Risking It All

by Max Hudson

  “Oh, Adam.” Harry stroked his hair. “You’re not going to die. COVID-19 is just like having very bad flu. And you haven’t got any health problems, so that’s all it’ll be. It will be an uncomfortable few days, but that’s it.”

  There had been several deaths, but they had either been elderly or had underlying health problems. Adam and Jamie were healthy and had barely needed to see the doctor beyond the usual childhood illnesses. Harry was confident that they would get through this unscathed.

  From the coronavirus. Maybe not from his own brother.

  Adam reached out and Harry gathered his son into his arms for a hug.

  “I love you, Dad.” Adam mumbled against his neck.

  “I love you, too, buddy.” Harry kissed his head and laid Adam back down. “Get some sleep. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

  “Okay.” Adam cuddled his toy to him and snuggled down. “Can you put the CD player on?”

  “Of course.”

  Harry went across the room and pressed play to the CD player. He had ordered several children’s books and adaptations so the twins could listen to them if they needed to stay in their room. It worked in helping them fall asleep. Kissing Jamie before ruffling his hair, Harry headed to the door.

  “Don’t stay up too long reading, Jamie.”

  “I won’t.” Jamie had barely looked up from his book. “Night, Dad.”

  “Night.”

  Harry couldn’t help but smile as he closed the door. They were a handful, but they were overall good kids. They were just getting frustrated from being inside all the time. They had the garden to go into, but all the parks were closed because people were using them at the same time. Harry had driven them out to Bear Creek Park, only to find that they couldn’t get in. Apparently, everyone had swarmed in on the park and the park rangers had had to close the place as it was getting overcrowded. Harry could understand, but now he had two upset boys. A trip to a drive-thru had sorted that, but Jamie was still grumpy.

  Hopefully, this would pass and they could go back to normal. Fingers crossed. Nobody knew how long it was going to go on for, and Harry didn’t want to guess. He could only hope that they would be able to go back to a normal life without worrying if the next person who coughs becomes infected.

  Jamie had described it like a zombie infestation, and people were getting infected very quickly while those who hadn’t been infected were the survivors fighting the zombie curse. Harry had made a mental note to monitor what movies they watched.

  Heading downstairs, Harry went into the front room. It was a rare evening off. He wasn’t back on until Tuesday, so that was three days until he had to go back to work. Plenty of time to catch up on things to watch on his firestick. Enough to keep him quiet.

  When there were two boys under his feet, it wasn’t easy to find quiet time very often. Harry intended to make the most of it.

  He was halfway across the room when a voice came out of nowhere, making him jump and spin around.

  “Such a sweet family life.” Alex drawled as he sat stretched out on the couch. He smirked at Harry. “Too bad it’s built on a lie.”

  Harry pressed a hand to his chest. His heart had threatened to burst out of his chest at Alex’s sudden appearance.

  “How...how did you get in?”

  “Easy. The front door.” Alex held up a key that dangled on a piece of string. “I made a copy of your key years ago.”

  Harry growled. He needed to change the locks first thing in the morning. This would class as an emergency, he was sure.

  “You need to stop coming in like that, Alex.” He snapped.

  “We’re family. I should be allowed to come in without an invitation.”

  “No, you shouldn’t be allowed. You’re a criminal who has an arrest warrant out on him. The FBI have put you as one of the most wanted men in the country.” Harry glanced toward his cell phone, which lay on the coffee table. “I should be calling this in.”

  “But you’re not going to.”

  “You want a bet?”

  They stared at each other. Harry just wanted his brother to get up and leave. He had made his choice, and Alex had to somehow know about it. That made his position precarious, and Harry just wanted Alex to go. But his brother never listened to him whenever it came to Harry’s wishes.

  “I know you spoke to the FBI.” Alex sat forward. “I found Drew Martindale’s card in the kitchen pinned to the fridge. Tut, tut, Harry.”

  “I didn’t call him. He came to see me.” Harry wished he had his gun on him right now. “He knows who I am. I didn’t tell him, he found out for himself.”

