Till Death: Deep Six Security Series Book 1 (12 page)

Gray heaved a sigh, and shoved a hand through his hair. Pushing his chair back, he stood and gathered up the reports he’d been studying.  “If Dex is out, I’m out too.  I’ll get all the loose ends tied up on your accounting, before I leave.”

Dave’s gaze swung to Susan.  “You leaving too?”

Susan looked at Dex and Gray who were both waiting for her response.  She knew she had to do something fast.  Measure her words, make them count, or this situation was going to get very, very bad.  Worse than it was.  “No, of course I’m not leaving.  But I’m made of sturdier stuff than them,” Susan said tossing a thumb over her shoulder at the guys.  “It’ll take more than an inconsiderate asshole to run me off.  Besides I’m a woman of my word.  I said I’d help you with this project and that’s what I’m going to do.  Afterwards though, I will take
great pleasure
in telling you goodbye.” 

Logan looked a little surprised that she’d thrown his words back in his face.  Those muscle ticks started in his face again, as he ground his jaw.  “Inconsiderate asshole?” he repeated in a low, lethal tone.

“How many times do I have to call you that before it sinks in?” Susan laughed.  “If the hole fits, wear it, bucko.”

“It definitely fits,” Dex agreed, which relieved Susan a little.  If he was talking, he wasn’t walking.  No matter if he was blasting the man who was running him off.

“I’m more inclined to say abrasive asshole is a better description,” Gray added thoughtfully.  More progress.

“Blind works too,” Dex added, and Susan saw a little of the tension in his body fade.  Now, they were on a roll, and her shoulders relaxed a little.

“Arrogant,” Susan filled to keep them going, which got a snicker from both men that made her smile.

“Ignorant,” Dex supplied, with a dry laugh.

“
Enough!
” Dave shouted, shooting to his feet to slam his palms down on the table.  “Y’all aren’t exactly a pleasure to work with sometimes either.  In fact, it’s downright frustrating most of the time.”

“Once I’m gone, I’m sure your life will be a lot easier.  But think of me when you’re stuck in the field on a job without the tools you need to do it.  Let’s see how frustrated you are then,” Dex grated, his face turning as red as his Nerd Power t-shirt.  Shaking his head, he walked through the door.

“I’m also sure you will be a lot more frustrated when you have to hire two people to do the job I’ve been doing for you too,” Gray chimed in following behind Dex.

“Is it lunchtime yet?  I need a fucking drink,” Dave growled getting up from the table.

“What you need is to apologize to your men.  Those guys are your team, Logan, the reason your company is so successful.  They’re about to go, and you can’t let that happen because of your damned ego.” Susan stood and walked over to put her hand on his forearm.  “I know you’re busy, but you need to let them know you appreciate their contributions around here.   They do what they do for you because they care about you.  They’re good men, the kind who would have your back even if you weren’t signing their paycheck.  Men like that are hard to find.  Trust me, I know.  My guys at the bureau would’ve just as soon put a knife in my back as look at me.”

Dave muscles tensed as he dropped his head.  “You’re right, I can’t lose any of them,” he said sounding very defeated now.  “They’re like my brothers.  This place would crumble.  I can’t afford it right now, but I’ll give them a raise.”

“It’s not about money, Logan.  It’s about appreciation.  Just go talk to them—and apologize.  You were in the military, you know about morale.  Morale is at rock bottom around here.  Do something to raise the morale of your team.  At the very least, give them today off.  It’s Sunday.  Everything will still be there tomorrow, except them if you don’t do something.”  Logan nodded, and Susan blew out a breath.  She patted his arm. “You take care of that and I’m going to get me a sandwich, I’m starving.  Then I’m going to take a nice long bubble bath.  That is what you do on Sundays.”

Dave leaned on the conference room table and just breathed for a second.  That was something he didn’t do often. Breathe.  He was always on the hunt for something.  A killer,  a thief, a gangster, his next case. One day ran into the next in that chase, so weekends didn’t mean much to him.  That probably wasn’t the case for his men.  Everyone had a life except for him.  And pushing them as hard as he did probably interfered with that.  What had worked for him as a Marine, obviously wasn’t translating well to civilian life. 

