A Night of Redemption (The Redemption Saga Book 5)

by Kristen Banet

  “Matthews. Director Thompson should have called ahead for me.”

  “Oh.” The guard looked up from his calendar and realized who she was. She patiently smiled as he jumped up and made a call.

  Only a moment later, another Magi guard walked out of a door and waved her to follow. She did, knowing he was leading her to one of the visitation rooms. He unlocked the door and moved aside.

  She didn’t enter immediately, listening. Missy wasn’t making a sound.

  “Did you get a real inhibitor on her?” she asked the guard.

  “Yes, ma’am. We’ve never had a doppelganger in here before, but we managed.”

  “What form is she in?”

  “Uh. The one from that day. She never changed into anything else.”

  Sawyer wondered if it was her original form. She had no idea how old Missy was, or what she truly looked like. It was always something she had wondered. Those curious questions would probably never be answered, and they weren’t the topic of the day.

  She walked in, phasing through the door, leaving Sombra in the hall. The cat didn’t like it, but didn’t make too much of an emotional fuss over it. Sawyer didn’t want to expose her beautiful animal bond to Missy when it wasn’t necessary.

  Missy wore orange and sat chained to the table. The inhibitor also cut off her inhuman strength and speed, something Sawyer was thankful for. The woman before her might as well have been human.

  “Look who it is,” Missy greeted her in a sing song tune. “No little Castello this time? He’s cute. No Axel, but probably enough like him to make you feel like it is. Sadly, he’s just the younger, cheap imitation in the end, isn’t he?”

  “No, this is between me and you.” She slowly sat down in front of the psychotic bitch. “Vincent isn’t the Castello I want to talk about. Actually, I don’t want to talk about either of them.”

  Missy jerked back, startled by her. Sawyer rested her elbows on the table between them and spread her hands in a small shrug. It made Missy narrow her eyes.

  “What do you want?” the doppelganger demanded.

  “I want to know how you’re still alive, actually.” Sawyer leaned back, getting comfortable. “I saw the life fade from your eyes. I saw everything end in you. I sent you to hell, or whatever afterlife is out there, if there is one. I put a dagger in your heart. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I see no reason why I should tell you that.” Missy shrugged this time. “Though you should have cut my head off. Would have worked better for you. Maybe.”

  “I’ll remind you that Axel switched with you knowing his execution was fast approaching.” Sawyer was about to drive her sharpest knife in Missy’s heart. While the doppelganger was absolutely off her rocker, she was passionately in love with Axel. “He probably never thought you would lose your temper and reveal the ruse. He left you here to die, Missy. Expendable, replaceable, worthl-”

  “Stop.”

  “Worthless past this. He never did want you the way you wanted him. And now he found the perfect way for you to prove your undying love. By dying for him. Expendable. No longer his-”

  “Stop!”

  “He’s never cared about anyone past how he could use them,” she continued, the words a bitterness flowing off her tongue. Her rage was only matched by the rage radiating off the doppelganger. “He won’t come save you, Missy. It’s too inconvenient.”

  “STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP!” Missy banged her hands on the table. Sawyer did. She slammed her mouth shut as the doppelganger unraveled, like she knew the woman would. “You don’t know! You don’t know the way he feels! You were just a tool! I’ve been there since the beginning. Since he was a boy! I knew Vincent too! You’ll never understand!”

  That made Sawyer raise an eyebrow. “What-”

  “I saw his potential before any of you. I helped him build who he is. He cares for me!” Missy was shrill and awful towards the end of that. “I found him Felix! I found him Talyn and the rest. I had those connections, being what I am. You gave him nothing. I gave him everything.”

  Sawyer tilted her head to the side slowly. There was a lot to process with that outburst, which was what she wanted. She hadn’t expected the information she received from it, but it had gotten her something.

  Missy had always been around. That was just a curious thing. She would need to ask Vincent if he remembered anyone from his childhood and the time when Axel was beginning to rise that would fit Missy’s supposed role in their lives.

