Simon’s Warehouse
3:45 pm
Nikki was able to get around ok if she didn’t go any faster than a sloth on downers. Simon had begrudgingly agreed to resume his search for the leader of the ID theft ring and Nikki was just glad to have some peace and quiet. She loves Simon more than words can describe but from spending most of your life alone and then having someone fuss over you all day long, it takes some getting used to. Besides, Nikki takes pride in being able to take care of herself. She wasn’t even really by herself. Simon would not leave without making sure she was ok so in the end she had to agree that Dante would stay back in case Nikki needed anything. Over the last couple of days, Dante and Simon had built a small apartment on the third floor of the warehouse. Simon had used it for storage previously and very quickly, they had a nice little apartment set up for Dante. Everyone was much happier with the privacy the new arrangements afforded, even though Nikki’s injuries prevented proper enjoyment of it thus far.
Nikki hadn’t seen Dante since he headed down to check on Tango a couple of hours ago with the wrist rocket slingshot and a box of pellets that Simon had given him. A boy needs a hobby Nikki thought. She made peace with the Tango situation long ago. He brought it on himself and she would not shed a tear after the pain he caused for so many, especially the man she loves.
Nikki spent a good bit of time with Rob McShay on the phone during the morning in regard to the Rojas fallout. Most of the key players were taken out in the missile attack. The DEA and the FBI raided the gang properties in Oswego shortly after the explosion and they found a record amount of cocaine and heroin at the property. The remaining members of the family have been rounded up and were being held pending trial. Another successful conclusion, albeit not without a price as her burning shoulder reminded her every time she took a deep breath.
“Porn Star Dancing” began playing on her phone and Nikki smiled and opened Simon’s email,
“Dear Butterfly,
I hope you’re feeling ok? I can come back if Dante isn’t taking good enough care of you??? I know he is, I just miss you. Anyway, I finally made it here and it’s cold! Really cold, I think it’s supposed to snow here tonight. Can’t we find some criminal enterprise in Florida? I put all of the info I have on Yankee, Preston Walker, onto the server for your review. I made an introduction earlier, through his bank accounts, so he knows the game is afoot. When I was with the X-rays, I modified the stolen customer data and had them forward it to Yankee before we shut them down permanently. If he subsequently sold that information to others, they are going to try to use the information and none of it is correct. Boy, I bet they might be a little angry at our buddy Yankee. I am sure they are nice upstanding boys just like he is and they will forgive…
I am watching to see who he communicates with now that he knows we are involved, we may just get the people he is selling the data to as well. I will let you know what I find.
Stay safe. I love you.
Simon”
Nikki suddenly felt bad for telling Simon to go back to work. Now that he is gone, she wished he was back. She turned to the left and white-hot pain shot through her shoulder and she thought it just as well he wasn’t here tempting her because she needed more time to heal before she would be ready for the Rage. Even though he is kind and gentle, there is a passion and intensity about him that tends to have Nikki doing things she might not have done, or even thought about, without the Rage’s influence. She felt the heat crawling up her cheeks as she closed the email and logged into the server to start a file on Preston Walker.