Page 101 of Don't Let Go

“Of course, I did. How did it go?”

“Scratch Stone off the list. Easy peasy. Though next time, I’d rather just grab you some jewels or maybe some art for your newplace.” I loosened my tie as I drove. “In fact, once we’ve cleared everything up, I want to take you somewhere.”

“Are we all invited?” McQuade asked. “Or is this just you?”

The sun was coming up behind me as I headed south and west. It was a lot later than I realized. Still, a new dawn, and clearing the decks was a good thing.

“Sure, you can come and bring your favorite mate too…”

“Don’t you start,” Remy said with more than a little snap and I grinned.

“But it’s done. I’m an hour away, want me to grab you some breakfast?”

“No,” she said and that surprised me. “Come on back, we need to get on the road again. There’s one more thing I want to do before we release the file.”

“Read us in?” McQuade asked and the concern in his voice echoed the tension in my gut. Her earlier playfulness was absent and I wasn’t sure what I thought about the grim certainty that had replaced it.

The plans had worked. We’d eliminated the major threats.

Right?

“I will as soon as you’re all here.” It was a promise. “Trust me.”

“On my way,” I promised. A sentiment the others echoed. I didn’t doubt that we were all accelerating to get back to her.

To go toher. I liked that thought. I didn’t even mind the others. They fit, just like she did. Maybe she just wanted to get out of here and back to her life. When we were done and released the files, there would be nothing stopping her. The people who knew aboutherwere gone.

She could go home.

My stomach sank.

Then I shook it off. We still had time to persuade her and if she really wanted out, then I’d find a way to retire, or at least just take smaller jobs so I could stick closer.

Flexing my hands on the steering wheel, I grimaced at the smell of the alcohol on my clothes and adjusted my speed.

Whatever she wanted, we’d make it work.

Look what we’d done so far. Anything was possible.

The positive thinking did nothing for the worry eating away at my stomach. Twice I went to call her and twice I made myself stop. She asked us to come to her.

Whatever it was, we’dtake careof it just like we had everything else. I almost had myself convinced by the time I reached the rest area where we’d left her parked.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

PATCH

One week after Abdias Stone died, the news was full of stories about his body being discovered in a hotel room. The peanut allergy, well known to his close associates, was detailed as the cause of death. A faulty epi-pen had been found with him, and it seemed law enforcement was comfortable in labeling the death as accidental.

The club had done the heavy lifting on covering up the death. The death of retired Colonel St. James in a house fire earned a paragraph on page thirty of the post, and a slightly more detailed obituary released by the family.

No one reported on the deaths of Robert McCoy or Karl Seward. They simply vanished. They were ghostsbeforeMcQuade made their occupation a reality. I didn’t know the names of the others who’d worked there. I made my peace with not knowing who they were too.

Section Five had been gutted as well as having its head chopped off. I’d identified five politicians in key positions and four journalists, including Mark Reynolds, I would trust with the information. He turned out to be an excellent resource once we cracked it all open and I felt like we owed him since we’d chasedhis leads off. I would also make sure that both sides knew that someone on the other side had it.

The carcass would be ripped apart soon enough. But before that could happen, I had one last task. This item I’d saved for myself. The guys hadn’t been thrilled when I detailed my plan, and there had been a few arguments.

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