Chapter 29 #2
Carrie’s feet are poking out from under the blanket, cold and a little red from the chill in the outbuilding. I settle down on the floor beside her and gently rub them between my palms, trying to bring some warmth back. She laughs softly, and her shoulders drop a little as I work.
Nico comes over, a small glass bottle in hand. “We grabbed this at the market on the way back. Said it’s good for your nerves,” he says, handing it to Carrie. “Figured you could use something sweet.”
She takes it with both hands, her eyes going soft. “Thank you, Nico.” She unscrews the lid and sips, closing her eyes at the taste.
After Carrie settles in and Nico sits down beside her, I stand and catch Jace’s eye. He’s still lingering by the door, arms folded, gaze distant. I walk over and lower my voice. “Is there something you wanted to say?”
Jace glances at me, shakes his head, then looks away. “No, it’s nothing.” He runs a hand through his hair and changes the subject. “What did Wilson have for us?”
I keep my answer tight. “He’s got some contacts in town. He’s going to talk to a guy in IT, see if he can dig up anything on Rodriguez. Said if we can prove the feds set us up, we’ve got a chance. Otherwise, we’re screwed.”
Jace snorts. “We can’t trust Wilson. He’s scared, and he’ll say anything to save his own ass. If Rodriguez so much as breathes down his neck, he’ll flip.”
I nod, knowing he’s probably right. “So what do you want to do?”
Jace finally looks at me, his jaw tight. “We need our own plan. Something solid. If Wilson comes through, great, but we can’t hang our whole future on a guy who left us the second things got tough.”
I look over my shoulder at Carrie and Marcy on the couch, Nico watching them, and Whale at the window. The whole world feels like it’s balanced on a thread.
Jace’s voice is low but sure. “We have to be ready for anything. That’s how we stay alive.”
I meet his gaze and nod, feeling that old, familiar determination settle in my chest. “You’re right,” I say.
We’re still standing near the door when Marcy walks by, rubbing her arms. She looks distracted, almost nervous.
Jace stops her. “Hey, Marcy. Can I see your phone for a second?”
She jumps a little at the question, then recovers quickly. “It’s out of charge. Sorry.” She gives him a quick, uneasy smile and moves toward the couch again.
Jace just nods, but I see the suspicion flicker in his eyes. I watch the exchange in silence, my own brow furrowing. Something about the whole thing feels off, but before I can ask, Jace turns back to me.
“So,” I say, dropping my voice, “what’s the plan?”
Jace doesn’t hesitate. “Like I said, we can’t count on Wilson to get us what we need.
We have to get close to Rodriguez ourselves.
He keeps coming back to the clubhouse, right?
We watch him. We find out where he’s staying, follow him if we have to.
If he meets with anyone, we get it on video, pictures—whatever proof we can find. ”
He glances toward the window, his jaw set. “We know he’s hiding something. If we can get real evidence—anything that ties him to Jinn or shows he’s been working off the books—we take it straight to someone outside town. Not local cops, I’m sure he’s got them on a leash.”
Nico comes over, catching the tail end of Jace’s words. He folds his arms, looking between us. “Don’t leave me out of it,” he says quietly. “If you’re making plans, I’m in.”
Jace gives a tired nod. “We don’t have anything concrete yet. Just ideas.”
I shake my head, frustration gnawing at me. “We can’t afford to follow Rodriguez around. We don’t have the manpower or the time. If we’re out in town, someone’s going to spot us.”
Nico glances at the window, voice flat. “Sooner or later, Rodriguez will come sniffing around here again. He’s not going to let go.”
Jace’s eyes narrow with a new spark. “Or we bluff our way through,” he says, looking at both me and Nico. “One of us could go straight to Rodriguez. Drop just enough hints to make him think we’ve got the dirt. Blindside him. Make him sweat.”
Nico raises an eyebrow, not sure if Jace is serious. “You mean go right at him? Just tell him we know what he’s done?”
