Chapter 215

When Bailey got the message about Island Nova, she ignored it. Anger still simmered inside her at the Stones.

Quinn had a surveillance team watching Night Bird until Mateo Castro was found, but so far, nothing useful had been reported. Bailey fiddled with her pen, annoyance boiling in her chest. She had canceled dinner with Aaliyah’s parents for nothing. Even though they had rescheduled, it still stung to have made the effort for no result.

“Hey, Jones.”

She looked up and saw Quinn at the door. He walked to her table and dropped a large stack of files.

“I think we should go through all these again,” he said, gesturing to the stack.

Bailey rolled her eyes. “We’ve done that a million times.”

“And we’ve gotten nowhere,” Quinn replied. “We can’t trust the tip that led us to Night Bird in the first place, and the surveillance teams haven’t shared any good news for hours. So, we’re stuck with this.”

She sucked her teeth and pulled the stack closer.

“Unless you don’t want to return to Columbia early,” he added.

She shot him a look. Of course, she didn’t want to go back yet, not because of Mateo Castro, but because of Aaliyah and her mother.

Quinn understood the look and laughed. “The faster you finish, the more time you spend with her.”

“As you say, boss,” she teased.

He laughed again. “See you later, Jones.”

When he left, Bailey opened one of the files. Nothing looked different, and it made her tired already.

She flipped the page. Her weariness deepened, and she tried to shake it off. As she turned another page, her mind drifted to Silas’s message.

Giving in, she picked up her phone. She searched the name on the internet but found nothing.

“That’s weird,” she muttered, leaning forward.

Still, she was intrigued.

She dropped her phone and opened her laptop. Logging into her Bureau account, she accessed the World Wide Finder.

If Island Nova existed but was hidden, the World Wide Finder would detect it. As she typed, she hadn’t expected it to pop up – or worse, require a higher–level password to view it.

She had only followed the trail to prove Silas wrong.

Bailey stared at the screen, a mixture of excitement and curiosity swirling inside her.

Island Nova existed. But she needed a password to access more information. Who would do that? And why was the island hidden?

Only one way to find out.

She picked up her phone and dialed Chief Ramsey. He answered immediately, his voice hoarse.

“Jones, how is it?”

“Good, Chief. I need your help,” she said, then told him what she had discovered.

“That’s strange,” Chief Ramsey said. “I’ll send you my password. Anything you find, report to me and only me. Understand?”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Look out for my message,” he said, then ended the call.

Almost instantly, Bailey’s phone chimed. She used the password and unlocked the Island Nova file.

Three lines in, she gasped.

Island Nova was owned by Tom and Celia Stone.

“Silas’s parents,” she muttered, her skin crawling.

Why then was the island hidden? Why would Silas’s parents pay to conceal their island?

Then she found the answer: a pressed document revealing the island had been sold to Mateo Castro.

Bailey jumped to her feet, her stomach knotting.

That was it! The connection between the Stones and Mateo Castro. She picked up her phone, about to call Chief Ramsey again when the computer screen suddenly flickered and went dark.

She tapped the keyboard, but the screen didn’t come on.

Her senses sharpened, and she grabbed her bag.

Something was off.

“Hey, Jones,” Quinn popped in again, a sly smile on his face. “What are you up to?”

His tone unsettled her, but she masked her discomfort.

“Nothing much. Just heading out,” she replied.

Before Quinn could speak, another agent joined them. In that moment, Bailey knew something was definitely wrong.

“Hey, Jones. How are you?” The agent greeted chirpily.

Surprise surged into her, but she kept her cool. “Good, Smith.”

This was the longest conversation she had had with Smith, and it made her uneasy. She clutched her bag and held her phone tighter.

“Should we have lunch together? We could discuss what we’ve found,” Quinn suggested, checking his watch. “Lunch break is almost here.”

“Can’t,” she said, keeping a smile in place. She wiggled her phone. “My Chief is on the line.”

