Chapter 14
Indie
Desperado - Rihanna
As I assumed, Regina was pissed when I dragged her here for the early morning drive. She’s been glaring at me from the breakfast table of our motel for the past fifteen minutes.
“This tastes like shit.” She spits out the cereal, courtesy of the guy at the front desk for our long journey.
I lower my spoon mid opening mouth, watching her face screw up as she reads out the sell-by date.
We gathered everything we needed and hopped in the car to get here, sliding on fake plates once we hit the isolated roads. This is the first time we’ve used them; we had no time to grab a rental, and this is only for emergencies.
I’ve booked our room for two nights under fake names, in the hope that we can wrap up this contact by tonight. Normally we wouldn’t have accommodation, it’s too risky, but I feel an immense amount of pressure with this one.
They’re never easy, but the kid needs us to get back to his mom. Who knows what this guy’s capable of?
Even if I can immobilise John, find out where the hell Callum is, we can get back to his mom with an update. Maybe we could arrange for a separate entity to rescue him.
I still need to decide what to do with this mark; he’ll need to stay drugged up in the trunk until we’re ready and know the kid’s safe.
I’m swayed towards dumping him in the lake about ten miles from here, because I’d probably set the forest on fire with option two.
“There’s a diner down the road. Let’s eat there,” I say, tugging on my hoodie and puffer vest.
Regina scoffs. “I bet they sell human stew. This place is creepy as shit, Indie.” She rubs her arms up and down her coat.
I don’t disagree. The town is so spread out that there’s a constant presence in the air. I can’t put my finger on it, but whenever I’m outside, my skin prickles.
John went to bed as we travelled here. He hasn’t made much movement at all.
Either I’ve missed it when I’ve taken my eyes off the screen, or he’s a lazy bastard.
It’s also been pouring with rain all through the night, and it’s heavier today. So the cameras have been about as useful as a fart in the wind.
I drag a reluctant Regina out into the car park, and we drive the car to the diner to get a proper breakfast.
It’s dead when we walk in, and she mutters something about not even the residents can stand this place.
We take a seat in the booth, and the bored-looking server takes our order.
“After this, we’ll head out and scope around the area. I think I should head over this morning,” I whisper, and Regina’s eyes go wild.
“What?!” she all but shrieks.
Thankfully the two other people in the diner don’t even acknowledge her.
I don’t think they’d notice a bomb going off—they’re like zombies.
“I could take your drone down and capture what’s going on inside before I head in, see if I can spot anything…suspicious.” I swallow the lump in my throat.
It’s morbid, I know, but the fact the kid isn’t with him, I can’t help but think the worst.
What if there’s a body on the upper floor?
“Are you fucking high? You’re not a damn Navy SEAL, Indie. When he’s not home, totally fine, but he’s there…what if he sees it?”
I shrug. “I probably have as good an aim as them.”
She rolls her eyes at me, throwing herself against the black leather seat. “I knew it would come one day.”
I frown at her. “What are you talking about?”
I watch her slowly shake her head at me, a lopsided smile on her face. “All that”—she glances over to the serves, then back to me—“killing has finally fucked with your head. You’ve become a cocky serial killer. What is it they call it? Evolving?”
I bite my cheek, trying to keep my laugh contained.
“Devolving, and no. Jesus Christ, Gina. I’m still sane; I’m not out here ready to butcher a town. You’re forgetting my dad taught me how to shoot.”
Willing to take risks to prevent further harm?
Yes.
Losing my sanity through psychosis though?
No, that’s still sharply intact.
The fractures are put back together by glue, but it isn’t loosening anytime soon.
I don’t have an underlying condition that spurred this on.
Just a casualty in some sick game that unravelled a horrifying secret of some fucked-up society.
I’ve proven I don’t need to kill everyone in Sumus; I’ve left four of them alive—minus a couple million dollars and blackmail material.
Never ignored the request to leave them living.
Realistically, I know I can’t keep this up. As much as I’m holding it together, I could slip.
But as long as those two no longer walk this earth, I know I’ll be satisfied with that.
Once I reach them both, after wiping out everyone in their entire chapter, I can move on with my life.
The best I can, anyway.
The server comes over to us, a woman who looks to be in her late fifties, and places down our order.
“Do you live around here?” I ask her, and she slowly drags her gaze to me.
“All my life, hun.” She narrows her eyes on me suspiciously.
I need to play this cool, not raise any concerns towards me if there’s a damn manhunt if things go south.
“The cabin at the top of the hill. Does someone live there now? We’ve been wondering if it’s owned or rented.” I glance over at Regina, and she’s rubbing her thumb and forefinger across her forehead.
The woman huffs a laugh. “No, it’s only for rent. But the guy that’s in there currently…he’s been there for weeks.”
“Have you ever seen him?”
This town is small, and if there’s one thing about small towns, it’s that everybody knows everyone’s business. Plus, there’s not much else to do out here. I bet they thrive off a bit of gossip.
The woman looks over her shoulder, then shifts to lean down on our table.
Regina watches the two of us like we’re a wildlife documentary, eyes bouncing between us both as she slowly eats her food.
The woman’s eyes lighten up, a blush creeping over her cheeks.
“Sweetheart, when a fine-looking young man passes through this town, you bet your ass I’ve noticed.” She fans herself with the menu, despite there already being a chill in the air.
“Really? What does he look like?” I ask her, and she beams at me, feeding into exactly what I want from her.
