Page 45 of The Plunge

"What a well-guarded secret you were," he continues, and when he makes a move to approach me again, Keane immediately raises his gun at him. He casts him a quick glance, rolling his eyes in annoyance, but stops.

"Why are you here?" Keane spits at him. "What do you want? Why did you send the Covey after us?"

Tom lets a few seconds pass, visibly relishing in Keane's panicked voice.

"You know she has to die," he tells him. "She's an Abbott. The job won't be done until all the Abbotts are gone."

There's something about the way he accentuates the last sentence, in a weird singsong voice, somewhat ridiculing it. It sounds more like he's making fun of the whole kill-all-the-Abbotts idea than actually believing in it.

"She's not going to die," Keane insists, seemingly ignoring the tone of his buddy. "She was never on the list."

Tom nods. "I know that. But you know the boss would disagree."

"Would disagree?" Keane probes. "Didn't you already tell him? I thought you'd send them my way."

Tom lets out a deep sigh, shaking his head as an apologetic smile spreads across his face.

"I lied, okay?" he says. "Fuck, Keane, I had no idea where you were. I still don't. I did find out about her after you gave me that little of information about the redwood forest in Northern California. That place up there, the secret niece that was shoved away because she brought shame on the family. It's easy once you know what you're looking for. And I knew right away that she must be the girl you took that night. But I had no idea why you took here or where."

A crease appears between Keane's eyebrows as he listens to Tom's explanation.

"I bribed the little doctor dude at the medic safe house," he continues. "But even he couldn't tell me where you took off to. And believe me, I tried everything to make him speak..."

His voice breaks off, and he shakes his head in despair. "Fuck, man. Why'd you take off like that? You should've talked to me!"

Keane sighs, looking defeated. "I didn't know if I could trust you. You know the Covey—"

"Yes, I do fucking know!" Tom cuts him off. "Those assholes didn't care one fuck about Jered! He dropped dead that night, died on a mission, and me and Brad were the only ones who cared! He had no family, none of us do. All he had was the Covey, and what did they fucking do for him? Nothing! Boss didn't even want to give him a proper funeral."

"Shit," Keane hisses, pinching the bridge of his nose as he lowers his gaze, his head shaking. "Fuck them."

"Damn straight, fuck them!" Tom yells. "That's why I'm fucking here, man—and that's why you're here."

He pauses, letting his words sink in and watch the understanding spread across Keane's face.

"To get out," he finishes. "I want out. And I know you do, too."

Keane bites his lips. I can see the uncertainty painted on his features, leaving dark shadows as he tries to make sense of Tom's words, trying to figure out whether he's telling the truth or not.

"You want out?" he asks. "Are you for real?"

The expression on Tom's face hardens, and he nods solemnly. "Yes. That's why I'm here. So Stu can get me out. And I know you've been working with him, too. I knew you'd come here, to save her, if I told you that the Covey is after you."

Keane gasps with disbelief. "You lied to me? You told me the Covey was after me so I'd come here?"

"Yes," Tom confirms, nodding. "I wanted to see you. You and I, we've worked together on so many missions, and I know that both of us have long been ready to get out of that damn misery."

"But neither one of us ever said a word."

"Damn straight. Because—"

"Because you don't get out alive," Keane finishes his sentence.

"Well, we'll prove them wrong, won't we?" Tom says, a weak smile appearing on his face. "Seriously. I'm fucking done working for these assholes. Especially after the way they treated Jered."

A dark and sad silence sets between them, making me feel awkward and like a disturbance. Both of these men look hurt, deeply hurt and troubled, marked by a life that neither of them asked for. A life I can't even begin to imagine.

"Will you be okay?" Keane asks. "Do you know where to go? Do you have the money?"

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