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Yes, and they’d leave her behind.Maybe even lock her away some place while they hunted for Lane.“If he sees the cops or the Feds, he’ll vanish.But if he sees me…ifIam there, then he’ll come out.You’ve said it yourself—he’ll come to me.I just have to be there.”Do not leave me behind.
Interest shone on Colby’s round face.“You’re offering to let the Feds use you in order to catch your brother?”
“I’m offering to help bring my brother in safely.I don’t want anyone getting hurt.I never wanted that.”
His lips twisted.“Seems funny, doesn’t it?One day, you’re working so hard to prove his innocence and get him out of jail and now…now you’re all too eager to send your brother right back there.”
She bounded toward him.Her chin jutted into the air.“I don’t want himdead.I don’t want people shooting at my brother because they think he’s a killer.I want him safe, and I’ll help you to keep him safe.That’s my deal.”The Executive Assistant Director had spoken so easily of a deal earlier.Well, this was her deal.“Use me, but I’m there.Every moment.”Because she could help Lane.Protect him.
“You realize, of course, that if you’re present and things go to shit…and the officers are given no choice but to employ deadly force in order to contain an escapee…” His head cocked.“You will quite possibly watch your brother die right in front of your eyes?”
Oliver swore.
“Saw that happen to my father,” she returned woodenly.“It won’t happen to my brother.”
Oliver stepped into Colby’s path.“We need to talk.”
“Damn straight we do.”
They barreled out, and, once more, the door slammed closed.
Her arms curled around her body.
Lane, what have you done?
***
“Did you know she was lying?”Colby asked.Then, before Oliver could respond, Colby’s hands waved wildly in the air.“I want everyone elseoutof here!Now!Everyone but me and Agent Foxx!”
The other two agents in the observation room rushed out.One pulled the door shut behind him.Oliver barely spared the fleeing agents a glance.Instead, he was too busy looking through the one-way mirror.His eyes were on Lark.
As he watched, she hugged herself.Rocked a little.
“Now…let me ask again…did you know she was lying?”
“About Katya?”He’d seen the tells.The biggest one?Lark hurt herself when she lied.A terrible habit that they would be breaking.Bleeding palms.“I suspected it was the case.Why else would I have told Jase to dig so fast and hard?”
“There is no evidence to prove her brother’s innocence.”
No, there never had been.
“And now he’s escaped.And that woman in there…” Colby moved closer to the glass.“She just offered to use herself as bait so that we could lock her brother up again.”
Oliver also moved closer to the glass.
Lark’s head turned.She stared straight at him.Not that she could actually see him.Sure, he could see her.But when Lark looked at the one-way mirror, she’d just see her own reflection.But he’d warned her people were watching in the observation room.
Does she know I’m one of the people watching now?
“Is she starting to realize he’s guilty?”Gruff.Maybe even laced with what could have possibly been a hint of sympathy.“Had to happen sooner or later, didn’t it?”
“She doesn’t want her brother dead.Better in a cell than dead.”
Lark had moved to stand right in front of the mirror.And still, her gaze seemingly looked straight through it.Right at him.
“Do you think she can find him?”Colby asked.“Or is this some scheme so that they can both run away and never look back?”
Her stare didn’t waver.Neither did Oliver’s as he drank her in.“Her whole life, she never left him.She had the opportunity, again and again, to start over without him.She didn’t do it.He’s her only family.”She will always side with him.
