Page 52 of Oath
“It started out as a CIA side project spotting irregularities, flagging patterns, locating networks, then making connections. Get the inside look. Human trafficking is a web of trade across the world and the volume of money funneled through it is enormous.”
Ice shivered through my veins even with AB holding me.
“They had to train their analysts on what to look for, then it narrowed down to a couple of guys who were really good at it. Eventually, they tried to build it into a machine to do the work for them. Someone that wouldn’t have the ability to blackmailthem, but offered them what they needed to keep their finger on the pulse.”
Legend held out a bottle of water to O’Rourke, and then another to Voodoo. We were all stillinthe cell, so I guessed this was where we were going to finish this conversation.
“The problems weren’t with the program. They were really good at uncovering the patterns, finding the links, and identifying possible traffickers.” He paused to down about half the bottle. “The problem began when someone saw a way to monetize Vega.”
“Is it a program or a person?” Because it sounded like both.
“Yes,” O’Rourke said, glancing at me. “It’s a consortium of disparate but compatible groups. They were brought together to monetize Vega and they began to make power moves using the proof on the drive.”
“But they don’t have the drive anymore,” I said, verifying with a glance at Voodoo then Legend before looking back at O’Rourke.
“No, they don’t,” Voodoo confirmed. “But that’s why they took Bones.”
“Likely. They wanted you.” He motioned to Voodoo with his bottle. “You are the last one they have on surveillance with the drives before you destroyed the rest of their servers. But the captain is a good second choice, because chances are, he knows exactly what you did with it.”
The pressure in my chest shifted, the air backing up in my lungs. “If it has all the things on it you’re saying it does… they are going to want it back.” Obviously. “That’s what they’ll want for Bones.”
“The programs that were originally designed to help in enforcing the law and saving people now curate it. I don’t know who gave you that job to take it, but Vega has been out of playsince then.” O’Rourke began to walk in slow circles, each step indicating he was pained after the enforced inactivity.
“Someone is playing a massive game of chicken relying on the information on that drive.” Voodoo stared into the middle distance. Rarely did he ever look soremote.
“That’s my guess,” O’Rourke said. “They leveraged me to get to you. They want to leverage you to get to the drive or leverage Bones for it.”
“He’ll never give it to them,” Legend said, zero doubt in his voice.
“No,” Voodoo said softly and AB sighed. “He won’t. Which means tracking them is going to be paramount.” Slanting a look at O’Rourke, he continued, “Are you going to be helpful or continue to be a vague prick about everything?”
The other man glanced over at me again. “Feel like asking me to stay and help, Gracie?”
Legend slugged him. The man was on his feet then he was down. “Call her that again,” he suggested. “I fucking dare you.”
“Won that fifty,” AB murmured in my ear and I cut a look at him again.
“Why are you betting on all of this?”
“Morbid humor. Helps me get through the bad days.” Deadpan and utterly serious, but I got it.
With a sigh, I said, “If you will stop baiting them, then yes, I am asking you to help us find Bones. To be useful. To not be a prick.”
Slowly, O’Rourke climbed to his feet. Fresh blood decorated his now split lip and the redness of the bruising on his jaw had deepened. He really wasn’t going to be pretty when that came out.
“Then I’ll help.” He popped his back. “We can start by having you backtrace my own locator. They took me somewhere to putthe screws to me, but I couldn’t see shit or hear much over the sound of the tires on the road and running water.”
“Son of a bitch,” AB said abruptly, then gave me a squeeze before he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. He shifted to put himself between me and O’Rourke. “We scanned you for trackers.”
“It’s not active currently,” he said. “Give mesomecredit here. I deactivated it with my phone. But I can get you into the?—”
“Let’s go,” AB said, pointing him to the stairs.
“I’m going,” O’Rourke chuckled as he eased past Voodoo and kept a wary distance from Legend. “I don’t suppose you’d care to join us, Grace?”
“I’m good,” I said, then AB got O’Rourke up the stairs. Once up there, AB gave Goblin a command in German. Pretty sure it was guard, but as muffled as it was, it could have been a variant on it.
“Are we seriously trusting him?” Legend asked Voodoo.
