Edge of Grey

by Phelps, J. C.

  “What do you mean? My stuff?”

  “You’re feeling panic, anger, fear, anything else?”

  “Really? You’re going to do this now?”

  “When else would you suggest? Because if you can stop your pacing and join me here on the floor we can just ignore it. Get it under control, Alex.”

  I wanted to tell him I had everything under control, but I knew he was right. I continued my pacing and measured breathing.

  “When I asked you about your jobs you threw in the part about Mesa holding you prisoner for a few days,” he said. “That wasn’t a job so it wasn’t something I’d asked for. Yet, you felt compelled to tell me about it. This is why. You knew it was a problem for you. It’s only going to get worse if we don’t work through it.”

  “Fine,” I said. He was right and I decided not to fight him or his questions.

  “Do you want back into the company?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Okay. If you leave us do you know what you’re going to do? You want to go back to Mesa?”

  “No.” I was firm.

  I knew I didn’t want to go back there. In fact, after we found Will I’d probably take my Penumbra job more seriously and remove Posner as soon as possible.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m going to take out Posner as soon as we find Will,” I said.

  Red nodded.

  “So you have no feelings of loyalty to Posner?”

  I laughed.

  “No. Never have. Jake was the reason I stayed. Posner, even if indirectly, is the reason White’s dead, and again, indirectly, he played a part in Jake getting shot. He asked me to kill my own father. Plus, he used me to make sure none of you could find Will,” I said.

  “How did he do that?” Red asked.

  “He told me Mayhaffy had hired Mesa to take out his wife so he’d collect a sizable life insurance payout. He contracted me to take out Mayhaffy and transfer the five million to his bank account after Mayhaffy refused to pay for the job.”

  “You took out Mayhaffy?”

  I only saw a split second of surprise on Red’s face as he was speaking then he became very calm again.

  “It gets worse,” I sighed.

  He nodded and waited for me to speak again.

  “I also took out Lance for crimes committed in Sudan,” I said as I pointed to Lance’s photo lying on the floor.

  “So how is going back to Mesa going to fix this?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I might break into Posner’s office or his room and see if he had any records of where Lance and his crew took Will,” I said. “I’m just sick knowing I’m the reason we might never find him.”

  I finally stopped my pacing and sat in a chair.

  Red gathered up all the files and brought them back to the table.

  A light knock on the door brought me back to myself.

  Brown opened the door slowly and poked his head in.

  “You want to come out and talk to Joe?” he asked Red.

  “Joe’s here?” I asked.

  “He’s my inside guy.” Brown wore a huge grin. Apparently all was forgiven already, as was Brown’s habit. “Honestly Alex. I told you I was texting him. Blue still have you drugged up?”

  He winked at me and I felt foolish.

  Red and I walked out of the war room to a room full of men who were much more relaxed than just fifteen minutes ago when Red had shut me into C.I.C.

  I felt the panic wanting to surface again but one look at Red’s calm face made me realize I’d have to keep this under control or I’d have to talk with him again.

  “Hey, Alex,” Joe said. “How’s the shoulder?”

  “Better,” I said. “How’s Jake?”

  “Still not out of the woods.”

  I nodded sadly.

  “Why don’t you ask Joe if he can help you?” Red told me.

  I asked Joe if he could tell me where Lance and his crew were working around the time Will went missing.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “Posner and Jake do all the scheduling and neither of them keeps records.”

  “So we have to wait for Jake to wake up or make Posner talk,” Brown said.

  Joe nodded.

  The men started talking about how they could make Posner talk and I walked back into C.I.C.

  I wanted to know where that five million came from if it wasn’t from an insurance payout. The information was good for nothing, but so was everything else we were doing. I knew they weren’t going to go through with any plan to take Posner into custody. Not with Will still out there.

  Chapter Twenty

  WITHIN HALF AN HOUR I’D tracked the five million. The money paid to Mayhaffy had originated from Posner. If I’d have done my research earlier, I might have realized this and figured things out before Jake got shot. I could have been working on finding Will. Lance might still be alive because my partners might have made it to him before I did. He probably knew where Will was.

  “Here.” I heard Blue’s voice behind me.

  I lifted my head out of my hands and turned to face him. He held out some pills.

  “You could use the sleep,” he said.

  “No thanks.” I refused them.

  “Some ibuprofen then?”

  “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

  My shoulder ached but I wasn’t going to take any pills from him at the moment. I didn’t really think he’d give me something other than ibuprofen, but I couldn’t help being suspicious.

  “If you change your mind there’s a bottle in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom,” he said.

  I nodded.

  “Find anything new?”

  He changed the subject.

  “The money I recovered for Posner was his money. I don’t know why he paid Mayhaffy five million, but all I did was get it back for him.”

  “What money?” He asked.

  Red hadn’t told any of them what I’d discovered about my own involvement so I told him.

  He let out a heavy breath.

  “We should have pulled you back in as soon as you started working with Mesa. I know you, Alex, and you’re probably blaming yourself for all of this. Don’t. We’re the ones to blame. We’re the ones who let this go too far.”

