Page 33 of Morally Corrupt

Maybe my love for the magic powder developed because I associated it with my first sexual encounter with Theo. Perhaps that's what I told myself every time I went to that club. Eventually, if I went too many days without it, my hands would shake. For a trained killer, shaking is the worst thing that can happen. After that, it became a necessity, and my addiction solidified.

Could I give it up? Yes, I could. But that would probably mean rehab, which in turn would mean an absence from home and the potential of Theo finding out precisely what I've been up to these past few years.

I let a loud sigh and shake myself from my wandering thoughts. I am looking at my computer screen, waiting for a reply from a weapons supplier I'd contacted on the dark web. He had a new experimental rifle that I've been dying to get my hands on. Problem was? It wasn't strictly legal, and the few shipments that made it to the States had to be delivered personally by an intermediary because of the rarity of the pieces and their price range. This toy would definitely set me back quite a bit.

I have men in New York next week if you're interested

I read the text and take a minute to think about a potential meeting location. I rarely like to use the same place twice for meetups, but this is too short of a notice to scout an area and ensure safety protocols. I'd have to use one hotel I've used in the past. I immediately decide on the Hotel Empire since I know the layout pretty well and have a few exit routes should I require any. I make a call and book room 204 for the next week under one of my fake identities.

Hotel Empire Room 204 14th May 2:00 PM

Okay.

After seeing his reply, I close the connection and put my laptop aside, excitement brimming inside me. In just under a week, I'd have a new toy to play with. It'd been too long since my latest purchase, which I'd used a few days before on those criminals. It's an excellent rifle, but I need something slightly faster to reload since there were a few close calls in that encounter. I have to hope this new one will perform better.

Getting out of the room, I quickly check the time and realize I must have lost track of it since it's a little over three. I go to my armory and pick up the new tracking device I'd recently gotten, along with some new surveillance stuff. I always have something on Theo, but the last one must have gotten lost since I haven't been able to monitor his movements or listen to his phone in a while. Not since before the meeting with Martinez, actually. I shake my head, not wanting to even entertain the thought that he could have found the devices. They must have broken, or maybe he lost them? I just need to install the new ones.

Maybe to some people, it seems wrong that I continuously monitor Theo. Still, knowing his obsession with catching one of the biggest drug lords in America, this is the only way to ensure his safety.

11

THEO

"Look here," Marcel, my trusted friend, points out.

We're looking at a map of the docks and the surrounding area. Marcel is the only one who knows what happened two days ago and why exactly I'd gone to meet Martinez.

However, what is most surprising about that encounter is that Martinez's men had been shot dead by someone. Marcel had spent hours reproaching me that it hadn't been safe to go alone and that he'd warned me. He's right. I had been very naïve about the entire situation. After the shooting had stopped, I'd taken an additional risk in getting the flash drive from Martinez's dead body. I'm not proud of what I'd done, but I'd gone there with every intention of a fair exchange. He'd been the one to bring reinforcements.

But the bigger question remains: who shot his men. It had been from a distance, as I could see no one nearby. More importantly, it had targeted Martinez's people only. Grimly, I have to acknowledge that whoever it was probably saved my life.

But why?

Marcel is pointing at probable locations for the shooter given the angle, and one of them happens to be a hotel a few blocks away from the docks.

"You really think this could be it?"

"Yeah, it's this one or the Ukrainian restaurant next to it. It's not too far, but not too close either. From what you described, though, whoever it was knew what they were doing, and they were fast about it."

"Yeah. It was all surreal. I've never been so scared in my life. For a moment, I really didn't think I'd make it."

"I told you it wasn't safe to go alone."

"I know, but I really needed the drive."

"And now you know they wanted to trick you," he admonishes, referring to the fact the drive was empty.

"I just don't get why they would try to kill me. I was only asking for information, and that wasn't even on their cartel."

"Maybe this is bigger than we previously suspected," he says after thinking for a while.

"I don't know. I don't even know where to go from here, except I really want to find the shooter."

"I'll get the security tapes from the hotel and restaurant. It will require we pull in some favors, though. You know it's Russian territory."

"And we'll use that to our advantage. They probably already know about the shooting. It's in their interest to find a rogue sniper, no? On their turf, no less."

"I'll call Vlad. He should be able to get us access to the tapes."

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