Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SETH PARKED AT the front of the coffee shop so he could monitor the SUV during this meeting with Richardson and Peters. Wouldn't put it past The Brotherhood to either put a tracker on the vehicle or sabotage it.

"Artemis is already inside the coffee shop," Teagan said, scanning her phone screen. "So far, everything is clear."

"Hope it stays that way," he murmured.

"Activate the comm devices," Violet said. "That way, the rest of our team will hear everything said in this meeting with The Brotherhood."

After tapping his earpiece to activate the device, Seth exited the SUV along with Noah and circled to the passenger side to open the doors for the women.

He cupped Teagan's waist with his hands and helped her to the old, cracking asphalt. Seth wrapped his arm around her shoulders and started toward the front door of the coffee shop.

Although Teagan looked completely relaxed, she was anything but as they crossed the few feet to the door. He felt the tension in her muscles as she moved with him. Like any trained sharpshooter, she continually scanned the parking lot and as well as shrubs and trees at the edge of the property, looking for snipers.

Seth opened the door and motioned for Teagan and Violet to walk into the restaurant. Like he expected, the alcove was empty except for a large round table with chairs set up around it. With a little repositioning of the table, the setup would be perfect for their purpose.

As he guided Teagan toward the alcove, Seth ignored the three women drinking coffee, eating muffins, and chatting about plans for their supposed road trip. He had to hand it to Teagan and Violet's teammates. They knew how to play the part of tourists. No one listening to them would suspect they were anything other than what they were pretending to be.

When they reached the alcove, Seth and Noah repositioned the table and chairs, then seated Teagan and Violet with their backs to the wall and joined them.

A waitress trudged back to the alcove and pulled out an order pad from the large pocket of her apron. "What can I get you?"

"A pot of coffee and nine mugs," Noah said.

"Want some pie? Ralph makes the best pies in the area."

"That sounds great," Violet said. "Did Ralph make apple pie today?"

The server smiled. "He did. Would you like ice cream with that?"

"On four of them, please. Our friends won't arrive for a while yet, so just bring pie for them without ice cream."

"Yes, ma'am. Coming right up." Soon, she returned with a tray filled with nine plates of large slices of apple pie, four with vanilla ice cream on top. She set the dishes on the table, then rushed off to bring a pot of coffee and nine mugs, along with packets of sweetener and creamer. "Can I get you anything else?"

Seth glanced at her name tag. "This looks great, Ari. Thank you."

She beamed. "No problem. I'll check back with you in a few minutes to see if you need a coffee refill."

As they finished the last of their pie, Richardson and Peters entered the coffee shop.

"Show time." Teagan poured coffee into their mugs.

Seth noted the confident swagger of the two men as they approached the alcove. Both were armed, as he'd expected. So were the three men Seth and Noah considered friends for life. From the expressions on their faces, their battle buddies weren't happy.

They could join the club. Everything about this situation made Seth's skin crawl. He hated dragging Teagan into this mission, no matter how much training she had under her belt. He flat out cared about this woman and didn't want to see her hurt. Taking her into a situation that reminded Teagan of her past would cause her nothing but pain.

"Glad you could make it," Peters said to Seth and the others as Richardson and the three detectives took their seats. Knight, Marsh, and Bowen sat on the same side of the table as Seth, leaving Richardson and Peters with their backs to the large dining room.

Teagan's teammates seemed to be absorbed in eating their ice cream sundaes, giving them a natural excuse to remain silent except for an occasional comment about something they were looking at on their phones.

Another glance at his friends told Seth they were angry. Made him wonder if the three had also received the same threat he had or if something else had set them off.

"Coffee and apple pie." Richardson sipped his coffee. "Not bad for a coffee shop that caters to truckers."

"And workers on third shift," Knight said.

Marsh cut into the apple pie with his fork. "Can we get on with this? I have a date later. I had to cancel the last three times, and I'd rather not miss this date if it's all the same to you."

Bowen rolled his eyes. "When is that something out of the ordinary? None of us have much of a social life these days. The job is all-consuming." He frowned. "At least, it was."

