Red Zone (Red Zone 1)

It wasn’t a question; Kane knew she did not tolerate incompetence. “I need you to find out who hired another team.”

He inclined his head, and Miriam knew it would be done. “I’m calling our contact within the smuggling group. I don’t want them to see you.”

Kane silently slid into the shadows on the other side of the room as Miriam used her implant to call up her contact. A few seconds passed before the shadowy figure of the Broker appeared on the screen.

“I need to know where Striker’s jet is headed.”

There was a pause. “That isn’t information I have or can get my hands on.”

“I need you to find out.” She bit out the words, making them snap like a whip. “Friday Jones is on that jet.”

“Your team’s failures have nothing to do with me. I gave you the information I had on their whereabouts.”

“And now I need more.”

“I don’t have more. My job was to supply them with transport and arrange the jet. Unless they need more transportation, they won’t be in touch. However”—the figure leaned back in his chair, comfortable in his position of power—“I do have one piece of information that may be of use to you.”

Miriam asked the only question that was relevant. “How much will it cost?”

The laugh was mocking. “Double.”

“Done.”

The figure leaned closer to the camera, as though sharing a secret. “Word is that your renegade scientist might not be a problem for very much longer. My sour

ces tell me that she injected herself with Interferan-X before she left the Northern Territory. Apparently, the poison was on hand in her lab.” He leaned back. “That’s all I know. I’ll be checking for a credit deposit shortly.”

The image disappeared, and Kane manifested from the shadows.

“I want the person behind that voice found and dealt with once this is over,” Miriam told him.

“It will be my pleasure.”

Miriam sat back in her chair as she looked up at her most trusted confidant. “Interferan-X? What’s the time between injection and death?”

“Five days, in total.”

“And she met up with the smuggler roughly a day after taking the dose. That means she has about a day and a half to get to an antidote. What clinics in South America store the antidote?”

“There’s only one. La Paz. You want me to arrange for another team to meet them there?”

“No. I want you to take care of this personally. I can’t afford any mistakes this time.”

Kane gave her a little bow. “How do you want it handled? Do you want me to have people waiting at the checkpoints to intercept them before they get into the city? Or do you want me to deal with them once they’re inside?”

Her smile was slow and wide. “I’ll leave all of the details up to you. I trust you will do what is needed.”

And have fun while he did it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Friday woke up disorientated, but aware that she was moving. No, that her surroundings were moving and taking her along with them. A jet. She was in a jet, lying on a soft bed with a warm body beside her. Her heart rate shot through the roof. Who was beside her? Where were they taking her? What were they going to do with her? And the diamondback? What happened to it?

“Bébé, you got to remember to breathe when you’re thinking.”

She did the exact opposite and held her breath entirely.

Striker.