Page 34

Sypher

December 11, 2024.

The moon hung heavy in the inky sky as I knocked on the door, the lateness of the hour pressing down on me. I peered around the dark alley cautiously, the chill of the evening air raising goose bumps on my arms, and waited for her to open the door as I listened for the sounds of small town life beyond the back entrance of the bookstore. Diamond Creek’s small-town charm included an early night; by ten, the only sounds were the crickets chirping and the occasional distant dog barking. I grew up in a small town, where the only sounds were birds chirping and crickets at night. Apart from the boisterous laughter spilling out from the local bar, the town square would be deserted by dinnertime, a stark contrast to the daytime bustle. Despite everything, the combination of Ellie’s pregnancy and the likelihood of her sleeping deeply was already problematic enough; my presence here tonight wasn’t likely to improve my relationship with her husband.

Despite everything, she was the only one whose judgment I implicitly trusted.

My second knock was answered by the sudden click of the light over the door, followed by a violent throw of the door open and the chilling presence of a gun pointed directly at me. “Fuck, I should kill you for waking me up. Do you know what fucking time it is?”

“I need to speak with Ellie.”

“She’s sleeping.”

“Go wake her.”

“You do realize she is my wife, right?”

“Please, Ryder. This is important.”

“Ryder?” Ellie’s soft voice, barely audible, reached me from the background, where she was pulling the soft fabric of her robe more tightly around her to shield herself from the chill. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Ellery,” I said loud enough for her to hear.

“Danny?” she muttered, snaking herself under Ryder’s arm. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Oklahoma City?”

“I was, but I have to head back to New York. Ellie, I need a favor,” I whispered, noticing Ryder stiffen behind her. Reaching deep into the cut I had made in my clothing, I carefully extracted and then handed to my closest friend a slender MicroDrive; this small device contained all the information I possessed about every individual and every group operating within the shadowy underworld. It was a calculated risk, but the potential for my client list falling into the wrong hands was too great to ignore. The weight of that possibility pressed down on me. “If anything should happen to me. I need you to give this to King and tell him I said, time’s up. He will know what that means.”

“Danny, you’re scaring me,” Ellie whispered, her bottom lip quivering. I held her close, the warmth of her body comforting against the icy grip of dread that tightened around my heart, knowing this hug was our final goodbye. As I let her go, the glistening tears in her eyes and the quiet firmness of her retreating back spoke volumes, a silent farewell echoing in the empty space she left.

“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Promise me something, Ryder. Love her for me. Love her as much as you can and never let her go.”

“Already do, brother.”

Looking at the man, I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Hell, there was so much I wanted to say, but couldn’t.

“Go. Go do what you need to do, then come home, brother,” Ryder said earnestly as he looked at me, extending his hand. Taking it, he pulled me into a hug and added, “Just remember. You have people here that care for you.”

With a final, silent release, he disappeared into the house, the faint click of the door followed by the light switching off engulfing me in deepening twilight. Walking down the cold, wooden steps, I disappeared into the absolute darkness, the silence heavy around me.

“I’m getting on the plane now. I will be back in the city in a few hours.”

“That’s not what I fucking asked, and you goddammed well know it,” Ace sneered, his voice low, threatening. Yeah, I knew what he wanted me to say, but I wasn’t going to tell him shit because I fucking knew he would stop me and order me to return home to Tennessee. I waited as long as I could before calling him. I knew he was busy with the other teams and helping Law find a new home base. As it was, it looked as if they were all heading to the state of Montana. “Goddammit, Danny! What the fuck are you planning?”

“Sorry, Ace.” I cringed as I heard glass breaking in the background. “It’s the only fucking way.”

“Boy, if I have to call the fucking family and Reaper and get their fucking asses involved, trust me when I say this, they won’t be the only one beating your ass when we find you!”

“Sir, we are about to take off. You need to hang up your phone,” the flight attendant said, getting my attention.

Nodding, I whispered, “I gotta go, Ace.”

