Page 110 of Jase
“We’re almost there. I’m going as fast as we can.”
He nodded, his face drawing in through the anger. “You know regardless of Rian or the cops, someone’s going to be there watching. I have no doubts they waited for us to leave our apartments. Maybe they’re even following us now.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“What’s the plan?”
I switched lanes, clamping my teeth together, trying my best not to grind them. Revenge used to rule me. Months ago, I would have done anything to be faced with this situation. Now, all I could think about was Kody and Rian. I wanted them both to be okay. I wanted this to be over.
“We need Rian’s phone. If we can locate him, we can figure out a way to get him out safely. If that’s impossible…we get him out anyway.”
“What about the FBI?”
“What about them?” I glanced over to Rush. “If there’s nothing they can bring to the table to help Rian, do you really want them involved?”
“You know I hate the fucking FBI. They’ve been hounding me for years.” Rush’s hand rubbed over his short military cut. “That bet—the night we got in a fight.”
“Don’t.”
“Jase, I fucked up. I should have never put us at risk like that. We decided to end it, but you knew I wasn’t done. We got so drunk, and you got in my face and called me out. You bet me that I couldn’t stop weeks before. It pissed me off because I knew you were right. I was in over my head, and I was too stubborn to ask for help. I nearly got us caught.”
“It’s over. It’s the past.”
“It’s over, but we aren’t over it. Not you and I. Look, you have a right to know why I went behind your back when I said I wouldn’t.”
I shrugged, not wanting to get into it. “Rian already told me. You had a lead you wanted to follow up on. You couldn’t let it go. I get it.”
“It wasn’t just a lead, Jase. I had proof. I had pictures.” He got quiet for a few moments. “It wasn’t a terrorist I was hunting down. I mean, it started off that way, but while tracking one of their movements, I saw something else. Something…sick. The fucker was buying a kid. A girl, not much younger than Fahima.”
My stare shot over. “You didn’t think to mention this before? You didn’t think I’d want to help?”
“We agreed we were done. Besides, I tried to talk to you about it, but you were drunk again, and we started arguing. You were always impossible to talk to back in those days. I figured I could handle it on my own.”
“And we see how that turned out.”
“I got her,” Rush snapped. “I saved her before they zeroed in on me. I just…I guess I lost a lot in the process too and made some mistakes. It fucked me up seeing what they were doing with those kids. Seeing…all that. I don’t look at things the same anymore. I guess none of us really do. Not after.” He stopped. “We got really attached to Fahima. She was our only light in such a dark situation and well…anyway, what I mean to say, and what I should have said long ago is, I don’t blame you. I never did. It doesn’t mean I’m okay either. We all got scars, physically and mentally. We went through hell. We came back different people.”
“We sure did.”
Silence spanned for minutes before Rush turned back to me.
“Are we good?”
“Of course we are.” I glanced over. “We’ve always butted heads, Rush. It’s what we do. That doesn’t mean I don’t have your back. You’re my brother till the end.”
The side of his mouth pulled back in a smile, but it wasn’t heartfelt. It was mischievous, throwing me off for a moment. “Good to know because we might be putting that to the test. You were right. We’re being followed.”
I glanced into my rearview mirror, taking in the cars behind us.
“Black sedan. Three cars back. It’s been tailing us for a while, I just wanted to make sure before I said anything. It hasn’t missed a beat.”
“Noted. No use trying to lose them. If it is V or one of his men, they already know where we’re headed. Let’s keep our eyes on them and see what happens.”
Ringing filled the interior as Agent Warez’s name appeared on the large screen for the radio. Rush and I looked at each other before I reached over, accepting the call.
“Jase, here.”
“Jase, this is Agent Warez. I’ve been in contact with officers at the scene. I’m afraid it’s not good.”
