love no one.”
So many lies.
Shane settled himself out of Doc’s way and eyed Dillon. “I heard Chase mention Vega. What’s up with that?”
Dillon backed away from the memory of that night in the bar and turned to Shane. “Manny Vega is Rafael’s right hand man. Elusive as hell. Nobody’s been able to pin him down long enough to get any decent intel. No photos. He’s been ingratiating himself with the SBC for quite a while now. Looks like he finally made it.” He’d also been behind the deal that killed Sara, and Dillon wanted to nail Sanchez and Vega more than he wanted his next breath.
Disappointment at missing Sanchez was a bitter pill, but at least some small amount of vengeance had been achieved today. Not that killing Marco would bring Sara back, but somehow it helped make things feel a little more just in an unjust world.
CHAPTER FIVE
Tuesday, January 4, - 6 months later.
Cradling her sleeping child against her chest, Sara Caldwell glanced over her shoulder as she opened the door to yet another cheap motel room. Always looking, always searching, checking her back had become a way of life and she despised the monster behind her. Despised the life she’d been forced to lead. Sleeping days while the city worked, working nights while the city slept, and maybe, after work, having a drink with a kindred soul, mourning loss, mourning life.
“It won’t always be like this, you know,” Craig Duncan had said.
“It’s been almost a year.”
“A year is not a lifetime.”
It sure as hell felt like one. “When can I call my husband?”
His gaze settled on her face with a look of resignation. “He…doesn’t know you’re still alive.”
“What?” Surely she’d misheard. Craig wouldn’t--
Not Craig. No way. He was supposed to be on her side. And Dillon’s.
But the look on his face, the flatness in his eyes said otherwise. “You lied to me? All this time?” Even though things had gone all wrong between her and Dillon, even though she was still angry and confused an entire year later, for the DEA and government officials to let him think she’d died…
To not let him know he’d fathered a child…
She sank to her knees on the thin carpet. “Fix it. Fix it now. You tell him I’m alive, you let him know. Jesus, Craig, how could you?” She couldn’t believe the cruelty. Except that, well, yes, she could. The government didn’t have to abide by civilian standards. They could do whatever they wanted to Dillon. Or against him. He was officially their property. And by marriage, to a certain extent, so was she.
Craig’s jaw tightened. “We had to let him think you were dead. Otherwise, he’d bust his ass looking for you, and then you’d both be targets. Or more likely, you’d both be dead. Not to mention Ellie. I’m protecting you.”
“You actually expect me to let this ride?”
Kind eyes turned cold. “I don’t need your consent. We have to find Sanchez, and we have to find the leak. Do you want Dillon to die? Or Ellie?”
“Of course not, but what you’ve done is--”
“Let it go, Sara. This won’t last forever.”
She’d believe him later. When she wasn’t on the run, hiding, waiting for the next call telling her to move, to go now, yet again.
For a year now, she’d been living with a bomb on her shoulder, tick, tick, ticking, counting down time before full detonation.
How long before it went off? Another year? Ten? Thirty? Would she have to live like this forever?
Sara dropped her suitcase on the floor and laid her sleeping baby on the chintzy floral bedspread. She gently pushed downy blonde curls off Ellie’s forehead and her heart stood still, filled to overflowing with a deep and wondrous love.
Everything good in life, everything hopeful and pure, lay right there in front of her.
In a cheap dive where hope was a rare
So many lies.
Shane settled himself out of Doc’s way and eyed Dillon. “I heard Chase mention Vega. What’s up with that?”
Dillon backed away from the memory of that night in the bar and turned to Shane. “Manny Vega is Rafael’s right hand man. Elusive as hell. Nobody’s been able to pin him down long enough to get any decent intel. No photos. He’s been ingratiating himself with the SBC for quite a while now. Looks like he finally made it.” He’d also been behind the deal that killed Sara, and Dillon wanted to nail Sanchez and Vega more than he wanted his next breath.
Disappointment at missing Sanchez was a bitter pill, but at least some small amount of vengeance had been achieved today. Not that killing Marco would bring Sara back, but somehow it helped make things feel a little more just in an unjust world.
CHAPTER FIVE
Tuesday, January 4, - 6 months later.
Cradling her sleeping child against her chest, Sara Caldwell glanced over her shoulder as she opened the door to yet another cheap motel room. Always looking, always searching, checking her back had become a way of life and she despised the monster behind her. Despised the life she’d been forced to lead. Sleeping days while the city worked, working nights while the city slept, and maybe, after work, having a drink with a kindred soul, mourning loss, mourning life.
“It won’t always be like this, you know,” Craig Duncan had said.
“It’s been almost a year.”
“A year is not a lifetime.”
It sure as hell felt like one. “When can I call my husband?”
His gaze settled on her face with a look of resignation. “He…doesn’t know you’re still alive.”
“What?” Surely she’d misheard. Craig wouldn’t--
Not Craig. No way. He was supposed to be on her side. And Dillon’s.
But the look on his face, the flatness in his eyes said otherwise. “You lied to me? All this time?” Even though things had gone all wrong between her and Dillon, even though she was still angry and confused an entire year later, for the DEA and government officials to let him think she’d died…
To not let him know he’d fathered a child…
She sank to her knees on the thin carpet. “Fix it. Fix it now. You tell him I’m alive, you let him know. Jesus, Craig, how could you?” She couldn’t believe the cruelty. Except that, well, yes, she could. The government didn’t have to abide by civilian standards. They could do whatever they wanted to Dillon. Or against him. He was officially their property. And by marriage, to a certain extent, so was she.
Craig’s jaw tightened. “We had to let him think you were dead. Otherwise, he’d bust his ass looking for you, and then you’d both be targets. Or more likely, you’d both be dead. Not to mention Ellie. I’m protecting you.”
“You actually expect me to let this ride?”
Kind eyes turned cold. “I don’t need your consent. We have to find Sanchez, and we have to find the leak. Do you want Dillon to die? Or Ellie?”
“Of course not, but what you’ve done is--”
“Let it go, Sara. This won’t last forever.”
She’d believe him later. When she wasn’t on the run, hiding, waiting for the next call telling her to move, to go now, yet again.
For a year now, she’d been living with a bomb on her shoulder, tick, tick, ticking, counting down time before full detonation.
How long before it went off? Another year? Ten? Thirty? Would she have to live like this forever?
Sara dropped her suitcase on the floor and laid her sleeping baby on the chintzy floral bedspread. She gently pushed downy blonde curls off Ellie’s forehead and her heart stood still, filled to overflowing with a deep and wondrous love.
Everything good in life, everything hopeful and pure, lay right there in front of her.
In a cheap dive where hope was a rare
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