Chapter 173

Martin Schroeder was able to trace Mr. X’s identity from his unlisted phone number. A contact at Verizon, a $2,500 bonus, and it was a done deal. Mr. X was Christopher Henry Brady — an attorney, an investor, and a major shareholder in five Atlanta gentlemen’s clubs.

More than that, Brady was connected. Among select people in the elite circles of the Atlanta underworld, he was known for his discretion and his ruthlessness. He could reach out to a congressman, or high-level fence, or a hit man who left no traces. Need someone in the Georgia prison system taken off the board? One nod from Brady and it was a done deal.

Luke, Martin, and their four army buddies, flew into Columbus, Georgia on a Sunday evening. They rented two vans from two different agencies for the two-hour drive to Atlanta.

The other two team-leaders — Pettigrew and Fitzsimmons, and their four teammates — flew into Athens. They’d all rendezvous in Atlanta at a Home Depot parking lot. Four vans, four teams. A driver and two terminators for each team. Three graves, pre-dug, in three different directions outside of Atlanta. Should one body be discovered, it wouldn’t lead to another. If at all possible, Max Fowler would be kept alive, and brought back to Four Corners.

Twelve newly-purchased burner phones, preprogrammed so the men could instantly communicate with each other. They used out-of-state plates — South Carolina, Alabama, and two from Florida. Because their four targets would be in different locations at different times, it wouldn’t be possible to take them simultaneously.

Luke said, “I’ll capture Fowler first. Then, Martin, you take out Mr. X -- Brady. Fitz, you and Pettigrew move as soon as you can after Martin calls. Let’s get this done.”