Chapter Forty #2
But the hard truth is that having any kind of relationship with Trevel Fenwick would require a fuckload of patience and understanding that I’m not sure I’m capable of giving.
My black-and-white emotions would need to discover gray for him.
I’m staring helplessly at Felix when Ren and Dash come traipsing over, holding out rifles for us to take.
“All good?” Ren asks, possibly noting the dismal look on my face.
I push past it and nod, taking the AR-15 he’s handing me.
Dash gives an AK-47 to a visibly hesitant Felix. “You ever shot one before?”
“I understand the premise,” he grumbles, and Dash chuckles. “I’ll probably just stick with my hunting knife.”
“No arguments here,” Rook looks up from what he’s doing to smirk.
A phone rings, and we all freeze. Mostly us prisoners, because we never hear that sound anymore.
Joy pulls a cellphone out of her pocket, checking the screen before answering quickly. “Hi! It’s so good to hear from you…” She paces over to Rook, Velle and Kemper following closely. “Yea, we’re alright. Exhausted and stressed, but hey… Who isn’t, right?”
She chuckles while the rest of us exchange puzzled looks.
“He’s right here. Hang on, I’m gonna put you on speaker.” Joy taps the screen, holding the phone out in front of her, specifically aiming it toward Rook. “Alright, the gang’s all here, Mr. Samuels!”
“Thank you, darling,” the deep voice of an older man comes over the speakerphone. “And please, I’ve told you, call me Keith.”
Joy chuckles, and Velle smirks.
“Hey, Dad.” Rook sighs, an immediate calm settling over his features and a pretty adorable grin tugging at his lips. “How are you and Mom? And Kira??”
Rook’s dad… How cute.
“We’re fine, don’t worry about us,” Mr. Samuels says, sounding every bit like the stern yet polite and supportive Midwestern father we all assumed Rook was raised by. “Your mother just wants to know if you’re drinking enough water. That goes for Joy and John, too. And whoever else is there.”
Kemper is chuckling as my eyes glide to the guys. Felix and Dash are grinning. Ren pouts and whispers, “Aww! He sounds so North Dakota!”
“Shh. Drink your water.” Luthor smirks at him.
“You got it, Dad.” Rook’s excitement fades into the serious pretty fast. “So… what’s the word?”
Mr. Samuels rumbles, “There’s been a new… development.”
It’s clear that most of them know what this conversation is about. Pretty much everyone is zoned in on the call, except me, Luthor, and Ren.
“Is it about the girl?” Velle barks, wedging up close to Rook, huddling by the phone as if this is very important to him. Whatever it is…
At that, realization dawns visibly on Ren. His eyes widen, and he steps over to Rook, like he’s also invested in what his dad is saying.
What’s going on?? I’m lost.
“Yea,” Mr. Samuels sighs. “She’s dead.”
Velle’s face falls, harder than the rest of theirs, though they’re all clearly shocked by this news.
“What girl??” I whisper to Dash, who shushes me.
“Are you sure?” Velle frowns at the phone, forehead lined in confusion. He peeks at Ren.
“For how long?” Rook asks, equally puzzled.
“My guys found the death certificate and some hospital files,” his dad explains. “Minimal info, but according to that, she died in Vegas a few years back of drug-related complications .”
Velle runs his hands through his hair, while Rook and Joy watch him. “Well, there goes that theory,” he mutters.
Ren is staring off into space.
“Whoever was in there disappeared during the storm, anyway,” Joy murmurs to Kemper. “We haven’t been able to locate anyone…”
“Unless she’s in the mansion,” Dr. Love jumps in, and they all glance at him.
Okay, who the hell are they talking about?? And since when is there another “she” anywhere on this island??
“Doesn’t matter now,” Velle snaps, clearly frustrated. “If it wasn’t Alvarez, then who the hell was it??”
“There’s more,” Rook’s dad reclaims their attention. “Turns out, she has a twin brother.”
“A twin… brother?” Rook’s brow furrows.
Velle looks even more confused now.
“Yea,” Mr. Samuels says as Jasper’s walkie-talkie starts going off and he staggers off to answer it. “We’re still digging, but I’ll update you as soon as we get more.”
“Okay, thanks, Dad,” Rook sighs. Velle is pacing, rubbing his eyes while Jasper stalks back over, signaling that he needs them. “We have to run right now.”
“Stay safe, Harley.” His father’s voice is laced with concern, and it aches my chest to hear.
What would it be like to have parents who actually gave a crap about my well-being?
“I will,” Rook answers. “I love you, Dad. Tell Mom and Kira I love them too.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Samuels,” Velle hums.
“What did I say?” he teases, and Velle chuckles. “ Keith .”
“I dunno if I can do that.” Velle grins.
“You better, or I’ll force you to call me Dad.” The smile is audible in Keith’s voice.
Rook laughs, and I think Velle is actually blushing.
