Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 108242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“If you don’t make it—”
“It’s a big deal. I want to be there.”
“Okay.” I hear the smile in her voice. “Well, I have to go now. It’s still really early here, but Mena will be up soon. I’m going for a run and then making her breakfast for a change.”
“Tell her I said hi. I love you. It needs to be Tuesday really soon.”
“We don’t have to say that anymore,” she says, laughing.
“I know, but I just like it.”
“Bye, you.”
“Bye, you.”
I need to focus. Kimba really did send me a huge stack of policy notes. She wants me prepared for this interview. I already know they’ll ask about Nix and me. There’s no paper for that. Everyone does these days. Not in the “dirty little secret” way they used to. Now they want to know if we’re engaged yet. Will she be my first lady if I win this thing?
Who the hell knows?
It’s an act of faith, tabling our marriage discussion but moving forward on the trail. Maybe she’ll warm to the idea of reshaping what the role of first lady could look like. I won’t rush her. It is a huge sacrifice. Hell, if I win, I can’t run my businesses while I’m in office. I built those from the ground up. The thought of someone else steering them, shaping them while I’m away, is galling. But I meant what I said. I’m running because I believe I can change things.
The door opens as I’m reviewing a few immigration laws that really do need to be struck from the books.
“Grim,” I say. “Didn’t your mama teach you to knock?”
“I think you’ll be more interested in what I have for you than in my manners,” he says dryly but with just enough excitement in the undercurrent of his voice to catch my attention.
“What’ve you got?”
“Him,” Grim says simply.
My head snaps up, and I pin him with my stare. “Gregory? You got a lead on him?”
“Not just a lead. I know exactly where he is. I’ve got eyes on him, King.”
“How?”
“We found the rat.”
“How?”
“I’ll let Wallace tell you,” he says, dialing on his phone and coming around my desk so I can see. Wallace comes onscreen. He hasn’t been around much since our confrontation at Lennix’s apartment. Lennix and I have been on the road most of the time, first for Owen, then to Wyoming, and then for my campaign.
“Hey, Maxim,” he says. It looks like he’s home, based on the bedroom visible behind him.
“Wallace, how’d this happen?”
“Uh, yeah.” He rubs his eyes. “There’s this tech on my team, Chauncey. When I got back to work after Costa Rica, he was acting weird. Really weird. Missing work, checked out. Not at all like he was before my trip. Then he requested a transfer not long after I returned. CamTech never told anyone about the abduction, but he just kept watching me and gave me a sneaky vibe. So I gave Grim Chauncey’s information.”
“We cross-referenced him with what we knew about Keene to see if there were any intersections,” Grim says, “and there were. They were at Stanford together. A search of Chauncey’s home computer revealed some interesting payments that synced with several K&R incidents we suspect the Keene brothers may have been behind. Looks like he hacked into their systems for intel, but CamTech was the only company he infiltrated as an employee.”
“Did you get a warrant to search his place?” I ask, frowning.
“No, he was the victim of an ‘unfortunate home invasion,’” Grim says, tongue firmly in cheek. “While the burglars were at it, they tapped his phone.”
“Nice.” I fist-bump him.
“And then the day CamTech turned the vaccine files over to the CDC—”
“So they finally did it?” I cut in.
“They did, yeah.” Wallace nods. “And our whole team knew because it essentially ends our research for now. We’ve been reassigned to a different project.”
“So as soon as CamTech notified the team,” Grim says, “we intercepted a text message between our rat and an untraceable number. The text didn’t give any detail about Keene’s whereabouts, but I had enough to question him.” Grim’s grin is evil. “Unofficially, of course. You know it doesn’t take long to break these weak motherfuckers. Barely took any pressure, a few threats, and he gave up Keene’s location. Sang like a bird.”
“Where is he?” I ask, fists clenched and heart pounding with dark anticipation.
“Oklahoma City,” Wallace answers, wearing a concerned frown and watching me carefully.
The world slows down, every second covered in tar. I can barely get my tongue to move. “Lennix is in Oklahoma.”
“I know.” A tortured scowl twists Wallace’s even features. “If anything happens to her—”
“She’s safe,” Grim interjects. “Her security has her covered.”
“You best be damn sure about that, brother,” I say, my voice low and promising so much hell to pay if she’s not.