Page 22

TWENTY

emmanuel

"We've got a problem," I say the second Jer answers his phone. "My father sent Clodagh a letter. He's threatening her again."

I hear Jer curse under his breath. "How the hell did he manage that?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter now. We need to move fast. He's in Hawaii, Jer. We need to end this."

There's a pause on the other end of the line. "Emmanuel, we can't just rush in without a plan. The Syndicate?—"

"Fuck the Syndicate," I interrupt, my voice harsh. "This is personal now. He's threatening Clodagh directly. I'm not waiting around for him to make a move."

Jer sighs heavily. "Alright. Come back to the office. We'll figure out our next steps."

I hang up and pull back onto the road, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. As I drive, I can't shake the image of Clodagh's face from my mind—the fear in her eyes, the softness of her lips. I push the thoughts away. I can't afford distractions now.

When I arrive at Jer's office, I find him and Maverick already poring over maps and satellite images of Hawaii.

"What do we know?" I ask, striding into the room.

Maverick looks up. "We've narrowed down his likely location to a compound on Lāna?i. It's remote and heavily guarded. Getting in won't be easy."

I nod grimly. "But not impossible."

Jer gives me a hard look. "Emmanuel, I know you want to rush in guns blazing, but we need to be smart about this. One wrong move and we could lose everything."

I know he's right, but the urgency I feel is overwhelming. Every moment we delay is another moment my father could be planning his next move against Clodagh.

"Fine," I concede. "What's the plan?"

We spend the next few hours hashing out the details of our operation. It's risky, but it's the best chance we have. As dawn breaks, we finalize our preparations.

"We move out tonight," Jer announces. "Get some rest. You'll need it."

As I turn to leave, Maverick catches my arm. "Emmanuel, about Clodagh..."

I tense, wondering how much he knows. "What about her?"

He gives me a knowing look. "Just... be careful. Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. We can't afford any mistakes on this one."

I nod stiffly, not trusting myself to speak. I turn and leave Jer's office, Maverick's words echoing in my mind. He's right, of course. I can't let my feelings for Clodagh distract me from the mission. But even as I tell myself this, I know it's easier said than done.

I head home to get a few hours of sleep before we fly to Hawaii. My mind is racing with thoughts of my father, of Clodagh, of all the ways this could go wrong. When I finally drift off, my dreams are filled with images of blood and gunfire.

I wake up feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep. As I'm getting ready to leave, my phone buzzes with a text from Clodagh.

Clodagh: Are you okay? You left so suddenly last night...

I stare at the message, my thumb hovering over the reply button. Part of me wants to reassure her, to tell her everything will be alright. But I know I can't make that promise. Not yet.

Instead, I type out a quick response:

Me: I'm fine. Stay safe. I'll be in touch soon.

It feels cold and impersonal, but it's the best I can do right now. I can't afford any distractions, not when we're so close to ending this once and for all.

Eleven a.m. arrives and I’m antsy as fuck as I meet up with Jer and Maverick at a private airfield owned by Henry Gallagher. The tension in the air is thick as we board the plane that will take us to Hawaii.

"Remember," Jer says as we settle in for the flight, "our primary objective is to neutralize Jacob and gather any intel we can on the Syndicate's operations. In and out as quickly and quietly as possible."

I nod, checking my weapons one last time. The weight of my gun is comforting, grounding me in the moment.

The flight seems to stretch on forever, but finally, we touchdown on a small, unmarked airstrip in Lāna?i. From there, we make our way toward my father's compound. I’m focused, in the zone, just as I am whenever the Silencer has a job to do.

As we approach, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. This is it. After all these years, all the pain and suffering he's caused, I'm finally going to face my father again.

We breach the perimeter of the compound with surprising ease, which immediately sets me on edge. It feels too easy, like we're walking into a trap.

"Stay alert," I mutter into my comm. "Something's not right."

We make our way through the compound, taking out guards silently as we go. But as we near the main building, all hell breaks loose.

Gunfire erupts from all directions. We've been ambushed.

"Fall back!" Jer shouts over the comm. "It's a trap!"

But as I turn to retreat, I catch a glimpse of a familiar figure through a window. My father, watching the chaos unfold with a smirk on his face.

Fuck that. I won’t let this prick get away this time.

