“Thanks, Penny,” Jacob chuckles under his breath. Though he has to admit he’s a little disappointed. Zane will most likely deliver a quick, clean death for little Penny. When Jacob was a teenager, he fantasized about holding the little girl down and torturing her while she squirmed and cried. Now that he’s older, he’s moved on from those sadistic thrills. They were fun, but they weren’t getting him anywhere in life. Actually, he almost went to prison, adult prison, for Mary’s death. Luckily, Vincent came along and recruited him before they could bring his case to trial.
Jacob watches Zane carefully as Zane walks to the car. After this morning, Jacob’s antenna are up. But Zane seems ready to do the job. He’s dressed in all black. His face is stern, his eyes focused.
“You ready for this, man?” Jacob asks when Zane slides into the passenger seat. Jacob grabs Zane’s hulking shoulder and shakes it. “This is it. Are you fucking excited?”
Zane turns his calm gaze onto Jacob. “It’s a job,” Zane says, gruffly.
“Professional. I like that,” Jacob says. He looks out the front windshield, but his attention’s on Zane. “So, what’s your plan?”
Jacob notices how Zane’s shoulders tense. It’s a small movement. If Jacob wasn’t on high alert, he never would’ve noticed it.
“Get in unnoticed,” Zane says.
“How are going to do that?”
“The door will probably be locked, so I’ll try a window. Maybe there’s a key under the mat. If that doesn’t work, I’ll knock on the door.”
“Knock on the door? That’s your fucking plan?” Jacob asks.
“Most people open the door. You’d be surprised,” Zane says.
“Okay, then what?” Jacob asks. “After she invites you inside, do you make yourself a drink?”
Zane jerks his gaze to Jacob. There’s not a hint of smile on his face. Everything about him is cold and hard. Jacob reasons that Zane’s focused on the job, but he has a nagging feeling it could be something else.
“We’ve been over this,” Zane says. “You know what happens next.”
“I want to hear it from you. Vincent ordered me to go over it with you, to make sure you’re ready,” Jacob lies. “So, what happens next.”
Jacob is alert to Zane’s every movement. He sees how tightly Zane is holding his fists in his lap, the tension in his jaw, and the vein throbbing in his neck.
“Grab her, overpower her. Immediately clamp my hand over her mouth. She won’t be able to make a sound.” Zane’s voice, though even, is tinged with disgust. “Then I’ll push her over the balcony. It’ll look like a suicide.”
Jacob nods. “That should work. I’ll be waiting with the engine running. We’ll be out of here before she hits the ground.”
Jacob drives up to a generic apartment complex. The lights in the parking lot barely work, and Jacob’s sure no one would see him sliding in in his red corvette. And at this hour, most people should be asleep. He parks the car, then starts to give Zane the pep talk he’d prepared. But Zane doesn’t waste a second. He opens the door the second the car stops, and swiftly walks away.
Time to put up or shut up, Jacob thinks, looking after Zane. Something doesn’t feel quite right about Zane tonight. But why would Zane sabotage this job? He’s going to be a rich man at the end of this. Jacob rubs his face, trying to get his paranoia under control.
But he can’t quite let it go. Jacob swipes open his phone, and opens the Facebook app. Facebook is usually his first step when he’s trying to find something out about someone. In the search bar, Jacob types ‘Zane Celick.’
Jacob’s not really expecting to find anything. He’s searched for Zane’s name before. The guy hasn’t posted in years. Jacob scrolls down, and the first hit is a recent post. Very recent, in fact. It was posted the night before by Nora Celick, Zane’s mother. It’s a picture.
Zane and his lovely friend, the caption reads.
Jacob taps the picture to make it bigger. Is that fucking Penny?
It is Penny, with Zane’s huge arm draped around her. And they were hanging out with Zane’s mom. What does this mean? Do they know each other? Jacob glances up to the apartment building. Has Zane really gone to kill her?
Twenty minutes later, Zane returns. He wordlessly gets in the passenger seat and slams the door.
“What happened?” Jacob asks.
Zane doesn’t look Jacob in the eye, his gaze landing somewhere on Jacob’s chin. “The target wasn’t there. I got in. Looked everywhere.”
