“Get down here.” Mason sounded pissed.
She raised her hands, palms out. “I’m coming.”
Mason had Missy in a choke hold, keeping her in front of him, his gun pressed against her temple. Kat moved slowly, taking in his black clothing. She paused midway down the stairs. “I want to help you. You need to tell me why you’re here and what I can do for you.”
He turned the barrel of his gun away from Missy’s head and pointed it at Kat. “Turn around.”
She slowly spun, lifting her shirt to show him that she didn’t have a weapon tucked in her pants. They were baggy but a weapon would be too heavy and bulky to hide. “See? You have both my guns.” She kept eye contact with him. “Tell me what this is about.”
“All you had to do was get Jerry out of there.”
“I tried to look for him but they had me watched at all times. They put an ankle monitor on me,” she lied. “No one would tell me anything and I couldn’t go ten feet without them knowing exactly where I was. I think you were right about them. They are hiding something there. Their security was way over the top. May I call you Robert?”
“No.” He glared. “All you had to do was one f**king thing, Perkins. Bring me Jerry.”
“I tried. I really did. Are they after you now? What can I do to help? Do you need a place to lay low? Money? I don’t keep cash here but I can get some. I want to help you.” She hoped she looked sincere. “Are they going to come after me next?”
Mason’s angry expression wavered slightly but his gun didn’t. “That bastard transferred the money. I have to get him.”
“Jerry? What money?”
He pressed his lips into a white line, rage reddening his features. She hoped he’d have a heart attack. That would solve the problem. He glanced around and Kat took the opportunity to look at Missy. She was terrified but seemed unharmed. Kat focused on Mason again.
“I can’t help you unless I know the situation. What are we looking at? I assume the NSO is after you. Someone in our department turned on us.” She wanted him to think of them as a team, not enemies. “My ass is on the line too.”
“You’re not suspended or under investigation. I had to go in today and saw you leaving. That’s how I knew you were out. What did you tell them?”
“I didn’t. They did put me on suspension. They want me to come in on Friday and file a report. Your replacement was in a meeting.” She didn’t want him to know she’d already told them everything. “You were there? You know I wasn’t there long then.”
He looked uncertain. She decided to push.
“What can I do? You don’t have to hold a gun on Missy. She’ll do whatever I say. We’re the men in our families, remember?” She was willing to use his words against him.
“I have to get Jerry. He’s transferred the money.”
He’d said that before. “Okay. What’s the plan? I’m with you. The NSO obviously owns the FBI. They are calling the shots. That means both of us are going to be in a world of shit.”
The gun lowered slightly. Mason seemed to consider her words. “We need to get Jerry.”
“Okay. Why does he matter? If the NSO is after us, we should leave the country.”
“Not without my money.” Rage twisted his features. “That stupid bastard couldn’t have done any of it without me. Half of that two and a half million is mine. He’s going to open his big f**king mouth eventually or he’s using them to hide behind. I thought at first they grabbed him but the more I think about it, he might be setting me up too, like he did that girl. I’m not going to prison.”
She wasn’t sure what girl he was talking about but the rest was starting to make sense. “That’s a lot of money.”
“I set up the false identities he used, made sure he covered his tracks and told him how to funnel all the money so it couldn’t be traced. That ass**le made it so I couldn’t access it and now he’s trying to take it all.” Mason studied her. “I’ll split the money with you. Fuck Jerry. I’ll kill him as soon as I know where he transferred the funds. Are you in, Perkins? We’re screwed otherwise. We’re going to prison or worse. Jerry and those damn animals aren’t going to win.”
“I’m in.”
He lowered the gun all the way and shoved Missy forward. Kat descended the rest of the stairs and grabbed her arm, tugging her behind her. She kept hold of her. Missy might try to run and it would cause Mason to shoot her. He kept a tight grip on his weapon.
“We need to figure out where he’s staying and get to him.” Mason paced. “How much of Homeland did you see?”
“A lot of it. They gave me a tour with a guard.” She wanted him to think she was useful or he’d kill them both. “Do you want me to draw it out? I saw some nice homes where they probably put VIPs. He’s probably there if they are hiding him.”
He shot her a shrewd look. “Any weaknesses in their security?”
“I think I could find a way in. I saw a back gate for delivery trucks. It wasn’t guarded well.” It was bullshit but he might fall for it. “We could steal a delivery van and borrow some uniforms. They don’t check identifications since they have a high turnover of employees for those types of businesses. I even saw a few of them so I know what is ingoing.”
