Smiley knew he was right. “That didn’t happen. Her sister told her to stay here where she’s safe.”“Good thing.”
Smiley shot Jericho a glare. “What does that mean?”
“We just had the bartender delivered to us. I thought you’d want to be present for that instead of tying Vanni to a bed to keep her safe. I would do that if she were my female.”
Fury laughed. “It does work.”
Justice growled low. “Don’t remind me.” He narrowed his gaze on Fury. “And I remember you having Ellie tied to your bed for a different reason.”
“I believe I was hired right after that,” Miles Eron muttered. “You needed a lot of help with your public image.”
Fury’s humor faded. “Who gets the pleasure of scaring the shit out of this human and making him talk?”
“I do,” Smiley volunteered.
Jericho stood. “No. I’ll do it.”
“He drugged me and Vanni.” Smiley faced him, ready to argue his case.
“Exactly. It’s personal. He can’t talk if you lose your temper and break his jaw. Take your feelings out of this by answering my question with complete honesty. Who will terrify the human more? Me or you?”
Smiley hated it but conceded to Jericho’s logic. “Fine but I get to be there.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Jericho nodded. “The sight of you will make him nervous.”
“I remember when I used to be in charge,” Justice mused. “I even have the nice office and desk.”
“Sorry.” Jericho didn’t look it though.
“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Miles protested. “I think the task force team is doing a fine job.”
Justice stood. “Noted, Miles. We appreciate your input but this isn’t happening outside the walls of Homeland. Jericho has a good plan. Let’s go. They are holding the human in interview room two. We all want to see this.”
“Are we going to record it?” Fury arched an eyebrow questioningly.
Justice nodded. “We’ll leak it to the press.” He glanced between Smiley and Jericho. “Keep that in mind. Humans are squeamish about things they perceive as too violent or frightening.”
“That’s why I think the task force should handle this.” Miles stood too. “It will appear you terrified this man into a confession. You pay me to tell you what my people will think. There it is.”
“Give it up,” Cindy muttered. “No one else agrees with you.”
Miles spun and glared at her. “What did you say?”
She raised her voice. “We don’t want the NSO to seem as if they need us to handle their security matters. That’s worse than releasing a video of one of them interrogating this bartender. We want people to fear New Species enough not to fuck with them in the future.”
“The task force scares everyone.” Miles glared at her.
“I think Jericho is way more frightening.” She flashed the primate male a smile. “I have total faith in you.”
“Thank you.” Jericho grinned back.
“I still think it’s a mistake.” Miles faced Justice. “Why do you even pay us to handle your press if you refuse to listen to my advice?”
“It’s not for your winning personality,” Cindy muttered low enough that her boss couldn’t hear.
Justice chuckled. “We needed your help handling the shopping excursion. You’re the one who decided to stick around. We’ve got this.”
“I still think it’s a mistake.” Miles shook his head.
Cindy rolled her eyes. “He thinks that tie looks good. I rest my case.” She turned in her chair, drawing everyone’s attention. “Just don’t punch the living shit out of the jerk on camera before you get him to talk. That would be overkill. People might view that as a forced confession. We don’t want anyone screaming about his rights being violated.”
“As if that human gave a shit about that when he drugged us,” Smiley hissed.
“I agree,” Cindy acknowledged. “My heart isn’t bleeding for this dickhead but all I’m saying is, don’t inflict injures that are going to show. The bartender might not have been aware of the danger. It doesn’t excuse it but I’m just saying you must try to keep the camera in mind so we can use it in the media war the Woods Church has started.”
“They wanted someone tossed to their human authorities to be prosecuted. I think we have their pound of flesh,” Justice said as he rounded his desk.
Smiley was outraged. “You’re giving him to the humans?”
Justice stopped next to him. “I have a plan.”
“What would that be? Their justice system isn’t harsh enough. He deserves to be sent to Fuller Prison, not to some human jail cell with television and visitors.” Smiley fisted his hands, that angry.
Justice leaned in and held his gaze. “If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that our enemies try to flee the country when we’re after them. The human authorities and news outlets know it too. I want to put enough pressure on Gregory Woods to make him attempt to escape. We’ll be waiting.”
“I can’t listen to this part.” Miles backed toward the door. “I’m out of here. My legal advisors would tell me not to be part of this conversation.” He exited the room.
Justice arched an eyebrow at Cindy. “Are you leaving too?”
She leaned back in her chair. “I have this condition I call impromptu senility. I can’t remember a damn thing when I don’t want to. Go on. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Some of Smiley’s anger dissipated. “You have a team in place to grab him?”
Justice smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’ll help him disappear. The out world will think he is getting a decent tan on some beach but there is no sunlight where he’s going. Fuller Prison is about to get a little overcrowded though we have no early release program. We’ve ordered new cages already.”
“You don’t legally have to release the identities of whoever you imprison at Fuller.” Cindy grinned. “Score one for the good guys.”
Fury chuckled. “I checked. The staff at Fuller Prison assembled the bunks and received new bedding. They are just waiting to issue clothing to the new prisoners.”
Smiley calmed. “You’re sure he won’t get away?”“Positive,” Justice swore. “He’s too afraid to piss without a security team outside the door. He just hired two of our undercover task force members. He has no idea who they really are.”
“That’s totally true,” Cindy nodded. “I’ve been researching Gregory Woods for over a year, since he hit the big-time-social-media level. He’s all mouth and no spine. Right now he’s got to be paranoid as hell and I’ve monitored the increase in his security detail in the past few days. He used to keep three suits around him but he’s doubled that number.”
“Our team members have him wired and have cloned all his devices,” Fury announced. “He’s very dependent on his electronics and has already done searches for non-extradition countries to flee to. He also hired a private jet to be waiting on standby. One of our humans is now wearing that company’s pilot uniform. He’ll rush right to our pilot and be flown to where our team will be waiting to take him into custody.”
“What about the son? I want him too.” Smiley wasn’t about to forget that Carl Woods had set Vanni up for his father.
Justice nodded. “He and his father can share a cage. The father won’t leave without the son.”
“By every indication I’ve found, Carl Woods is heavily dependent upon his daddy’s money.” Cindy whipped out an electronic device from her purse on the floor. “He spends more than he makes and to be honest, he’s not the best lawyer. His father paid to open his private practice and gives him the majority of his business.”
She turned the screen to show Justice something. “This is his current debt. The doors to his practice are only open because Daddy saves his ass every month. His home is mortgaged for more than it’s worth and his ass would be homeless and jobless within three months if the money gets cut off. Gregory Woods is a dickhead who loves to keep everyone around him on strings. It’s that pathetic god complex he has. I’d bet the candy bar in my purse that Carl Woods realizes the money gets cut if he doesn’t stick close to his father’s ass. I mean wallet. He’ll also know, if criminal charges are filed against Gregory, the first thing that would happen is they’ll freeze his assets when he evades arrest. That means the money is cut off for sure.”
“What if he doesn’t leave with his father?” Smiley wasn’t willing to risk it.
Fury drew his attention. “Then we’ll pick him up a few weeks after his father disappears. Everyone will assume he just met up with him later. They’ll be accurate.”
“Especially when they foreclose on his house and evict him from his nice office suites,” Cindy added. “Even his car is a rental.”
“And Bruce? I want him the most. He Tasered Vanni and made threats.” Smiley wasn’t about to allow that male to get away with hurting her.