by Hart, Stella
He didn’t balk at my mention of the incident at all. “What would you like to know about that?” he asked, voice preternaturally calm.
“It’s more about what I’d like you to know,” I said. “I know it was you, and I don’t appreciate you threatening Willow like that. She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Q remained stock-still. “I have to say, I admire your courage. It takes real guts to talk to me like that,” he said. Even though I couldn’t see him behind the mask, I could tell from his tone that he was slightly amused.
I gritted my teeth. “That’s not an answer.”
“I know. I’ll answer what I can, though you must understand there are many things I cannot discuss with you.”
We fell into an awkward silence as the masked guard returned with two bottles of sparkling water, each containing a black straw. Q briefly lifted the bottom of his mask, just enough so that there was space for the straw to slip under it, and then he took a sip. I did the same, but I ignored the straw and drank from the bottle instead.
Q finally put his drink down and looked directly at me again. “You’re somewhat correct. The body-drop was one of my private operations, and it was a threat,” he said. “But you’re mistaken about the intended target of that threat.”
“I don’t think so. The corpse was dropped right next to Willow,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
He leaned forward slightly. “No. It was actually dropped right next to Willow and Stephen.”
“Her father?” I arched a brow. “Wait, that’s who the note was for?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Q made a breathy, guttural sound. I could only presume it was a sigh, heavily distorted by the voice-changing device. “Stephen Rhoades seems to have developed an unfortunate conscience in the last few months.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently he’s been wracked with guilt over his decision to sell his daughter to your family,” Q said, leaning back in his seat again. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s refused to attend the last couple of Order meetings and parties.”
“I did notice. I thought he was just busy.”
“No. He’s been avoiding the society to make a point. He’s also been begging for a private meeting with me for weeks. He hoped I would allow him to cancel the marriage contract.”
“I see.”
“I said no, for obvious reasons, and I thought that would be the end of the issue. Unfortunately, a credible source later informed us that he was planning on betraying the Order after failing to get what he wanted.”
“How?”
“He was planning to go to the media. Expose us to the world. I think he hoped that would destroy the entire society, making the contract null and void.”
My pulse picked up. “So that’s why he’s gone missing? You killed him to shut him up?”
Q let out a dark chuckle. “The stunt we pulled at the parade was merely a warning designed to frighten him into submission. It wasn’t some sort of death warrant.”
“Why would he get a warning if he was going to betray the Order so badly?” I asked.
“Because he’s been a loyal member for thirty years. I understand that he’s going through a rough time right now, and I understand the regret he feels. After taking that into consideration, I decided to give him a chance to make things right.”
“So the warning was basically just a message saying: don’t fucking do it.”
Q dipped his head in a nod. “Exactly. All we had to do was remind him of the Order’s power. I knew it would be enough to make him rethink his decision to betray us.”
“And it worked?”
“It must have, because he hasn’t gone to the media, has he?” Q tilted his head slightly to one side. With the giant horns attached to him, he looked almost comical.
“Where is he, then?” I asked. “He’s been missing ever since the parade.”
“I don’t know. Hiding out somewhere, I presume.” He paused to cough. “I’m sure he’ll be back when he’s ready to come back into the fold and make amends.”
“Right.” I frowned and scratched my jaw. “If he wanted to betray the Order, doesn’t that mean he’s the most likely suspect for the recent leak?”
“We considered that, but our investigation has proved him innocent in that regard. He wasn’t the leak.”
“Then who was?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“We still don’t know, but I can assure you that we are investigating every possible angle.”
I went silent for a moment, narrowing my eyes. Even with the voice-changer, everything about Q and the way he spoke reminded me of my father. The cadence, the tones, the particular phrasing of certain things… it all sounded deeply familiar. Just like the man I saw and spoke to nearly every day.
I leaned forward. “Let’s just cut the shit.”
“Pardon me?”
“I know it’s you, Dad, so you can drop the act. Stop talking to me like I’m a fucking rube and tell me the truth.”
Q folded his hands in front of him again and lapsed into a cold, lengthy silence. “I’m not your father, Logan,” he finally said. “Even if I was, you know I wouldn’t tell you.”
I stared right back at him, refusing to be intimidated. “See, that’s another problem I have—you keeping your identity hidden. Everyone else in the Order seems to accept it, but I’ve never understood it.”
“Hm. I see.” Q went quiet for another moment, head dipped forward. Then he lifted his chin again. “What would you say is the most important quality for a successful leader to have?”
I shrugged. “Integrity?”
“No. It’s invisibility. The greatest leaders remain unseen and unknown. Do you know why?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” I muttered.
“When a leader is known to others, he is vulnerable. There are always those who will want to usurp his power, and there isn’t much stopping them, is there? Not when they know his face, his voice, and everything about him.” Q leaned forward again. “There’s only so much that even the very best security teams can do to stop someone hell-bent on seizing power, especially from someone with as much reach and influence as me. In other words: a hell of a lot of people would kill for my job.”
