Rile nodded his head slowly. He appeared amused. “He is aware.”
“What about Z?”
“As it so happens, he indicated he would be anxious to work with a firm such as ours.”
“Did he, now?”
I didn’t know Rile well enough to have much of an opinion of him, but it seemed as though Edge didn’t like him. Either that, or he was in a particularly argumentative mood tonight. Which, of late, had been happening on a more frequent basis.
“I’ve another question.”
I considered kicking Edge under the table. I didn’t understand why he was being so combative. If this was something he didn’t want to do, wouldn’t it be easier to simply decline Rile’s offer?
He motioned for Edge to go on.
“What’s the buy-in?”
Rile smiled. Not grinned or smirked—smiled. “Five mil.”
“Euros?”
“Pounds sterling.”
It was a hefty amount, but Rile wouldn’t have approached either of us if he didn’t already know we had it.
“What’s the split?” Edge asked.
“Equal. Among four.”
“Who’s the fourth?” I asked.
“Decker Ashford.”
I was tempted, but held it in. Edge, on the other hand, laughed out loud. “Good bloody luck. No way in hell Ashford will sign on.”
I watched Rile’s reaction. He clearly knew something neither Edge nor I did. If I were a betting man, I’d lay odds Ashford had already agreed.
Most in the intelligence world knew of the American man by reputation alone. There were rumors that when Z Alexander married a woman from Texas and settled in the States, he adopted Ashford when he was a teen. Seeing something in the boy, Z made arrangements for him to study with the master of all masters of intelligence technology—Burns Butler. It was said that even Burns considered Decker to be more accomplished in the field.
There were also rumors that governments, including the UK and the US, had offered Ashford ungodly sums of money to come work for them, and he’d consistently refused. Even Burns’ son, Kade, who was also a partner in a private intelligence firm, had attempted to recruit Decker. If Rile was so confident he’d be successful where so many others had not, I could only assume he had something on the guy. Something big.
“I’m in, as long as both Ashford and Grinder are.”
Rile brushed his bottom lip with his finger like he had earlier. It was a tell, but I hadn’t figured out exactly what for yet.
“You’re either in or you’re out. There are no ifs.”
Edge nodded. “Did Lennox turn you down?”
“Why would you ask?”
“I’m assuming you went to him first.”
Rile shook his head slowly. His expression changed to one of disappointment.
“I’m in.” I blurted the words almost as a man possessed. Seconds ago, I was leaning toward a polite decline.
Edge’s eyes opened wide. “You are?”