Lyon wasn’t offended by the implication. Ronan was playing devil’s advocate, gleaning as much information from Lyon as he could while in a position of power over him.
And Ronan was in a position of power of him, however much Lyon hated to admit it. The other man had access to information Lyon needed, information that could make or break Lyon’s efforts to combat his hidden rival.
“Perhaps,” Lyon said. “But that advantage will be temporary. Once it has passed, you’ll be left with leadership from Russia, leadership that has no interest in forging a mutually beneficial alliance with the Syndicate.”
Every criminal organization had its strengths. The bratva’s was one of the most precious commodities of all: petroleum and all of its byproducts.
The bratva would never forfeit their control over that market, but it might be shared or traded in ways that benefited the organization.
“Is that what’s at hand then?” Ronan asked. “A coup from Russia?”
“Potentially.” Lyon weighed his words, not wanting to give away more than was absolutely necessary. “Someone is backing a member of our Spies as potential leader. I have reason to believe that that individual or individuals is in Moscow.”
“What do you have?” Ronan asked.
“Offshore wire transfers.” Lyon was loathe to admit they were to his mother. Acknowledging that his mother was working against him filled him with secret shame, as if her lack of loyalty was a commentary on his own worth. “Mostly through shell companies. It will take awhile to unravel — if that’s possible — and time is something I don’t want to count on having.”
“Our lab here is fairly new,” Ronan said. “It takes time to build a robust data network with the expertise required to mine it, and we’ve only started building it since I came to Chicago.”
Lyon nodded slowly, disappointment seeping through his chest. He could try to outsource the digital forensics required to trace the transfers to his mother, but it would take time to find that expertise, and he wouldn’t be able to fully trust someone he didn’t know. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“How do you feel about New York?” Ronan asked.
“New York?”
“Our New York territory has had a cyber lab for years,” Ronan said. “It’s every bit as robust as the one in Paris.”
“And you think New York would be willing to work with me?” Lyon asked.
Ronan stood, indicating the meeting was over. “I’ll call Damian Cavallo and get back to you by end of business day.”