Read Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5) for Free Online Page A

expressly forbade you to take this course. You are arrogant enough to move forward with it, anyway?”
    “I was under the impression there was a rather urgent timeframe involved.”
    “When?” the other said, his voice pointed. “ When will this take place?”
    “Would you like the full game plan, sir?” Brick said, his voice polite. “Usually such details seem beneath you, which is why I did not burden you with them today. But I am, of course, happy to oblige you in expounding upon the minutiae of our every move. You are welcome to attend our next run-through meeting, as well. I had asked them to meet me downtown in an hour, so if you would like to accompany me...”
    The old man waved him off, giving him a hard look.
    “You assume my approval still,” he said coldly.
    Brick fought not to smile again.
    “I assume no such thing, Patrón .” He made his voice reassuring. “I wished only to have the mechanisms at the ready in the event I was able to persuade you.” Pausing, he gave his voice an extra thread of meaning.
    “...Of course, I can be so sloppy about keeping people informed, as you know. I may have forgotten to conduct this meeting with you altogether... or perhaps I didn’t inform you of the full extent of my plans.”
    Brick paused, giving him another meaningful stare.
    “...Unless of course, you wish to forbid me outright, even now, when I’ve explained this is the only possible way forward that is likely to work. Then, of course, I will cancel the operation entirely and spend my evening doing far more pleasant things...”
    Konstantin gave him a shrewder look that time.
    Brick smiled, keeping his eyes blank.
    He knew Konstantin heard him. He was giving the old man a way out. He was offering to take full accountability for the operation, while giving the Council plausible deniability.
    The old ones were nothing but a bunch of cowards. They didn’t care how Brick did what he did, as long as they didn’t have to pay for it.
    When Konstantin said nothing, Brick went on politely.
    “...My person in the Los Angeles Police Department arranged everything for me weeks ago, but I can just as easily un-arrange it. Or we can pull the plug on the operation later, assuming something goes wrong. Capture is the easy part. We have much more control over the different variables out here than we will once he is inside. And he’ll have no way of knowing who put him there initially... not until I tell him.”
    Konstantin let out a faint sniff. “Your ‘person’ in law enforcement? Do you trust them?”
    “The ambitious ones are always cooperative, sir.”
    The old man didn’t smile. “Enough to fool one of these psychic scum?”
    Brick again fought not to roll his eyes. This fossil really didn’t understand how things worked at all anymore, did he? Brick didn’t need anyone’s cooperation for that end of things. Not anymore. They’d found their own ways of blinding the psychics.
    “It is all taken care of, Patrón . I promise.”
    The elder’s frown deepened, but he did not speak.
    Brick went on just as pleasantly. “Shall I call it off, sir? Or shall we assume I was less than forthcoming in this conversation, and you simply had no idea of the extreme and shocking measures I’d set in motion on behalf of the security of our race?”
    Watching as the old man turned back towards the tinted window, that frown still etched into his features, Brick hid another smile.
    He already knew what the answer would be, even before the old man turned.
    Konstantin gave him another of those shrewd looks.
    “I don’t remember you bringing up anything at all about a psychic in our discussion,” he said, his voice cold. “In fact, when I asked you about it, you specifically told me that you had discarded that plan, Brick... after I reminded you that to obtain a psychic for this purpose would directly violate the Council’s wishes.”
    Brick nodded. “That is how I recall things as well, sir.”
    Konstantin’s