Chapter 11
Tyler
“You sure you don’t want a ride, buddy?” Charles stood outside Society HQ in Beacon Hill and gestured to the empty road. “My car will be here in a second.”
It never ceased to amaze me that the other folks in the area didn’t comment on the barrage of fancy cars, mostly black, which frequently appeared on this street. Then again, Beacon Hill did have that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ vibe.
“Nah, I’m good,” I said. “I think I’m going to take a walk.”
“Listen man, don’t let that Anthony creep get to you. It’s like I said the other day, nobody likes the kid. He’s only around because of his dad and one day daddy won’t be there to protect him anymore.” Charles’s grin came off a tad evil.
I wouldn’t put anything past the Society guys, now. After I’d seen a dead body and heard their plans of domination, I’d realized exactly the lengths the Society would go to in order to achieve their aims.
“I’m not worried about Anthony,” I said. “I just feel like enjoying the fresh air.” And not worrying about Anthony was a lie, of course, but Charles wouldn’t understand why, and I wasn’t prepared to let him in on the secret.
“All right, man. Take it easy,” Charles said, and gave me a faux salute. He messed it up – possibly because he’d had too much to drink again. I would’ve worried for his health, but it was a little late for that. He’d already started turning a pale shade of yellow. Jaundiced.
If Charles continued drinking that way, he’d be out of the Society before I managed to worm my way out.
I gave Charles a wave, then set off, boots scraping on the sidewalk.
The guy outside Shelby’s apartment had to have been Anthony. I couldn’t fathom another option on this one. He’d proved himself a fucking lunatic when it came to Shelby and just about everything else, several times over the past few months.
He’d followed us to restaurants twice that I knew of. He’d wormed his way into Shelby’s good graces and set me up for failure on the night of her birthday. He’d tried to out me to her a few days ago. The guilt from that incident stuck to the inside of my ribs – Shelby had stood up for me and I’d let her down again.
I strolled down the street, away from the Society’s headquarters after a successful drop. Thankfully, I hadn’t had to frame anyone for murder on the last job. Just a simple drop off and collection.
I tried focusing on the early morning views of the city, people leaving for work or the cars rushing by laden with passengers, but it didn’t work. Anthony’s appearance at Shelby’s apartment had me shaken.
If he didn’t back off, I’d have to do something drastic. I’d have to push my plans forward to blackmail his dad and get the hell out. Would that stop Anthony from stalking Shelby, though? Doubtful.
I turned into an alley and slowed my pace, mulling over the options. Honestly, I didn’t have many. I had to find a way to protect Shelby from the shit I’d dumped her in. Anthony might’ve hit on her at work, but I’d been the catalyst that’d caused him to take the next step.
My teasing had clearly shoved him over the edge.
Footsteps crunched on the ‘crete behind me. I missed a step, then increased my pace and swiveled my head to check out a dumpster. But that wasn’t my aim, of course. I caught a glimpse of the dude following me – not Anthony, thank fuck – and acted casual. Walked as if I was out on a Sunday stroll through the park.
I didn’t recognize this cat. He wore a hoodie with the hood down, not conspicuous at all, and had a cookie cutter cop hair style, brown and neatly trimmed. He kept his head down, though, affording me a view of his aquiline nose and not much else.
A hoodie. Alarm bells clanged in my mind. Could this be the guy who’d been outside Shelby’s place?
I shifted focus to the exit of the alley but kept my pace the same. Leisurely. If the guy realized he’d spooked me, this affair would be over before it’d begun.
I exited the alley and continued down the busy street, passing by stores and take-out joints. I peered into each one, faking that I was interested and using the opportunity to study my pursuer in the reflection.
He hadn’t quit following me. I balled my hands into fists and took a right down a quieter road, away from the buzz of traffic and the chatter of pedestrians. I’d deck him before he got a chance to do whatever he had planned.
The guy entered the road a few feet behind me. He sped up and I prepared to turn on him.
“Mr. Stone,” he said – his voice reminded me of my grandfather. Smooth and deep, totally in control. “Don’t turn around. Keep walking and act like you don’t hear me.”
I bowed my head. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend,” he said. “Or I will be if you do what you’re required to do.”
“I’m not required to do anything,” I replied, and slowed down.
“Keep walking, Mr. Stone. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“Are you a cop?”
“FBI,” the man replied. “I’ve been watching you for a while, your acquaintances too.”
“It was you,” I said, and clenched my fists again. “You were the guy watching Shelby. You scared her, you jackass.”
“My apologies.” FBI guy didn’t sound in the least bit apologetic about that. “We know a lot about you, Mr. Stone. We know where you live, how you spend your time, and who you’re working for.”
“I work alone.”
“Please, Mr. Stone, don’t patronize me,” the agent said. “Did you really think you were operating under the radar? You’ve hardly been careful. Buying from jewelers in broad daylight. We’re aware you planted that necklace at the Copley Plaza Hotel.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” What was I supposed to say? ‘Yeah, it was me and also, I work for a secret society who hasn’t paid taxes in years. Oh, and don’t arrest me or anything because I’ve only just joined.’ Something told me that shit wouldn’t fly.