Jace nods. “He won’t know how much we really have. If we can rattle him, maybe he slips. Says something stupid. Or runs.”
I lean back against the wall, thinking it through. It’s risky. Rodriguez is dangerous, but it’s better than waiting around, hoping for a miracle. “If we do it, we have to be smart. No threats, just facts. Make him believe we’re holding something bigger.”
Jace looks me straight in the eye. “We don’t have forever to wait. Sooner or later, it’s him or us.”
Nico looks between us, then nods. “If we’re going to do this, we need to plan every word.”
I cross my arms, staring at the floor, trying to poke holes in Jace’s idea. Bluffing Rodriguez feels like a last resort, but the truth is we’re running out of options. There’s no safer way. There’s just the best bad choice.
Nico steps forward, voice even. “I’ll do it. He already knows my face. If he’s going to come after anyone, might as well be me.”
I look at my brother, worry gnawing at my gut. “Nico, this isn’t just a cop we’re dealing with. He’s a fed, and he’s desperate. If you walk in there, he could—”
Jace interrupts, meeting Nico’s eyes. “You sure about this?”
Nico nods. “I know how to keep my cool. And if we’re going to scare Rodriguez, it has to be believable. You two keep watch. If anything feels off, you come get me.”
My hands ball into fists. The thought of letting my twin face Rodriguez alone makes my stomach churn, but I don’t see another way. I can only nod, jaw tight. “We stick to the plan. No heroics.”
Jace claps Nico on the shoulder. “We’ll be right behind you. If Rodriguez makes a move, we end it—fast.”
Nico glances at me, a crooked grin on his face. “Relax, Levi. I’ll come back in one piece.”
He says it lightly, but I can see the nerves in his eyes. I squeeze his arm and try to believe it.
With Whale’s help, we spend the next day tailing Rodriguez, hoping he’ll give us something.
Whale keeps us at a distance, making sure we’re not seen.
Rodriguez visits the sheriff’s office, grabs coffee at the diner, checks into the motel on Main—but nothing out of the ordinary.
He never meets with anyone suspicious or lets down his guard.
By the time dusk rolls around, we know we’re out of time. We gather behind the outbuilding to go over the plan one last time.
Nico will approach Rodriguez in public, in broad daylight, where he’s least likely to pull anything stupid. He’ll hint that we know about the tip-off, the phone calls with Jinn, and the night Jinn vanished. He’ll mention Marcy’s blurry photo and let Rodriguez think we have more than we really do.
Meanwhile, Jace and I will keep watch nearby, ready to step in if Rodriguez tries to get rough or run. Whale will hang back as backup, engine running, in case we need a quick exit.
The goal is to rattle Rodriguez, force him to slip up, maybe even offer a bribe or confess just enough for us to record it. All we need is one mistake—one sign he’s not as clean as he pretends.
Nico looks calm, but I know him too well. He’s nervous. We all are.
I clap him on the shoulder and give him a look that says everything I can’t say out loud. “You got this.”
He nods once, takes a steady breath, and heads out into the fading light, ready to face whatever comes.
Just before dark, Whale comes back from a loop around town with news. “A couple of locals say Rodriguez has been seen at Lucky’s Bar more than once. He parks in the back lot, keeps to himself. If we’re going to catch him off guard, that’s the place.”
We move fast. Nico zips up his jacket while Jace tests the recorder, the little red light blinking in his palm.
We strap it under Nico’s shirt, checking the mic twice, making sure the battery’s full.
The whole thing feels familiar—too familiar.
I remember the night the ATF swooped in on us, that same taste of risk and desperation.
Feels like we’ve been here before, circling back to the start.
Nico rolls his shoulders, trying to act relaxed. “Guess it’s my turn to walk into the fire.”
Carrie stands by the door, wringing her hands. Her eyes are worried, voice soft but trembling. “Are you sure this is the only way? There has to be another option. What if something goes wrong?”
