02-10-2019, 09:51 PM
Thirty minutes ago, Jay upended the darkness and told Axel everything. No judgement. Understanding and acceptance. The guy took it all with barely a blink. A few questions. Jay barely had answers.
Natalie’s question was reasonable. No good excuse to not tell her. Except for the sickness yanking his guts from inside. The way she looked at him, earnestly, patient and waiting. What was he going to say? Everyone thinks you’re safer away from all this. I promised to drive you away in exchange for information. Just say all that. Like it was so easy.
Ironically, the truth might be the only thing to actually do it. God he was selfish.
A move stripped his hand of hers, the sunglasses tossed on the counter.
Throat dry. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “He wants you out of the Custody and away from me. I need to know who ordered the strike against El Tiburon. What started this whole thing.”
He looked around worriedly. Nobody seemed to be listening. At least, there was none in sight. There were dozens of places to hide surveillance, though. If Jay was in charge of security, he’d rig everything the Governor touched to keep her safe. Instead, Axel was in charge. But just in case. He seized the power, wreathed them in silence, and pulled her aside. The image of a file in Natalie’s hands ghosted his memory. Most of the contents were erased: but not everything.
Fuck.
“When I – El Tiburon died – someone was very much fucked. Someone in our own government. I don’t know who or why. I’m pretty damn shocked that I didn’t end up in a ditch somewhere, but they got rid of me and buried the operation.
Now El Tiburon’s brother shows up in Moscow. I talked to him at the ball, Natalie. He knows exactly who I am, who my family are. There’s a bounty on me. A bounty on Cayli. Probably one on you just for helping us.
I don’t know what’s going on. But that doctor in Iowa knew Cayli was a channeler and continued to deceive my parents. Maybe he wanted the bounty, but when I followed him out of the hospital, I overheard him call someone from DC, and I realized that this thing went higher than I ever thought. I don’t think it’s military anymore. It’s someone in the executive branch. Maybe Department of Defense.
Natalie, it takes incredible levels of clearance to find the information your dad found. We’re talking about Pentagon vaults. CIA kind of shit.”
The last two years flashed before his eyes. He could still feel that machete in his hands. The smell of blood on his face. Running. The relief of the job with the Legion. He fucked his own life down the toilet the night he slaughtered Andres.
“If we could find out who ordered the strike on Amengual…” he grabbed her hand, nodding along. Did she see?
That was the deal. Alistair had the ability to uncover truths none of them could alone, but he threw the phone in the lake. Fuck Alistair. They could find another way.
“I have a contact that can set us up with someone close to the cartel. Find out what they’re doing. Why they’re interested in Moscow. Why all of this is happening.”
Natalie’s question was reasonable. No good excuse to not tell her. Except for the sickness yanking his guts from inside. The way she looked at him, earnestly, patient and waiting. What was he going to say? Everyone thinks you’re safer away from all this. I promised to drive you away in exchange for information. Just say all that. Like it was so easy.
Ironically, the truth might be the only thing to actually do it. God he was selfish.
A move stripped his hand of hers, the sunglasses tossed on the counter.
Throat dry. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “He wants you out of the Custody and away from me. I need to know who ordered the strike against El Tiburon. What started this whole thing.”
He looked around worriedly. Nobody seemed to be listening. At least, there was none in sight. There were dozens of places to hide surveillance, though. If Jay was in charge of security, he’d rig everything the Governor touched to keep her safe. Instead, Axel was in charge. But just in case. He seized the power, wreathed them in silence, and pulled her aside. The image of a file in Natalie’s hands ghosted his memory. Most of the contents were erased: but not everything.
Fuck.
“When I – El Tiburon died – someone was very much fucked. Someone in our own government. I don’t know who or why. I’m pretty damn shocked that I didn’t end up in a ditch somewhere, but they got rid of me and buried the operation.
Now El Tiburon’s brother shows up in Moscow. I talked to him at the ball, Natalie. He knows exactly who I am, who my family are. There’s a bounty on me. A bounty on Cayli. Probably one on you just for helping us.
I don’t know what’s going on. But that doctor in Iowa knew Cayli was a channeler and continued to deceive my parents. Maybe he wanted the bounty, but when I followed him out of the hospital, I overheard him call someone from DC, and I realized that this thing went higher than I ever thought. I don’t think it’s military anymore. It’s someone in the executive branch. Maybe Department of Defense.
Natalie, it takes incredible levels of clearance to find the information your dad found. We’re talking about Pentagon vaults. CIA kind of shit.”
The last two years flashed before his eyes. He could still feel that machete in his hands. The smell of blood on his face. Running. The relief of the job with the Legion. He fucked his own life down the toilet the night he slaughtered Andres.
“If we could find out who ordered the strike on Amengual…” he grabbed her hand, nodding along. Did she see?
That was the deal. Alistair had the ability to uncover truths none of them could alone, but he threw the phone in the lake. Fuck Alistair. They could find another way.
“I have a contact that can set us up with someone close to the cartel. Find out what they’re doing. Why they’re interested in Moscow. Why all of this is happening.”
Only darkness shows you the light.