“So you’re worried about assassination attempts.”
“Yes. If people knew exactly who I was, they could and most likely would attempt to take my power from me so they could wield it themselves.”
“I get that, but it’s just a risk all leaders have to assume if they want to be in charge.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that matter.” Q lifted his shoulders in a quick shrug. “There’s also the matter of my decision-making. If no one knows who I am, no one can question what I choose to do.”
I frowned. “That’s exactly why I have a problem with it. The invisibility gives you unrestrained power. You can do whatever you want and no one can ever stop you, because they don’t know who the hell to stop. So even if you make bad decisions which don’t benefit anyone, no one can do anything about it.”
“That’s why trust is so important,” he said, lifting a palm. “Do you remember what you were told when you were first brought here on Pledge night? Participation requires absolute loyalty, a lifelong vow of secrecy, and complete commitment to the services of our purposes.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Sometimes I might do things that you don’t understand, but you must know that I am always working toward the greater good for our society and our country. Every single move I make is part of it. Even when it looks like nothing is happening, I am always working behind the scenes, planning and executing everything. You just have to stay committed and trust that I will always do the right thing and make the best decisions for you and everyone else.”
Yeah fucking right. “Okay.” I sat back and raised a brow. “Can you tell me one thing?”
“What?”
“Is you
r identity a secret for absolutely everyone? Or are there a few key people who know who you are?”
He hesitated for a few seconds. “There are a few, yes,” he finally admitted. “My most trusted allies know my name and face.”
“Could I ever become one of them?”
Q let out another deep, booming chuckle. “One day, perhaps. But only if you prove your devotion and loyalty. Right now, you aren’t doing a very good job of that.”
“Because I’m questioning things?”
“Yes.”
“Right.” I wrinkled my brows. “Why did you even agree to meet with me if you think I’m so annoyingly disloyal?”
“I accepted the meeting as a favor to your father, because he seemed deeply concerned.”
I didn’t believe that for a second. Not when he’d refused to take a meeting with a lower-level member like me in over twenty years.
Q abruptly stood and beckoned his guards over. “Sorry, Logan. That’s all the time I have for you.”
“Okay. Thanks for seeing me,” I said with a tight smile. He’d barely told me anything during the short meeting, but unbeknownst to him, he’d given me exactly what I needed.
He stared down at me, gloved hands interlaced in front of him. “I hope my openness and honesty with you today proves to be enough to restore your trust in me. I’d hate to see someone like you turn against the Order.”
With that, he whirled around and strode toward the other side of the massive room, black robes billowing around him as the masked guards flanked him.
The man who’d led me into the room in the first place stayed behind, watching them go. While he wasn’t paying attention to me, I quickly reached forward and switched my bottle of water with the one Q drank from earlier.
The masked man turned back to me a second later. “Time to go.”
I stood and casually grabbed the half-empty bottle. “All right.”
He frowned and gestured to the water. “Leave that. Someone else will throw it out for you,” he said brusquely.
“I was just going to take it with me, if that’s okay. My throat is still pretty itchy after that coughing fit.”
He was silent for a beat, and then he gave me a curt nod. “Fine. This way.”
He led me to the main door and directed me through the maze of halls until we reached the candlelit Order Hall foyer. “You know the quickest way out of the tunnels, don’t you?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“Good.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and disappeared down another dark hall.
I hurried out of the tunnels and made my way back to my car. When I was safely inside, I put the bottle in a holder in the center console and reached into my glovebox to grab a pair of gloves and a Ziploc bag.
I carefully fished the straw out of the bottle and enclosed it in the plastic bag. Then I grabbed my phone and called an acquaintance of mine, Connor Chang. We’d done some work together last year when Caldwell sent me and a couple of other analysts to the NSA to help with a social media surveillance project.
He answered on the fourth ring. “Logan Thorne,” he said drily. “To what do I owe the pleasure? You gonna apologize for not inviting me to your engagement party?”
“You know I didn’t plan that stupid party. Otherwise you would’ve been there.”
“I know. I’m just messing with you, man. Anyway, what can I do for you?”
“I was just wondering if you still have that connection at the lab in Arlington. The one you told me about that did the genetic testing stuff for you and your wife a while back.”
Connor clicked his tongue. “Let me guess… some gold-digger is claiming you knocked her up, and you need a way to covertly test the paternity?”
I forced a laugh. “Something like that, yeah.”
“Knew it.”
“I need to get it done as soon as possible.”
“Don’t worry, I can hook you up. My friend Cleo still works there. I’ll call her and tell her you’re on your way right now.”
“Thanks.”
“The lab is at 2250 Crystal Drive. And hey, next time you get engaged, I better be invited to the party.”
I laughed again. “You got it.”
