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"Oh Nico, there is never a good reason for a life lost like this."
Although there is a damn good reason for the five lives that are, or will be, lost in my pursuit of that answer. "But I will do everything I can to find out."
I won't bother him with the details; he doesn't need to know he was the prime suspect at one point.
"Where is Porter? He ran on ahead." Nico looks around, but I'm sure all he can see is my arm around him.
"Home and safe. Caeo took him."
I help the boy stumble out of the hospital and across to my car. My eyes scan every corridor and each waiting room for any lingering police, but their interest here is gone.
Nico falls asleep in the passenger seat on the short drive home, and it feels such a shame to wake him, but my mind is more on how to draw him from his rest than the fact the gates at the driveway don't open instantly for me. I have to reach out and use my fob to have them swinging back on their hinges.
"Home now Nico, wake up."
I drive around to the house and park outside the front door.
"No guard." My attention changes from my passenger to one of concern. There is no one standing at the door. They don't stand there all day, but the arrival of my car should spur them into action.
"This is bad?" Nico asks.
I answer by reaching over his legs to pull my gun from the glove box.
"This is very bad."
"Nico, stay in the car."
"Never leave your weakest asset in open," Nico chuckles. "Gavriil always said that. I was a weakness if he couldn’t see me. So, I will come and watch your back."
I can't argue with him because he is right. If I leave him, I have to worry about Porter and Nico while I search the house alone. If he is with me, my focus is completely on Porter, and I won't be alone.
I'm armed with a gun, Nico is armed with my phone, sending a quick message to Caeo and my dad.
A dead man lying in my hallway confirms my fears. Now it's a case of working room to room checking for life.
Room after room is clear, but believing I've missed the action doesn't drop my guard, it just raises my concern. I need to find Porter.
"Knox!" Nico squeals. I spin, gun pointed ready, in time to see a body duck back into the pool room.
"It's Freddie, Mr Thayer. Just Freddie." The man creeps into the doorway, his hands raised to show he is no threat. "The house is clear."
"What happened?" I reply.
"They left. With Porter. I did everything I could, but there were too many, Sir." Freddie grovels through his apology.
"It's fine. You did your best." I am fuming over the loss of Porter, but it won't help anyone if I lose control of my carefully schooled emotions.
"Sir, I need a word," Nico whispers.
"Wait by the door for my father," I order Freddie, heading across to the living room with Nico still clutching my coat tails.
"What is it?" I question the boy once we are alone.
"Freddie hates me."
"Nico." This isn’t about him. I need words with Freddie about leaving them at the hospital, but this is about Porter, and I can't waste emotions on Nico.
I remember thinking the exact same thing when my sister died.
