Two hours later, Dwayne gulped down the scotch in his glass, the liquid burning as it slid down his throat. His tie already lay on the kitchen counter, the first three buttons of his shirt were undone and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows.
He poured himself another drink as he tried not to let the anger that he felt towards Matteo consume him.
The picture lingered in his memory as he brought the glass to his lips once more. He had no choice but to detach himself from the image as he glanced at it in Matteo's office.
But, now, in the quiet of his own home, the picture screamed at him. He had chatted with Matteo for another hour before he was able to leave.
As soon as he returned home he called Richard informing him about the picture and asked him to meet him here. Next, he called Mr. Bertarelli and explained he wouldn't be coming back to the office. Stating, he had to check out a few leads concerning Matteo's case and Mr. Bertarelli had approved without questions.
Dwayne looked across at his open briefcase, on the kitchen table, where the hundred grand sat, still in the envelope untouched. In his line of work, he'd been given tickets to concerts and basketball games, even a paid reservation for two at a restaurant, but never had he been coerced into taking money.
It was a huge red flag and he knew that it would come back to bite him in the ass. But, he'd worry about those repercussions later.
Matteo knew his case was a hard sell, but Dwayne made it seem like he had everything under control. It made him wonder why Mr. Bertarelli would take on a case like this, especially from a man with Matteo's reputation.
Maybe, he was coerced to take a bribe like you did. Or he was threatened.
But now, it wasn't just Bertarelli's life on the line, it was his too.
Dwayne sighed. He was in the hot seat, and if he didn't extinguish the flames they'd engulf him.
The ringing of the doorbell dragged Dwayne out of his thoughts. He walked briskly towards the front door with his glass in his hand and opened it.
"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?" Richard asked with a raised eyebrow as he walked past Dwayne and into the living room.
"After the morning I've had, it's a wonder I'm still sober. Let's take this to the kitchen."
Richard followed Dwayne into the kitchen, taking a seat by the kitchen table while Dwayne leaned against the kitchen counter.
"Do you want a drink?" Dwayne asked, as he raised his glass in Richard's direction.
"I can't, I'm still on the clock."
Dwayne nodded. He finished the last of his drink, placed it in the sink, and sat opposite Richard.
"Based on the information I gave you about Jasmine being among the girls in Matteo's container were you able to locate her?"
When Dwayne saw the picture of Jasmine being held by a young girl among the girls in the container it took everything in him to remain professional and cordial to the devil who sat in front of him. He knew any other reaction could've gotten Jasmine hurt or even killed and he couldn't risk it.
He imagined launching himself across the desk and ripping Matteo's head from the rest of his body. But, Dwayne knew if he had dared to lay a finger on Matteo he would've been a dead man.
As much as he hated Mr. Bertarelli for putting him on a case that could cost him his life, he was happy for the silver lining.
Richard frowned. "I was able to locate Jasmine, but we've got a problem."
Dwayne's jaw tensed. "What is it?"
"They recognized Jasmine from the security footage taken from the hospital where Alejandro shot the guards. The feds are keeping her in a safe house. They're planning to release her photo to the media to lure McKenzie out."
By the look on Richard's face, Dwayne knew the officers had something up their sleeve.
Richard's disgust was obvious as he continued, "Once McKenzie comes forward, they'll offer her a deal. If she wants to see Jasmine again, she'll have to testify against Alejandro."
"And what happens if she refuses?" Dwayne's eyes narrowed.
Richard took a deep breath. "If she refuses, they'll throw Jasmine into the foster system. On top of that, they'll charge McKenzie for the deaths of the guards from the hospital."
"Those fucking assholes!" Dwayne shot up from his chair. It toppled back, crashing to the ground, but he didn't care. He paced the kitchen, his chest heaved with rage. "That wasn't her fault! She's a victim in all of this!"
Richard's voice hardened. "The feds have been trying to put Alejandro behind bars for ages, and now that they're so close, they'll do anything to close the deal."
"So, you're just gonna let them?" Dwayne exploded, fury evident in every word he spat out.
"D, I know you're pissed. Fuck! So am I! But, it's out of my hands! It's the fucking feds we're talking about!" Richard snapped.
"FUCK!" Dwayne roared, unable to contain his anger any more.
He swiped the coffee machine together with a stack of tea cups on a metal stand off the counter. The metal stand clattered to the ground and glass shattered across the kitchen floor.
He pressed the palms of his hands against the counter and squeezed his eyes shut, as he tried to get himself under control.
"Dwayne..." Richard's voice was right behind him but he didn't turn around.
It took everything in him not to break down, totally. He couldn't just sit around and do nothing. They had to figure out a way to get Jasmine back to McKenzie, to get them the fuck out of the states.
"We can't sit and let this play out." Dwayne's voice darkened. "Once that picture hits the media, Alejandro won't care who he hurts to find Jasmine. And when he does, he'll take her by force." He ground his teeth. "Jasmine could end up dead in the chaos."
Richard sighed, "Honestly, I don't think they give a fuck. If Alejandro shows his face they'll take him out. They want him dead or alive."
Dwayne spun around to face Richard, his voice venomous. "So in other words, they'll use whoever they need to catch Alejandro and fuck the casualties?"
Richard remained silent. Dwayne knew he had hit the nail on the head.
Just then Richard's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pants pocket and answered.
"Give me some good news," he barked.
Dwayne watched tensely as Richard nodded while the other person spoke. He could hear the voice on the other end but couldn't make out what they were saying.
Richard hung up and swore under his breath, his grip tightening on the phone. "The warehouse in the south was empty. They saw fresh blood in one of the rooms. They knew we were coming! They moved Olivia! Fuck!"
