Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 172387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 862(@200wpm)___ 690(@250wpm)___ 575(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 172387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 862(@200wpm)___ 690(@250wpm)___ 575(@300wpm)
The hallway was dark, something I didn’t think of when I sent my kid up here to her mother. I wasn’t watching where I was going, didn’t think I needed to, until my foot connected with something that felt like a body, in my fucking hallway. Almost gave me a heart attack.
I hit the lights hard and looked down in surprise at Todd who had a pillow and a blanket and was asleep across the open doorway of my daughter’s bedroom. This fucking kid.
“I have ears and eyes all over this place kid, don’t even think about going in there.” I suspected he was awake and the smile that cracked his face told me I was right.
“I know…dad.” I grinned as I hit the lights again and walked away.
MANCINI
I drove the short few blocks to her house where I was almost certain she was waiting for me. To have the level of intuition she’s been blessed with, there’s no way she doesn’t know. Still she seemed surprised to see me standing there when she opened the door.
“Ah boy, I knew this day would come sooner or later. How did you find me?” She was jumpy, nervous, scared even I think.
“You were there yesterday when I called Wilson, he saw you through me.”
“So that’s how it was.” She turned and walked back into the house leaving me to follow. “Congratulations by the way, on your new little girl. She’s going to make one hell of a leader.”
“You can see that far?”
“Sometimes, sometimes it’s not as clear, but I see her.”
“Let’s get straight to the point shall we? Why didn’t you bring him in?” I could see I was making her nervous and I wasn’t necessarily here for that. I needed to hear what she had to say first before I jumped the gun.
She poured herself another glass of wine and moved to sit on the settee.
“When I came here all those years ago I had all intentions of doing the job. But Elena, she knows nothing; she didn’t know her father was one of us. And her life was so perfect, after what she’d gone through I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“But you knew the importance…”
“I knew it, of course I knew; but like I said, I couldn’t break apart her little family.
“So you stayed close by to protect them, him. You settled down here, met someone and started a new life.”
“Yes, but leave my husband out of it, he knows nothing about the organization.”
“You really think so?” She stopped with the glass halfway to her lips.
“What do you mean?” I looked at her for a few seconds and it was obvious she wasn’t playing me, that as intelligent as she is, as strong a seer as she is, she really didn’t know.
“He’s your watcher.” She shook her head and jumped to her feet, wine sloshing over the glass onto her hand, as she shook her head no.
“No he’s not, he can’t be he knows nothing about this. I would’ve known.”
“Don’t panic, if Wilson wanted you dead you’d be dead by now.” She slumped back into the chair and stared straight ahead at the wall seeing nothing I’m sure. Then she put the glass to her head and drained what was left of the wine.
“If he is my watcher, how come he never turned me in?”
“Because he fell in love with you and went rogue. At least that’s what Wilson thinks. How did you hide yourself so well here, right in the same town as them?”
“I don’t know really; all I did was change my name, though I have been blocking for decades. It can be done, if you’re careful. I’m just surprised it took Wilson this long.”
“I knew the first time I saw you, who you were. But by then it was too late. I couldn’t just walk out of Elena’s life after all these years. She’s my best friend. Life with her has made me feel normal, grounded.” She stopped talking and just stared into space.
“What now? Are you going to drag me back in?”
“I’m not sure about that yet.”
“But you can make that decision sir.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about a woman of your age calling me that.”
“But I am your subordinate, it’s protocol.”
“Maybe; so what do you think? Are you ready to come back?” She put the glass on the ottoman and held her head in her hand.
“It’s been so many years since I’ve been active. I almost convinced myself that it was in the past that those days were over.”
She looked over at me and I saw a woman who’d aged since the day before. “I knit you know. I smoke marijuana with my friends, we laugh, we play, it’s all rather normal.” She smiled wistfully.
“Did you hate the organization that much?”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just, all those families being separated and… no one thinks the way we used to in the old days. People want to go their own way.” She shook her head and reached for the glass before putting it back down again.