Chapter 27 - The Bait and the Hook|
I drove straight to Marcus’s office like a bat out of hell, my hands trembling so violently on the steering wheel only after Thorne’s menacing car had completely vanished from sight. When I finally arrived and told Marcus exactly what I had done, he looked at me like I had completely lost my mind.
"You literally agreed to meet a highly dangerous cartel boss in an abandoned, isolated shipyard at night?" Marcus yelled, running a frustrated hand forcefully over his face. "Rachel, he is going to execute you the exact second that money securely clears his account. He definitively leaves no loose ends!"
"I completely know that," I said, pacing the floor rapidly to burn off the adrenaline. "But Thorne doesn't know that I've already contacted Special Agent Harris at the FBI."
Marcus stopped dead in his tracks, staring at me. "You boldly called the Feds? Completely behind my back?"
"I had to do it, Marcus," I admitted guiltily. "Thorne needed to completely believe I was incredibly desperate and acting totally alone. Harris and his elite tactical team are secretly setting up at the shipyard as we speak. They are going to wire the entire perimeter for audio and video. When Thorne shows up, we initiate a fake bank transfer that David is going to specifically program. The exact moment Thorne confirms his true identity on tape, the FBI sweeps in."
Marcus let out a long, heavy, incredulous exhale. "It's incredibly, stupidly risky, Rachel. If the wire drops, or if Thorne brings a small army, you are sitting right in the direct crossfire."
"I absolutely don't have a choice," I said fiercely, my voice cracking slightly. "He threatened Sophie. He threatened my family. I am ending this."
"There's one more major loose end," Marcus noted darkly. "Daniel. He directly orchestrated this entire threat from inside a federal penitentiary. If we don't actively tie him directly to Thorne's extortion scheme, he might still find a way to manipulate the justice system and get out early on good behavior."
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"I know," I said, pulling my heavy coat tighter around my shoulders. "Which is exactly why, before the massive sting operation tomorrow night, I am going to pay a very special visit to the Marion Federal Penitentiary. I desperately need Daniel to arrogantly confess to his part in this, directly on the record."
Marcus opened his desk drawer and handed me a incredibly small, discreet recording device perfectly disguised as a luxury fountain pen. "Be extremely careful, Rachel. Daniel is a deeply cornered rat. And cornered rats always bite."