Breathing out hard, my head is circling that baffling phone call. Ren is still frowning at nothing as I grab his arm. “What the hell was that about?”
It takes him a moment, but eventually he murmurs, “I got intel from Carson…”
My forehead lines. “From the control room?”
He nods. “The Ivory was holding a woman in the prison, keeping it on the hush-hush. But that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge on it…”
“So then what’s all this about a dead girl and her twin brother…?” My words trail as something sticks in my mind.
Trevel’s girlfriend… Alice. She had a twin brother. Andres.
He said they were Colombian…
Andres killed Alice. Trevel killed Andres.
And The Ivory brought Trevel here because he thought he’d killed… someone else.
“Velle found out about someone from The Ivory’s past and thought maybe that was her,” Felix tells me. “But I guess not if she’s dead.”
I can’t help how I’m just staring blankly. This is a lot of information, and I’m not really sure what any of it means, or how it fits into our situation.
But I don’t have time to think about it. Because there’s commotion happening around Velle.
“Talk to me, Bren,” Velle asks into the walkie. “What do you see?”
“An SUV,” Brenner’s voice comes in choppy. “On the east. It’s headed our way.
With one nod from Velle, Rook, and Joy’s rifles are immediately in hand, and they move to guard the doors. Everyone else rushes around, taking weapons and getting into position. My heart rate jacks in an instant, the adrenaline from before returning swiftly.
Oh God, here we go…
“Just one?” Velle keeps talking to Brenner, our lookout on the prison roof.
“Looks that way,” he replies. “They’re kinda… driving erratically. Oh, shit!”
“What?!” Velle barks, dashing to the back.
“They’re off the road!” Brenner shouts. “Are they drunk?! Jesus … They’re gonna hit a damn tree!”
Rifle slung over my shoulder, I decide to cover Velle at the back lookout point, which is really just a hole in the wall the size of a small window. Velle is aiming his scope through it to check the direction this drunk driver, or whoever the hell, might be coming.
“What the hell…” Dash grunts from behind me.
“You got eyes on ’em?” Brenner asks. “They disappeared into the trees.”
“I can’t see shit,” Velle growls.
“They’ve gotta be on foot,” Brenner says. “Linetti, you see anything?”
Linetti’s voice chimes in over the walkie. “I think I can make someone out, but I don’t have a clean shot…”
“Who is it??” Velle hisses.
“I dunno… but I think they’re coming your way.”
There are a few uneasy moments of suspense while we all wait for a potential attack. The whole place is silent, with nothing but breathing to be heard as we listen for any impending sounds of an ambush. Eventually, light footsteps come through the woods.
Velle holds up his index finger, signaling that it’s just one person. I suck in a breath, attempting to calm myself down and focus. We’re all ready, but the fear is palpable.
What if it’s a distraction? Or a suicide bomber or something… You never know.
The footsteps approach slowly, until they’re within a few feet of the armory walls. And then they stop.
“Come on, prick…” Velle grouses under his breath. “Fuck around and find out.”
“Officer Chevelle?” a voice calls.
My stomach drops.
“Holy shit…” Dash says the words I can’t get out.
“Jesus Christ… Fenwick?? ” Velle barks.
“Um, yes, uh-huh,” Trevel stammers. “It’s me.”
“You got a death wish or something?!” Velle snaps.
“I’d prefer not to answer that right now,” he replies with his usual brand of secret snark, carefully disguised by the accent.
Just hearing his voice and knowing he’s out there is swarming me with too many things.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Joy hisses to us.
Everyone stares at me. My mouth is hanging open, eyes wide as I simply shrug. “How the hell would I know??”
Velle’s glare is on me for a couple of extra studious seconds before he grumbles, “Son of a bitch,” then turns back to his scope. “If he sent you, you’re about to die slow. Was it worth it?”
“That’s a lovely sentiment,” Trevel says. “But no, he didn’t send me. Though I imagine he’ll be on his way when he realizes what I took…”
Velle’s gaze, pressed up to his scope, narrows. “Oh yea? And what’s that?”
“I’ve brought you something, Officer,” Trevel rumbles. “Something that… belongs to him. Something that will undoubtedly help you win.”
“Spill it,” Velle growls. “Or I’ll put a bullet in your favorite ass cheek.”
“Oh, please don’t shoot Byron,” he whines.
Dash snorts, and my jaw clenches.
Enough.
I shove Velle aside to seethe through the hole. “What the fuck do you want , Trevel??”
He goes quiet for a moment. I peer out into the forest, but I can’t see him. “I… I need to talk to you.”
“So talk,” I grunt.
He’s quiet again. “Can I… Can I see you?”
“Come on out,” I goad, nervous uncertainty gripping my chest when I see Velle’s finger ghosting over the trigger.
“Is… Officer Chevelle going to shoot me?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, tell him not to.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” I bite out of frustration.