Code Name: Aries by Janie Crouch
16
Ian
I hadn’t seen Wavy in a week, and that was too damned long.
As if my whole body wasn’t itching to touch her, one of her little paintings had shown up in the mail today. I’d grinned like an idiot when I’d seen it. I thought all three of my assistants’ eyes were going to bug out of their heads at my reaction.
I didn’t care. Wavy had mailed me a painting. Sent it overnight so she was sure I’d get it before I saw her. This one was made up of pinks and purples—happiness and passion blended together. I couldn’t seem to stop running my fingers across it.
And on the back, in her delicate, flowery script, she’d said she had a surprise for me.
There weren’t many people in the world who could surprise me, but I had no doubt she was one of them.
Because I had no idea what she was thinking when she said surprise. Could be a new type of pie at the Frontier Diner. Or a waterfall off one of the nearby trails that she wanted to show me.
Or it could be her naked in my bed with a pair of handcuffs to be put to creative use.
There was no telling. And I fucking loved it. This woman had gotten under my skin one laugh at a time.
A few hours later, my jet was setting down outside of Oak Creek, and I was getting into the vehicle I now left here full time. Continuing to spend so much of my time in Wyoming wasn’t going to work long term.
Maybe I could talk Wavy into moving near one of the Zodiac Tactical offices—there were multiple places she could choose from. She’d mentioned being ready to leave her hometown, and if she picked somewhere near a Zodiac office, I’d be moving headquarters there.
Or if she wanted to live somewhere else, I’d open a new, real office there. Hell, if she wanted to stay here in Oak Creek, I’d do that too. The thought brought a smile to my face. Smiling . . . something I’d been doing more and more of. It didn’t feel awkward anymore.
And who was responsible for that?
The package sitting at the front door of my makeshift office as I pulled up had me pulling out the weapon I kept in the glove compartment.
There should be no mail here. All mail was rerouted into town or to one of my other offices. I stepped closer. My name was written on the outside of the box and nothing else. Definitely suspicious.
Taking a step back, I got Landon on the line, placing my phone on speaker mode.
“What’s up, boss? Did Wavy clock you with another tray?”
I didn’t try to hide my concern. “I’ve got an anonymous package by the front door of my building here in Oak Creek.” We both remembered what last week’s anonymous package had held: pieces of Silas Varela’s body. “Run the scanner and the cameras here. See if you can get any info on who left this thing.”
“Roger that. I’m running it now,” Landon said. “Give me a few minutes. And for God’s sake, don’t touch that box.”
Being out here in a relatively unsecure location wasn’t the smartest way for me to run my business, so we’d put high-security measures in place. Cameras everywhere and infrared sensors to be able to tell remotely if someone was inside the building. I could’ve checked it from my phone, but I’d rather keep my weapon out and let Landon do it.
Because there should be no box here. No one outside Zodiac’s inner circle should’ve known about this place at all.
As soon as Landon assured me the building was clear, I would grab the technology that would allow me to make sure there was no explosive inside the box itself.
“Boss, we’ve got a problem,” Landon told me. “Building is clear, but the cameras were switched off manually at some point. I’ll have to check into that further.”
Fuck. There was no reason for him to check further. I was the one who’d taken the cameras offline last week because of what I’d been doing with Wavy. There was no way in hell I’d risk anyone else seeing her like that.
“No need, Landon. I took the cameras offline and forgot to put them back on.” Because I’d pretty much forgotten my own name by the time Wavy had been done with me. “Reconnect them now and get them running.”
I kept my weapon out as I went inside, but there was no indication anyone had been here. No doubt Landon was already sending a backup team, and they would check more thoroughly when they got here.
I scanned the package with our equipment. It was clear of any explosives, so I grabbed some latex gloves out of a crime kit in the back room.
“Okay, we’re not working with explosives,” I said. “I’m going to open it.”
“Ian, you need to wait for backup.”
“No.” My gut was screaming that there was something really wrong. “I want to find out what this is all about.”
“Fine.” Landon let out a sigh, his fingers clicking on a keyboard. “But I’m at least calling some of the Linear guys to come over as backup. This feels ugly.”
It did feel ugly.
I crouched down in front of the box about twice the size of a shoe box. I slid on the gloves and used my pocket knife to cut through the tape.
Inside the box was another smaller box. Great. Someone wanted to play games. I switched the call to video and propped up the phone so Landon could have a closer view of what I was doing.
I opened the second box only to find a third, smaller one inside.
I gritted my teeth. “Mosaic is fucking with us. This is a Russian nesting doll in box form.”
There were seven boxes in all. Inside the last box was a square envelope with writing on the outside.
What price are you willing to pay to win this war?
“Whatever price I have to, asshole,” I muttered as I turned the envelope to open it.
“Ian, wait. I don’t like this,” Landon said, but I didn’t stop.
I needed to know.
Whatever game Mosaic was playing with me now, I was ready, because I was going to win. They were going down. I didn’t have Varela anymore, but I’d find another way.
I eased open the envelope with the knife. The first thing I saw was a photo of Wavy wearing a red polka dot dress and smiling. It almost brought a smile to my own face until I saw what she was doing, who she was smiling at.
She was shaking the hand of Erick Huen.
She was standing next to him, smiling at him, shaking his hand.
I stood and ran for my car.
“Jesus,” Landon said. “Was that Wavy with Erick?”
“Yes.” I peeled out of the driveway and headed into town.
What did the photo mean? Was Erick threatening her? Trying to let me know he could get to her? How long ago had the photo been taken? I’d talked to Wavy this morning, and we were supposed to meet a little later this afternoon once she got off her shift at the diner.
I had to see Wavy for myself.
“Landon, we need to figure out why she was with him. I know she knows the name, but obviously she doesn’t know the face.” I hung up and slammed my foot on the gas.
Erick Huen had been around her. The thought made me sick.
I pulled up at the Frontier Diner a few moments later and ran inside.
“Hey there, honey.” Leeann, the older waitress who worked with Wavy, smiled at me. “What are you doing here?”
“Where’s Wavy?” I demanded, unable to be civil until I saw her with my own eyes.
“She’s not here. Oh, that’s right, she didn’t tell you. She wanted it to be a surprise.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. Wavy wasn’t here. Something about her surprise.
“She’s gone into Reddington City to meet with an art dealer,” Leeann continued. “Some agent who was interested in her work and wanted to see more.”
Fear closed around my throat. “Where? When?”
“Here’s the card he gave her yesterday when he came into the diner looking for her.” Leeann grabbed a business card sitting by the register and handed it to me.
Louis Noeya, Art Agent
But the picture was Erick Huen.
“Wavy was all excited. Had her red polka dot dress on. Her lucky dress, she calls it.” Leeann winked at me. “She said she hoped to get lucky twice today, if you know what I mean.”
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t say anything to Leeann. I turned and ran back outside, the business card in my hand.
My phone rang again, and I answered, knowing it was Landon.
“Erick has her,” I whispered, unable to say anything else. “Mosaic has Wavy.”
I looked at the business card again, the letters that made up the name, Louis Noeya, morphing as the anagram became clear.
Louis Noeyaspelled You lose Ian.
Mosaic had Wavy.
