Page 59 of Fatal Intent
Easier said than done. Bowens didn’t back down from a fight, and his brothers and father would view accepting help as a coward’s move. They could take care of themselves.
Until they couldn’t. His free hand fisted. “Agreed. I’ll do my best, but I might not be persuasive enough.”
“You have a few hours to come up with irrefutable logic to convince your family that accepting help is in their own best interests. Make good use of the time, my friend. Your family’s lives may depend on it.”
Nothing like laying it all out there. “But no pressure or anything.”
“Suck it up and deal, Bowen. The next task on your list is to narrow down the possibilities of people who want you dead.After your cousin’s death, I’d say we have enough proof that this killer’s long game is your death. But he wants you to suffer before you die.”
“Have the Hartman police looked beyond Grant and Rayne for a potential perp?” Elias asked.
“They’re leaning that way, especially since the timeline for Grant murdering his cousin doesn’t hold. Zane is already digging into your old cases in case the killer is someone you arrested or related to someone you arrested.”
“Good place to start,” Grant admitted. “The people we arrested don’t send us Christmas cards each year.”
Andre rolled his eyes. “Speak for yourself. I have a couple of perps in the State Penitentiary who routinely send me veiled threats every year during the Christmas season.”
The operatives seated around the table chuckled.
“How can you laugh at a time like this?” Gerald White asked. “You act like it’s routine for people to want you dead.”
Grant lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “In our line of work, it is. We’re the ones tasked with holding the line against evil people. Threats are part of the job. You either deal or you find a new line of work.”
“What about the women on your team? Do they receive death threats too?”
“Hate knows no boundaries,” Iona said. “We’re just as likely to be targeted for retribution as the men.”
“Maybe more likely,” Teagan murmured. “Some men can’t handle being bested by a woman.”
“That’s the truth,” Riley said.
Seth draped his arm around Teagan. “What about our military operations? Is it possible word leaked of our missions?”
Elias sat up straighter. “If that’s true, all our families may be in danger.”
Maddox held up a hand to stop further speculation. “Zane already has bots scouring the Net for any mention of you, your families, or your missions for the Army. He hasn’t hacked into the military database, so he doesn’t know the specifics of your assignments or who might plan some payback.”
Grant exchanged grim glances with his teammates. Echo unit had served together for years. If the culprit was from their Army days, smoking him out would be difficult and time-consuming.
“Would Z be willing to do some hacking?” Seth asked.
“Nothing would make him happier. However, I’d prefer to hold that option in reserve since it would require a hacker of his skill to do the job. I have only Zane and one other person who can handle the job, and both of them are juggling multiple assignments already.”
Iona turned to Riley and raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
“I’ve got it.” Riley turned to the screen. “With your permission, sir.”
“Do it. Let Zane know if you need help.”
“Copy that, sir.”
“Seth, Iona, I’ll see you in Bayside. We’ll talk then.” Maddox ended the call.
Grant frowned. Maddox usually only showed up in Bayside if an operative was injured. Why was he making the trip to Texas this time?
Seth stood. “You heard the boss. We have our assignments. Since we haven’t slept in over 24 hours, take this time to rest. We’ll hit the ground running as soon as we land in Texas. Dismissed.”
Grant held out a hand to Rayne. He escorted her down the aisle to their seats, then grabbed a blanket from an overhead compartment and seated himself next to her. After shaking outthe blanket, he spread the cover over both of them and reclined their seats so they could rest comfortably.
