Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies
Page 50
“The infamous Lady in Black,” Gentry said in an amused voice. “I’m honored to be in your presence.”
“Did you try to have us killed?” Vision Rose asked in her Lady voice, a sultry mixture of culture and confidence.
Gentry sat back, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Your own men were more than willing to take care of that for me.”
“Not my men,” she said with an air of disgust. “You can see why I’m here.”
Gentry’s eyes twinkled as he waved to a chair. “Now we have something to talk about. Let’s get down to business.”
The vision faded, and I said, “Gentry thinks I’m working with him because Skeeter’s men have turned against me.”
Jed pushed out a sigh of relief. “Then it worked.”
Neely Kate turned to him. “You planned that?”
“It took care of two things at once. We got rid of two guys I suspected had turned, and Gentry’s suspicions about the Lady have been smoothed over.”
“What reason did you give Gentry for the meeting?” I asked.
“That Skeeter’s men had turned on you and you were looking for a new alliance.”
Something slimy coursed through my veins. “I feel like I’m betraying Skeeter.”
“That’s how we have to play it.” He checked his phone and sent another text.
“That’s pretty smart,” Neely Kate grudgingly admitted.
A slow smile spread across Jed’s face. “Merv says it’s done. Part two should kick in soon enough.”
“Done?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
“I sent Merv and another guy over there in a car similar to mine.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “They were where you said they’d be, which made it easier.”
“They’re dead?”
He shrugged. “Their choice. And don’t you feel an ounce of guilt over it. They would have killed you, no hesitation.”
In theory, I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.
“Do we head to the fertilizer plant now?” Neely Kate asked while I wrestled with my conscience.
“No,” he told her. “Now we wait. Ten to one, Gentry wasn’t even at the original meeting place. A stupid man would have figured there wouldn’t be a meeting at all—we’d show up and be eliminated, end of story. But Gentry’s not stupid, so he probably guessed we’d escape the trap. Once he gets the all-clear that we survived, he’ll let us know where to meet.” He looked down at his hand. “And there it is.” He studied his screen.
“Well?” Neely Kate sounded short. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What’d he say?”
“He wants to meet at a warehouse up in Columbia County.”
My heart seized in my chest. “I can’t leave the county.”
Jed glanced back at me. “If you get picked up by the police, you’ll have bigger problems than breaking your bail terms.”
That made my anxiety even worse. “Will Glenn Stout lose all his money?”
His eyes narrowed. “Like I said, I don’t give a shit about Stout’s money. Not that Glenn Stout is even his name.”
I considered sharing the information we’d found out about the courier but decided to let Mason deal with that one.
“What do you want to do?” Jed asked, fully turned to study me.
“My vision was in a warehouse,” I mused, staring out the windshield. “And Mick Gentry seemed happy to see me. I say we go.”
“Okay.” Jed turned around. “Let’s do it.”
I wondered if I was making the worst mistake of my life.
Chapter 15
Between giving Neely Kate directions, Jed lectured her on how to behave and what to expect.
“I still think you should stay in the car,” he said.
“No,” I interrupted. “She took out one of the guys in my first vision. You got Bert, but Neely Kate took care of Gil. No hesitation.” That part worried me a bit. That she’d reacted so quickly. But in a situation this dangerous, that could only be a good thing.
“Well …” Jed drawled. “Okay, but you’ll need a name.”
“I’ve been thinkin’ about that.” She grinned. “I like Black Orchid.”
“This isn’t a superhero show, Neely Kate,” I groaned.
“Well, your name is odd.”
“And given some time to think, I would have chosen something more normal. Besides, I didn’t even choose it at all.” I would have done a lot of things differently, but given everything I knew now, I was pretty sure I would have still gone through with meeting Skeeter on that cold November day. I still saw the Lady in Black as our best—and maybe only—chance to save all of us.
“How about Lily?” I asked. “You can be Black Lily in your head, but we’ll drop the black.”
She pursed her lips and glanced into the rearview mirror. “It sounds exotic. I like it.”
Jed shook his head. “You two are gonna be the death of me.”
I sure as hell hoped not.
The warehouse was a good fifteen minutes over the county line. It was out in the middle of nowhere, which was probably a good idea given the potential for collateral damage.
Jed told Neely Kate to pull around to the west side of the building. There were three other parked vehicles there, one of them a pickup truck. Neely Kate had lost her bubbly smile and was now silent and stoic.