These guys had hung with him six years, he had to give that to them.  But it looked like his team, his friends, had finally had enough.  It was time to change his methods or he was going to lose them, and probably Deep Six too.  Sure he led them, but Susan was right, those men were Deep Six.  He couldn’t function without them, so he better kick his brain into gear to come up with something to make them stay. 
It’s not about money, it’s about appreciation
.   

That made it doubly difficult to fix the situation.   Throwing money at things to fix them was easy. 
Morale is at rock bottom around here.  Do something to raise the morale of your team.
 

How in the hell had the Barracuda, a woman who was known for abrasiveness by her colleagues, come into his office and figure things out so quickly? 

It was easy being on the outside looking in.  And why in the hell did she have to be right?

He was an asshole.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Men were the strangest animals on the planet, Susan thought, as she dressed in her yoga pants in the laundry room the next morning.  The men of Deep Six Security were the strangest of them all.  This morning she’d seen Dex in the kitchen and he was smiling as he made a bowl of cereal.  Gray was still sleeping according to Dex, and they were to gather in the conference room at nine for a meeting.  When she slipped out of the suite a few minutes ago, Dave’s door was still closed, so Susan hadn’t knocked.

Last night, it seemed the men who had been on the verge of killing each other earlier yesterday had settled their differences over a battle in a war game video on the big screen television in the living room, which lasted for hours.  Susan knew this because she’d passed through the darkened living room several times and heard their curses, shouts and the explosions on the screen.  While she washed and dried Logan’s sheets, made herself a sandwich and a glass of wine, Susan had held out hope that Logan would stop her on one of those passes to give her some indication he wanted her in his bed last night.  There was no way she was going to assume anything and make a fool of herself. 

But Logan hadn’t even seemed to notice she was there, so after she finished making his bed, she went into the spare bedroom and passed out.  Susan had no idea what time he came into the suite, but he hadn’t bothered her in the spare room.  That told her she’d made the right decision, and her question was answered.  Their time yesterday had been a one-time thing. 

Going into the meeting Dave had called this morning at nine was going to be damned uncomfortable.  They’d had sex—screaming hot sex.  And everyone in the office knew it.  The white elephant could just pound peanuts.  Susan was just going to have to pretend it didn’t happen, and focus on the job.  She’d get through this mission, and move on.  But to do that she had to call and schedule those interviews that Logan had arranged for her, and one she had happened onto herself with the Department of Justice. 

Susan went back to the spare room to get her cell phone, then sat in the conference room and checked her email, found the message that Dave had sent her with the names of his contacts.  She called and scheduled one appointment for Wednesday and two for Thursday, feeling a sense of accomplishment when she hung up the phone.  She and Dave were going shopping that afternoon with the consultant to outfit themselves for the mission, so Susan would just make sure to get something appropriate to wear to the interviews.  Like Logan had guessed, all Susan had at home were the baggy black suits she wore at the agency, and those wouldn’t do. 

“Your car is here, Snapper,” Slade said as he walked into the conference room and tossed her the keys.  Lola followed him inside, and he took a seat at the end of the table.  “You really should clean out those fast food bags from the floor board,” he said with a laugh.  “Especially if you’re smoking again. You’ll torch the thing.”

“I’m not smoking again,” Susan said.

He shrugged and scratched Lola between the ears.  “Sure looked that way to me from the half pack in the console.”

“I, ah…was nervous before I broke into the school.”

Slade guffawed.  “I’d have loved to be a fly on the wall to watch that operation.”

“It wasn’t pretty,” Susan said feeling her face heat.

“Well, I bought you some popsicles and blow pops to convince you to give it up again.”

Because he cared about her, and wanted her around.  Slade knew that Dave would fire her if she smoked.  Susan was touched that he cared enough to do that for her.  “That’s the sweetest damned thing anyone has done for me in a while, Slade. Thank you.”

The big man shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.  “Popsicles, aka my apology for the other day, are in the freezer,” he said, standing to shove his hand into the pocket of his drab green pants.  When he pulled it out he had a fistful of blow pops that looked like multi-colored candy flowers. 

Susan’s heart wiggled in her chest, as she stood to take them, and she stepped forward to give him a hug.  “Thanks for caring, Slade.”

“What the hell are you doing, Slade?” Logan grumbled as he walked into the room.

