Page 111 of Fighting For Light
“I’m getting bored,” Liam mutters. Emerson punches him again.
He coughs. “Come on, man. Ask me what else you want to know. They obviously want all of you for something, but like I said, I don’t know much, so either ask or shoot me in the head. Thisisterribly boring.”
“That’s seriously all you know?” I ask him.
He nods.
I glance at Emerson and Liam.
Emerson pulls his pistol from his back waistband, ready to shoot it.
“But... I could help you,” he says.
Emerson lifts the barrel of the gun to his forehead.
Liam scoffs. “Yeah, and my best friend is the Queen of England.”
I shoot him a look, and he shrugs, the corner of his mouth tipping up.My brother is crazy.
“Wait,” Emerson says and drops the gun.
“One?” I ask him. He glances at me and nods towards the door. We file out behind him and close the door, following him down to the hall so our guest can’t hear us.
Emerson spins around and rubs his chin in thought. I can see the wheels turning in his head. “He could be useful to us. He might be more useful to us alive than dead.”
“How do you figure?” Liam asks.
“I believe him. He was probably given a job, and that was it. It would make sense that he didn’t get much information regarding his target. He got the job and agreed to it. That simple.”
“It’s true, not a lot of questions are asked for things like these. When the Costas were hiring hackers, they gave as little information as possible. Once they decide to hire you, you get the bare minimum information for the job, and then you’re expected to complete it within their timeframe.”
“So, what do you want to use him for? How would that be helpful to us?” I ask Emerson.
“He’s a gun for hire, so what if…we use him to send a message?” Emerson asks.
“It’s too close. It would be way too obvious,” I mutter.
“He’s right, One,” Liam says.
Emerson sighs. “I still think we should let him live long enough to send him back to Massachusetts with pieces of the one that tried to kill Cordi. It would be safer for us. It would also be a major show of strength. They came for us and failed.”
“But you’re sending him to his death,” Liam says.
“He was going to die here or there. What difference does it make?” Emerson asks.
“Do you think he could get away after delivering a suck on this in the form of body parts?” I ask.
Emerson rubs his hand over his buzz cut. “It’s unlikely.”
“I agree, it’s the safest option for everyone. Use him as the messenger,” Liam says.
I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “Fine, do it. I’d rather get rid of him now, but if you think that’s what’s best, then so be it. I’m going to go check on my wife,” I mutter and pull my t-shirt off, tossing it in the trash that we will eventually burn.
Time seems to disappear down here. The only reason I know it’s morning, maybe even afternoon now, is because the sun is shining through the windows of the lower level. I lift my heavy feet up the stairs and go into the living room. Cordi’s not there, so I assume she went up to our room. The whole house is quiet. Mom is likely in bed, too.
Opening the door slowly, I peek my head in. Cordi’s lips are parted, and she’s sprawled out across the bed, sleeping soundly. I stand there for a moment, overwhelmed yet again. My knees feel weak, and my stomach hurts. Taking a last look at my wife, I trudge into the bathroom to take a shower and scrub my body. I don’t want a single bit of what happened downstairs to touch Cordi.
When I get out, I tip-toe back into our room, slide myself under the covers, and stare at my wife until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.
