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LoneWolf99: Make sure Seth and Teddy lay low while we figure out the next move.
Geek4life: That’s easy. Talk soon.
ChapterTwelve
Finnegan
We leaveOregon and reconvene in Heartwood Lake. Derek and I stay there for only a few hours and drive to Denver once the meeting is adjourned.
Seth turned off his cell phone and will be using a burner. There’s no way I can track him without the kid’s help. Hopefully, I can come up with a plan soon. The intel gathered from the Zs’ electronics points me to different places, including the property I’ve been watching for the past week in New Mexico.
Once I arrive at the safe house, I’ll search for the property blueprints and services they get in that house. Though Zamudio likes to say he’s off the grid, he still hires the best—because he deserves it.
“If I tell you to let this go? Let Zamudio go?” I grip the wheel and take a deep breath as I assimilate Derek’s words.
I feel his gaze and I bet his jaw is set. He thinks this is just vengeance. I feel a tug of war between logic and loyalty, between letting things go and doing what’s right.
“Fine. No one I care about will be affected if I let him walk,” I say lightly, masking the fact that I’m holding onto the faint hope that we can defeat Ricardo Zamudio this time.
Once this is over, I’m sitting down with Piper and getting my truth. She knows who I am and maybe, by learning who I was during my youth, I can be free of all the demons that haunt me—and be free from her.
“What’s the catch, Finn?”
“None. You want me to call this off? I will.” My voice is steady, my words measured as I grip the wheel. Lucky us, we’re stuck in the congested rush-hour traffic, the only constant being the honking and yelling of other drivers. Only two more exits, and I can get the fuck out of here.
“But?” Derek doesn’t seem to want to let this go.
“There aren’t any buts,” I respond calmly.
“Like I’m going to believe that you don’t care if Zamudio lives,” Derek scoffs.
I raise my eyebrows and even try to force a smile, as though his words aren’t hitting me like punches. When I speak, my voice is surprisingly even. “I’ll get another chance. In a few months or a year, they’ll be hunting Seth and his family again. I’ll be patiently waiting for the chance to finish them then.”
He releases a heavy breath. “We can’t allow that,” he says sternly.
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. “But you want us to stop.”
“Don’t play fucking mind games with me, Finnegan.” Derek’s angry voice is vibrating throughout the car.
“Listen, this is a golden opportunity for everyone. The Organization tried to destroy them before and failed. Plenty of agencies want the Zs gone. Our company has the intelligence and manpower to make that happen. Why not do it?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. This is your worst nightmare.”
“No, my worst nightmare isn’t those assholes. It’s not knowing who the fuck I was and never having a future because of that. And maybe, maybe after this is over, I might be able to find myself.” The corners of my mouth twitch as I try to suppress the anger, and my body shakes with tension as I think of everything I might’ve lost because of this fucking mess.
Who was it? Zamudio or The Organization?
It’s not like I want my former life back or to hug my family or the friends who didn’t give a fuck about me while I was gone. I just want to figure out who I was.
“Does that mean you’ll stop hiding and start living?”
“I might try,” I respond as I make my way through the back streets of the Denver Tech Center and toward Cherry Hills.
This is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city, with mammoth houses and meticulously manicured lawns that seem to sprawl forever. It’s like a different world, one of serenity and wealth far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Piper is here because no one, not even The Organization, would ever think about looking for her in a place like this.
Whether she mattered or not in my past life, I will keep her safe. At least until she tells me who I am. After that… I don’t know what’s going to happen.
Derek will leave with her, and I… I’ll be able to rebuild my life from the ashes.
