by A. M. Brooks
“Wait, stop,” Lux says suddenly, her arms reaching out to halt us.
Saylor and I both turn to her, but her eyes are focused off in the distance to our left. All I see is woods and hear the faint noise of traffic.
“Look,” Lux whispers, and we both turn, peering out through the trees.
My own breathing accelerates and I notice that Saylor discreetly pulls her phone from her pocket. She taps the screen, opening the panic app, and her finger hovers over the red button.
“Are you sure?” She breathes out. Lux still hasn’t taken her eyes off where she pointed to earlier. Her body leans forward as if she’s concentrating on the noise and the air around us. Chills run up my arms. And I look again. This time, a flash, almost like a reflection off metal, catches my eye.
“Run,” I tell them both. Saylor hits the red button before shoving the phone in her pocket and we take off into the woods, away from Rogue Auto Repair and away from the house.
Finally, I can hear it. Footsteps echo somewhere behind us, the sound of brush moving, closes in. We’re being followed. My legs pump harder, while the three of us run for our lives.
“Turn right,” Reed suddenly says in my ear, and I startle a little, almost losing my footing. I readjust the earpiece, having forgot I had it in the first place. We all turn right and head to a rocky area.
“Right?” Does he want us to die amongst the rocks?
Lux looks at me, just as flabbergasted, but Saylor keeps running, trusting his directions. We head to the rocks and boulders, starting to climb.
“Okay, jump down.” Reed’s voice sounds again.
“Is he insane?” I whisper-hiss, looking down over a ledge. Lux shrugs, but Saylor jumps.
Right when I think she’s jumped to a painful death, her hands wave in the air below us, beckoning us to join her. I can still hear feet stomping against the earth behind us. With blood pounding in my ears, my heart beating wildly in my chest, Lux and I get on the ground and shimmy over the edge. Right as my feet touch the lip of the ledge below us, Saylor pulls me in. Then does the same to Lux, the three of us now standing in a cave and holding hands while we listen to the approaching voices above us.
“The guys will get you when they can.” Reed’s voice is low in our ears. “We have company in town.”
I glance at Saylor and Lux, my eyes widening. My gut stirs with the knowledge that this was it, the moment we’d been preparing for, for days, and now, we’re stuck in the woods unable to help. Worse, the guys can’t rescue us anytime soon. The shouting gets closer and I instinctively take a step backward, farther into the cave. Right as I set my foot down, there’s a tug from underneath it. I glance down right as a snake starts to slither away. My mouth opens to scream, but Lux quickly covers my mouth with her hand, trapping the sound inside. Saylor pulls us both deeper into the cave, and we huddle together. I want to cry and laugh at the same time. It’s dark the farther inside we press our bodies, and lord only knows what else is crawling around inside here. I suddenly miss New York. I miss the time when things were not this complicated. And right as gunshots can be heard above us, I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing I was anywhere else in the world than right here.
Time creeps by. The air grows colder, and soon, the sun has set, and we’re still inside the cave. It’s been hours since Reed last talked to us. It’s finally quiet above us, yet the air still holds a tinge of the scent of gunpowder. The three of us sit huddled together completely still, not daring to move until we are told to do so.
“Lux!” Silas’ voice calls out in the darkness.
We get to our feet, and I ignore the sharp prickles of pain that travel up my legs in protest.
“We’re here!” Lux calls back, all three of us standing and waving our hands. There is the sound of brush being hit, then thumping against the rocks. For a brief moment, my heart surges in fear, that maybe we made a mistake, but then Silas’ head peers down at us. The look of relief in his eyes is evident, and I finally feel my own settle over me.
Silas helps us up, and I’m surprised to find he’s alone. I start to panic. “Kai?”
“He’s okay. Everyone is at Matt’s,” Silas explains, and he seems out of breath.
“How bad was it?” Saylor asks what we’re all thinking.
“It wasn’t good,” Silas grits out, his jaw hard with his hand clenched around Lux’s. “Reed managed to find out about Toronto. The guys who ambushed us here are a mix of ex-Rogue and who we’ve identified as The Establishment.”
