“What do think of raw fish, man?”
Simon turned a little green. “I think it sounds perfectly horrible. We Brits believe in frying our fish, thank you very much.”
“You’re not in England anymore, buddy.” He would learn. “Come on. Lunch is on me.”
They walked back inside, Alex’s brain turning around and around the whole time.
* * * *
Alex picked up his cell, hitting a number he hoped still worked. Simon was sitting at the table, a pint in front of him. The Brit didn’t have a problem drinking his lunch, but he actually had a fairly cool head when it came to business. They’d spent an hour and a half discussing the upcoming op, and Alex was feeling better about it.
“Petty.”
Alex couldn’t help but smile a little. Petty sounded every inch the FBI agent. Serious and just a little bit pompous. He’d sounded that way at one time. “Hey, Warren, how’s it going?”
There was a little pause. “McKay?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit. Alex fucking McKay.” A little slap came over the line. Warren had always smacked the nearest hard surface when he was surprised. “What the fuck? How long has it been?”
So freaking long. “At least three years. How is the wife?”
“Alice is good. And Janelle is about to graduate from high school. Can you believe it? I have a damn eighteen-year-old kid.” There was a little pause and a sigh. “How is Eve?”
Alex stared out of the window. He could see the parking lot from here. The day was sunny and bright, with busy shoppers walking by. Eve was likely in her office by now. “She’s good. We’re both busy working.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard a lot of good things about that company you started with Taggart. You have some serious contracts. Is it true you’re working with the Secret Service?”
They had been consulting on certain details of travel, but they’d signed a metric shit ton of non-disclosure agreements. “I have no knowledge of that.”
A knowing chuckle came over the line. “Got it, man. I told Eddie he should call you when the campaign heats up in a couple of months. You know he’s going for the nomination.”
Edward Petty. Senator from Oklahoma. Warren’s brother had his eye on the White House. He’d been in the senate for the last six years. Alex remembered when Eddie was just a fresh-faced kid who had lucked into a congressional seat. “We’re close enough. We can certainly handle his security and run background on everyone surrounding him. He can’t take that seriously enough, you know.”
A low chuckle came over the line. “Oh, I know. I think Eddie has learned that lesson along the way. Everyone wants something from him. Alex, it’s so good to hear from you.”
Because he hadn’t called his old partner in forever. Their friendship had been one more victim of Evans. “Well, I have a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Have you got new information on Evans?” He hesitated to mention what Kristen had discovered. He didn’t know her yet, couldn’t trust her.
Warren sighed, a low sound. “Man, you need to let that go. I know how much you want this guy. God, no one knows more than I do. I know what happened, but I promise, I’m doing everything I can to find Evans. The fucker seems to have disappeared. I’ve gotten some CIA intel that he’s working somewhere in South America with a cartel.”
Narcoterrorists . It fit with what Kristen had told him. “I can’t let it go and you know why. I have some connections now. I might be able to give you some insight. Could you just let me look at the new intelligence? I know it’s not protocol.”
“I could bring you on as a consultant, Alex, but do you really think that’s a good thing to do? You’re still with Eve, right? Does she know you’re looking into this?”
He didn’t want to talk about this shit. “Eve and I are fine. She isn’t particularly interested in this case. I’m just looking around. I’m curious. You would be, too. If this happened to Alice, you
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