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“We’ve gotten comfortable with each other,” I reason, wiggling my eyebrows. “I’d hate to have to learn to talk to new agents. I like your team.”
He frowns, glancing towards Jo and Vinny who don’t look like they entirely understand me either. Sterling clears his throat and tries again. “Firing at federal agents when they arrive won’t help you.”
“Are you planning for me to die?” I ask, and the words sound way too chipper in my ears. I’m putting distance betweenmyself and the three of them, because any association will drag them down with me. When Sterling clenches his jaw and shakes his head, I continue speaking. “Then they shouldn’t shoot to kill. They should notice I’m in a room with three other people before opening fire.”
“They aren’t going to shoot to kill,” Sterling says carefully, and I get the feeling he doesn’t like telling me that. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The moments between all of us didn’t change his outlook on me. “But they will recognize you as a threat.”
I shrug. That’s not going to matter. The plan in my head is unfolding as we speak, and there’s really only one way I can try and protect the three people in front of me and that’s by taking the blame.
Keeping hold of the gun, I nod to the various piles of clothing. “Get dressed. As fun as it is looking at how pretty you all are, that’s just between us.”
They look between each other, but Vinny moves first, snatching up a ball of fabric in front of him. He doesn’t look at it, handing it off to Jo as he glares at me. That seems very on brand for him, and I wink as she stares at me before pulling on the shirt. It looks like his black tee from earlier.
Sterling moves next, his clothing all left in a pile on one side of the couch. It puts him closest to me, and the only other gun that I know about. I might not want to harm any of them, but no one else needs to know that. “This isn’t what you want to do, Alastair.”
“You don’t know what I want to do,” I tell him, narrowing my eyes. I shift again, eyeing the ill-fitting sweats I took what feels like a lifetime ago. “You all will throw your lives away if you get caught here with me as anything but hostages.”
“You expect us to all lie?” Sterling asks, shaking out his pants. “And keep the stories straight?”
I meet his gaze. “Not at all, Agent Gideon. I expect you to turn back to your job and do what you have to, and I’ll do the same.”
“What about us?” Jo hisses. My eyes can’t help but study the scars that are still obvious across her skin, reminding me of exactly how they got there. “We’re supposed to just play along?”
“You can tell them any story you want,” I tell her. “But rest assured Jo, my intentions don’t make me a saint. If the only way off Death Row is death, I’d happily drag you to hell with me. Anything for more of your time. But I’ll let you pave the way there yourselves.”
She exchanges a glance with Vinny again, like they share a mind. Maybe they do. Trauma makes people grow closer when there’s no one else to rely on. She shifts on her feet, but Vinny is adamant that he doesn’t trust me, so she speaks past him. “If you go back to prison you’re going back to die.”
“I’ve always known that,” I tell her with a shrug, focusing on Sterling again. “That’s not news to me.”
He’s going to make a move, I can feel it. His eyes drift to the window for a split second, and my only guess is he’s looking for backup. If he arrived with his team in tow there’s no way he would risk joining what we had started. So if he’s checking, then they are close or already here.
Pity.I’m out of time.
Sterling reacts faster than I anticipate, still wallowing in the fact that the journey is over. He lunges for me, and I react to keep him from tackling me and taking the gun.
The safety is still on, and I twist my hand to whip the butt of the gun across the side of his head. I think my aim is off, but I’ve never had a reason to pistol whip anyone before since my weapon of choice used to be a knife.
He drops, and thank fuck he decided to put his shirt back on before he came at me. There’s no vest to protect him frombullets, but his jacket is thrown to one side and that might be an issue.
I stumble on my bad leg when Vinny moves to approach, angling the gun towards him. “Calm yourselves, Lovebirds. Don’t fuck up the plan now. You deserve a happy ending.”
“Quit being a martyr,” Jo growls from behind his shoulder. Her eyes frantically look around the room, but if she’s trying to come up with a way to grab the other gun she’s out of luck. It’s closest to me now since I intercepted Sterling, sitting in its place on the table. “We can do this together-”
“Don’t forget who I am, Jo,” I interrupt. “I’m a killer. Just because your mother was the catalyst doesn’t make me innocent. Yet you still seem to want to love me. Is that what’s called a hero complex?”
“She still thinks you can still be saved,” Vinny grumbles.
I laugh. “Killer, there’s no saving me from Death Row, but I appreciate the attempt. You can’t save me, and you can’t change me. I am who I am, and Alastair Constantine is destined to die. Hate it, love it, it’s going to be a reality. I always knew the devil in you lives for the monster in me. But this is where we meet our end.”
“It doesn’t have to be the end,” Jo hisses, and I shake my head. “You don’t have to do this alone!”
“I made the choice to be alone,” I tell her, and I hear something behind me. Like something on the porch, and maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me, but I think someone is here. “I lived alone, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will die alone.”
Vinny opens his mouth, but I don’t hear what he says. The door behind me is thrown open, and I spin around without responding to him.
I see the all black outfits, the guns. This is very different from the last time I was arrested, and too many things arehappening at once for me to document each thing to memory. The second person in is familiar though, and I recognize his dark hair twisted back on his head and the FBI bullet proof vest.
Sorry Gabe, old buddy.