really thinking.
Goddammit. If he could just step back in time and go to the point where he’d made the wrong turn, he’d do it in a heartbeat.
“Zeus,” Ragno said. “Tell them that with the escalation of threat caused by the Boulevard Saint-Germain bombing and the cyanide poisoning, and the increased chatter, Black Raven will need double the manpower originally anticipated. Maybe that will help her make her decision.”
Zeus repeated Ragno’s warning and threw in numbers. High numbers. They’d break seven figures a few times. Easily. The simple reality was that Black Raven ran a business for profit. Risk was up, so manpower needed to increase. Every hour of manpower, for each agent, cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, depending on agent skill level and task. Not to mention the safe houses they’d need, the transports, and the dedicated analytical support that Ragno’s group would provide. Samuel understood that fact, and so did Sam.
Still, the numbers were daunting. He added the caveat that Black Raven always provided. “And this is only an estimate. The number will go up as circumstances evolve.”
Sam shrugged, took a bite of the sandwich, chewed slowly, and swallowed. “Budget issues are between you and my grandfather. I didn’t hire Black Raven, and I especially didn’t hire you.” She took another bite, and drank a quick sip of water. “I’m not resigning, even if my grandfather decides not to pay you, even if you decide to quit the job. I’m doing the job…” She leveled her eyes on his, ate a grape, and added, “With or without you or Black Raven. Understood?”
He nodded as he watched her eat more of her sandwich. Got it. Loud and clear.
“Threat level of every country participating in the ITT–United Kingdom, United States, France, and Colombia– Hell,” Dixon said, breaking his silence. “The terrorist threat level worldwide is critical right now. I don’t want you in the goddamn bullseye, Sam. Bring her home, Zeus.”
Is the man listening to his granddaughter?
“Bring me home? As though I’m a package? Or a suitcase? He will not. I will not quit. The. Answer. Is. No.”
Zeus held his breath as he waited for an explosion from Samuel Dixon.
“Well, fine,” Dixon said, tone calm. “Zeus and Ragno.” His voice switched from concerned grandfather to thoughtful and steady businessman. “Spare no legitimate expense on the security detail for the Amicus team.”
“Absolutely,” Ragno, back on the line with the three of them, answered.
“There’s been a ten-million dollar bounty on Maximov for years,” Dixon said. “Is Black Raven pursuing it?”
The off-the-wall question had Zeus’s gaze riveted on Sam’s eyes, because the surprise he saw there matched his. Not just surprise—he also saw worry as to where this was going.
Hell.
Zeus knew where it was going and there was plenty of cause for worry for Black Raven. He could almost see the giant fucking flashing neon sign yelling, “conflict of interest.” In all caps. Underlined.
He maintained his poker face, unable to acknowledge that such a Black Raven job existed. An honest answer to the question required he reveal Jigsaw.
Not gonna happen .
Chapter Six
Jigsaw was still in its relative infancy and Zeus, of all people, knew how sensitive it was. Two years earlier, Black Raven’s cyber division had been hired by the DHS on a project-by-project basis. At the same time, the NSA hired Black Raven’s cyber division on other projects. The DHS and NSA projects were unrelated, but shared a common objective—gathering information about terrorist threats. As with other outsourcing conducted by the governmental agencies to Black Raven’s cyber division, the existence of the projects was strictly confidential.
One year after being hired on the separate DHS and NSA projects, the prison break involving Barrows occurred. Black Raven’s search for, and ultimate hiring of, Barrows resulted in an infusion of
Goddammit. If he could just step back in time and go to the point where he’d made the wrong turn, he’d do it in a heartbeat.
“Zeus,” Ragno said. “Tell them that with the escalation of threat caused by the Boulevard Saint-Germain bombing and the cyanide poisoning, and the increased chatter, Black Raven will need double the manpower originally anticipated. Maybe that will help her make her decision.”
Zeus repeated Ragno’s warning and threw in numbers. High numbers. They’d break seven figures a few times. Easily. The simple reality was that Black Raven ran a business for profit. Risk was up, so manpower needed to increase. Every hour of manpower, for each agent, cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, depending on agent skill level and task. Not to mention the safe houses they’d need, the transports, and the dedicated analytical support that Ragno’s group would provide. Samuel understood that fact, and so did Sam.
Still, the numbers were daunting. He added the caveat that Black Raven always provided. “And this is only an estimate. The number will go up as circumstances evolve.”
Sam shrugged, took a bite of the sandwich, chewed slowly, and swallowed. “Budget issues are between you and my grandfather. I didn’t hire Black Raven, and I especially didn’t hire you.” She took another bite, and drank a quick sip of water. “I’m not resigning, even if my grandfather decides not to pay you, even if you decide to quit the job. I’m doing the job…” She leveled her eyes on his, ate a grape, and added, “With or without you or Black Raven. Understood?”
He nodded as he watched her eat more of her sandwich. Got it. Loud and clear.
“Threat level of every country participating in the ITT–United Kingdom, United States, France, and Colombia– Hell,” Dixon said, breaking his silence. “The terrorist threat level worldwide is critical right now. I don’t want you in the goddamn bullseye, Sam. Bring her home, Zeus.”
Is the man listening to his granddaughter?
“Bring me home? As though I’m a package? Or a suitcase? He will not. I will not quit. The. Answer. Is. No.”
Zeus held his breath as he waited for an explosion from Samuel Dixon.
“Well, fine,” Dixon said, tone calm. “Zeus and Ragno.” His voice switched from concerned grandfather to thoughtful and steady businessman. “Spare no legitimate expense on the security detail for the Amicus team.”
“Absolutely,” Ragno, back on the line with the three of them, answered.
“There’s been a ten-million dollar bounty on Maximov for years,” Dixon said. “Is Black Raven pursuing it?”
The off-the-wall question had Zeus’s gaze riveted on Sam’s eyes, because the surprise he saw there matched his. Not just surprise—he also saw worry as to where this was going.
Hell.
Zeus knew where it was going and there was plenty of cause for worry for Black Raven. He could almost see the giant fucking flashing neon sign yelling, “conflict of interest.” In all caps. Underlined.
He maintained his poker face, unable to acknowledge that such a Black Raven job existed. An honest answer to the question required he reveal Jigsaw.
Not gonna happen .
Chapter Six
Jigsaw was still in its relative infancy and Zeus, of all people, knew how sensitive it was. Two years earlier, Black Raven’s cyber division had been hired by the DHS on a project-by-project basis. At the same time, the NSA hired Black Raven’s cyber division on other projects. The DHS and NSA projects were unrelated, but shared a common objective—gathering information about terrorist threats. As with other outsourcing conducted by the governmental agencies to Black Raven’s cyber division, the existence of the projects was strictly confidential.
One year after being hired on the separate DHS and NSA projects, the prison break involving Barrows occurred. Black Raven’s search for, and ultimate hiring of, Barrows resulted in an infusion of
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