Authors: Sara Schoen
Camden had been extremely busy over the last few days because his father had been calling on him more often for one reason or another. I was sure it had something to do with the lack of evidence for the rat. Miguel and Camden were both under fire by cartel members. Their loyalty waned as they tested the waters due to this now stressful time. Camden had the news dropped on him last night because Miguel wanted Camden to be a part of the decisions. Now that Camden had made it clear he had taken his father’s rules seriously and found a girl to marry, Miguel wanted to make sure he could handle it when it came time for him to step down. Even though discovering a mole in the cartel rarely came up, and shipments were being scrutinized in every aspect, they had to be prepared for it. Miguel also needed Camden to win over the members who were starting to question their loyalty, to keep everyone in line.
Thankfully, it got Camden out of the house, and since Danielle often went to visit Sara, I had time alone. This gave me a chance to signal Demon, and then meet up with him a few days later after he took a trip to the hospital. Danielle had mentioned she’d walked in on a guy with black hair talking with Sara. He introduced himself as Sara’s lab partner for a biology class. She’d said he had a lean frame, green eyes, and appeared interested in Sara. Demon hadn’t taken much precaution to disguise himself. Danielle repeated almost everything he’d said, unknowingly telling me he would be waiting for me the next day in our usual spot.
“I thought it was strange because he made plans to see Sara at nine the next night,” Danielle had explained over breakfast a few days earlier. I knew since Sara didn’t accept visitors after eight, the comment had been meant for me.
I left early that night, under the guise of grabbing a bite to eat, and rushed to meet Demon. His opening line was very typical of him. “So I see you’ve been spending a lot of time with Sara. Trust her yet?” He enjoyed a little teasing, even during a mission. I think it helped him relax. Either way, he explained Sara was the other agent, and while she had improved hiding her emotions and thoughts, she knew what she was doing.
“How long before she’ll be out?”
“Depends on how fast she heals, honestly.” He explained she’d broken a few ribs, which wasn’t a part of the original plan. “It will take a few weeks to heal fully, but they should be healed up soon. She won’t sit around long. Two weeks is already too long for her. I convinced her to wait another week at least.”
“How did she break her ribs?”
“She failed to jump high enough, but she will be getting out soon. I knew she would refuse to stay in the hospital the entire time.” He shrugged, as if relenting. He had clearly given up trying to make her choices for her. “She’s terrified of you, though. I heard you shot at her. What were you thinking?”
“So she was the one who set the shipment on fire?”
“Of course she was. She took the files we needed. They didn’t want Camo getting caught trying to escape with them, and we knew she would be able to retrieve them easily.” Because Sara went in, we got what they needed and that allowed them to move the plan into the final stage, which he still didn’t say a lot about except that it was time to catch them in the act. It’s up to Sara to do that. Before we went our separate ways, Demon told me Camo had made it safely back to CIRA because I told her to get out, and reminded me that I had to do the same for Sara. I just hoped I would be able to.
“Marco,” Camden called, entering the kitchen area and disrupting my thoughts. “I need you to go with Danielle to the hospital today. I can’t go.”
I bit my tongue to prevent myself from saying she could go alone, that she’s old enough to take care of herself, but I knew what he would say. Danielle had made that same argument earlier this week, and it ended with Camden telling her that while he knew she could take care of herself, he was concerned after what had happened. He’d started to think someone was after him because of the rat, that someone might be aiming to take out Danielle, but he played it off well. To her it sounded sweet and loving, but to me it sounded fake and rehearsed, and I wanted to say, “Camden, you’re full of shit.”
Instead, I nodded in understanding, having given up arguing, but Danielle hadn’t.
“He doesn’t have to, Camden,” she said. “I won’t force him to be at the hospital if he doesn’t want to. I’m capable of looking after myself.”
“I know,” Camden said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “I just like to be sure you’re safe. Humor me, please,” he begged, flashing a smile that I knew had Danielle won over. She never said no to him when he smiled at her like that. “I’m sure Marco won’t mind. The first time we went, he couldn’t keep his eyes off that girl.”
