by Ana Stone
The fact that they recognized Roxy as a kind of kindred spirit, a soldier and a warrior and the fact that they were both attracted to her made it easier to accept her as part of a team and work with her.
“I just didn’t expect her to fuck you,” David added.
“You really are a son of a bitch,” West said.
“I’m going to kill you,” Zeke said in voice nearly choked by anger. “God as my witness.”
West looked at Roxy and she knew what he was thinking. Should he try and charm Raymond into a position that Zeke could get the weapon? She gave him a slight shake of her head. David would clue into that in an instant and she didn’t trust David not to order Raymond to shoot them.
“He has us,” she said to West and Zeke. “Best to just do what he says.”
“And you can live with that?” Zeke asked.
“Yes.”
“You don’t mean that.” West said.
“Oh but I do. Trust me. His way and we all live.”
“You’re selling us out,” Zeke said.
“I’m saving your life,” she argued then looked at David. “Can I at least say goodbye?”
“Why not?” He sneered and shoved her in their direction.
As she approached, she drew on her ability and implanted the memory of her conversation with Turner and the instructions she’d given him, as well as the conversations she’d had with David and Maybelle into their minds. She saw realization dawn in West’s eyes a moment before she reached out to draw him into an embrace.
“Roxy walks in shadow.” She whispered, “In 6 months you’ll get a call. I’ll activate the code to secure the bypass in the alteration the moment you’re through the process.”
West pulled back, kissed her on the cheek and smiled. “I love you, too.”
She nodded and turned to Zeke. He looked away. She put her arms around him. He was stiff as a board but she ignored that and held him tighter, standing on tip-toe so that her lips were close to his ear. After a moment he put his arms around her and buried his face in her hair along the side of her neck.
“I have always loved you,” she whispered.
“Same here. You think it will work?” He whispered.
“It has to,” she whispered in reply then pulled away and returned to David’s side.
“Well, now that that’s done,” David said and took hold of Roxy’s arm. “Time for us to go.”
He looked around and called out. “Turner!”
Turner hurried over to David. “You know what you need to do.” David said to him. “Raymond will be here to assist you. I’ll have agents here within the hour to deliver Zeke and West back to Harmony. Raymond will deliver the Chief home.”
“Yes, sir.” Turner agreed immediately. “And Agent Quinn?”
“She’ll be going with me.” David said and looked at Maybelle. “Shall we?”
“Yes, of course.”
Roxy resisted the urge to look at West or Zeke as David steered her across the room. He and Maybelle spoke quietly on the way down to the exit.
“You have a prediction?”
Roxy knew what he was asking. Maybelle’s ability was to read current events and extrapolate future events. She had proven to be over eight percent accurate.
“If you can keep her in line there’s a ninety-eight percent chance of success.”
“Oh I don’t think that will be a problem,” David said and chuckled. “She’s highly motivated. Right, Rox?”
“Right,” she replied.
They walked outside. Maybelle’s car was parked next to David’s. “I think we should review everything tonight to make sure all bases are covered. Let’s go back to my house.”
“I’ll follow you there.”
She nodded and walked over to her car and climbed into the driver’s seat. David gestured for Roxy to get into the passenger seat of his car, then got in behind the wheel. “I can trust you, can’t I Rox?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain?”
“You know I am. You made sure of that. If I contact them either they’ll kill me or you’ll have them killed. You know I’d never be responsible for either of their deaths.”
“Smart woman,” he said with a smile and reached over to give her leg a squeeze. “We have to go back to Maybelle’s for a bit, but after that, I have a plane waiting.”
“For?”
“A bit of a holiday before we move forward.” He said and started the car. “As I remember, you were always fond of St. Kitts.”
“Still am.”
“Then St. Kitts it is.”
She nodded and looked away as he pulled out. She didn’t have anything to say on the drive and he seemed content to ride in silence. Every now and then he would reach out to give her leg a squeeze or take her hand. She didn’t resist but she didn’t return the grasp. It was too early for that. He’d never believe she had capitulated that quickly. He’d expect her to be frosty or reluctant. At least for a while.
When they arrived at Maybelle’s, David asked her to wait for them in the study. A man was posted at the door, clearly spelling that David did not trust her.
“Can I go to the restroom?” She asked the man once David and Maybelle had headed upstairs to her private sanctum.
He stepped aside but followed her down the hall to the restroom and took a position across the hall as she entered. She turned on the water in the sink and pulled out her phone.
Turner answered on the second ring. “Turner.”
“Is it done?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“Are you under guard?”
“No. There are two men outside the door. Raymond just left to take Chief Phillips home. Zeke and West are here in recovery.”
“Close together?”
“On adjoining cots.”
“Put me on speaker and put the phone where they can hear.”
“Okay, are you ready?”
“Just a sec.” She said then called out loudly. “Hey! You in the hall. Can you find me some toilet paper?”
“Look under the cabinet.” He called back.
“I did. Nothing there. Please?”
She heard him curse then the sound of footsteps. “Still there?” She asked into the phone.
“Yes, ready in two.”
She counted two seconds. “I will always find you.” She said and then hung up the phone.
A moment later there was a tap at the door. She opened it a crack and the agent on guard stuck in his hand with the requested toilet paper. She took it, closed the door, waited a few moments then flushed the toilet.
Just as she turned off the water in the sink, the door opened to reveal David. “You ready?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Then let’s roll.”
“You’re the boss,” she replied.
At least for the moment. She had six months to win his trust and plan for his demise. Six months and then she’d make the call. The call that would waken West and Zeke to the truth.
Six months and then she’d make good on her promise.
She’d find them.
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