Hacking the Biker's Code (Dogs of Fire Savannah Chapter #6) - Piper Davenport Page 0,48
took me a minute to recognize Dalton. He was in a corner booth, civilian clothing, and a black baseball cap low over his eyes.
He saw us first, sliding out of his seat and standing, giving us a chin lift. Doc moved toward him, barely acknowledging his existence and I followed his lead.
“Get us a couple of beers,” Doc directed.
“What about Dalt?”
“Get him one too,” he said. “If he doesn’t drink it, I will.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t happy about it. Luckily, the bar was pretty empty, so it didn’t take long to get my order. I dropped a twenty on the counter and headed to the table, sliding a bottle to Dalton, and handing another to Doc.
“Thanks, brother, but I’m on-duty,” Dalton said.
“Jesus, when aren’t you?” Doc asked before snagging the bottle from him and taking a pull from it.
“I’ve been asking myself that same question for longer than you can imagine,” Dalton replied before shifting gears. “Thank you for meeting with me. I already apologized to Rabbit for Agent Davis’s black bag operation. I had no idea he was gonna do that and if I’d known about it beforehand, I would have given you a heads up.”
“A heads up would have been nice, but if you had caught wind of Taxi’s plan, wouldn’t you have told him to come at Rabbit a little more friendly-like?” Doc challenged.
Dalton nodded. “That’s why I wanted to meet with the two of you face to face. I would have made it sooner, but this is the first time I’ve had any time to get away.”
“We appreciate it,” Doc said, tipping his beer toward Dalton. “You’ve always played things straight with the Dogs. That’s why I was pissed at the way your man handled his introduction, or whatever the fuck that was.”
“Here’s the truth,” Dalton said, leaning in. I could see him more clearly in the light and was blown away with how young he looked, even for thirty-five. This guy looked like he was in his late twenties, tops. “Our boss, Director Hardy, is next in line for the position of Deputy Director. The success of an experimental program like this would be a significant feather in his cap. The amount of quality intel Agent Davis was able to gather while working undercover with the Spiders was unprecedented. Not to mention, the way he took down their President.”
“So, Taxi is the shiny new golden egg of the bureau,” Doc said, taking a long sip.
“And Director Hardy is the goose who laid him. As soon as his assignment in Portland was over, Agent Davis was removed from Agent Quinn’s team, and given his own special assignment. Project K-017.”
“Sounds like somethin’ out of a goddamned James Bond movie,” Doc said.
“James Bond is British,” Dalton replied, without a trace of humor or irony, before continuing. “Project K-017 is like nothing the bureau had ever tried before. Agent Davis has been tasked with assembling a team of bikers, hackers, and thieves to infiltrate an interconnected network of criminals throughout the United States.”
“Fuck James Bond, it sounds like the Avengers,” I said.
“It sounds like suicide to me,” Dalton said. “Career suicide for Taxi, and the real kind for Rabbit.”
“Then why the fuck are you okay including him on this?” Doc growled.
“It’s out of my hands. Hardy has been clear. I’m to oversee and provide support when needed, but this is Agent Davis’s show. The Director is looking for ‘out of the box’ solutions in fighting what he’s dubbed ‘Modern Crime Warfare.’ Agent Davis is to be given a long leash with a loose grip.”
“And if your department’s new huntin’ dog doesn’t bring back any birds?” Doc asked.
“We all know what happens to those dogs, don’t we?” Dalton replied, before adding, “You know what? I think I will join you in a drink.”
Parker
MY PHONE BUZZED and I leaned over to see a message from Rabbit. I was in the kitchen, my hands currently wrist deep in a huge bowl of ground beef. Willow was debating whether or not she was making burgers or meatloaf, so meat kneading was in limbo awaiting instructions on further ingredients.
I bent down and used my nose to swipe my phone open and let out a squeak as I quickly tried to bird beak the phone closed. Rabbit had apparently decided to send me a dick pic when he’d gone to ‘use the head.’ I made a mental note to discuss timing and appropriate messaging etiquette in the future.