by Wylder Stone
He looked at her, saw the fear gripping her as the tears began to fall again. For some reason, her words hurt. Keith wasn’t trying to make friends with Trista, but he certainly didn’t want her to think he was like those men. He was anything but. He loathed what they were, what they did, and what they stood for.
The only reason Keith could tolerate and live with what he was exposed to was knowing he would put an end to them. It made him ill at the thought that Trista associated him with monsters or thought he could hurt her. He could never hurt her. She was the only reason he stayed, to begin with. Her and that baby. But he couldn’t tell her that.
“You can trust me because I got you out of there before anyone else saw you. You can trust me because I got you out of the police station before they ID’d you and sold you out to those men. You can trust me because if Cesar figures this out, who I am, what I am…I’m dead, but not before he kills everyone I love first.”
She relaxed in her seat as his words sank in. Keith had as much to lose as Trista did, if not more. Trust was hard-won under normal circumstances. These were far from normal, but his words meant something. They gave him credibility when there was very little to give. He was risking everything for her when he could have just sent her away, continued to work undercover, and Cesar would be none the wiser. But he stayed with her, ran with her. That had to mean something and speak of his character.
At that moment, the silence was as painful as the words Trista knew she delivered with a punch. Accusing Keith of being like Cesar and his people had to hurt, and for that, she felt bad. She would find a way to make it right when she knew what right was again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—” Trista began.
Keith didn’t need apologies, just cooperation. “It’s fine.”
After her world was turned upside down in a matter of hours, emotions were high and outbursts were to be expected, Trista supposed, even if they didn’t help. Being in the absolute dark made it hard to wrap her mind around the few details she had. Trista needed more, deserved more.
“So…uh, Lizzy.” She approached cautiously, hoping he would feed her something to make sense of everything. “Can you tell me why? Why do we need to involve her? Doesn’t that put her in…danger?”
“Like I said, Lizzy will become leverage if we don’t intervene. He will use your sister to get to you, just as he would Mason. It’s time to disappear, make him think you’re…”
She wasn’t sure she wanted him to finish his thought, but Trista knew she needed him to. “Make him think what, Keith?”
Hesitation stood between him and the truth. There was no easy way to deliver what Trista wanted to hear, and she had already been through so much. “You’re going to die, as far as Cesar is concerned. He needs to think you’re dead, or he will come looking and won’t stop until he finds you, Mason, or Lizzy.”
“And you…?” she questioned, reminding him that he was now a bigger player in this than originally planned.
“I die too. It has to be this way, Tris.”
An unfamiliar pinch settled in Keith’s heart when Trista turned her head, leaning it against the window, and began to silently cry.
5
The airport they landed in was much like the one they took off from. One hangar that looked like nothing more than a large metal shop in the middle of an open field with a single runway. It was also as heavily armed as the first. It wasn’t made clear exactly where they were or who all the armed men and women were, but given the security and the fact both were in the middle of nowhere, this was apparently a military or government facility. Something off the books and covert like it was straight out of a film.
Keith mentioned he worked for a part of the government that nobody had heard of or knew about – one that the government denied existed. That was exactly how both airport-like facilities appeared – nonexistent.
Trista had asked where they were before boarding the plane, just as she had when it was time to unload. Each time, she got the answer that seemed to be the theme of the night – the less you know, the safer you are. They were quickly moved from plane to vehicle and on the road within minutes of landing. The fastest airport transaction Trista had ever experienced.
As the city came into view, Trista’s anxiety rocketed. She really needed her sister right now, but the guilt that went along with why crushed her. Lizzy hadn’t asked for any of this. She never liked Cesar and even tried to talk Trista out of marrying him. Now she was as deeply involved as Trista or was about to be.
“She lives in a classy area – expensive just like she likes it, but you probably already knew that,” Trista offered, trying to rid them of the painful silence.
“We’re going to Chandler Hills,” he replied.
“Chandler Hills, when did she…? How do you…? Never mind, I don’t know why I bother asking. The less I know…” Trista felt as though her life was spiraling because it was, and a practical stranger knew more about her and loved ones than she did.
“I put people on her the minute I came after you. They’ve been tailing her all night, making sure she’s safe. I know Cesar keeps tabs on her, so I got to her first. His people are tailing a decoy.” He turned to her briefly, wishing he could be more forthcoming and give her what she wanted, or at least just make it easier for her. “She’s been out tonight, so she’s probably not going to be excited to see us at this hour.”
“Oh.” That was all Trista could muster. While her sister was out on the town, living her life, Trista was crashing murder parties, running for her life, all while unknowingly dragging her sister into her mess. Sister of the year.
Despite some of the Atlanta area’s worst traffic, even late at night, they managed to get to Lizzy’s elaborate building rather quickly. Nerves were tense as they pulled into an underground parking garage reserved for the upper-crust residents who could afford to live in a place that cost in a month what most made in a year. It didn’t go unnoticed that Keith had a code and could get in without any trouble at all, nor was it a surprise to see a handful of men and women waiting for them near a row of identical vehicles.