I glanced up to him in shock. He’d been staring at her too, but he pinpointed me to distract from himself. I couldn’t admit that aloud, and I knew Danielle wouldn’t let it go now that he’d said it. She liked knowing the details of everyone’s lives, especially the specifics about relationships.
“Really?” Danielle exclaimed, suddenly excited that I had to come with her to the hospital. “Do you think you’d ever try to see her when she got out? Are you going to ask her on a date?”
“I’m not having this discussion,” I said, picking up my plate and glaring at Camden, who had a wide smirk on his face. I opened my mouth to tell him off when his cell phone started ringing.
Saved by the bell, Camden
, I thought as he glanced at the screen. It rang a few times before he held up a finger, telling me that he needed a minute. He raced out of the room.
“You know, I got flowers for her,” Danielle chimed, clearly not ready to let go of the conversation. “If you want, I can let you give them to her. I’m sure it would really brighten her day.”
“No thanks,” I grumbled, leaving the room to grab my coat. I wanted to get out of here as fast as possible so that I could get her to the hospital, and force her to keep quiet about it around Sara.
Danielle followed, gathering her bag, coat, and the flowers, but didn’t stop asking questions until we were out of the building, waiting on whomever Camden had ordered to take us there.
“I’m sorry you have to come with me,” she said as the car pulled up and she got in.
I sighed. She didn’t like being treated like a child, even when she had been one. She always fought with our parents on what she should be able to do at her age, and now she had to follow the rules Camden wouldn’t ease up on. “I don’t mind. At least it’s better than following Camden to work, and being bored out of my mind. He doesn’t really need me until they’ve managed to track down whoever they’re looking for.”
Thankfully, she didn’t say much else on the way to the hospital. I enjoyed the silence over having Danielle ask me about Sara because while I knew things about her, I knew they were all lies. Sara was undercover, her story a fabrication, and that meant in the long run I knew nothing about her. Danielle wanted everyone to find love, to be with someone they cared for, someone who cared for them in return. She wanted a happy ending, even if it had to be forced. That only made Camden’s lies to her all the more irritating. She believed we were partners on investigative cases. According to his story, I lived with him because we had become close friends through our work. This was true for my undercover persona, but I really wanted to knock him out half the time. He told her I was helping look for Jackson, dragging me further into his lie, and forced me to tell her what little we had found.
If any good news came out of it, at least CIRA could make people disappear. We hadn’t been able to find anything on me, not even about the crash itself or me enlisting. I had become a ghost, and nearly impossible to find. I didn’t let it go to my head, though. I knew Camden had men, just like André, who could track me down if given enough time.
When we arrived at the hospital entrance, Danielle raced out as I thanked the driver who had dropped us off. I didn’t recognize him, but since I didn’t usually bother with the drivers Camden sent, I wouldn’t know who they were. I followed slowly behind her once I exited the car. She got in line to check in and greeted a few people behind the counter by name. She knew most of the staff, had even become friends with some of them due to the amount of time she spent here, but each time she visited she needed a new pass, even if she came back the same day.
I flashed my ID card with her, and we each received a pass. She handed me the flowers while she stuck her tag on. I thought she would try to stick me with them, but thankfully she took them back and lead me to Sara’s room. I hadn’t sat with Sara since we were first introduced about two weeks ago. Normally, I dropped off Danielle and left.
Sara said a quick hello to us both when we got to the room, and Danielle immediately hugged her. The embrace, while short and gentle so as to avoided hurting Sara, was touching to see. Danielle whispered something in Sara’s ear before pulling away, causing her to laugh, and Danielle immediately took a seat in the chair next to the bed. She handed Sara the flowers and once again whispered something I didn’t catch. If I had to guess, she said something about me giving her the flowers because Sara blushed and offered me a soft smile.
I fought the urge to tell Sara I hadn’t brought the flowers, but decided not to once she looked away. I leaned against the wall for support as I glanced around the room. There were flowers all over the room now, and if I had to take a guess, I would say they were all from Danielle and Camden. Danielle was attempting to show her gratitude for Sara saving her. If only Danielle knew Sara had done it for a mission, maybe she wouldn’t be so quick to thank her.
