19. Chapter Nineteen Cam
Chapter Nineteen: Cam
That one little word hung in the air. Fucking Chimera.
The whispers of a ghost. No one knew whether Chimera was real, and they sure as shit didn't want to dig deep enough to find out.
Almost all the juvie's had spoken the word in the night, trying to get real about conspiracy theories or some shit, but from what was understood, it was something dark.
Something so big it was as complex as a human body, its veins supposedly reaching far and wide, its hands in everything and everyone.
I'd never placed much value on it, just content to ride out my life the way it had always been and yet...
Now we were face to face with it, needing to figure out how real shit was about to get.
Lakey's eyes widened, her usual playful smirk replaced by something I rarely saw on her. Fear. Real, genuine fear.
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to look casual while my mind raced.
Skeeter lay in the bathtub, his head resting against the tiles, watching us as we processed the bomb he just dropped on us, a small smile playing around the corner of his lips.
It could just be in my head, but I could have fucking sworn his fear was replaced by a glint of excitement.
"Well, shit," Lakey said. "This is... unexpected."
I kept my eyes locked on Skeeter. The bastard knew more than he was letting on, that much was clear. But how much of a threat was he really?
"Cam," Lakey said, her voice steadier now. "What do we do?"
I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "We find out what he knows, sweetheart. Then we decide if he lives or dies."
"Ooh, I vote for option two. It's been way too long since I've gotten my hands dirty."
I couldn't help but smirk. That was my girl. Sweet as pie one minute, ready to kill the next.
"Easy there, killer," I said, pushing off the wall. "Information first, murder later. That's the rule, remember?"
Lakey pouted, but I saw the gleam in her eye. She loved our little game of cat and mouse.
"Fine," she sighed dramatically. "But make it quick. I'm getting antsy."
I crouched down next to Skeeter, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head forward before pushing it back with a loud thud. "Alright, asshole. Start talking. Chimera is a ghost, a story to tell kids so they stay in their bed. Since when is he real?"
Skeeter's eyes darted between me and Lakey, his tongue darting out to wet his lips before he hummed.
"I don't know much," he said. "Just that it's big. Bigger than anything you've ever seen before. Chimera extends beyond anything. Anyone. There's no beginning and no end."
Lakey giggled, the sound sending a chill through the room. She was on the verge of fucking losing it. "Oh honey," she sighed. "You have no idea what we've seen."
Her eyes widened suddenly, that innocent look masking the vicious thoughts that were brewing.
"Wait a sec," she chirped, tapping a finger to her chin. "Didn't this dipshit mention something about Janine Almine having a foster kid?"
My ears perked up. Lakey's hunches were rarely wrong. "Yeah, he did. What're you thinking, babe?"
She sauntered over, her hips swaying in that hypnotic way.
"Well," she said, tracing a finger down my chest, "what if it's not just any old foster situation?
What if little Janine's playing mommy to some poor kid caught up in this Chimera bullshit?
Considering I got shipped off to the nunnery, and you ended up in prison, is that so far fetched? I don't think so."
Human trafficking was one of the few things that could still get under my skin.
"You think it's a trafficking ring?" I asked.
"It would explain a lot, wouldn't it? The secrecy, the big money involved. I mean that lab was worth hundreds of thousands, and they just abandoned it without a care in the fucking world. Not to mention keeping that place a secret. Come on, Cam. Put the pieces together."
I nodded slowly, absorbing what she was putting out. "Fuck," I muttered. "If you're right, we're in deeper shit than we thought."
Skeeter laughed, but when I side eyed him, he stopped short and had a coughing fit. Asshole. I walked over and drove my fist into his face, hearing the crunch of his nose. Feeling satisfied, I stepped back, watching as blood poured from his nose.
Lakey giggled, clapping her hands. "Ooh, doesn't that just make you all tingly inside? The danger, the intrigue..."
I couldn't help but crack a smile. Only Lakey could find joy finding out we were involved in something to do with Chimera. Most people would run for the fucking hills. If the whispers about it were right, we were in for one fucking wild ride.
If we survived, that is.
"You're one sick puppy, you know that?" I said, pulling her close.
She nipped at my earlobe. "Takes one to know one, handsome."
I was about to respond when another choked laugh caught our attention. We both turned to look at Skeeter. His face was a mess of bruises and blood, but that didn't stop a twisted grin from spreading across his mug.
