My 6-year-old granddaughter phoned me in panic just after midnight. “Mommy says the baby is coming! Help!” I asked, “Where’s daddy?” She answered, “He k!cked mommy’s tummy and left.”…..

There’s a man named Trent Huxley running an illegal betting ring in Bosezeman. He’s convinced his Billings bookie is skimming from him. I want you to call some of your competitors. Tell them there’s easy money to be made if they can drive Trent out of business. You want to start a turf war. I want to make Trent’s life complicated.

Can you do it? Consider it done. I know three outfits that would love to move into new territory. They hear about some small town operator who’s got heat with his suppliers. They’ll circle like vultures. Thanks, Jimmy. I owe you. No, man. We’re even now. Within 48 hours, the results were visible. Strange cars started cruising past Tren’s cabin.

Phone calls came at all hours. Two of his regular clients got approached by representatives from competing gambling operations, offering better odds and lower interest rates. Marshall, now successfully embedded as muscle for hire in Trent’s organization, reported that the man was barely sleeping and had started carrying a gun everywhere.

He’s convinced someone’s trying to move in on his territory, Marshall said during a brief meeting at the hospital. Race got him spooked about potential threats and he’s seeing enemies everywhere. How close are you to his inner circle? Close enough. He’s got me doing collections with Rafe.

Thinks I’m just another broken vet who needs the money, but I’m learning plenty about how the operation works. Good. What about his finances? Hurting. The competition is cutting into his profits and he’s spending money on extra security that he can’t afford. Plus, he’s been making trips to Billings every few days to argue with his bookie face to face. Harry smiled.

Financial pressure combined with paranoia was a dangerous combination. Desperate people did stupid things. There’s something else. Marshall continued. Overheard him talking to Rafe about your daughter. He’s planning something. Harry’s expression went cold. What kind of something? Didn’t get details, but it sounded like he wants to use Cassidy and the kids as leverage.

Thinks if he can threaten them, you’ll back off and let him rebuild his operation in peace. That would be a mistake on his part. Major mistake, but it means we need to move faster. If he gets desperate enough to go after civilians, he won’t get the chance. Harry was already calculating timelines, figuring out how to accelerate his plans without making critical errors.

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