I knew Demon had Night Stripe jump in to gain Danielle’s trust, I just hadn’t figured out exactly why. Could it be to get to Camden? It didn’t seem likely, but I knew they wanted Sara close to the cartel. They said wreaking havoc was her specialty, so what could she do with Danielle’s friendship? Danielle wasn’t in the cartel, not directly anyway. Demon hadn’t explained that part of the plan. I wish I had thought to ask him, because to me it seemed someone hadn’t thought the plan through entirely.
“Marco,” Sara called, pulling my attention back on her. It was immensely difficult not to stare at her, and it only got worse when she wanted to talk to me. “Grab a chair. There’s no need for you to stand.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine where I am,” I said, offering her a smile.
Sara nodded and turned back to Danielle, but I could see her watching me out of the corner of her eye. There’s the agent training seeping through, keeping an eye on her perceived enemy.
“Marco is too shy to admit it, but he can’t take his eyes off you because he has a crush on you,” Danielle said with a smile.
I glared at her, wondering why everyone felt they had to say that. I didn’t have a crush on her, or any feelings toward her. Well, I had stared at her the entire time we were here the first time. I also hadn’t stopped thinking about her, but that didn’t mean anything. It was for the mission. I had to focus on her. I opened my mouth, about to tell Sara I didn’t have a crush on her, but she spoke up and stopped me.
“Thank you, Marco. Tulips are my favorite flowers. It was sweet of you.” She flashed me a smile, a blush taking over her cheeks.
“But I didn’t bring—”
Danielle interrupted before I could finish the sentence. “So did the cute doctor change your bandages today?”
I noticed Sara offer Danielle a blithe expression, and laughed off her question. “No, and hopefully he never does. I would be too nervous and awkward.”
They went back to talking, and I once again couldn’t stop staring at her while she talked. I hoped the doctor they were discussing never came in. It would keep me up all night thinking about someone else looking after her.
A few weeks later, Camden had me escort Danielle to the hospital again because he had discovered someone skimming profits. His father had said that he found the culprit who had ruined the shipment by setting it ablaze and the ones previously. The suspect had been seen destroying files and records. All in an effort to get rid of the evidence so we wouldn’t find out. Too bad someone else noticed.
There was no way to know for sure they had caught the actual rat, at least for Camden anyway. I knew Camo was the true culprit. I would be a better suspect if they were trying to connect their current suspect to the previous shipments. I just knew it wasn’t going to be whomever Camden had found. Now whomever they found had to take the blame for the ones I ruined and, from the few names left on the list last I saw it, I didn’t feel bad for whoever it was. A few of them I had met and knew well from working with them on trades and meetings, which wasn’t a good thing. It meant they were people I had to call to put others in line, which typically meant torturing information out of someone. They made me sick, and losing one of them wouldn’t harm my conscience in any way.
I had a feeling that was why Camden didn’t want to deal with it. Those men meant little to him, but they were the ones who kept everyone else in order, leading with fear. He would much rather be taking Danielle to the hospital. That way he could leave with her whenever he chose. He had become suspicious of Sara over the last few visits, especially as she became closer to Danielle. I wasn’t sure what tipped off his suspicion, but suddenly he wasn’t thankful anymore that she’d saved Danielle. Camden didn’t like that Danielle spent more time visiting Sara than with him at the loft. She had come every day for the last few weeks just to talk to her, bring her food, and homework for their class. It seemed innocent, especially when no one knew Sara’s plan to take down the cartel, but something about her had Camden worried.
I once heard that when you save someone’s life they have a special attachment to you, and for Danielle, it happened to be Sara. I wondered if that’s why Camden seemed so skeptical about her.
Soon he wouldn’t have to worry about Danielle visiting her in the hospital anymore. Sara had said she could be released soon, and if it was possible, Danielle’s excitement for Sara’s release rivaled Sara’s own. Danielle kept saying that she wanted to thank Sara properly, but I wasn’t sure what that entailed for a girl who had recently broken a few ribs. Danielle would think of something. Once she got an idea in her head, it was damn near impossible to make her forget about it.
They were busy discussing what they would do when she got out of the hospital. I zoned out and tried to figure out how Camden would prove to the other members that the person they’d caught was the true culprit. It wouldn’t be hard for them to fake evidence, and most members would accept it even if Camden clearly lied to them. They didn’t want to end up like whomever Camden determined to be guilty.
