We’re not spies. We don’t have access to Internet geniuses.
“It’s a useless piece of plastic,” Scratch grumbles, turning it over in his big paw.
Suddenly I remember my brother. “Give me that. I might have a way.” Scratch hands me the thing and I head out to the parking lot, pulling my own phone out and dialing as the warm sun digs into my scalp.
Justin answers on the first ring. “Jett! How the hell are ya? I haven’t heard from you in months.”
“I’m good. In California.”
“No way!” A thunderclap sounds in the background. “Hear that?”
“Fuck, I miss those storms. It’s not rainin’ where I am. Ever.”
He laughs. Justin shares one major thing with our father, he’s a politician and well connected with the power players. Only unlike our dad, he plans to be in the Senate. I think he wants to one-up Congressman Michael Cocker, which I wouldn’t mind at all. But if I’m honest, Dad would be proud of Justin if he surpassed him in power. It’s me he’s never proud of. Fuckin’ asshole.
“How are ya, Justin?” I glance over to our Harleys, checking them out like I always do. “How’s Jason?”
“Why does everyone always ask about my twin? We’re not attached,” he laughs, adding, “Thank God. You know him, Jett. Forever tangled with some crazy chick. He’s got a new girl. Real piece of work. I hate her.”
“You hate all Jason’s girls.”
I can hear by the echo of his laughter that he’s in his huge office. It’s three hours ahead there, so I might have caught him just before lunch. Good. Need him near his resources, and somewhere private.
“I think you’re just jealous, man,” I tell him, referring to Jason’s women.
Justin laughs again, loud and heartily, like there’s no way that’s true.
I grin and walk over to my saddlebags, adjusting the strap on one side just because.
“You meet Jake’s woman yet?” Justin asks.
“Not yet. Heard about her when I saw him in Colorado though. We talked on the phone a couple months ago, he told me he was pretending to go slowly because she had a problem with his age, still. But then Ma told me it got serious, last time we spoke.”
“I’d say so. They’re getting married. You should come.”
A pang twists my chest up and my smile leaves me flat. Gazing up at the never-ending Southern California sunlight, I mutter, “We’ll see.”
“Fuck what Dad thinks, Jett. You need to be there. Hang on a second…what?” A woman’s muffled voice is in the background. She’s saying something official. Justin tells her, “Okay, let him know I’ll call him back after I talk to my brother.” He returns to me. “You better come, Jett. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“I’ll be there in spirit.”
“You’re here in spirit all the time. Try to be here in person for once.”
“We’ll see.”
We’re silent a second. I know my younger brother is seriously considering whether or not to try harder, but he knows me too well. “Why’d you call, Jett? I can tell you’ve got a motive. You sound tense.”
“I need to see if you can run some phone numbers for me. I need addresses.”
“Hang on…Mary? Will you give me a minute? I’ll buzz you when I’m done here.” He waits and I hear a door close in the distance. Then another thunderclap. Justin’s voice gets lower. “You guys fighting the good fight again?”
“Always.”
“Look, I’ve got some buddies on the force, but finding addresses…I need a reason.”
Glancing over, I lock eyes with Scratch through the window. The others are deep in conversation.
“Justin, this one’s deep. Not just some gang terrorizing some town. I’m talkin’ human trafficking. I don’t know how Scratch got the call, but we’re about to shut something major down. Only we can’t find the guy without your help. This phone might have the answers if it’s not too late.”
Justin whistles long and low. “Wow. I think you’re doing better things than I am.”
“When you work outside the law you can get more done.”
“Alright, don’t say things like that on my cell phone.”
I chuckle, “You’re too low level for them to be watching. When you reach Senate, I’ll send ravens.” He laughs, but I hear the tension isn’t only in my voice now. “I need this, Justin. There are women involved. We can give them a way out. You can help. That’s why you want to be a politician, right?”