19. CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19
Cassidy
"This isn't up for discussion!" I snap at Graham. "I know what Tim did, and I won't stand in the way of justice. He needs to pay for his crimes. But you have to understand that he and I used to be close once. The least I can do is bring him some of his own stuff. I'll stop by his apartment and pack him a bag. I'll be quick."
"You don't owe him anything," Graham growls.
I don't want to have this argument with him now, not when there's still so much we have to go through. We need to be on the same side. I need him to be with me on this.
"I know I don't," I agree. "But I want to do this. I need to do it in order to feel that I'm still a good person."
"You'll always be a good person," Graham mutters. "You don't need to pack his clothes for that."
"Yes, I know that," I say as I run my hand down his arm. He's starting to give in. I can feel it. "I'm doing this for me. Just like I'd do anything for you."
He clenches his jaw but nods. I give him a quick peck on the lips before grabbing my car keys. I don't want this conversation to continue. We both know that the sooner we find Jason, the better it is for all involved.
"I'll meet you back in your office," I tell him, knowing that he'll go straight there to keep an eye on the software. So far, we're waiting for Tiana to make contact. I don't know why, but I get a strange feeling that she'll show up when we least expect her to.
"Be careful," Graham says as he kisses me again before letting me walk away. "Call me if you need me."
"I'll see you in an hour," I promise, knowing that I can't take more than that to gather Tim's stuff. It feels weird returning to his apartment, after everything that's happened, but I doubt that Tim's stuff will make much difference, once he's convicted.
Tim's apartment is located in an inconspicuous brownstone house in Brooklyn's downtown area. The neighborhood is alright, and I'm impressed by how well he can afford it in the thriving business and culture district. I wonder if Jason has paid him for his services.
"Miss Strayed," the elderly doorman greets me. "It's been a long time. How are you?"
"I'm well, Fred, thank you," I smile. "And you?"
"I don't mind this weather, miss," he chuckles. "I prefer fall to any other season."
"Same here," I nod. "Is it okay if I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure thing, miss," Fred replies, opening the glass door to let me in.
"Tim's found himself in some trouble, and he won't be coming back to his apartment for a while," I say, wondering just how much I can tell him. "I was hoping you could let me in to pack him a bag of clothes."
"I don't know, miss," Fred hesitates. "I could lose my job for this."
"I understand," I say, but don't give up just yet. "Would it help if you supervise me as I prepare the bag?"
Fred sighs. "I wouldn't dream of making you feel like I don't trust you. You've always been so polite and thoughtful with me. I'll let you in, but please don't tell anyone I did it. I love my job, and I'd hate to lose it. It'd be a nightmare to find something else one year before my retirement."
"Thank you, Fred," I say, smiling as I follow him inside. "You're the best. I'll be gone within an hour. You can trust me on that."
Tim's place is on the first floor. I use Fred's master key to get in. His clothes are still neatly placed in their sections—the left side of the closet is for work clothes, the right for everyday attire, and the drawers contain t-shirts and boxer briefs. Some things never change.
A pang of sadness hits me, hard. Tim may have lost all of his moral backbone, but he'd taken good care of his home. I always knew him to be kind. This is all too much for me to take in. It just proves to show how a bad company can influence a person.
I pause for a moment, wondering if that's what's happening to me. Graham is on the other end of the bond. On the other side of morality. His friends can't be any better than him. Is he a good person?
I know bits and pieces about him, but he has controlled that information. Outside of work, I have no real idea who he is. Still, it's not so hard for me to imagine him being a good man despite his dark and ruthless nature.
He takes responsibility. He cares about me and he proved it to me on more than one occasion.
With a shake of my head, I banish the doubts and grab a bag from underneath Tim's bed. I fill it with a few neatly folded outfits and reach for a pair of sneakers to stuff inside as well. I put a hoodie on top of the clothes.
I go to Tim's office to see if there's anything there he could use.
My breath hitches.
He hasn't put any of our pictures away. My wall decorations are still up on his walls, and the sight makes my heart ache. I remember trying to talk to him about it, but he'd always refused. He kept saying that I should feel comfortable in his apartment and do whatever I wished with it. It seems to make even less sense now.
I tear my eyes away from our smiling faces and focus on the computer on his desk instead. Considering that he didn't stop living in the past, chances are he didn't change his password either. I type it in, hoping I'm right.
Bingo.
After launching the computer, I root through Tim's search history, looking for anything that's related to Jason and the radicals. I'm so focused on the screen that I don't notice I'm not alone until the person clears his throat.
I jump to my feet and away from the desk. My back collides with the wall behind me. I'm trapped.
"You must be Cassidy," the man says with a smile that doesn't meet his eyes. "I'm Jason. Jason White."
I can feel myself start to shake. Maybe it's because of the stress and the knowledge of the horrors he committed, but I feel like prey, and Jason is the ultimate predator.
He's carrying a backpack, but he doesn't need any weapons. Not when his own power is a weapon strong enough to bring a grown wolf down.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, stepping into the room.
