Page 11 of No Mercy
“How far?” I ask, my pulse quickening at the thought of seeing her in her space, her world.
“Thirty minutes, give or take,” Carter answers quietly.
Since showing them the photo I found outside the gym he’s hardly said a word, suffering in silence as he tries to work out what this all means. He’s been withdrawn ever since I showedthem the photo, the weight of the discovery pressing on him harder than the rest of us. I glance at him, making a mental note to send him to the safe house with Gunnar until this is sorted. There’s a reason Eva had his photo, and I’m determined to find out why.
“I’ll go tonight. Carter, you’ll head to Haverhill with Ant. Flynn, take Gunnar there after the football game. Don’t tell him anything. I don’t want him pulled into this,” I announce.
“I’ll come with you.” Flynn says, getting up to grab his keys.
“No, you go to Gunnar.” I say firmly, making my decision final.
Flynn stands, reaching for his keys. “I’ll come with you.”
“No.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “You go to Gunnar. That’s an order.”
I see the irritation flash across Flynn’s face. Ever since we were kids, we’ve been on the front lines together, handling whatever our father threw at us. But tonight is different. I can’t risk him hurting Eva before I get the chance to speak to her.
Once the meeting ends, Ant takes Carter to Haverhill while Flynn leaves to pick up Gunnar. The best cover story we could come up with was a bee infestation that required fumigation. Not the most convincing lie, but as long as Gunnar has his PS5, food, and phone, he’ll settle in without asking too many questions.
By the time I check my watch, it’s 9:12 p.m. The roads in Boston are still busy, but on my bike, I can navigate through the traffic with ease. I head towards my bike outside the warehouse seeing the body of it gleam under the dim streetlights, the rain drops giving it a shimmer against the black and gold. I mountit with ease, the familiar hum of the engine purring to life beneath me. As I rev the throttle, the vibrations help ease my body. Without a second thought I shift it into gear and speed off, cutting through the night with determination.
Within a few minutes I’m hitting the freeway following the directions on my phone that’s mounted in front of me on the bike. I weave through the traffic as my clothes hold the rain captive. My mind drifts to Eva, imagining her sitting behind me, her arms wrapped around my waist, squealing with excitement as we ride together. The thought fuels my determination to find out the truth.
Twenty minutes later, I pull onto her street and spot her car parked outside a block of apartments, just as the map showed.
Good job, boys.
Parking a few cars down, I scan the building, my eyes locking on her silhouette in the window Ant showed me earlier. My heart skips a beat as I watch her. I quickly turn to see what she might be looking at, but a row of houses obstructs my view. A sound draws my attention and I turn to see a door opening. A man steps out with his dog, and I seize the opportunity to gain access. Pushing myself to jog, I reach the door just as it’s closing but I stick my foot in to stop it.
Making sure no one is around I quietly push it open before slipping through. I pull the photograph of Carter out of my jacket pocket to see her apartment number scribbled on the back.
96B.
Using the guide on the bottom floor, It guides me towards the 6th floor. I walk over to the lift at the end of the corridor only to be greeted with an ‘out of service’ sign.
Of fucking course.
Stepping back through the badly lit lobby, my eyes scan the area for the stairs. Finding the mailboxes, I look for hers and peek inside to see it’s empty.
“Boring” I mutter to myself turning slightly to see a faded sign indicating ‘Stairs’. With a sigh, I locate the stairwell. My boots echo against the metal steps as I climb, my breathing growing heavier with each flight.
How. Many. Fucking. Stairs.
By the time I reach the sixth floor, a faint layer of sweat clings to me despite the cold chill that runs through the hallway. Walking down, I take my time to read the numbers on the doors until I find myself outside her door. Muffled laughter filters through the wood, and I press my ear against it, straining to make out the words. The laughter fades into silence.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a white envelope with Eva’s name scrawled on the front. I slip the photograph inside and wedge the envelope into the door frame, leaving it as a gift. A warning some might say.
“Let the games begin,” I whisper before turning to leave, my steps silent as I retreat into the shadows.
CHAPTER 7
EVA
By the endof the night me and Mandy went through every piece of information that has been gathered about Carter from day one.
“And I think that is everything” I say as I put the last file on top of the pile. Mandy lets out a loud sigh as she leans back on her chair, throwing her head back. “Thank god for that because I am starving.” she replies.
Mandy moves in her seat, before staring outside her office window as the sound of the rain patters against it. It’s now 8:30pm and officially dark. I walk over to the window admiring the view. Through the rain speckled window, the city lays out beneath us, covered by a heavy, darkened sky, the sound of the rain tapping a soft beat across the glass. The streets are alive with activity from people travelling to their own destinations.