“Did you try to have us killed?” Vision Rose asked in her Lady voice, a sultry mixture of culture and confidence.
Gentry sat back, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Your own men were more than willing to take care of that for me.”
“Not my men,” she said with an air of disgust. “You can see why I’m here.”
Gentry’s eyes twinkled as he waved to a chair. “Now we have something to talk about. Let’s get down to business.”
The vision faded, and I said, “Gentry thinks I’m working with him because Skeeter’s men have turned against me.”
Jed pushed out a sigh of relief. “Then it worked.”
Neely Kate turned to him. “You planned that?”
“It took care of two things at once. We got rid of two guys I suspected had turned, and Gentry’s suspicions about the Lady have been smoothed over.”
“What reason did you give Gentry for the meeting?” I asked.
“That Skeeter’s men had turned on you and you were looking for a new alliance.”
Something slimy coursed through my veins. “I feel like I’m betraying Skeeter.”
“That’s how we have to play it.” He checked his phone and sent another text.
“That’s pretty smart,” Neely Kate grudgingly admitted.
A slow smile spread across Jed’s face. “Merv says it’s done. Part two should kick in soon enough.”
“Done?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
“I sent Merv and another guy over there in a car similar to mine.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “They were where you said they’d be, which made it easier.”
“They’re dead?”
He shrugged. “Their choice. And don’t you feel an ounce of guilt over it. They would have killed you, no hesitation.”
In theory, I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.
“Do we head to the fertilizer plant now?” Neely Kate asked while I wrestled with my conscience.
“No,” he told her. “Now we wait. Ten to one, Gentry wasn’t even at the original meeting place. A stupid man would have figured there wouldn’t be a meeting at all—we’d show up and be eliminated, end of story. But Gentry’s not stupid, so he probably guessed we’d escape the trap. Once he gets the all-clear that we survived, he’ll let us know where to meet.” He looked down at his hand. “And there it is.” He studied his screen.
“Well?” Neely Kate sounded short. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What’d he say?”
“He wants to meet at a warehouse up in Columbia County.”
My heart seized in my chest. “I can’t leave the county.”
Jed glanced back at me. “If you get picked up by the police, you’ll have bigger problems than breaking your bail terms.”
That made my anxiety even worse. “Will Glenn Stout lose all his money?”
His eyes narrowed. “Like I said, I don’t give a shit about Stout’s money. Not that Glenn Stout is even his name.”
I considered sharing the information we’d found out about the courier but decided to let Mason deal with that one.
“What do you want to do?” Jed asked, fully turned to study me.
“My vision was in a warehouse,” I mused, staring out the windshield. “And Mick Gentry seemed happy to see me. I say we go.”
“Okay.” Jed turned around. “Let’s do it.”
I wondered if I was making the worst mistake of my life.
Chapter 15
Between giving Neely Kate directions, Jed lectured her on how to behave and what to expect.
“I still think you should stay in the car,” he said.
“No,” I interrupted. “She took out one of the guys in my first vision. You got Bert, but Neely Kate took care of Gil. No hesitation.” That part worried me a bit. That she’d reacted so quickly. But in a situation this dangerous, that could only be a good thing.
“Well …” Jed drawled. “Okay, but you’ll need a name.”
“I’ve been thinkin’ about that.” She grinned. “I like Black Orchid.”
“This isn’t a superhero show, Neely Kate,” I groaned.
“Well, your name is odd.”
“And given some time to think, I would have chosen something more normal. Besides, I didn’t even choose it at all.” I would have done a lot of things differently, but given everything I knew now, I was pretty sure I would have still gone through with meeting Skeeter on that cold November day. I still saw the Lady in Black as our best—and maybe only—chance to save all of us.
“How about Lily?” I asked. “You can be Black Lily in your head, but we’ll drop the black.”
She pursed her lips and glanced into the rearview mirror. “It sounds exotic. I like it.”
Jed shook his head. “You two are gonna be the death of me.”
I sure as hell hoped not.
The warehouse was a good fifteen minutes over the county line. It was out in the middle of nowhere, which was probably a good idea given the potential for collateral damage.
Jed told Neely Kate to pull around to the west side of the building. There were three other parked vehicles there, one of them a pickup truck. Neely Kate had lost her bubbly smile and was now silent and stoic.