I raise my gun, watching through the scope as my father raises his brow. Does he think I won’t pull the trigger? Does he truly believe I won’t end his miserable life?

I take a deep breath, ignoring Jer's shouts in my ear. I keep the scope on him and relax my shoulders. This is it.

"Emmanuel, what the fuck are you doing?" Maverick's voice crackles through my earpiece.

"Finishing this," I growl back as I pull the trigger. I watch as the bullet sails through the air. A smile forms on my lips as I watch it sink between my father’s eyes. The smirk he had dies on his lips as he collapses to the floor.

He’s dead.

The compound erupts into chaos as my father's body hits the floor. Guards are shouting, gunfire intensifies, but I barely register any of it. A strange numbness washes over me as I lower my weapon.

"Emmanuel!" Jer's voice cuts through the haze. "We need to move. Now!"

I snap back to reality, adrenaline surging through my veins.

We fight our way out of the compound, taking down anyone who stands in our way.

It's a blur of gunshots, explosions, and close calls. My adrenaline is pushing me through it all. I’m still in that headspace of focusing on the job at hand, and I will be until we get the fuck out of here and are flying home.

Finally, we make it to our extraction point. As the helicopter lifts off, I watch the compound shrink into the distance, smoke rising from several buildings. It's over. My father is dead.

The flight back is tense and silent. I can feel Jer and Maverick's eyes on me, but I keep my gaze fixed out the window. My mind is a whirlwind of emotions—relief, anger, a strange sense of loss.

When we land, Jer pulls me aside. "We need to talk about what happened back there."

I nod. I knew this conversation was coming.

We head to his office and I brace myself for the lecture.

I went off script. I did what he’s always told me not to do—go alone.

It’s a huge fucking no-no when I’m with others.

I was doing this job as a member of the Houlihan Gang, not as part of The Agency, and when working with the Gang, we always work together.

But instead of anger, Jer's voice is filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

The question catches me off guard. Am I okay? I'm not sure I know the answer.

"He's dead," I say, my voice hollow. "It's finally over."

Jer sighs heavily. "The immediate threat may be over, but we both know the Syndicate won't take this lying down. And there's still the matter of the mole..."

Reality comes crashing back. Of course, it's not over. It's never over.

"What's our next move?" I ask, pushing my personal feelings aside.

Jer studies me for a moment before answering. "We lie low for now. Let the dust settle. Then we'll deal with the Syndicate."

I nod, standing to leave. But Jer's voice stops me.

"Emmanuel," he says softly. "It's okay to feel... whatever you're feeling right now. He was still your father."

I clench my jaw, emotions threatening to overwhelm me. Without a word, I turn and leave the office.

As I drive home, my mind drifts to Clodagh. She's safe now, I remind myself. My father can never hurt her again. But as I pull into my driveway, I realize there's something I need to do.

I take out my phone and dial her number. She answers on the second ring.

"Emmanuel?" Her voice is filled with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"It's over," I say simply. "He's gone. You're safe now."

There's a long pause on the other end of the line. When she speaks again, her voice is thick with emotion. "Really? It's... it's really over?"

"Yes," I confirm, my voice hoarse.

"Can I see you?" Clodagh asks softly. "I... I need to see you."

I hesitate, remembering Jer's warnings about getting too close. But after everything that's happened, I can't bring myself to say no.

"Okay," I agree. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

When I arrive at Clodagh's house, she's waiting for me on the porch. As soon as she sees me, she runs down the steps and throws her arms around me. I freeze for a moment before slowly returning the embrace.

"Thank you," she whispers against my chest. "Thank you for keeping me safe."

I pull back slightly, looking down at her. "You don't have to thank me, Clodagh. I'd do anything to protect you."

She looks up at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know. That's why..."

She trails off, biting her lip. I know what she wants to say, what she wants to do. And God help me, I want it too. But I can't. Not yet.

"Clodagh," I say gently, taking a step back. "We can't. You're still so young, and there's still so much danger out there."

She nods, trying to hide her disappointment. "I understand. But Emmanuel... will there ever be a time when we can?"

I look at her, this brave, beautiful girl who's been through so much because of my father. I want to promise her the world, to tell her that someday, when all of this is over, we'll have our chance. But I can't make that promise. Not when I don't know what the future holds.