TWENTY-FIVE
CIPHER
Was I being reckless?Maybe, but I’d rather risk my own life than let that two-faced bastard get away with what he’d done to Kitten. The man was guilty. Why else would Donnie be stationed with a rifle outside his front door, keeping watch? Larry must be worried someone like me might pay him a visit. Well, he should be.
I’d made good use of Jeremiah’s toys, and I had both his night vision goggles and his tranquilizer gun along with some other goodies stashed on me. I could have knocked Donnie out cold right then, but I wanted him to know why this was happening, so I made a noise in the bushes in order to compel him to investigate and hid behind a nearby tree to watch his approach. When his back was turned, I crept out of my hiding place and rammed the muzzle of the tranq gun into the small of his back.
“Hands up. Don’t turn around,” I hissed.
Donnie raised both arms and I relieved him of his rifle and the handgun holstered at his side. I let him keep the knives, though. Soon enough, he’d be unconscious.
“Are there any others guarding the house?” I asked.
“No, not tonight. I’m the only one.”
I hoped he was telling the truth but at the same time, I couldn’t count on it.
“I’m going to sedate you,” I warned, “But before I do, I want you to know what Larry has done.”
“Okay,” he said, sounding as if he might already have some suspicions himself.
“I found Jeremiah about twenty miles from here. He had Joshua tied up and was using him as live bait to attract Rabids. Larry gave him over to a known psychopath, to be raped and beaten and God knows what else. So tell me, Donnie, did you know about this?”
“No,” he said slowly.
“Do you know about any other shady shit happening around here?”
He swallowed, then nodded.
“I’m waiting,” I said and jammed the gun harder into his spine.
“A few years ago, there was a girl in her late teens, very pretty, sweet too. She went missing. The Health and Safety Committee said she’d been attacked by Rabids, but they couldn’t locate her body. Her father was so upset that he started making threats, accusing Brother Larry of lying about what had happened to her, so the Council exiled him. We found his body soon after. The Rabids had gotten to him, but we never found his daughter.”
“Were you a guard then?” I asked.
“No.”
“Had Jeremiah visited recently?” I asked. At his hesitation, I snapped, “Fucking spit it out, Donnie.”
“Yes.”
“And did you suspect anything?”
“Not at the time, but now… the coincidence is too great.”
I nodded. That was all the confirmation I needed. “It’s better if you tell them you never saw me. Brace yourself.” I took a couple steps back and aimed the rifle at his ass before pulling the trigger. He flinched when the dart penetrated his thick pants and the muscle underneath. I caught him as he fell and laid him on the ground. I checked his pulse to make sure he was still breathing. He’d be out for a while, long enough for me to get in there and take care of business.
Adrenaline was humming through my veins as I considered the best way to enter the premises. The front door seemed too risky, especially if Larry was a light sleeper, and I’d bet my good leg he was armed. I knew the layout of the house already and decided to enter through the yard. The French doors wouldn’t have locks on them, and it would be a hell of a lot easier than trying to climb through a window.
Circling the house, I opened the wooden gate slowly to avoid the creaking hinges. Shutting it behind me so as not to alert the neighbors, I then crossed the overgrown yard, sticking to the shadows as I passed the sludge-filled pool. I scanned the interior of the house and saw no one present. I tried the door. Open. Drawing my Glock and holding it at the ready, I eased open the door and was just conducting a sweep of the interior when the hard muzzle of a gun connected with my temple.
Fuck me.
“Brother Cipher, welcome back. It’s so good to see you.”
* * *
He disarmedme of all my weapons, including my knives and the two grenades I’d tucked into my pockets. He then told me to sit on the couch, all the while keeping his pistol trained on me. I took my time. I’d stall for as long as possible so that the Assholes could get a head start. If I could convince Larry not to kill me, then I’d catch up with them later, and if I couldn’t, well, that was the price I’d pay to keep them safe.
