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And then, amidst the crushing weight of his revelations, Alex managed to raise his eyes, the raw intensity in them capturing our attention. His voice cracked as he professed vehemently, desperation seeping into his voice. "I never killed anyone... no one. And neither did Chelsea!"
This admission, punctuated by the pain and fear in his voice, seemed to hang in the air. It was a plea for understanding, an attempt to hold onto a shred of their humanity amidst the chaos of their actions. The room was thick with tension as we absorbed the enormity of his words and what they meant for all of us involved.
Taking over the interrogation, Downing pulled up a chair closer to Alex, his eyes never leaving the gaunt man. "You insisted on speaking directly to Meagan and Courtney, not just me. Why?"
Alex's confession had been a harrowing journey into his despair and guilt depths. Now, we were all waiting for the answer to that question and why he needed to confess directly to us.
As silence hung heavy in the room, Alex hesitated, his gaze flickering from Downing to Kathy, his nurse. Seeing the uncertainty etched on his face, she offered him a slight nod of reassurance, prompting him to continue.
With a visible effort, Alex lifted his gaze, meeting mine. His voice, already rough around the edges, grew hoarse as he revealed the next piece of the puzzle. "I... I had to tell you... you and Meagan... because it's not just about me and Chelsea. There's more. I've been threatened, you see..."
He looked sideways at Kathy, a silent plea for reassurance. She nodded in approval, and he took a deep breath. "Carter... he threatened me. He said if I spoke up about anything, it would be the end for me... for all of us.”
A shudder ran through his frail body as he confessed this, his voice barely a whisper but his words ringing loudly in the silent room. "I... I had to be careful. That's why I was on a hunger strike... I couldn't eat... couldn't trust anyone, not even the food here."
His hollow gaze fell on his emaciated hands, a chilling visual reminder of his statement. His confession brought a new level of understanding to his frail appearance; it wasn't just drugs or despair that had whittled him down to his bones. Fear, terror, and a relentless threat were hanging over his head.
"And I think... I think Carter is the faceless man," Alex continued, his voice gaining a bit more strength as he went on. "The one on the Zoom calls, the one who was orchestrating the payments... planning harm for Brad and you, Courtney. And just so you know, I never blew up anything, either! I was asked, though, to set explosives under some dude's boat….but I told the faceless man I didn't know how."
His words stunned me. My breath hitched in my chest as I processed everything. Brad and I were in danger, but that wasn't news. This was just a confirmation of our fears. Everyone in our group knew we had been living with this reality for a while now. We were next in line in this twisted game, the targets of a puppeteer hiding behind an anonymous digital mask.
My mind was spinning with the magnitude of Alex's confession when he added another revelation, his voice trembling but louder now. "But, Courtney, no one could find you...." Alex admitted.
I gasped, hearing the true reason I had been spared, even though we had surmised it all along. My father was right. God bless him!
"What about your sister? Who killed her?" Downing questioned.
Alex sat back in his chair and scratched his head. "Our plan was to run away to Canada to try and start over… build a new identity. The day I was supposed to meet her in Calgary, she was found dead. So, I never made it to Canada. I was in so much pain I almost overdosed!"
Then Kathy cleared her throat. "I have more to add."
She spoke up, her voice echoing in the sterile silence. "Alex isn't lying about Carter. He's... he's left for San Jose. That's why we sent the urgent message." Her words hung in the air, carrying the gravity of the situation. Carter was on the move, and we were now, more than ever, exposed and in danger.
As if understanding our bewilderment, Kathy continued, "I... I mean, want to help Alex. I need to help him." She looked at Downing, Meagan, and me, her eyes pleading for understanding. "I have a past with... with Clint Tyree. A shared past that I'm far too ashamed to disclose."
I was breathless as Kathy revealed her own involvement. The faint traces of her shared history with Clint were visible in the lines etching her face. Pieces of her past seemed to weigh on her, visible in her hunched posture and the downturned corners of her mouth.
"But, we've kept in touch," Kathy continued her voice just above a whisper. Though filled with regret, her eyes held a strange spark of determination. "Our relationship... it's complicated. He took advantage of me as a young runaway and pimped me out. But, despite it all, I stayed. In a twisted way, we've become... friends. And… and Clint Tyree is the one behind all of this. He picked Carter Brown because he needed money to pay his gambling debts…. I suspect that he’s the one that executes Clint’s commands. I know for a fact, Clint’s motive is his hatred of the success of Rosedale Technologies. He’s eaten up with the desire for revenge.”
“That isn’t all is it?” Downing encouraged her to continue.
She swallowed hard, her gaze falling to the cold floor beneath her feet. "I know I'm suffering from battered woman's syndrome and need to set my life straight. Helping Alex, helping all of you... it's a start. A start to make things right."
Her voice had an air of finality, a determination to move past her haunting memories. She looked at us, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. But there was a spark in her gaze, a flicker of resilience that showed her resolve to rectify her past mistakes.
Suddenly, Downing reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of papers. He glanced at Alex and then at Kathy. "We need to move quickly. Based on what you two have told us, it's clear we're running out of time. We have to move while Carter is out of town.”
Agent Downing looked over the documents, his face grave. "These papers provide for Alex and Kathy to be placed in protective custody immediately. We can't afford any delays." His decision, swift and resolute brought a new level of urgency to our situation.
We rose from our seats—reality setting in as Downing hurriedly led Kathy and Alex out of the room to agents waiting in the corridor. When Alex stepped out of his cell, Meagan cast a lingering look of sorrow toward him. A mix of regret, empathy, and grief crossed her face, her silent tears speaking volumes of her shared sorrow.
As the door swung shut behind them, an overwhelming silence claimed the room. It was a silence fraught with revelations, marking the point of no return and the beginnings of a journey that was riddled with uncertainty and imminent danger. The act of confession had come to a close, but the storyline was still unfolding.
"Let's get out of here,” Meagan's whisper sliced through the stillness.
I directed my gaze toward Downing. "You had your suspicions from the start, didn't you, Agent Downing?"
"Well, Courtney," he replied, "I wasn't sure until our swift getaway on the Tit for Tat II. It was essential for me to find a secure place to link up with my resources. The Russo family had to pull quite a few strings to orchestrate this meeting. Kathy and Alex were insistent on meeting with both of you to ease their conscience. However, we had to ensure Carter was out of the picture first."
