Page 49 of Savage Reckoning

“But not quite so soon. We could have—”

My temper flares. “You could have what? Tortured him to death?” I’m on my feet, my fists on the table before me as I lean towards our merciless leader, eyes blazing. “I’m a doctor. I’m sworn to heal, to relieve suffering where I can. That’s what I’ve always done, will continue to do as long as I’m here. I turn a blind eye to a lot of what happens, but when it comes to doing my job, I don’t compromise. I do my best for whoever is in front of me, friend or foe. That’s what I did for Gregory Mitchell and I’d do the same again. If you don’t like that, just say so and I’ll go.”

“Go where, Doctor?”

“Anywhere. Away from here.” Christ, what am I saying? I have nowhere else to go…

“No one betrays us and gets to walk away,” Jack reminds me, his voice a low, uncompromising rumble.

“Betray? I never betrayed anyone. Why would you question my loyalty?” I swing my furious gaze around the table as the rest shift awkwardly in their seats. “Did anyone question my loyalty when I helped set up the kidney transplant for Aaron and Beth’s little boy? Or when I cared for Casey during her pregnancy, when no one else knew and I respected her privacy? Or when I treated Arina’s gunshot wounds or when—?”

“Sit down, Megan.” Jack’s tone slices through my tirade.

“I—”

“I take it back. Your loyalty is not in doubt. We all appreciate what you do here.” There’s a new warmth in his words. “No one wants you to leave, least of all me.”

I subside back into my seat. “Well, then…?”

“I accept your explanation,” he continues. “You will appreciate, I had to ask. It’s a matter of discipline.”

“I…I suppose so.” Can that be it? Is it over?

“Right, so, moving on…”

I let out a breath I never even realised I was holding. Is it my imagination, or did Gabriel, seated opposite me, just pour himself a splash of water and raise his glass to me in a silent salute?

CHAPTER 11

Gabriel

I have to hand it to her; Megan Alexander can fight her corner when it matters. My respect for her notches up several rungs. She said she could get Jack Morgan to see things her way, and she has. I know he’s not an easy sell, so this exchange, and the outcome, was an indication of Megan’s standing in this cut-throat world where trust is in short supply and loyalty is everything.

Courage, conviction, integrity—a heady cocktail. My cock twitches in appreciation.

A one-off? I don’t think so. I can’t wait to be inside her again. And again.

“So,” Jack continues, “apart from what Mitchell told us, what do we have to corroborate any of it?”

“Isn’t that fucker’s story enough?” Tony blurts. “He pointed the finger at Archer, and it ties in with what Felix Fuller was saying.”

“True, but for what we have in mind, we need to be sure. We don’t spray bullets around on the basis of an assumption, a probability.”

Aaron agrees. “Ethan would want proof before he made a move. Archer’s family, sort of. Distant, but…”

Ah, yes, Casey mentioned that he was her stepfather. “He’s a relative by marriage? Is that right?”

She nods. “Since his name came up, I’ve been doing my homework.” She opens the laptop in front of her. “I started with his financial affairs. Hacking into his accounts. So far, I’ve identified fourteen, but I’ve concentrated on the offshore ones, looking for arms purchases.”

I’m impressed. It makes sense to first establish whether Archer could have got his hands on the weapon.

“Like us, Jerome does most of his shopping in the US, but we know this particular piece of kit came originally from Germany or Turkey. I put the word out that I’m in the market for a FIM92 Stinger and found two firms willing to sell me a consignment for a cool half million euros. Naturally, I asked for recommendations. Testimonials, you might say. It’s a lot of money.”

Jack’s lip quirks. “And?”

“And I’m reliably informed that a UK buyer purchased a FIM92 Stinger from Orlando Andretti eight weeks ago. A quick trawl through Jerome’s accounts identified the transaction.”

“So, we know he has one?”

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