“He looks like God’s favourite sin, but with those tattoos? Hun.” She slaps the table, chuckling, and it makes Regina jump.
Bingo.
“Sounds like he’d be easy on the eye. Do you know his name? There doesn’t seem to be much eye candy around here; we’re hoping for some entertainment before we leave tonight.”
She looks between the both of us.
“I shouldn’t really be telling two strangers this, but to hell with it. My friend Nancy managed to check his name when he bought cigarettes at the store. She asked for his ID so we would know. Name’s Iain Black. We haven’t been able to find him on social media.” She pouts.
Regina and I’s gazes collide.
That’s not the name we were given, and he isn’t a name from the Sumus.
I know each and every one from the two chapters we have.
He could be using a false name to deter Victoria.
I shuffle in my seat, placing my arms on the table. “This might be really random, but he isn’t the guy I’ve seen around here with a kid? He matches that tattoo vibe you mentioned.”
The woman pours herself a coffee from the pot she was about to offer us, now fully comfortable with the two of us as she settles in beside me.
“A kid? Not that I’ve seen him with. He’s a bit aloof. There aren’t any kids around here; people move out here to get some peace from the bigger towns or cities. We’re quite the older generation, like a damn retirement village.” She scoffs.
I slide my gaze over to Regina, and her face is ashen, the colour completely drained from her already light complexion.
“Are you sure?” Regina asks her, mouth full, and I don’t think she’ll be able to swallow it, going by her face.
I cut in, “I thought someone around here’s husband took their kid away? I heard someone chatting about that in the gas station.”
This shit is getting weirder by the minute. I really shouldn’t have offered that partial bit of truth, it’s risky, but we need to know.
The woman shakes her head.
“No idea about that, and I hear everything that goes on in this town.” She looks over my head, the window behind our booth looking over the street.
“But what I will tell you, is that the next town over? Two women have gone missing over the years. Vanished into thin air. Cops have done jack shit about it. Wouldn’t surprise me if what you heard came from there.
” She leans back, pulling a knowing face to us both.
“That is weird,” I mumble, wondering what the fuck is really going on.
If the town is mostly older people, there’s no kids, and the next town over has two people missing, are we possibly in the wrong area?
Are we dealing with something a lot more sinister?
With the Sumus members’ crimes, I wouldn’t put it past them.
“I’ll let you girls eat in peace. Lord knows I love a chatter.” She smiles at us, then gets up to leave.
I glance at my food, my appetite no longer there, too many questions churning my stomach.
My eyes clash with Regina, her breakfast long forgotten too.
“Indie, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this? I didn’t like this before. Now, I really, really don’t fucking like it.”
I pull my wallet out of my gilet, tossing down bills to cover the food and a decent tip, seeing as the server provided us with a little bit of information.
Whether or not it’s useful, that’s up for debate.
Regina and I head to the car, running out the rain and sitting like statues as we process the conversation from the diner.
“Okay…” I say slowly, trying to think of a plan, “I think what we do is you contact Victoria, tell her that we were doing some digging to try and locate her ex, and that we want to check we’re in the right town.”
Regina and I sit at the table in our motel room, deciding to get takeout rather than sit inside the diner again.
We haven’t heard back from Victoria since we got back to the room six hours ago, and impatience is getting the better of me.
“Send her a nudge,” I say, and Regina heads over to the living room, pulling the laptop out of charge and bringing it to the table.
“Done.”
She crosses her arms, and I wrap my knuckles off the dark wooden surface.
We decided to take a walk around the main town once the rain calmed down, seeing as Regina outright refused to let me go onto the cabin’s grounds.
It didn’t take long, almost an hour in total to get back to the car. And just like the woman said, no children in sight.
I decide to flip open my own laptop, looking at the feeds. The sun is setting, and the heavy rain has managed to stay at bay, but it’s still drizzling. The SUV is still parked in the cabin’s driveway, and I haven’t had any motion alerts that John has left the premises.
The lighting is fucking terrible on these, but I can see him moving around every so often.
He seems to always be in the bedroom, and I think he’s on a laptop right now, but all I ever get is his back.
His huge fucking bare-naked back, every single inch appearing like it’s inked, the colour of tanned skin mixing with darkened shades.
The alert we’ve been waiting for comes through, and we both startle as it spears through the silence.
“She replied,” Regina says, and I rise from my seat to look over her shoulder and read the message.
User V: I am so sorry. The reason I haven’t been answering much is because I managed to find my son. Thank you so much for your help. You don’t know how much it means to me that someone was willing to help me.
User V: However, I would still like John to be dealt with. I will send funds as soon as it’s been completed. I can’t risk him doing this to us again. If you need more evidence of his crimes, I have plenty.
I push off from the table, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms.
“Well, at least the kid’s back with his mom,” Regina says, letting out a relieved sigh as she looks up at me.
“Yeah,” I breathe, grateful that I’m not having to get myself into something I have no experience with.
That was the biggest cloud hanging over my abilities for this mark.
If anything had happened to him, that’s a guilt I’m not sure how I would carry.
I risk my own life doing this, but I won’t let anyone innocent get stuck in the crossfire.
My gaze shifts over to the bedroom door, it lying slightly ajar and revealing the bed, the black sleek carbon case placed on top of it, containing my rifle.
Dark fog feels like it’s leaking out of it, my alter ago trying to entice me out to play.
This one looks like I’ll be doing a long-distance shot.
“Let’s get this over with.”