"Or they escalate," Jake says grimly.
I think about Turner standing on our porch this morning, smiling like he owned the place. Offering campaign pins. Making veiled threats wrapped in civility. He's not desperate yet, but he's close.
Jake faces Hendricks. "We need a plan. Turner's loose, and he has institutional backing even if the Reyes family isn't actively supporting him. He walked onto Blackthorn like he had nothing to fear. That means he thinks he's untouchable."
I drop my chair to the ground. "He's not.”
"No." Jake meets my gaze. "But we need to be smart about this. If we move against Turner directly, we're not just dealing with him. We're dealing with the Reyes family, the sheriff's department, and Turner’s political connections. All of it."
"So what do you suggest?" Mason asks.
"We find the woman," Jake says. "If she's hunting Turner's operation, she's an asset. If the Reyes family isn't looking for her, that means she's operating in a blind spot. We can use that."
Hendricks nods slowly. "I'll keep working on locating her, but it's going to take time."
Jake shakes his head. "We don't have time. Turner's moving. He came here today to assess us, to see how we'd react. He's planning something."
"Then we plan faster." I stand, my hands braced on the desk. "Hendricks, keep tracking the woman. Find out everything you can about the Reyes and their relationship with Turner. We need to know if they're backing him or if he's operating independently."
"Copy that."
"Mason, pull everything we have on Turner's properties and movements. I want to know where he goes, who he talks to, what his routine looks like."
Mason nods.
I turn to Jake. "We need to bring Harper into this. She knows those case files she brought us, as well as Cole Turner, better than we do. If there's a pattern we're missing, she'll find it."
Jake's expression darkens. "Her father?—"
"Is compromised," I finish. "Harper knows it, and she's dealing with it. But she's still a cop, and she's on our side. We use that."
For a moment, no one speaks.
Then Hendricks clears his throat. "One more thing."
We all look at the screen.
"Turner's not just building a trafficking route," Hendricks says quietly. "If Turner wins his gubernatorial run, he'll have state-level power. That means control over law enforcement, regulatory agencies, everything. It legitimizes everything, and he'll be untouchable."
I think about Harper and her father. About the way Turner smiled at Emma this morning. He's not just a trafficker. He's a predator with ambition, and if we don't stop him, he's going to destroy everything we're building here.
I rub my hands together. “Then we take Turner down before he gets anywhere near the governor's mansion."
Jake stands. "Agreed."
Mason nods.
Hendricks leans forward, his face filling the screen. "I'll be in touch. Watch your backs, gentlemen. Turner's dangerous, but the Reyes family is worse. If they decide you're a problem, this gets a lot more complicated. You don’t want them to send their enforcer after you. Gabriel Reyes is lethal."
"Understood," Jake says.
The screen goes dark.
For a moment, the three of us just stand there, processing.
Then Mason breaks the silence. "This is bad."
"Yeah." I run a hand through my hair. "But we've handled worse."