Chapter 31 — Nicholas

I shut off the radio. The message was sent, and, judging by the comments popping up online, people were furious. If there was one thing that Americans valued, it was liberty. God help anyone who tried to take it away from them.

I sat at my desk and started a new draft of a letter to Lexi’s parents. It was hard to capture such a girl with only ink on a page. She had saved my life and lost her own because of it.

There was a knock before Alex walked into the room.

“I thought you went home,” I said.

He shrugged. “I stuck around a little longer. My mother’s seen the news articles, and she’ll be furious when she figures out I was involved in a fight between spies and assassins. I’m trying to avoid Armageddon for as long as I can.”

“She’s right. I should have kept you guys out of this.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. Lexi knew what she was getting into. We all did.”

I set down my pen and twisted to look up at him. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”

His lips quirked up. “Do you want me to be mad?”

“Elliot is, and I can’t blame him either. I would be too. Lexi was crazy in the best possible way. Now she’s just—”

My voice broke.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Nicholas? It wasn’t your fault.” Alex looked down at his hands. “Besides, I think it’s the way she wanted to go. Saving the life of a friend.”

“Given the choice, she wouldn’t have wanted to die at all.”

“You don’t know that.” Alex’s eyes looked sad. “You don’t understand what she was dealing with. None of you did.”

“Tell me.”

I knew it was wrong to pry into her affairs, but I needed something to alleviate the guilt pooling in my stomach.

Alex chewed on his lip. “I was the first person she came out to, less than a year ago. She was so afraid I’d hate her, but I told her I loved her just the same and that she’d be my friend no matter what. I figured everyone else would accept her as well. That was my first mistake.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I said.

“It wasn’t my fault, I know that now, but it was a mistake just the same. She wanted to come out to our friends a few months later, but I encouraged her to tell her parents first.”

“I’m guessing that didn’t go over well.”

“Her parents called her a freak and kicked out of the house. That’s why she’s been bouncing from relative to relative. They let her stay because her parents were too embarrassed to tell another person their daughter liked girls. It scared Lexi so badly that she refused to tell anyone else and pretended everything was normal when we were at school. Then she began to pretend even with me. Believing her was my second mistake.”

“Is that why she was so eager to push Ace and Josiah together? So she could show her parents that there was nothing wrong with liking someone of the same gender?”

“Not to convince her parents so much as to convince herself. I found a razor and bottles upon bottles of sleeping pills hidden in her drawer. When I confronted her about it, she swore me to secrecy. My third mistake was keeping my promise. She was getting worse fast. Did you notice how she seemed tired all the time?”

In hindsight, the lack of chatter should have been a dead giveaway, but I had been so preoccupied that I hadn’t spared her a second glance.

“Lexi was spiraling, and she refused to get help. As bad as it sounds, I think she would have been happy to die when she did. The bullet caused her death, not you. All you did was give it meaning, and I think the thought would have comforted her.”

I took a deep breath. “Thanks, Alex. Really and truly.”

He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “What are friends for?”

Brandon walked in and cleared his throat. “Tom wants you down in the kitchen, Nicholas. The government’s in an uproar at the moment and orders from the higher-ups are taking far too long to reach the proper agents given the mess Harker created. If we want him and Vasiliev in jail, we have to do it ourselves.”

I clapped Alex on the shoulder. “Just so we’re clear, you’re not coming along this time.”

He gave a wane smile. “I know when I’m out of my element. Promise you’ll stay safe, Nicholas. I don’t want to lose two friends in the same week.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I always am.”

It was the people around me who suffered.

We had lost over half of our original group of agents. Seeing the remaining gathered around the kitchen table drove home the fact. Isabel’s hair was a rat’s nest, Tom looked like he had aged ten years, and Brandon’s eyes were rimmed with red. Lewis, a field agent I had never really talked to, stared at the wooden table with a vacant look.

“Is this all that’s left?” I asked.

“Four people are searching for Ace,” Isabel said. “But other than that, yes.”

Brandon’s voice simmered with anger. “It’s still two against five. The odds are well in our favor.”

“Any idea where they are?” Lewis asked.

Tom rubbed his face. “Given they’ve heard the radio, they’ll be trying to flee the city, if not the country. The police have sealed off the roads, though they don’t have the grounds to make any arrests themselves.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Brandon said. “What about the news articles? And the radio broadcast? That’s the probable cause they need right there.”

“You know the police tread carefully. They’re doing all they can to get a warrant, but by the time they procure one it could be too late.”

“What’s stopping them from turning around and letting Harker and Seth go free if we manage to bring them in?” I asked.

“I’ve made a call to the chief of police. He’s on our side, and he’s willing to bend the rules enough to hold them in a secure cell until he can get permission to officialize their arrest,” Tom said. “Much of the law enforcement is loyal to Harker though, so it’ll be hard to tell who’s on our side.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get going.”