  The second thing that stuck out was Felix. The Ghost she never knew much about, Sawyer was always bewildered by his place in the group. He was cowardly and strange. He was anxious. He was a weak Magi with very little in terms of abilities.

  Yet Missy mentioned him first.

  That was something she would need to dig into further, if Missy didn’t tell her anything more.

  “Felix?”

  “Ha. No. I’m not telling you anything.”

  “A pity,” she mumbled at the crazy woman in front of her. Missy’s eyes danced with a dangerous light. She knew so much and Sawyer could feel there was nothing else to gain. “I think I heard what I need to, though. I needed a lead and you just gave it to me. Thanks. For once, you’ve actually helped me.”

  The shock that took over Missy’s face was something Sawyer wished she could get a picture of.

  “Excuse me?” Missy practically squeaked out those words.

  “I’ve never thought to look into Felix. I even let him go when we captured Axel back in August. I didn’t think he was anything special. Obviously he is. I’m amazed I never thought to look into him deeper.”

  “No. NO!” Missy tried to stand, but the chains held her to her chair.

  “I pity you, Missy. I know what order he gave you, and I thought you would do it before now. He gave that order to everyone in case we were caught.” Sawyer kept all her emotions locked away as she spoke. She couldn’t give away anything. “You haven’t gone through with it, though. Do you honestly think he’ll come to save you? Really? He’s never saved anyone but himself, don’t you know that? He’s not coming. You’re trapped here and you just…” She shook her head slowly. “No…I think you get the point.”

  “I hate you,” Missy snarled. “You’ll never catch him again. He won’t make the same mistakes.”

  “I was never trying to catch him the first time. Just imagine what I can do with a little bit of elbow grease and all the dark lessons he taught me.” Sawyer kept her eyes locked with Missy’s. “Just imagine what I can do with the full weight of the IMPO, the WMC, and the IMAS behind me. Just imagine that for a moment. I have one goal in my life right now, Missy, and it’s not to catch him. It’s to kill him. Imagine what I can do with that.”

  Missy broke out into a sob and Sawyer realized it was over. She kept her emotions locked tightly away. She had to get out of the room now.

  She left quickly, looking back just once. She wanted to remember this.

  Missy would probably be dead tomorrow.

  It wasn’t Sawyer’s fault, by any means. It was the truth - and a harsh one. Axel had one order for any of his own that were captured: kill yourself before you give away anything. Missy had failed. The doppelganger wouldn’t allow herself to fail her master a second time.

  The door was closed and locked. She kept walking to the far wall and leaned on it as the first sob welled up in her chest. Sombra rubbed on her legs, sending waves of comfort and safety at her.

  There was a time, so long ago, when that could have been her. It could have been Sawyer sitting there, screaming and wailing for him to save her, knowing he wouldn’t. Knowing it was over. Knowing he would never come.

  If it wasn’t Sawyer, it would have been someone else having that conversation with Missy. They wouldn’t have known what Missy would do. She did.

  “Have someone watching her at all times,” she ordered the guard closest to her. “She’s going to try and kill herself. Axel would want her to so she doesn’t end up giving away a
ny information. Make sure it doesn’t happen.”

  It was all she could do to make sure she wasn’t the thing that made Missy kill herself. She hoped it worked.

  This was why she had wanted to do this without the guys. Knowing this. She could knowingly push Missy to say something, so someone else didn’t do it accidentally and get hit with the shock.

  “Yes ma’am,” the guard responded sharply, and began saying something into a walkie on his chest. She didn’t listen anymore. She needed to collect herself and get ready for the next interview.

  She waited another ten minutes, composing herself, and then began to move to another room. “Bring me Naseem.”

  “It will take a moment.” The guard seemed startled she said anything. She hadn’t told them she intended to talk to the assassin.

  “That’s fine.”