“So the Rogue employees leaked the location.” Saylor thinks out loud and her voice gets thick with emotion. Silas’ jaw grinds, and he nods his head. No other words are needed. We follow him out of the woods to where his truck is waiting. Once the dome light in the cab of the truck pops on, we can really see Silas’ condition. Dirt, grime and blood streak his clothes and skin. His hair is damp and he smells faintly like sweat. Silas drives us through town and the place is a disaster. When we pass Rogue Auto Repair, we’re able to see where the real damage happened. The building is barely standing.
“What happened?” Lux breathes out, tears gathering on her lashes. Saylor clasps a hand over her mouth, and I move closer to her, gently rubbing her back.
“Bomb,” Silas responds, keeping his eyes focused on the road, as if it’s too painful to look at. “We had just walked out when it exploded. Whoever did it was waiting for us. Randy...he had gone back inside to grab his keys.”
“Oh my God,” Saylor cries harder, her body shuddering. I pull her close to me, rocking her back and forth. My heart is beating crazily in my hollow chest. I don’t know everyone in Rogue, but I can imagine how devastating this is. Only days before, they were dealing with the fallout of the bombing of Erika’s building and now another explosion in Savage Lakes.
“We moved all our targets. Reed and Kai are watching the security. It’s underground, with a newer system, so hopefully, The Establishment doesn’t know about it.”
“What happens next?” I ask, my voice strong despite today’s events.
“Matt and Jason want to move to the offense. We’ve been sitting and waiting, which has only turned us all into targets. When we get back, your mom has an idea.” Silas looks to Saylor, who nods. None of us speak the rest of the way back to Matt’s. By the time we get there, my jaw almost hits the floor. Bullet holes riddle the exterior. A small fire is in the process of being extinguished from the detached garage, and Mike is sitting in the grass, drinking water while Janise rubs his back gently.
Saylor jumps out of the truck before it’s fully stopped, right as Ciaran steps out of the garage, holding a box. The minute their eyes lock, they’re running toward each other. My insides squeeze, loving that my friend is so loved, while at the same time mourning that I don’t have that anymore. My eyes roam the area until I see my mom, dad and Ollie. Everyone looks exhausted and even haunted. I run over to them and they wrap me in hugs. I can finally breathe, the cave long forgotten for the moment.
“Oak.” I hear his voice from behind me. Goosebumps rise on my arms and my blood soars. Kai is standing off to the side, his shirt torn and dirty. Blood speckles his jeans and I don’t really want to think about where it came from. Even though I’m angry and uncertain about where our futures lie, he’s alive. Without thinking, I run to him. His arms are open and I leap into them, my arms winding around his neck, just as I have always done. He squeezes me tightly as if I’m a lifeline, and I burrow further into him, closing my eyes. I need this. I can feel his heart racing under his t-shirt, and his arms continue to tighten around me. So many things go unspoken, and right now, it’s okay. Just holding each other is good enough. Feeling the other living, breathing is all that matters.
Kai
In the past few months, I’ve complained a lot about the extra work and extra precautions we’ve set up. After today, I realize why Matt requires so much of us before we can officially take over Rogue someday. We were ambushed. On our own grounds. A few of our people are dead and bu
ildings are destroyed. People are scared. Targets are in real danger, and I know now why all the smallest details truly matter. I almost died twice today. Once when we left the building, seconds before the explosion, and again, when Reed contacted us to let us know the girls were followed into the woods and stranded.
The hours that followed were full of blood, confusion, and panic that I pushed down in order to make it through. I didn’t breathe until I saw Oaklynn again. I didn’t care that we had a mountain of lies and shit between us; I needed her. The minute she stepped into my arms, the world moved again, and I felt the peace I’d been missing all day. She was alive, unharmed, and so warm against my body.
Clean-up took almost all night. Matt finally corralled us all inside to discuss our next steps. He and Jason were planning something big. I could tell my boss was tired of the fight always landing at our doorstep. This time, it was a punch to the heart.