  He shook his head in disgust.

  “I should have done my research,” I said.

  “I can’t help but wonder if you’d been here, would White still be here,” he said. “I keep going back to that night in White’s office. The night Red called us all down for a meeting. I thought he was going to tell us you and White were romantically involved. I knew you two were an item and if any one of the partners didn’t know for sure, none of us would have been surprised with that news. We all knew White had feelings for you from the second you joined the company. Your relationship was just a matter of time.”

  He shrugged and continued.

  “I know some of us had hoped you’d refuse him because of what it could have meant for our dynamic. Still, you two fit together very well and the only thing your relationship did was strengthen all our bonds. I was completely blindsided by your outside activities. At least I was that night. Now it makes sense. That’s something else that just fits. I just want to say I’m proud to know you. And not just because you carry the title any fellow sniper would be proud to carry, but because you’ve always been a good partner. I know you might not stay with us after we find Will and I wanted to let you know I want you to stay. Oh, and don’t be surprised to hear this same speech from the rest of your partners one by one. I know we all want you to stay.”

  He went back out to the main apartment and left me sitting alone in the war room. I didn’t stay in there much longer. The words I’d been hoping for were finally coming to me, but I was still angry. I didn’t know if words would be enough any longer.

  “I’m going up to my apartment. Let me know when you guys have come up with a plan or I’ll see you back down here in the morning,” I said as I made m
y way to the door.

  “I’ll see you up,” Black said.

  I laughed. “I promise. I’m going to my apartment,” I said.

  He didn’t say anything but still followed me out the door and onto the elevator.

  “I won’t leave without telling someone,” I said as the elevator started to move upward.

  He didn’t speak for the duration of the elevator ride. Then he followed me into my apartment.

  “You of all people,” I said.

  He cocked his head to the side in a question.

  “I thought you’d trust me,” I said.

  “I do.”

  “Oh really? Following me around really shows me how much you trust me.”

  “It’s not—”

  He pinched his lips together in a frustrated look then huffed a breath through his nose.

  “Are you trying to tell me you’re just following orders?”

  “No. I missed you,” he said and his face reddened.

  “So that’s why you’re here?”

  “Yes.”

  He gave me a no-nonsense look.

  “Are you sleeping on the couch then?” I asked.

  “No. I’ll let myself out.” He turned to leave.

  “Cup of coffee before you go?”

  I felt it necessary to give up some kind of peace offering after his admission.

  He turned back toward me with a slight smile.

  “Please,” he said and moved to my kitchen bar.

  We sat quietly for two cups before he said goodnight and left me alone in my apartment.

  Other than when I’d been in C.I.C. by myself for a short while this was the first time I’d been alone since they brought me here from the scene of Jake’s shooting. At least, it was the first time I noticed I was alone. I started to miss them again, but that subsided as I curled up in my own bed.

  I WOKE UP THE NEXT morning to noises in my kitchen. When I went out, I found Black and Green drinking coffee at my kitchen bar.

  “You people have to stop letting yourselves into my apartment,” I yawned.

  “You’ll get used to it again,” Green said.

  “What do you mean? You never came in here without permission before. In fact, none of you were here very often at all. Black was about the only one of you who was a regular visitor,” I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

  I took a seat and asked, “Did you come up with anything after I left?”

  “Actually, we did. If we can pull it off is the question,” Green said.

  “Tell me,” I urged him after he quit talking.

  “We don’t know if it’ll work but since Garcia worked for Ruiz, we thought we might pull Ruiz in and question him. Joe says he’s probably at his home in Peru. He gave us the coordinates and said you’ve been there,” Green said.

  “I have, but I never got off the plane. I have no idea what to expect,” I said.

  Green nodded his head.

  “Joe said Ruiz didn’t use Mesa to guard his home, so he wasn’t sure what was there either.”

  “Is this the only thing you could come up with?”

  “Yes. We talked about letting you go back to Mesa to see what you could dig up, but I really don’t see the point. Joe said Posner doesn’t keep records.”

  “When do you think you’ll be ready to move on Ruiz?” I asked.

  “In a couple of days. We’re going to deploy a drone to get some real time information. Make sure he’s there and see what kind of security we’re looking at.”

  “I’d like to go see Jake before we go,” I said.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We want Posner to think you’re still working with him and not with us,” he said.

  “Going to visit Jake only enhances that view,” I said.

  “We’d have to send someone with you. I can’t let you go in there alone.”

  “You have to let me go alone. Going to visit Jake is exactly where I’d be right now. In fact, I would have been there already if I was still out on my own.”

  “I don’t know,” he hedged.

  “Look, Posner paid me for taking out the Admiral so he obviously thinks I did the job. There’s no reason for him to think I’m anything but loyal to him. I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

  “You have no idea of the potential mess we could have if you’re wrong,” he said.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll get in and out. If Jake’s still in a coma there’s no reason for me to stay, but if I don’t see him before we go—” I took a breath to quiet my emotion. “If he doesn’t make it and I don’t say my goodbyes I’ll never forgive myself. I know you told me he’s not on my side, but I can’t just walk away from him. Not now. I never told any of you this, but he took that bullet for me. He could have given me to Eric, but he didn’t. I can’t just walk away. Not this time.”