  She could be patient. Patience was something she was good at. It gave her more time to prepare herself for what she was about to do.

  Her guys would be so mad at her, but she couldn’t fail this time. She needed to use every resource to make sure she could do the job given to her.

  In the back of her mind, the fear scratched. She was going to lose them like they lost James. Like James lost his last team.

  And it would be her fault, like it always was when Axel had anything to do with it.

  So she steeled herself and walked in the moment the guard gave her the go-ahead. Sombra didn’t make nearly the same fuss this time, knowing this was just how it had to be. There would come a point where her cat was going to get back in the action, but this wasn’t it. She was there to give her Magi support and strength.

  Naseem, like Missy, sat handcuffed and chained on the other side of a steel table. The inhibitor he wore was apparent. It should have put her at ease. He wasn’t a danger to her.

  But then, she wasn’t scared of him, but what she was about to ask.

  He raised his eyebrows at the sight of her. She sat down silently and for a moment, they just stared at each other.

  “So you know,” he finally murmured, no emotion in his voice. Nothing gave away what was running through his head.

  “I do,” she answered softly. “I just spoke to Missy. You ever meet her?”

  “She’s missing a few screws,” he said, as if they were just passing gossip around.

  “Yeah, she is. She always had been missing something important. I think it’s the ability to think for herself past…” She trailed off as another wave of guilt ran through her.

  “I never understood,” Naseem commented mildly, “the fear people had for him. Not really. He was politically very powerful. As a Magi, he’s godlike in his abilities and his strength. But I never understood the fear that made people stop talking.”

  “And now?”

  “Excuse me?” He frowned, causing age lines to appear on his forehead. She realized he was a bit older than her in that moment. Probably in his forties. He’d been in their world for much longer than her. She was the young upstart in comparison.

  “You said you never understood. Do you understand now?”

  A beat of silence. One that was quick, but for a millisecond, it felt like an eternity.

  “I do.” He nodded slowly. “Why are you here?”

  “Teach me.”

  Those words hung on the air as she watched the realization dawn in his eyes. For just a second, his eyebrows went up, then he narrowed his eyes at her, an anger coming from him that she had expected.

  “Why should I ever teach you anything, Sawyer?” He sneered her name at the end.

  “Because when you and your remaining friend die, there will be no one else who knows. Pass along the skill. Professionally, it’s a legacy.” She needed it. She couldn’t fail, and if he could teach her this, then she would have an advantage she never had on Axel before.

  Naseem opened his mouth and she cut him off before he got a word in. “We don’t like each other, you and I. A good man died because of you. Thankfully, he took out one of yours. He died a hero to your villain and yes, Naseem, you are a villain. You are not just the blade others wield. You aren’t a tool. You enjoy the job and that’s the biggest difference between us.” She shrugged after that. “But who else would you teach, if not me? Why not teach the person who took you down?”

  “And what does it get you? Hell, little girl, what does it get me other than a sentimental feeling that doesn’t help me when I’m dead?”

  “It gets me another skill I could use to deal with Axel Castello. It gets you life in prison instead of a death sentence.”

  She could make that happen. Free rein, that’s what the team had been given. It wasn’t like Naseem was going to get out. Security was heightened. The prison was impenetrable now. With Axel out, everyone was tested to make sure they weren’t a doppelganger like Missy. That was a play Axel could only use once and then no one else would be able to pull it off.

  “Parole?” he asked softly.

  “Sorry, but I can’t get anyone to agree to that - and I wouldn’t try.” She was willing to give him a life.

  She wasn’t willing to give him the chance to get back to work.

  “Then no.”

  And that was it. She had expected the answer but needed to try anyway.

  “Fine.” She stood back up. “I don’t know your execution date, so I’ll apologize for missing it now. I’m a bit busy.” She turned and walked to the door, stopping to listen to him talk. She would give him the chance to finish his sentence, at least.