“Shit. Are you sure?” Jacob asks.
“I’m sure. Like I said, I looked everywhere.”
Jacob drums his fingertips on the steering wheel. Zane, you stupid motherfucker. You’re giving up millions for a woman? She’s probably playing you. He puts the car in gear and drives away.
“What now?” Zane asks. “Where are going?”
“We’ll have to go explain this to VC,” Jacob says, calmly. “See what our orders are from here.”
“Can’t you just call him?” Zane asks.
“Nope. This is the kind of talk that has to be done in person,” Jacob says.
Zane doesn’t seem happy about the two hour drive to Vincent’s compound, but Jacob doesn’t care. This has been an exciting turn of events. There’s not one, but two traitors among them. And it only makes Jacob’s case stronger. Better still, if Jacob can find Penny, and kill her himself, Vincent will probably give him a promotion.
Zane stares silently out of the window the entire way there. Jacob wants to laugh at him, to chide him for his fallible heart. What, had Zane fallen in love with Penny Waters? He’d give up millions for trash that grew up like a feral animal. Jacob’s had way hotter girls than Penny give him head in restaurant bathrooms. She’s just not worth it.
They arrive at the compound, and go through the security checkpoints. Jacob parks in his reserved space.
“Wait here,” he tells Zane. “I’ll talk to VC first, then I’ll be right back.”
But Jacob has no intention of talking to VC. Jacob enters the building, then takes the elevator down to the basement. He flashes his security clearance to the guard stationed there, and he’s allowed into one of the rooms.
Hunter rushes forward when the door opens. The air is stuffy in here. There’s very little ventilation. And it stinks of burnt material. The small table in the middle of the floor is littered charred electronics. Thanks to Grace’s little stunt, everything on her desk had been destroyed, including her computer and phone. Hunter was tasked with looking through the hardware to see if any information could be salvaged.
“That hardware’s destroyed,” Hunter says. “Any files on there are gone.”
“Fuck.” Jacob runs his fingers through his hair. “Penny’s gone. Run off. We have to figure out where she is. We have to get our hands on those files.”
Jacob stares hard at Hunter, studying him. This a technique Jacob often uses. Before asking a question, he’ll stare at the person, intimidate them. That way, if they try to lie, they’re so nervous, they end up giving themselves away involuntarily.
Hunter is already squirming under Jacob’s stare. Jacob decides now is the time to strike.
“How can we find her?” Jacob asks.
Jacob astutely notices Hunter’s eyes flitting to the left, and the sharp inhale before he answers. Hunter shakes his head, shrugging.
“Like I said, the hardware’s destroyed.”
Jacob knows Hunter is lying. He knows how to find Penny, but he’ll need a nudge in the right direction.
“Come with me,” Jacob says.
Hunter runs after him. “Do I get to go home?”
“No. We still have work to do.”
In a nearby room, Grace is strapped to chair, with an IV in her arm to keep her alive. Jacob nods to Dr. Wensel, who’s been treating Grace. The doctor nods back before leaving the room. Hunter hangs by the doorway as Jacob approaches Grace. Jacob grimaces at her bruised, swollen face.
“You were so hot,” Jacob
says, crouching down to study her. “It’s a shame.”
Grace’s eyes roll up to look at Jacob. She’s barely conscious, but the contempt she has for him still resonates in her expression. Jacob laughs slowly as he caresses her hair.
“I got to admit,” Jacob says. “You were the last person I thought it would be. I thought you were smarter than that.” He grabs the IV bag and squints at it. “Do you have painkillers in here? You won’t be needing that.”
With a sharp tug, he yanks the IV, pulling the needle out of Grace’s arm. She yells briefly, then clamps her mouth shut. Her defiance stirs something in Jacob. He likes a little resistance.
“Where’s Penny?” Jacob asks.
With difficulty, Grace lifts her head. She opens her mouth to speak, but begins to cough instead. Jacob waits patiently while Grace wheezes, catching her breath. She’s going to tell him, Jacob’s sure. She knows not to drag this out.
