heard Jim's booted feet behind him, but he refused to discuss anything in the open hallway. They stood silently in the elevator and as much as he appreciated how well Jim knew him, Micky was reminded of the staggering responsibility he had to those who were loyal and depending on him.
"Tell me everything," Micky demanded when they reached his apartment. He signaled for the run down while he brewed a pot of coffee.
"The usual feed from the truck was corrupted shortly after Darlene reported a successful pick up at the docks. Is coffee good for you?"
He glared.
"The stimulant –"
"The report. Please." Still Jim hesitated. "Leave the medical assessment to the professionals." He pulled out a second mug. "I'll share."
Jim shook his head. "I've had my fill for now. The last signal from the truck is choppy, but it could just be glitchy tech. Looks like she made it to the storage unit and things went all to hell."
"How's that?"
"No reason for Darlene to run searches on her previous routes and pick ups."
No reason at all, Micky agreed. "When did the distress call come in?"
"It's more of a ransom demand."
"Really?" He'd been through things that ticked him off, faced down wannabes who'd pissed him off, but it had been years since he'd felt the cold, certain fury icing his veins now. "How much?"
"Not money. You. You for them," Jim said, his voice fading to a whisper.
"All right. Makes this easy."
"No!" Micky lurched back as Jim swore. "You can't even think about doing this."
"I –"
"You're grieving, boss. I get it. But you have to be sensible. Without you –"
"Jim."
"– this place falls apart and –"
"Jim," he barked it. His head of security stopped rambling. "Your tender speech moves me." He looked away as Jim turned red. "But I've got no intention of rolling over for anyone."
"Then how will you get them back?"
"Trust me."
Jim crossed his arms and scowled, changing tactics from pleading underling to pure intimidation. "I've seen your will, remember?"
"Dying isn't what I have in mind." Micky hesitated. He trusted Jim with everything. The man was the executor of the will that provided for his team in case something happened to him. But the stealth suit was a personal indulgence, a rare secret no one else knew about.
He hadn't admitted it until right now, but the stealth suit was his private exit strategy, an individual reset button. With a little planning, he could fake his death and go be someone new. Just as soon as he was ready to stop being Slick Micky.
"Well, what do you have in mind?"
Micky blinked as the plan formed. "A little revenge. Give me the rundown and meet details."
He listened closely to Jim's report. Whoever had Ben and Darlene knew too much about the area and Micky's business, having asked for the exchange on the wooded side of the storage center directly behind his primary unit.
With a signal reflector and wire cutters for the fence a kidnapper could walk right onto the property from there. And any unit's key card would let them drive right out the front gate with all his product.
"Do we have any video of that area?"
Jim shook his head. "Motion sensors only. Well, floodlights, but that doesn't matter in daylight."
He frowned for effect, but in reality, the news pleased him. He downed the coffee and gave the go ahead for Jim to explain the plan that didn't include Micky.
"Not bad for short notice."
"I can call up a few more guys. Saturate the area."
That would only be more people for Micky to avoid. "No. I want you to go ahead with this plan. But tell the idiot behind this silly plot I'm with you."
"You want me to create a decoy?" Jim sounded too hopeful.
"No."
"What about a hologram? I've been playing with some new software that's incredibly lifelike. In the shadows, at a distance, it's convincing. I can show you."
"No need. I trust you. Take it along and use it if you think it'll help." He rinsed out his mug. "But I want to see it when we get back."
"Sure thing, boss."
"I'll
"Tell me everything," Micky demanded when they reached his apartment. He signaled for the run down while he brewed a pot of coffee.
"The usual feed from the truck was corrupted shortly after Darlene reported a successful pick up at the docks. Is coffee good for you?"
He glared.
"The stimulant –"
"The report. Please." Still Jim hesitated. "Leave the medical assessment to the professionals." He pulled out a second mug. "I'll share."
Jim shook his head. "I've had my fill for now. The last signal from the truck is choppy, but it could just be glitchy tech. Looks like she made it to the storage unit and things went all to hell."
"How's that?"
"No reason for Darlene to run searches on her previous routes and pick ups."
No reason at all, Micky agreed. "When did the distress call come in?"
"It's more of a ransom demand."
"Really?" He'd been through things that ticked him off, faced down wannabes who'd pissed him off, but it had been years since he'd felt the cold, certain fury icing his veins now. "How much?"
"Not money. You. You for them," Jim said, his voice fading to a whisper.
"All right. Makes this easy."
"No!" Micky lurched back as Jim swore. "You can't even think about doing this."
"I –"
"You're grieving, boss. I get it. But you have to be sensible. Without you –"
"Jim."
"– this place falls apart and –"
"Jim," he barked it. His head of security stopped rambling. "Your tender speech moves me." He looked away as Jim turned red. "But I've got no intention of rolling over for anyone."
"Then how will you get them back?"
"Trust me."
Jim crossed his arms and scowled, changing tactics from pleading underling to pure intimidation. "I've seen your will, remember?"
"Dying isn't what I have in mind." Micky hesitated. He trusted Jim with everything. The man was the executor of the will that provided for his team in case something happened to him. But the stealth suit was a personal indulgence, a rare secret no one else knew about.
He hadn't admitted it until right now, but the stealth suit was his private exit strategy, an individual reset button. With a little planning, he could fake his death and go be someone new. Just as soon as he was ready to stop being Slick Micky.
"Well, what do you have in mind?"
Micky blinked as the plan formed. "A little revenge. Give me the rundown and meet details."
He listened closely to Jim's report. Whoever had Ben and Darlene knew too much about the area and Micky's business, having asked for the exchange on the wooded side of the storage center directly behind his primary unit.
With a signal reflector and wire cutters for the fence a kidnapper could walk right onto the property from there. And any unit's key card would let them drive right out the front gate with all his product.
"Do we have any video of that area?"
Jim shook his head. "Motion sensors only. Well, floodlights, but that doesn't matter in daylight."
He frowned for effect, but in reality, the news pleased him. He downed the coffee and gave the go ahead for Jim to explain the plan that didn't include Micky.
"Not bad for short notice."
"I can call up a few more guys. Saturate the area."
That would only be more people for Micky to avoid. "No. I want you to go ahead with this plan. But tell the idiot behind this silly plot I'm with you."
"You want me to create a decoy?" Jim sounded too hopeful.
"No."
"What about a hologram? I've been playing with some new software that's incredibly lifelike. In the shadows, at a distance, it's convincing. I can show you."
"No need. I trust you. Take it along and use it if you think it'll help." He rinsed out his mug. "But I want to see it when we get back."
"Sure thing, boss."
"I'll
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