“New York,” Jason finished Matt’s sentence for him, as he was struggling over the words. We’re all quiet as we digest the information.
“So we’ll go to New York,” I reiterate, using my calm voice, because it looks like Ciaran might explode next. “And we have a way of finding The Establishment?”
“When I was with the DeMuccis, I heard where The Establishment was located. The families were racing to overtake them.” Kelly speaks up, her voice confident. I turn to look at Saylor’s mom, who’s already healing now that she’s here.
“Why?” Ciaran asks.
“The Establishment was zeroing in on Rogue. Both families knew this and both had someone they wanted found. I wasn’t giving them the information they needed and up until that point, Calvin hadn’t been giving the Connelys anything either. The Establishment was their only lead to beat the Connelys and gain power, if they managed to overtake The Establishment and us.”
“That’s how you got out.” Silas pieces it together rather than asking.
Kelly’s eyes soften when she looks at Silas and she nods. “Calvin decided to work with the Connelys, rendering me useless to the DeMuccis. They took me out of their compound to get rid of me. Luckily for me, I had pretty good defense training growing up.” She turns to wink at Matt who grins.
“He knew your time was running out. The Establishment was making too big of waves, and the families were worried if they didn’t get to us before The Establishment, eventually they would become dependent on them,” I guess. Kelly nods as if she came to the same conclusion. Jason instinctively steps closer to her, his arm wrapping around her waist.
“But why New York?” Ciaran asks, his hand rubbing over his face.
I smirk. “Why? Not ready for round two of Saylor’s Spiderman-wannabe- ex?”
Ciaran shoots me a death look, which only makes both Silas and I howl with laughter. It also seems to be the only thing that eases some of the tension in the room. The only person who doesn’t seem to enjoy my humor is Ollie, but knowing how close he is to Aimsworth, I’d guess he’d have to take his side.
“Because of this guy,” Matt says, stepping forward and pinning an aged photo on the wall. “Donald Reddington McAlister. Red to his friends. In 1974, there was an operation in Toronto, where Rogue interfered to help an orphanage of children who were being sold on the black market. The place was run by the McAlisters. Martha swore the children were being placed with families who couldn’t afford the country’s adoption rates. They would fake a sale and send the child with a family. Martha didn’t know her husband, Leonard, was selling them on the side for other reasons. Donald was questioned back then and said both his parents were innocent. Leonard knew the officials were on to him, so he burned the building to the ground, killing everyone inside, including his wife. He only saved Donald to groom him in order to take over. Rogue interfered and tried to hide Donald, but he refused. He was only in the program for a few months. He was just over sixteen, which used to be the age where teens could decide to opt out. Donald blamed Rogue for exposing his family. Claimed we didn’t help people but destroyed them.”
“So this is why we barely have a record of Donald. Obviously, he ended up using his nickname instead of his given name and then changed his last name. Donald now lives in New York. His daughter in-law.” Jason pins up the next picture, and there is a collective gasp in the room.
“Mrs. Aimsworth? Nash’s mother?” Saylor croaks out, turning to her mom. Kelly’s face is grim, but she manages a nod to her daughter.
“I was shocked too. But so many things made sense after we made this connection,” Kelly explains, her own eyes filling with tears.
“Guess the apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.” All eyes shoot to Silas. “Red claimed his parents were innocent, yet we all know what The Establishment is doing. He’s brought, not only his son in, but also his daughter in-law. My guess is Leonard had already been grooming his son and Donald decided to continue the family business, once our suspicions were off of him.”
“That explains why Nash was so adamant about saving me that night. Why he’s worried about Saylor. He knows what would happen to her if his mom got to her,” Lux adds.
My gaze slides to Ciaran, who looks ready to bust out of his skin. He pulls Saylor into him, as if Nash will show up any second and try to pry her from his fingers. Poor Nash doesn’t stand a chance. Even dead, I don’t think my best friend will let his girl go.