  “I can shadow her,” Black said.

  I’d almost forgotten he was sitting with us.

  “I’ll shadow you,” Green said. “I blend in better than Black does.”

  “Good. I’ll be at the hospital within the hour. I have to get to my hotel room before I call a cab,” I said.

  “No. I’ll give you a ride and drop you off a few blocks from the hospital,” he said.

  “You’re crazy. I’m not riding anywhere with you. Especially if you think we might be followed. I don’t need to advertise that I’m back with you.”

  “Only if you wear your standard issue watch.”

  I’d forgotten about that thing.

  “I don’t even know where it’s at,” I said.

  “I do. It’s in your room. I pinged it right after you went missing and found it.”

  He was already making his way to my bedroom.

  “I thought it only gave away my location if I pushed the button,” I said.

  “It does, unless you know how to override that,” he said as he came out of my room with the watch.

  “I’ll wear it, but I’m leaving here alone. I’ll be at the hospital in about an hour,” I said.

  “I’ll be outside. Push the button if you need me,” he said.

  I walked out of my apartment unimpeded. I pulled my hood up and made my way to the lobby. When I got outside, I resisted the urge to skip. I’d still been fighting with the idea they were holding me there against my wishes and it was a relief to be out on my own. Even if it was only temporary.

  I hailed a cab and had the driver take me to the hotel room I’d rented before and called for a cab from there using my Mesa phone.

  I’d been on the nose with my estimate and arrived at the hospital exactly an hour after I left White and Associates. I paid the driver and walked into the hospital as if I had nothing to hide. It was the first time in a long time I walked around not afraid who saw me.

  I didn’t see Green anywhere, but I didn’t expect to.

  I made my way up to Jake's room. When I located it, I walked in quietly. Joe sat in a chair just inside the door and near Jake’s bed. His arms were folded on his chest and he was sleeping.

  Jake looked gray and hollow.

  “Joe?”

  I woke him with a light touch to his arm.

  “What are you doing here, Alex?” he asked.

  “I wanted to see him.” I swallowed hard.

  “You have to go,” he said.

  “Why? I just wanted to see him just in case I don’t get another chance.”

  I looked around suspiciously. Joe’s tone had put me on edge.

  “They’re looking for you—”

  His face dropped and I turned around just in time to see two men coming my way.

  “Ms. Grey,” the burlier of the two addressed me. “Posner would like to speak with you.”

  “Then he can call me,” I said.

  “You don’t understand, Ms. Grey,” the other man lifted his t-shirt to reveal a pistol.

  “Damn,” I said. “Joe? I’ll try to get back to visit tomorrow. If not—”

  He nodded and I hope
d he knew I wanted him to tell my partners where they could find me and they should give me a little time to get out of this on my own.

  The ride to the lodge was quiet. One of the men sat in the back seat with me and kept his pistol in his lap.

  I probably should have listened to Green. I could just hear him thinking, I told you so.

  The two men escorted me to Posner’s office.

  “Ms. Grey,” he greeted me. “Did you check her for weapons?” he asked the men.

  They looked surprised when I pulled out my two pistols and trained one on them and one on Posner.

  “Is this what you mean by weapons?” I asked Posner.

  He laughed.

  “The two of you can get the hell out. I won’t be needing your services again, ever,” he said.

  They left us alone in Posner’s office. I didn’t put my pistols down.

  “I have a new job you might be interested in. Put the pistols away and we can chat like civilized people,” he said.

  I put one back into its holster but kept the other in my hand.

  “Not good enough.”

  I rolled my eyes but put the pistol away.

  “Thank you, Ms. Stanton,” he said.

  I almost didn’t catch the name he used to address me. I didn’t blink. Did he really know who I was or was it a slip of the tongue?

  “Yes, Alex. I know who you are and I have to say I’m very impressed. I didn’t think I’d get you to take out your own father. I guess he trained you too well.”

  “He killed White,” I said with some added venom. If he still thought the Admiral was dead, I might be okay.

  “Yes, he did. I let a lot ride on the bet that you truly did love White. It paid off. Now, my proposal,” he said as he tossed a thick manila envelope at me.

  I caught it and looked at him with a question looming on my lips.

  “Go ahead. Open it up.” He waved his arm in the air.

  The envelope was sealed so I had to stick my finger under the fold to tear it open. I pulled out a photo. It was the man I’d captured on camera in my previous life. Now I knew why Posner had seemed so familiar to me. Alan was a younger version.

  “My son, Alan,” he said.

  I peered into the envelope and saw bundles of cash.

  “You can consider the cash a bonus for taking out Stanton and the rest should more than cover any expenses you’ll have when you break my son out of that hellhole your father put him in.”