AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait, she removed the four-leaf clover?” Carter asked in disbelief.
“Yes. She wanted to change her appearance, but wasn’t willing to undergo extensive surgeries. So instead, she cut her hair, wore heavy makeup, changed her style, and removed any permanent signs that would’ve tied her to Gwen. Removing the clover nearly undid my sister.”
“I’m sorry,” Carter said. Again, Chaos felt that his words were sincere. He understood the sacrifice her sister had made to free herself, which was why he asked the question he couldn’t grasp.
“Why did she run?”
“You tried to kill her,” Byte accused once more.
“I didn’t. I swear. Why would she even think that?”
“Probably for the same reasons you believed she was trying to kill you,” Chaos answered.
“And here is where I want answers,” Ghost stated. “So talk.”
Carter detailed the slow long-term poisoning he’d received and the extensive treatment and cover-up he underwent.
“Who knew about the poison?”
“My partner was the only person I told. She swore she hasn’t told anyone else.”
“And you trust her... your partner?” Aria asked.
“She has no reason to lie to me.”
“Everyone has a reason... they just don’t always act on it,” Chaos said.
“Tell us more about your partner,” Seven said. He’d kept his thoughts to himself, and his reservation to trust anything Carter said, but for the next ten days, she was his wife. He was invested in Voodoo’s life, and even with their faux marriage ending, she was someone he’d come to rely on and trust in.
“Vanessa Fulbright. She’s been with the agency for seven years, all as my partner.”
“And she’s still with the agency?” Ghost asked.
“Yes, and she also knows I’m here. She knows you hired me.”
“Which is still on hold,” Ivy added.
“Right. Anyway, she was straight out of the academy and assigned to work with me.”
“Wasn’t she too green to be involved in high-level missions like you had?” Ivy wanted to know.
“Yes, but I was being forced to take on a partner, and I wanted someone I could train to do things my way, so I volunteered to take on the newbie.”
“Understandable,” Seven said.
“How did she react when you resigned and decided to go into the private sector?” Ghost asked.
“She wasn’t happy. Change is hard for some, and Nessa didn’t want to start over with someone else. She’s simply too green to work alone.”
“When was the last time you spoke to her?” Aria asked.
“This morning. I called and told her I’d finally found Gwen.”
“And her reaction?” Ivy asked.
Carter knew she wasn’t simply curious. She was digging, trying to uncover what he was hiding, only he wasn’t going to throw Nessa’s feelings out for the group to tear apart. So he answered with as much truth as he was ready to reveal.
“Sad, worried, anxious, and scared, especially for me. I’ve had false leads before, and she knew how badly it hurt. She’s a good kid. She’s young, not only in the CIA, but also in age. She was twenty-one or two, somewhere in that area, when we started working together. She came to rely on me for direction. Now she has to find her own way.”
