Page 44 of Defender

She didn’t get up, didn’t say anything more as he walked away.

There was so much he wanted to say.To do.He’d give anything if he could erase the stunned, devastated look on her face.But he couldn’t.Nothing could change the past.

He opened the door.“I’m so sorry, Summer.”

“I know,” he heard her say softly as he closed the door behind him and walked away.

Chapter Fourteen

Damien Freihof sat across from Curtis Harper and the ever-secretive “Guy Fawkes” in the townhouse he’d rented here in Colorado Springs.He’d invited them over for a civil meeting of sorts.

Not that you could tell from all the screaming.

“Harper, you’re an idiot.”Fawkes, red-faced and eyes bulging, stood only a couple feet from Harper, looking like he might pounce on the other man any moment.“First, a shoot-out in the middle of a crowded area of town, then trying to attack Ashton Fitzgerald last night while he was at someone else’s house?”

Harper, looking much worse for wear after the skirmish with Fitzgerald two nights ago, pushed himself from the wall.“We agreed that Fitzgerald deserved to be killed for what he did to my father.I almost had him, too.I know I shot him in the arm.”

Damien bobbed his head up and down patiently as if Harper’s story was completely true.Evidently the man wasn’t intelligent enough to figure out he’d had help from outside Summer Worrall’s condo.

Help from Damien.

He’dbeen the one who shot through the window, who’d known all about Summer’s house from when he’d cut the power there and peeked through her window last week.He’dbeen the one who had told Harper where the bedroom could be found.

He’dbeen the one who’d injured Ashton Fitzgerald.

He’dbeen the one waiting for Summer to come running out of the house, but she hadn’t, unfortunately.It would’ve been the perfect time to implement the first part of his plan.

But Harper and Fawkes didn’t know any of this and Damien didn’t plan to tell them.

“KillingFitzgerald, sure.”Fawkes still looked steamed.“He’s part of the law enforcement system that needs to fall.As a matter of fact, Fitzgerald ironically happened to be the one who got caught in my special little trap a couple of days ago.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed.This was news.“What little trap?”

“The one I mentioned to you briefly at our last meeting.Some settings I rewired in the new SWAT training facility.I wasn’t trying to catch Fitzgerald specifically, just ended up that way.”

“What did you do, Fawkes?”

Fawkes smiled, showing his teeth.“Well, Fitzgerald got electrically shocked to within an inch of his life.But more important, the brand-new facility got shut down.No training can be done there until they double and triple check every single piece of programming and wiring.Definitely sets Omega back.”

Damien relaxed a little.He still didn’t like anyone moving outside of the stage he’d created, but in this case it sounded like Fawkes’ actions were helpful for the “cause.”

“But that’s an example of keeping our fight set on Omega agents, not civilians,” Fawkes continued, glaring at Harper.“You can’t take out Ashton Fitzgerald by breaking into a civilian’s house.Can’t put her in danger too.And what about all the people who could’ve been hurt with your rifle stunt on Friday?”

Damien leaned back a little farther on his couch, stretching his long legs out in front of him.Fawkes was pretty damn self-righteous for someone whose ultimate plan involved the death of hundreds, a lot of them civilians.“Harper wants revenge for his father’s death,” he told Fawkes.“He’s willing to go after that now even if it means innocent people are hurt.”

“This isn’t what we discussed last week.The plan was to dismantle Omega Sector and cripple law enforcement in general.To start a revolution.”

“Revolutions take time, Fawkes.We talked about that, too.”

Fawkes rolled his eyes.“Harper’s actions are not part of the revolution.”

“You guys quit talking about me like I’m not even here,” Harper finally spoke up.“I’m not a part of no revolution.I just want revenge for what happened to my dad.”

Fawkes looked like he was ready to pounce on Harper again.To kill the smaller man.That wasn’t good.Damien still needed Harper to fulfill a purpose.

Damien stood and walked over to the two men.“Curtis, let Mr.Fawkes and me talk privately for a while.You get some rest.Our plan to eliminate Ashton Fitzgerald is still in play, don’t you worry.I’m going to help you.I have a plan.”

The plan also involved both Summer Worrall and Harper’s deaths, but that was probably better left unmentioned.

---