Page 12 of Locked Down

After an hour spent reviewing the videos, he pulled up the reports that the current security team had filed on the two incidents. He skimmed them as he kept an eye on the video that was playing.“Not really a threat. Probably a random hunter?”Ryker shook his head. He had put two slugs in the side of the SUV close together.Random hunter, my fuzzy butt.Not too many random hunters could do that. That took training and skill and Ryker was damn proud of his work. Archer said to make Davis think someone was out to kill him without actually doing him any harm. So that’s what Ryker had done. The not doing any harm part was the hardest.This cockroach needed to be crushed.

The attempted hit-and-run write-up lacked any appearance of a professional security report. It just confirmed Ryker’s read on the situation. Lazlo and his people were idiots. The incident was chalked up to a drunk driver. The hit-and-run attempt had been masterful even if he did say so himself. Ryker had gotten it just right. Davis was starting across the street. He’d let the car get close enough to scare Davis, but not close enough to actually hit the man even if his security did something stupid and hadn’t pulled him back in time.

Ryker had to hand it to Archer, the man was a genius. They had laid the groundwork for several other“attempts”on Davis’s life but then Invicta, Vic, had made his plan so much easier. Her call to Archer for help had been just the opening Archer hoped to create. It had gone more smoothly than Archer and the team had planned. Sometimes life worked out better than could be imagined.

The result was exactly what they were after…Ryker was now on the inside. Always better to be the wolf in sheep’s clothing, than be the wolf on the outside looking in. The question was, what the hell was Austin Davis up to and how would it impact the Lock and Key Society?

As a member of the Security Division of the Lock and Key, Ryker was sworn to protect the Society and its members at all costs. He knew what that meant when he’d signed on, and he was fine with it. So far, his job had provided him with more money than he could spend, a nice home, an enjoyable work life, and the opportunity to use the skills the army had taught him when he became a Ranger. He was good at those skills so any chance he had to use them was a bonus for him. In other words, job satisfaction.

Movement on the video caught his eye. The recording was from the office at night. Two men got off the elevator and headed into Davis’s office. He glanced at the time stamp. Eleven-twenty-three p.m. last Wednesday. Not unheard of in D.C., but the way the men studiously avoided the cameras triggered him. They were both dressed in dark clothing and had ball caps pulled down over their faces.

The men entered the office and then exited at twelve seventeen a.m. They kept their heads angled downward, hats still blocking their faces from the cameras. Ryker knew he could ask to see the elevator cameras, but there was no point. It would be more of the same thing. These two were pros. They knew what they were doing when it came to avoiding being recognized. The bigger question was… what did Davis want with two professional…fixers? He’d call them killers but that remained to be seen. These two were guys who were called when a problem needed to be solved. What problem did Davis have that he wanted handled?

Ryker scanned through a few more video files but the men didn’t reappear. He leaned back in his seat. It wasn’t much to go on. What he really needed was to search Davis’s office and house more thoroughly. No time like the present. He would start with the office. If anyone questioned his presence, he would claim he was working on redoing Davis’s security. In fact, he would do something very visible so peoplewouldask. Make it obvious why he was there.

Ryker went across the hall toward his bedroom. He changed into dark denim jeans and a black button-down shirt. He pulled on a dark brown leather jacket and a pair of black sneakers. Twenty minutes later, he was entering Davis’s offices. He made a show of walking around and checking things out. Then he went to Davis’s office. The door was locked. He pulled out his key and popped the lock. He’d made copies of all the necessary keys earlier in the day.

Flipping on the lights, he realized once again Davis’s office decor was not his thing. Too ornate and showy and it also made it difficult to search. Too many drawers. He did a circuit of the office and scanned for hidden cameras but didn’t locate any equipment. They were meant to be hidden, but if he couldn’t find them, they weren’t there. Not because he was infallible but because he was a hell of a lot better than the current security team and they were the ones who would have put the thing in place.

Except for the two pros.

A small niggling sense of doubt crept into his gut. He did another circuit of the office and really looked closely. Still nothing. He finally approached the desk and started a methodical search. Nothing of any interest popped up. He’d gone through the whole desk. Nothing.

He’d turned to search the credenza when he heard the elevator ding.Shit.He moved over to the door and listened. Several people were approaching. Not that he had to hide, he could explain his presence, but it might be easier to find out what was going on if his presence wasn’t known. He flicked off the light, then took out his pen light, and then went to the wall midway down the room and pushed on it. The door to the bathroom opened. He pulled it behind him and immediately put his ear to the door. The audio would be better if he could keep the door open a crack, but the portal was inset with the wall and if it was open, it would be obvious.

“What do you have for me?”Davis asked.

“We know his schedule. We can make it happen any time you want,”the first voice stated. It was gruff and deep.

“Do you want it to look like an accident?”a second voice asked. This one was slightly higher, more nasal, like the guy had a cold.

Davis spoke again,“That would be better. Any chance you can include the wife?”

“It will cost more but yeah we can make it happen,”the guy with the cold said.

Ryker swore silently. Were they talking about Remy and Hawk? Were these guys planning another hit on them?

“Do it. I don’t want her to have the token,”Davis said.“How old are the kids?”

The gruff voice said,“Kid. It’s a girl and she’s in her mid-twenties. Doing her MFA at UCLA.”

“Even better,”Davis chortled.“She’s an art type, then if Archer offers her the token, chances are good she won’t take it but if she does, I know others who can influence her.”

Not Remy and Hawk then. They didn’t have kids, and these guys were focused on the man… not the wife. With Remy and Hawk, their focus would be the opposite. Some other members were in danger.

“So we’re good to go?”It was the gruff voice again.

“Yes,”Davis confirmed.

The nasally voice said,“We’ll call you when it’s done.”

Ryker assumed the men were leaving. Unfortunately, with the thick carpet, he couldn’t hear them leave but then he heard Davis say,“What do you think?”

“I think they’ll get it done and they’ll keep their mouths shut.”It was Armstrong.“Jacobs will make sure of it. His men are the best in the business.”The voices faded but he didn’t know for sure if Davis and Armstrong had left as well. To be on the safe side he decided to wait thirty minutes. The Jacobs mentioned had to be Damian Jacobs. He had a security company that used all kinds of former Special Operations guys. Unfortunately, he usually hired people who'd had a less-than-honorable discharge.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text detailing the conversation to Archer.

Archer’s response came instantly.No idea on who the target is?

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