They enjoyed dinner, sitting again at Vince’s table. Evan told stories of growing up in Virginia and the trouble he’d gotten into as a kid. Almost all the stories were true, just with names changed or certain facts left out. That was always the best bet when working undercover. Keep your stories as close to the truth as possible. The fewer lies to remember the better.
His lightness caused Vince to open up a little, which was what Evan had hoped. Although the older man didn’t say anything they would directly use against him when the eventual arrest and prosecution occurred, they were one step closer to entering Cady’s inner circle. It wouldn’t happen today, maybe not anytime soon, but eventually Evan would be the one to bring this bastard down.
And a friendly dinner with lots of laughs didn’t make Evan forget that. Vince Cady was a criminal. Had killed, at the very least indirectly, through his sales. But probably directly, as well.
“Shall we head back to my cabin? I can present you with the drone override codes, which I’m sure you’ll want to authenticate. Then you can transfer the money.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Evan met Juliet’s eyes as she glanced at him sharply. This would be the opportunity for them to get a message to Omega—coordinates letting headquarters know exactly where they were, in case emergency extraction became necessary, although it didn’t look as if it would. He and Juliet had done pretty damn well on their own. But they hadn’t checked in for over twenty-four hours. Evan knew Juliet’s brothers were worried.
“Sure, Vince, let’s do it.” Juliet smiled and put her napkin down next to her plate.
Evan stood and helped her with her chair. She took his arm and they followed Vince out of the dining area, stumbling slightly at the rough seas.
Angry eyes drilled into their backs as they left the room. Could be the Ukrainians, could be Heath Morel, could be Christopher. The list of people angry with them grew by the hour.
Vince’s cabin was much larger and more elaborate than theirs. The sleeping space was tucked away from sight and a sitting area with beautiful views and a private deck took up over half the room. Two guards stood just outside the door. No one got in or out without them noticing.
Cady motioned for them to sit in the chairs, left for just a moment, then returned with a briefcase in hand. “Here you are, as promised. The drone override codes.”
Cady undid the clasps, revealing a computer attached to the outer casing. It was obviously military grade or something damn close. He typed in a few passwords and the specs of a drone appeared on the screen, as well as a number underneath.
“I assume whoever you’re buying for already has access to the Department of Defense mainframe. Without that, these codes won’t be of much use. I can, of course, provide that for your client, but it would be a separate charge and would take a little more time.”
Juliet took the briefcase from Cady, smiling ruefully. “It’s not our first time playing in the big leagues, Vince. We’ll take care of the DOD mainframe for our client.” She made a tsking noise.
The drug lord chuckled, obviously charmed by her. “Just checking, Lisa. I never miss out on an opportunity to make money.”
“I don’t blame you. Sometime you’ll have to tell me how a businessman like you can get access to the DOD mainframe.”
“It’s always who you know, my dear. Always who you know.”
A knock on the door interrupted them. Christopher walked in.
“Ah, son, I’m glad you’re here. We’re just about to finish the transaction. Mrs. Sinclair is validating the codes.”
Christopher nodded and remained standing just inside the door.
“Is it okay for me to call our client? I’m assuming you’ve lifted the signal that’s been blocking cell phones since we left port?”
“An important security measure,” Vince told them. “But, yes, you are free to make your call now.”
Juliet brought out her cell phone and dialed a number. She knew every word she said would be overheard both by Vince right now and probably someone else on his security force monitoring all cell phone traffic coming into or leaving the yacht.
“Do you mind putting your call on speaker, Mrs. Sinclair?”
Juliet didn’t even hesitate. “Sure.” She pressed a button and set the phone on the table in front of her.
Although Cady was all smiles, and even the sullen Christopher looked neutral, Evan knew this was yet another test. One wrong word from Juliet or anyone on the other end and everything they’d worked for would be blown to bits.
As soon as someone answered, Juliet began speaking. “This is Lisa Sinclair calling on an unsecure line for Mr. X.”
There was a moment of silence. “Yes, please hold.”
Christopher Cady’s lips pressed into a white slash. Obviously, he had hoped to get a least a name out of the conversation. Juliet noticed his annoyed look. “Sorry, we have security measures of our own.”
Vince still appeared relaxed as they waited for “Mr. X” to pick up. Evan prayed it was someone from Omega intimately detailed with the case. He imagined the scramble going on at Omega headquarters as they attempted to determine the best person to talk to Juliet.
As the silence dragged out, Christopher spoke. “It sounds like Mr. X doesn’t have time for you.”
“Mr. X is an important man. If it is taking him a while to get to the phone, I’m sure he has his reasons.”
Such as tracking this call, Evan knew. Omega would have started running the trace as soon as the call came in.
“Perhaps we need to just give the drone codes to the next highest bidder, Father. Since the Sinclairs can’t seem to get in touch with their buyers.”
Juliet tried her charm on the younger Cady also. “Christopher, I assure you, Mr. X will
