Double Play (Nadia Stafford 3.5)

"He's paddling as fast as he can," Nadia said. "Which could mean he knows exactly how much trouble he's in and he's trying to save his life. Or . . ."

"Or he wasn't rescued by a random passerby?" Evelyn said.

Jack snorted.

"Yes," Nadia said. "I'm sure you didn't leave him somewhere that would be likely to happen. Someone went looking for him and found him, and the fact that he'd lie about that says he's not--unfortunately--trying to save his life. Well, yes, maybe he is, but not from you."

Jack grunted.

Nadia smiled. "Sorry. As badass as you are, the cartels beat you, hands down."

True, and he wouldn't argue the point. What Cillian could expect from him was two to the head. Quick. Efficient. Merciful, in its way, at least compared to what the cartels might do to him.

"We still like the cartel for this?" he asked.

He directed that one to Evelyn. Nadia didn't even try to answer--it wasn't her area of expertise.

"We do," Evelyn said. "Felix has been sending me his findings. There are a few high-level political hits on the market. He's also narrowing it down to those who employ outside contractors."

"Not many, I'm guessing," Nadia said.

"No, not many at all."

Jack made a noise in his throat. Evelyn didn't notice, but Nadia caught his eye in the rearview mirror. They exchanged a look.

"So are you ignoring the summons?" Nadia asked.

"Can't. Best way to get answers. I'll go. You two hold tight."

"And not go after Quinn? Despite being reasonably sure we know where he is, which is not likely to last much longer?"

"She has a point," Evelyn said. "Any minute now, they'll find those dead thugs, which means Dee is still in the wind. Once they realize you're in the area, they'll move Quinn."

Nadia leaned forward against the seat back. "If this meeting with Cillian is bullshit--and they even suspect I'm with you--they'll expect me to stick close. It's the perfect time to grab Quinn and end this."

Jack grunted.

"Yes, I know," Nadia said. "Getting Quinn doesn't end this. It ends when we figure out what was going on and put a stop to it. But with Quinn safe, they can't hold anything over our heads, right?" She paused and then added, "On the other hand, maybe we should stick close while you go to this meeting. I can provide backup--"

"No," Jack said. "It's a trap? Trap's more for you than me."

"They'll expect you to go with him, as you pointed out, Dee," Evelyn said. "Better if you're as far away as possible. Jack can handle this."

"But you'll stay in touch, right?" Nadia said.

"Course."

13 - Nadia

I had all audio on my phone turned off, which included the vibration that would signal an incoming message. So I kept checking it as I headed to the building. I didn't expect to hear from Jack--he'd dropped us off barely a half hour ago--but I checked anyway.

I'd seen no signs of a trap so far. There were guards outside. Not overtly watching the building--two guys in a car near the front entrance, another two near the back, with two more inside according to an infrared device from Felix. The gadget was good; the gadget wasn't perfect. It told me how many warm bodies we had just inside the walls, as we'd circled the perimeter. To actually find Quinn, I'd need to get a lot closer to him . . . and possibly closer to more cartel goons.

I entered the building without raising a single alarm. There seem to be three basic city settings for underworld activity--offices, warehouses and industrial areas. If the buildings can be abandoned or under renovation, that's a bonus. In this case, it was neither. It seemed to be an office building, though all the blinds were drawn. A sign on the front door, as viewed through binoculars, simply and politely declared it private property.

This was no high-rise building, though. It was old, in an area where it looked as if most of the former "offices" had been repurposed. In other words, no one would bat an eye at the closed blinds and lack of business signs. Right now, as night fell, the entire block seemed deserted.

Being an old area also meant the buildings were close together. Getting in only required using the one entrance the thugs hadn't thought to cover: the roof. It wasn't exactly a cakewalk getting there. But as a sniper, I'm always looking for the highest point, which means I have a lot of experience scaling buildings and crossing from rooftop to rooftop, even if it takes a leap and a prayer to get there.