“Right now, come on. You can help salvage all the harm you’ve done. And you are performing now. All right. Go do your walkabout. Where exactly will you be putting it?”
“First balcony, front, center, dead center.”
“And don’t worry. In fact...”
He looked out. Wellington was standing with Julia, a laughing Sky and the man he’d been told was Drew Carter.
And he knew Wellington had seen to it that Carter knew it was over—and had given him everything he could possibly give him.
Agents would already be in the field.
They’d have the families safe. And they’d be watching. And waiting. Because when it was known that whatever lackey was the pickup man had been scooped, the so-called snake would probably see to it himself that his death threats against the families of those who had failed him had been carried out.
It was all a long shot.
And a real takedown might not happen. But Wellington would see to it that no innocents were harmed. Even if it meant giving up his own life.
But Wellington would be here tonight.
Watching. Waiting. And they all had to play it out.
“Justin? This all depends on you!” Chase said.
Justin straightened. “Yeah. I’ve got it. And I don’t care what happens to me—”
“I know. Your family. I promise you, the people out there will see that they are safe. Justin, it’s all in motion already. Just one more question before you start out. Who is the head of this thing?”
He shook his head miserably. “They call him El Rey.”
El Rey.
Chase had heard the name before. And Wellington had been right. El Rey was really Miguel Esposito, head of one of the largest cartels, suspected to have slipped into the country illegally to take out a witness in a trial scheduled for just months ago.
No one had even imagined just how far this all reached.
“Showtime,” he said.
SKY DIDN’T GET much of a chance to talk to Wellington, but she did know that he and Chase were working furiously at whatever it was that was going on.
And that Justin was involved somehow, and he’d been scared. No... Terrified.
But she had to have faith in the men. Her part in this was important, and her part was to get on stage, perform as she had never performed before, and make it all appear as if nothing was wrong at all, as if the world of rock ’n’ roll was everything.
She saw the crew working quickly, leaving the audience, heading to the wings. Mark called out to her that they needed to get back, that the MC would be taking over the booth.
Wellington had Julia and Drew Carter somewhere—she didn’t know where. But she had a feeling a few of the extra crew members were his men.
That Wellington was a man with the power to make things happen quickly.
“Heads up!” It was Kenneth Malcolm calling out. “House lights up! Doors are open!”
He was in the wings, impeccable as usual in a casual beige suit. Sky couldn’t help but wonder about him.
After all, other than the three who worked specifically for Skyhawk and those who worked for other bands, Kenneth Malcolm was the man who did the hiring.
He had hired Bobby Sacks.
But Bobby Sacks had been a victim.
She wondered bitterly how anyone, including a drug kingpin, could expect anyone to keep payments coming in, taking the big deliveries from him to disperse for the megamoney to be gained on the streets, when the customers were dying from the product.
But she doubted that whoever was behind it all cared. Could a man like Kenneth Malcolm have been involved? How could he and still keep his job?
Then again, who knew the venue the way he did?
Mark and Joe were laughing together as they headed stage right; Chris was behind them, reminding Brandon which numbers he wanted him sitting in for. Sky naturally reminded him where she wanted him to take lead guitar and, of course, he should stay on backup vocals through the whole show, if he wanted, although he probably knew them all as well as she did, if not better.
She didn’t see Justin; Nathan was heading stage right with them while Charlie was heading stage left.
Curtains were opened as people continued coming in.
Lights on the stage blazed as they did so, people in twos and threes and larger groups, loud and excited as they came in, some with drinks and snacks, others just anxious to find their seats.
The MC spoke over backup music as the crowd came in, talking about the show, the weather, the city, welcoming everyone.
Every seat was filled when he announced, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and whoever! Let’s welcome to the stage, Skyhawk!”
It was time to make their entry.
