Page 48 of Kane (Ghost Ops #4)
He smirked. “I’d have thought you were slipping if you hadn’t had a gun. How the fuck did you end up working at a range anyway? You never wanted to spend time at the armory or help with any of the gun business.”
“Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?” She shrugged. “I was working as a hotel maid, but I got fired. The range owners found me squatting in an empty apartment and took me in. I couldn’t say no to a job, especially when they offered to pay me better than cleaning did.”
“I don’t know why you fucking wanted to work at all when you had plenty of money.”
“Didn’t want to touch it for a few years. Might arouse suspicion.”
It was bullshit, but it sounded like something he’d expect her to say.
“Yeah, well, working there got you seen. Should have seen Dad’s face when he got the call from one of his suppliers. He’s been shitting himself on the regular since you left. Figured you took a copy of everything and planned to use it. But you never did. Why not?”
She scoffed. “Are you kidding? Do you know how many people he’s bought in law enforcement. I didn’t trust anyone to actually put him away.”
Before she knew what was happening, Jackson backhanded her. Her head snapped to the side and her cheek stung. There would be a bruise, but she didn’t think he’d broken skin.
“You betrayed the family when you left.” He grabbed her gun and put it to her cheek. “Fucking turncoat bitch to even consider going to the law. Why the fuck would you do that? You had everything, Josie.”
She didn’t answer him because anything she said would just give him another reason to hit her. Plus she didn’t think he really wanted an answer.
He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and shoved her toward the desk. “Show me you’ve got the files.”
Daphne stumbled into the desk, then righted herself and sat in the chair. Warren watched her with fearful eyes, but she couldn’t let that distract her. She was supposed to take her time if at all possible and she was doing so.
She took the computer from the bag and opened it up.
Seth and Callie had created a banking website that was rudimentary, but it would stand up to scrutiny from people who weren’t programmers.
Before she went there, however, she took out the memory stick and plugged it into the port.
It took a few seconds, but the files populated in the finder. She sat back and pointed.
“All there. Copies of the financials, public and private.”
“Open a file.”
She moved her finger over the trackpad and double clicked. The file opened. It was a spreadsheet, very detailed because she was detailed, with numbers, names, and dates.
“It’s all there. Everything you need to know if you’re going to run the family business. Satisfied?”
He nodded and she closed the file. Then she ejected the stick and handed it to him. He slipped it into a pocket and jerked his head toward the screen. “Now the money.”
“Need the WiFi password.”
Tim placed a piece of paper on the desk and slid it toward her. She typed in the string of characters and the WiFi connected. Time seemed to slow as she typed in the name of the fake bank. The website was blank, the cursor spinning helplessly as it waited.
“Why’s it taking so long?” Jackson growled.
“I don’t know,” she answered in the same voice. “Because your connection is shitty?”
She thought he was about to the end of his patience when the bright yellow website popped up on her screen.
Bank of Grand Cayman
There was no Bank of Grand Cayman, but Jackson didn’t know that.
She navigated to the login screen, praying that Kane and the guys would arrive any second.
She could log into the fake account, the balance would populate, and the transfer screen would appear when Jackson asked for it.
But nothing would happen after that. There would be no transfer because there was no money.
She almost wished she had stolen a couple million. But no, she didn’t want that money because it was earned from other people’s misery. War, drugs, prostitution, trafficking. She wanted no part of it anymore. She only wished she’d been brave enough to leave that life sooner.
She was a good person. Kane thought so. Her friends at One Shot Tactical thought so. Warren probably didn’t, but if she got him out of here, she wouldn’t care. He’d be alive, and that would be what mattered.
“Before I login,” she said, looking up at where her brother hovered over her, “What about Warren? You promised to let him go.”
“When you give me the money.”
The chair creaked as she leaned back and crossed her arms. “You know, if I refuse to do this, you could kill me now—but you won’t have my money. At this point, I’m thinking I have nothing left to lose. You let him go, now, or this doesn’t happen.”
Jackson’s face turned mottled, which wasn’t flattering with his coloring. She knew the explosion was coming and she braced for it. He planted his fist in her gut and she doubled over, wheezing. She’d prepared herself, hardened her core muscles like Kane had taught her, but it still hurt.
Fuck, it hurt. She dragged in air and tried not to gag as he dropped to her level. He shoved his red face in hers, spittle flying as he growled at her.
“I will motherfucking remove his fingers one by one. Then I’ll force them down your throat. Log the fuck in, Josie, and give me that goddamn money.”