Page 35

Noah let out a long breath, his resolve hardening. “Alright. But we do this my way. We need solid evidence—something that’ll stick in court.”

Luke nodded. “I’ll keep digging on Fairchild and his operations. This is going to get messy.”

Noah’s voice was low and steady. “Messy I can handle. But if Ruth gets caught in the crossfire, all bets are off.”

Luke held his gaze. “I wouldn’t have come to you if I thought anyone else could handle this. I want to keep Ruth safe. From everything I can see, she’s not involved in any of this.”

Noah glared at him. “Okay. What’s the plan?”

Luke glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot before leaning in. “Cameras. Recording in here?”

Noah shook his head. “No.”

“Fairchild’s in Florida right now, making arrangements for the first shipment. He’s already livid that his accountant betrayed him and handed evidence over to the state. That means he’s looking to clean house. And I just got word there’s an opening higher up the security chain.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “An opening?” He wasn’t sharing he had the accountant’s files, not that they had given him anything yet.

Luke gave a humorless smile. “No one quits Fairchild unless they’re sick or dead. My guess? Someone didn’t hold the line, and Fairchild either made or will make an example out of them.” He sat back. “That’s my in. I’ve been told I could have some time off before stepping up. I’m getting closer.”

Noah nodded. “And once you’re in?”

Luke’s expression hardened. “Fairchild keeps everything in his study—his books, his deals, his personal journal. A record of everything he does. If I can get access to that, I can tie him directly to the shipment. I can put him at the scene.”

Noah folded his arms. “That’s enough for gun trafficking. But wire fraud?—”

“—is where you come in,” Luke finished. “If we can prove he’s been falsifying records, laundering money through fake shell accounts, or tampering with transactions, you’ve got him on federal charges. And that sticks even if he finds a way to weasel out of the gun charges. And I’m hoping his journal will tell us who else is dirty.” He exhaled. “I’ve closed the circle of trust. I’ve gone dark, with a couple of exceptions. The two men killed were friends.”

Noah ran a hand over his jaw, thinking. “This is high-risk, Luke. If he gets even a whiff that you’re working against him?—”

“I know,” Luke cut him off. “But this is the best shot I’ve got. And I need to move before he locks everything down.”

Noah exhaled. He didn’t like it—but he couldn’t argue with the logic. After making arrangements for how he could contact Luke, he watched him leave the building. Then he took a walk outside and filled Alex in on what Luke had revealed.

“So, Grant’s compromised,” Alex said, rubbing his temples. “And Brandt’s his nephew? Jesus. How deep does this go?”

“Deep enough,” Noah replied grimly. “Fairchild’s got his claws in Grant. Luke’s sure there is someone else in the firm but not sure who. Ruth’s caught in the middle, and she doesn’t even know it. I have over a thousand of Hilton’s files on a thumb drive that are either written in some kind of code that I can’t figure out, or they are straightforward accounting records that all add up, which means we have nothing.”

“Why would Hilton give us simple accounting records?” Alex shrugged.

“Why would he give me a damn thumb drive and not tell me what’s in them, and let me put him in protective custody?” Noah blew out a breath.

“You said he was squirrelly. Maybe it was Fairchild’s way of making the state go in circles?”

Noah glared at his friend. “Luke said he’s pissed about his accountant’s betrayal.”

Alex leaned on a railing, his expression serious. “And Luke? Can you trust him?”

Noah hesitated before answering, “Yeah, as far as the gunrunning goes. I didn’t tell him we have Hilton’s files. We worked together on that Kansas City sting. He’s solid.”

Alex nodded, his gaze steady. “Then let’s make sure we figure out what’s hidden in Hilton’s files. It may also solve the gunrunning.”

Noah’s jaw tightened as he turned back to the building. Protecting Ruth had just become more than persona—it was a mission. And he wasn’t about to fail.

Alex studied Noah for a moment, his expression shifting from curiosity to something more pointed. “You’re running on fumes. Let me work this. I’ll dig into Luke Andrews, cross-check his connections, and loop in Brad if it pans out. The Viper Lords are a dangerous group. We saw their involvement in Izzy’s kidnapping. You, my friend, need to go home and get some sleep.”

Noah glanced at Alex. “I’m fine,” he said, though the slight sag in his posture betrayed him.

Alex snorted. “Sure you are.” He grinned, adding, “Speaking of Ruth, Ethan’s having people over for New Year’s Eve. It’s just a small thing at his place—food, drinks, no pressure. Why don’t you come? You’ll see her again.”