“Danny, don’t do this!”

“I love you.”

I barely heard his muffled roar as I disconnected the call, the sound swallowed by the sudden silence as I powered down my phone, the smooth cold plastic giving way with a satisfying crack as I snapped it in two.

There was no turning back now.

After leaving Ryder and Ellie’s, I immediately walked to where a driver, leaning against a sleek black car, waited to whisk me away to the nearest airport. The second I slid into the plush leather seat, the driver smoothly handed me my laptop, and I immediately powered it up.

“Tell me everything you found out,” I firmly said, typing away on my computer as she began.

“Pandora is Jane Craven, the last living Craven sister. She is the legal proprietor of the Trick Pony and the mastermind behind everything. She makes Sienna look like a novice. The woman is uber smart, cunning, and pathologically insane. She is heavily guarded at all times, so getting close to her will not be easy.”

“Who else?”

“Gray Greer. She cultivated and molded him from birth.”

“Malice’s twin?”

“Yes, but make no mistake, the man is deadly. More so than Malice. The man is stealthy and quick. By the time you realize he’s there, you are already dead. So be careful. He is only loyal to her.”

“And the others?”

“You already know everything there is to know about Steele and Dakota. Gotta say, your mind is a scary place. When Montana learns the truth, he’s going to fucking blow, big time. You should also know that someone is moving fast to erase everyone’s profiles. Soon, there won’t be anything left for the FEDs to investigate.”

“Who?”

“My guess, Benson Graves, but don’t worry about him. I know how to find that son of a bitch. He won’t ever see daylight again when I get my hands on him.”

Nodding, I muttered, “Go on.”

“Dakota aligned himself with Pandora. Got word last night. It’s confirmed, which will make what you need to do harder, because he knows what you are capable of and what you mean to the underworld.”

Looking at the driver, plausibilities began to form. It was perfect. I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of it sooner. Of course she would want my connections to the underworld. I never hid the fact that I worked with everyone. This was fucking perfect.

Grinning, I said, “That’s my way in.”

“What do you mean?”

“My connection to the underworld. There is no fucking way she will pass up the opportunity to get what I have in my head.”

Slamming on the brakes, halting the vehicle in the middle of the desolate dark road, the driver turned around to face me and sneered, “You can’t, Sypher. If the underworld even thinks for one fucking second you are compromised, you would be the most hunted man on the fucking planet. There would be no place where you could hide.”

“Not necessarily,” I whispered as my head swam with likely plans and outcomes. The more I worked the problem, only one outcome popped up, time after time. If I wanted the cunt dead, the only way to achieve that was to die myself, which meant when I died, I needed to ensure on the off chance I survived, that I remembered nothing, and there was only one motherfucker on the planet that could guarantee that happened.

Reaching for my phone, I dialed a number.

“What?”

“I need you to make me forget.”

“Have you seen the fucking news?”

“Malice, pay attention,” I snarked. “You specialized in hypnotherapy in college as part of your psychology dissertation at John Hopkins. You know what drugs will help induce amnesia. I need you to make me forget.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Sypher? Forget what?”

“Can you do it or not?” I shouted.

“Yeah, I can do it, but there are adverse side effects, like a complete personality change. There is a reason most therapists don’t like using hypnotherapy, because any fucking suggestion can alter a person’s personality forever. Add in the drugs and who the fuck knows what you would turn into. Whatever you are planning, think of something else.”

“I’m heading back to New York now. Can you meet me at Sinclair’s place?”

“Fuck,” Malice cursed. “I just fucking know Reaper is going to kill me for this. That’s if Montana doesn’t get to me first.”

“I owe you one.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just remember to put that on my headstone,” he said right before the line disconnected.

“This is a bad fucking idea, Sypher. Really fucking bad.” The driver groaned, turning back around.

“Wait till I tell you what I’m gonna do next.” I smirked as Thena Hartley stepped on the gas.