  “Oh, really?” Alex arched an eyebrow. “And what did you tell him?”

  “The truth. Everything.”

  Alex was silent for a moment. That silence lay thick and heavy in the air. Harry resisted the urge to squirm.

  “That,” Alex said finally, “was a bad thing to do.”

  “I’ve covered enough for you over the years, Alex. And I’m not about to lie to the FBI.”

  “You’re my twin brother. We should be sticking together.”

  “That only applies if we’re not committing crimes.” Harry snapped. “I could end up in jail as well, and I took an oath to protect the public from people like you.”

  “That oath is going down the drain now, isn’t it?” Alex sniggered.

  Then his smirk vanished and he stood, advancing on Harry. Somehow, Harry managed to stand his ground as his brother moved in closer than he should. Alex always did this whenever he wanted to intimidate someone. Harry had been on the receiving end of it many times.

  “You were supposed to make sure that Martindale came to find me first.” Alex growled. “Not go after me yourself. That was the whole point of you being there. I knew you would do as you were told.”

  “What are you saying?” Harry stared. “You and Rosalie set this up to draw Martindale out?”

  Alex’s mouth twitched.

  “Nice to see your sharpness hasn’t been blunted.”

  “It wasn’t difficult to realize what was going on. Rosalie had to be involved somewhere. She’s had a crush on you for years, although I can’t think why.” Harry shook his head. “You’re taking advantage of her, Alex. Rosalie doesn’t need to be mixed up in this.”

  “But she does. Marlene and I were a team until Marlene wanted more from me. I grew bored with her and now I need a new partner. Rosalie was only too obliging.” Alex smirked again. “She’s even smarter than Marlene. It was her idea to draw Martindale out and deal with him so I could carry on as I had before. He wouldn’t pass up a chance to get to me.”

  Harry had suspected this but hearing it out loud made his stomach drop.

  “You were planning to kill him.”

  “He almost caught me last time. And he’s not going to do it again.” Alex stepped away and wandered toward the window. The curtains were open, but the houses around them had theirs closed. No one was going to notice a serial killer standing at the window. “That envelope I gave you; it was meant to be a warning to his colleagues. Come after me and I’ll kill them, just like I did with Martindale. But you couldn’t even do that properly.”

  “I’m not going to be an accessory to the murder of a federal agent, Alex.”

  “Why not? You’re essentially an accessory to several murders. And you always covered up for me.”

  Harry gritted his teeth.

  “I helped you against my will. You threatened my family.”

  Now Andrea was dead. Harry only had Jamie and Adam left. These last three years while Alex was out of Houston had been peaceful. Harry had told himself if Alex came back and wanted his help, he was going to put his foot down. No more. He wasn’t going to lose Jamie and Adam like he lost Andrea. But that would only work if the FBI were willing to help. Jamie and Adam were innocents in this. They could do what they wanted to Harry now, as far as he was concerned, as long as the boys were safe.

  “You talk to Martindale again, Aar
on,” Alex turned back to him, “Whether it’s by choice or not, and I’ll remind you where your loyalties are supposed to lie.”

  Harry bared his teeth.

  “I’ve had enough of being threatened, Alex.”

  “And I won’t have you going behind my back.”

  Harry snorted.

  “As if you’re the one in charge.”

  Alex’s smirk widened. He looked very smug. It made Harry feel sick.

  “That’s because I’m always in charge. I’m never out of control.” He strolled toward the door, giving Harry a vague wave of farewell. “I’ll see myself out. Enjoy your evening.”

  Harry didn’t relax until he heard the front door close. Even then, he couldn’t breathe properly until he hurried to the door and put the deadbolts on. Then he sagged to his knees, resting his head on the doorframe.

  Too much had gone on for too long. He couldn’t keep doing this. Now was enough.

  ***

  “Drew.”

  Drew looked up when someone tapped his desk. Martin was standing over him, one hand on his hip with a quizzical look. Drew sat up, his shoulders screaming from being hunched over for so long.

