Justice: A Billionaire Romance by Lauren Landish Page A

for this shit."
    Mark shrugged. "I'm a generation behind and don't have your skill with the new tech that you have, but I've got a little bit left in this body."
    "That can be better used in City Hall than on the rooftops of Filmore Heights," I retorted. “You know that one-on-one in the dojo you can still hang with me, and you could probably take Riley for the next few weeks until he's back in top condition, but that's different than an alley fight."
    "I know," Mark said, frustrated. "Sometimes though, it's appealing. Trust me, the real rats are still in City Hall, even if the rat catcher is now in charge."
    "So how do we get information on Mr. Clean?" I asked, changing the subject back to the matter at hand. It wouldn't help Mark or me to let our attention drift to matters that we couldn't control. "They're not scared enough of Andi and I to give up the information we need."
    "Or you're just not applying the pressure to the right people," Mark replied. "In the old days, I had the advantage of already knowing the entire system of the Confederation and Owen Lynch before I started my war. I was able to cut the head off the snake quickly. But later on, when the Yakuza tried to infiltrate again in the remains of the old Han network, I had to start at the lower ranks again and chase my way up the chain. It's harder, it's uglier, and it's more dangerous."
    "So where do we start?" I asked. "The only thing we know for sure is that they want the pharmacies shut down for some reason, and that they're most likely bringing in a new drug. The obvious areas for application would be observation on the pharmacies in Filmore and the Playground, and monitor the Docks. With increased gang activity in that area, it’s most likely that they'd try to bring in their product over the ocean."
    Mark thought, then shook his head. "That's good, but I've got a gut feeling that the Docks are a feint. Something about the way this Mr. Clean has operated so far, he knows what he’s doing. I'd put more surveillance and resources on the airport instead."
    I nodded. Mark didn't override my ideas often, and usually they were the result of one of his gut feelings, but he was almost always right. "So how can we coordinate this with the police to cover the gaps?"
    "I'm going to talk with Patrick today," Mark said. "He'll talk with the Police Commissioner, get the cops out on the streets covering the Playground more. With Andi's actions there a few days ago, it'll play easy. Also, the crime numbers in the Docks means we can get that area covered more. A little coordination with the Customs people at the Docks will help cover that too. Think you three can cover Filmore Heights and the airport?"
    I nodded. "It's been a while since I've been out to the airport. Maybe a trip out there would be fun."
    "If you do that, send Riley and Andi up to Filmore," Mark said. "And you limit your work at the airport to just intelligence gathering."
    I chuckled. Even though we'd discussed it just the night before, the truth was Andi and Riley never did work well together on patrols, bickering like the siblings they were. Andi had two more years street experience than Riley, who chafed at having to follow his big sister's orders. "That'll be fun. Who gets to handle coms on that one?"
    "I think I'll talk to Sophie about it," Mark said. "The presence of their mother should keep those two in line."
    Mark and I finished our morning routine, and I left the room to find Andrea in the gym, doing her morning workout. "Interns don't have to go in every day," she explained. "So I decided to use the chance to take it easy this morning. How'd the meeting with Dad go?"
    "He wants you and Riley to patrol Filmore Heights tonight while I get to check out the airport," I said. "Think you're up for it?"
    Andrea nodded, jumping up to grab the pull up bar above her head. "You sure Riley is okay with it? After bringing Janet to dinner last night, I figured he'd be anxious to see her again."
    Andrea