Page 50 of Girl Between (Dana Gray FBI Mystery Thriller #5)

I look down at my work. My skills are advancing. Gazing at the still body on the table, I feel nothing but pride. Soon I won’t even need him. Which perhaps is good because I’ve grown tired of placating my leverage.

The girl is proving to be more trouble than she’s worth.

A glance around my ward boosts my spirits. I know he doesn’t see it that way. I fear he never will. I hoped he would come around to the work we are doing, but that was naive.

I still resent that he can’t see the worth of this calling. Nevertheless, I will be rid of him soon. I just need to stay vigilant for now. Watch and learn. Keep the status quo.

I can justify my work. Sacrificing the few to save the many. To save her.

But still, I must tread carefully, masking my contempt with a facade of cooperation. So far it’s working. The police have yet to uncover the truth. And I aim to keep it that way.

For now.

Every move must be calculated, every word measured. I cannot afford a misstep, not when the stakes are this high.

The sun is sinking, casting a harsh light over the room and revealing the shadows lurking in the corners of my mind. I glance once more at the girl on the table, her fate intertwined with our actions, her future written.

In this moment of stillness, I feel a strange kinship with her. We are both pawns in a game much larger than ourselves, each of us playing our part in a grander design.

The sound of footsteps pulls me from my reverie. He is approaching, his presence a reminder of the delicate balance I must maintain.

I steel myself, ready to face the next phase of our endeavor. The path ahead is fraught with challenges, but I am resolute.

Whatever it takes, I will see this through to the end.