usually so buttoned-up. “You know why I have to do this. Just follow orders. Keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. For your sake?”
“Yes, sir.”
It should have been Ash’s job to bring down Viktor Heinrich. Not sitting on the sidelines watching his second-in-command take over leadership of his team. He hadn’t spoken directly to Calder or Reese since they’d left Argentina. Neither of them would talk to him. Hell, maybe Landry told them to back off. That Ash was a lost cause and would drag them down with him.
He dropped the phone from his ear and looked down at the offending item. Waiting for the wave of pissed-off to pass, he gathered his thoughts and dialed Tyke.
Get a grip, man. Do your job.
As usual, Bryan Tyke picked up on the first ring. “What’ve you got?”
“Not much. Yet,” he said, knowing Tyke would question his ability to collect intel. “We’re getting close. I had a run-in with a Vamp this morning. Went after a woman on the street.”
“Shit,” Tyke hissed. Tyke might be a big mean bastard, but when it came to protecting the innocent, there was no one more devoted.
“There’s been no sign of Heinrich. But I just got here, so there’s time.”
“He’s been active at his compound,” Tyke said. “Adding extra security. It looks like the drop’s gonna happen there. Sawyer said his team hasn’t seen anything out of the ordinary at Heinrich’s house. You got anything else?”
Ash ran down the events of the last twenty-four hours, making sure to call out that he’d be paying a visit to Club Hell. He figured that fell within the purview of observation. If the Vamper said he got his stash at Club Hell, then Ash was going to check out the place and see what else he could learn about Heinrich’s operations.
As for Heinrich himself, all of his activity had been at his compound in Upper Marlboro, a city about thirty minutes east of Washington, DC. Tyke and the boys had that covered. And Sawyer and his team were watching Heinrich’s house in Alexandria, VA. The mission was to figure out Heinrich’s plan for Vamp and who his supplier was. Heinrich was expecting a large amount of Vamp in the coming weeks, and they needed to be ready to nail the son of a bitch and his supplier. Or at least Tyke, Calder, and Reese needed to be ready. All Ash was good for was stopping annoying blondes from getting themselves shot.
Knowing him too well, Tyke said, “Remember, Coop, you’re hands-off. Don’t try to be the hero because you need to prove yourself. Let me know what you find. Reese, Calder, and I will move in if needed. This isn’t your fight anymore.”
But it should be! His fist tightened on the phone as he made an incoherent sound like a grunt. He glared out the kitchen window into his small yard. The fence between his property and Blondie’s leaned, ready to fall if a stiff breeze pushed it. He’d have to remember to fix it before he left. He sure as hell didn’t want to give her another reason to bitch at him.
“Look, man, I’m just following orders,” Tyke said. “Remember those? That’s what got you in this situation in the first place. Director Landry said you’re stuck there doing bullshit work until you get your head on right. That’s the way it is. You knew that when you signed on. You made a decision; you gotta live with the consequences.”
Another grunt.
“You’re pissed off, I get it. You think I’m happy with the way things went down? Hell, you know I’d turn the reins over to you today if I could. Do us both a favor and fly right. Then things can go back to normal. Got me?”
A huffed grumble was all Ash could produce in response.
Tyke took a deep breath and let it out in a quick rush. “Like talking to a goddamn brick wall. It’s Buenos Aires all over again.”
Ash sucked air into his lungs with a sharp hiss.
“That got your attention, didn’t it, asshole? Remember that while you’re out in the field not following orders.” Before Ash
“Yes, sir.”
It should have been Ash’s job to bring down Viktor Heinrich. Not sitting on the sidelines watching his second-in-command take over leadership of his team. He hadn’t spoken directly to Calder or Reese since they’d left Argentina. Neither of them would talk to him. Hell, maybe Landry told them to back off. That Ash was a lost cause and would drag them down with him.
He dropped the phone from his ear and looked down at the offending item. Waiting for the wave of pissed-off to pass, he gathered his thoughts and dialed Tyke.
Get a grip, man. Do your job.
As usual, Bryan Tyke picked up on the first ring. “What’ve you got?”
“Not much. Yet,” he said, knowing Tyke would question his ability to collect intel. “We’re getting close. I had a run-in with a Vamp this morning. Went after a woman on the street.”
“Shit,” Tyke hissed. Tyke might be a big mean bastard, but when it came to protecting the innocent, there was no one more devoted.
“There’s been no sign of Heinrich. But I just got here, so there’s time.”
“He’s been active at his compound,” Tyke said. “Adding extra security. It looks like the drop’s gonna happen there. Sawyer said his team hasn’t seen anything out of the ordinary at Heinrich’s house. You got anything else?”
Ash ran down the events of the last twenty-four hours, making sure to call out that he’d be paying a visit to Club Hell. He figured that fell within the purview of observation. If the Vamper said he got his stash at Club Hell, then Ash was going to check out the place and see what else he could learn about Heinrich’s operations.
As for Heinrich himself, all of his activity had been at his compound in Upper Marlboro, a city about thirty minutes east of Washington, DC. Tyke and the boys had that covered. And Sawyer and his team were watching Heinrich’s house in Alexandria, VA. The mission was to figure out Heinrich’s plan for Vamp and who his supplier was. Heinrich was expecting a large amount of Vamp in the coming weeks, and they needed to be ready to nail the son of a bitch and his supplier. Or at least Tyke, Calder, and Reese needed to be ready. All Ash was good for was stopping annoying blondes from getting themselves shot.
Knowing him too well, Tyke said, “Remember, Coop, you’re hands-off. Don’t try to be the hero because you need to prove yourself. Let me know what you find. Reese, Calder, and I will move in if needed. This isn’t your fight anymore.”
But it should be! His fist tightened on the phone as he made an incoherent sound like a grunt. He glared out the kitchen window into his small yard. The fence between his property and Blondie’s leaned, ready to fall if a stiff breeze pushed it. He’d have to remember to fix it before he left. He sure as hell didn’t want to give her another reason to bitch at him.
“Look, man, I’m just following orders,” Tyke said. “Remember those? That’s what got you in this situation in the first place. Director Landry said you’re stuck there doing bullshit work until you get your head on right. That’s the way it is. You knew that when you signed on. You made a decision; you gotta live with the consequences.”
Another grunt.
“You’re pissed off, I get it. You think I’m happy with the way things went down? Hell, you know I’d turn the reins over to you today if I could. Do us both a favor and fly right. Then things can go back to normal. Got me?”
A huffed grumble was all Ash could produce in response.
Tyke took a deep breath and let it out in a quick rush. “Like talking to a goddamn brick wall. It’s Buenos Aires all over again.”
Ash sucked air into his lungs with a sharp hiss.
“That got your attention, didn’t it, asshole? Remember that while you’re out in the field not following orders.” Before Ash
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