Page 6 of Made of Steele
“That’s awful,” Ryleigh said. “It really is and I’m sorry it happened, but you seem to be all right.”
“Physically yes. Not so much inside.” Teagan sighed. “I want him to pay.”
“I’m sorry it happened, too, but we need to think clearly,” Mackenzie said. “Not with our emotions. That’s what Grandad and Dad have always told us.”
“I know,” Teagan said. “But I’m not there yet.”
“Say theyareengaged in something illegal.” Ryleigh tucked her short hair behind her ear. “They could claim they thought you were up to no good, and they were only trying to protect their property. And there’s nothing on the video as proof of any of it, right?”
“So? They restrained their security guard and the company COO.” Teagan’s voice was rising out of control so she swallowed to keep her cool. “That doesn’t play.”
Ryleigh frowned. “It could with a good lawyer. Either way, that’s something for the local police not the FBI.”
“But you won’t press charges,” Mackenzie said. “We need the revenue from our contract with WOC, and without any proof of wrongdoing, we can’t do anything.”
“I won’t let them get away with breaking the law.” Teagan held her throbbing finger up to ease the pain. “And I’ll do everything within my power to find the evidence to prove their guilt.”
“You should let it go.” Often the peacemaker, Mackenzie rested a hand on Teagan’s arm. “Think of our contract with WOC. Not your pride.”
“It’s not about my pride. It’s about something illegal going on under our company’s nose.” Teagan firmed her stance. “If the Contis are arrested, they could drag our company’s name through the mud.”
“It’s possible, I suppose,” Ryleigh said.
“Besides, I aim to find the guy who tied me up.” Teagan eyed her sisters. “Thatispersonal. You don’t tie me up, gag me, and get away with it. No way.”
Drew slipped through the shadows behind the coffee shop and leaned against the wall. Joining him any minute for an update would be Gala Harris, his supervisor and Special Agent in Charge of the Portland ICE field office. He’d been seen by the Steele Guardians’ guard and their COO. Sure he maintained his cover, but Harris needed to be updated. He wasn’t sure if Teagan Steele had seen the antiquities, but he thought the guard had gotten close enough to get a look, and he would report his findings to her.
Of that, Drew was sure.
Harris rounded the corner, a purpose in her step as she approached him. She wore all black and had glossy black hair cut bluntly by her chin. “Why the unplanned meeting?”
He told her about the situation. “The way I see it, Teagan Steele has a few choices. She has no real evidence of the stolen antiquities, but she could report the problem to federal law enforcement and hope they’ll look into it. Either us or the FBI who deal in stolen antiquities. My guess is she would go with the FBI as her sister is an agent. Or she could settle for reporting my restraining behavior to local law enforcement. She could also talk to the Conti brothers and investigate the situation on her own. Or even do nothing.”
Harris gritted her teeth and clamped her hands on her hips. “Any of the above will likely end our investigation.”
“Exactly.”
She ran a hand through her hair, but it fell back into place like her agents did when she ruffled them. “Do you know anything about this Steele woman?”
“I’ve seen her a few times at the warehouse and did a little online recon before calling you. She was a Clackamas County detective and comes from a law enforcement family. She must know she doesn’t have anything to stand on and might not file a report. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to jeopardize their account with the Conti brothers either. But…” He let the word linger. “She doesn’t seem like a do-nothing kind of person.”
“Not that I know her, but regardless of what she might do, her law enforcement background won’t likely allow her to let it go,” Harris said, though she didn’t often speculate. She made her decisions based on fact and fact only. No gut moves. No hasty decisions. No emotions. The word around the office was that she had ice flowing through her veins. “So what do you want to do about it?”
“Good question.” One he’d been thinking about since he left the Contis with the stolen antiquities. “We’ve worked too hard to let Steele end this investigation.”
“True. We’re closer to the source for the stolen goods than we’ve ever been, and it would be a shame to cut our losses before we had the name.” She took a long breath and locked eyes on him. “But we’re already nearing the end of our second six-month undercover approval.”
“Sure,” he said. “Four days left, but there’s no reason to believe that Undercover Review Committee won’t see this through and approve another six months, right?” He’d worked long days and nights to prepare the package for the URC to discuss at one of their review meetings called a scrub meeting. They were just waiting for the official approval to proceed.
Harris swiped a hand over her face and let out a long noisy breath. “Word coming down from a member of the URC who’s chairing the scrub meeting says we’ll be lucky to get another reauthorization.”
What?News to Drew. But he nodded when he wanted to rage.
When had she planned to tell him this?
He figured he’d demonstrated enough progress on the op in the prior term and had hoped for another six months, but now the clock was ticking on completing his assignment.
Four days. Ninety-six hours.
