Page 40 of Soul of Discretion

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nick stormed through the doors of Breakforce’s reception area and straight into Decker’s office. Ben and Inspector McKenzie followed him in. The man in question stood leaning over a pile of papers covering a large conference table. A young woman sat cross-legged behind a laptop, and barely even acknowledged the team’s entrance. He knew who Jackie was and she was the person he’d come to see. Decker looked like he hadn’t left the office in days and Nick wondered if Decker had been here since Simon’s disappearance. Peter stood at the huge window, staring down at the city as he bit his nails. He turned as Nick entered the room. Peter was pale and tense, his face a study in worry.

“Thank God you’re here,” he exclaimed. “What’s happening to get Simon back?”

Nick ignored him, not stopping until he was less than a foot away from Jackie.

“What have you found?” he asked, not sparing a moment for introductions.

Jackie looked between McKenzie and Ben before turning to Nick. “Are you sure about this?”

Nick turned to the inspector and came clean. His transgressions were nothing if it helped get Simon back “Jackie is a hacker. She’s been working with Simon to find his lost funds and helping with our investigation. I take full responsibility for her and her actions.”

Inspector McKenzie shook his head and grumbled, “We’ll deal with this after we find Mr Bridgeworth and shut down the Baronne family.” Nick knew what he’d done was wrong but was thankful his inspector had the decency to wait.

“I have an address to an office building just off Highway Four-oh-one in south Oshawa,” Jackie stated as she handed him a piece of paper.

“Oshawa? That’s over an hour east of us.” Nick would have never looked that far outside Toronto since the Baronnes preferred doing business in the city. “Are you sure?”

“I find the stuff, what you do with it afterward is your decision,” she huffed with a roll of her eyes. Then she became serious and stared Nick down. “I’m not wrong.”

Nick had no other choice but to agree; she’d been spot-on so far. “Thank you.” Then he turned to face his boss. “We need a team to go into this building and search for Simon.”

Beside him, Peter gave a sigh of relief.

“On the word of a hacker?” Inspector McKenzie didn’t look convinced.

“No, on my word. I need you to trust me,” Nick implored, trying his best not to scream in frustration. “They won’t keep Simon alive for much longer.” That thought alone kept him in a constant state of panic that he was viciously trying to suppress. He had to remain calm and in charge if he was going to get Simon back.

Inspector McKenzie took a few agonizing moments before answering. “I’ll try to get a search warrant.”

“Sergeant Cooper, Simon was on his way to see Margaret,” Decker reminded them.

“I’ll go check on her. She knows I was with Simon at the hospital, she may trust me,” Nick suggested.

“We’ll head back and get the ball rolling on the search warrant. If we’re lucky, it will only take a few hours,” McKenzie said.

Already early afternoon, Nick knew he had to get Simon back soon or he might not make it through another night. “Every minute counts.”

“I’ll keep you informed,” McKenzie agreed as he turned and left the room.

“I’m coming with you, buddy,” Ben said as he crossed his arms, readying for battle.

Nick had to be honest with his friend. “Ben, if you come with me, you have to know I’ll do everything in my power to get Simon back. If I have to cross a line, I don’t want you to suffer because of it.”

“If someone had my Steph, you’d be at my side running through the gates of hell if need be. Why wouldn’t I be willing to do the same for your Simon?” Ben asked, and Nick was grateful.

“Try not to get yourself shot, Steph will never forgive me if you did.” Nick tried to sound gruff, but he didn’t have it in him.

“Bring the stupid, awkward bastard home safely,” Peter called out behind them. “His mother will never forgive me if something happens to him.”

Nick and Ben left after Jackie promised to contact Nick if she came up with anything new. They drove through downtown in stop-and go traffic to Margaret’s condominium, all the while waiting for his cell phone to ring.

They needed that search warrant.

Would he go without one? Absolutely. Nick was prepared to do anything to save Simon, rules be damned. Straitlaced Sergeant Cooper was ready to throw everything he vowed to uphold out the window for a man he knew less than two weeks.

It didn’t take long before they stood outside Margaret’s door. Her guard was at his post, and reported that he’d heard Mrs Teeman crying. Nick knocked softly so as not to scare her any further.