"I could ask you the same thing," I say, hating myself for how weak I sound.
Jason sighs. "I came to see what Tim kept on me," he replies. "I heard he got captured, and I want to avoid unnecessary troubles."
My mind screams in warning. His honesty is a red flag. He doesn't plan on keeping me alive. I'm a liability. Another body to add to his count. He might kill me, but if he has to drag my dead body down the hallway, the chances of him escaping without attracting unwanted attention are lowered. Although, he's proven time and time again that he knows how to keep his head down.
"You threatened him," I remind him. "You forced him to work for you."
"I didn't force him to join our cause," Jason waves his hand dismissively. "But once you're in, you can't leave. He knew that, and yet, he still tried to test my patience."
His smile never falters, though I can feel the tension rising in the air. His gaze flickers to the window by my side, making me think I could use it as an escape route. Jumping out of a first-floor apartment must be better than being captured by this psycho.
"Once someone's on the wrong side of the war, they stay on the wrong side," Jason continues. "Some people are just too blind to see what unnatural freaks the wolves are. They are a danger to the society. They are wild beasts without control. The sooner they're put down, the better."
"You're a danger to everyone in this country," I tell him. "You're the one running around and killing innocent people. That's all on you, not them."
"That's just your subjective opinion," Jason says with a nonchalant shrug.
"Aren't all opinions subjective?" I counter. "Did you tell your followers the truth? Do they know you're doing this because the wolves killed your mother? At least she died in the war and wasn't murdered in the way your victims are."
My words had the desired effect. Jason's face pales, his pupils dilate, and he bares his teeth. "How do you know about my mother?"
"I guess my connections run deeper than even you think," I tease with the courage I don't feel. "Did you think to look around the building before you entered? If I don't come out in the next two minutes, an entire pack of wolves will come looking for me."
Jason's eyes narrow, but he doesn't answer.
"I have friends in high places, Jason," I continue, hoping he doesn't call my bluff. "You think I’d come into an enemy's house all by myself? I'm not a fool, you know?"
He points his finger in my direction, his chest heaving in breaths that turn shallow and shaky. Unfortunately, it's not a sign of his fear. Not when a flame lights up in his eyes. He's losing control over himself, allowing the anger to take over. He's even more unstable than I thought.
Jason squeezes his eyes shut, clenching his jaw as his fingers curl into a fist. With a grunt, he thrusts the fist forward. In his palm, a spark ignites. The oxygen explodes with a powerful gust of heat that rages toward me.
"I might not be as powerful as some of the wolves' fire wielders, but I have continued my mother's research," he says, his voice strained under the weight of magic. "Wolves aren't the only ones who can take the ability from their dead comrades. I can fuse it into me. In fact, I did.
Every wolf that the radicals have killed, their abilities reside in me. I'm invincible. The most powerful of my species.
I'll make Hekate's dream come true. Her twin sister is too weak to know right from wrong. I'll kill Helia and then take over Hekate's work, making sure that her legacy lives on."
"Helia?" The word escapes me before I can stop myself. Even the high temperatures around me don't stop it from reaching Jason's ears.
"So, you know the traitor then," Jason says with a sinister smile. "You're full of surprises, Cassidy. A gift that keeps on giving."
"Helia's a good person!" I say to Jason, believing it with my whole heart. "She's a healer."
"She killed her sister and destroyed our entire species," Jason snaps back. "She and her wolf are responsible for weakening us. But not anymore. I'm back now, and I'm stronger than ever. The Greys won't know what hit them. To honor my mother, I'll kill Garren first."
"You're mad," I realize out loud, thinking I'm beginning to understand his motives. "All you have ever known is the war. You haven't experienced life without endless hate and fighting.
Helia saw the future and realized a hope for a peaceful life with the wolves existed. You can choose peace, too. Your mother wouldn't want this for you. She'd want you to live and be happy, with the ones you love. She wouldn't want you to let grief rule you."
"You don't know my mother," he hisses, the flame growing more potent in his hand. "You know nothing, you stupid, annoying human traitor!"
I bite the inside of my mouth so that I can't spew something that will enrage him further. I have to stay alive and keep him in this room until Graham realizes that too much time has passed and I still haven't returned to the office. I shouldn't have come here alone. Fuck, I should've known better.
I thought I started to understand Graham's world, but I was a fool. It's far more dangerous than I could've imagined.
"Let's take a breath and calm down," I say slowly, starting to feel the burning heat in the room. "We both need to be clear minded if we're going to settle this."
"Ah, so that's why they keep you around," Jason snorts. "Your sense of humor is certainly unique."
I tilt my head to the side, my brows furrowing in confusion.
"This is all a joke," he explains with a humorless laugh. "There's nothing to settle. From now on, you're my prisoner. My hostage, if you will."
"They'll track me," I warn. "If you take me, you'll anger them to the point of tripling their efforts to find you."
Jason's eyes narrow as if he's seeing me in a new light. "You're someone's mate."