Nico tries to give her a smile, but it’s strained. “There isn’t another way. If we don’t try this, we’re finished. We can’t run forever, Carrie.”
Jace puts a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be close. If anything happens, we get him out. But we need this—just one slip from Rodriguez, that’s all it takes.”
I look at Carrie, trying to reassure her even if I’m not convinced myself. “It’ll be quick. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Carrie hugs Marcy to her side, biting her lip. She wants to argue, but she sees the resolve in our faces. In the end, she just nods, her eyes shining with fear.
The sky is darkening as we step outside, headlights casting long shadows across the lot. The bikes are lined up, their chrome catching the last of the light. The air is heavy with pine and earth, a shortcut winding through the woods toward Lucky’s Bar.
Before we climb on, Carrie steps in front of us.
She stands there for a second, searching each of our faces.
Then she wraps her arms around my neck, pressing a kiss to my mouth that sends a jolt right through me.
She moves to Nico next, cradling his jaw to give him a kiss, then Jace.
She kisses him softly, lingering just a heartbeat longer than I expect.
Whale stands off to the side, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. He mutters under his breath, “When did that happen?” The question is half amusement, half genuine curiosity.
A slow smile spreads on Carrie’s lips, but she says nothing. The truth is out in the open now, with no one bothering to hide or explain. For a moment, everything is honest—nothing left unspoken between us.
The tension I’ve carried for months dissolves into the night air. I look at Carrie, wanting to say more, to tell her how I really feel. “Carrie, I—”
But she shakes her head, her eyes shining. “We’ll talk when you come back,” she says, her voice gentle but firm.
I watch her for a moment, committing every detail to memory. When I turn, Nico and Jace are watching me. There’s no resentment in their faces—just understanding, and something like peace. Whatever we are now, it’s not broken.
It’s as if, ever since that night we all escaped together, and that tangled night in the dark, something inside us has settled. Since learning about the baby, we’ve stopped fighting for pieces of her and just chosen to share the weight.
We head outside, the bikes lined up under the old oak, their chrome cold in the moonlight.
There’s a shortcut through the woods behind the property, just wide enough for us to ride side by side and keep out of sight from the main road.
We roll the bikes onto the path, the leaves crunching under our tires, engines turned low so we don’t give ourselves away.
As we ride, my stomach knots with guilt. I keep glancing at Nico, watching the set of his jaw, the way his hands grip the bars. I’m sending my twin into danger and it gnaws at me. I should have insisted on going in his place. But I know Nico—he’d never let me.
The woods close in around us, the world quiet except for the thrum of engines and the steady beat of my own heart. I ride close, making silent promises. Just one more time, let us all make it out. Let me come back to her. Let us find some peace.
We’re halfway down the wooded shortcut when Jace suddenly cuts his engine, coasting to a stop on the gravel. The silence is loud in the darkness, only the chirr of insects filling the air.
I glance back, confused. “What’s up?”
Jace pushes his visor up, his face tight. “I just remembered—I left something behind.”
I stare at him. “You’re joking, right? What did you leave?”
He shakes his head. “You guys go ahead. I’ll join you shortly.” He swings the bike around and disappears back up the trail, leaving me and Nico blinking in the half-light.
“What the fuck?” Nico mutters, irritation and nerves mixing in his voice.
There’s no time to puzzle over it. The rumble of another engine cuts through the air. At the edge of the lot, Rodriguez’s dark sedan swings in, headlights flashing through the trees as he parks under a broken streetlight.
Nico’s hand goes to the recorder at his chest, steady now, all hesitation gone. I watch him square his shoulders. He nods once at me, and I can see he’s already slipped into the role, ready to bluff for all our lives.
I slide back behind a thick pine, barely breathing as Rodriguez steps out of the car, scanning the shadows. Nico waits until the timing is right, then steps into the glow of the headlights.
It’s showtime.