“Yes, but, I just informed you that you’re going to die.”
“You told me countless things I thought were true.”
“Tito, this is not a game! I cared for you… care for you.” I hold back the tears that are fighting me at every edge of my eyes.
“Okay, let’s just say that’s true— that you didn’t lie to me, only about this whole FBI bullshit. How does that make it okay? How does it make it anything less than a lie?”
“You really don’t believe me?”
“No.” He shakes his head.
“I told you everything. I confessed when you asked,” he rolls his eyes, but I continue. “I apologized, and—”
“You never apologized.”
“I did.” He shakes his head, hurt seeping through his angry defense. “I’m so sorry.” I step forward, and he doesn’t move. “I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you I was being forced into helping the FBI, I’m sorry that you believe I never cared. Because if anything, I care so much for you that it scares me to admit. It’s been so confusing trying to rationalize this… I don’t know… Thisthing, between us. But I’m sorry that I never said it, sorry that—” He raises his hand for me to stop, looking away from me for a moment. I wait, hanging over the edge of a cliff without a parachute, hoping he’ll toss me one. When he looks back into my eyes, I see the tears in his eyes, and I want to promise I’ll never hurt him again. That we can work this out because he’s worth it, but he closes his eyes and turns away.
“I need you to leave.” He gruffly says just above a whisper.
“Tito.” I instantly sob, knowing that this is it. He doesn’t believe me, and he will die all because of me. Because I couldn’t just speak up and ask for help. Too frightened to do anything but be a puppet.
“Leave.” He commands a bit louder, so security hears him. In a second, their hands are on either side of me, dragging me out of the room as hot tears roll down my cheeks. He looks over his shoulder once, and the pain on his face makes me cry out.
“You have to believe me!” I scream as they drag me down the hall and toss me out the front door. I tumble into the floor, rolling until I hit the other wall with a thud. At first, I lack the willpower to move and don't want to do anything but wallow in my pain until I disappear. But then it hits me, a second wind that comes with the realization that should have come much sooner.
If being a puppet got me in this mess, then wouldn’t I just need to cut the strings to break free? I stand up, teeth grit, a new fury that I find in the depths of me, driven by something much more powerful than the pain I am choosing to endure.
It is the fire to defend. No one is dying on my watch today. I’ll see to that, even if it means I’m the one to take their place.
21
TITO
I’m strapping myself with weapons and tech as I finish getting dressed. There’s a horrible torment within me that I ignore for what I have to do. Seeing Scout has only jumbled me up further, having the opposite effect on me than I would have thought.
The problem is that I’m starting to believe her, that she’s here because of a ploy to bomb my meeting today. That she was truly trying to rescue me and hasn’t had a choice to fight back until now. I can’t think like this, though, I have a presentation, and I can’t be caught up in these feelings for someone who I should not be feeling anything but anger towards.
Honestly, even that is beginning to subside.
I grab my bag of tech off the floor of my bedroom and head down the hall to the door, where two of my security guards are waiting for me. We walk uniformly to the elevator and make our way down to the car. It’s parked out front for us, and we go right to it. As I slide inside, I have a pang of guilt, an almost panicky feeling that I didn’t get to say goodbye to Olive.
That's a ridiculous thought, though, because I’ll see her again. Unless what Scout warned me is true…
No. I can’t think about this now. I just have to focus on the presentation.
We wind through the small streets, up and down hills of tightly packed buildings, and pedestrians around every turn. The tight street we’ve been driving on opens up to a large square, where a small park faces the front of the cathedral where our presentation is meant to take place. I take a deep breath at the sight of it, adjusting my equipment as we come to a stop in front of the building.
“Good luck!’ The team nods to me as I slide out with my duffle bag in hand and begin up the stairs.
“TITO!” Scout shouts, from somewhere, drawing attention to me. I don’t turn around, instead, I open the doors and continue forward through the walkway between pews. The elders sit at the end, lined up in their chairs, stoic looks on their weathered faces.
Before I can get much farther down the aisle, Scout reaches for my arm, grabbing it firmly. I stop, whipping around to see her sprinting up the stairs, winded, warm skin slightly pink.
“You don’t have to trust me or even like me, but you have to listen.” She whispers harshly, and I’m hanging on every word now. “Unless you want to see everyone here die, you need to come with me. We can stop them.” She looks down at the bag of tech in my hand.
“Scout—” I’m hesitant, tilting my head with uncertainty.
“We don’t have much time. They followed me here. So, either you help me, or I die trying to save you.” Her words pierce me, and I don’t care what has happened anymore. Because something in my gut is begging me to believe her. I don’t want her dead, and the thought of her risking her life for me proves that she has been telling the truth regardless of what has happened between us.