Grace finally catches her breath. Jacob leans in closer, making sure he hears every word she says. Grace rounds her mouth, and makes a sucking noise. In the next moment, saliva and blood hits Jacob’s face, warm and sticky around his nose and mouth.
She fucking spit on me, Jacob thinks. She’s either dumb or brave. Maybe both.
With a chuckle, Jacob wipes his face. He pauses for a beat or two before rearing his arm back and punching Grace hard in the side. She doubles over as the air forcefully empties from her lungs. Jacob grabs her by the hair and makes her look at him.
“I’m not fucking around, Grace,” Jacob says, sternly. “Where is she?”
“Fuck you,” Grace says, barely mustering the strength to speak. “I’m already dead.”
Jacob tightens his grip on Grace’s hair, enjoying how the strands tangle around his fingers. He pushes her head down, while simultaneously lifting his knee. Grace’s nose crunches against his kneecap. Blood gushes all over his pants.
“Where is she?” Jacob asks.
Hunter rushes forward in a panic. “She’s not going to talk, man.”
Jacob throws Grace’s head back. Blood rushes down her face. Her head lulls around on her neck. Jacob looks right at Hunter.
“I’ll make her talk,” Jacob says. He walks to the other side of the room, where Dr. Wensel keeps her medical equipment. The sharp, glimmering metal objects, meant for healing, look like instruments of torture. Jacob’s eyes light up as he surveys them. Finally, he settles on a surgical saw.
Jacob holds the saw casually as he saunters over to Hunter. Hunter’s eyes are focused on the blade, his features pinched in fear. Jacob clamps his hand down Hunter’s shoulder, offering him the saw.
“Why don’t you do the honors?” Jacob says. “I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you with VC. The boss man appreciates a self-starter.” He pushes the body of the saw into Hunter’s chest. It thumps against his ribcage.
Hunter’s gaze lands on Grace. “She’s not going to talk.”
Jacob shrugs. “Even if she doesn’t, we can still have a little fun. Go on, now. Prove your loyalty.”
Hunter clenches his teeth as his fingers wrap around the saw. He inhales deeply, and takes a step towards Grace. Suddenly, he stops, exhaling as he doubles over.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jacob asks.
Hunter looks Jacob in the eye. “I know how to find Penny.”
Jacob steps forward, cocking his head. “You’ve been holding out on me.”
Hunter clutches the saw to his chest, as if in defense. “I can hack into her phone. I’ve done it before.”
Jacob smiles inwardly. Emotions make people so vulnerable to manipulation. Jacob thanks his lucky stars that he doesn’t have any. He swats Hunter’s back.
“Let’s get to it.” Jacob shoots a glance towards Grace. “We’ll play with her later.”
*
Zane sits in Jacob’s car, his eyes trained on the entrance to the VC Solutions compound. Jacob’s been in there for over an hour. What’s taking so long? Zane considers barging in there, and ripping apart anyone who would do harm to Penny with his bare hands. Whenever he thinks about doing that, he’s filled with the intoxicating rush that blood lust brings. But he’ll have to play it cool, be patient.
Finally, Jacob returns to the car. He’s smiling, which worries Zane. Jacob opens the car door and gets in.
“Good news,” Jacob says. “I know where the target is.”
Zane grits his teeth, trying to subdue his reaction. “You do?”
Jacob turns his gaze on Zane, sending a cold chill down Zane’s spine.
“I do,” Jacob says, nodding slowly. He reaches into his jacket and pulls something out. When it’s too late, Zane realizes Jacob’s holding a gun.
“And I’m going to kill her,” Jacob says, before pulling the trigger.
Zane feels the impact of the bullet. There’s a great rattle in his ribcage. But no pain, not yet. He senses Jacob reaching over him to open the door. Zane slumps out of the car, landing heavily on the pavement. He’s covered with a warm, wet substance. Blood.
Everything goes black.
Chapter Sixteen
The safe house is a decrepit cabin in the woods. It looks like it hasn’t been inhabited for years. There’s graffiti on the walls, and little bits of charred tinfoil littering the floor. Penny guesses that squatters use it as a place to do drugs. There’s a single dim, buzzing lightbulb hanging for the middle of the main room. That’s the only light that works.
