Page 74 of Capture Me
Having people fall in love through a wall? That has to be some bullshit. No way it will last, and yet I allow the show to keep playing. What, like starting to care about your abductors is better, Fallon?
A very familiar voice saying my name has me jerking from that thought. When I look up,Love is Blindis no longer on the screen. Instead, I come face to face with Quinn.
I screech, jumping to my feet. “Quinn!! Is it really you?” My screaming and jumping startles Hades awake and has him up and growling at any potential threat. “Shhh, it’s okay, boy.” I smooth down his fuzzed up hair on his neck and back.
“Fallon, are you okay?” Quinn’s concern rings clear in her voice. Does this TV have a camera? The little light at the top tells me yes.
“Can you see me?”
“Yeah, girl. I have had access to their cameras for days but I couldn't get a moment where I could do this with all of them home.”
“Fuck, I miss you.”
“Miss you too. Now answer my question. Are you okay?”
Am I? I hesitate for a few moments, the words stuck in my throat because they sound fucking insane. “Yeah, actually I'm good. They are… I don’t know… definitely better than when I first got here.”
She raises her eyebrows in response. “Hmm. Well I gotta say, hacking this system was rough. Talk about Fort Knox. I had an easier time getting into White House servers.”
“Then why are you smiling? And when did you hack into the White House Servers?”
“Because it’s the most fun I have had in years! And, oh, that was a just-to-see-if-I-could kind of thing.” Her answer is vague enough to know there’s a story there she isn’t telling me.
“I will try not to take the fun comment personally.” I smirk at her. “I’m assuming you set off whatever drama they raced away to attend?” I flop back down on the couch as Hades makes himself comfortable half on top of me, half beside me.
“Yeah. You ready to get out of there? I can get you into the garage and we can pick which car to steal. They have some really great ones.” I can see the urge to drive one shining in her eyes.
Well, this is it. I can end all of this and return to my life. But what would I tell authorities about being gone? Do I really want the guys to go down for this? What if they’re right and I can help stop whatever is going on at Helix? Am I even safe to go back there with what I know? Do I want to continue to play a role in covering the tracks of whoever at Helix Enterprises is involved in this? Going back now means facing Clay alone. The more I question everything, the more my decision becomes clear, as does the real reason for my hesitation. I don't want to leave them.
Quinn, who has a knack for reading me like a book, appears more confused by the second. “Did you hear me? It’s time to go. They’regetting close to Lunar Headquarters now and will kick me out for a bit at that point.”
I take a deep breath before responding. “I need to stay. There are some things going on. I made a deal with them.”
“What kind of deal?” she asks suspiciously.
“I help them find out what is going on at Helix and they help me find who attacked me.” I have no doubt Quinn saw the latest Cerberus video.
“Holy shit.” Her eyes widen as she takes this all in. “Have they figured it out? And what is going on at Helix?”
“Yes, they did.” Her mouth falls open, but I shift to her second question. I need a minute before I tell her about Clay. “Helix Enterprises is involved with trafficking. Like, they’re literally selling women. Clay is definitely part of it and God only knows who else. I am starting to think this runs deep. They even have the cops in their pocket.”
I’m met with shocked silence, Quinn’s mind clearly racing behind her eyes.
“There’s more.” I feel sick just saying this next part out loud. Despite the new Cerberus video revealing the truth behind several attacks, including mine, I still feel raw over the whole ordeal. It resurfaced everything I experienced that night and in the weeks that followed. “It was Clay who attacked me.”
Quinn gasps, her hand shooting to cover her mouth. Her head shakes in a mix of disbelief and fury.
Tears prick my eyes as I fight against the burn. My throat is thick, and I am struggling to swallow. When I finally have control, I speak again, my voice still cracked with emotion. “Quinn, you need to be careful. Do not go snooping or confronting anyone, okay? I don't think I could handle you getting hurt.”
“Fallon, I will be fine–”
“No, Quinn, I’m serious! This is so much bigger than you realize. Don’t do anything until we can map out our next move.”
“Okay, okay.” She lifts her hands in mock surrender. “Got it. So, next moves, let's get you out of there. You got the information you needed. You have been a fucking captive for over a month. It’s fucked up.”
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I agree, “I know, I know. But this is bigger than just my revenge, Quinn. I feel like I can really be part of doing some good here.” Like I could finally belong somewhere. Plus, I still need their help to pin down Clay.
“Are you hearing yourself? Fallon, that is insane.”
