[Quinn 01] - The Cleaner

Chapter 13

There were two new e-mail messages waiting for Quinn when he arrived back at his hotel room. The first was from Duke.

Files uploaded as requested. P1s respond earliest.

P4J

The second was from Peter.

Call me.

Before calling Peter, Quinn navigated through cyberspace until he arrived at the location where he'd instructed Duke to upload the information. It took less than thirty seconds to retrieve the file. As the download proceeded, the computer automatically ran the file through a series of virus protection programs. Once Quinn was satisfied nothing nasty was waiting for him, he disconnected the link.

As he expected, the document was a job brief.

According to the information, Duke needed Quinn's help in monitoring some unusual activities going on in Berlin. What those unusual activities were, Duke didn't specify. Though the brief did say a combination of audio, video, and direct observation methods would probably be needed at several locations throughout the city.

Duke still wasn't sure who was behind the activities, but his best guess was JLK, a big player in the German underworld. If that was true, it could also mean the involvement of English, Spanish, or Russian undesirables.

How JLK fit into Peter's problems was even less clear. Had the Office done something to piss the Germans off? If they had, Quinn hadn't heard about it. Of course, as Peter was fond of pointing out, Office business was not Quinn's business.

Quinn reached for his phone.

'Problems?' Peter asked.

Quinn stood at the window of his hotel room looking down on the square below, his phone pressed against his ear. 'Other than the fact that I had to kill someone in my own living room and make an unscheduled trip out of town? No. Everything's fine.'

'I didn't realize killing people was something you were interested in.'

'It's not,' Quinn said.

'Might open some new opportunities for you.'

'I'm not looking for new opportunities.' Quinn paused. 'Duke contacted me.' 'Good. When are you leaving?' 'Who said I was going anywhere?'

Peter was silent for a moment. 'I need you to do this for me.' 'I thought you were the one who told me to disappear,' Quinn said.

'Duke has evidence that the activity he's seeing could be tied into the disruption. Into the attempt on your life.'

'Could be, Peter. Not is.'

Again silence. 'It's the best lead we've had.'

'Okay. Then send someone else.'

'I don't have anyone else. You're it.'

'And if I say no?' Quinn asked.

'Then Duke does it on his own. Which we both know means he'll screw it up.' 'I guess you do have a problem.' 'Jesus, Quinn. If he's right, this might be the only

chance we get to find out who's behind the attack. I

need you to do this. I'm asking you as a favor to me.'

'I don't do favors.'

'When you were first on your own, I hired you when no one else would even give you a chance,' Peter said, a layer of anger underlying his words. 'I've made you a wealthy man. You owe me this much.'

Quinn closed his eyes. He could argue that Peter had continued to hire him because Quinn was the best at what he did, and that any wealth was a result of his talents. But Peter was right about giving Quinn his start, albeit at Durrie's prodding. It just pissed Quinn off that he was playing that card.

'If I do go, you're going to pay me for this,' Quinn finally said. 'I thought you might be interested in doing this gratis,' Peter said.

'That just cost you double.'

'Fine,' Peter said, as if he had expected it.

'I'm going to need a team, too.'

'Just get your resources together and get your ass to Berlin.' The line went dead. Quinn stared out the window for several minutes

before he returned to his computer and woke it up. He opened the last e-mail from Duke, then hit Reply and wrote:

I'll be there. Will advise when you should expect me. Have talked to Peter and told him I will need a full team. I'll put together prior to arrival. Need confirmation of payment when I get there. No shit hotels this time, okay? Xavier.

Quinn blind-copied Peter and Orlando on the message.

'You didn't want to check with me first?' Orlando asked, irritated.

Quinn was still in his hotel room. Orlando had called him not ten minutes after he sent the e-mail to Duke.

'Hold on,' he said into his phone. 'I'm not asking you to come. I don't want you to come. I just need somebody else to know what's going on.'

'Sometimes you're a real asshole, Quinn.'

'What the hell does that mean?' 'You can't do this alone,' she said. 'No kidding.' He was the irritated one now. 'I've

got Nate. I just need one more person.' 'Yeah. A tech.' 'So I'll find a tech. There's plenty of them around.' The line was silent for a moment. 'I'm only going because Peter has no one else,'

Quinn said. 'Right.' 'What's that mean?' 'It means maybe that's one reason,' she said. She was more right than he was willing to admit,

so he changed the subject. 'Have you got anything