The taxi had almost arrived at Silas’ condo, but Silas no longer wanted to go home. He leaned over the back of the passenger seat and caught the taxi driver’s attention.
“Change of plans. Can you please take me to The Soup Pot between Western and 4th?”
“Your bill, your choices,” the taxi driver replied casually. Silas sat back and rubbed at his eyes. They burned from lack of sleep.
“I’m going to ask him to talk with me and Seth first,” Thaddeus continued. “Seth and Elijah used to work together, so I feel like he’d be a bit more willing to listen if Seth’s around. Once the two of us hear him out, we’ll ask him if he’ll talk to you, okay? And then, if he will, I’ll have you brought in.”
“And if he refuses?” Silas asked.
“Then we’ll let him go and I’ll tail him,” Seth said casually. “No big deal. We probably think alike, and I have enough experience evading men pursuing me to know how to sneak. I’ll make sure he’s somewhere safe before we part ways.”
“And if he doesn’t go somewhere safe?” All of the possibilities and bad endings were exasperating. Silas knew he had to respect Elijah’s choices, but when those choices endangered him and the potential life inside of him, respect was hard to abide by.
“Then I’ll talk to him, bring him to a shelter somewhere, and get him on his feet,” Seth said. “If he doesn’t want to go back to you even after you’ve explained yourself, that’s not on me. I won’t make him, but I don’t want to see him sucked back in to the market, either.”
It was fair, but it wasn’t what Silas wanted.
“Alright,” he said with finality. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Wait for us in the dining room,” Thaddeus instructed. “We’ll call you in from there.”
