Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Woodley

Woodley was sick of lying in bed all day and was thankful to be up and moving again. He was nearly completely healed and could now move without serious pain. It had taken the better part of a week, and without assistance from Renee and Mrs. Greer, that time would have tripled.

The team had been in and out all week, checking in between undercover missions and following some of the new division’s key players. The rental was quiet as he poured himself a second coffee. His body was crying out for caffeine.

“ You’re looking much better,” Brick said as he walked into the kitchen holding an empty mug.

“ I’m feeling better,” Woodley said. “Almost back to one hundred percent.”

“ Good,” Brick said. “Look, I’ve meant to thank you for what you did. I’m well aware that I wouldn’t have survived a hit like that.”

“ You’re welcome,” Woodley said. “And thank you for what you’re trying to do, stopping the Noah Group. Most people will never know what’s happening behind the scenes, and a lot wouldn’t lift a finger even if they did.”

“ We’ve come a long way from wrestling on my front porch.” Brick laughed.

“ I could still take you,” he joked.

“ Dream on.” Brick laughed even harder. “I’d have you crying for your momma in under two minutes.”

Woodley knew that was as sentimental as the hardcore Navy SEAL team leader got, at least with anyone other than his partner, Roman.

“ How is the investigation going?”

Brick placed his cup on the counter and reached for the half-full coffeepot.

“ Slower than I would like.”

“ Oh?”

“ Yeah. It appears the group has pulled back since the incident at the hotel. They’ve been keeping a low profile, and we’re finding it hard to get any real read on them. Word’s out on the street that taking on any odd jobs for the group could be hazardous for your health after what happened to the last gang members who shot at us.”

“ Good. How’s the tequila angle going?” he asked before sitting at the table.

“ We’ve followed every order above six bottles and still haven’t found Soloman’s primary residence. We’re thinking of lowering the bottle count, but by how Jennifer describes it, the dude is a heavy drinker and wouldn’t likely order only a few bottles at a time. The asshole travels below radar, and every time we think we have a read on him, he’s gone.”

“ Hmm, I’d think the same about the size of his orders, considering his love of tequila, but perhaps he stocked up before we began following him. If we’re lucky, he’ll run low soon and re-up.”

“ Could be. We’ll stay on this course for a bit longer before making any changes.”

“ Probably for the best.”

Brick leaned back against the counter and gulped his black coffee. He looked like he had something else on his mind but wasn’t sure how to say it.

“ What’s up?” He cut to the chase.

Brick set his cup on the counter.

“ It’s about Harris.”

“ What about him?” he asked, hoping it wasn’t some kinda intervention or warning.

“ There’s no denying Harris and I have a rocky history.”

“ You were on opposite sides of the law. I more than most understand that.”

“ Yeah, at the time, we were on a mission to stop him from selling military secrets that he’d stolen.”

“ Facts are facts.” Woodley couldn’t deny them.

“ Those facts were more fluid than I believed.”

“ What do you mean by fluid?” Fluid had many interpretations, and Woodley didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

“ Considering Harris’s behavior since joining our team, I have to admit I began to have doubts. Criminals don’t typically change their stripes. However, Harris didn’t fit into the mold, so I looked closer.”

“ Harris is a good person, no matter what he thought he had to do to save his sister.”

Woodley was tired of people labeling Harris because he was forced to commit a crime to save his sister. As a product of the Noah Group himself, Woodley understood the measures people like him had to take at times, even with him being a detective. Sometimes, normal routes weren’t open to them, and what worked for a regular person wasn’t an option. It could be as simple as going to the hospital when you’re sick or living a normal life without constant fear.

“ Agreed.”

“ Wait, what? I thought you had written him off.”

“ Things aren’t always black and white in my world. There are unimaginable levels of gray that vary on a case-by-case basis. Harris, for example, falls into the gray area. He has done legally ambiguous things, but who hasn’t when push comes to shove? I don’t condone what he tried to do, but I understand the reason, which places him in the gray area.”

“ Why are you telling me this?” This wasn’t exactly going how he thought it would.

“ Because since you arrived, I’ve noticed a shift in Harris. He isn’t all doom and die; he’s making plans and thinking ahead.”

“ Not so willing to die for the cause.” Woodley was happy to hear that.

“ Exactly. Even with the previous plan in place, I believe he would have fought tooth and nail to survive. Which is in direct odds with his ‘fuck it’ attitude. I believe that this change is due to you.”

“ You give me too much credit. Harris doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

“ I wouldn’t be too sure about that. You have a larger effect on him than you believe.”

“ Why are you telling me this?’

“ Because I know how difficult it is to believe what the guy says most of the time. However, this new version has me questioning whether we’ve truly seen the real Harris prior to this. As for me, I’m finding myself giving him the benefit of the doubt more often of late, and I think you should as well.” Brick picked up his mug. “Again, I owe you one for what you did. I won’t forget it.”

Brick left the kitchen, leaving Woodley with more questions than answers. Was Harris serious about having a future with him? Or was he being gaslit? Only time would tell.

***

Harris

He was chasing his own fucking tail. Nothing was happening. Nothing. At this point, Harris seriously considered walking into the dive bar to order a beer. This shit was getting old fast. It seemed that the group had gone silent. How long could this go on?

“ I say we throw a flash-bang through the door and watch what slithers out,” Stryker suggested across the comms.

“ We could disguise ourselves as part of the fire department performing standard inspections in the area,” Fletcher suggested.

“ Or SWAT,” Shaw said. “I always wanted to drive a BearCat down a city street.”

“ Hell, I would be willing to levitate the contents of the entire bar, so they think they have ghosts and go running,” Harris added.

“ There’ll be no ordinance use, impersonations, leisurely drives, or hauntings,” Brick stated through their shared mics. “But I’m not opposed to going in silent to look around the back of the bar after they close.”

“ Finally, some action,” Gunner said. It was obvious their patience had been tested.

“ You’re a sniper. Hell, you’re used to waiting around,” Harris joked.

“ I’m retired,” Gunner deadpanned.

“ Hold on,” Spencer said across the comms from the rental. “I’ve just got a read on a twelve-bottle tequila order—for a private address— being shipped to somewhere roughly ten minutes to the west of your current location.”

“ I want three on that delivery. If we can confirm it’s Soloman’s residence, we can set up a plan to go in when he’s at the dive bar,” Brick said. “This might be our chance to find out where they’re holding Robin.”

“ I’ll update Apollo,” Spencer said. “The delivery is coming through FedEx and scheduled for delivery between three and six tomorrow.”

“ On it,” Stryker said. “I’ll take Harris and Gunner to the new address and try to confirm Soloman is the resident.”

“ The rest of us stay on the bar,” Brick ordered. “We can’t afford to miss any movement.”

“ Understood.”