“What can the rest of us do?” Carter asked.
“You and I are going to meet with the ATF section chief. We will provide them with hard proof of Rosemary’s innocence,” Ghost answered.
“And me?” Seven asked.
“You are going to make sure the girl is protected. I’ll let you and Byte discuss how, but think of how you protected Tori and duplicate it,” Ghost said.
“I guess that leaves me,” Byte said.
“Unfortunately, we need your hands out of this. We can’t have anything leading the Feds or the gang to you or ALIAS,” Ivy answered.
Byte nodded. She had another job to do, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was looking forward to the assignment.
* * *
“Aaron, hey, it’s me.”
“I know it’s you, Dani. No one else I know calls me from a blocked line. What’s up?”
“I need a favor.”
“That’s a first. What do you need?”
“Do we have any local high-profile targets that you need to investigate?”
“Yes, but we’ve not been able to get close to them. All we have is their electronic footprint. You and I know that’s not enough. Too many loopholes for a good defense attorney to walk through.”
“I want one. I have some free time. ALIAS has taken over my mother’s assignment and I have to stay out of it.”
“I think that’s smart. Okay, here’s your choices. A state representative from Houston. He’s going to be in Austin for a gala hosted by the governor. He won the election and is keeping his seat. Then there’s a high school head football coach in Waco. He’s been looking at kiddie porn, but we can’t prove it’s not someone else within his household. He has two children and a wife who live with him. And the last one is a minister of a nondenominational church. He’s been accused of rape and molestation of others who have gone on missions abroad. These accusations were made by both adult women and children.”
Byte thought about each one. They were all worthy of exploration, but one seemed to fall right into her lap.
“Tell me about the state rep. What’s he accused of?”
“The intel we have shows everything from prostitution to human trafficking. He has deep pockets and has hidden his revenue well, but not good enough to escape our notice. He also has relationships across the border, in Mexico, South and Central America, and it looks like he’s joined up with some traffickers in Eastern Europe.”
“When is he in Austin? And what kind of gala?”
“Black tie, highly secured, and by invitation only… not that this matters. We can get you in. The event is this Saturday.”
“Get me two invites.”
“Two? Who are you taking?”
“Hunter Higgins.”
“Danielle! That’s not smart. He’s a civilian… a very clean civilian.”
“Which will only strengthen my backstory. Use the Heidi alias. She’s clean and would fit in.”
“She’s an heiress. I’m sorry, but you don’t look like a person with millions of dollars.”
“Good. Trust me, I’ll fit right in.”
“With blue hair?”
“Aaron, you know I can’t change that. Just send me the invitation and don’t worry. I’ll get everything you need.”