Page 35 of Cooper's Command

Milligan crossed his arms. “That’s a bit of a mixed bag. Porter had a buddy of his compare the handwriting to a few different samples, and the guy confirmed it’s a match to Paulin’s. And while Bellamy and Waylen have deciphered some of the code, all we’ve got so far are some dates and locations. The man was obviously mixed up in something but… We need definitive proof he was dealing cocaine before we can take it to the DEA and convince them you didn’t go seriously rogue, this time.”

“The ledger was supposed to be that definitive proof, Milligan.”

“And once Bellamy and Waylen crack the rest of it, I’m sure it will be. But in the meantime, it was enough to convince me and Porter to allow Cooper’s team to continue working with Emery on this endeavor instead of carting your ass off to jail. So, take the win where you can find it, Martin.”

“At least, tell me you’re investigating Simmons.”

“We’re looking into any possible connection they might have had before Paulin got stationed to the island. But we have to tread lightly or someone’s going to know we’re aiding and abetting a fugitive.”

“All of which means, we’re back to my word against Simmons’, but where his holds more weight.”

Milligan shrugged. “You did flee the scene.”

“I was being pursued by mercenaries. Ones who obviously wanted Simmons to keep breathing.”

“Can you prove that?”

“Unless Kian found a slug inside me, you know I can’t.” She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Cooper eased her against his chest, again, as if he knew she needed the added strength. “I think you’ve worked enough.”

She shook her head but didn’t pull away. Clear evidence she wasn’t quite as strong as she’d claimed. “Did you get the chemical analysis of the drugs back yet?”

Emery nodded. “That part’s a bit interesting. One of the bricks was cocaine mixed with the usual cutting agents. What you’d expect to find. But the others…” She whistled. “There was enough fentanyl to down an elephant.”

Nova perked up a bit. “So, they were making fatal batches. Thatisinteresting. And might be the break we’re looking for.”

“How so?”

“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not that easy to become a high-profile drug dealer, let alone head of a cartel. There’s too much competition and the really big organizations tend to kill anyone who poses a threat to their empire. Which means you’re either born into it, get lucky when one of us shuts down a competitor or you find a way to discredit an established supplier.”

Emery inhaled. “Like having their clients drop dead from fentanyl poisoning.”

“Eventually, trust in that cartel gets so shaky that dealers turn to someone new.” Nova held up her hand when both Milligan and Porter grunted. “I’m not saying it would be easy. But with the right connections, it’s possible. And it explains why Paulin and Simmons were so antsy about me showing up. Paulin knew I’d recognize those bricks if given the chance.”

“All right. Let’s overlook the logistics and run with it for a moment.” Porter held her gaze. “Is there any way you can prove that the cocaine you found in the lab is the same stock you were given in Columbia? Other than a blood-soaked piece of tape that’s useless now?”

Nova winced, glancing back at Cooper for a moment. Wondering what he’d think once he’d learned that she’d goneoff-script, again. “Maybe, but… Everyone has to promise not to freak out.”

Porter chuckled. “This should be entertaining.”

“When Bellamy called me while we were all in Bogotá, I was already packing up to head back to Virginia, which meant I didn’t have time to do the usual analysis on the new drugs. I left instructions for it to happen, but that’s generally something I oversee personally. So, I can compare it to all the known dealers we’ve identified. But because I thought those bricks were connected to my undercover case with the Moreno cartel and what I thought was a new lead to their supply routes, I took an extra precaution.”

“What kind of precaution, Agent Martin?”

She sighed, wondering if it would sound as crazy as she feared once she said it out loud. “Imighthave brought a small sample of both bricks back with me and called in a favor from a friend in the DEA who has access to analysis equipment.”

Bellamy coughed as he all but choked on some water. “You smuggled in cocaine from Columbia?”

“Asmallsample. And it was just so I could get a head start on what I thought would be my continuing investigation in Bogotá.” She sucked in a quick breath because it definitely made her seem crazy. “Though, saying it out loud, I’ll admit, it doesn’t sound as reasonable as I initially thought.”

“Reasonable or not, that took balls, Nova.”

“You’re missing the bigger picture. I know my friend completed the analysis but because of the warrant, I’m assuming she didn’t send me the files. All we need to do is access her database, and we can compare those results to the ones Emery has. While it won’t exonerate me, it should at least prove they’re the same drugs because no two batches are identical. Close, but never an exact match.”

“You just admitted to smuggling cocaine into the country.” Porter shook his head. “That’s not exactly helping your claim that you’re not involved.”

Nova straightened, all the self-doubt from the previous week slipping away. “You know, I’m not sure what I’m more insulted by. That you think I fired at Simmons with the intent to kill him and missed, or that you think I’d be stupid enough to kill a DEA agent while still in the States if I was looking to become the next Columbian drug lord.”

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