Page 53 of Meet Me In The Dark

“And Chris was talking about burying them in a Jewish cemetery. He couldn’t do that, with Micah’s tattoo. Remember when Micah made the choice, and said to hell with a Jewish cemetery, because he wanted to be buried with the two of us, anyway?”

“The professor may not know about the Jewish cemetery tattoo thing.” It was as simple an explanation as any.

Luke was about to respond when they heard the thump of boots on a cement floor. Luke looked at Conor, who nodded. In this, he’d follow Luke’s lead.

Backing up against the wall, they waited for the guard to come past them. As he approached, Conor stepped into the hallway and waved. “Hey there.”

Jerking in shock, the guard raised his rifle to shoot him, but Luke was already there behind him, snapping his neck and then lowering the now dead man to the floor. Conor grabbed his rifle and as they continued down the hallway, Luke spoke.

“I know hope isn’t an easy thing for you, Conor. But I’m begging you, believe me. Have faith in me, in this. And don’t go doing anything stupid and heroic. Remember?”

Despite himself, Conor cracked a smile. “Because we’re not her heroes.”

“Never were.”

Luke came to an L in the hallway, paused for a second, then said, “You know what, we’re not going through the back door, even if it’s unlocked. I don’t trust it, so we’re going to go out the way we came in.”

“Lead the way, boss,” Conor said.

He started to follow Luke, then froze, as clapping echoed down the hallway.

The professor sauntered down the hallway, followed by guards—six of them.

Luke groaned. “My dumb, fucking ass,” he muttered. To Conor he said, “I’m sorry, I fucking led you straight into a trap.”

“Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” the professor said, almost kindly. “It was a well-thought-out plan, faking out my guards, and then deciding to escape another way. Unfortunately, I have cameras everywhere, so all we had to do was follow you. It was easier than sending my guards after you when you didn’t go through the door, Mr. James.”

Conor moved to block Luke from the professor, his guards, and the six guns that were trained on them. His life would be worth it, if he saved Luke. “We made a deal.”

“Yes.” The professor tsked. “And it seems you reneged.”

Conor stared at him.

“Or,” the professor considered, rubbing his chin, “was this all a ploy to get Mr. James here to leave, and then you were going to come running back in to distract us while he escaped, dying in a symphony of useless bullets?” He shookhis head. “It seems you both were playing each other. Mr. James here believed you wanted to live, and you started to believe in his lie that Mr. Feldman and Kara are alive.”

“Luke doesn’t lie,” Conor said automatically, then wanted to slap himself.

“Ah, yes, that,” the professor said. “It seems you were hiding something from me as well, Mr. James. No matter, although unfortunately, your theory was wrong. We removed Mr. Feldman’s tattoo after he died as a courtesy so wecouldbury him in a Jewish cemetery. I wish you had asked—it would save you enormous amounts of pain now.”

“You’re lying,” Luke said, raising his rifle, his eyes an almost incandescent green, lit with hope and rage. “They aren’t dead. She’snotdead.”

The professor chuckled. “Oh, they’re very, very dead. Micah Feldman is dead. Kara Blum is dead. Now, which of you two heroes is next?”

Conor pushed Luke against the wall, but Luke shoved him out of the way. “You don’t get to die,” he said fiercely.

“I quite agree,” the professor said. “I think I prefer that Mr. James goes first.”

The guns were all pointed at Luke now. Conor moved to cover him, but Luke stepped out of the way.

He heard the guns cock.

“Please,” Conor begged, weeping. “Please.”

I love you,Luke mouthed at him.

It couldn’t end like this. Not like this.

Behind them, a woman’s throat cleared.

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