Chapter Thirteen
He heard Matt moving around sometime after dawn. Drew was fast asleep, his head pillowed on Sam’s arm. He didn’t try to move him, listening out for Matt instead. The door to his bedroom creaked and footsteps padded out. There was a wordless sound of surprise before the footsteps moved in their direction. Sam craned his neck, seeing Matt come into view, sleep tousled and rubbing a hand across his eyes.
“Morning, Sam. I—” He caught sight of Drew. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t realize you two were—”
“We’re not,” Sam interrupted him, keeping his voice a little above a whisper. “This is just… I don’t know what this is. We talked, he was freaked out. He didn’t want to sleep alone.”
Matt sat down heavily across from him. “Those pills you gave me were pretty good stuff. I feel like I actually slept.”
“Good, that’s good. So I’ve been thinking that you should move in here with me for a bit. I can take some time off work, or Drew and I can work it out between us so there’s always someone here. Until things turn around and you get back on your feet.”
Matt scrubbed a hand across his face, speaking softly.
“Sam, I know you mean well and you’d go to the ends of the earth for me, but I think we’ve gone beyond that. Things aren’t going to just turn around.”
“You just need time, Matt, time and support. I can be there for you. I can get you through this.”
Sam could hear the desperation in his voice, and Drew stirred, murmuring something in his sleep. Matt’s hands dropped to his knees, clutching them tightly.
“No, this can’t all be on you. I can’t expect you to keep carrying this single-handedly. I’m a drowning man and I’m pulling you right down with me. Let someone else take care of this. There are people, professionals, it’s their job to keep me afloat and they won’t be doing it alone.”
Sam shook his head. He knew Matt’s feelings on that, knew what lengths he’d go to, to avoid it. “I’ll do this for you, Matt. I know you don’t want—”
“No, Sam. No. I know how deep I’ve sunk already. I called by your apartment to say goodbye. I only stayed because Drew knows his shit and saw right through me. I know what I would have done last night, and what that would have done to you, too. I’d never forgive myself for pulling you over the edge with me.”
Matt sounded certain, his eyes clear, his expression determined.
“Are you sure this is how you want to do this?” Sam asked. Matt had been vocal about not putting himself in the hands of people he didn’t trust.
“No, but there’s no other way I can see that gives me half a chance of walking out the other side. I know that now.”
It was a big step for Matt to admit that, a huge step, and Sam felt guilty at his sense of relief, a weight falling from his shoulders.
“I met Declan Mannion the other day, you remember Declan, right?”
Matt nodded slowly. “Sure, Declan, Irish out of Boston. He was with us in Kandahar.”
“Yeah, well he’s here in the city. He volunteers as a counselor with the VA. I could give him a call, see what he suggests?”
Matt considered that for a moment. “Yeah, that would be good. Declan was a nice guy, I’m sure he’ll steer us in the right direction.”
“Great, I’ll get in contact once we get to a reasonable hour of the morning. Are you hungry, do you want some breakfast?”
“I could eat. What about sleeping beauty?”
Sam glanced down at Drew, startled when the other man spoke, his face hidden between the couch and Sam’s arm. “I might be a beauty, but I’m not asleep.”
“Morning, sunshine,” Sam said. “Have you been awake long?”
“Not long. I just didn’t want to intrude on a private conversation,” Drew replied, turning around with a grimace. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, couch-sleeping leaves a lot to be desired,” Sam said sympathetically, helping Drew sit up. The other man looked over at Matt. “You look a little better this morning.”
“I don’t know if I feel it but I guess my thoughts are as clear as they were yesterday evening but with a different direction in mind.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re making the right choice,” Drew offered. “Now, someone said something about breakfast?”
Matt looked down at himself then back up at Sam. “Do you mind if I take a shower?”
“Go right ahead. Towels are on the shelf. You can borrow some clothes from my room.”
While Matt wandered about, he and Drew got up, stretching out the kinks from the night before. Sam went to put on some coffee while Drew hovered nearby. The shower turned on as Sam poured a cup for both of them, bringing them over to the table and urging Drew to take a seat.
“We need to talk.”
“Like I said last night. You’ve got enough on your plate with Matt.”
“Matt wants help, real help. Very soon, he won’t be my responsibility, he’ll be under the care of people who know how to get him better. Leaving me free to help you.”
“How?” Drew asked simply. There was no challenge or expectation in his voice.
“If your story is true, and let's take it as a given that it is, then what you need most is proof. Proof that you say is out there somewhere.”
“Right. With my friend.”
“But you can’t go and get it, because, even though Russell doesn’t know the evidence exists, he is tracking you.”
“Exactly. And I won’t risk anyone else in this.”
“I’m going to help you get that proof. If it’s there, if it exists, and it says what you’re saying it says, then you’ll take it to the police, get it in front of a prosecutor and negotiate a deal that whatever Russell tries to claim, you won’t be prosecuted.”
“It’s that simple?”
“No, Drew. It’s going to be far from simple. But if you’ve been truthful in what you’ve told me, then it’s possible and the best outcome you’re likely to get. One that doesn’t involve you living under that man’s control, on the run the rest of your life, or in jail for crimes you had no part of.” He deliberately left out the other potential outcome. If Russ had killed once before, he would kill again.
“I can’t expect you to just drop everything.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. Think of it like having a bodyguard, someone to watch your back while you do what you should have done in the first place, that first time you ran. It won’t be easy to put this to rights, Drew, but it’s far from impossible.”
He could see doubt on Drew’s face, and fear. But to Sam, the choice was simple.
“You don’t have to decide right now. I’ll make us some breakfast, we’ll get something sorted for Matt, then we’ll talk again.”