She watched as their expression changed, and that told her everything. Quickly, she brushed past them and into the corridor.

“See you guys later,” she called without looking back.

She walked faster, her heart pounding as she exited the office. Outside, she dialed Aaliyah’s number.

“Hey babe,” Aaliyah answered.

“Where are you?” Bailey asked urgently.

Confusion colored Aaliyah’s tone.

“Home. Why?”

“Go to your parents’ house immediately.”

“Oh Bailey, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain when I can. Just get there. Demand extra security and don’t talk to Quinn. Get it?”

“I love you. See you soon,” Bailey said, ending the call.

She clutched her bag and took three different buses, switching routes before settling in a small hotel, just in case she was followed.

Once in her room, she called Chief Ramsey and explained everything.

“Those were rats, Jones,” he said, anger filling his voice. “I always wondered why it took them so long to find Mateo.”

The realization hit her hard. “They were covering for him.”

Chief Ramsey sighed.

“It’s okay, boss. Sorry I kept you among enemies.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Now we act. Send me your location.”

A smile tugged at her lips. After the call, Bailey got to work. She contacted her Colombian partner and collaborated through secure lines.

Mateo Castro was growing drugs on the remote island, paying the Stones five million dollars monthly.

She found a satellite image of the island. It was small, shaped like a star, and surrounded by dense trees. She could bet there was danger lurking within them.

Chief Ramsey called again.

“We’re here. Send me your hotel address.”

Minutes later, he arrived with a dozen agents. They turned the room into a makeshift office and strategized their plans.

“Moore called me, sounding suspicious as fuck,” Chief Ramsey said.

Bailey’s brow furrowed. The Chief rarely cursed. “He knows you’re here?”

Moore was Quinn’s superior.

“I think so. I’ve reported to higher authorities. The entire branch is being investigated. Corrupt rats.”

Bailey exchanged looks with an agent, her stomach knotting. She couldn’t believe she had worked with corrupt officers.

“We go in by ship,” one agent suggested.

“Excellent idea,” Chief Ramsey agreed with a nod. “They would spot us from the air. Besides, those rats likely already informed them we’re coming. Time to bring out the big toys.”

Gasps filled the room.

Bailey swallowed. “Are you sure… Chief?”

“Hundred percent.”

Big toys meant big guns. Gunfight. She hadn’t faced that in a long time.

Chief Ramsey gave out instructions and soon everyone was ready. They fastened their Kevlar and loaded their weapons. “Ready?” the Chief asked.

“Yes, sir!” They chorused.

Bailey tied her hair into a ponytail and adjusted her vest. It was time to end this.

They boarded an unmarked black van to the dock, where a loaded ship waited. Chief Ramsey spoke to the captain, then they shook hands.

The island wasn’t far; it was just forty–five minutes away from the city.

A tech agent had mapped a secret, stealthy route, and they took it.

“All set?” Chief Ramsey whispered as the island came into view.

“Yes, sir.”

Bailey steadied her nerves. They were here.

The trees looked bigger in person, like fences shielding the island.

As they neared the shore, she waited for the Chief’s signal. When it came, she led her team in.

She gave hand signals, dividing the squad into three, and having them move around. Before long, gunfire broke out.

The firefight lasted two minutes, each team showing dominance. Bailey shot two guards as they stormed a small house.

“You are surrounded. Drop your weapons,” Chief Ramsey barked through a megaphone.

Air support arrived, easing the operation. They captured thirty men. Some were injured, others dead. But so were their men.

“I found a whole cocaine factory,” one agent said, breathless.

Bailey wiped sweat off her face. “Show me.”

As they moved, another agent called out.

“Jones! You need to see this!”

She followed and found Chief Ramsey already there. Together, they entered a small chamber.

The smell hit her first before she saw them.

“This is bad,” Chief Ramsey said through gritted teeth.

Bailey gasped. It wasn’t just drugs on the island. There were girls – young, dirty, terrified.

Her stomach sank.

This was worse than she thought.