35. Chapter Thirty-Five Cam #2
Sarah continued. "But I got through to him. Slowly, painfully, I helped him break free of their programming. Now he's different. He wants to bring Chimera down as much as we do."
I leaned back, studying her face. She seemed sincere, but so did most people right before they stabbed you in the back.
"And we're supposed to just trust this guy?" I said. "A guy who, by your own admission, was Chimera's top lapdog?"
Lakey's laugh was bitter. "Yeah, 'cause that doesn't sound like a trap at all."
"Look," Sarah said, her patience fraying, "I know it sounds crazy, but Kyle's intel is what got me here.
He knows their systems, their protocols.
Without him, we don't stand a chance. Also, he's my husband.
I wouldn't have married him if I didn't feel a hundred percent sure he wasn't a risk to my safety. "
I looked at Lakey. She looked at me. The same doubts in both of us. This Kyle character was a wild card, and wild cards got people killed. Look what happened just hours ago with Rose and the tracker.
"Sarah," I said slowly, "I get that you believe in this guy. But you're asking us to put our lives in the hands of someone we've never met. Someone who would've happily put a bullet in our heads not long ago."
Lakey nodded. "For all we know, this could be an elaborate trap. Maybe they've reprogrammed him, sent him to lure us out."
Sarah leaned forward. "I get it, I do, but you didn't see him, Cam. You didn't see the way he broke down when the conditioning started to crack. The nightmares, the panic attacks... It was like watching someone claw their way out of hell."
Lakey shifted beside me, her hand finding mine under the table. Her touch was a silent reminder that we'd been through our own version of that. We knew what it was to fight your way back from the brink.
"Look," Sarah continued, "Kyle's not just an asset.
He's a goldmine of information. He knows how Chimera tracks their targets, how they communicate, the layout of their main facilities.
He's still considered on their roster, but he's been 'decommissioned.
' No longer in use. That means we have resources we wouldn't otherwise have. "
Now that got my attention. I raised an eyebrow. "What are we talking here?"
Sarah's lips curved into a small smile. "Down to the air duct systems, Cam. He can tell you which guards take smoke breaks and when, which security cameras have blind spots. He even knows the override codes for their containment units."
"Jesus," I muttered. With that kind of intel, we might actually have a shot at bringing Chimera down.
Lakey squeezed my hand, her voice tight. "Cam, if this is legit..."
"I know, babe," I said, already spinning out plans. "Sarah, what can you tell us about their tracking systems? That's been our biggest hurdle."
As Sarah launched into a detailed explanation of Chimera's tracking tech, I leaned in, hanging on every word. Part of me still screamed caution, but a bigger part had already made the decision that life couldn't get much worse.
Maybe this Kyle guy was our ticket out of this, and if he turned out to be playing us? Well, Lakey and I had plenty of experience dealing with traitors. One way or another, things were about to get very interesting.
But something wasn't adding up. "Hold up, Sarah," I said, leaning forward. "You didn't really answer Lakey's question. How the hell did you find us? We've been ghosts for years."
Sarah's lips quirked. "You think you're the only ones who've been keeping tabs, Cam? I've had eyes on you two since the day you escaped."
Lakey tensed beside me. If Sarah had managed to stay hidden while watching us, who else had been watching? Who else noticed us coming and going while we were out there fucking around?
"Bullshit," I said, forcing a casual tone. "We would've noticed."
Sarah's laugh was sharp. "Please. You think you got this apartment based on your stellar credit?
No, Cam, I had this place up for you via a mutual friend.
I've been making sure Chimera doesn't come close.
I fucked up last night. I didn't realize you had Rose.
I should have been paying better attention because then Kyle could have taken him out before he got up here. I apologize for that."
My mind reeled. Years of near-misses and lucky breaks, reassessed in an instant. Had we really been that blind?
"Why?" Lakey demanded. "Why help us?"
Sarah's expression shifted. Just a fraction. "Because I saw myself in you two. The potential to break free, to fight back. I couldn't save myself then, but I could give you a fighting chance."
I exchanged a long look with Lakey. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly.
"Alright," I said slowly. "Let's say we buy this. You, Kyle, all of it. What's our next move?"