“We know you’re working with the Society.”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
The agent, to his credit, didn’t ram into my back. He slowed and grunted. “Keep moving, Stone. I can’t protect you if you blow my cover.”
I set off walking again. “Protect me?”
“That’s right.” FBI guy sniffed and kept that even pace a couple feet behind me. “Cross the street and keep going straight.”
I followed his instructions. What the hell else could I do? “How do I know you are who you say you are?”
“You don’t. But are you willing to take that risk?” FBI guy asked. “I can’t pull out my badge. I’m undercover. Go with what I say, or you’ll end up regretting it.”
“What do you know about the Society?” I asked.
“That you’re way out of your league. You’re small time, Stone, and the Society is going to take you down with them when their ship sinks.”
Clearly, FBI guy underestimated the magnitude of Abernathy’s power, and he was the tip of the iceberg. I shuddered to think what the Society could do if they found out about the FBI’s surveillance. They saw me as the weakest link, apparently.
“What’s your name?”
“Smith.”
“That’s not a fake name,” I said, in a deeply skeptical tone. “Agent Smith. Seriously original. You’ve seen The Matrix, right?”
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Smith said. “You’re going to do what I need you to do, or you’re going to take the fall with the Society. You wouldn’t want Shelby to be alone, would you? Anthony would have free reign.”
“Jesus, what don’t you guys know?”
“You’re going to have to work with us, Stone, or you’re –”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first fifty times. What do you want?” I’d just had another layer of shit slathered on top of the other one.
“You’re going to help us take the Society down,” Smith said.
Fuck it. Exactly what I didn’t want to do with the help of the FBI.
“Let me make it amply clear, Stone. You don’t have a choice.”
“I figured,” I said. We continued walking down the street, the sidewalk flying beneath my feet. I focused on the gray concrete and the stains, a piece of chewed gum. If this was my only way out, then I’d take it. “What do I get in return?”
“Immunity. You do what we want and you’re out of the Society. We’ll offer you protection.”
“What about Shelby?”
“We’ll protect her too.”
I didn’t have to consider it. “What’s the plan?” I asked.
“I want the documents you have,” Smith said.
“Christ, did you bug my fucking apartment or something? How do you know about that?” What the fuck was I getting myself into here? If shit went south I’d be so fucking screwed I wouldn’t know which way was up. I’d have both the FBI and the Society on my ass.
“We need those documents,” Smith repeated.
“Fine. I’ll give you the documents.” My only bargaining chip. I could make copies again but Smith would probably know about it before my finger hit the button on the copy machine.
“And you’re going to wear a wire.”
We turned a corner and I lost the final part of the sentence. “Say what?” Cars rushed by and I couldn’t help pondering the drivers. What if one of them worked for the Society? Everyone knew my face by now. What if they figured out the guy in his hoodie wasn’t just a random dude walking down the street?
Sweat gathered on the back of my neck. I massaged it away. “Wear a what?”
“A wire. We want you to speak with Greg Abernathy about election fraud and the murder you had a hand in.”
“Whoa, man, I didn’t kill anyone.”
“You’re complicit.”
“Fuck you.” I ground my teeth. “A wire? Are you kidding? You realize what will happen to me if they find out I’m double crossing them?”
“You realize what will happen if you don’t do it,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
“And what am I supposed to do? Just bring it up? Abernathy and I aren’t exactly besties. He uses me for work and that’s it.”
“He likes you,” Smith said.
“You been reading Abernathy’s diary?”
“He’s already initiated you into the Society. He’ll want to make you a member soon, and when he discusses that with you, you’ll bring this up. It will be a meeting. He’ll summon you and make it clear that it’s important.”
I gulped. “Fine. Is there anything else you want? Suck your cock for you?”
“Drop the tone,” he replied. “I’m doing you a favor. I could’ve chosen someone else.”
“Really? Who else? Who else was planning to betray them? Charles? George?” I asked, and winced. I shouldn’t out all of them. Ha, what the fuck did it matter, though? They’d all be in prison, shortly, and it would be my fault.
“You’re going to come out of this clean,” Smith said. “Your record will be expunged. But only if you play along. Understand?”
“I understand.” I didn’t like it. “But I still need to think about this. There’s more than just me at stake.”
Smith fell silent. Our footsteps filled the quiet, along with the rumble of those engines.
“Think fast,” the agent said, at last. The footsteps behind me faded and I kept walking, breathing slow, my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans. I wiped my palms on the rough fabric. Shit, shit, shit.
If I cooperated with the FBI, I’d risk exposing myself to everyone. I risked losing Shelby for good. But if I stayed in the Society I ran that risk anyway, didn’t I? And working with the feds would give me a modicum of protection. Unless the Society figured out what I was up to first.
“Fucked,” I muttered, and glanced over my shoulder. Agent Smith, obviously not his real name, had disappeared and left me with a decision which would change everything for the worse or the better. I had no clue which, yet.
If I’d been smart enough to stay away from Greg Abernathy in the first place, this wouldn’t have been an issue. But I’d been blinded by my need for Shelby, and now I had to deal with the damn consequences.
That was fine. I’d do anything for Shelby. Anything for us. I just wished it didn’t have to involve the feds.