Obedience Lessons

Chapter Thirty-five

Andy's POV

"I got something you'll really wanna hear," Louisa offered immediately when I answered the phone.

"Me, too, Dylan's house guards are part of his surveillance crew," I stated proudly.

"Hmm... nice, makes sense but kinda obvious don't you think? I've got something bigger."

"Sure, shoot," I invited.

"Our guy golfs, cycles and get this ...he boxes." Louisa's voice had dipped and I guessed she was whispering because someone was close. She sounded teasing, as if she wanted me to keep pressing for details.

"Wow. Those just blow my socks right off, Lou. I'm overwhelmed by the dirty details of his day to day life," I rolled my eyes. "What else?"

"Really Andy? He's the rich owner of a multi-billion dollar entity that governs a hundred other entities. Isn't it suspicious how little he even tries to occupy his time? His company runs itself, and what he doesn't do, this office does. What does a man like that do in his free time? None of the possibilities are innocent, Andy... He's either sick, but no that's not fucking it, he won't be up and about and so goddamn active so it's pimping, politics or drugs."

"I'm all ears..."

"I did some extra digging and called in some favours. Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, this man has got all the big ones in his pocket, he's a fucking viper in the bushes. Andy, there is powder everywhere. You wanna know how many warehouses come under the name Ryman? All of them with some kind of cover up, household items, electrical appliances, even textbooks! This is really big." Louisa sounded as if she was freaking. She probably had good reasons too. Her boss was a drug dealing billionaire that killed his son and used her job as a centre of organizing his underground activities without her knowledge. Maybe she had even authorized movements for him without her knowing what it actually was being transported.

"Do you have the names of his contacts?"

"Some of them, most are off the grid, unrecognizable. He even met with a few over the past few days and is planning to fly out to Brazil before returning to the Washington estate. A business trip he says. But his contacts would explain the cleanup job after killing Liam, and it kinda helps to understand where this arranged marriage is coming from."

Dylan. Oh god. He was marrying Dylan to Alyssa Clarke, probably to cement his position in what? The mafia? Does it even work like that? Oh fuck. Not for the first time I wondered how I'd gotten myself mixed up in all this. Dylan was right, the man scared me, but in a choice between flight and fight, I knew I'd always choose Fight eventually. "Thanks Louisa. When does he leave?"

"Flight to Brazil in the morning, he'll be in Washington by Saturday. He's not due to return to Tennessee until next Wednesday, and that's supposedly on business but I'm suspecting warehouse checkups, I'm sending you a map of the warehouses I suspect." Louisa rattled the details in a low tone before her breath hitched.

I heard another voice, deep and coarse, on the other end say, "What are those?" Before Louisa's calm reply.

"Mining locations. For Mr. Ryman."

"Oh. Make sure you don't leave those open for just anyone," the gruff voice sounded more distant now.

I listened for a heart wrenching moment before Louisa came back on the line. "A co-worker, he sneaked up on me, sorry. I'm not even supposed to have this out of the main building. Would've cause some real problems if he wasn't sweet on me."

I couldn't even be amused. "Don't take stupid risks, this is a whole new ball game, Lou."

"Tell me about it. And just to be clear here, I'm not a fucking angel. After this is done, I collect, I'll take necessary risks to get what I want."

"You must have a fucking hard on for it then," I replied, probing lightly. I still didn't know her motive, and I didn't like being kept in the dark about this ominous price of hers.

"You can't possibly imagine. But I'm determined, that's all you need to know for now. I'll get the job done. And Andy... Need I tell you that that map can't go to the police? At least not without confirmation?" Her voice sounded pained, as if she were explaining to an idiot.

"No need. Ryman is just the kind that dirty cops love. I don't want to think about how many he has strings for."

"Good, I'll let you know if anything comes up." The line went dead, leaving me with a chill running up and down my spine. I was so fucked.

At least Bree would get to cool her heels. That's one out of danger. And Dylan would get some breathing room. As for me... I was sure Ryman would put out the hit on me if I set a toe out of line. That is... if he suspected me of anything yet. Something told me that a man like Ryman played the game both ways just to be on the safe side. If that was true, I probably had a hairline target on my forehead right now. I shuddered at the visual.

Hopefully I could wrap this all up soon. Someone like Ryman, with all that dirt on him, shouldn't have pulled this off in secret for so long. And since he did, it meant he would play smart, toe some rules and bribe all the right people. And another thing... messing with him would mean a quick and silent death.

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A/N: Hey People! It's the freaking weekend! I'll be posting a chapter again tomorrow and again on Sunday. Keep reading people, and stay golden.

-Ender Xen