“Nash knows what his mom has been doing. If Mr. Aimsworth is in on it too, I don’t know, but he is on the funding side,” Ollie interjects. And we all turn to look at him. Mrs. Saffran reaches for her son, concern etched on her face. Matt watches them, before nodding his head in thought.
“So we know the money source, the location, and the backstory. In the end, everything leads to New York. So, we can either wait for them to try again here, or attack them there. Kell, this used to be your strong suit, what’s your opinion?” Matt asks.
Kelly’s face goes from shocked to a mischievous smile. “You’re asking me for once?” Matt nods and Jason laughs. “Usually, I’d say beat them on our turf, but in this case, we don’t have the upper hand. They already have our information. One of our own deleted Donald’s file. I think we have to go to New York.”
“I think she’s right.” Silas steps forward. “We need to act out of the ordinary to regain what we lost. They think they have our playbook.”
“And the sports analogies come out,” I joke, and Silas elbows me in the side. I momentarily lose my breath but manage to breathe through it.
“Vote,” Matt announces. “All in favor of New York.” Silence fills the room as every person inside our tiny little space raises their hand. Even Reed, who’s sitting behind the computer desk, has his hand raised. My chest swells with pride, and I get that adrenaline rush from knowing we’re about to do something great, something life-changing inside Rogue. “Guess there’s no reason to ask about the other option. Let’s get packed up. Dad and Mom, can you help make the travel arrangements? Valerie, I’m going to need a full rundown on everything about the Aimsworth home. Ollie, can you help?”
Everyone is given their orders, and soon, we’re all moving in different directions. I don’t get another chance to talk to Oaklynn. I barely see her from the time we leave the basement until I’m boarding a helicopter at a local hospital. Part of me is devastated and the other part of me believes this is for the best. Being Rogue always comes with danger. I risk my life daily and it’s not fair of me to expect her to be okay with that. Right now, I need to concentrate on the mission and ignore the panging in my heart that is telling me I need to trust her. There will be time when I get back; I’m sure of it.
Kai
It’s true when they say New York is the city that never sleeps. It’s also the city that never stops moving. People come and go, in and out of bars, across streets, through downtown, headed uptown; they move constantly, making this the perfect city to walk through invisibly. So many faces and no way to sort through them all. It’s perfect for this mission. There are so many ways in
and out of the city, and the state, that traveling undetected was clean and simple.
Our small team arrived in two waves, just hours apart. I arrived first, with Matt and Silas. Ollie had reached out to Nash beforehand, and we were given specific instructions on where to meet him. Our team’s responsibility was to set up security in the area and start monitoring. Reed was talking in my earpiece and giving me instructions, so he could get the best visual of the area and find all our escape routes. Everything needed to be set up for when Ciaran and Jason arrived to meet with Nash. Molly had also traveled with them, but was only going so far and then hanging back in the off chance we needed medical attention.
As promised, we were up and running by the time Ci and Jason arrived. “Looking good,” I murmur to them in their earpieces, and I see Jason’s lips twitch just the slightest. Neither of them looks in our direction, but we each indicate that we’re ready. Getting on my belly, I shimmy up to my rifle and look through the scope, right as Jason rings the bell. Ciaran does a security check. In a couple minutes, a burly man in a jogging suit answers the door and ushers our guys inside.
“Got em’.” Matt’s voice clips over the earpiece. I close my eyes and think about the blueprint of the building. If Matt can see them then that means they made it to the elevator and are going up to Nash’s floor.
I move my scope up to the top of the building and focus on the window in the hallway. The elevator door opens, and Jason steps out first, the burly guy second then Ciaran. Ci flashes a signal, telling us that two other guards are in the hallway. I’m hoping Silas is making a note of all of this. Burly guy knocks on the door and Nash answers. The dude looks like he’s dressed for a runway fashion show. I’m pretty sure his three-piece suit alone costs more than my mom’s house. Before they can even step into the apartment, Ciaran lands a swift uppercut to Nash’s jaw. Everyone scrambles in the hallway, ready to tear them apart; weapons are drawn and I’m on high alert, my finger hovering over the trigger, the safety already switched off.