"Since we're no longer employed, maybe my luck will improve." Marsh sipped his coffee. "All the more reason to get out of here and back to town."

Seth decided it was time to start this meeting. "What do you want with us, Peters?"

He took his time chewing and swallowing the bite of apple pie. "You're direct. I like that in a man." Peters dropped his fork on his plate. "The city you served so faithfully has rejected you and Noah and did nothing to keep three other fine detectives."

"Tell us something we don't know," Noah snapped.

Richardson held up a hand to forestall whatever Peters was going to say. "How about you answer something for us first?"

"What do you want to know?"

"While I appreciate the pie and coffee waiting for us, how did you and your friends know how many guests to expect?"

Knight shoved his empty plate aside. "After my cousin confirmed the time of the meeting, I called Noah and Seth to make sure we were all on the same page. We just walked away from a dangerous job. It'd be a shame if we ended up in the morgue because we trusted the wrong people."

"You already have a target on your back," Peters said. "All of you."

"How do you know that?" Seth demanded.

"We have friends in the department, and we keep our ears to the ground."

And that was exactly why he didn't want Teagan and Violet anywhere near this mission. "Were you responsible for the threat left on my windshield?"

"We don't play childish games, Dixon."

"We're veering off track." Richardson poured himself more coffee. "You're no longer employed in law enforcement. After years protecting the public, you left your job under a cloud of suspicion."

"We don't need a reminder of the obvious."

"How about an opportunity for all of you to protect innocents who desperately need your help?"

"We're listening," Noah said.

"Have you heard of The Brotherhood?" Richardson motioned to Knight. "Your friend here already knows the group I'm speaking about."

Seth frowned at his friend. "The militia? Come on, Knight. We're not mercenaries for hire."

"Know anything better to do with our skill sets?" Knight countered. "None of us have a shot at another job in law enforcement. We should at least consider their offer."

"Haven't heard an offer yet," Noah said, wrapping his arm around Violet. "Whatever the job is has to include a way for me to take Violet as well. I'm not leaving her behind."

"Same," Seth said. "I'm not leaving Teagan behind, either."

Peters smiled at the women. "You both mentioned a decade in the Army. What were your skills?"

"Medic," Violet said.

"Sharpshooter," Teagan replied.

Richardson and Peters exchanged satisfied glances. "We couldn't ask for anything better," Peters said. "Both are impressive and needed skills in our organization. And you're both easy on the eyes. Yes, we could use you in our group." His gaze rested on Teagan.

Seth didn't like the phrasing. "Hey," he snapped. "Eyes right here, Peters. Teagan and Violet are ours. We don't share. Ever."

Although Peters chuckled, anger glittered in his eyes. "Of course. Didn't mean to offend you, friend."

Richardson leaned closer to Seth. "Some women in our group are free with their affections. We're a family."

"Forget it," Noah said, his voice a low growl. "Violet is mine. End of story."

"Teagan is off limits." Seth shoved his empty coffee mug aside. "What do you want with us?"

"Your skills."

"Why?"

"That's need to know for members only." He smiled. "At this moment, you aren't part of our family, Dixon."

He snorted. "If you think we're joining your organization with blind loyalty, you're out of luck."

"Don't be so fast to reject our offer," Peters murmured. "Remember, we can help you with your problem at the department."

"Explain."

"We can make the murder charge disappear." A pause. "For a price."

Seth sneered. "How much will it cost me?"

"One year of complete loyalty to the cause. If at that point you're not convinced, we part ways. No harm, no foul."

He didn't believe that for one second. Only a fool would believe anything these men said.

"Let me get this straight," Noah said. "You're offering us jobs for one year, and in return for complete loyalty, you'll make the charges against us go away?"

"That's right." Richardson finished the last of his coffee. "What can you lose?"

"A lot." Noah glanced at Knight, Marsh, and Bowen. "I assume you received the same offer?"

"We did." Knight shifted his attention to The Brotherhood's leaders. "How soon do you want an answer from all of us?"

"Noon tomorrow." The two men pushed back from the table and stood. "Contact your cousin if your group is interested in what we're offering. One minute after noon, we'll be on the road out of town. At the point, the offer will be rescinded. We have other men to recruit if you turn us down."

