Page 100 of The Dis-Graced

“Get ready to roll in twenty,” Jim says as he finishes typing then closes his laptop. “Elliot’s going to have men on the ground, so we can’t have you visible, but it’s imperative that we have you close to the drop point.”

“I’m having signal jammers loaded into some vehicles to halt communications,” I say. “If worse comes to worse, we can use them around the building, but it’s not a good play. There’s all kinds of regulations, and the last thing I want is people panicked about World War III.”

“We have our own,” Jim says, “but I think we purchase them from you guys, so you probably have the latest and greatest. Get them loaded.”

“What if he uploads ALAN before then? You know, to check him out,” Alistair asks.

“He wouldn’t. Although ALAN is complete, he was still due for more testing, and it’s doubtful that Elliot would have a proper setup to contain him. Elliot’s just going to hand him over and wash his hands of him, assuming Gabriel will have the equipment and lab. Or at least that’s my guess.”

“May I offer a suggestion?” ALAN’s voice streams through the speakers.

I look to the Downward Dog and ask, “What are your thoughts?”

“If you were to outfit the area with cameras, I could scan and determine who is likely to be working for Elliot.”

“Absolutely not!” Jim snaps.

Although I understand and even hold some of Jim’s reservations, this is clearly a time to go all in.

“I get why you wouldn’t want to do that and just what is at stake, but this may be our best option for stopping Elliot. I can have Good ALAN sent to all your forces on the ground, connected through their cell phones. We could outfit several cars as well. Trust me when I say Good ALAN is smart, and he’s on our side. He can point out Elliot’s men, and we can have your people move in for distractions in case we need access to the building.”

Jim’s face hardens, but he gives a slight nod. “Let’s get him uploaded to their mobiles, just tell me how.”

?

Grace

“Are you sure you can do this?” Bruiser asks.

“Can she do it?” Irene sneers. “Of course, she can do it. She has no choice.”

The thought of coming face to face with Stephanie, a woman I once counted as a friend, has me on edge. Anger, sadness, confusion—a whirlwind of emotions cyclone within me. “Do you think she’ll show up?”

“Definitely. This is a big transaction, and you’re a loose end. Any information you have could affect their sale. At best, they just want to keep an eye on you until the sale is complete. At worst—”

“I’ll be dead.”

Bruiser finishes taping the wire to my body, then looks me in the eye. “I’m not gonna let that happen. I’ll be in the connecting room, and there are cameras set up so I can see everything.”

I look around the hotel room, hoping he’s right.

“Maybe-maybe we should tell Drake—” Devon starts.

“Negative,” Bruiser interrupts. “They have their mission, we have ours. They need to be focused on what they’re doing. There’s no need to bring them into this.”

He’s right,I tell myself, but it doesn’t change the fact that I long to hear Drake’s soothing voice.

Bruiser turns to Devon. “Shit, it’s two o’clock—time to drop the bomb. Tell Stephanie you’re meeting up with Grace right now. Don’t be forward with the information, let her pull it out of you. With any luck, she’ll be here around two-thirty.”

“Do you think she’ll bring him?” I blurt out.

“Elliot?” Bruiser asks with a cocked brow. “He’s poised to meet with Gabriel at three, so I doubt it.”

“No, I meant Frank.”

“If he decides to show up, I’ll let you borrow the pocketknife I like to keep with me, and you can dismember him yourself,” Irene says nonchalantly.

“After you’re done sending the text, go to the garage across the street,” Bruiser says to Devon. “Once you get there, wait fifteen minutes before walking to the hotel. Knock on the door, wait for Grace to let you in.”