Drake fell silent.
That was how it should've been. He'd told himself over and over that it was just a deal.
That was how he'd always rolled, turning everything into a transaction, and he wasn't really helping Debra and Marion.
But now, they were up against the Illuminati. It was like ants versus an elephant. He couldn't just watch them march to their deaths and do nothing.
"Don't let anyone know about my deal with Andrew," he said. "Or else..."
"I know. I won't slip," Kale assured.
Andrew had made it clear that they should keep their deal from Debra, and Drake wasn't planning to spill anyway.
...
In the computer room, Debra and Marion walked in on Randy and Erica flirting.
Erica jumped off Randy, yelling, "Why didn't you knock?"
"Yeah, that's rude," Randy echoed.
He pulled up a map, showing streets and 24-hour traces of buyers. All lines converged on one spot: a chocolate shop called Heart.
Debra zoomed in, hunting for another lead, but there was none. Every buyer hit that shop.
"What's wrong?" Randy asked, puzzled.
Debra felt a chill. "Your data's solid, right?"
"No mistakes," Randy said. "Ran it three times. Big data doesn't lie. They hit the shop, then hotels or private clubs, probably to use. That shop's the hub."
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