought about black market organ trading on the spur of the moment. It had to have been planned way before you. You were convenient, falling into his lap when he attacked us to retrieve his daughter. I believe they left me behind because I’m damaged goods and they didn’t kill me because they didn’t want to bring more attention to themselves than necessary. As he said, they don’t want the police after them, and killing a former cop would have brought hell down upon them. In my book, that’s evil calculation.”

The image and planning Ian unveiled felt even more disturbing than their initial deductions.

As James processed the new information, Nick sat for the first time, clearly shaken. “Is Hull that evil? Everyone who crosses his path or angers him, he turns into money by butchering them?”

Ian was grim. “It’s not that common yet in the US, but it’s a growing business in Asia and the Middle East. I wouldn’t be surprised if it became attractive to criminals here. MCs encounter a lot of people in vast areas. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to make them disappear. Nobody looks for homeless guys, drug addicts, or vagrants. Also, new MCs are becoming more powerful politically. They aren’t the stupid little gunners of twenty years ago. They want power and money but also influence, and that fits Hull’s profile.”

“And Hull might have seen Rao’s relationship with his sister as an opportunity. We don’t know when Rao crossed over to the dark side but it must have been a question of time at that point.” Mercy’s words rang true.

“Oh my…” Imari’s soft voice came through the line. “Guys, while Ian was holding court, I did a search of my own, and I’m probably adding another brick to your case. We all know that Hull’s sister died of a heart attack, but it’s more complex than that. In her autopsy file, it states that her heart problem was genetic, beginning in childhood, and guess what, the only thing that would’ve saved her was a transplant. Unfortunately, she didn’t find a compatible donor in time.”

Another piece took its place in the puzzle, and for James, the picture got clearer. “The tattoos, Hull’s sister, their unlikely association, the organ trafficking… We have a solid case against Rao. But what about Bethany? Why do you think we’re mistaken?”

Mercy put her elbows on her knees, pushing her wild, blonde hair away from her face. “I don’t think Hull was referring to the drugs she took when he said that she had something that was his. The quantity was next to nothing and not worth all this trouble to get it back. Not when her body is worth twenty times more on the black market. In the MC, you belong to the gang, your life and your death aren’t yours, and that fits Hull’s MO. Harvesting Bethany would give him sole guardianship of Abbie, and repair his wounded ego from the insult of her leaving with his drugs and daughter.”

Nick ground his teeth. “And there’s a chance Bethany stole the drugs to have money so she and her daughter could start a new life together.”

A wave of nausea threatened to engulf him, especially at the thought that Bethany hadn’t come to him earlier, but James held on as a spark of hope blossomed. “If he wasn’t referring to the drugs, it means he doesn’t have Bethany.” James got to his feet, his energy surging. “That’s why Rao is still hanging around. He’s searching for my sister. All we have to do is find Bethany first. Once she’s safe, we can bring down the Henchmen and their trafficking ring, and get Abbie back in one fell swoop.”

Imari came back on the line. “James, want me to update Shane so he can report Rao to his FBI contact?”

“Tempting, but not yet. Ian’s right. If Hull thinks he’s being followed, he won’t risk what he’s built. He’ll retreat, making it even more difficult to corner him. So will Rao if he even suspects his boss is onto him. Instead, we’re going to search for Bethany, but also keep an eye on Hull and Rao. They’re probably closing in on her, and we’re going to use their knowledge against them. I think it should start with you, Imari.”

“Why am I not surprised? I’ve contacted Alex and started scanning everything about Hull and Rao, cross-checking them and theirs. I’ll keep you updated of any potential leads. In the meantime, stay put. At Daytona, you’re closer to Georgia than Miami. Shane and Emme are coming in soon, so I’ll tell them about your plans, and that I’ll probably need more hands on deck. I don’t know how long it will take, but I promise I’ll do it as fast as humanly possible.”

James’s gut settled a little, glad to have Imari and her skills on his case. “And I’ll organize the biggest box of chocolates you’ve ever seen once this is over.”

When he hung up, it was as if the weight of the world pressed down on his shoulders. James sat on the sofa beside Mercy and put his elbows on his knees, trying to center himself again. Mercy’s hand came to his back and rubbed soothingly along his spine.

Nick stood. “I think we should eat. If you’re brave enough to risk my cooking, I can see what’s in the fridge and make something.”

Ian, who’d remained silent until then, groaned. “I think everyone here needs something a little better than that. Gimme half an hour, and I’ll heat one of my wife’s dishes. Marnie always stores extras in the freezer.”

As Ian rolled away, Nick went with him, but James needed another moment, indulging in Mercy’s touch, gathering what strength he had left for what was to come.

Chapter Twenty

It was amazing to Mercy how easy it was to fall into a pattern and how it became vital to your existence. Lying in James’s arms was precisely that for her, his muscular body offered comfort and security that she hadn’t known she needed until he wrapped himself around her again, and a sense of home she’d never experienced before eased through her aching body.

The residual effects of the hypothermia were beginning to dissipate, and she was feeling more like her old self. Ian had heated some of Marnie’s chili, which had warmed her from the inside out, taking the edge off the chill. However, she wondered if that was in her head.