"Everything is connected," he wheezed out between bursts of laughter.
The sound grated on my nerves. Lakey tensed beside me, her earlier playfulness gone.
"Care to elaborate on that, chucklefuck?" she asked. It was the tone she used right before she got real nasty. I'd seen it reduce grown men to blubbering messes.
Skeeter just kept cackling, like he'd heard the world's funniest joke, and we weren't in on it.
Lakey's eyes narrowed. She slinked towards Skeeter.
"Listen here, you sniveling little shit," she hissed, leaning in close. "I've got a whole bag of tricks that'll make you sing like a fucking canary. So why don't you save us both the trouble and spill?"
She was beautiful, a goddamn force of nature wrapped in a cute package.
And right now, she was ready to unleash hell on this poor bastard.
I knew he was a disgusting fuck from day one, but I hadn't pieced it all together.
It was looking a lot like he was some integral fucking part of this whole thing.
Ironic since he was so nondescript. Just a little granny fucker.
Honestly, I was kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner.
Skeeter's laughter intensified, his eyes wild and unhinged.
"Oh, you kids think you're so clever, don't you?
" he taunted, spittle flying from his bloodied lips.
"But you don't know shit. You're just worms in a game much bigger than your little murder spree.
You're so fucking stupid. Playing house while they watch.
They're always watching. You think they just let you go? Think again. You were released."
The room went quiet. Not the dramatic kind. The real kind. The kind where your brain needs a second to catch up to what your ears just heard.
You were released.
Not freed. Not saved. Not lucky. Released. The way you release a dog into a yard to see what it does. The way you release a lab rat after the experiment to track its behavior in the wild.
Everything we'd done since leaving the system. Every kill. Every mark. Every body at the bottom of the ocean. Had they been watching? Tracking? Taking notes the way they took notes on Lydia's autopsy? Were we still the experiment, just running in a bigger cage?
Spider's voice echoed in my head. "Don't go looking for answers. Some doors, you open them, they don't close again."
Had Spider known? Had he been part of it?
I shoved that thought down before it could take root. Not now. Not yet.
I could see Lakey's patience fraying at the edges. Her fingers twitched, itching to wrap around Skeeter's throat.
"Babe," I murmured, "let me handle this."
Lakey shot me a look that could've melted steel, but she stepped back. I sauntered forward, towering over our captive.
"Listen here, you worthless sack of shit. Your time's running out fast. You've got two options: tell us how Chimera works, or I'll let my girl here get real creative with that rusty spoon she's so fond of."
Skeeter's laughter faltered for a split second, but there was fear in his eyes. Good. The fucker was starting to realize just how deep in shit he was.
"Tick tock, asshole," I growled. "I'm growing tired of your fucking games."
Skeeter's bravado crumbled. His eyes darted between me and Lakey, panic setting in as he realized we weren't bluffing. And that we didn't give a fuck about Chimera or his role in it. Not beyond getting what we needed and then shoving his body in the garbage bin.
"Wait, wait!" he blubbered, his cocky grin replaced by a pathetic grimace. "I can tell you more! Just... please, don't kill me!"
"What?" I hurled a spitball, pleasantly surprised when it landed smack dab in the middle of his forehead.
He sighed. "My laptop. It has everything. If you just let me go, I can help you. I promise."
"Thank you for your service, Skeeter."
I didn't even blink. My mind was made up the moment this piece of shit opened his mouth. Without breaking eye contact, I pulled out my blade, its edge glinting in the dim light.
"But you sa—"
"Nah, I didn't, you just assumed." I said, my voice cold. "Should've thought about that before you decided to play games. Thank you for your honesty, may your sacrifice please Chimera."
In one fluid motion, I plunged the knife into Skeeter's chest. He let out a strangled gasp, eyes wide with shock.
I twisted the blade, feeling the resistance of flesh and bone give way.
Taking my knife, I pushed it in again, starting with his left nipple and slicing horizontally to his right.
A beautiful cross. Same as the one branded on Dagger's chest. Same as the one on the black SUV.
Let them find this and know it was us. Let them know we weren't rats in a maze anymore.
The room fell dead silent, save for the wet gurgle of Skeeter's final breath. I stepped back, wiping my blade clean on his shirt. Normally I wasn't so theatrical, but given how fucking stupid this whole situation was, I thought it called for a bit of fun.