Page 60 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
Smart.
But not smart enough because now I was inside his house. I moved through his home, quietly, with my gloved hands sliding over surfaces, searching for what I was paid to be here for.
Mendez wasn’t sloppy. He had money, but was new to this kind of game. People like him thought having cash meant they didn’t have to move with caution and that was a mistake.
Yair’s voice sounded through my earpiece. "You’ve got ten minutes before he gets back."
I was already on my way to his office.
“Plenty of time.”
I moved inside and my eyes scanned the space. The room was neat which I appreciated because I damn sure didn’t feel like wasting my time digging through a bunch of shit. I bypassed the drawers and cabinets and went straight to the bookshelf.
The second my fingers ran along the edges, I found the gap between the wood paneling. I pressed, a soft click sounded, and the panel popped open just enough for me to slide it free. There was a hidden compartment filled with files, ledgers, and a locked tablet.
Bingo. That’s what the fuck I’m talking about…
"Five minutes, Emir," Yair reminded me.
I pulled my phone out, snapping photos of every document before slipping the files back in place and sliding the panel closed. Then I removed my backpack and lifted the tablet Iarrived with and swapped it for the one Mendez had. It was identical but wouldn’t turn on.
That would buy some time. He would assume it was a glitch. His was locked, but Yair would break into it by morning and the people paying me would have what they needed. I dropped it into my backpack and yanked the straps over my shoulders again then turned to leave. Before I escaped, something on the desk caught my eye. A handwritten note on the back of an invoice which I lifted and frowned when I caught the name. Jordan Lyons.
My smirk deepened. Looks like I just found his contact.
"He’s pulling up," Yair’s voice cut in. "Get the fuck out of there, Mir."
I slipped back into the hallway, moving with calculated ease, making sure nothing was disturbed. By the time Mendez’s front door opened, I was already out the back, ghosting into the night.
"You’re always fucking pushing it," Yair said annoyed as I stepped through the back gate.
“You said ten minutes. I had thirty seconds left.”
“Too gotdamm close, Mir.” He groaned then dropped off.
As soon as I hit the highway, Yair called and my Bluetooth pick up.
“Everything’s erased and his system is reset. No issues.”
I relaxed, swerving between two cars. “You sound impressed.”
Yair chuckled. “I’m always impressed but with my skills, not yours muthafucker.”
I switched lanes again, weaving through the empty streets. “Stroke your dick not your ego, Yair.”
“Fuck you.” He laughed. “Anything important in there?”
“Mendez isn’t just taking product, he’s got someone feeding him intel from their own supplier.”
Yair muttered a curse. “Insider?”
“Yeah. Name’s Jordan Lyons.”
“Lyons? Shit. That explains a lot. I’ll run his name and see what else comes up.”
I nodded to myself. Lyons was known for doing anything for a decent payout. “Don’t bother. As soon as I send what I found out, they’re going to give me the green light to get rid of them both.”
I was about to shift the conversation when my phone notified me of another call.