“You scheduled a meeting at nine—it’s after nine,” he replied snarkily, as his big body tensed and he pushed her away.  Dex walked into the room followed by Gray. 

“You’re late,” Dave grumbled, and Susan groaned.  

So much for their truce, she thought, as she sat back in her chair.  Dex’s smile faded, and the corners of Gray’s mouth turned down as they took their seats.  Susan peeled the paper from one of her blow pops and shoved it into her mouth before she could say anything.  Any progress Logan had made last night was gone just that fast.

When Logan looked up his eyes fixed on her mouth and he frowned.  “Lose the fucking sucker,” he ordered gruffly, before he flipped open his file.  He looked at Dex.  “What did you find?”

“Well, first—I found out GenMax is a drug under development at the school—” Dex started but Logan held up a hand.

“Tell me what you found out about the clinic first.  Our
paying
case,” Logan said shooting Susan a hot look. 

Susan picked up her phone, and angrily pushed buttons, texting Logan. 
You’re being an asshole again
.  Dave’s phone chirped in his pocket.  He pulled it out, read her message and his jaw worked as his eyes met hers.  She lifted an eyebrow, and he frowned as his eyes dropped to her mouth.  Susan saw the purposeful shift in his mood when he looked back at Dex.  Mission accomplished she thought smugly, as she laid her phone back on the table to cross her arms.

“You said this was priority, so I made it one,” Dex replied angrily.  He glanced at Susan, before dragging his eyes back to Logan.  “The GenMax Project’s stated mission is to develop an experimental drug at the Wellington School of Science.  The drug is to treat women with endometrial problems.”  When the men at the table looked confused, Dex clarified, “Female reproductive problems.”  He flipped through the file folder in front of him, and pulled out a document.  “I found the contract on the server at the school, and apparently the young women who include themselves in the project participate in a clinical trial to test the drug.  They are paid to participate, or their tuition is forgiven in exchange for participating.”

“My sister doesn’t have those kinds of problems,” Susan interjected.   

Jenna was healthy as a horse.  Susan always made sure she reminded her to have her annuals.  But then it seemed Jenna had been keeping things hidden from her, so who knew.  If that was the case, in a weird way it made Susan feel better.  At least maybe the project she was participating in was to help her not harm her.  That could be why she was sick too.  Maybe it was a case of getting worse before you get better.

Dex set that paper aside to pull another out of his folder.  “This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either.  According to the project contributors list, some of the same players we found on the roster of principals for Ardmore Genetics Group are individual contributors to this project.  Mostly, the international players.  I’m having a little difficulty getting background information on them because they’re Slavs and Italians.  This is a very well-funded project.”

“It would be, it’s an elite private college,” Logan commented.

Gray, who was sitting beside Susan, frowned.  “The question I have is why would players who own a clinical group that specializes in providing genetic material to make designer babies want to fund a project trying to cure fertility problems?  It seems that would be bad for business.”

“Very good point,” Dave said, and his brows knitted.

“I agree with Dex,” Gray said thoughtfully.  “A business is not going to dump that kind of money into a program unless they are getting something in return.”

“Sorry, I’m late, boss,” Mac apologized as he rushed into the room.  “Had to drop my son off at school this morning.  I have information on the surrogate,” he said as he took the seat at the end of the table.  “Francesca Torno is from Oratino, Italy,” he blurted, finally taking a deep breath.  Susan couldn’t help but notice how agitated he was, and wonder if he’d had a bad time with his son this weekend, or something.  “I found her exit visa from five years ago, and it was only a ninety-day work visa.  It showed her employer was Ardmore Genetics Group.  The visa has not been renewed, so if she’s still here, she’s not here legally.  But the good news is her passport has not been used to leave the country, so, illegal or not, she’s still here.  The guard list didn’t give any conclusive answers.  I got nothing from researching the security contractor other than they do a lot of work in Jersey protecting a known mobster and his casino, and in Texas with that fertility clinic.  That would make them a very close-mouthed group.”

“It definitely would.  Close-mouthed or dead,” Dave agreed with a short bark of laughter.  “Are you saying that clinic is being protected by mobsters?”

“That’s kind of what it looks like, boss,” Mac said with a twist of his lips.

“This gets better and better.  The mob is moving into Texas,” Dave said with a shake of his head.  “What I want to know is why?  Those Goombas typically only buzz around when there’s something illegal going on.”

