But after today he was finally realizing how fucking tired he was of it all. It wasn’t just going on the run. It was everything. After seeing Veronica ready to kill Harold, it had hit him how much the world had changed and not for the better. He was tired of living in a world where it was kill or be killed.
Maybe Darren and his group had the right of it. They didn’t have to be on the offensive here. They could sit back and see who these people were before they made a move.
“You’re gonna hang back and watch them,” Malcolm said and he wasn’t surprised at the incredulous looks on their faces. “There aren't enough of them to pose a real threat. They don’t have any back up. We go out there armed to the teeth, it’s gonna be a bloodbath. I don’t want that to happen and I know neither do you.”
Malcolm looked out at the water where the boat was growing in size as it closed in on the island.
“I know this sounds crazy but after today we need to start considering that not everyone is out to get us. Look at what we gained today because the people in Port Meyer were willing to give us a chance.”
“He’s right,” Mendez said. “We should see who they are before we do anything. For all we know that’s Angela’s uncle or some of the other agents that were supposed to come here.”
“Veronica and Claudia go into the boathouse,” Malcolm said. “They might go straight inside it so you’ll have eyes on them. Jackson, Mendez, Quinton, Nas, spread out along the treeline to cover the dock. Trey, I want you back on the path but keep an eye on the dock. Anything goes wrong, you go back to the lodge and get the kids and the others to Craig on the boat.”
They didn’t protest and headed off to take up their positions. Angela moved up beside him. “What do you want me to do?”
“We’re going to go out there to wait for them,” Malcolm said. “I figure if it’s someone from the Omega, they’re bound to recognize you.”
“You sure about that?” Angela asked, eyeing the boat with worry.
“Trust me,” Malcolm replied, not without a hint of irony. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked out of the trees, Angela following behind.
As he stepped onto the weathered planks of the dock, he realized that he could be very well walking to his death. They would be an easy target but somewhere deep inside, that gut feeling that he had relied on in his work, told him that he’d be alright.
He was doing the right thing by giving these strangers the chance to prove everything he’d learned on the road wrong. There were good people out there and they needed to give them a chance.
He walked to the end of the dock and stood there, hands on his hips, and waited. He watched the boat grow in size as it neared the island and soon he could hear the roar of its engine over the water.
Sitting in the captain’s seat was a stocky man with dark hair and beside him was a lanky teenage boy with the same dark hair. He could see that there were others in the stern but the seats were too low for him to make out their features. The good news was that no one in the boat made a move to threaten them. He saw no guns raised in their direction, only the shift of the bow as they steered towards the dock.
The man cut the engine as they neared the dock and Malcolm gave them a wave of his hand.
“What brings you around here?” Malcolm called out.
“We’re looking for someone,” the man called back.
Angela stepped up and eyed them. “How many roses did you buy your wife last Valentine’s Day?”
The man frowned and glanced back at his companions. A woman stood up behind him, her long dark hair waving in the breeze. She grabbed a hold of the captain’s chair as the boat bobbed on the waves, drifting closer to the dock.
“He got me a bouquet of daisies,” she told them. “Why would you need to know that?”
“They’re not Omega,” Angela said lowly.
Well, they might not be Omega but he got the sense that they weren’t a threat either.
“You said you were looking for someone,” he called out. “Who are you looking for?”
“A man named Malcolm Evans.”
His stomach curled at the sound of his name on this stranger’s lips. How could they possibly know his name? He had no idea who they were.
“Why are you looking for him?” he asked.
Movement at the back of the boat caught his eye and he saw a young boy around the twin’s age standing up and helping someone else to their feet.
“Because he told me this island was the only safe place left in the world.”
Even at this distance, Malcolm recognized the man that stood at the stern of the boat. His arm was in cast and he had grown a tawny coloured beard over his straight jaw but Malcolm knew who he was without a doubt.
“Travis!”
To Be Continued in...
The Complex
Book 3 in The Omega Protocol Chronicles
Available in 2017
About the Author
Growing up in a tiny Canadian town, Courtney McPhail learned from an early age that her imagination was the best, and sometimes only, source of entertainment. Writing had always been something she had done for her own personal enjoyment. It wasn't until she hit the big 3-0 and went through an existential crisis that she realized writing could be a career.
She currently resides in Toronto, enjoying the big city life while still maintaining her small town girl charm. When she isn't working on her latest novel, she can be found enjoying a hike through the Don Valley Hills near her home. More recently, since discovering Netflix, she can usually be found on her couch, binging on various television shows.
To sign-up for her newsletter to receive the latest new releases, please visit her website at www.courtneymcphail.com
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