Yet, there’s also something staged about the chaos. The air conditioner is in perfect working order. Even on a hot, balmy night like tonight, the inside of the cabin is a comfortable, cool temperature. There’s a single piece of furniture, a shaggy, green couch. At first glance, Penny’s sure if she sat on it, she’d catch something. But on closer inspection, the fabric is clean, even fresh smelling.
It all reeks of careful design. If someone was looking for a fugitive terrorist, this would be the last place they’d look.
After inspecting the strange place, Penny gets straight to work. Parked on the couch, with the laptop fired up in her lap, she clicks through the files. Even after hours of work, she’s barely made a dent.
But she can’t get hung up on those destructive thoughts. She can’t ask herself how long this will take, if it’s even possible. She can’t wonder where Zane is, or when she’ll get to see him again. She can’t wonder when Em Dash will show up, or who exactly Em Dash is, if he can be trusted. She has to stay focused on the task at hand.
With the dim light, the buzzing of the lightbulb, and the rhythmic clicking of the computer, Penny falls into a meditative trance. Her eyes race over the words in front of her, alert to any mention of Ben, or the day he supposedly died. She knows that hours have passed, but she’s not sure how many.
Knock, knock, knock.
Penny freezes. In her state of mind, she’s not sure she actually heard the distinct, patient knocks. She holds her breath, listening. A few moments pass, before the knocking comes again.
Em Dash, Penny thinks, trying to calm herself. It might be nice to have another human being here, someone to keep Penny from going absolutely crazy. And maybe Em Dash will have a solution to her search problem.
Penny approaches the door and checks the peephole. There’s a man on the front porch. He’s a little taller than average. He wears a hoodie pulled over a baseball cap, so there’s little else Penny can see of him. He’s exactly what Penny saw when she envisioned Em Dash.
Penny wipes her sweaty palms on her pants, then opens the door. “Em Dash?” she asks.
The man bends his head down, barreling into the safe house. Inside, his features are obscured by the lack of light. “Are you alone?” he asks, gruffly.
“Yes,” Penny says, breathlessly. “Are you okay? Did they find out your identity?”
The man shakes his head, quickly. He positions his head carefully, so Penny never gets a clear look at his face. She wonders if he’ll obscure his identity for their entire stay here. He walks further into t
he house, studying everything. He stands in front of a dark stain on the wall.
“What a shit hole,” he remarks.
At the sound of his voice, Penny feels thousands of tiny, ice cold needles pricking her skin. Every hair on her body stands up. She can’t move, except to blink. She tries to speak, then realizes she can’t even breathe.
Jacob stands to his full height. The hoodie falls from his head, to his shoulders. His face distorts into a half smile. Penny feels like a monster has just materialized out of thin air. This is the boogie man of her childhood, the person that haunts her nightmares to this day.
“Long time no see, Penny,” Jacob says.
The words slither out of his mouth, and down Penny’s spine. The deep, inward cringe she feels snaps her back into reality. She turns quickly, making for the door. Jacob grabs her wrist with lightning speed.
“Stop, Penny,” Jacob says. “I’m Em Dash.”
Penny barely listens. She struggles to get free. Jacob pins her arms to her side with his elbows, holding her still. Penny tries to fight, but he’s too strong.
“I’m not the kid I was back then,” Jacob says against her ear. “I was a troubled child with emotional problems. I got help. And I want to help you find Ben.”
Knowing that she’s no match for his strength, Penny becomes still. “You’re Em Dash,” she says, bitterly. “You’re the globally known, notorious hacker, who’s been behind every major leak in the past decade?”
Now that Penny’s relaxed, Jacob relaxes too, though he still holds his arms around her. Penny thinks she’s going to be sick. This feels more like an embrace, than him holding her against her will.
“Do you think there’s only one Em Dash?” Jacob laughs, dryly. “There are hundreds of us. I was recruited to take down VC Solutions, because I work there. I was the one who told you to target Helen. I knew she’d be too busy swooning over those flowers to properly do her job. I know how pathetic she is.”
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