Declan:You’re not on your own in this.
Eoghan:If you need me to fly over, just tell me.
Brennan:FFS, same.
Aidan:I’m not fit to fight. My knee’s a thousand times better but I’d just slow you down. I can send men though.
Me:Stop. I don’t need any help yet. First, I need to get on the ground. Then, if I need backup, I’ll call them in, okay?
Declan:We’re here for you, Kid. Always. Brennan’s just being his usual grouchy-ass self.
Me:I get it. You all baby me. But I’m not a child even if that’s my nickname. Maxim Lyanov did me a solid. The least we can do is back him if he has the support of the foot soldiers here. Which we know he does.
Brennan:He’s been a solid leader so far. One of Camille’s cousins told her that the mid-to-lower ranks love him. It’s upper ‘management’ who have a problem with him.
Aidan:Why?
Brennan:He believes in playing fair.
Declan:Meaning he spreads the cash around so the upper ranks get less of a cut?
Brennan:Sounds like it.
Eoghan:Kid, I’ve heard of that Kuznetsov guy.
Me:You have? I haven’t. Misha indicated that the Kuznetsov family holds a lot of power in Russia.
Eoghan:Yeah. I remember now. I had to take a specialist class and there was this real-life situation that was being used as an example of how NOT to do shit.
Eoghan:This guy was driving along with his wife and kid in, fuck, Ohio? I think it was anyway. They had diplomatic plates. Someone took them out.
Brennan:What kind of teaching moment was that?
Aidan:What kind of class were you taking?
Finn:How to be G.I. Joe, lol.
Declan:101 :P
Eoghan:Fuck off.
Me:Go on, Eoghan. What happened?
Eoghan:It was supposed to appear like an accident. They tampered with the brake lines but in the crash, no one died. An operative had to take them out by hand. The girl got away though. Ran into traffic if memory serves. It was a big stink that had to be hushed up quickly.
Brennan:This was a cheerful story time, Eoghan. Remind me if I have kids not to get you to read them bedtime stories.
Finn:Yeah, I’m never letting you tuck Jake in lol.
Me:What does this have to do with anything, Eoghan?
Eoghan:The diplomat’s name was Kuznetsov.
Brennan:Probably just a coincidence.
Me:Yeah, probably, but I’ll dig deeper, Eoghan. Thanks, bud.
Eoghan:There’ll be nothing to look into, Kid. I’m telling you it was cleaned up. That’s how I know it’s not a coincidence. The level of bleach that was required to sweep this under the rug was insane.