Page 61 of Twisted Empire

“Okay, Romeo,” Paulson said. “We need to head out now. If she isn’t in the Lodge by the time she wakes up, we’re screwed.”

“I know.”

He got in the passenger side of the van as I put the key in the ignition. When we reached the gate to the property, I stopped and let him out by his own car.

“I’ll follow you,” he called out as he started his engine.

I nodded and began the long drive back down to Connecticut, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. I wasn’t looking forward to the phone call I’d have to make once I arrived at the gates of the Lodge, but it had to be done for Tatum’s sake and also for the sake of every woman still trapped there. For my mother, too. Not just Camille—Sylvie as well. Both women died trying to protect me, and I refused to let their sacrifice be in vain. Or Henry’s, for that matter.

When I finally neared the Lodge estate, I stopped five miles up the road from the black iron gates. Paulson pulled onto the shoulder behind me and stepped out.

He checked Tatum’s vitals in the back of the van. “She’s still out of it,” he said, glancing up at me from her side. “Very deep sleep. She really does look dead, doesn’t she?”

I nodded slowly. It was a terrible sight. “Why couldn’t you just give the drugs to her now, so she didn’t have to be knocked out in the back for the whole drive?” I asked tersely.

He frowned as he began to rub ice on her neck to make her skin cold. “If I gave it to her now, she’d be asleep for too long. You want her awake within the next couple of hours or so, right?”

“Yeah. But couldn’t you just give her a smaller dose or something?”

He shook his head. “If I did that, we’d risk her waking up too early because the dose would be so miniscule. Or she could even wake up from being touched upon examination, which I assume those guards will do to confirm your story.” He looked over my shoulder at the road beyond. Neither of us could see the gate or the guards from here, but we knew they were there. “With access to certain other anesthetics, I could’ve made it work, but the shelter supply was limited. This was the best I could do.”

I shrugged and held my hands up. “Okay. You’re the doctor.”

He gave me a hard look. “Yes, I am. That’s why I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not too late. We can turn around right now and go back to the shelter.”

“Look, Tatum might be small, but she’s not weak,” I said, gritting my teeth. “She’s the strongest fucking woman I’ve ever met. She’ll be fine. I know it.”

He tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips together. “It’s not Tatum I’m particularly worried about. It’s you. Even with this…” He held up a bag of large dark gray capsules and went on. “What you’re doing could still kill you. Slowly and painfully. You’re really willing to take that risk just to get rid of Tobias?”

“Yeah, I fucking am.”

He sighed and retrieved eight capsules from the bag. “All right. Swallow all of these now.” He handed me the capsules, then emptied the rest into his other hand. “Put the rest in your pocket. Take one every fifteen minutes or so, whenever no one is looking.”

I swallowed the capsules and stashed the rest in my pockets. Paulson gave me a grim look. “I’ll be right here with the rest of the gear. The second it’s done, you come to me, okay? I’ll start treating you immediately and get you to the nearest hospital.” He shook his head and muttered the rest under his breath. “Even then it’s still a gamble.”

“I heard that. Like I said, it’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means Tatum and the others get to live.”

He nodded. “All right. Good luck, Elias. If I don’t see you again… well, it was a noble attempt. Both of you.” He looked down at Tatum, then held out his right hand.

I shook it firmly. “We couldn’t have done any of this without you,” I said. “We won’t forget that.”

Paulson gave me a half-smile and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “You’re welcome. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I was right about your father.”

He trudged back over to his car. I got in the van and drove closer to the gates of the Lodge. I parked less than a quarter mile away, took a deep breath, and dialed my father’s private cell number.

He answered on the fourth ring. “Tobias King,” he said curtly. From the slightly tinny sound of his voice, I could tell I was on loudspeaker. He must be driving.

“Dad, it’s me. I need your help,” I began.

His silence was vast, arctic.

“You there?” I asked after twenty seconds passed with no response.

“Elias? What the fuck?” he finally said. He launched into a tirade of expletives after that. I could barely make any of the words out for a moment. Then I heard him exhale deeply. “Where the hell are you?” he barked.

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