Sarah's grin turned feral. "We hit them where it hurts. Their central data hub in Chicago. Kyle can get us in, and with your particular skill sets, we can bring the whole system crashing down."
Lakey's eyes lit up. "Ooh, Cam. Think of all the chaos we could cause."
I grinned back. "It would be one hell of a party, babe."
We turned back to Sarah, and I saw the moment she realized she had us.
"Fine," I said, trying to sound grudging despite the adrenaline already pumping. "We're in. But if this goes sideways..."
Sarah nodded. "You'll kill us both. Trust me, I wouldn't expect anything less. There is a spot we have to hit before we get to the hub, but we will go over all of that once you're comfortable with Kyle."
As we began hashing out the broad strokes, that thrill built in my chest. Chimera had no idea what was coming for them. And honestly? Neither did we. But with Lakey by my side and the promise of sweet, chaotic vengeance ahead, I couldn't fucking wait to find out.
As Sarah finished laying out the plan, her eyes shifted to Rose. The kid was huddled in the corner, eyes darting between us.
"There's something else we need to address," Sarah said, her voice softening. "Rose's conditioning. I can help her, if you'll let me."
My jaw tightened. Rose was ours. Mine and Lakey's. The idea of someone else inside her head set my teeth on edge.
"And why the fuck would we trust you with that?" I said.
Sarah met my gaze without flinching. "Because I've done it before. With Kyle. I can help her heal, Cam. Give her a chance at something resembling normal. I can actually help you both as well."
I laughed. "Normal? After what we've been through? What the fuck makes you think we want anything close to normal? Maybe Rose doesn't want to be normal either."
"As normal as she can be, if she wants it," Sarah amended. "Look, I'm not promising miracles. But I can help ease the trauma, give her tools to cope. It's a start."
I glanced at Lakey. Rose deserved better than the shit hand life had dealt her, but letting Sarah in felt dangerous.
"We'll think about it," I said.
The heaviness in the room was suffocating. I needed a distraction.
"Fuck it," I declared, pulling out my phone. "I'm ordering pizza."
Lakey snorted. "Really, babe? We just finished planning to take down an evil organization, and you want pepperoni?"
I grinned. "What can I say? Plotting world domination makes me hungry. Besides, if we're going out in a blaze of glory, might as well have some garlic bread to go with it."
As I dialed, I glanced at Sarah. "You want in on this order? Or are ex-Chimera agents too good for greasy pepperoni?"
Sarah's lips twitched. "Make it double Hawaiian with sweet and smoky sauce and you've got a deal."
"Pineapple on pizza?" I clutched my chest. "And here I thought Chimera was evil."
The laughter that followed was strained but genuine. For a moment, we were just a group of damaged people about to break bread. The calm before the storm. I savored it, knowing full well the chaos ahead.
As I hung up, Sarah's face turned serious, her eyes on her phone. "I need to head out," she said, her voice tight. "Kyle's waiting. He wants to meet you guys. I'm going to go pick him up and I'll be back, alright?"
"Another unexpected guest," I said. "And here I thought we were just getting to know each other. I just ordered pizza."
Sarah's eyes met mine. "Every second I'm here puts you at risk. I've managed to disappear, off their radar, but you never know. Kyle can keep us safe while we figure shit out. We will be back to eat pizza with you, I promise."
"How long do you think we have?" Lakey asked, her voice unusually quiet.
Sarah shook her head. "A day, maybe. A couple, if we're lucky. You need to be ready to move at a moment's notice."
I glanced at Lakey, weighing the risk of letting this Kyle guy into our home. If he was as dangerous as Sarah said, it would take both of us to take him out, if it came to that.
"Alright," I said, standing. "Go. Do what you need to do. But remember, Sarah, if this is some elaborate setup, if you're playing us—"
She cut me off. "I know. You'll hunt me down and make me wish I'd never been born.
I get it. You forget I just saw your handiwork.
I know you've been thrill-killing, I know you've been hunting your foster families.
Trust me when I say, Cam, I know what you're both capable of and I don't want to be on the receiving end. "
Lakey stood too, her posture tense. Finally, she nodded.
"Go and get him," she said. "But don't make us regret this."
With the soft click of the door, Sarah was gone.