Page 51 of Meet Me In The Dark

Luke closed his eyes. Not only because it was clearly a trick, but because he didn’t want Chris to know Luke had already figured out the man’s other trick. If he looked at Christopher for too long, the truth—that Luke knew Kara and Micah were still alive—would be obvious. He wasn’t distraught enough, he didn’t seem like he was grieving. Luke didn’t just hate lying; he was a terrible actor. And he neededhim to think that Luke hadn’t noticed the lack of tattoo and was still in the dark, so he would let his guard down around him.

“Aren’t you going to ask why?” Chris sounded…curious.

“I’m assuming it’s not out of the goodness of your heart.”

The slender man chuckled. “No, I won’t pretend as much. Mr. O’Connell made me a promise I couldn’t pass up. The trade was for your freedom. At first, I thought he’d finally exhibited some selflessness, but then I realized it still came from a selfish place—his inability to watch you suffer more. And, well, torturing you stopped being fun, now that I have the balm of his grief over Kara’s and Mr. Feldman’s deaths.” He swept his hand forward. “So you’re free to go.”

Luke ran through his plan, again. He’d have to change a few elements of it, like pretend he really was leaving, but this could work in his favor. Even though he was still unsteady on his feet, his left arm was useless, and his left eye was still crusted over, he could handle this on his own.

Struggling to his feet, Luke crossed to Christopher and loomed over the man, who stepped back in fear before recovering.

“Mr. James, I recommend you don’t try to harm me,” he said softly. “If you do, my guards have orders to kill Mr. O’Connell immediately.”

“Isn’t that your plan, regardless?”

Chris shook his head, a small smile on his face. “He has more use to me alive.”

Well, that was sickening. But he was right, killing him wouldn’t help.

Yet.

“It’s straight down this hallway. There’s a back exit, hidden. Not the one down the ladder we originally took you through. It’s usually locked and only a retinal scan willunlock it, but we overrode it for the next fifteen minutes. So, I suggest you get moving. No time for any fond farewells, I’m afraid.”

That was fine. Luke wouldn’t be needing a farewell. Still, he had to say something.

“Where are you burying Kara and Micah? I want to go see them—their bodies—when I’m free.” He coughed multiple times, like he was trying to cover a sob.

There.That should do it.

Christopher sighed. “The Jewish cemetery in Skokie, Illinois. You’re welcome to visit their graves whenever you like, and you can arrange the Yartzheit ceremony.”

“Why Skokie?”

Christopher sighed, unable to fully hide the smirk on his lips. “Because there’s not a Jewish cemetery near the Tetons.”

Luke froze for a moment. Kara would want to be buried near the Tetons. What if Luke was wrong? What if they’d removed Micah’s tattoo, or he’d looked at the video too quickly, or he’d just seen what he wanted to see? What if they were truly dead? But his heart rebelled at that. They weren’t dead. He would know. Besides, Micah would’ve dyed Kara’s hair again; it wouldn’t still be black.

They weren’t dead.

He would find them once he and Conor were free.

He walked quickly down the hallway. It was empty of guards. Chris really had taken a risk, believing that Luke wouldn’t kill him.

There was, however, blood on the ground.

Whose blood? Conor’s?

Finally, he reached the end of the hallway. There was the steel enforced door with the retinal scan Chris had told him about. And there were guards, one positioned on either side,rifles at the ready, both wearing face shields, like they knew he was going to try something.

“It’s been real guys,” Luke said, not even bothering to catch their gazes as he stumbled to the door and pushed it open with his good arm, stepping through toward his freedom.

The guards relaxed, lowering their rifles.

And Luke spun around and grabbed the rifle of the guard on the left with one hand, headbutting him with it. The guard went down, and as the other raised his own rifle, Luke shot him through the chest. The guard was wearing a bulletproof vest—they both were—but it was enough to knock him over so Luke could grab him and snap his neck, then his colleague’s. He’d never snapped a neck one-armed, but there was a first time for everything. He grabbed the second rifle and waited, cradling both, expecting the shots to alert the other guards. But after a few minutes, none came.

Uneasy, Luke headed down the hallway to the right, back to the bunker where it all began.

Back to Conor.

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