  “Martin. Sorry, I didn’t know you were there.”

  “I noticed. I think you were still here when I left last night.”

  “What?”

  Drew checked his watch. It was eight-forty-five in the morning. He had been here all night. No wonder he was exhausted. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

  “I hadn’t noticed. I was just too busy.”

  “I could tell.” Martin sighed. “I have to let you know that it’s just you and me on the team now. And Mitch, if he chooses to stay locked in his office.”

  “Why? Where’s Jason?”

  “Isolation.” Martin shook his head with a scowl. “He had a fling a few days ago and the girl called earlier, said that she had been tested positive. Because it was a short while ago, Jason now has to go into isolation.”

  Drew wasn’t sure whether to groan or to laugh. That would be typical Jason to end up in isolation over a one-night stand. But that left them in a bind.

  “So, it’s just us.” Drew grumbled.

  He knew what that meant. Just him. Mitch would stay holed up in his office and Martin very rarely left his. Even though he was team leader, Martin barely showed his face outside with the rest of the team. He certainly didn’t leave unless he had to go to the bathroom right now with the social distancing. So, it was just Drew doing all the legwork. Charming.

  Martin gestured at the papers strewn across the desk.

  “What’s all this?”

  Drew looked at the stuff he had been pouring over for the last two hours. Harry’s folder had given him some insight into Harry’s current position and mindset. Whenever he needed a little helping hand, he turned to Harry. And even though Harry had been too scared to report him, he had kept meticulous records. Every interaction with Callow that was by email or phone, it was recorded and put into one place. There had to be at least three years’ worth of records. Harry hadn’t missed anything, and that gave Drew some relief.

  Harry was just a victim like everyone else. That made him feel better about finding the cop attractive. Even now, the intense attraction was twisting in his stomach. Drew had been ignoring it, but it was getting harder to fight back.

  Martin was going to notice soon if he stayed where he was. Drew mentally threw a bucket of cold water over his attraction - simple enough to do now he knew Jason was gone - and focused on his boss.

  “It’s just a few things I got from an informant regarding Callow. Very interesting stuff, I will say that.”

  “An informant?” Martin looked skeptical. “Is this ‘informant’ reliable?”

  “I’d say he is.”

  Martin folded his arms.

  “Who is this ‘informant’, Drew?”

  Drew shook his head.

  “I’m not disclosing his identity, Martin. That’s the whole point of an informant. They stay anonymous.”

  He wasn’t about to drop Harry in it, otherwise that would end up with answering a lot of questions he wanted to avoid.

  “Hmm.” Martin frowned at him. “Speaking of keeping things quiet, when were you going to tell me about Callow’s twin brother’s new identity?”

  “How do you know about him?”

  “Mitch told me just now when I asked for an update. He was very surprised that you hadn’t told me yourself, seeing as you’ve been to see him.”

  “How…?”

  “You called Mitch on the way out from Officer Bryant’s home. Mitch might be a fully-fledged nerd with his head buried in a computer, but he’s still sharp.”

  Drew mentally cursed Mitch. He wanted to get things in line before he approached Martin about this. This had to come from him, and Drew knew he could keep it in Harry’s best interests.

  “I was going to come to you shortly about him.”

  “Were you?”

  “I swear.” Drew sat back and sighed. “I have spoken to Bryant. Alex has been using his brother as a cover when he needed a place to lie low or some money. From what I’ve seen here and from what Bryant has told me, he’s just a pawn in all of this as well.”

  Martin snorted.

  “That sounds like he’s a willing accomplice.”

  “I don’t believe he is. He changed his name and his life to distance himself from Callow as soon as he could. Callow has been threatening him. If Bryant doesn’t do as he wants, his children die. They’re his life, and that’s why he hasn’t said anything over the years.”

  “That could all be part of a cover.”

  Drew shook his head.

