Page 34 of Not Her Day to Die

A place to create their next victims.

Gaining my bearings, I circle back. “My question to you is this. How far are you willing to go to save your daughter?”

Jane’s brown eyes darken until they are nearly black. Her nostrils flare, her shoulders tense. “Miss Sunday, if you help me with this, I will do whatever I can to bring down the Thornes.” She stares at me, as if she can see parts of my soul. “Even if it means dying in the process. I will do anything to save my daughter from them. Anything for her to know I never gave up searching for her. Anything for her to know that she is going to be okay.”

The thread between Jane and me pulsates. It is red. Dark. Nearly the color of blood. And while I don’t know what that means, I imagine it isn’t good.

I ignore it. “Perfect.”

“While the FBI had officially opened a case, unfortunately, due to the most recent press conference the Thornes gave, it has almost entirely been shoved to the side.” Jane heaves a sigh. “I am here on unofficial business, but if we can garner any evidence, we can get their help.”

Last night up on the roof, Grayson and I brainstormed the best way to go about this. To draw more of the public’s attention, to get more eyes on the problem in this town.

Most issues go ignored and are forgotten unless they are shocking enough.

“Where can I go that will put me in danger?” I ask.

Jane cocks her head. “You?” Understanding flashes across her face, her lips tightening. “We can’t use you.”

“You just said that they wanted to sell me.”

Jane looks to Grayson as if he will intervene, but when he doesn’t, she turns back to me. “But your face is known now, they wouldn’t risk taking you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s true. They won’t kill me. But I imagine if I am alone and just a sitting duck, they’ll act. After all, they twisted the story to show Darius and I are together. They could easily come up with another lie.”

“Then why wouldn’t they just kill you?” Jane presses. “If they’re willing to take you, what keeps them from killing you once enough time passes? Once the public’s interest dies down.”

Axel tenses, I reach out squeezing his hand. “That’s where you come in.”

And for her part, Jane listens to my entire plan, nodding her head occasionally. When I am finished she lets out a whoosh of air. “That just…that might work. And for your part, Sunday? This is all you will need to do…”

14

September 30th

“Runners!” I call.

Tonight is the night.

Operation Lure the Evil in this Town and Reunite with Darius. Even if Grayson and Axel are still not fully on board.

After I finish working.

Thankfully, the reporters have shifted their attention to the Thornes and they weren’t at the restaurant when I arrived.

“The servers are slow tonight,” Rick, one of the cooks, comments from across the line. He is the one I am used to working with. He still reminds me of an older Santa Claus. “You doing okay over there?”

The tray of food slides out from next to me. I offer Rick a small smile. “Yes, I just can’t wait to be off. I want to go out.”

“Go out?” Rick laughs as he cleans up his side of the line. “Grayson is going to let you do that?”

I poke my cheeks out. “I am an adult!”

Rick just chuckles again.

The remaining hours pass in a blur, my anxiety skittering higher and higher as it approaches closing time. I know what will happen after.

But what if our plan doesn’t work? What if I go through everything and nothing even happens?