Page 11 of Peripheral Vision

“Stay calm,” he whispers, “we’re almost there.”

I nod slightly, taking a slow step forward, keeping my eyes hard and cold as I face the man again. “Now, let’s see what I’m paying for.” He gestures for me to step ahead of him, and I can’t help but bristle as my instincts threaten to take control—not liking the disadvantage. As we draw near the children, the ringleader comes to stand by my side, the silence palpable between us before he breaks it with a smirk. “Three kids this healthy means a lot of high value organs. Managing assets like this comes with… unique challenges. It makes me wonder exactly what you have planned. And if perhaps there may be an opportunity for us to work together in the future.”

“And what opportunity is that?” I ask, my voice steady, though my mind races. I need to keep him talking, to keep him thinking I’m just another player looking to cut in on his operation. The thing about these kinds of operations is that they accompany us to the drop point to make sure our purchases are… authentic. I can’t say I blame them—you never can be too careful when you’re dealing with the Devil.

He grins, the kind of smile that never reaches the eyes, all teeth and calculation. “You’ve got connections, I can tell that much. And you don’t walk in here with cash like that unless you’ve got access to more… exclusive markets.” His eyes flicker toward the kids briefly, then back to me. “These three aren’t the only ones out there, you know. There’s a steady supply: organs, sex, drugs… you name it. And those who know how to move them… Well, they make a lot of money. A lot more than just this one deal.”

I keep my posture neutral, not letting on that his words are starting to sink in. I hear Nathan chime in on my earpiece. “Don’t, Fletch.” But this could be what I need to get in, to get close enough to take the entire operation down, not just the men in this room. He continues as if he can read my mind, “The entire country is full of shitbags like this—operations. Taking down one isn’t going to stop this from happening in other areas. It could put a target on our backs.” I grunt, knowing that I can’t reply without risking our cover being blown. I know he’s right, and that’s the unfortunate part. One operation doesn’t dismantle the entire network, it doesn’t even make a dent. But if I can make a difference, even in this one region, it might be worth the risk. These kids deserve a chance at life, and not just the ones in this room, even if it costs me everything to give them that chance.

“I’m listening,” I reply, letting the silence stretch a moment before adding, “but I’m not in the habit of working with people I can’t trust.” I hear Nathan in the background swearing.

His smirk deepens, sinister now, knowing that I’m testing him. “Trust? Trust doesn’t matter when money is on the table. But if you’re looking to establish something more lucrative, then you need the right partners. I have access to rare… inventory. The kind not many buyers can get their hands on. And I’d be happy to share, if we’re on the same page.”

“I’ll consider your… offer, once this deal is complete.” We have to tread even more diligently now. If I want an in with these sick fucks then we can’t just discard the assholes once we get to the drop point. We’re going to have to figure something out to keep them believing and keep the kids on the safe side where they won’t get hurt. He assesses me before giving me a slight nod and waving his hand at one of his guys before dipping low, whispering in his ear.

It makes me wonder how many buyers have come before me, how many more will follow after, and how many haven’t made it out with their lives even when they’re playing for the bad guys. How many innocent lives have been sold and discarded like this, their organs harvested for those who can afford the price. My stomach turns, but I force myself to stay focused, to stay in character. I glance at the kids huddled together, too frightened to speak. My gaze settles on a boy who must be the thirteen-year-old I read about. His thin shoulders are trembling, his face smeared with dirt, his eyes wide and hollow. Next to him, the girl I recognize as the sixteen-year-old, clings to a smaller child, their little brother—eight years old. She’s put herself between them and the men in front of her, her arms wrapped around him like a shield. And then there is the matter of the friend, which the ringleader hasn’t offered me any insight on.

Turning toward the ringleader, my voice hard, I say, “You keep speaking of three when we’ve clearly paid for four.” I’ve trained for moments like this, where a lie or oversight could shift the entire deal.

The ringleader pauses, his eyes flicking to his men before returning to me. The shift in his demeanor is subtle, but I catch it. “The fourth?” he asks, his tone too casual, like he’s buying time. “There’s no need for you to worry about them.”

I take a step forward, not backing down. “I’m not here to ‘not worry’. I’m here for business. Four were agreed on, and four are what I expect to leave with.”

He exhales, his breathing sharp, clearly not expecting me to push this far, but he knows better than to show weakness. “Fine,” he mutters, his hand sliding into his coat pocket. “The fourth… they’re a bit of a complication. Not like the others.”

I tilt my head slightly, acting like I don’t know what said complication is, even though I know all too well. “A complication, how?”

He eyes the children before flicking his shit-colored eyes back to me. “Well, to put it simply, he was not supposed to be here. Not originally. But the deal went sideways when we went to collect, and here he is.”

“And you can’t do with him what you are with the others?”

He shifts uncomfortably. “Originally, we had different plans for him. Thought that maybe we could use him in another way. But those up top don’t like loose ends, and this kid would be one as he was an unexpected party. Created a whole mess from the township we took him from, especially because the parents of the other three weren’t gonna be able to do much with all of their illegal dealings in what they owed us anyway.”

I lift an eyebrow at him. “You really think that nobody has noticed those three have gone missing?”

He shrugs. “A little convincing that they went to visit their grandparents up north for a few weeks and then a sudden phone call that dear old grandma has fallen ill and ended up in the hospital, andpoofour little concern is gone.”

“Think that’s gonna work?” I ask, skeptical. “You’re not the only ones keeping track of these kids.”

He chuckles darkly, unbothered by that fact. “I don’t need it to work for long. Just long enough for the deal to go through. After that, they’ll be forgotten. What is it that they consider the most crucial time for missing children anyway? Forty-eight hours? Seventy-two? They’ve already been gone for longer than that anyway. Even if anybody knew they were missing, I’m sure the authorities are grinding their teeth and biting the dust of their failed attempts at locating them at this point. Nobody is going to go and look for kids who no one even knew were supposed to be there in the first place. Especially if the parents aren’t willing to fess up to their own crimes.”

Studying him, I realize that he’s right. People disappear every day and it becomes easy to erase someone when their ties to the world aren’t rooted in people that care. It’s obvious these parents do care, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, but it’s their own mistakes that landed them in this situation in the first place. But if that’s the case, why does he care so much about the “loose end”? I decide to play along fora little bit longer.

“I’ll take them. But you’re underestimating something,” I lower my voice. “People do notice. And if you think this is just going to fade into the background, you’re in for a rude awakening.”

Taking the bait, he responds with a laugh. A forced one, but a laugh nonetheless. “You’re too paranoid. You’ll see, this is how it works. The world’s too big, too distracted to care about a few lost kids. Trust me.”

I don’t trust him, but he’s making the mistake of trusting me. Underestimating me. And that’s the danger in this kind of operation—the lies pile up until the whole structure is ready to collapse, and when it does, it’ll take everyone with it. And on that note, I say, “Then stick with your end of the deal and give me the fourth kid like we agreed on.”

Narrowing his eyes at me, realizing the trap I laid for him, he signals to one of his men relaying to him that the fourth boy is to come with me. Sneering, he sets his smug gaze on me. “Just like we agreed on.”

“Good. Then we’re done here. I’ll have my contact reach out with a location for the drop. And if you try to undermine me for what you think the little stunt I just pulled was, just remember that I have connections and other assets that I would hate to see you miss out on—dead or alive.” He just doesn’t realize that he’ll be dead.

Chapter

Nine

FLETCHER

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