As I sat there, I noticed that it had become eerily quiet until Sara and Danielle both cleared their throats. I cast them a questioning gaze until I heard the distinct ring of my cell phone. I hadn’t noticed my phone had gone off. I had been too lost in my own thoughts. As I caught a glimpse of the girls’ angry expressions, and the nurse’s annoyed grimace, I apologized and excused myself from the room. They immediately began chatting again, and I picked up the phone once I moved out of earshot.
“Camden,” I answered after taking a quick glance at the caller ID. “You know you’re not supposed to call when others are at a hospital, right? It’s rude to other patients, and your girlfriend.”
“I found him,” he said, completely ignoring everything else.
I felt my heart drop. I knew what came next. “You need me?”
“Yes. I need you to come take care of him, Marco, but before you do, try to get some more information out of him. I have a feeling he’s not telling me everything he knows. There’s something about him I don’t trust, and I want this to end now. I don’t care how long it takes, get him to say if there is anyone else he’s working with. Then I want him gone for good.” Camden’s voice lowered as he spoke, becoming dark and violent in nature. I could tell he meant business. I would have to follow the orders given to me or I’d be on the other end of his anger.
“I shouldn’t leave Danielle here alone,” I said, turning back to glance at them both. Sara beamed, and for a moment I didn’t dread the mission as much as I usually did when I had to play my role as Marco. It would be one less person for us to deal with if the mission went badly. “What should I do about her?”
“This won’t take too long,” Camden said hopefully. “If it does, she’ll be fine with her new friend for a little while. I may not like it, but it has to be done.” He paused for a moment, seeming to consider the choice he’d just made. It didn’t take long to get back on topic. “I have a few men holding him for you when you get back. Make it fast, though, I want this over and done with.” He hung up without another word.
I ended the call and let out a breath, looking back at the girls. I’d much rather stay with them, but I had a job to do. A far less pleasant one.
***
Camden handed me a gun the moment I arrived on the compound. It was a Glock 17—easy to use, and deadly in the right hands. He made it clear there was no time to waste. It had to end now. By now everyone on the compound would have heard what was about to happen. They knew who had a gun aimed at their head, and by now there would be rumors about how he had been found guilty. If it wasn’t handled soon, and the culprit had time to speak out to say why he wasn’t the one responsible, there would be a divide between the members.
As I looked around, a few people moved into the shadows and back into the building to avoid my gaze. The word must have spread fast. They knew that when I had to be called in, the final decision had been made, and it would be permanent.
“Find out anything you can, Marco,” Camden ordered before one of the other guards led me to where the accused resided, waiting for me. “I want to make sure it ends with him.”
I nodded as a response before turning to follow the other guard. I suddenly felt a pang of grief go through me. I had ended a lot of lives already, and this would just be another one. No matter how many times I did it, I wondered why I had to be the one. Anyone here could easily point and shoot a gun to kill someone, and most of them had done it to innocent people. What guilt would they feel? I knew Camden called me in because he trusted me, and he had become convinced more information could be discovered, and then it would be a death sentence no matter what. A few men would let the accused go after getting the information. They believed they scared the accused enough and figured the member wouldn’t do anything to end up in the seat again. When they did, the person came to me. I didn’t let any of them get away, and I wouldn’t let any of them escape after I was done with them.
Gage, another bodyguard for Miguel, lead me through the compound, updating me on the man they had found skimming profits and burning records. It turned out that he had taken responsibility for the profits and records, but he refused to accept the charge that he had been the one to destroy the shipments.
“We are hoping you can figure out why he would admit to one and not the other.” Gage stopped outside a metal door and yanked it open. “You have full privacy to do as you wish. There are two other men next to him to keep him under control, but they are willing to look the other way.” The wicked smile on his face told me that my reputation preceded me.
I nodded and walked in. He immediately shut the door behind me, leaving the room dark, with the only light right above the accused. The two men watching him were on the outskirts of the light, their faces hidden in the shadows, their smirks visible in the low light. They knew I had been called in, and took a sick pleasure in it. The darkness covered me, but the accused could probably make out a faint outline of my body, my face concealed. The darkness was a powerful weapon. We never knew what hid within it, and in his case it concealed his angel of death—me.
