“I want to make a deal,” he says, his unwavering gaze steady on the agent in charge.
“You’re not in much of a position to do any bargaining,” he fires back.
“I can get you Ivan.”
The man stares at him silently for an extended beat before he asks, “What’s changed now? You’ve been tracking his movements for years.”
“Look, I know how this shit works—ow!” he hisses as he’s lifted onto the stretcher. “But with their help,” he gestures to the three of us. “We can get inside Ivan’s home and get you the name of every contact on his list.”
I see the interest in the agent's eyes as he stares him down. When he doesn’t answer, Elias keeps negotiating. “You won’t just get rid of Ivan, you’ll be able to track down every person involved with his criminal activity.”
“You expect us to just let these three escaped convicts,” he says, gesturing to us, “and you, an FBI traitor, go free?”
“Yes,” Elias replies boldly. There’s no way the agent’s going to go for this. “You know Robert framed these three; they never should have been convicted in the first place.”
“A court of law would disagree,” the agent replies dryly.
“Doesn’t make it any less true. You know better than most what Robert was capable of, Simmons,” Elias says, confirming he knows the other agent.
“Was?”
“You’ll find him inside, dead.” The agent glances at the house again as the stretcher is raised. “Simmons, please. You know me. Let me help you end this once and for all.”
The agent takes a deep breath before he answers. “I can’t promise anything. I need to speak with the deputy director first.” He turns to the medic and nods as he steps out of their way.
We’re pulled to our feet, and we follow behind them. Iwatch as they load Elias into the ambulance. His head starts to lull to the side, and I’m suddenly reminded why he’s injured in the first place. He jumped in front of a bullet to save Dex.
And now, he was trying to save our asses from prison… again.
“Elias!” I yell as they secure his stretcher inside. His eyes find mine, and I give him a nod of gratitude, hoping he understands what I’m unable to say right now. “Get better quickly, okay?”
He smirks back at me. “'Cause you need me to get your sorry asses out of jail?”
“No,” I reply, immediately shaking my head. “Because you’re one of us, and we need you.”
With that, the back doors of the ambulance are slammed shut, and the three of us are led to the back of a transport van, equipped with two benches along either wall, facing each other. Dex is placed on one side, his cuffs attached to a clip behind him, before they do the same to Sly and me across from him.
The doors slam shut, and I let out a breath, leaning my head back against the wall. “Well, that was a fucking shit show.”
“Why did he do that?” Dex asks, making me lift my head to look at him in question. “Elias. Why did he take a bullet for me?”
I tilt my head as I consider it. Would I have done the same for Dex? I know the answer instantly. Yes, I would. I’d do it for any of the guys. But Elias? I’m not sure if I would have done it before today. But knowing that he took a bullet for Dex and saved Wren from being…violated, solidifies the change.
“He’s one of us now,” I tell them with a nod of my head as they both turn their eyes to me. “He took a bullet for you because he cares. What further proof do you need of his true motives with us?”
Sly presses his lips together in a tight line before he speaks. “He’s in love with Wren.”
“Aren’t we all?” I ask with a smirk.
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
Dex shakes his head as he answers. “It never bothered me as long as she still has room for me in her heart. And now he’s shown us that he’s truly one of us, he deserves to be fully inducted intoThe Night Stalkers.”
I snort. “Is that what you’re calling our group?”
“It’s a working name,” he says with a shrug.
“You’re assuming Wren even likes Elias like that,” Sly says, steering us back to the topic at hand.