The alarm bells in my head ring even louder. Something tells me that I'll be in even more danger if he finds out I have a bond with Graham.
"I'm the head of the F-Rec department," I reply, trying to sound cool and collected. "I'm a valuable member of Grey Tech."
"If that's true, you've just confirmed the importance of taking you with me," Jason chuckles. "Without you, the F-Rec department will stagnate."
"F-Rec is so much bigger than just one person," I reply, unperturbed by his statement. "It won't delay your capture."
"In that case, we’d better get going," Jason says firmly.
He makes complex motions in the air with his hands while muttering foreign words under his breath. The fire extinguishes, but something else comes alive. Something invisible.
My wrists snap together, and so do my ankles. The abrupt jerk makes me fall on the floor, hitting my knees hard. Before I can react to the pain, Jason grabs my upper arm and yanks me off the floor.
"Come on," he orders. "I left my van down by the emergency exit."
I manage a small nod and half-jumpingly follow him to the window that overlooks the alley behind the house. As I gaze down below, the bile rises in my throat and acid spills from my stomach. There's a body splayed against a trash bin. The blood is dried in a thick puddle. It's an unnerving sight. I want to be disgusted, but I know it's not the way to react.
The figure is familiar. Tears blur my vision. I can't look away from him. From Fred.
"He was an innocent," I cry. "You bastard!"
"He wouldn't let me in," Jason replies with a shrug. "Do you want to be next?"
I'm helpless. Unable to move. The door is only a few feet away from us, but if I start shouting for help, he'll surely kill me.
I don't understand why he's taking me toward the emergency staircase if he has already killed Fred. Could it be that someone's coming?
"Get a move on," he barks.
"I can't walk like this!" I snap back.
Jason growls and mutters something under his breath. The invisible vines around my ankles are released, and I can move my feet again.
"Don't do anything stupid," he warns. "I won't hesitate to kill you to save myself."
As we go down the spiral staircase, I wonder if I could slow him down somehow. Make a scene, grab his clothes, or try to drag him down the steps. But then I realize that he's too powerful for me. He's not even a human.
The only thing I can do is search for cameras and allow them to capture my face. A good angle will make it easier for Graham to locate me once he finds out I've been taken. And he will.
Jason pushes me down the last set of stairs and into the white van that's parked in the alleyway. It's a rental, and, once again, I wish I could hold onto something and leave some sort of evidence behind, but this van's clean, too.
We don't speak again as he shoves me into the back and slams the door. The lock engages, and I know I have no chance of leaving.
He takes a seat in the front, but before starting the engine, he turns toward me and mutters another binding spell. My ankles snap together again.
The increased pressure around my wrists makes me cry out. Pain shoots through my shoulders as the invisible binds refuse to give even an inch.
For a moment, we stare at each other, me glaring and him impassively watching me suffer.
"Is this how you plan on keeping me?" I force myself to ask.
"I don't have a plan for you yet," he replies. "You should be grateful I'm putting up with you."
"Fuck you," I shoot back. "Your mother must be turning in her grave."
Jason takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he speaks.
"Mention my mother again and I'll cut out your tongue," he threatens. "I'm done playing with you."
I glare at him, a look of utter contempt in my eyes, but he's too busy starting the engine to notice.
Once the van starts moving, I close my eyes, feeling hopeless. He drives for a while and stops in an underground parking garage.
He opens the back door and yanks me out. I fall down hard, the binds making it impossible for me to catch myself.
"Who the fuck is she?" a woman's voice comes from the other side of the van.
"She's harmless," Jason says without answering her question. "Put her in your trunk and take her to the meeting point. I need to put on a new face and change cars."
I've no idea what he means by putting on a new face, but something tells me it has to do with his powers. It must be why the F-Rec can't locate him. If he can change his appearance, he can easily conceal his identity.
"Are you sure it's safe?" the woman asks.
"Stop questioning me," Jason snarls. "Do as I say, or I'll find someone else."
She grits her teeth and rolls her eyes but says nothing else.
She moves toward me and roughly grips me under the armpits. The sudden strength isn't something I was expecting, and I gasp as my rib hits her shoulder.
She sets me in the trunk with ease, which makes me think she's a wolf. There's a long scar across her face, which could've been inflicted by a wolf's claw. Could this be Tiana? Could I be so lucky?
Without a word, the woman closes the hatch of the trunk. Before she drives away, she turns on the music. Some EDM crap blares out of the speakers, the bass drum sending vibrations throughout the entire car.
After we drive for a while, she turns off the music but doesn't stop the car.
"Who are you?" she asks, her voice muffled.
"Cassidy," I reply, not seeing the point of keeping the information hidden. Jason already knows my identity.
"Are you Graham's girl?" she asks, speaking a bit louder to be heard over the hum of the engine.
"Yes," I confirm weakly. "Are you Tiana?"
She doesn't answer.
The silence stretches into an eternity.
But then she pierces it with the words of hope.
"Everything will be okay," she promises.
I hold her words close to my heart, believing her with every fiber of my being.
Everything will be okay.