Page 90 of What Doesn't Kill You…

"I'm sorry, Rick, I don't know the answer to that, but I can promise you that by the end of the night, we'll know a whole lot more."

"I'm holding you to that," Rick said solemnly. "I'll get boats in the water. Consider your crime boss herded to the island. The rest is up to you. Oh, and Chelle?"

"Yeah?"

"You better hope this storm doesn't damage any of my boats or put my guys in danger."

"Understood," Rochelle said before the line went dead.

"Uh, boss?" Evan said when she walked back into the room. "We've got a problem with communication. Cell phone service is cutting in and out and I'm worried we'll lose it all together."

The problems just kept on coming.

Rochelle put her hands on her hips as she tried to figure out a solution to their setback. Her gaze swept over the dead guard's phone on Evan's table. And sitting beside it, was his two-way radio.

She pointed to the radio. "Can you boost the signal on that so we can talk to Wedding Island from here?"

"Sure." Evan grinned. "Good thinking, boss. The island isn't far away, so I should be able to boost it enough to talk to our people, if we need it."

"Great. In the meantime, I’m going to update Rodrigo while the phones are still working." She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. "They should still have enough time to get organized and out to the estate for the meeting. We might manage to pull this op off after all."

Rodrigo lazed back in his chair as he watched Violet's family on the dance floor. They were trying to dance the Calypso while the band played loudly and shouted encouragement, but it wasn't going well. He grinned as Samuel and Rosey stopped dancing because they were laughing so hard.

The largest of the resort's bars was packed for the evening as everyone had come inside to avoid the weather. The hotel was doing their best to keep their guests distracted and entertained, so they wouldn't worry, and the result was a room filled with tipsy people having a good time.

Logan and Harris had arrived earlier that afternoon and had promptly been interrogated by Mrs. Lee as to why they'd missed the wedding, where Evan had gotten to, and what on earth they'd done to their hair. It had been hilarious to watch the young men tap dance with their answers. At one point, Harris had declared that his dyed black hair and stick-on beard were an attempt to hide from his brothers. He insisted it had to be working because Evan clearly hadn't found them yet. Mrs. Lee had rolled her eyes in disgust then ripped his stupid beard from his face. Rodrigo had to admit, he looked a helluva lot less conspicuous without it.

As he watched, Harris was currently entertaining a table full of bridesmaids, while Logan was trying to get Violet's gran to dance. If nothing else, the triplets were good entertainment. Even Abasi, who was working the bar, kept getting distracted by their antics.

Rodrigo's phone buzzed in his inside jacket pocket, and he took it out. When he saw it was Rochelle, he signaled to Katrina that he had to take the call. She nodded, aware she was now on Lee family watch

"Hey boss," he said by way of greeting, once he’d gotten to a quiet location in the corridor outside the bar.

"The op is back on." Rochelle launched right into it. "I've managed to get the DEA to police the waters and herd Damien's partner to Wedding Island. He should be there soon, as planned."

"Whoa." Rodrigo straightened away from the wall he’d been leaning on. "How did you manage that?"

"Turns out the guard who was killed is an undercover DEA agent. That motivated them."

Rodrigo let out a low whistle. "Did you tell them who killed the guy?"

"Not yet. It's too difficult to explain over the phone."

And most likely, the explanation wouldn't have gotten them the help they desperately needed. Rodrigo would have made the same decision if he'd been in Rochelle's shoes.

"I'll get Abasi and Violet and we'll head to the estate straight away. With the information we got from the bugs we placed and Evan's drone footage, we have a good idea where Damien's private dock is located and what route his guest will take to the house. We should be able to get eyes on this mystery man when he meets with Damien. Hell, who knows? Maybe the bugs will pick up the meeting too. There are still a few active, right?"

"Yes, but Evan's sure at least one of them is in a bathroom, so no luck there. How will you get to the estate without being seen? Damien has an army on the ground, not to mention cameras all over the place, and we have no idea what kind of protection his partner travels with. You'll be seriously outnumbered and there will be eyes everywhere."

"Fortunately," Rodrigo said. "We have the storm for cover, and we don't need to get into Damien's house, we just need to be close enough to get eyes, and hopefully ears, on the meeting with his partner."

"You're right," Rochelle said. "I keep forgetting the evidence we need only has to be good enough for Max's story. It doesn't have to stand up in court."

"No, and that makes things a whole lot easier," Rodrigo said. "While we're out there, I think we should take a look at whatever they're doing in the florist's warehouse. The more intel we gather, the better for Max, and for the DEA."

"Only if you’re sure it's safe enough." Rochelle didn't sound convinced. "The priority is Max and his story. That means we go after Damien and his partner first."

"Don't worry, we won't get distracted," Rodrigo assured her. "I'd better go round up the team." There was static on the line. "Rochelle? You still there?"