“I need you to get something for me. Something I hid when I went into witness protection.”
“I’m assuming since you’re calling me, contacting the government is out of the question?”
“I kind of ran away from them after my neighbor was killed when my uncle’s men found me the first time.”
Another string of curses echoed over the phone. She smiled at Viktor’s colorful use of language. She’d forgotten how much he cussed when he got upset, and he’d definitely learned some new words since the last time they’d spoken. Funny, even though she rarely cursed herself, she’d sort of missed Viktor’s outrageous turn of phrase.
“Stop. I don’t have much time.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, even though the guard stood outside her partially-open door. “Do you remember the picture I gave you before the trial? The framed one of you and me?”
“Of course. It’s sitting on my dresser right now.” Viktor’s voice was tinged with curiosity, and a little bit of why-in-the-world-are-you-asking-me-about-a-picture.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Serena rubbed at her forehead with one hand, the headache she’d been fighting roaring in with an unexpected fierceness. She needed to ask the nurse for some pain medication, but it would have to wait until she finished her call. This was too important now, she was too close to taking down Big Jim.
“Get it. Please.”
“Okay, hold on a sec.” She heard the bedsprings squeaking, and Viktor’s grumbling the whole time, until he came back on the line. “Now what?”
“Sorry, but you’re going to have to bust the frame. In the bottom piece, there’s a small thumb drive.”
“Wait, what? You’re kidding me. Alright, hang on, I have to put down the phone, because I need two hands.”
The silence on the other end seemed to last an eternity, even though it was mere seconds. She caught herself chewing on her thumbnail, and thrust it under the blanket. Darn it, she’d broken that habit years ago, and didn’t need to start again.
“Got it. What ya want me to do with it?” Viktor paused and then his voice grew louder. “Don’t tell me this has something to do with your uncle on it? Sharon, I swear, have you lost your mind?”
“Viktor, I needed insurance. If for any reason my uncle had gotten off, I needed leverage with the feds, something big enough that my uncle couldn’t sweep it under the table, or use his influence to get out from under. That drive is the only thing I have left, and it’s enough to keep him behind bars for a very long time.”
“I don’t get it. He’s already behind bars, isn’t he?”
“His lawyers have gotten him an appeal. I—I can’t let that happen. He’s a monster, and he’s hurt too many people. He’s still hurting people. My uncle’s reign of terror ends now.”
Viktor sighed. “What do I do with your thumb drive?”
Serena glanced at the doorway before answering. “I need you to fly to Texas as soon as you can. Whatever it takes. Get to Austin. Take that drive to the FBI, and give it to Special Agent in Charge Derrick Williamson. Nobody else. Promise me, Viktor. Promise me you won’t even look at it. Guard it with your life, because that’s the only copy I have, and if anything happens to it, Big Jim will crucify me.”
“Whatever this is, you’re sure it’s enough to take him down for good?”
Serena felt a tingle sweep down her spine, remembering the videotape contained on the hard drive, the one she’d risked everything to make. “I’m sure.”
“Alright, I’m going to catch the next flight I can get to Texas. Derrick Williamson, that’s who you said?”
“Yes. I trust him. Tell him—tell him I trust him to do the right thing with it.”
“Okay, you’ve got my word. I want this over—for you and for me. I’m still looking over my shoulder, waiting for somebody from Berkley’s group to catch up with me. If he even suspected that I’m the one who fed you information, he’d have a bounty on my head faster than I could turn around. I’m scared and feel stupid because I actually believed all the snake oil he pedaled as gospel.”
“A whole lot of people did, Viktor. But you helped take him down once, and getting that thumb drive to Agent Williamson will be the final nail in Big Jim’s coffin. You’re a good friend. I’ve missed you so much.”
Viktor cleared his throat, the sound audible though he tried to muffle it quickly. “You too. Okay, I’m going to get a flight scheduled and get my butt to Austin. Love you, girlfriend.”
“Love you too, Viktor.”
With a softly whispered goodbye, she hung up the phone and prayed Viktor got the information to Williamson, and that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Hey, Rafe, find out anything about the rental car?” Antonio tapped his fingertips on the steering while, while he inched along in traffic.
“Not much. It was rented out of Dallas under the name Sharon Berkley. Of course, the name and address are fake. The photocopy of the driver’s license is such poor quality, the picture’s useless. The company is sending me security camera footage, but I haven’t got it yet. There are dozens of fingerprints all over the car. Should have something there soon. Serena said Drury wasn’t wearing gloves, so his prints have got to be there. How’d it go on your end?”
“Lousy. Drury’s wife alibis him for the entire time. Of course, she’s lying through her teeth, but until I’ve got more than her word, I can’t place him anywhere near the scene. We need those fingerprints. Thought I might have a chance to break the wife, but barely got started before everything went sideways. Funny, he showed up right after I started talking to