The words hit Dwayne like a hammer to his chest, and for a moment it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
Dazed, he moved to the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and sank into the chair by the kitchen table, where the bottle of scotch still sat.
He poured himself a drink, swallowing it in one shot, letting the burn consume him. He poured another, then another, each drink a futile attempt to drown the rising panic.
When he reached for the bottle again, Richard's hand shot out, snatching both the glass and the scotch away.
Dwayne placed his elbows on the table, pressing his forehead into his hands. He heard Richard set the glass and bottle down with a soft clink somewhere behind him, before sitting across from him.
Tears Dwayne had fought to hold back finally escaped, trailing down his face in silent surrender. He forced himself to meet Richard's gaze, finding nothing but sympathy in his friend's eyes.
"We have to find her, Richie," Dwayne choked out. "I can't lose my sister."
"We won't, D," Richard replied firmly. "I swear to you, on my mother's grave, D, we'll get her back. We'll get all of them back."
Before either of them could say another word, Richard's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting as he read the notification.
"D, I've got to go, it's work. I'm sorry to leave you like this."
Dwayne waved him off. "It's fine. I'll be okay."
"I'll call you tonight or tomorrow. And stay away from that bottle, I may be smaller, but I can still kick your ass."
Dwayne let out a weak laugh. "Trust me, I will."
"Good."
Richard gave him one last hesitant look before heading out. A few seconds later, the front door clicked shut.
Dwayne grabbed his phone from the kitchen table and staggered to the sofa, in the living room. He set it on the coffee table beside the armrest, then lay down, adjusting a cushion under his head. Sleep was the only way to shake off the alcohol. When he woke up, he'd figure out his next move.
A couple of hours later, Dwayne woke up groggy with a pounding headache. He dragged himself into the kitchen and poured a glass of water. As the cold liquid hit his throat, a thought struck him.
Eddie. McKenzie's tech guy.
Before leaving the bonkers, Dwayne had scribbled Eddie's email address behind the photo he'd taken from McKenzie's album. Eddie might be able to help locate Olivia.
But...would he?
After all, Eddie was McKenzie's friend. And Olivia was the reason Jasmine was caught up in this mess. Still, if he didn't ask, he'd never know. Dwayne decided against telling Richard…for now. Since Eddie was McKenzie's connection and possibly Yellows'. But they needed all the allies they could get.
Being reassigned by Mr. Bertarelli to the Leone case had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave him more free time to do what mattered most: find his sister.
Dwayne splashed water on his face, grabbed his keys off the counter and made his way to his truck. First stop: a new laptop. Then, a new email.
He hoped that he was making the right call by trusting Eddie.
An hour later, Dwayne sat at his kitchen table, a brand-new laptop open in front of him. He took a breath and began typing.
He introduced himself:
Eddie,
This is Dwayne, McKenzie's friend, the guy you helped patch through to Richard a few days ago.
Dwayne knew he had to play it smart. He'd talk about McKenzie and Jasmine first then add Olivia to the equation later.
As you probably know, Jasmine was found in Matteo Leone's shipping container. I'm currently his lawyer.
I'll need enough breadcrumbs to keep feeding him pertaining to his case, but I need real information on him that could help put him away for good. I also want to bring down Alejandro, so McKenzie can finally live without fear.
He paused, fingers hovering over the keys.
If you consider McKenzie a friend, you'd want that for her too.
Also, the feds have Jasmine in a safe house and they plan to keep her unless McKenzie cooperates. If she doesn't she'll be charged with the murder of the security guards who lost their lives at the hospital.
Then, the clincher:
I'll pay you $50,000 now, and another $50,000 when Matteo and Alejandro are behind bars.
Dwayne smirked.
Who would've thought that the same money Matteo tried to bribe him with would be the same money used to destroy him. It felt like poetic justice.
Dwayne hit send. His pulse thumped in his ears.
A second later, a notification popped up on the corner of his screen and he opened it.
Dwayne,
You could've started the message with how much you were going to pay and I would've done it.
I can confirm that McKenzie knows about Jazzy. As to what she'll do next is totally up to her. So, what kind of information do you need on Alejandro and Matteo.
Eddie,
Thanks for responding. The first thing I'll need you to do is to hack this computer and ensure that all our emails disappear. Nothing is to be traced back to me.
Next I'll need to get a list of all Alejandro's and Matteo's business partners and see if there is a lap over between the two. And a list of the person's they have on their payroll.
Also, my sister, Olivia, is also caught up in this and is injured. Last we heard Alejandro has her.
There's a lot on the line here.
Send me your information so I can send you the first half of the payment.
Dwayne,
I'll hit you up with my information and I'll send you what I have so far. You'll be amazed at the information that I gather about people on a daily basis.
Eddie,
Has anyone asked you to find out information about me?
Dwayne,
Yes.
Eddie,
Who?
Dwayne,
I can't tell you that. Client privileges and all that. 🙂
Eddie,
I'll pay you an extra 25K to feed them wrong information.
Dwayne,
😌 Done! Ok I've got a lot to get done. I'm sending you my bank info and some files. Wait hold on.
Eddie,
What is it?
Silence.
Eddie,
What did you find?
Silence
One grueling minute turned into two then three. Dwayne felt so frustrated but sending Eddie another message wasn't going to make him reply any faster.
Ten minutes later.
Dwayne,
I just got a hit on Olivia's phone. Security footage shows her in a private hangar.
Dwayne felt his stomach churn as the notification for the video came in.
Eddie,
Did they kill my sister in the video sent?
Dwayne,
No. But she does look in bad shape. She was placed on a plane with other women.
Eddie
Alejandro is flying my sister out of the country? That fucking son of a bitch!
Dwayne,
It wasn't Alejandro's plane. It was Matteo's