  “That man rang true to me. And he’s scared, although he won’t openly admit it. I think he’s reached his breaking point, though, if he’s willing to talk to me.”

  “Will he cooperate?”

  “I think he will.”

  Drew hadn’t spoken about that with Harry yet, but that was next on his list. He was going to get Harry to help them out, to help put Callow behind bars where he belonged. From the way things were going, Drew was confident that Harry would say yes. There was more than likely going to be a condition regarding his family, but Drew was sure he could sway it. He wasn’t missing an opportunity to put away the one man who had been the bane of his life for close on four years.

  Inwardly, he flinched. That did make it sound like he was treating Harry like a pawn himself. That he was a means to an end. But Drew pushed it aside. He wouldn’t be using Harry Bryant like that. His body wanted to use the handsome cop, but that would have to wait. If Drew acted on it at all. He was not mixing business with pleasure.

  And Harry was the worst possible choice for a bed partner right now.

  “You’re putting a lot of faith in a man who’s got a blood tie to Callow and has admitted to helping him.” Martin said.

  “Under duress.” Drew reminded him.

  “Even so, that’s a lot of faith to put in him that he’s going to help us.”

  Drew smiled.

  “I’m sure I can persuade him.”

  Martin snorted.

  “I don’t doubt that, but you need to be careful. You could end up getting shot again.”

  “Not likely.” Drew absently rubbed at his chest. “I’m not going to put myself in that situation again.”

  “If your gut is wrong and Harry Bryant is another accomplice, you might not know it until he’s pulling the trigger.”

  But Drew was trusting his gut. Harry wasn’t going to shoot him. He was confident that the cop wasn’t going to hurt him. Not in that way, that is.

  Suddenly, Drew’s computer started bleeping wildly and a message came up on the screen. Mitch wanted to video call him. Drew clicked on the acceptance button and the screen filled to show Special Agent Ewan Mitchell. The redheaded nerd had a woolly hat on and a sweater with a scarf around his neck. Drew burst out laughing.

  “Seriously, Mitch? Do you really need to wear all
that?”

  “If I’m going to get that COVID-19, the least I can do is be ready for it.”

  “It’s getting warmer outside. You look like you’re going out into the snow.”

  Mitch snorted.

  “You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face when you get the coronavirus and you’re not properly dressed to battle it.”

  “Can we save this for another time?” Martin snapped, leaning in behind Drew so Mitch could see him. “Did you call Drew for something or do you need to get back to work, Mitchell? And you don’t need to wear all that rubbish. It’s a virus, not a cold snap.”

  “Oh.” Mitch’s face went a little red and he snatched off his hat, unwinding the scarf from his neck. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t realize you were there.”

  “I noticed.” Martin shook his head and straightened up, leaning against the desk behind him. “What do you have, Mitch? Anything we need right now?”

  “I think I’ve got something you need to know.” Martin turned to Drew, ruffling his hair. “It’s about Harry Bryant’s wife, Andrea. The one who died three years ago.”

  “I remember when she died, Mitch.”

  “Well, I found her file and had a closer look.” Mitch clicked something and Drew’s phone started bleeping. “I’ve sent a photograph of her from her workplace. Does she look familiar?”

  Drew picked up his cell phone and opened up the file. He found himself staring at a very attractive woman in her mid-twenties with long dark hair. He stared.

  “She looks like the other victims.”

  “I’ve had a look at the file that was made at the time of her death.” Mitch was sounding excited. “It was classed as a home invasion that happened while her husband was at work and the children were asleep upstairs, but the way she was killed matches how the other women were murdered.”

  She had been another victim? Drew was surprised that Harry hadn’t reported it as such. Then again, considering who he was to Callow, that would have ended up with the cops looking closer into his life and finding out who he was. They were Harry’s colleagues, and he wouldn’t have said a word to anyone.

  “Did Bryant have an alibi for the murder?” Martin asked.

  “Yes, it’s solid. He didn’t kill her, and he certainly didn’t hire anyone to kill her. That was checked as well.”