Page 32 of Prophet
“Well, it is going to,” Jewel replied. “Because you are not going to trade your life in. We talked about this before, Prophet. Your dad wouldn’t be able to live with that and you damn well know it. This is the only option. And if it works, Deacon will be caught and the family will be safe. Your dad will be safe too.”
“IFit works,” I countered. “You could get hurt, Jewel.”
She sighed and took my hand in hers. “We all could, Prophet. But if we don’t do it, you could die. So don’t try to get in the way of this anymore? Please.”
I felt so frustrated all over again. Did I want to die? No, but allowing Jewel to be used as bait and if mistakes were made—I was again, at this same dead end. I semi agreed to this before. Jewel herself was giving me no choice in it either. I slowly nodded at her.
She hugged me.Yes, hug me as I allow you to possibly trade your life in for mine.I looked over her shoulder at Redemption.
He looked troubled to say the least as our eyes met.
“So, if he is dragging this out as a distraction,” Liv spoke up. “He may wait another day or so, but we don’t know. So, we do it tomorrow morning after breakfast. Our team is already set up. We also have men that are already out. Some are at different points on the county road. Some are at the over line bridge. We have them all the way into town.”
“And you think Deacon doesn’t know that?” I asked.
“They been there for a month. The men trade shifts,” Talon explained. “We were already using the tunnel to send out search crews for O then Deacon.”
“Using soldier tactics all along,” Hawk commented.
Talon looked over at him and said, “We’ve been at war for a long time, brother.”
“So how does this work?” Jewel asked. “Me running off.”
I hated this whole thing. Pushing my fingers through my hair, I waited for this plan that I really didn’t want to hear.
“Like we said before,” Talon replied. “You two will be say... on the path to the barns and then have the argument. He doesn't have sound from the security cam, just video feed. So as long as it looks like you two are arguing, he will see it at least. Then you run off, Jewel.”
“I don’t think that will work now,” I spoke up. “Think about it. Why is she mad? Because I insist on being traded for my dad? If so, why does she run off?”
“Let Deacon guess about that,” Liv replied.
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“Women are fickle.” Liv smirked a me. “Or unpredictable when it comes to emotions and love. Maybe she refuses to see you go off to be killed? Maybe she got upset that you won’t listen?”
“You tell us this man is smart, like genius level or better,” I said. “Yet, he will fall for this act, this soap opera bit?” I wanted this plan to not go at all, but the points I made were good ones too.
“That’s just it.” Liv glared at me. “The man can’t love. He doesn’t understand emotions or why people even cry,” she stated bitterly. “He gives no fucks, Prophet.”
I stared at her. “How is it that you know him so well, besides working with him?”
She shook her head and glanced over at Logan.
“It’s a long story,” Logan spoke up. “We were all in college together. Friends, or so Olivia and I believed. He played us. O had him with us all along. He helped to break us up.”
“So, he knows how to pretend,” Liv said bitterly. “But I don’t think he can honestly feel anything like love, loyalty, or friendship. It is foreign to him.”
“O raised him, so that isn’t a surprise, is it?” Talon interjected.
“He was also trained for undercover and many other operations,” Liv went on. “Groomed for it. So, that made him very convincing. Who the hell knows? But he is after all of us. His revenge will be just like Logan suggested. No more long drawn out games like his mother favored. Oh, no... he wants us all dead now.”
“You really believe he will use a missile or drop a bomb on us all?” Redemption asked her.
“Oh yes, I do,” Liv replied without hesitation. “But we can’t take the chance, can we? Our whole family is here. And all the men who have set their lives aside to protect us are here as well.”
“So, we need to do this fast,” Talon stated.
“That will be a tall order,” Hawk said. “Move the family out undercover.”
