Page 3 of Break for Me

“I’m going home for the night,” I said. “I’ll start headed West in the morning. Let me know what you find.”

“Look over everything I’ve already put on your computer,” she said quickly to stop me from hanging up. “We can’t blow this. We can’t be the next team to get removed.”

I laughed. “I don’t plan on letting someone like this be my downfall.”

“Someone like this,” she repeated. “You mean a young girl? Because we both know I could ruin your whole life without ever getting out of my pajamas, Jersey Boy. And those beefy arms wouldn’t do you a bit of good at stopping me.”

“So, you have seen me.”

I’d always known it. Always assumed it. Have accused her of watching me more than once. She’s never actually admitted it.

“Rest up. Big few days ahead of you.”

three

JERSEY

It had nothing to do with her being female. It had nothing to do with her being a child compared to me.

It had everything to do with the knowledge that she’d been able to evade several other teams. Somehow, she’d been able to escape every Executioner before me. She’d been able to evaporate into thin air to hide from every Judge before Memphis. Everything in me craved this kind of challenge. Failure wasn’t something with which I’d ever become familiar. And I had no plans to get friendly with it now.

Two massive duffel bags were waiting just inside the side door of my garage the next morning. Memphis was so familiar with me and my routines that she was calling me the moment that I laid eyes on the bags. It wasn’t unusual. Anytime I was going on a lengthy trip, she had the necessary gear prepared ahead of time and delivered in this fashion. But they were definitely supposed to be making a statement this time.

“Pink. You went out of your way to have everything delivered to me in pink duffel bags, baby cakes?” I laughed right into the phone. “I’m not sexist. You don’t have to try to prove anything to me.”

“Just go ahead and abandon any and all names that include baby anywhere in them, Jersey. Those are all no’s, too.”

“All of them? That makes up nearly half the list.”

“Toss out the entire list while you’re at it,” she said.

“No deal.”

“I think you’re headed to Washington,” she said.

“That was awfully fast for being convinced that this girl would be difficult for us.”

“I don’t have her pinned down to a specific city yet. I think I have her on a camera in a bus station just outside Washington. Looks like she got on a bus that was headed deeper into the state,” she said. “Don’t let yourself think for even a second that this will go smoothly. I’m serious, Jersey. I don’t want a different job. I wouldn’t perform well at an interview.”

“I wouldn’t be able to survive without you telling me what to do with every second of my day,” I said. “I wouldn’t dream of risking this.”

“Chicago was good. Chicago should’ve had her,” Memphis said, with that hint of sadness underlining her voice again.

“Chicago didn’t have me,” I said quickly.

“Don’t be cocky.”

“Cocky and confident are different things. Texas could’ve been a useless Executioner for all we know about him.”

“Who said Texas was a him?” She asked.

Son of a bitch.

I chuckled again and squeezed the bridge of my nose.

“Thank you for my pink duffel bags, Memphis. I will carry them proudly in honor of your lady-ness.”

“If I sense condescension in that tone one more time, Jersey Boy, I’ll make sure you’re never able to turn off the lights in your house again.”

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