Page 33 of Dark Truths

July

“Hey, buddy. You got a light?”

I glance over my shoulder to find Jacob standing there, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, a pair of khaki Bermuda shorts, and fucking sandals. All he’s missing is a giant sign around his neck declaring himself a tourist and he’d fit right in with the crowd.

“Real funny,” I deadpan. “You’re late.”

“And you’re a real ray of sunshine today,” Jacob says back. “Something wrong?”

“I have news about Anton,” I announce. “He’s dead.”

Jacob curses under his breath on a hard exhale. “How?”

“He was caught selling to the Ukrainians.”

“What happened?”

“He admitted to being an informant and that he was told to sell to the Ukrainians.” I don’t need to see Jacob’s face to know he was aware. His silence speaks volumes. Turning around, I lean back against the railing on my elbows and level my long-time friend and handler with a stern look. “Who gave the order?”

Jacob sighs and runs his hand over his short black hair. “I did. On Ford’s request.”

So I was right. The FBI is interfering. “Why wasn’t I told?”

“Ford didn’t think it was necessary to share with you,” Jacob admits, looking extremely uncomfortable now.

“What else has Ford thought unnecessary to share with me?” I seethe.

“Dimitri, it’s not like that.” Jacob tries to ease me.

“What’s it like then?” I snap.

“He knew the risks,” Jacob argues back. “As do you, remember?”

“He knew about me,” I reveal, ignoring his question. “How’s that possible? He never met me before. Unless he was told by someone who did.”

Jacob peers at me with disbelief. “You’re not accusing me of revealing something that important to a fucking informant, are you?”

No. I’m not. I know Jacob is too loyal and not that stupid. “No. I’m accusing Ford.”

“He’s the Director. Why would he do that? Why would he put your life at risk?”

Why indeed? “I don’t know.”

“Do you have proof?”

I shake my head. “No. It’s just a gut feeling.”

“You didn’t ask Anton?”

I should admit to killing the man, but the guilt of his death should be on Ford’s head. Not mine. “He died before I could ask.”

Jacob takes a deep breath and releases it twice as hard. “I’m sorry to hear about his death, Dimitri. I’ll update Ford.”

“What was his reason behind the order?” I ask, returning to the main issue at hand. Anton sold to the Ukrainian mob on Ford’s demand.?

“He didn’t share that with me,” Jacob admits uneasily.?

I huff and look away to the crowd gathered on the beach in the distance. “Perhaps you should ask him. Because whatever it was earned the man a bullet in his brain.”

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