“I want a word with you.” I stalk toward Dustin, the gun dangling at my side, and he’s leery.
My shoulder bumps his as I storm up the stairs and out into the chilly night. The stars shine brightly, but the only thing I can focus on is the sound of his feet growing closer as I tap the gun against my leg to the rhythm of his steps. When the door closes behind him, I turn on him and grab the front of his shirt, slamming him against it. His head thumps against the metal, echoing through the empty field.
“Why did you bring him here?” I push the gun against the side of his head. “Have you lost your mind?”
Dustin’s mouth opens and closes, but the only thing that comes out are his scared breaths. After a moment, he’s finally able to speak. “He can help us, Phil. He knows how to do everything and has connections that we don’t.”
“If he’s here, then that means Cash is also here. Did you think of that?”
“Yes. Cash is at Hazel’s.” His eyes skip over my face, waiting for myreaction.
“Did it occur to you that this could be a set-up, so he can find us?” I slam him back against the door.
“I don’t think it is.” When I dig the gun into his scalp he quickly finishes. “He was scared and didn’t even want to come with me. He just wanted to go home, so I knew he was running.”
I don’t see anyone running from Cash. That fucker has no backbone and wouldn’t scare a damn fly. Have I underestimated him this whole time? I drop the gun, and Dustin lets out a heavy breath.
“You realize we can’t let him go now, right?”
“You won’t want to once Joseph gets the formula right. I promise.”
“Better hope and pray that you’re right.”
I signal to go back in, and we make our way back inside, my gun hand itching to slam into the back of his head with every step. Samuel is leaning against the wall, and Joseph is still glaring at him. Guess I’ll have to find out what that’s all about later.
I walk over to Joseph and check out his progress. “How’s this one coming along?”
Joseph runs his hand over his tired face that’s in need of a shave. “I think I’ve got it this time. The chemical compounds are remaining balanced and—” He glances at my pursed face and sighs. “It needs tested. And it can’t be tested on Hazel, either. We need a clean and sober test subject. Otherwise, we won’t know if the effects are from this batch or the mixture of two differentbatches.”
“No problem.” I smile and turn to Samuel. “When was the last time you used?”
Samuel shuffles on his feet and clears his throat. “It’s been about a week.”
“Perfect,” I purr. “Get it ready, Joseph.”
Samuel shoves his hands in his pockets, watching Joseph intensely as he preps a syringe. When Joseph is done, he turns to Samuel and raises it between two fingers. Samuel doesn’t budge. He looks at the needle like it’s a death sentence. I grab a folding chair and pop it open, tapping the back to get Samuel’s attention. Hesitantly, he sits down, not taking his gaze off the needle in Joseph’s fingers.
“So you’re just gonna use me as a guinea pig?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Might as well enjoy your time here.” I pat his shoulder and retrieve the belt I used on Hazel’s arm earlier.
He takes it from me and prepares himself, his hands shaking slightly as he pulls it tight around his arm. I take the syringe from Joseph and hand it to Samuel. He holds the sharp point against his skin, the needle rising and falling with his elevated pulse. Taking a deep breath, he pushes it into his vein. A moment later, he depresses the plunger and releases the belt.
Joseph and I lean against the table with our arms crossed, watching him. He leans his head back andshakes it back and forth, rubbing his scalp with his fingers. Goosebumps trail over his arms, and he shivers slightly and laughs.
“I feel great,” Samuel says, beaming from ear to ear.
He jumps from the chair, making all of us flinch, and claps his hands together. His pupils gradually dilate, making it damn near impossible to see any of his iris. Samuel stands there tapping his thighs with his hands to a beat only he can hear.
I think Joseph did it. This is Snap. Well, what Snap should have been. We won’t know for sure until the drug runs its course, but I’m pretty positive that he fucking pulled it off.
“Congrats.” I turn to Joseph and hold my hand out smiling. He hesitates for a moment before grasping it and shaking once. “Looks like you just earned your ticket home.”
BOBBY
The roads are bumpy as we make our way to Phil’s hideout. Even after what happened the other day, he still doesn’t trust me. Can’t say that I blame him. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t trust anyone either. That’s why I didn’t say a word when Dustin pulled over outside of town and blindfolded me for the remainder of the trip. I was disappointed because it meant it would take longer to determine where he was and send the location to Cash. After keeping track of all the turns he made, I was confident it was the same roads that led to Erick’s grave. Only he turned the opposite way whenwe reached that road.
I try to pay close attention to how long we stay on each road, and every direction he turns. It is difficult to do with thoughts of Erick floating through my mind, and Dustin running his mouth about shit that doesn’t matter. All of this rests on my shoulders. Cash wants to find him before they meet in a couple of weeks, and put an end to it now. The element of surprise. Hard to say if it will work. This isn’t the movies, and the good guys don’t always win. Not that I would consider Cash one of the good guys. He’s the lesser of two evils, but he’s still somehow managed to pull all of us into his plan of revenge. I will do it if it means Hazel will be safe from all of this when it’s over.
