Page 11 of Burn It Down

The keyboard clicked wildly then, before he stopped and released a low whistle. “He didn’t.”

“What?” Jonah asked.

Caleb looked out at us. “There may be an easier and faster way to determine which prison he’s being held in. I’m seeing here that Asher was in the process of cracking the Head Infidels’ financials. Bank accounts, transaction details of all account holders. If he’d done this, he would’ve been able to see every withdrawal they make, deposit, every account, who’s funneling what and where, who’s working with them, the deals they’re making, their assets, employees. Every single aspect of their lives. It all ties back to this, including where they fucking well eat, where they park. He could use this to track them at every turn.”

“You said he was in the process of doing it? How close are we talking? He mentioned you had some skills. Are they anything like his and Aurora’s? Could you finish what he started here?”

“He’s close. Really close. I can do it. A couple of days, maybe.”

Jonah hissed.

He didn’t want Asher left in one of those places for the next moment, let alone days. “J, I know, but it’s still much faster than if we’d had to locate all those slaughterhouses.”

“It’ll also give you time to prep, get the necessary gear ready,” Caleb said. “As soon as we get the location, prep a tactical plan, then—”

“I’m an enforcer, not a general,” Jonah explained. He thumbed me. “And Kill’s a hell of a fighter when he lets loose, but he’s no leader either. The security in and around those slaughterhouses is off the fucking charts.”

“Neither am I,” Caleb told us. “All those takedowns, I followed Asher’s tactical plan exactly, down to every little detail. I have my own strengths, yes, but that’s not one of them. We need a tactician.”

Jonah stilled for a moment, his eyes fixed on the phone screen as Caleb was running through the data rapidly. “I know someone who is.”

“Revenant?” I asked.

“Nah, we need to work that angle for Aurora.” He gestured at a text conversation, pulled it up, studying it, then told us, “That’s Scourge. Asher has been in contact with him real recently. Days ago.”

“He’s off-the-grid, has been for years, there’s no way—”

“There is, Kill. Scourge isn’t just an ally of Asher’s. The guy thinks of him as a son. He’ll show up for him, believe me.”

“All right,” Caleb said. “You get on that, I’ll focus on getting a location.” He looked at me, then pointed to a number on his screen. “Take this down. It’s Revenant’s contact. Reach out, probe about your girl. If anyone’s gonna know anything, it’s her father. Try it, if it doesn’t pan out, we’ll move to Plan B.”

“Plan B? What’s that?”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “No clue, we’re working on the fly right now. But we’ll figure it out.”

“Have faith? That’s what you’re saying?”

“Nah, keep pushing. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Yeah. We will.”

And we wouldn’t stop.

Not for anything.

Not until we brought Asher back to us.

Not until I had Aurora in my arms again.

The two of them were humoring me when it came to her, they didn’t believe she’d survived that explosion, they thought she’d died.

She hadn’t.

She fucking hadn’t.

And I would damn well prove it.

And then I’d bring her back to us.

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