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Lachlan glanced at his watch. “Ryder should be up and at his computer now.”
Nathan tapped on his keyboard. Seconds later, Ryder Montague’s face appeared on Nathan’s center monitor.
“Rise and shine, pretty boy,” Nathan greeted the other man with a grin.
Ryder returned the greeting with a slight smile half-hidden behind his white ceramic mug. “Scare any small children lately?”
Nathan slapped his chest. “Moi? I’m the epitome of charming and debonair.”
As much as he enjoyed the banter, Lachlan brought his mates back to the matter at hand. “Were you able to install the tracker on Burkette’s phone?” he asked Ryder.
“Yes, but it took some doing. He doesn’t put it down often. I had to confide in Caleb Varella so he could create a distraction that gave me time to download the tracker.”
Lachlan frowned. Caleb was Ryder’s number two on his security team and a good man, a former Green Beret, but he wasn’t comfortable with anyone else knowing their plans. “Will he keep quiet?”
“I trust him. He’s not a fan of Josh either.” Ryder took a sip from his mug before resuming. “I also did a bit of recon in Josh’s living quarters when he was at the project site and came across another mobile. One that isn’t registered to LAI.”
“A burner, maybe,” Nathan said. “Did you download the tracker on that one, too?”
Ryder nodded. “I’ll send you the number.”
Lachlan gave Ryder his flight information and arrival time into Kabul. “Stay on your contact at customs. I want to know when that shipment clears. You and I will be there waiting to see who picks it up. My working theory is Roshan Haider is using his import-export business to facilitate these shipments through customs and into Khan’s hands. The question is, who is Haider working with? Either someone hacked into LAI’s computer network to clone my system or...” He didn’t want to think about the other alternative.
“Someone inside LAI helped Haider set you up,” Nathan finished for him grimly.
Lachlan rubbed the back of his neck. He must have done something awful in a previous existence for his karma to be this bad. Other than Nathan and Ryder, was there anyone he could trust?
His phone vibrated. He turned it over.Sophia.
The urge to leave the room so he could answer and hear her voice surprised him and made him uneasy. Nothing was more important now than stopping Khan and clearing his name.
Nothing.
He’d get back to her later. She was out with Jared this evening at some Congressman’s party. Even though he knew it was a work event, his blood heated with an emotion he refused to name.
He rechecked his phone. She hadn’t left a message, so it must not have been important. He set the phone to do not disturb and slid it into his coat pocket so it wouldn’t be a further distraction.
“Nathan, I need you to run background checks on everyone at LAI. See if anything unusual pops up.”
Ryder piped up through the video feed. “What do we do if Josh is the one who shows up at customs to accept the weapons?”
“Part of me wants to record him accepting the shipment and then follow him to see where the weapons are delivered, but I can’t let them fall into Khan’s hands,” Lachlan replied. “If it’s Burkette, we’ll pick him up, and—” he met his team leader’s eyes across the thousands of miles separating them with a clear message, “—he will tell us what we need to know.”
Burkette was a former Ranger and a hardened combat soldier. He didn’t want to think too hard about what he and Ryder might have to do to get the information they needed from the other man, but he’d do what was necessary to find out who was setting him up as an arms trafficker.
“I always miss the fun part,” Nathan grumbled.
“I can’t clear my name until I prove I didn’t place the orders for those extra weapons. Find me a lead on who at LAI is working with Haider.” To Ryder, he added, “I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Lachlan levered himself out of his chair, ignoring the stab of pain in his left leg. “Right now, I’ve got a lot to do before I leave on Monday.”
He said goodbye to his friends, grabbed his jacket, and let himself out of Nathan’s home. Instead of heading to his apartment, he took the road that led to I-495 so the Mercedes could stretch her legs whilst he cleared his head.
He was in a fight for his life, his reputation, and his freedom. The only bright spot in his miserable fucking life was Sophia, but he should have listened to his instincts and avoided her. All he’d brought her was danger and a grave’s worth of secrets.
Lights from the overhead streetlamps illuminated the Capital Beltway and washed over him in rhythmic intervals as he cruised the far-left lane with the faster traffic. At least Haider was no longer a threat to her. He kept driving, willing his brain to focus only on the road and the satisfying rumble of his engine until his muscles relaxed and tension slipped away. After an hour, he headed back toward his apartment in Arlington.
By the time he got home, it was close to midnight. He’d driven until he’d been tired enough to ensure he’d fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Maybe his ghosts would have mercy on him and let him sleep through the night. If he were really lucky, he’d dream of Sophia instead.
He tossed his coat, his phone still in the right pocket, onto the chair in his bedroom. It was too late to call Sophia back now. He’d do it tomorrow.