“They just let them drive around Homeland?”
She raised her hands, palms out. “I’m coming.”
Mason had Missy in a choke hold, keeping her in front of him, his gun pressed against her temple. Kat moved slowly, taking in his black clothing. She paused midway down the stairs. “I want to help you. You need to tell me why you’re here and what I can do for you.”
He turned the barrel of his gun away from Missy’s head and pointed it at Kat. “Turn around.”
She slowly spun, lifting her shirt to show him that she didn’t have a weapon tucked in her pants. They were baggy but a weapon would be too heavy and bulky to hide. “See? You have both my guns.” She kept eye contact with him. “Tell me what this is about.”
“All you had to do was get Jerry out of there.”
“I tried to look for him but they had me watched at all times. They put an ankle monitor on me,” she lied. “No one would tell me anything and I couldn’t go ten feet without them knowing exactly where I was. I think you were right about them. They are hiding something there. Their security was way over the top. May I call you Robert?”
“No.” He glared. “All you had to do was one f**king thing, Perkins. Bring me Jerry.”
“I tried. I really did. Are they after you now? What can I do to help? Do you need a place to lay low? Money? I don’t keep cash here but I can get some. I want to help you.” She hoped she looked sincere. “Are they going to come after me next?”
Mason’s angry expression wavered slightly but his gun didn’t. “That bastard transferred the money. I have to get him.”
“Jerry? What money?”
He pressed his lips into a white line, rage reddening his features. She hoped he’d have a heart attack. That would solve the problem. He glanced around and Kat took the opportunity to look at Missy. She was terrified but seemed unharmed. Kat focused on Mason again.
“I can’t help you unless I know the situation. What are we looking at? I assume the NSO is after you. Someone in our department turned on us.” She wanted him to think of them as a team, not enemies. “My ass is on the line too.”
“You’re not suspended or under investigation. I had to go in today and saw you leaving. That’s how I knew you were out. What did you tell them?”
“I didn’t. They did put me on suspension. They want me to come in on Friday and file a report. Your replacement was in a meeting.” She didn’t want him to know she’d already told them everything. “You were there? You know I wasn’t there long then.”
He looked uncertain. She decided to push.
“What can I do? You don’t have to hold a gun on Missy. She’ll do whatever I say. We’re the men in our families, remember?” She was willing to use his words against him.
“I have to get Jerry. He’s transferred the money.”
He’d said that before. “Okay. What’s the plan? I’m with you. The NSO obviously owns the FBI. They are calling the shots. That means both of us are going to be in a world of shit.”
The gun lowered slightly. Mason seemed to consider her words. “We need to get Jerry.”
“Okay. Why does he matter? If the NSO is after us, we should leave the country.”
“Not without my money.” Rage twisted his features. “That stupid bastard couldn’t have done any of it without me. Half of that two and a half million is mine. He’s going to open his big f**king mouth eventually or he’s using them to hide behind. I thought at first they grabbed him but the more I think about it, he might be setting me up too, like he did that girl. I’m not going to prison.”
She wasn’t sure what girl he was talking about but the rest was starting to make sense. “That’s a lot of money.”
“I set up the false identities he used, made sure he covered his tracks and told him how to funnel all the money so it couldn’t be traced. That ass**le made it so I couldn’t access it and now he’s trying to take it all.” Mason studied her. “I’ll split the money with you. Fuck Jerry. I’ll kill him as soon as I know where he transferred the funds. Are you in, Perkins? We’re screwed otherwise. We’re going to prison or worse. Jerry and those damn animals aren’t going to win.”
“I’m in.”
He lowered the gun all the way and shoved Missy forward. Kat descended the rest of the stairs and grabbed her arm, tugging her behind her. She kept hold of her. Missy might try to run and it would cause Mason to shoot her. He kept a tight grip on his weapon.
“We need to figure out where he’s staying and get to him.” Mason paced. “How much of Homeland did you see?”
“A lot of it. They gave me a tour with a guard.” She wanted him to think she was useful or he’d kill them both. “Do you want me to draw it out? I saw some nice homes where they probably put VIPs. He’s probably there if they are hiding him.”
He shot her a shrewd look. “Any weaknesses in their security?”
“I think I could find a way in. I saw a back gate for delivery trucks. It wasn’t guarded well.” It was bullshit but he might fall for it. “We could steal a delivery van and borrow some uniforms. They don’t check identifications since they have a high turnover of employees for those types of businesses. I even saw a few of them so I know what is ingoing.”
“They just let them drive around Homeland?”
