Page 13 of Forget Me Not
Drake
Everything was set. Our business front was open, and we had already started our ground investigation.
Our intel had told us there were three new doctors here in Barclay. We weren’t sure which one was providing the mob the drugs, but we were close to figuring it out. I leaned back in my chair and propped my feet on my desk. So far, I had managed to avoid anyone from my previous life, which was odd. I was certain at any moment I’d run smack dab into my past.
“Hey, Bro. Any update?” Alex strolled into our makeshift office and sat down. “What’s the look for?”
“Just wondering why we haven’t been able to narrow down the small pool of suspects.”
“Actually.” Alex slapped down a folded piece of paper and grinned. “I got us that warrant to tap some phones. I’ve already set them up.”
“You’re a fucking genius.”
With the ability to tap into the three suspects’ phones, we’d be able to get what we needed to move in and make a case. I wondered what the hell the mob had on this doctor to make him forget his oath. There had to be something more than money. I knew it took a lot to turn my back on my family for this job, there was no amount of cash that would make me do something illegal. Flipping through the file, I zeroed in on the particulars. The doctor had been supplying them with Dilaudid. It was one of the strongest painkillers on the market. If I paid attention to the drug supply companies, maybe I could follow its trail to the doc responsible for putting it in the hands of the mafia. After placing a watch on the medical suppliers, I shut off my computer. My stomach was constantly reminding me I had worked through lunch.
“You hungry?” I called out to Alex, who was engrossed in something on his screen.
“Yeah.” He clicked off the screen and stood.
“What had you so focused?”
“Going through some of the text messages filtering in.”
“Anything of interest?”
“No.”
We headed out and piled into the truck the agency had set up for us. Along with a pretty nice ride, they had provided us a sweet condo. Alex drove as I stared at the town. Memories I had tried hard to bury flooded into my thoughts, making me smile. I had loved this place. Leaving had been a hard decision, but once I signed the papers, there was no going back. If I hadn’t done my research paper on one of the FBI’s top criminals, I might not have ever gotten this opportunity. The first few years had been the hardest. I worked some seriously deep covert operations. I loved my work, but even with the promotion I had received two years ago, I felt like something was missing.
“Holy shit.” Alex’s comment drew me from my trip down memory lane. He was staring out the window at someone on the sidewalk. “I didn’t know Barclay had women that looked like that.”
Following his line of sight, my breath caught in my lungs. Like a bolt of lightning, my chest constricted, and my eyes blurred. I knew I’d run into her, but I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming need to protect her that pulsed through my veins. I watched as she laughed at something the man to her right had whispered. It caused an irrational bout of rage I hadn’t expected. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a young boy push between them. He gripped their hands in his and swung them with fervor.
“No fucking way.” Alex grunted. “That’s one of the suspects. Of course, a piece of shit would score a hottie like that.”
“You think their married?”
“I don’t know. I don’t recall the manifesto mentioning family for any of the guys we’re watching. But it sure looks that way.”
“She’s got a kid,” I mumbled to myself.
“They,” Alex muttered.
“What?” I cut my eyes toward him.
“Theyhave a kid.”
I nodded, unable to speak. She was married, with a kid, to a possible monster. This was some kind of fucked up karma for me. Not only would I have to be near her, I would likely be arresting her husband. I’d never been so thankful for my new identity than I was right now.
“This complicates things a bit,” Alex grumbled as he got out of the truck.
“How so?”
“Because now we have innocents to consider. If that is his wife and kid, we will be destroying a family.”
“Well, let’s hope he isn’t our doc.”
I followed him inside the restaurant, aware that they had walked in before us. My eyes scanned the place, happy to see they were seated opposite us, but close enough I could watch the happy couple.
