“Yeah, Naomi seemed to think he’s dangerous.”
“He is. He has men, weapons, and connections. He presents like an off-grid, anti-government, Doomsday prepper, but that’s more of a front than reality.” Inez clicks her tongue thoughtfully. “Worse news for you, however, is that I’ve been picking up chatter out of Boston.”
“Fuck.”
“You were spotted.”
“Fuck, fuck, and double fuck.” I clench a fist so hard my fingers, forearm, and bicep ache. “What kind of chatter?”
“Your previous employers are activating a retrieval unit.”
“Retrieval unit? The fuck does that mean? They didn’t have retrieval units when I was with them. They had hit men.”
“Well, I think they want to talk to you before they kill you.”
“Goddammit.”
“Yeah. So you’ve got Buddy Ibsen and Gerald Kushner who want you dead,andyour former employers hunting you. And you’ve got an innocent civilian woman in your care.”
“More than innocent, Inez. He…Buddy Ibsen…” I struggle to stay calm, to formulate a sentence. “He’s a fucking monster.”
“The most logical thing to do would be to either leave her somewhere with some money or send her back to her dad.”
“I’ll shoot myself in the fucking head before I do that, Inez. I’d sooner rip out my fucking fingernails.”
“Have you ever had your fingernails ripped out?” she asks, almost conversationally.
“Yeah,” I growl. “Once. A couple of them.”
“It’s quite a party, isn’t it?” Inez sighs yet again. “Very well. What do you need?”
“I’m not sure. Cash, for sure. Probably a different vehicle.”
“Do you want me to send your brothers to back you up?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve triangulated your location. You’re near the Ohio-West Virginia border. Get to Cincinnati. Call me when you’re there, and I’ll have someone meet you.”
“Realistically, can this Ibsen guy actually track me down? Like, for real?”
“Yes, he can. He’s well-financed—I can’t say by whom without more digging, but it doesn’t really matter. The point is he has friends with deep pockets, which means he absolutely can hire someone with the skills to find you.”
“Well shit.”
“Indeed, Silas. For now, get moving. Get to Cincinnati, stay alive, and don’t break your vow.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Yes, you would.”
I laugh. “I already have,” I growl. “You don’t know what he did to her, Inez. You’d want to kill him too.”
“I can imagine, Silas.”
“No, you can’t.”
“With all due respect,” her tone goes hard and icy. “Yes…I fuckingcan. I don’t have toimagine, either. Iknow. Firsthand.”