"Wait a minute," Seth said, scowling. "We have fourteen hours to make our decision and put our financial house in order?"

A shrug from Peters. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it, Dixon."

"You want all seven of us?" Noah frowned.

"All or none. The five of you have worked together for years. We need your experience and expertise. As for the ladies, well, no question, we need their skills as well. Neither of them has to be part of your unit for this to work." A smile. "Besides, like we said earlier, we want our people to be happy. It's obvious Teagan and Violet are essential to your happiness and contentment. Beyond that, their skills are valuable in the camp and for our mission."

"Which you refuse to tell us until we sign on the dotted line."

"Exactly. Think about all we can offer you for one year of your time."

"Salary?" Bowen asked. "While you're offering Noah and Seth a clean record, all of us have bills to pay."

Peters chuckled. "Of course. Your pay will be $100,000 each for one year of your time. Hopefully, we'll see you all tomorrow." He and his friend left the coffee shop.

"What…?"

Teagan gave the sign for silence and pulled out her electronic signal detector. She stood and slowly circled the table. The chaser lights turned red when she reached the place where Peters had been sitting.

She crouched and looked under the table. A moment later, Teagan stood and dropped a small black disc into her coffee. "Clear."

"We need to get out of here," Iona said in their earpieces. "Richardson and Peters only parked down the block from the shop. When they realize their bug isn't working, they'll try to follow us to our next destination."

"Copy that," Teagan said. She looked at Seth. "The house?"

He nodded and turned to the other three detectives, who were exchanging puzzled glances. "Richardson and Peters are waiting down the block for us to have a chat about our new opportunity with The Brotherhood. Take evasive action, and meet back at my house with Teagan and Violet's team."

"You got it." Knight strode from the room with the other two falling into step behind the detective. Soon, the taillights of their vehicle disappeared in the distance.

The rest of Artemis paid their tab and left the coffee shop as Ari returned to the alcove. "Can I get you to-go cups of coffee?"

"No, ma'am." Seth handed her money to cover their bill and a good tip. "We appreciate the offer, though."

"Of course. Y'all come back again."

An hour later, Seth opened his back door to Knight, Marsh, and Bowen. He motioned them inside. "Come in and join the party." He introduced his three friends to the rest of Artemis and handed them all bottles of water. "To offset the coffee we've been mainlining today," he muttered and dropped into the empty seat beside Teagan. He draped his arm across the back of her chair.

"What was that?" Noah glared at Knight.

"You didn't like Richardson and Peters?" His friend gave a mocking smile.

"Not funny, man. Who takes a deal like they offered us?"

"Desperate men who don't mind selling their soul."

"What's their goal?" Seth asked.

"According to my cousin and his buddies, no one knows except those in the inner circle, and they aren't talking."

"That doesn't make me feel all warm and cozy about our chances of success," Bowen said.

"No kidding." Marsh drank a third of his water. "Got any other good news for us?"

A wry smile curved Knight's mouth. "Yeah. Takes a while to get access to the inner circle."

Fantastic. Not. "How long are we talking about?"

A shrug. "A few weeks at least."

"Weeks?" Noah scowled. "You've got to be kidding."

"Afraid not."

"According to the feds, The Brotherhood has an agenda that's coming to a head soon. I don't think we have weeks to wait for an invitation to the power circle."

Seth shook his head. "This makes little sense. Why is the militia after our team so hot and heavy?"

Knight finished his water and set the empty bottle aside. "We have the skills they need for whatever operation they want to set in motion. Even more important, we're already trained and work well together as a unit. My cousin has been pushing me to consider joining the group for months."

"Is he part of the inner circle?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, he is, and he's not talking about The Brotherhood's agenda. Before you push me on it, I've asked. He wouldn't give me anything except the party line."

Teagan studied Knight for a moment. "How close are you to this cousin?"

"Not very," he admitted. "We were rivals growing up. Frankly, I'm surprised Jace is pushing so hard for me to join their cause with my team."

Seth's eyebrows rose. "Your team?"

