Page 53 of Escape into the Night

“Oh, boss man. Airtight? This bitch is bulletproof. The second this goes live, there is no putting the toothpaste back in the tube. The CIA will either have to start eating their own or go into full-blown meltdown. The options are fucked, or double-fucked. It's glorious.”

“You're enjoying this,” Elias murmured with a smile that he tried to hide. Tried and failed.”

“I live for it.” Caleb grinned up at his husband.

The room hummed with anticipation. It was a live wire of electric energy that felt like a living entity all its own. Everyone had done their part. Luke, Taz, Connor, Theo, Lily, Bella, and dozens of other contacts in their stable of resources. Matt and Cynthia had their Parker safely tucked away behind the security gates of their sprawling manor house. The Gendry boys had security on lock across the entire district. Connor’s mom and Luke’s dad had the Montgomery children on a Grand Tour of the eastern seaboard to protect them from the worst of the blowback. Beau and his ragtag ruffians lurked in the shadows, ensuring no one could preemptively kill them before the big show. It was the moment before the storm and everyone was a vital cog in the well-oiled machine of an epic takedown. Caleb was ready. Everyone was ready.

He leaned back in his chair, stretching with a self-satisfied sigh and a muffled groan. “God, I feel like I just orchestrated the world’s greatest takedown and made it look sexy. Can you see me on the cover of Time?”

Elias’ chuckle was warm like melted butter. “You're insufferable. And yes, very sexy.”

“You love it, boss man.”

His comment was met with silence. Caleb turned, expecting another snarky retort, but Elias was simply staring at him. Steady, contemplative, and stone silent. Something about it twisted in Caleb’s chest. The smugness evaporated as a flare of self-doubt crackled to life.

“What?” Caleb's eyes darted over Elias’ features as he swallowed.

“Just thinking about tomorrow.” Elias’ voice grew soft. Gentle fingertips caressed over his cheek as he smiled a subtle, reassuring grin. The apprehension in his features eased the self-doubt but replaced it with the fear he had chosen to ignore. The second Elias stepped out onto that stage tomorrow, there would be no turning back. They were about to go from playing the game to blowing up the playing table. The people they were going up against were not the type to go down quietly, either.

“Hey.” Caleb dropped his voice lower, grabbing Elias’ wrist to tug him down into the seat beside him. “This is going to work. We’re going to make it work.”

Elias settled into the chair and gathered both of Caleb’s hands in his. “And if it doesn't work?”

Caleb waggled his eyebrows with a smirk. “Then, we go to plan B. I'll leak a sex tape and distract the public for long enough to buy us time.”

“Christ, Cay.” Elias snorted but the tension eased a little as a flicker of amusement crossed over his delectably handsome features.

For a moment, they simply sat there with the world buzzing around them and the weight of tomorrow pressing down. It was a lot. Caleb knew it was a lot, but for a brief moment, they reveled in the calm before the storm. Tilting his head,Elias shifted and before Caleb could think, before he could overanalyze the moment and respond, Elias leaned in and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to Cay’s lips.

“Thank you,” Elias whispered, pulling back just enough for them to make eye contact.

Lost in the icy silvery blue gaze, Caleb swallowed. “For what?”

“For making this seem possible.” Elias nudged Cay’s nose with his own.

Something tightened in Caleb’s chest, but he forced a cocksure grin. “You realize that you’ll owe me big time, right?”

Elias’ laugh was warm and rumbly as his breath danced over the curve of Cay’s smile. “I'll figure out how to repay you tenfold, babe.”

“I'm definitely looking forward to that, baby doll.” Cay waggled his eyebrows again.

Elias chuckled, his expression exasperated but filled with fondness.

Leaning back, Caleb exhaled slowly and flicked his gaze over the meticulously arranged chaos of their operation. Everything was set. Everything was ready to roll. Tomorrow would change everything as they knew it. But for now, he let himself enjoy it—the calm before the storm, the warm weight of Elias beside him, the knowledge that, for once, they carried the burden together, as a team. At that moment, it was easy to believe that maybe, just maybe, they were going to win.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Elias

SunlightwashedovertheNational Mall, casting long shadows over the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The air was crisp that morning. Crisp and cool and surprisingly refreshing. The temperature helped combat the stress sweat Elias could feel gathering in his armpits. Behind him, the iconic statue loomed as a silent witness to the momentous event about to unfold. President Lincoln had borne witness to many such momentous occasions. This would go down in the history books as another event that marked a shift in the trajectory of the country. He hoped, prayed, that it would be a moment recalled in a positive light.

The Reflecting Pool stretched out before him, mirroring the gathering crowds. It was a sea of journalists, cameras, and reporters, their breath curling in the cool air as they murmured amongst themselves, watching and waiting for history to be made. Behind the cameras, spreading out beyond the official press section, citizens who had come to witness the event clasped their phones in preparation to stream the release live to millions across the country. Across the world. Signs fluttered inthe breeze, people declaring their stance with poster boards and markers. The energy in the air was positively electric, laced with anticipation and a thick undercurrent of dread.

Elias stood removed from the podium, his fingers tensing and flexing at his sides. He took a deep breath and glanced to the wings where Caleb stood just out of frame, his keen eyes scanning the crowd. Elias knew the others were stationed strategically throughout the audience. Luke, Bella, Connor, dozens of men and women hidden in plain sight or watching from a distance, prepared for whatever might come next. This was it.

Elias stepped forward and the murmurs quieted as he rested his palms on the podium’s edges. The cameras locked onto him as the world watched with bated breath. He took another deep breath and began.

“My fellow Americans. I stand before you today, not just as a hopeful presidential candidate, not as a public servant, but as a citizen of this great nation. A nation that has been deceived.”

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