Chapter Nine
Sawyer
“Tell me again why we are sitting out here like we can’t just tap into the cameras?” I ask Damon. Matteo is sitting in the back seat waiting for the okay to storm inside and drag this doctor out here. I don’t think he knows that isn’t happening today.
“We need to get his schedule,” Damon says.
“Why don’t we just go to his house and kill him tonight?” Matteo asks. I’ve thought the same thing, we never drag out a job this long. I don’t understand what is so special about Dr. Adam Epson.
“There’s something different about this one,” Damon says without explaining.
“I thought you didn’t want to know the details of our targets,” I raise my eyebrow.
“When the person setting up the hit threatens me, there has to be something significant about the person wanting the hit,” Damon explains.
“ You don’t think it’s the husband?” I ask.
“ Of course, I think it’s the husband, but who is the
husband is the question, and who does this middle person think he is to threaten me,” Damon’s eyes darken. I’ve never seen him get upset about a job before. Anytime someone threatens Damon or any of us we usually just kill them. Maybe that’s why he is trying so hard to figure out who this person is .
“How long do you have to get the job done?” I ask. Matteo looks at me and narrows his eyes and then looks at Damon.
“ As long as I want,” Damon smirks.
“ We aren’t killing this fuck tonight?” Matteo pouts his lip.
“What the fuck,” Damon says plainly.
“I’m just saying,” Matteo starts.
“No, what is Ryker doing here?” Damon interrupts. We both snap our heads in the direction of the door. Ryker is smiling and walking down the steps.
“Let’s find out,” Matteo nudges my shoulder and I pull the car up to the front of the building.
“Get in,” Damon demands. I can see the color drain from Ryker’s face when he notices us in the car. He listens to Damon and sits next to Matteo.
“Listen I can explain,” Ryker starts. Damon ignores him, but I look back at him through the rearview mirror.
“ Please do,” Matteo nudges.
“ My father made me start therapy again.”
“Are you not one of us?” Damon finally speaks up. I feel for Ryker because no one wants to be under Damon’s attention, especially when he is in a mood.
“Of course I am,” Ryker pleads. “I wasn’t sure you would approve of it so I,”
“I would advise you not to finish that sentence,” Damon urges.
Ryker looks between all of us and then it clicks. “What were you guys doing out front anyway? Were you following me? ”
M atteo pats Ryker's shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself.
We're working.”
“Now you’re working as well,” Damon adds. I pull into the motel and we all go into Damon’s room. “How many sessions do you have?”
“This was my first one. I’ll be going weekly for two hours,” Ryker says. I sit at the table and work on my laptop. I’ve been so busy with Max Penfield and now this Adam Epson that I haven’t had time to research more on Sarah.
“ Who do you see?” Damon asks.
“Dr. Thornton, why?” Ryker sits across from me and faces Matteo lounging on the bed. Damon leans against the dresser and tilts his head to the side.
“ Did you see an Adam Epson?” Damon asks.
“Not in person, but I think that was one of the names on the doors I passed. Is that who the next job is?”
“I guess so,” Matteo nudges and lights a cigarette.
“What about Max Penfield?” Ryker asks.
“ He is still on the list. Epson is a paid job, but
something is off about it. They want proof of the affair which makes sense if the person asking for this is married to the woman sleeping with Epson. It also means they have something to lose if they need that.”
Matteo cuts in. “I thought we were here to just kill them. Why go through all that trouble?”
“Twenty thousand. That’s why,” Damon crosses his arms and waits for everyone's reaction. I knew this was a big job when he explained everything, but I didn’t know it was that big .
“If we do this then we won't have to do any more side jobs for a while. We could focus on our main mission,” Ryker says excitedly.
“Exactly why you’re going to change doctors and get more dirt on this guy,” Damon says.
“ Was my research not enough?” I ask.
“Awe is someone’s feelings hurt?” Matteo laughs. “Did we already get half up front?” he asks.
“Yes, but after bailing your ass out, we are down a
grand.”
“ You got arrested?” Ryker asks. I shake my head at him so Damon won’t get started. He is already on edge lately. We have been at a standstill with our main mission and I think it’s finally getting to him. I know he doesn’t like to stand on the sidelines and that’s why I’m pushing Penfield on him, but he seems more interested in Epson.
“ When is your next appointment?”
“Next week,” Ryker looks down at a card and flips it over. “Monday at noon,” he adds.
“Perfect, you can switch to see Dr. Epson then,” Damon says and walks over to the nightstand to grab a cigarette.
“I don’t know if they will let me, but I’ll try.”
“Bingo,” I blurt.
“ What?” Matteo asks. I look over at Damon before
telling him that I finally found another breadcrumb on Sarah.
“I might have found the last trace of Sarah.” I watch Damon slowly turn around and walk over to me. I know, no matter how much he tries to hide it that he is obsessed with this girl. He may seem like he doesn’t care, but the way he pushes me to find anything about her begs to differ .
“Show me,” he demands.
“Clara Baker was placed in this family,” I start.
“Who the hell is Clara Baker?” Damon asks.
“If you let me finish, I was going to show you that Clara Baker was placed in the same family Sarah was in. It looks like they both aged out, or that’s at least what it says.”
“ What do you mean?” Ryker asks.
“If the ages on Clara’s files are right then she wouldn’t have aged out the same time as Sarah. She was seven years younger than her.”
“What does this Clara girl have anything to do with Sarah?” Damon asks.
“Sounds like Miss Baker is keeping some secrets,” Matteo teases.
“I mean kind of. If we find Clara then we may find Sarah, or at least find out more information,” I shrug.
“You truly think she didn’t change her name like Sarah did?” Ryker asks. He has a good point, but the paper trail on this woman is perfection. If she changed her identity, then someone kept her old one going. Unless it's all fake to throw people off.
“Find her,” Damon says before storming out of the room. Ryker and Matteo look at each other and then me before following Damon outside. He is a great guy when his head is in the right place. I’d like to think we all are, but when it comes to Sarah. I think we all have been looking for someone that belongs with us. Even though we have never met her, I know she is one of us. Clara Baker, I’m going to find you, and when I do, I’ll find our Sarah and take her where she belongs. We will bring her home.