“Well they’re definitely buzzing around that clinic,” Mac said with a shrug.  “The only way you’re going to find out why is to get inside.  And the only way you’re going to get info on what happened to that surrogate is -”

“To get inside,” Dave filled in with a huffed breath.  “I get it, Mac.  Susan and I are going inside, as soon as we become Mr. and Mrs. David Lawrence.”

Gray slid a paper toward Dave and he took it and looked it over.  “I’ve discovered the clinic in Brownsville isn’t the only clinic in the Ardmore Genetics Group.  There are several others—two in Mexico, two in Greece, one in Italy and another in Russia.  The Group’s main office is located in Rome, they have accounts in all those countries, including the US, but the money is quickly transferred out to the main account in Rome.  We’re talking a lot of money…billions.  It appears the baby-making business is booming,” Gray said with a shrug, then looked at Dex.  “You may want to access their server and see what you get.  Maybe the Rome office is where the main personnel records are located.”

A loud gong-type sound echoed through the office.  “That has to be Cherry Branch,” Dave said as he grabbed his cell phone, pushed a button, studied it a moment, then pushed more buttons.  Without looking at anyone in general, he gathered his papers and stood.  “Y’all do more digging.  Susan and I have an appointment.”

“Cherry?” Susan repeated, pulling her cherry-flavored sucker out of her mouth.

“Our image consultant, sweet cheeks,” Dave supplied with a grin.  “Dex, I need you to get busy on setting up our cover for Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence today.  Put on your track shoes, Mrs. Lawrence.  It’s time for us to shop til we drop, and time for you to practice for your role. Remember,
Bunny
is docile, obedient and submissive.”

Susan choked on spit from the sucker.  She pulled it out of her mouth to beat on her chest with her fist.  Gasping she looked back at him to ask, “Did you just say Bunny?”

“Oh, yeah.  That’s Dave Lawrence’s nickname for his lovely trophy wife.”

***

Susan wasn’t sure who she would throat punch first—Dave Logan or Cherry Blossom Branch.  She knew the woman’s middle name, because the former beauty queen introduced herself using not only her full name, but her former national beauty title, Miss American Beauty, when they met her at the compound. 

As soon as they got into the Hummer for the trip to the mall, Cherry had latched onto Logan.  Susan had been relegated to the back seat for the drive, supposedly so Cherry could speak with Dave about his needs, which must be beauty-queen-speak for blathering and flirting, because that’s what she’d done the whole fucking trip to the mall.  By the time they got to the mall, Susan was almost in a sugar coma from the woman’s syrupy sweet drawl and manners.  Logan on the other hand had lapped it all up like honey, like Susan was sure he’d love to lap up the beauty queen too.  They even walked arm in arm to the mall entrance, leaving Susan to trail behind them like a third wheel on a date. 

Cherry Blossom Branch was probably Logan’s normal type of woman.  A petite, beautiful airhead who dressed nice, looked pretty, and agreed with everything he said.  Well, for two hours now, Logan had what amounted to filet mignon for his ego.  The small blonde hung onto his every word, laughed at things he said that definitely weren’t funny, and stuck to his side like she was wallpapered there.  All Susan had been doing was trying on frilly, tight, totally inappropriate clothes selected for her by the beauty queen.

Cherry could have him, Susan thought grumpily, as she snatched the clothes a disembodied hand shoved through the dressing room curtain.  They could have each other, because Susan sure didn’t want a man like that.  That stupid airhead needed someone to direct her, tell her what she needed to think, do and feel.  Susan would never let a man treat her that way.  She had a brain and could make her own decisions.

Then why the hell was she here letting the airhead tell her what she should wear?  Because the one thing Susan did need direction on was being a woman.  The beauty queen had that down in spades, and Susan didn’t like it, but she needed her help.

Sorting through the clothes, she tossed aside shirts with ruffles and bows, which seemed to be what Cherry chose for her, then flung a pair of knit pants that would cling like plastic wrap to her body on top of them.  She looked at the length on the remaining slacks, and huffed out a frustrated breath.  This woman was evidently shopping for herself, not Susan.  Susan parted the curtain.  “I told you I need extra length, Cherry,” she growled, sticking the hanger through the curtain.  “
Not
fucking petite.”