“For the record, this is a really bad idea,” Sinclair stated as he paced his opulent living room. “I respect you, kid, and we all agree that Pandora and the others need to die, but not at the cost of you. The underworld wouldn’t think twice before ordering a hit on me if they even thought for a second I was involved. Besides, there is only one way this ends and you know it. Not to mention the fact I won’t hurt Dante any more than I already have. I’m sorry. I won’t do it.”

Leaning forward in my seat, I looked at the man. “I’ve run the numbers, Sinclair. It’s the only way.”

“Then run them again,” Silas shouted as he looked at me. “Or just let Reaper and Montana burn the fucking world down around them. Anything but this crazy plan. I can’t let you do this, Sypher. Dante is finally happy. He has everything he’s ever wanted. I won’t be the one to break his heart again. I can’t.”

Rowen piped up from the corner of the room, “Not to mention what Reaper and the Golden Skulls will do to us when they learn we helped with this asinine plan.”

Sighing, Malice shook his head. “Kid, I don’t think you are comprehending how this will change the way your mind thinks. Right now, your mind is your own. You control the information. Your brain is like one of your computer programs. The second you alter it, it would be like installing a virus in your head. It will slowly take over, overriding the original programing. That’s if you even survive. I’m sorry, kid, but I agree with Sinclair and the others. I can’t be a part of this.”

“Then we’re all screwed, because there is no fucking way I can do what needs to be done without getting close to her. You all know what will happen if she escapes. You know most of all what that bitch is capable of doing and the fucking horror she will create. Are you seriously willing to let her walk away from this, knowing we had a chance to end it all?”

“It’s more than that, Danny.” Sinclair sighed, placing his hands on the back of a chair. “You are right, the four of us know exactly what that bitch is capable of, but what you are failing to realize is that even though we want her to pay for her crimes, none of us are willing to sacrifice a member of this family. As fucked up as our family is, you are a part of that now. The second you claimed Dante, you became one of us.”

“But I’m not, am I?” I challenged. “You came to me, Sinclair. I didn’t seek you out.”

“What’s he talking about?” Silas asked.

“Tell me you didn’t, Sin,” Malice groaned.

“I didn’t have a choice. I needed to protect Dante. I never thought he’d come up with a plan that would get him killed!”

“Jesus Christ, Sin.” Rowen sighed and pushed off the wall. “What the fuck did you do?”

“I will not apologize for protecting my family.”

“What the fuck did you do?” Silas sneered.

Standing up straight, Crispin Sinclair straightened his suit jacket and simply said, “In exchange for Pandora’s location, Danny has agreed to walk away from Dante.”

“You son of a bitch!” Silas roared, his arm a blur as it connected with the side of Sin’s face, a sharp crack echoing through the air. Stumbling backward a few steps, Sinclair rubbed his jaw as Silas stalked him menacingly, his movements slow and deliberate. “Dante loves Danny. Has ever since they met. You fucking knew that, and now that he’s finally fucking happy, your plan is to rip his fucking heart out!”

“How is what I’m doing any different than what you did to save him? Like you, I am willing to do anything to protect my family.”

Malice and Rowen moved fast to contain Silas from killing Sinclair.

“LET ME GO!” Silas roared vehemently, trying to get to Sinclair.

Getting to my feet, I walked over between the warring men and faced Sinclair. “The difference, you sick, twisted motherfucker, is that Silas didn’t have a fucking choice, you did. You want to know why Thena left? It’s because she knew the truth about you. She fucking knew you would never change.”

Sinclair gasped. “You know where she is?”

I shrugged and smirked at the fucker. “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. One thing I do know is, you will never find her until she’s ready to be found.”

As I turned, my gaze fell upon the man who, at great personal risk, had saved the young boy he cherished above all else, a boy he loved more than himself, I added, “He doesn’t blame you, Silas. He never did. He just wants his big brother back.”

“Where is he?” Silas asked.

“With our daughter. Safe.”

Without speaking another word, I turned and walked toward the door, exiting the house swiftly and quietly.

I was on my own.