He watched me with rare uncertainty. The man who had been controlling the game for decades now needed to deal with pieces that didn’t fit. Fearing what he might say, I blurted out, “Bo has been—”
“I’m aware of Bo’s actions. Samuel informed me of your little discovery.”
I straightened. “I gave you information, and I deserve something in return.”
He snorted. “I can’t honestly think of anyone in a worse position than you to negotiate, but I appreciate the attempt.”
“I want to walk out of here with Hayden and Nick.”
“I’m sure you do.” He waved a finger. “Two handsome men, Jonah? Someone was being greedy.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Well, it’s none of my business, but what will become of the three of you is.” Our eyes remained locked, and it became clearI wouldn’t be leaving this place alive, and neither would Hayden and Nick.
“I’m sorry, Jonah. I’m an old man, and I wish to spend my remaining days in peace. There are already too many loose threads out there, and I’d be a fool to add even more. This estate holds enough explosives to blow it to pieces—as did all of our previous estates. One can never be too careful.”
I failed to find my voice; the sense of failure was devastating.
“I’ll let you have one more day together,” he said, but I could barely process his words. He suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze toward the sky, watching like a hawk. Seconds later, I heard the strange sound too—a buzzing that quickly grew louder. We watched in tense silence as the dot in the sky took the unmistakable shape of a helicopter. It seemed that Ben’s old Mary Sue could still fly, although she sounded like a tractor.
“Friends of yours?” Mr. White asked warily.
“Yes, it’s the FBI.”
He snorted. “As someone who knows the FBI thoroughly, I can assure you that the struggling thing in the sky isnotthem.” His eyes fixed on my leg. “Did you let someone poke at your tracker?”
There was no point in lying. “Yes.”
He sighed. “Well, now we know how they found us.”
I recalled Tammy wanting to speak with Ben in private after he’d checked on my tracker. Had they already decided back then to track me?
“Well, this does complicate things,” Mr. White said as the helicopter passed overhead, vanishing from sight yet still loud inthe background. He stared at the back of his weathered hands, his shoulders slumped.
“It’s over,” I said. “You know it is.”
He met my gaze, his eyes hard. “Because of a helicopter? By the time they manage to get in here, you and the rest will be gone.” He glanced at the rich vegetation. “Why do you think they grow so well out here?”
My skin warmed as I scanned the soil, trying to spot bumps in the ground. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
“They’ll follow my tracker.”
“Yes, and much good it will do you.”
I could no longer hear the helicopter. Did it fly away, or was my heart pounding too loudly to hear?
As I struggled to find what to say, I began to hear shouts from inside the estate, growing louder by the second. Mr. White and I turned our heads as the doors flew open. Bo burst inside, his face bloody.
“Sir!” He tripped and fell to his hands and knees.
Samuel walked behind him, blood smeared on his shirt.
“Sir, I know I’ve fucked up, but I’ve been loyal to you. I—”
“Acted like an idiot for greed—yes, I know.”