The other man held up a hand. "He doesn't know you're the team leader. I never told him anything about how our unit worked or our missions. Jace only knows we were a Special Forces unit assigned to missions we can't and won't discuss with anyone outside our circle."

"It's a setup," Teagan said flatly.

"Why do you say that?" Marsh folded his arms on his chest.

"Rivals don't invite their worst enemies into the camp without an agenda."

"Family is family."

"Until they're not."

"Can't count on blood relations being loyal." Seth cupped Teagan's nape and stroked her soft skin with his thumb. "We have to at least consider Teagan's opinion. Frankly, I think she's right. I've met Jace. He doesn't have your back, Knight. In fact, I'd put him squarely in the enemy's camp if it comes down to them or us."

Marsh snorted. "He's definitely met Jace. That man is nothing but trouble. If we run into a problem, he won't lift a finger to help us get out of it."

"That's why we're going into this with Seth and the others," Knight said. "I'm not losing more friends."

Noah gave a slight nod. "The faster we find the information we need to stop The Brotherhood in their tracks, the sooner we can inform the feds and hand over the cleanup. If we do it fast enough, we just might get our gun and shields back."

"Doubtful and you know it."

Teagan met Seth's gaze, concern in her eyes.

Yeah, he got it. His partner was placing too much hope on his life returning to normal. Seth suspected the self-inflicted damage had already destroyed their careers in law enforcement. What happened after this was anyone's guess.

He just hoped his decision to pursue a relationship with Teagan hadn't put her life in jeopardy.

Seth turned to Knight. "Get in touch with your cousin in two hours. Tell him we're in. Make it clear all seven of us come in together or we're out."

"I'll take care of it."

"Before you leave, we have phones for you," Violet said. "They're from Fortress and encrypted. They also have GPS trackers embedded in them." She grabbed the bag with the phones and watches and poured the contents on the table. The medic handed a phone to each of the three detectives. She pointed at one button. "If we're far enough out in the boonies that we can't get a regular cell signal, push that button, and the phone switches to satellite. The numbers for your team and Artemis plus Brent Maddox and Zane Murphy, our tech genius, have also been programmed into them."

"What's the deal with the watches?" Bowen said, picking one up to examine it. "I already have a tactical watch."

"Not like these," Teagan said. She showed the side of the watch. "Push this button and you alert Fortress you're in trouble. Push the second button to talk to a comm worker at Fortress. Whoever is on duty will know who you are and that you're on a mission connected to Fortress. He or she will get you whatever you need."

"One more thing." Violet laid three small clear bags on the table with two trackers inside each. "We'd like another backup in case you're taken away from the compound without your phones. All Fortress operatives have two trackers embedded under the first layer of skin on their backs. They won't be activated unless you alert Fortress you're in trouble or unless we discover you're missing. After the mission, you can either opt to leave them in or I can remove them. Your choice. Just know that Fortress will never activate them unless there's a reason. They don't track the movements of their operatives unless they miss a check-in."

The three detectives exchanged glances. "All right," Knight said. "So, how do we get these trackers embedded?"

"I can take care of it if you'll remove your shirts. The process will take about five minutes."

Marsh narrowed his eyes as he shifted his gaze to Seth and Noah. "You guys have them already?"

Seth nodded. "Before we met with Richardson and Peters."

Bowen blew out a breath. "Let's get this over with. We have a lot of things to do before we meet Richardson and Peters tomorrow."

Within twenty minutes, Violet had the embedded trackers in place and the cream had dried on the men's skin. "I'll let Fortress know the tracker numbers for each of you so it's in their computer system. Again, they won't randomly activate them. If they need to turn them on, you'll feel warmth where the tracker is located. Don't scratch or rub the incision sites. By tomorrow, they should be almost completely healed."

"Thanks for inserting the trackers," Knight said as he and his friends headed for the back door. He winked. "Now I know how cattle feel when they're tagged. Later, guys." And they were gone.

Seth should be glad to get this mission started. Infiltrating The Brotherhood was what the feds and Burnett wanted them to do. So why did he feel as though he was about to fall off a cliff and drag his friends with him?