Page 17 of The Plunge

Chapter 8

Keane

Three days pass before I get a phone call from headquarters that forces me to make a decision I don't want to make. It's not the boss himself who calls me, but Tom, which makes it even worse. Tom is one of the few people inside the Covey who know about the girl.

"We found Clyde," he starts the conversation, skipping any pleasantries as usual. "He's under heavy protection right now, wise about the attempt on his life. It's gonna be tough to get to him."

"Okay, so what's the plan?"

"We're observing him for a while longer," Tom says. "We're familiar with his usual routine, but of course, that has changed now. Also, there's going to be a funeral for his wife, and the three other guys we got. His everyday life is far from normal right now, nothing regular, hard to foresee."

"If he's hiring more security, couldn't that be our way in?" I suggest, trying my best to be of help. It wouldn't be the first time the Covey planted its own people within the security detail of one of our targets. I've carried out dozens of missions like that.

"That's one idea we're following," Tom replies. "But it's not a guaranteed option, especially because Abbott likes to stick with his own detail. We're still trying to work that out."

"Hmm," I murmur in response. "So, we're still on this, then?"

Tom lets out a heavy sigh before he replies, "You know the job isn't done until the Abbott family has been completely eradicated. Every single one of them."

Every single one of them.

"Yes, I understand."

"Clyde Abbott is the only person standing in the way of our goal."

No, he's not...

"Yes, sure. I get that. So what does Boss want me to do?"

My question sounds a little too eager, especially as I have little intent on being involved in any of the Covey's scheming at this point.

I've spent the past three days at the medic safe house, staying close to Libby while still avoiding her questions. It's a tough balance between feeling responsible for her safety and keeping my distance because I know her fate is sealed once anyone within the Covey finds out who she is.

At first, she either glared at me through drug-dazed eyes or bombarded me with so many questions that it felt like an interrogation every single time I entered her room. But with every answer I refused to give, she grew more tired and hopeless, eventually silencing her almost completely.

She has been weirdly calm, not screaming for help or losing her shit once since we got here. I don't know whether she's a very calm and collected person in general or if it's because she's been drugged the entire time. The drugs definitely made her sleep a lot, which made avoiding her questions while still keeping an eye on her a little easier.

"The boss asked for you to be on standby, so we may need you anytime," Tom says. "I didn't tell him about her, by the way."

I respond to his words with mixed feelings. A sense of relief about him keeping his mouth shut about Libby is blended with the notion that while he may not have spilled the beans, he certainly hasn't forgotten about her either.

And he wants me to know that.

I don't know how to reply to him and settle for a basic response. "Thanks."

"You gonna tell me what that was all about?" he probes. "Did you know her? Where's she now?"

"Still at the safe house," I tell him, biting my tongue.

Why did I just tell him that? There's a good chance he wouldn't have found out, especially with the generous bribe I've been paying the young doctor who has been taking care of Libby since we got here. Just as I suspected, he isn't really part of the Covey but just gets hired here and there when needed. He was allocated for this particular mission, and he has to report back what he was doing. After my rather blunt and abrupt decision not to tell Boss about the girl, I made sure to do everything within my power to keep this young man's mouth shut as well. Bribing someone like him and the even younger medical assistant who worked with him on the night we arrived is a lot easier than making a member of the Covey shut up. Men like them are not used to bribery or criminal actions, in general, so even little amounts handed out with just a hint of intimidation are enough to ensure their silence.

Still, there are others to worry about.

"What's the deal with her?" Tom wants to know.

"She got shot twice on accident. Her shoulder was in pretty bad shape, but I think it's going—"

"No. I meant, why did you take her?" he cuts me off. "You know there was nothing about kidnapping a girl in our contract. We were sent there to eliminate our targets and get the hell out as quickly as possible."

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