Just because it wasn’t a good theory didn’t mean he should outright dismiss it, but Luca wasn’t going to base anything on the idea. It was far more likely both men knew who was behind the Shadow Syndicate and were refusing to talk out of fear.
Luca grabbed his phone off the breakfast bar and checked it, but Mack hadn’t called him back. “Any idea where your brother is?”
Hammer pulled out his own phone. “Looks like he’s at work. His GPS has him at the ambulance station.”
“Thanks. That explains why he hasn’t called me back.” The kid didn’t usually answer his phone, or even look at it much, if he was on shift as a rookie EMT. “Alden told me he’ll give us information about the Shadow Syndicate if Mack agrees to come and see him.”
Hammer winced. “I have no idea what the kid is gonna say to that. He’s been avoiding the whole subject of his dad for the past few months, telling me he was just focusing on getting his certification and becoming an EMT. But we all know it was a smokescreen. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to deal with the fact that the father he thought he had doesn’t even exist.”
“Getting him to go talk to Alden might be the only way to get this case moving again.” Luca wandered across the waiting area, past the conference table he’d put in the center of the room, to his office in the corner. Not the one he used to have private conversations with clients, but the spot where he actually did most of his work.
Two of the walls were now covered in newspaper articles, copies of police files, and every other piece of evidence he’d managed to assemble related to this case. A ratty armchair in the corner was the only piece of furniture.
“It feels like we’re spinning our wheels. And I’m wondering why I ever thought I could actually be an investigator.”
Hammer clapped him on the shoulder, then went to look at the information, even though Luca knew he’d read it all several times before. A lot of it was his lived experience, like the newspaper article that detailed the fire where Sierra and Huck had almost died. “You love puzzles and figuring stuff out.”
“This is definitely a puzzle, but I don’t have enough pieces to see what the picture is. And I haven’t even started figuring out how to put them together.”
“If getting Mack to talk to Alden is what does it, then the kid is just going to have to suck it up and face his dad.”
Saxon turned to his buddy. “Practicing your drawing-the-line dad speeches?”
“It’s easier with Mack, that’s for sure. Huck looks at me with those big eyes, and all I can think is how much of his life I’ve missed. Sierra keeps calling me on it, saying I’m being too easygoing with him.” Hammer lifted his hand and squeezed the back of his neck.
“It hasn’t been long, and she’s been raising him for ten years.”
Hammer might be the kid’s father, but he was new to the dad game. Meanwhile, Sierra had done an amazing job teaching Huck everything he needed to know to be Luca’s favorite kid. Not that he was biased or anything.
Actually, he was hoping they would ask him to be godfather to their baby.
“We’ll figure it out.” Hammer sighed. “Want me to talk to Mack?”
Luca shook his head. “I’ve got it. I’ll track him down and have a face-to-face. You go home and enjoy your time with your family.”
“Sure?”
Luca nodded. “Tomorrow I’ll probably try to track down Ralph and ask him more questions about what he told us. See what else he might have to say about this shadow syndicate.”
Hammer headed out, leaving Luca with his wall of puzzle pieces that didn’t fit. And the burning need to do what he could to ensure Hammer’s family was safe. It was what life had instilled in him. Spending his childhood looking out for his brother, whether Amir cared to remember or not. Taking care of things after his father…Joining the military so he could be someone else and build a different life than the one he’d been working on. Then it all went wrong.
Betrayed by one of their teammates.
Reported killed in action.
Hammer, Luca, and their friend Kane had taken Mack and gone to Montana, where they’d fought wildfires because it enabled them to keep below the radar and make sure Maria Sanchez was safe. They’d done a season in Alaska after that, found Maria’s father, and wrapped up that summer with Kane and Maria engaged.
No one had expected Hammer to be the first to get married after that, but Kane and Maria had already decided to wait until summer this year.
Now his life had changed again. Things were shifting and his friends were moving on. All Luca needed to worry about was making sure they were safe.
Which meant solving this case.
He headed for his desk and fired up the computer, logging onto his email. The message from the US Marshals had been written by Deputy Marshal Ethan Butler, confirming the meeting was set for oh seven thirty at the federal courthouse. In Judge Mullinax’s chambers.
He looked at the address line, seeing who else he could expect at the meeting. One of the names made his breath catch in his throat. No way.
Dr. Kira Yassan.