HIS CLAIM

72

Nicholas

“All preparation is ready.” Antonio informed me once we got inside the office.

“Good.” I said and took a seat on the couch. I looked at the different files and pictures spread out on the table. I was now convinced each attack was connected with the other. But the question was how and why.

“So, you’re confident he’s got something to do with this mess?” Josh asked and sprawled on the couch.

“I found a microphone in the pendant of her necklace.” Josh  sat up straight and looked at me.

“And you think it’s him who did it?” He asked in surprise.

“I know he did it. He told her she forgot it in the hospital. That’ s fucking bullshit. She wasn’t wearing the necklace once we got to the hospital. She either left it at their house before they got chased or she lost in the woods. That’s what I was thinking. But when we went back to clean the house, it was nowhere to be seen.” I explained.

“And suddenly it just happened to have a microphone in it.” Antonio commented and shook his head.

“Do you still have it? Maybe I can trace it down to where it was bought, and who purchased it.” Josh said.

“I do. But I broke it.” He gave me a blank look.

“And why would you do that? A magnet would have done the job just fine to disconnect any signal.”

“I didn’t want to take any chances.” I shrugged. It didn’t matter anyway as I knew it was Geotanos’s doing.

“We underestimated the bastard.” Antonio sighed and I nodded in agreement: Geotano was an eager man, and it appeared that his eagerness had no limitations if it meant he would get what he wanted.

“I still don’t understand how he got in contact with Koreans. They keep to themselves and don’t work with anyone.” Josh  questioned. I rubbed my jaw as I looked at the pictures of the ones we had identified.

“Asher.” I said when I remembered. They both looked at me when I let out a humorless chuckle.

“It’s that shitface, Asher.” I looked at Antonio.

“When you were with her at Geotano’s house, she went with Asher to Koreatown. He must have some kind of contact with Koreans.”

“That’s fucked up. Didn’t they grow up together? And now he’ s trying to kill her.” Josh  scoffed. I took another look at the pictures while they discussed. I grabbed a particular one as I examined it.

I’m going to stuff a knife up in his ass

“It’s not him.” I said, cutting Josh  off.

“He’s being used.” I grabbed the pictures and put them in order on the table for them to see.

“The drive-by shooting at the church, Asher  was not there. At some point, Geotano wasn’t disappeared and left his men behind as a show for us. Roberto said he had a random phone slipped into his bag when he was trapping the streets. It was most likely Asher who did it or had someone else do it to avoid getting caught.”

“It would make sense. Asher is respected on the streets and he’s got a ton of contacts.” Antonio commented.

‘Shit.. So, Geotano tried to kill Elsa so soon?” Josh frowned as he focused on the pictures.

‘No. That was aimed at us. She just happened to stand in the way but he didn’t care. If I hadn’t gotten to her in time, she would have been shot in the head.” I clenched my jaw as I remembered just how close she was to get a bullet in her head.