Page 63 of Savage Reckoning

“How long before he’s fully awake?” Cristina wants to know.

I can’t give her an answer, though my instincts say not long. “Give me a shout if anything happens. The nurse is in the next room.”

“Where will you be?”

“Jack will want to know.”

“Oh. Of course.”

And I wouldn’t mind an update on what else is happening. Gabe, Tony, Rome, Aaron, they are all out there somewhere, presumably wreaking havoc on the man who caused all this. I need to know they are safe. All of them, but especially one.

I find Jack Morgan at Ethan’s desk in the main office. I tap on the door and enter.

He looks up with a smile. “What’s all this I’m hearing about a miraculous recovery?”

News travels fast. I perch on the chair in front of him. Although there’s no doubting who’s actually in charge here, current situation notwithstanding, I’ve always found Jack Morgan far more intimidating than Ethan Savage. His reputation is formidable. A ruthless enforcer, brilliant strategist, and fiercely loyal to the Savages, Jack gets stuff done. No messing, no compromising. No excuses.

“It’s early days,” I advise, “but the signs are promising. I arranged for the specialist to fly up here.”

He nods. “Good thinking. And nice work on your part.”

“All I did was sit and wait, like the rest of us.”

He cocks his head to one side. “Not like the rest of us. You got him home, that made the difference.”

“We can’t know that…”

“I think we can, Megan. Take the credit where it’s due.”

I thank him, and I suppose that’s my cue to leave, to get on with my own job. But I don’t.

“Was there something else I can do for you?” Jack leans back in the huge leather chair. “A coffee, perhaps?”

“I was wondering…”

He lifts a pale-blond eyebrow, waiting.

“… how the men were getting on.”

“Men? Or man?”

“Men,” I’m quick to clarify. “The scrapyard, the warehouse. The betting shops.”

“All going according to plan. We have our targets. The surveillance is in hand. They all know what they’re doing.”

“Have there been any casualties?”

“Ours or theirs?”

“Either.”

“Gabe reports twenty-seven Archer soldiers neutralised. Picked off on guard duty or in response to leads we’re following.”

I wince at the callous terminology. “And on our side?”

“Nothing major.”

“Oh. That’s…good.”

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