Page 47 of Fire and Ice

Jack clenched his jaw. She was calling Viktor again. Fuck Viktor.

"Viktor," Maia said. "You better have your backup plan. ... yes... Tanner has a video of the whole freaking incident... surveillance across the street... a bank. Well I didn't think about it and besides it'd be worse if I broke into a bank... "

Maia laughed. How could she laugh at a time like this, did she think she was anuntouchable? Jack thought.

"... I'll see if I can get you a copy ... yeah... yeah... I owe you for this ... bye."

Maia turned back to Rick. "My associate says five minutes."

"So tell me something," Rick said. "That day at the beach, that was all an act right?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" Maia replied sarcastically.

"Was deadly force necessary or were you paying them back for what they did to you at the beach?" Rick shot back.

"They were armed with assault rifles. They were going to shoot Kyle."

"It looked like you goaded them to strike you."

"Tell me, Rick, would you let a seventeen-year-old boy have his entire life fucked up while you stood by and did nothing? Because that was what's going to happen if they shot out his knee caps."

"I get that, damn it Maia, I get that," Rick muttered. "But I'm trying to figure out how to handle this evidence."

"Has anybody else seen it?" Jack asked.

"No," Rick admitted. "But I can hardly look the other way." To Maia, he asked, "You really thinking your buddy can get you out of this?"

And Jack wondered the same thing. What will the great Viktor Baran pull out of his magic hat now?

Rick Tanner's phone started ringing. His brows furrowed and so did Jack's.

"Tanner," Rick said. His stunned eyes suddenly swiveled across to Maia, who was smirking. "Sir? But sir... "

Jack watched Rick's face turn red while whoever was on the other line lit into him.

Damn, what's going on?

"Ah... yes sir... that might be complicated... no one else at the station has seen it. I'll find a way to take care of it." Rick ended the call and shook his phone aggressively at Maia.

"You knew?" Rick bit out accusingly.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Yes, detective, whatisgoing on?" Maia asked sweetly.

Rick glowered at Maia, looking like he wanted to throttle her. Jack knew he'd had the same urge a few times.

"Jig's up anyway," Rick sighed and then looked at Jack. "I'm not a detective. I'm DEA. Name's Richard Grayson."

"What?" Jack whispered incredulously.

Shifting his gaze to Maia, Rick said, "I've been ordered to stand down and clean up this mess since you and I will be partnering against the Russian."

This wiped the smirk off of Maia's face.

Rick grinned, enjoying the swift payback. "I'll see your sweet ass in Baltimore soon. Looking forward to it." Glancing back at Jack who was now seething with displeasure, "Looks like your houseguest here has been keeping too many secrets from you if your reaction is anything to go by. I'll let her explain."

With that, Richard "Rick" Grayson packed up and left.

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