A private elevator quickly took Keith and Trista, with baby Mason in tow, to the penthouse suite at the top of the building where Lizzy apparently lived these days. A man and woman, who Trista had never seen or met but clearly knew Keith, accompanied them to Lizzy’s, while a handful of others began to move things from car to car. She didn’t bother asking what they were doing, why they were doing it, and what all of the stuff was because she knew the answer – the less you know, the safer you are.
The fancy building and posh interior suggested the Ryan trust fund was being put to good use, and Lizzy was wanting for absolutely nothing. Several long, heavy-handed knocks brought Lizzy to the door, slightly hung over, half asleep, and very confused.
“Tris? Oh, my God, what are you doing here? What time is it?” Lizzy yawned, rubbing her eyes and looking around, trying to get her wits about her. “I don’t understand why you’re here. You’re here, right?”
“Yes, Liz, I’m here…uh…we need to come in,” Trista awkwardly replied. Her sister was standing there half-dressed and only half coherent, but she was about to sober up quickly.
“We?” Lizzy looked around the doorway and caught a glimpse of Keith holding the baby carrier, and her eyes went wide. Then the equally large man and a petite woman behind him, neither of whom she’d want to be caught with in a dark alley. Her jaw hit the ground. “What the…who the heck are they, Tris?”
“They’re with me. They’re safe…promise. Now can we come in? We need to talk.”
“Oh! Yeah, sorry…still a little, you know…sleepy. Champagne and all that.” Lizzy moved to the side to let everyone in and followed them to the living room.
Keith gave quick instructions to the extra man and woman who were tagging along, and they disappeared down a long hallway toward the bedrooms.
“Uh, excuse me? Where are they going?” It seemed sober was coming a lot f
aster than expected. “You don’t have permission to go down there. Trista?”
Keith set the baby carrier on the large nearby sofa, and Trista took a seat next to it. He began to close blinds and curtains while checking the landline phone – a rare sighting these days – sitting near the entry they had just passed through.
“Um, hello? Big guy? What are you doing? Do I need to call security?”
Trista felt bad for surprising her sister with such an intrusion, especially when she was slightly inebriated. “Lizzy, I promise he’s okay. I need you to listen. Something happened tonight, or I guess…it’s morning now, so last night.”
“Tris, why are there strangers in my home, and why won’t the big one talk?”
Keith turned to Lizzy after making sure the place was secure, and it was safe to talk. “They’re packing. They won’t be long, only grabbing the necessities.”
“Uh, packing? They know that’s my stuff, right?” Lizzy tossed a thumb down the hallway, indicating the two strangers in her room. “I mean, I don’t mind lending the woman something if she needs a change of clothes, but I doubt I have anything that will fit the guy…he needs a tent or something.”
“They’re packing for you. You’re leaving with us tonight.”
“Whoa…whoa…come again? Leaving? Where exactly are we going? Trista, are you in some sort of trouble?” Lizzy walked closer to her sister, pulling the baby carrier closer to Trista in a protective move.
“Yeah, sis, I am. It’s bad, too. You were right all along. You were right.” Lost to tears, Trista couldn’t say another word. She was overwhelmed and exhausted.
“You might want to sit down for this. Hate to rush a family reunion, but we don’t have much time.” It wasn’t like Keith to be curt, but time wasn’t on their side.
“I’m fine standing…but someone needs to start talking. Wait, aren’t you the bodyguard or driver or something?” Lizzy went to New York shortly after Mason was born and stayed with her sister for a few weeks. The champagne was quickly wearing off, and things were coming into focus, or at least Keith was. She remembered him hanging around, accompanying them absolutely everywhere. Keith never spoke, just stood in the background.
Trista raised her head and delivered the punch. “Cesar killed a man. I saw him…kill a man, maybe two.”
Lizzy dropped to the couch next to her sister in pure shock and pulled her into an embrace and looked at Keith. “You’re right. I better sit down.”
Keith carried the load for Trista and began to explain while the man and woman from down the hall joined them, carrying an overnight bag and a trash bag. There was no way to soften this kind of a blow, not in the least, so he delivered every hard fact in detail. It was important for Lizzy to know the whole truth and to be afraid so she wouldn’t do anything stupid that could compromise their cover.
Though Lizzy tried to be strong, her response fell in a tearful voice. “Okay. We can deal with this, right? That’s why you’re here. Now, how do I fit into this? I’ll gladly go with you, but what is my part in it?”
“He’ll use you to get to Trista. He’s already had men here watching you for some time. You’re a threat to him, the one person Trista would turn to.”
“Watching me? He’s insane,” Lizzy growled between gritted teeth.
“He is, and that’s why we all need to get out of here before he realizes where Trista went, and we get made.”
As painful as it was to say, Trista had to say it in order to wrap her own mind around their new reality. “We have to run – hide – until it’s all over. Somewhere he can’t find us.”
“Okay, we can go anywhere. We have the means.” Lizzy stood with confidence, ready to get her sister and nephew out of there and to safety, wherever that may be. She grabbed her cell phone, ready to dial. “I’ll have the jet ready in—”
“Put the phone down. It’s not an option because he’ll find you. As long as you use your resources – phones, credit cards, even planes – he’ll find you.” Keith held his hand out, asking for the phone. “Yours, too, Trista. You guys will get new phones and an entirely new identity. You cannot, under any circumstances, share the information with each other. It’s imperative that you don’t know where the other is…it’s too dangerous.”