I ended the call and made my way to the address he’d given me. A short blonde woman was standing in the lobby, tapping one foot on the linoleum floor as she played with her phone. “Are you Logan?” she asked when she spotted me.
“Yes.”
She smiled. “I’m Cleo. Wanna follow me?”
“Sure.”
She took me into a large room with fluorescent lights and clean white benches. Scientific equipment and small bottles were lined up neatly around the space. “Welcome to my lab,” she said with a mock bow. “What can I do for you?”
I held out the bottle. “You can get DNA from saliva on a straw, right?”
“Uh-huh.” She folded her arms. “Why?”
“I think the man I got this from might be my father, but I can’t be sure. I want to prove it.”
She nodded slowly. “All right. Should be easy enough. I’ll just need to get a sample from you so I can compare it with the other one.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
She snapped on some latex gloves and opened a nearby drawer to grab a Q-tip and a sample tube. Then she gestured for me to open wide. “This cheek swab should be enough,” she said, rubbing the Q-tip all over the inside of my mouth. “But if I need anything else, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s fine,” I said when she withdrew her hand. “I was also wondering—say this person isn’t actually my father. Are you able to run the sample through all those DNA databases out there? Like CODIS? On the down-low, that is. Totally off-network.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I could probably find a way. Why?”
“If it turns out the sample isn’t from my father, but the person has had their DNA uploaded to one of those databases, it could help me figure out who he is. Otherwise I’m fresh out of luck.”
Cleo’s sparse blonde brows knitted in a frown. “Hold on… are you telling me you have no idea who this sample actually came from?”
“Yeah.”
“So it could be literally anyone.”
“Yes. He was wearing a mask and disguising his voice when I met with him. I think it was my father, but like I said, I can’t be sure. That’s why I want to figure out exactly who it is.”
Her forehead creased. “Gotta say, this is weird as fuck.”
“But you can do it, right?”
“Yes.” She fastened the lid on the sample tube. “Leave this with me, and I should have results for you in about twelve weeks.”
My jaw dropped. “Twelve weeks?”
“Uh-huh. Lab work takes time.”
“I know, but I need it sooner than that.”
Cleo arched a brow. “Do you know what I do here all day?”
“Science.”
She snorted. “No shit. I meant specifically.”
I shrugged. “Not really.”
“I test crime kits. Say a person breaks in somewhere or assaults someone else, and they leave their hair or saliva on the scene… I’m the one who tests that stuff and gives the results to the police in the hopes they can nail the bastard.”
“Right.”
“Anyway, we have a crazy backlog. Some of the kits here are five years old and still haven’t been tested.” She folded her arms and leaned back against the bench before she went on. “So… do you think this weird little search for your daddy—or whatever the hell it is—is more important than getting these kits done for all the victims out there who are still waiting for justice?”
I frowned and rubbed the back of my head. “Is it possible for you to stay late to fit it in around the kits?”
“I already stay late every day, so no, that’s not gonna work,” she said. “But I suppose anything’s possible, given the right circumstances.”
Her eyes began to gleam, and I finally realized what s
he was angling toward. “Ah. You want a bribe.”
She twisted her lips. “I’d rather you refer to it as a payment for my services.”
I reached into my back pocket and opened my wallet to see how much cash I had on me. “Is two-fifty enough?”
She rolled her eyes. “Two hundred and fifty bucks is barely enough to buy lunch around here. I want two grand. If you don’t have more cash on you, just Venmo me the rest.”
My lips tightened. “I can’t use Venmo. I don’t want any sort of paper trail on this, just in case. Cash only.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to go and hit up an ATM, then. Unless….” She eyed my wrist. “How much is that watch worth?”
“Ten grand.”
She beamed. “That’ll do.”
“Are you serious?”
“Hey, do you want me to fit these tests in or not?”
I unclasped my watch and handed it to her. “There. Happy?”
“Very. This’ll get me at least two lunches.” She winked.
I rolled my eyes. “Very funny,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “So how long until you have results for me?”
“I can have preliminary results in a day or two. But the more complicated sequencing stuff will take a bit longer. A week, maybe more.” She held up a hand. “I’m sorry. It literally takes that long even if I start today. I’m not trying to screw you.”
“It’s fine. A week or two is better than three months.”
“Cool. I got your number off Connor, so I’ll call you when I have something, ‘kay?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
I left the lab and started heading back to Wonderland. While I was stopped at a light, my phone rang. I glanced down to see it was Willow, calling from the cell I gave her recently.
I answered and put her on loudspeaker before accelerating as the light turned green. “Hey, princess,” I said. “I was about to call you to let you know how the meeting went. I’m kind of worried about your dad. Q said he’s got nothing to do with his disappearance, but I don’t believe him. I think he might be in trouble.”
“No shit,” she said with a wet-sounding sniff. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
My brows drew together in a frown. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
