Page 16 of Danger Close
He moved to the comms console and keyed in a secure frequency.The screen blinked to life a moment later, revealing a man with a handsome olive-skinned face, deep tan, and a tactical vest over a garish Hawaiian shirt.
“Pathfinders, meet DEA Special Agent Kai Kealoha,” Bateman said.
Kai grinned wide.“Look at this collection of overachievers.What’s the occasion, Bateman?”
“We need help tracking down a contact,” Bateman said.“Ezra Navarro.You had contact?”
Kai’s smile faded.“Yeah.Two, maybe three weeks ago.Said he was tracking something Bratya-adjacent—an arms dealer-slash-trafficker named Mirsad Kavaci.Name ring any bells?”
Bateman nodded slowly.“Used to operate under UN cover in Kosovo.Got pulled into black arms dealing after a joint task force collapsed.”
Kai leaned forward.“Ezra thought Kavaci had ties to a ‘rescue’ orphanage funnel.Said it connected to cartel money.Was trying to cross-reference disappearances.That’s all I got before he went dark.”
“Was Tirana one of the confirmed locations?”Ricky asked.
Kai looked off screen for a moment and they could hear tapping on a keyboard.“Closest I can get.Last ping came from just outside Tirana.Abandoned clinic network Kavaci’s people used as a waystation.But listen—this guy’s connected.You go in loud, he’ll vanish, and you’ll never see Navarro again.”
“We won’t go in loud,” Bateman said, and Ricky tensed.Bateman’s gaze landed on his.“Not unless we have to.They don’t exactly hold us in high regard over there.”
Kai’s voice turned serious.“Ezra also mentioned a message Van left him.Something about unfinished business.You know anything about that?”
Bateman’s brow furrowed but he nodded.“All the Pathfinders have a message to loved ones we pass on in the event of our deaths—if anything happened to Van, I was to reach out to his brother who turned out to be Ezra.Said he’d know what to do.”He looked at the others.“Three days after Van died, I sent a message.Just one line.The key is where it should be.The answer is yes.Now go find yours.”
“That was the message?”Ricky asked, startled.
Bateman nodded.“Van’s words.I just passed them on.”
Kai, on the monitor, leaned forward.“Then you set him on the path.He used that message to pull the first thread.From there, my guess would be that he tracked a sequence of clues left for him by Van.It would have had to be something that only Ezra could decipher.”
“You’ve been following him?”Bateman asked.
“Only the echoes,” Kai said.“Ezra checked in once, three weeks ago.Said he was closing in on something in Tirana.Asked for intel on Mirsad Kavaci—arms broker with ties to Bratya and child trafficking channels.Said he thought Van was after Kavaci before he died.”
“Sounds about right.I’ll send you what we have,” Bateman looked at the team.“We spin up in six hours.Dale, Hogan, prep logistics.Marsh, pull everything we’ve got on Kavaci and that clinic.Ricky—” Ricky looked up.“—don’t make this personal.”
Too late, he thought.But he nodded anyway.
“Kai—” Bateman turned back to the screen.“Many thanks brother, but I have one more favor to ask.Can you support us on the ground?”
Kai hesitated.“Possibly, but I’ve got limited intel.I can relay locations, contacts, safehouse coords.I’m still shadowing Kavaci’s routes.But that’s about it.”
“I’ll take it.Be in touch.”Bateman disconnected the call.
They moved.Splitting off with purpose.Marsh hesitated only a second before stepping into Ricky’s path.
“You still going solo in your head?”he asked.
Ricky dropped his gaze and shook his head.“Not anymore.”
“Good.”Marsh’s voice dropped.“You and me—we’re still not righteous.But I’m not letting you walk into that fire alone.Not again.”
“I’ll take it,” Ricky murmured.
It wasn’t forgiveness.But it was movement toward it.And that was enough—for now.
****
The Gulfstream slicedthrough the night over the Adriatic, engines purring, the drone almost musical.Outside, the dark ocean stretched in all directions, lights of the Balkans a distant promise on the horizon.Inside, the cabin was hushed—leather seats, polished wood paneling, the soft whine of filtered air, and high-altitude silence.