  “I didn’t expect you to. You are now just another IMPO agent, not an assassin who needs to see your kills. Plus, trying to catch Axel again will keep you busy.”

  She tightened her hand on the doorknob.

  “You’ve made the same mistake as Missy,” she murmured, meeting his emotionless eyes again. “I’m not out to catch Axel Castello. I’m out to kill him.”

  His eyebrows shot up again and she just left, leaving him in the silence of that.

  It wasn’t public knowledge. Very few people knew Axel was free. Everyone who did was under a magical non-disclosure agreement. They knew Sawyer and the guys were getting sent after him. But only the Council, her team, and Thompson knew the end goal.

  Sawyer was a hero to the public now. They couldn’t know that she was being sent out for the very thing they were all afraid of. An execution. An assassination.

  She kept walking quickly all the way to the car in the parking lot, unable to stop.

  As she slid in, she knew that was the most probable outcome she could have gotten from the trip.

  Now she had to get back to the guys and act like everything was normal. That she wasn’t falling apart as she did all this. In the end, she was fine. She knew she would be.

  If all of this paid off for her and they lived, even if they hated her for it, it would be worth it.

  4

  Jasper

  Jasper tried to get comfortable in the large executive chair, one of several brought into Thompson’s office for this meeting. He didn’t want to be here, but it was needed. While they were all still reeling, they had to get these things done. They couldn’t just stop and fall into despair. There was too much to do.

  And so Jasper knew there was no avoiding the lawyers or the will. No avoiding another piece of James being gone.

  At least going through this would keep them busy. It would give them just a little more time before they began to deal with the massive, Castello-shaped elephant in their lives. The one that had Vincent unable to sleep and had Sawyer looking like she was going to kill everyone who walked within a few feet of her.

  Oh, the pain and rage in those two. It suffocated him while he slept, as their dreams pounded his mind and magic. It echoed his own rage and pain. It echoed in Zander, Elijah, and Quinn.

  While those two felt it acutely, they all knew it was eating the group. Not just Axel, but all of it. The loss of their home, the loss of their comfort and peace, and James.

  “Jasper, did you hear that?�
�� Zander asked, snapping a finger in his face.

  “Hear what?” he snapped, glaring.

  “They got started. James left you his library.”

  “He has a library?” The glare morphed into a frown as he looked around the table. “There’s not one in the condo.”

  “No, the library - rather, you received the books in it - is located at his residence in upstate New York,” one of the lawyers explained. “A residence that…” He shuffled through papers. “Yes, here it is. Thompson, it says here that if they refuse it, it goes to you, but as it stands, you all will inherit a large property-” He kept reading.

  “It’s our old team house,” Thompson interjected calmly. “He knew I never wanted to go back.” The Director chuckled humorlessly. “That bastard.”

  “We’re missing something. Please, continue to explain,” Vincent ordered, waving his hand and frowning at the papers. Jasper agreed; they were missing something.

  “I thought he would have deeded it to me on his death, but he deeded the old team house to you guys. It’s a big place, a lot like your plantation down in Georgia.” Thompson waved a hand absentmindedly. “I was planning on giving it to your team once this was over, since I have no need, or want, to return to it. It will be easy enough to secure. Only a few people, these lawyers included, know it’s still there. I’ll have the address wiped from their memories.”

  “That works, sir,” the lawyer agreed. “Is it in need of any repairs? We can go ahead and set-”

  “The IMPO handles that internally. You can continue,” Thompson commanded, leaning back.

  “Well, to you, Director, he left his collection of photos. We took everything from the condo and he had many placed in safe-keeping or in storage. We’ll provide you the access to that.”

  “Is that all?” Thompson raised an eyebrow.

  “He wrote a note here…” The lawyer fumbled around. “Here it is. Yes…” He handed it warily to the Director, who moved faster to grab it than Jasper would have expected.

  It took only a few seconds, but then Thompson began to laugh. He laughed harder than any of them were comfortable with. It boomed and echoed around the room.