“Have patience, Nicholas. We need a plan.”

Irritation bubbled up. “Patience cost us the first time, old man. We’ll divide the city into fifths and each search a portion. Use common sense to figure out where they would be most likely to hide.”

“Split up?” Lewis looked alarmed. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“If you find Harker and Seth, don’t take them on your own. Contact the rest of us and tail them if they move. We’ll be able to track you down using GPS.”

Tom frowned. “I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.”

“But it’s the best chance we’ve got,” Brandon said.

He sighed. “I suppose it is.”

Five minutes later, I was sprinting down the roadway past a row of houses. It would take far too much time to search each individual one, and it was unlikely Seth or Harker had a house Tom didn’t already know of.

Every time a car with tinted windows passed by, my heart skipped a beat, but a closer look always revealed it to be some politician or celebrity trying to evade the paparazzi.

I searched through old Underground meeting points, abandoned warehouses, storage rooms, pawnshops, and even the back of a famous restaurant on a whim. There was no trace of either man.

I leaned against a telephone pole to catch my breath. From my position a block away, I could see EAGLE headquarters. The windows were dark except for one at the very top of the building, shining like a beacon.

It was either a trap or the answer to all my prayers. I broke into a run, typing on my phone to let the others know I had found something of interest.

The headquarters were locked, but it was nothing a few clearance codes couldn’t bypass. Gray carpet muffled my footsteps as I walked inside. It was eerie seeing the place shut down. Computer hardware was sorted into cardboard boxes, ready for storage. The few houseplants Sandra had brought in were wilting in a corner.

The elevator still worked, even if the lights didn’t. I used my phone to illuminate the panel and pressed the button for the floor beneath Harker’s office. With the music shut off, I could hear the whirring of the elevator cables. It gave an unsettling vibe, like I was walking toward the serial killer in a horror movie.

I breathed easier when the elevator came to a stop on the thirty-seventh floor. The grate in the corner was screwed tight to the wall. Harker had learned his lesson from last time.

But someone had left the window open. It was wide enough for me to squeeze through, and the bricks were jagged enough to provide tentative footholds. Hoping that the EAGLE director hadn’t fixed the window in his office since Ace fell out of it, I hauled myself up onto a ledge.

The farther I climbed, the more my fingers shook from the effort of trying to cling to the wall. What I wouldn’t give for sticky hands like a spider.

I edged sideways along the building. A strong gust of wind almost threw me off, but I dug my fingers in tight.

As I rounded the corner, the office came into view. The broken glass was gone, and a temporary barrier had been erected in its place.

Harker was standing there, looking to the sky like he was waiting for a sign. I pressed myself flush against the wall as I inched closer.

He saw me when he tilted his head. I froze, but green shirts really weren’t the best camouflage against a dark building. Harker pulled out a gun.

I launched off the wall, reaching for the makeshift balcony. As I fell, I made the mistake of looking down. My breath caught in my throat before my hands collided with the window barrier. I hauled myself up and tucked into a roll to avoid a bullet. I fumbled for my gun and brought it up in time to see the EAGLE director pointing his own at my chest.

“You shoot me, I’ll shoot you,” I said. “There’s nowhere else to run. The police are everywhere. You won’t make it out of the city without being caught.”

Harker edged to the right. “The police are loyal to me. They’ll turn a blind eye. It’s in your best interests to do the same. Your mother is close with my dear friend, isn’t she?”

My heart jumped at the threat. But it was an empty one. His priority would be staying free, not seeking revenge.

Harker took another step to the right. “I may not have EAGLE anymore, but Seth still has the Underground. It’s enough for us to do what we need.”

“You’re bluffing,” I said, “but it doesn’t matter. One way or another, you’ll be in jail before sundown.”

He had the gall to laugh. “Who’s going to bring me in, Nicholas? You?”

I pulled the trigger as he did the same, and pain flared in my ribcage. My hand flew to the wound, coming away wet with blood.

When Harker raised his gun to shoot again, I tackled him to the ground.

We grappled on the ground like animals. Harker was strong for a middle-aged man, far stronger than me. I writhed and twisted to evade his blows, but the ones that landed were enough to make my head spin. He wrestled the gun out of my hands. I kicked it away before he could grab it.

As he aimed a knockout punch at my jaw, I leaned away. His hand hit the wall hard enough to dent plaster. I roped my leg around a chair and sent it crashing down on his back. He shoved it forward, so it fell on me instead.

Disoriented, I misjudged how close Harker had gotten. Close enough to grab me by the throat and yank me to my feet.

He pointed his gun at my head. “It’s a shame you refused to join me. You could have done great things, Nicholas.”

“You’re talking about me like I’m already dead,” I said.

“No one can survive a bullet to the head, not even you.” He gave a mocking smile. “It’s been a pleasure.”

Harker pulled the trigger and the click of an empty chamber echoed in the room.

