Page 99 of The Attraction File

Oh my God. Was Damien part of a terrorist organization? I took out my wallet, pulling out the card that detectives gave me but something stopped me from calling them.

Two things actually. One, those detectives were idiots who cared more about coffee than they did the security of our business and the people in it. Number two, they closed Ashton’s case as a suicide. How does a person lose a limb while drowning in a calm river?

Mr. Marks said the organization Damien was associated with went high up. Perhaps the detectives were bribed, or worse, part of it.

As I was putting the card back into my wallet, the men left. I glanced up into the mirror and couldn’t find them anywhere in the store.

I hurried out and glanced to the right down the sidewalk to find them nearing the street corner. Luckily, many Chicagoans were enjoying the nice weather so I could easily blend into the crowd while following them as they turned onto another street.

Damien wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, walked up to a limousine and opened the back door. I ducked behind a woman with a stroller as he turned to face the sidewalk to talk to the guy he was with. A moment later, Damien got into the limo and shut the door, leaving the guy on the street.

I decided to follow Damien’s friend. Maybe he could lead me somewhere that would give me a clue as to what they were planning. At the very least, I could find out where this guy lived or hung out, so I could find him again with Mr. Marks.

I wasn’t a teenager anymore. I understood the importance of help.

The guy turned and headed toward me. I took out my phone and brought it to my ear, pretending to take a call. As he got closer, his eyes flickered up to mine but I acted like I didn’t see him, too focused on my phone conversation.

Once he had passed me, I tucked my phone back into my pocket. I turned only to slam into him. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me over to an alleyway nearby. I tried to get away but his grip was unrelenting.

He shoved me against the brick wall near a pungent dumpster. “What agency do you work for?” The guy still had a firm grip on my shirt so I couldn’t escape.

“What? No one. I wasn’t following you,” I lied.

His green eyes narrowed as he gazed up and down my body. Soon his free hand followed, patting me down and poking around in the drugstore bag.

“I will ask you one more time, Blondie, who do you work for?”

“Nothing, I mean, I am Ashton’s cousin. He knew Damien, so I figured he might tell me what happened. I wasn’t following you, I was following him.”

I held my breath hoping that he believed what I told him.

His grip eased and I had never been happier to have a talent for acting.

“Listen, I’m real sorry what happened to your cousin, but you gotta know something. He was involved with some bad people, all right? It’s best you stay away.”

“What people? I thought he worked for Mimir?” When in doubt, play dumb.

“Why you want to know about Mimir?” His grip tightened again, pushing me back even harder against the wall. My back burned from the rough brick.

“I just knew he worked there, that’s all. Is that where the bad people are?”

He shook his head. “You sure are nosy for someone I told to stay away.”

I shrugged. “I really cared about him. It’s not like he had much family. I feel I owe it to him to find out what happened.”

I was pushing it and I knew it. But something about this guy made me think he would let something slip. If he wanted to make me disappear he would have done it by now.

“I’m only telling you this because he’s your cousin, so don’t go getting any ideas. Your cousin was a good guy. He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He sacrificed himself for the greater good. He didn’t do anything wrong, okay? In fact, he pissed a lot of people off by doing the right thing. Now better not get any ideas about doing the right thing, or I won’t be able to help you. So get lost, okay?”

He released me and tried to walk away, pulling out black sunglasses that hung from his leather belt before sliding them over his eyes.

“Wait,” I said and he stopped. His shoulders tensed under his black jacket. His head turned but his body stayed put.

“What do you want now?”

“I never got your name?”

He might be dumb enough to give it to me. I had to try.

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