“Wait, we aren’t going together?” Lizzy asked in a frenzy. “I’m not leaving her. We have to stay together!”
“Here are your new identities,” he began, handing each a new wallet while the man and woman put both women’s purses in the large garbage bag, making it clear what that bag was intended for. “You have to forget this life for now, or you’ll be found. He has endless resources. There is no room for error. Do you understand?”
Lizzy nodded as she dug deep for the strength she knew her sister needed her to have, or Trista wouldn’t leave in the way they were being told to. “Okay. Where are we going? How are we getting there?”
Impressed with her response, Keith nodded. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, was no-nonsense, and up for the challenge. It would make the transition easier, especially after he delivered the final blow that would shake Trista to her core and drag her to rock bottom before the night was over.
“You guys will be escorted by a driver until you…uh…sober up. Your vehicle will be followed until just outside your destination to make sure Cesar doesn’t pick up your trail. At that time, you will be debriefed, and you guys will be given your final destination and instruction along with emergency protocol and contacts.”
“You guys? I thought we weren’t going together?” Lizzy questioned.
And here came the blow. “You and Trista are not going together. You and Mason are, Lizzy.”
Trista let out a loud painful sob that led to hysterics. “What? Mason? Lizzy has to take Mason? I’m not leaving my baby! I’m not leaving him!”
“Trista, there isn’t an alternative here. You are the primary target should the plan fail. As a key witness, we need to keep you moving and alive. If he gets wind you are still alive and testifying against him…he’s coming hard. Mason is safer with Lizzy. He won’t expect it, and they will be hard to find and heavily guarded. If Cesar makes a move their way, we’ll know long before he gets to them and can get them out of there. If he comes for you, Mason is a distraction. Your instinct will be to protect him.”
“Trista?” Lizzy gently interrupted. “Honey, I think he’s right. We’re a means to get to you. Even if he finds us, he won’t kill us…he needs us to find you.”
An eerie calm crossed the room as Trista sat quietly, staring at her sleeping son. What an odd circumstance to be in, to think that your sister and infant son are safer in the hands of your predator than to have him hot on your own trail. It felt almost selfish to send them off with that knowledge, even if it was the most logical approach to an illogical situation.
“Tris, I promise to take care of Mason as you would. I’ll talk about you and make sure he remembers. We can do this, Tris. I swear to you, I will protect him with my life.”
They were right, and Trista knew it. She was just struggling with how to say okay and kiss her son goodbye for who knew how long. The reality was, Trista had no choice, and the only people in the world who she could trust at that very moment were in that room.
“Tris?” Keith asked, anxious to get everyone out of there before they had to fight their way out.
“What if he starts looking?” Trista knew the answer to that but needed more time with her son, and it was the only way she knew how to get it…stall.
“He won’t if you both keep your cover. He won’t even know you’re alive.”
Shock raged through both women at Keith’s last statement, and though they wanted to know what he meant, neither asked. They had enough to process tonight. They’d figure out the rest when they had to.
“Lizzy, your car is waiting. Everything you will need is already in it. Financial resources have been set up for you – only use what is provided. Do not, under any circumstances, try to acc
ess your personal accounts. And whatever you do, nobody knows who you are or where you’re from. Just remember, you’re always being watched…let’s make sure it’s only by the good guys.”
She nodded. “I’m trusting you on this because my sister trusts you. How do I know it’s safe where we are going?”
“Because I arranged it myself. Only your escorts and I know where you are going,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I wish I felt your confidence right now.” An awkward chuckle escaped Lizzy as she gathered the courage she needed to leave and take her sister’s baby with her. “I think the only reason any of this is working for me right now, and I’m not losing my shit is the leftover booze in my system.”
“Liz, Keith is a target, too, now. He is risking everything to help us. He’s safe. If he arranged it, you’ll be safe.” A weak smile skimmed Trista’s face as she tried to be brave. She stood, holding Mason’s baby carrier. A single tear slid down her cheek. “It’s time to go now, isn’t it?”
Keith nodded, and she did as a silent response as she kissed her son on the head, over and over again as she apologized to him and promising to come for him as soon as it was safe.
She whispered and sobbed, “I’ll think about you every minute of every day, my sweet, sweet boy. Mommy loves you more than anything, okay? That’s why I’m letting you go…because I love you too much not to. Be good for your auntie.”
And she repeated her promise all the way down the elevator and to the parking garage.
Huddled around the cars, the sisters said their tearful goodbyes while their escorts waited in the distance. Trista peppered Mason with more kisses, trying to remember every last little detail down to that unmistakable fresh baby smell.
“I’ll figure it all out, Trista. I won’t let you down. I won’t let him down,” Lizzy added to assure her heartbroken sister. “If only I’d fought harder before you married him…”
“Shh.” Trista quieted her sister, who was feeling overwhelmed with guilt. “This isn’t your fault. I should have listened. But it’s not my fault either…it’s Cesar’s fault. He did this to all of us.”