G. Moffat - Blindside

Horn smiled, but not like it was funny.

‘No, not like that. They wanted to buy us out. It appealed to them mainly because they would have a manufacturing facility right here inside the US border. They wanted to flood the market.’

‘Would certainly avoid the need to get the product across the border.’

‘Exactly. And they were soldiers too. Or at least the guy we dealt with was.’

‘Brothers in arms crap,’ Grange said.

Horn shrugged.

‘This is still my country and I couldn’t sit by and let it happen.’

‘One thing I don’t understand,’ Hunter said. ‘Where does Johnson fit into this?’

Horn made a face like he thought it was a dumb question.

‘He ran the UK operation. Or at least he did before Seth found out he was taking half the profits for himself. Seth told Butler to kill him.’

Webb looked at Hunter who put his palms up indicating he was done asking questions for now.

‘So, Matt,’ Webb said. ‘What was this all about? I mean, why raising all this money? Are you planning to attack your own country?’

Horn frowned and shook his head.

‘Is that what you think?’

He laughed.

‘What?’ Grange asked.

‘It started off because we were all broke and desperate. After that, they got used to the money. That’s all it was. That’s why they’re selling out to the Mexicans. We’re getting five million dollars in cash.’

‘This is all just about money?’

‘Is there anything else?’

Grange sat back in his seat looking disgusted.

‘So, Matt, what is it that you want from us?’ Webb asked.

Always the pragmatist.

‘To stop it. All of it. I thought I said that already.’

‘But you want a deal. Immunity. For helping us. Am I right?’

‘Whatever. I don’t care any more what happens to me. Just stop it.’

‘How do we do that?’

‘I’m meeting Seth tomorrow morning in town for breakfast. I’ll tell you where and when and you can pick him up with minimum fuss. And I’ll tell you who the others are and where we make the stuff. It’s up in the mountains.’

‘You’ll give us everything?’

‘Sure. I mean, if you want it.’

There was a knock at the door. Grange stood and pulled it open. Cahill was there with Logan.

‘Uh, there’s a detective in Scotland that you guys might want to talk to,’ Cahill said.

Detective Superintendent Liam Moore was a creature of habit. He liked being a Super. It meant that he didn’t have to do the legwork any longer. He could work a solid nine to six most days and leave the late nights to his team. He’d put his shift in when he was younger. He was respected and maybe a little feared. Fear was a good thing for a boss to instil in his team.

Which is why when his wife shook him awake in the middle of the night and stuck the phone on his ear he was not happy. He was less happy when he heard DC Irvine’s voice.

She was such a hard charger. Which was good. And bad.

Bad like now.

‘Sir, I’m sorry to wake you but-’

‘Get to the point.’

‘I have a situation with this drug case.’

A situation. This didn’t sound good. Not one little bit.

‘The thing is, the stuff here looks like it might be the other end of a bigger operation. Run out of Colorado.’

‘The Colorado in America?’

‘Yes.’

‘How did this come up?’

‘It’s kind of a long story.’

‘Can’t you just tell me?’

‘The FBI are involved.’

Moore sat up in bed, pulling the covers off his wife and causing her to grunt at him.

‘Have you spoken to the SCDEA about this?’

‘No. I only just found out.’

Moore looked at the clock by his bed. Whatever time it was, and he wasn’t quite sure, it was too early.

‘The FBI are meeting about it right now.’

‘How do you know this?’

‘Uh…’

Moore waited.

‘That’s part of the long story, sir.’

‘Becky, just tell me, okay? I’m going to find out eventually.’

She told him.

‘We’re not doing anything about this right now,’ he said when she finished.

‘Sir?’

‘It’s the middle of the night and it sounds like the Yanks have their end of things under control.’

‘What about ours?’

‘We can do it better in the morning. I mean, the real morning. When normal people are awake.’

‘Shouldn’t we at least make contact with the FBI? I mean, like, now.’

‘No. I want the SCDEA on board first.’

‘But-’

‘No. Meet me at the office at seven-thirty. Then we’ll work out what to do.’

He didn’t wait for a reply.

Cooper Grange glared at Logan and came back to his seat, Logan thinking: What did I do?

‘Have you been holding back any other information?’ Grange asked Cahill.

‘Were you not listening?’ Logan replied. ‘We only just found out.’

‘That’s what you say.’

‘What? You think there’s some conspiracy of silence?’

Grange leaned forward to speak again but Webb held up a hand, cutting him off.

‘The important thing,’ Webb said, ‘is that we have the information now. We’ve got an opportunity to break up an international operation so we need to make sure we’re all on the same page as to where we go from here. If one of us goes too soon it might tip them off.’

Logan nodded.

‘Can you call over there now?’ Webb asked. ‘So we can make some kind of contact.’

Logan picked up his mobile to dial.

‘No,’ Webb said, pushing the conference phone on the table over to Logan. ‘Use that. The speaker will be much better than on your cell.’

‘Hello?’ Irvine’s voice sounded hesitant when she answered the call.

‘Becky, it’s me again,’ Logan said.

‘Hi, listen-’

‘I’m with the police and FBI agents here in Denver.’

‘Detective Irvine, this is Special Agent Randall Webb of the FBI. I head up the Denver field office.’

‘What can I do for you, Agent Webb?’

‘Mr Finch has explained the connection between our investigations and I thought it would be appropriate if we co-ordinated our activities.’

‘I agree. But the drug investigation isn’t my thing. I mean, I’m just helping out over here.’

‘I see. What do you suggest, then?’

‘I’m going to head into the office now. My boss, Liam Moore, wants me to brief him and then we’ll talk to the SCDEA. The drug squad.’

‘I should probably speak with Detective Moore.’

‘Detective Superintendent. Yes.’

Webb looked at his watch.

‘It’s early for you, Detective Irvine. When should we arrange to speak?’

‘If it’s early for me, it’s late for you.’

‘We work as long as we have to. As I’m sure you do.’

‘Of course. I’m going to get ready and go see my boss. Can I speak to him first and call you back to set something up? We need the SCDEA to be in on the call as well.’

‘Of course. We’ve got, ah, other things to occupy ourselves with in the meantime. Speak soon, Detective.’

The room was quiet after the call. Webb sat back in his seat and looked at Hunter and Collins and then across the table at Logan and Cahill.

‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask both of you to leave again,’ he said, fixing his gaze on Cahill. ‘You understand.’

Logan knew for sure that Cahill would not understand. He waited for his friend’s retort.

‘I mean,’ Webb continued, ‘we have an operation to plan for first thing tomorrow morning and we don’t have much time.’

Cahill stood and Logan thought that, for the first time, his friend was going to go quietly. He started to get up and felt Cahill’s hand on his shoulder pressing him back down into his seat.