Taking advantage of his distraction, I twisted his arm, loosening his grip enough to struggle free. He tried to shoot me again with the same result.

He stared at the gun in shock. “How—”

I held up my hand, letting the bullets fall to the ground. Harker cursed and flung aside the empty gun. As he lunged toward me, I raised my own gun, the one I had scooped up from beneath the desk, and shot him.

Once, twice.

Harker crumpled like a rag doll. Judging by the blood pooling beneath him, I had hit a major blood vessel. If he didn’t get medical help, he could bleed out.

I sent out a message to the other four agents and unlocked the office door. My heart was pounding.

The sound of rotor blades came from outside. A solid black helicopter was approaching EAGLE headquarters with a rope ladder hanging down its side.

That must have been Harker’s getaway plan. If he couldn’t leave the city by road, he’d escape it by air. I dragged EAGLE director deeper into the office and shut off the lights. Hopefully, the people inside wouldn’t care enough to investigate if Harker didn’t show up.

After several long minutes, the helicopter showed no signs of leaving. To urge them along, I shot off a few bullets, shattering their windows.

The people inside returned fire. I scrounged up the scattered clips on the ground, but I was running out of ammunition. If the pilot sent people inside, I was in huge trouble.

The door behind me creaked open, and I almost cried in relief. Brandon, Isabel, and Lewis walked into the office, with Tom taking the rear.

He took in the scene and scowled. “What happened to not taking on Harker without the rest of us?”

I gave a sheepish smile. “It’s good to see you too, old man. Now a little help, if you would.” I nodded toward the helicopter.

Between the five of us, we had enough ammunition to outlast the people in the air. They flew away when they ran out of bullets.

Tom took care of calling in law enforcement. It seemed they had gotten their warrant.

“Get an ambulance too,” I said as he finished up a call to the chief of police. “Harker won’t make it without a doctor.”

When Brandon opened his mouth to protest, I shut him down with a glare. Harker could rot in jail for all I cared, but I had seen enough death the past few days to last me a lifetime.

As the police started rolling in with a slew of reporters and paramedics, Isabel put her arm around my shoulders. “You should go home, Nicholas. The officials have got it from here. You look like you’re about to keel over. Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

I gave her a grateful nod as she steered me out the door. The fight with Harker had left me drained. A warm bed sounded like heaven at the moment, even if it would come with a long lecture from my mom.

When I entered the house, the first thing I noticed was the missing servants.

“Mom?” I called. “Are you here?”

“In the master bedroom.” Her voice came from upstairs.

I found her sitting with an explosion of clothes and trinkets beside an open suitcase.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Are we leaving?”

Mom pulled me into a hug. “Sweetheart, did you hear the news? If the police catch Seth, he might be in prison for life. Some are clamoring for the death penalty.”

“I know, Mom, but Seth is far too dangerous walking free. Do you have any idea where he is?”

“He’ll flee the country. He has friends in Russia who can hide him from the law.” She gestured at the mess in the bedroom. “We’ll leave with him.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “Mom, how can you go with him when you know what he’s done?”

“Seth explained everything last night. With him and the EAGLE director working together, they could end the constant conflict between the Underground and the government. Think of the lives that would save, Nicholas. He could stop the assassinations and the drugs and the criminal activities. He could stop the fights between EAGLE agents and the Underground. Seth was trying to do good.”

“He’s tricked you, Mom. There was no goodwill in this arrangement. Seth and Harker were out for power.”

Mom flinched. “Seth’s a good man. I’d follow him to the ends of the Earth. Please believe me, Nicholas, I know what I’m doing.”

“Listen to what you’re saying! Seth’s a criminal. He’s killed who knows how many to get where he is today.”

There were tears in her eyes as she got to her feet. “Seth warned me you might be difficult. I won’t force you to come with us against your will, but I can’t have you ruining our plans.” She kissed me as alarm bells went off in my head. “I’m sorry about this, Nicholas.”

Mom injected a syringe into my neck. I tried to jerk away, but she held me tight. My vision grew dark as she laid me down on the bed.

“I love you, sweetheart,” Mom said. “And I’m so sorry.”

When I woke up, my head was pounding and my throat felt like sandpaper. Outside, the sun was out. Someone, probably my mom, had thrown a quilt over me. The clothes and suitcases were nowhere in sight.

And neither was she.

I went through several apps on my phone, trying to track her down. None of them worked. My mom must have shut off her GPS. I shot off a message to Tom asking for help. After there was no response for several minutes, I tried calling him.

It went straight to voicemail. He must have been busy with sorting out Harker’s arrest and compiling evidence for a court case.

I was about to try Isabel next but changed my mind last minute. There was only one person who knew enough about Seth to predict where he would go and only one person I trusted to have the skills to track him down.

Andrea picked up on the first ring. “What’s going on, Nicholas?”

“I need your help,” I said. “Have you found Ace yet?”