“Skinner get a hold of you?” Kreed asked when Mitch answered.
“Last night. He was looking for you.”
Kreed didn’t respond or acknowledge that statement. The less his partner knew about him and Aaron, the better. Knox had made his thoughts more than clear where he and Stuart were concerned.
“What do you know about Stuart?” Kreed asked.
“Why do you wanna know?” Mitch shot back. Great, they were playing twenty questions, and Mitch was still defensive about the kid.
“Don’t be a pain in the ass, Knox.” Kreed leaned back in his chair.
“That’s what I do…” Silence held between them as Kreed kept a constant eye on everything he could see from Aaron’s angle. He’d just wait Knox out. It took longer than expected. “I met him online in a Call of Duty chat room like years ago. He was active and on and knew his shit, so we built a friendship.”
“Hmmm. When was he hired with NSA?” Kreed asked.
“I don’t remember. It was a year or so after that,” Mitch answered.
“But he had a record,” Kreed replied. That had always been the weird part about Aaron getting hired.
“It wasn’t a solid record. It was like a fraternity prank…maybe. The government hired him to test their systems in place of sending him to prison. I helped where I could in giving him credibility,” Mitch added.
“Hmmm…”
“Why, Sinacola? Is he rogue?” There was a small amount of confusion in Mitch’s voice, but he could tell by Mitch’s tone that his long-time partner was having a hard time believing those words he’d just asked.
“No. I don’t think so. Actually, not at all. He’s given too much to this case, but there’s something going on. He’s just very smooth for someone that’s never done this before.”
“Really? Are you watching?” Mitch asked.
“Every move he makes.” There was silence between the both of them. “I heard some chatter today that you were possibly going out in public tonight.”
“Yeah, it’s firmed up. We’re puttin’ on a big show, taking Cody out on the town. Keep an eye on Aaron, Sinacola,” Mitch said. Kreed nodded as if Mitch could see him. He’d heard they were enlisting Mitch and Cody to help try and flush these guys out, get them so riled that they might make an error. Aaron’s thoroughness in wiring that office today helped. Skinner had to be getting some solid intel if he were to the point of baiting.
“Watch yourself. I’m hanging up now,” Kreed said and turned the volume back up on the feed he shared with Connors. They hadn’t really spoken in hours, but he wanted direct access if they were able to get the IT manager talking.
His eyes stayed on the screen. Aaron hadn’t mastered going to the bathroom yet. He couldn’t quite keep covered while unzipping and freeing himself. Kreed smiled a little while turning away to give the guy some privacy. He thought over what Mitch told him and waited a minute or two after he heard the flush before he turned back.
Aaron washed and dried his hands before checking his appearance. To Kreed, he looked fine. Actually more than fine and he smiled at the screen. Seconds later, Aaron’s eyes dropped down to the cross on his shirt and he gave a small smile back. There was absolutely no way that the kid could have known what Kreed had just done, but it felt personal and the sweet gesture made Kreed smile bigger.
“Watch your six,” he said to the monitor.
“What?” It wasn’t Connors’s voice, but someone on the other end, causing Kreed to look down at the small box in the corner of his screen.
“Nothing.” Kreed shook his head, momentarily forgetting he wasn’t alone. “I wanna blow by blow of Knox. There better be an army watching them.”
Several seconds went by before Connors answered. “There is. I wasn’t so much into that plan, but I’ve seen the surveillance following them. Brody Masters is heading it up himself tonight. I know you worked with him before.”
“Yeah,” Kreed said. He liked Brody. They’d worked together for years, and it did ease some of the concern he had. He just wished he could be there himself to have Mitch’s back, but his loyalties were divided now. He had Aaron to consider. He watched on the monitor as Aaron walked back into the IT office. The kid sat at his assigned desk, which happened to be catty-cornered to a wall mirror. He could see Aaron’s reflection perfectly. Aaron meant something to him, and for the first time, Kreed couldn’t immediately blame all these soft sentiments on the sex, although that was amazing. The problem? He and Aaron connected outside of sex, which meant so much more.
Besides that, this case stressed him the fuck out. He palmed his phone and pulled up the contacts to send Brody a quick message, telling him to watch that group closely, since he couldn’t be there. He got an immediate text back assuring him they were set. Kreed had to let it go and let the process play out. It was already so personal before he ever factored in the relationships he had with all the people involved in bringing this cell down. Kreed rolled his shoulders, trying to force the tension from his neck and back. God, he hoped this would all be over soon.
Chapter 22
Aaron kicked back at the desk in his bedroom, the keyboard propped in his lap. He was almost done helping his buddy. He’d completed as much as he could for the night, and now he was just tinkering around, surfing the web. In reality, his sole focus rested on listening to the activity across the hall.
Disappointment had swamped him when Kreed had sat parked inside the study directly across from his bedroom since the time he’d gotten off work. After a while, Aaron managed to find things to keep himself busy. After the initial moment of sadness when Aaron realized the night wasn’t theirs, he decided to catch up on a few projects he’d put off. Kreed kept his distance and stayed in the study. Since this little fucked-up town had three Subways, two Whataburgers, about a million pizza places and not much else, Aaron ordered in pizza and left Kreed alone. Kreed’s whole demeanor radiated intensity. His total concentration was focused on Mitch and Cody.