Obsidian Prey

Chapter 31

CRUZ WAS AT HIS DESK WHEN JEFF STROLLED INTO THE office early the next morning.

"I've got Webber's parapsych profile," Jeff said. "There's nothing in it about the doc being able to open jungle gates, just like there's nothing in it about his ability to work unusual amber."

"That doesn't come as a shock." Cruz closed the file he had been reading and took the folder Jeff held out to him.

Jeff dropped into a chair and stretched out his legs. "I don't get it. If Webber was helping himself to relics from the lab vault, why didn't we pick up on it?"

"Like I told Lyra, there's fifty years' worth of amber in that vault. Every drawer is crammed with relics and samples. No one would notice if a few items went missing now and then, especially if whoever took them knew how to bypass the security alarms."

"Something Webber would know how to do," Jeff said.

Cruz rocked back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. He contemplated the three paintings hanging on the wall across the room.

"Here's what I think happened," he said. "Webber had a nice little part-time racket going for himself. Probably teamed up with Fairstead and the third man a few years ago. They kept the thefts small, taking pieces no one would miss. But the amethyst relics from the ruin were different. Each was worth a fortune on the underground antiquities market. Got a hunch they had never before risked swiping something that valuable out of the vault."

"Security was a hell of a lot tighter around the relics, too," Jeff observed. "Unlike some of the other stuff housed in the vault, one of those artifacts would have been missed immediately. They needed to make it look like someone else had stolen the artifact. They picked the obvious suspect."

"Lyra. But something went wrong the night of the theft. One of the lab techs must have discovered them. They had to kill him to keep him quiet."

"They?" Jeff repeated.

"Webber and the third man."

Jeff eyed the files spread out on the desk. "Do you have a name for this third guy?"

"I think so, yes." Cruz picked up one of the files and handed it to him.

Jeff glanced at the name and whistled softly. "Well, this is sort of embarrassing. How did you figure it out?"

"Process of elimination. There were five people caught in the amethyst chamber the night the gate closed. I'm almost-certain Webber was trying to kill one of them."

"So the Frequency PD was right? This is a falling-out-among-thieves scenario after all?"

"Feels like it. The problem for the police is that they haven't got a clue where to start looking for the other two thieves. But we found one dead in the jungle."

Jeff tapped the folder on the edge of the desk, looking thoughtful. "And this is the third guy. He looks good for it, all right."

"Looks good for it?" Cruz repeated. He sighed. "You've really got to lay off PCI. It's ruining your vocabulary."

Jeff rose, an unusually determined expression on his face. "I'm getting into practice."

"For what?"

Jeff started toward the door. "Guess I forgot to mention it, but I'm going to be handing in my resignation soon. I'm leaving AI Security."

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"No joke." Jeff opened the door and turned partway around. "I'm applying to the Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation."

"The hell you are."

"Thanks for your support, sir. I really appreciate it."

Cruz exhaled slowly, reining in his impatience. "Come back here. Sit down. We'll talk."

"Some other time maybe."

"Damn it, Jeff, Big Jake will have a fit. Not to mention your father and my brothers and everyone else in the clan. In this family we don't take up careers in regular law enforcement."

"No, we just work for people who can afford to pay for protection, and sometimes we do things that law enforcement can't or won't do."

"Including occasional favors for the FBPI," Cruz reminded him coldly.

"You know what that makes us? Mercenaries."

"That's ghost crap. This is a private security agency, but we're not mercenaries, damn it. We don't take money for that kind of work. Not anymore. Sweetwaters have rules. We've always had rules. What's more, we've never worked for the bad guys, even when there was money on the table."

"Okay, I'll give you that much. Here's the thing. I want to work for the little guy. You know, the folks who can't afford high-end private protection."

"That's exactly what we do when we accept a contract from the FBPI."

"It's not the same thing," Jeff insisted.

Cruz studied him for a long moment.

"How long have you been thinking about joining the FBPI?" he asked.

Jeff shrugged. "For about as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a kid."

"But you're just now making this career decision?"

"It's a little tough to make a career decision in this family, unless the career path in question involves an Amber Inc. subsidiary."

"So why now?"

"Why not now?" Jeff shot back.

"You need to give this a little more thought, Jeff."

"Why bother? That won't convince anyone in the family that it's a good idea. I've wasted enough time as it is. I'm tired of being a bodyguard."

"Is that what this is about? You want to move up? Hell, ambition isn't a problem in this family, and you know it. In fact, it's about time you showed some. There's plenty of opportunity here at AI Security."

"I've already made my decision. I'm not changing my mind. At least I've got one person on my side."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Lyra."

Jeff went out into the hall and shut the door with exquisite control.

Cruz looked at the closed door for a long time. After a while he got to his feet and went down the hall to the accounting department.