“Are there others?” I asked, walking closer, my footsteps echoing around the room. “Is anyone else working with you?”
The sound of my footsteps gradually approached him, becoming louder with each step from the weight of my boots. With each step I took toward him, he started to become more frantic.
“Please, I already told them what I’ve done. I haven’t done anything to the shipments. It had to be someone else. Please.” He started quivering as he begged for his life. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t seen before, and I knew what he would say. He would say anything to save his pathetic life, which typically included blaming others, pointing fingers, saying anything to appease me.
“Do you have partners?” I questioned.
“No, I don’t!”
“Then it had to be you who messed with our shipments. Burning the shipment seems a little over the top, while just letting them spill made it seem like an accident,” I said, mostly complimenting my own handiwork. I hoped the comment would make it back to Camo somehow. “You went too far with the last one.”
“It wasn’t me!” he cried. “There are rumors that someone is copying documents, ruining shipments on purpose, and ratting them out to the police. Everyone is talking about it, but it’s not me.” His begging fell on deaf ears.
The men next to him scoffed, and looked away from him in disgust. They were probably thinking he should at least take the blame for what he had done, be a man about it. Little did they know that someone else had committed the crime. I knew the culprit was talking about me, and I knew that he had seen me doing it. He’d been the one to walk into the office while I saved Camo, and then he’d seen me with the files she had left behind. I couldn’t blame him for trying to find a way out. It must have looked suspicious, which is why he told Camden about it early on. Camden brushed it off as unimportant, and that would come back to bite him once this mission ended.
Unless he told them and they had believed him, waiting for me to slip up again. I paused for a moment. They had heard what he had to say and then they had sent me to kill him, possibly to test me. They wanted to see if I would kill an innocent man, let him take the blame for what I had done. I pushed the thoughts away, trying not to dwell on it. It couldn’t be true, or I would be the one in the chair right now, but with a few more guns pointed at me to ensure I wouldn’t escape.
The accused continued to discuss what others had said about the person who supposedly had been calling the police on deals. He never said my name, maybe to keep it as a bargaining chip when I lost my patience. Maybe he’d been playing to the other two men. He could be working with them, and if they knew what I had done, they might be waiting for me to react. I wouldn’t play into their game, if one existed.
I stepped into the light, raising the gun to his head as I asked again, “Are there others?”
I watched as his eyes grew wide, not at the sight of the gun pointed at him, but at me. He had told Camden what he thought, and then Camden had sent me to kill him. It must have been difficult for him to see that his leader didn’t believe him, but he should have seen it coming. I didn’t play nice with Camden for fun. I did it because his friendship helped me.
“I’ve seen you before.” He took in a sharp breath. “I saw you taking documents with you, and you ran a check on the shipments that were destroyed.
You’re
the rat!”
I let out a chuckle as the two men next to him turned their attention back on me. His words had piqued their interest.
“Were you watching me so you could frame me?” I asked. “You already told Camden and Miguel your thoughts, but didn’t you know I was with him when you set that shipment on fire?” A surge of happiness swept over me. Camo had created such a big scene. I could work this in my favor. “Looks like you failed to make me your patsy.”
“No,” he yelled. “You did it. I’m being blamed for something you did!”
“Did I take money, and burn documents? No. Were you seen leaving the shipment before it went up in smoke? Yes, and by quite a few people. It’s not my fault you couldn’t make a better excuse.” I let a smirk curl at the edges of my lips. It felt good to get away from something like this, and no one would ever know except for this guy. I might have even grown to feel bad about it, until he opened his mouth again.
“You’re the rat,” he screamed. “You’re probably working with a team.” He waited for a reaction, but I didn’t give him one. He continued to rant, throwing out completely true accusations, but I didn’t give in and neither did the men around me. Eventually one of the other men gestured to me. He tapped his watch to say that I had to be somewhere soon. I nodded my head and turned toward the man who was determined to talk his way out of a death penalty.
“Are there others?” I asked again, confusing him.
“No, there’s no one else working with me! It’s all you and—”
I pulled the trigger, terminating the threat for good and sending everyone home for the night.